Finally, the Chamber of Secrets
Mark seemed to notice Lockhart's caution, but didn't pay it any mind and started walking toward Hermione and Ron. But Lockhart stopped him, stepping in front of him with a serious expression and, at the same time, that same competitiveness they'd had in the past while working for the Knights. Although now there was also something slightly crazed in Lockhart's eyes.
"My time is very valuable. I'd rather be doing a lot of other things than having to deal with you. You already know you never managed to beat me in the past. You're just a mediocre wizard, and getting fired from the Knights was the best thing that could've happened to you. All because Sally showed up. Now move," Mark said in a dry tone, directly to Lockhart.
Lockhart frowned deeply in anger as he raised his wand.
"Not another step, supposed descendant of Merlin," Lockhart said with mockery and contempt. "If you even still call yourself that to fool yourself. You, a wizard who can't even use a wand and can only make potions, what makes you any different from a Squib?" Lockhart said disdainfully.
Mark stopped for a few seconds, staring directly at him without changing his expression.
Although some of the things Lockhart had just said made both Ron and Hermione's eyes widen in surprise. Especially the part about being a descendant of Merlin.
"Ah, yeah. Back then I was a brat who went around saying that everywhere. Makes me feel a little embarrassed," Mark said as he swept his hair back with a smile.
Although it wasn't a lie either.
But trying to feel superior now, when he worked with a woman raising the children of gods, felt a little ridiculous.
And then there was that other woman...
She straight up made Merlin not seem like that big a deal.
Mark shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside, and moved one hand toward the small pouch at his waist, behind his back.
The moment his hand moved, Lockhart raised his wand and cautiously pointed it at Mark.
"Don't you dare," Lockhart said warily.
But Mark only gave him a smile.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a ball of fire burst outward with Mark at its center, sending Lockhart flying several meters away, while Hermione and Ron covered their heads and dropped to the floor to protect themselves.
Fire covered the corridors for a few seconds as the heat rose dramatically. Meanwhile, Mark stood calmly in the middle of it all, holding a small vial in his hand that seemed to be the source of those flames.
"Why bother using those silly wands? I can store my good spells perfectly well inside my potions," he said as the flames began flowing back into the vial as if it were nothing, disappearing.
Lockhart got up from the floor, his chest now half scorched. He brought one hand to his chest and glared fiercely at Mark.
"Since it seems you're fully determined to interfere in my business, then don't blame me for getting violent," Lockhart said with hatred in his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, let's get this over with already," Mark said as he raised both hands, different kinds of vials visible between his fingers, each filled with different colors and strange liquids. "I hope these years without the Knights' help have gotten you somewhere and you've stopped being good only at wiping memories," he added disdainfully.
"Oh, of course I've improved. All for my revenge. Every one of my adventures brought me closer to the power I have now, taught me many things I didn't know before. Meanwhile, you... your contract has you locked away with a bunch of Muggles. You must be happy they finally gave you permission to enter the magical world, like a dog," Lockhart added with the same contempt.
Their gazes clashed for several seconds, with plenty of hatred between them.
…
Thanks to the clues Tyson had left behind, they didn't get as lost along the way as they'd expected. Luckily, they were able to move at a good pace. Only their footsteps could be heard through the dark tunnels, illuminated solely by Harry's wand.
Percy crouched down to pick up another of the objects Tyson had left along the way. This time, it was one of his tools, a gift from Aunt Mor that Tyson treasured a lot.
"We must be close," Harry said when he saw the hammer. "Otherwise, Tyson wouldn't have left something like this behind," Harry added seriously.
Percy seemed to understand the same thing.
Then they turned a dark corner that seemed to be where all the tunnels finally connected. The moment they turned, both of them instantly raised their wand and sword, suddenly pointing them forward as they tried to keep their eyes narrowed out of fear of being killed with a single look.
In the distance, what they saw was the silhouette of something enormous and hunched over, lying there without moving.
"Maybe it's asleep," Percy said when he noticed no movement from the thing, though he didn't loosen his grip on his sword and remained on guard.
Harry very slowly opened his eyes a little more, carefully, and approached with his wand raised. The closer he got, the more clearly he could see it: poisonous-looking green skin that seemed to glow faintly, stretching across the tunnel floor, twisted and empty.
"It's just skin the basilisk shed," Harry explained, letting out a sigh. "It must be about seven meters long," he added.
"Seven meters?" Percy asked, surprised by the size as he stared at the skin. "Then that basilisk must be the same size, right?"
"Well, more or less. After all, snakes shed their skin when their bodies grow, so maybe a little bigger," Harry added with a small smile.
Meanwhile, Percy's mouth was hanging open.
"Yeah, I don't think that helped calm me down, but we'd better hurry up and save Tyson," Percy added, continuing forward.
Then, after walking a little farther, it seemed like both of them had finally reached their destination, because in front of them stood an enormous door with snakes carved into it and large emeralds for eyes.
And judging by the marks on the floor, it looked like something enormous had recently slithered through that door.
"All right, we finally made it," Harry said, staring at those snakes as his eyes scanned the entire wall.
"Open me, open me."
Harry narrowed his eyes as he heard that hissing coming from the door.
"Mm, why is it different?" he murmured for a moment, looking at the snakes in confusion.
"Harry, now isn't the time to get lost in your thoughts. Open it. It's time to save Tyson," Percy said seriously as he tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword.
"Right," Harry said, nodding as he stepped in front of the enormous door.
"Open," Harry let out, but this time they weren't words, but soft hisses that only Harry seemed to understand.
Then the snakes on the door, as if they were alive, began moving around it before the door opened on its own, finally allowing them passage into Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.