The light from the tip of his wand illuminated only a few steps ahead, as if the entire world had been compressed into this narrow circle of light.
His shadow was cast on the damp stone wall, resembling a Dementor lying in wait.
The passage twisted and turned, seemingly without end. Corner after corner, after more than ten minutes, Severus Snape cautiously rounded the next bend, his breath catching for a moment—a solid wall loomed before him.
Carved into the wall were two intertwining serpents, their eyes inlaid with eerie, glinting emeralds.
"This is it," Snape murmured to himself, the emerald serpent eyes flickering under the wandlight, as if alive and scrutinizing him.
He cleared his throat and spoke in a low, raspy hiss: "Open."
The stone serpents stirred as if awakening from a deep slumber, slowly parting. The wall split down the middle, sliding silently to either side and vanishing.
A wave of air, even more stale than the tunnel's, hit him.
Snape held his breath, wand raised to his chest, and stepped into the oldest secret of Hogwarts—Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.
The chamber was grander than he had imagined.
Towering stone pillars supported a vaulted ceiling that melted into the darkness above, each pillar adorned with lifelike serpent carvings that cast long, eerie shadows across the room, bathed in a greenish, mystical haze.
"Hello…" Snape hissed, his voice echoing through the vast chamber, as if countless versions of himself were whispering in unison.
He moved cautiously between the serpent-coiled pillars, each step producing a hollow, resonant echo against the shadowy walls.
The eyes of the carved serpents seemed to follow his movements, watching the intruder.
He kept his eyes narrowed, staying vigilant, ready to snap them shut at the slightest hint of movement.
The hollow eye sockets of the stone serpents felt alive in his perception, their gaze trailing him no matter where he went. More than once, he thought he caught a sound, but when he looked closely, all was still.
When he reached the final pair of pillars, a statue as tall as the chamber itself loomed into view.
Snape had to crane his neck to see the aged, monkey-like face of the statue. Its sparse, long beard nearly reached the hem of its stone wizard robes, and its two large, gray feet stood on the chamber's polished floor.
Gazing up at the face of Slytherin's statue, half-hidden in the darkness, he opened his mouth and hissed: "Speak to me, Slytherin—greatest of the Hogwarts Four…"
Silence.
Then, a grating sound of stone against stone shattered the quiet.
The massive stone face of Slytherin moved, its mouth slowly opening, wider and wider, until it formed a gaping black void large enough to swallow several people.
Snape instinctively stepped back, his back hitting a cold pillar.
His wand pointed at the dark opening, ready to cast a defensive spell.
After a long wait, nothing happened. Snape began to wonder if the Basilisk had already been awakened.
As he debated whether to fly closer on his broom to investigate, a faint, rustling sound came from deep within the statue. Squinting, Snape could almost make out something slithering upward from Slytherin's mouth, uncoiling its massive body.
He stepped back quickly, making room.
A colossal creature crashed onto the stone floor, shaking the entire chamber.
Its body was a vivid green, shimmering with the vibrant gleam of a venomous snake. At least fifty feet long, its body was as thick as an oak trunk.
The Basilisk coiled its massive form, its head rearing high, nearly touching the stone ceiling.
Just as Snape prepared to summon Dobby, the Basilisk spoke to him.
"Hello, little wizard," it said, its voice like sandpaper scraping. Its forked tongue flickered in the air, tasting the scent. "Who are you? How did you find this place?"
Seeing no immediate intent to attack, Snape decided to proceed cautiously.
"Severus Snape," he answered, forcing himself to remain calm. "I followed ancient legends to come here."
"Strange…" The Basilisk tilted its massive head, as if pondering. "You are not Slytherin's heir. You are not the one he awaited. But…" It slithered closer, its heavy body dragging across the dusty floor with a chilling rustle. "There's a familiar scent about you…"
"A familiar scent?" Snape asked tentatively, edging toward a pillar for cover. Perhaps it sensed the trace of Riddle's diary, he thought, from his contact with it.
"Yes," the Basilisk hissed, its sound almost like laughter. "Your scent… it's in my memories. But I've slept too long… I cannot recall."
"Never mind. Is it time?" it suddenly straightened, its voice tinged with excitement. "Since you've opened the Chamber, let us… feast. Purge Hogwarts, cleanse it of those who do not belong…"
"Er…" Snape's heart sank. He needed to stall. "Do we need to rush?"
He backed away slowly, lowering his head and shouting, "Dobby!"
The echo reverberated through the chamber, then faded into silence.
No pop. No house-elf appeared. Snape's heart sank further—Dobby hadn't come.
"What's that?" the Basilisk asked, its tone suddenly menacing. "Did you call me a fool (Dobbie)?"
Cold sweat trickled down Snape's temple. Where was Dobby? The house-elf who could Apparate freely even in the Headmaster's office—had the Chamber's anti-Apparation wards stopped him?
"No… not that…" Snape stammered, trying to explain. "I meant, oh, I'm such a fool—I forgot to bring you food."
He quickly reached into his robes, pulling out a small cloth bag and extracting a few dead voles—creatures he'd brought to lure the Basilisk.
The voles were stiff, clearly scared to death.
"Oh, give them to me," the Basilisk said, its tongue brushing Snape's palm. The cold, wet touch sent a shiver through him, nearly prompting him to cast a spell.
The dead voles vanished into the Basilisk's massive maw. "Passable," it remarked, its voice tinged with disappointment. "But too small." It turned toward the chamber's entrance, its body beginning to slither forward. "I'm hungry. Let's go up—there's more to feast on above…"
"Wait," Snape called after it. "It's not safe up there. The Ministry is investigating. Perhaps we should… make a plan first."
Would Fawkes come? Snape thought, sweating as he parried with the Basilisk. Professor Dumbledore, I'm your most loyal student—please, come quickly…
But the Basilisk ignored his words, continuing toward the entrance. "Are you coming?" its voice echoed back. "You can hold onto me and ride up together."
Snape hesitated. His plan had been to deal with the Basilisk in the Chamber, unseen by anyone.
If it escaped, the consequences would be catastrophic—not just innocent lives lost, but if word reached Voldemort, he'd know his diary was compromised.
That would spell disaster for the Malfoys, and worse, Riddle might alter the hiding places or methods for his other Horcruxes, costing Snape his critical edge against the Dark Lord.
At that moment, faint footsteps and an odd commotion came from the entrance.
"Behave, we're almost there."
It was Dobby's voice.
The house-elf, wearing a protective shield over his head, stumbled into the chamber, one hand dragging a string of seven roosters, the other clutching a sack from Hagrid.
The roosters, upon entering, came face-to-face with the Basilisk. They immediately flapped their wings, letting out loud crows.
"No! What is this—" The Basilisk recoiled, its massive body writhing.
"Sir Snape, Dobby didn't hear your call—brought these… what is that!" Dobby gasped, shocked.
"Keep your head down, don't look at it!" Snape shouted, rushing toward Dobby. "Hide, Dobby!"
But before he could reach the elf, the Basilisk reacted with fury.
It reared up, its huge yellow eyes opening in the darkness. "You tricked me, boy!" it roared, its voice thick with betrayed rage.
Snape spun, retreating behind a pillar.
The roosters' crowing grew frantic, mingling with the Basilisk's pained hisses and the dull thuds of its body slamming against pillars.
The chamber shook, stones falling from the ceiling.
The roosters' crows were lethal to it, Snape thought, trying to gauge the situation by sound. Just a little longer…
Suddenly, a foul gust swept toward him. He instinctively rolled aside, feeling the Basilisk's tail whip past his back, smashing the spot where he'd stood.
The stone floor shattered, fragments flying.
In the split second he opened his eyes, he saw the Basilisk writhing in agony.
The proud, speckled rooster flapped its wings, lunging at the Basilisk, only to be yanked back by the rope tying it to the others.
"Sectumsempra—"
"Avada Kedavra—"
"Crucio—"
A barrage of colorful spells shot from his wand, striking the Basilisk's body.
But the spells had little effect, even the Killing Curse, leaving only shallow marks on its tough scales and further enraging it.
Dodging another attack, Snape pointed his wand at the roosters and shouted, "Relashio!"
The ropes snapped.
The seven roosters, now free, flapped wildly, their crows echoing through the chamber.
In a flash of light, Snape's Engorgio spell hit the roosters, their feathers bursting outward as their bodies swelled to the size of hounds.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The lead speckled rooster let out a deafening crow, its glossy feathers shaking as it dove at the Basilisk's head.
The others formed a circle—some tore at the Basilisk's soft underbelly with their claws, while two leapt onto its back, pecking furiously.
Under their relentless crowing, the Basilisk's scales began to flake off.
It went berserk, tongue flicking wildly, charging at Snape with reckless abandon.
"Filthy human! You deceived me!" it hissed, snapping the pillar Snape hid behind.
Snape darted and dodged, but finally, he had nowhere left to run.
A deafening crack rang from above as the Basilisk's tail struck, slamming him into the wall. Pain shot through his back, his wand nearly slipping from his grip.
He could no longer afford to look down. Raising his goblin-forged dagger, he braced for a final stand.
The Basilisk lunged, its saber-like fangs gleaming.
At that critical moment, Dobby charged forward.
"Come at me, you monster!" the elf bellowed, swinging Hagrid's sack and landing a solid blow on the Basilisk's head with a loud thud. The Basilisk's attention shifted. It shook its head, turning to Dobby, its yellow eyes locking onto the elf. "You won't harm Sir—"
Dobby's voice cut off. His body stiffened like a board, eyes wide, staring directly at the Basilisk, and he collapsed like a statue.
Even with the shield, he'd met the Basilisk's gaze.
"Dobby!" Snape shouted, a surge of unprecedented fury coursing through him.
He no longer fled but faced the writhing beast head-on.
As the roosters' crowing slowed the Basilisk's movements, it still lunged toward Snape.
The speckled rooster seized its chance, leaping up and driving its sharp beak into the Basilisk's eye.
The Basilisk let out a deafening roar, thrashing wildly, snapping several pillars, only to be pinned by falling stones.
Snape seized the moment, raising his wand: "Confringo!"
The spell struck a teetering boulder on the ceiling with precision.
Dust rained down as the massive stone crashed onto the Basilisk.
The roosters swarmed, crowing and pecking at the creature's exposed wounds.
After a long struggle, the Basilisk finally stilled.
The chamber fell silent, save for the occasional triumphant crow of the roosters and Snape's ragged breathing.
He dragged his aching body toward where Dobby had fallen, kneeling beside the elf.
Dobby's eyes remained open, glassy and wide.
Snape cradled the small, rigid body, resting his hand under Dobby's neck.
"Why do you always have to protect others, Dobby?" he whispered, gazing at the elf. "Being petrified isn't pleasant, you know. The Mandrakes this year are still too young…"
"I won't say that unlucky phrase to you…"
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