Tom Riddle wasn't just hunting the Basilisk tonight , he wanted two kills with one strike.
He'd finish the sixth trial and walk away holding the Merlin Medal.
Tonight, Hogwarts was his stage.
He would show everyone exactly how Tom Riddle , the most gifted wizard of his generation , saved the school single-handedly.
He'd make sure they all owed him for it.
A thunderous BOOM! split the air.
Chunks of stone and smoke burst outward as Tom shot out from the castle like a streak of lightning.
The Basilisk slithered close behind, roaring its fury , a grotesque, guttural shriek that rattled the earth.
Its head, once crowned with only two swollen lumps, now bulged with a dozen pulsing welts, like tumors of rage.
Tom could understand every hiss and snarl , and it was so ridiculous he almost laughed mid-flight.
For all their ancient menace, snakes weren't exactly eloquent. Their insults were simple, childish things: "Bad! Worm! Stop! Hate!"
Coming from a hundred-foot serpent, it sounded absurdly like an enraged toddler throwing a tantrum.
Except this tantrum came with fountains of venom and gouged earth , proof that the monster wanted nothing more than to crush him into paste.
"Alright," Tom murmured, eyes flashing. "That's far enough."
He darted across the night sky, drawing the Basilisk out to the vast, moon-drenched lawn.
Then, he whistled sharply.
A roar like tearing thunder answered.
From deep within the Forbidden Forest, a massive shadow rose , wings spread wide, eyes gleaming like molten gold.
Usagi, the dragon.
The dragon's cry rolled across the castle like a stormfront, shaking trees, shattering silence.
Its dragon's might radiated through the air, heavy and absolute. The entire Forbidden Forest erupted into chaos , creatures fled, shrieking, as lightning forked through the clouds.
Even in the distant towers, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students heard it clearly.
So did the dungeons of Slytherin and Hufflepuff.
At this hour, no one was asleep anymore.
"What was that sound?!"
"Merlin's beard, look! Something huge on the lawn!"
"Someone's fighting it! It's, it's coming out of the Forbidden Forest!"
"Quick, where's the brass telescope?!"
A Gryffindor finally pressed his eye to the lens. For a heartbeat, lightning illuminated the grounds below. His jaw dropped.
"It's a snake! A giant snake, bigger than a train!"
Another flash of lightning ripped across the clouds, throwing the scene into sharp relief.
"It's RIDDLE! Tom Riddle's fighting it!"
The words exploded through the common rooms like a spell.
Gryffindors and Ravenclaws stormed out of their dormitories, pelting down staircases to see for themselves.
In the Slytherin common room, Daphne Greengrass froze , she recognized the dragon's roar instantly.
"That's Usagi!" she shouted, grabbing her wand. "Come on, outside!"
Even the typically unbothered Hufflepuffs stirred, though only a handful were brave (or foolish) enough to peek out. The rest decided that, compared to possible death by serpent, staying under their blankets was the smarter choice.
Meanwhile, Harry had finally found Professor McGonagall , panting and pale, having sprinted up five flights of stairs when Snape was nowhere to be found.
When Harry told her there was a Basilisk in the castle, she nearly fainted.
Then she slapped herself hard enough to sting.
"Pull yourself together, Minerva! Move!"
She whirled on her heel. "We must go help Riddle!"
Outside, lightning poured from the heavens like liquid silver, crashing down upon the Basilisk's scales. The thunder was deafening , but the damage was pitiful.
The creature's skin, thick as steel and centuries-tempered, made dragon hide look like parchment. Even so, arcs of current crackled under its scales, making its movements jerk and falter.
Tom hovered in the storm, eyes sharp, wand raised.
"Diffindo Maxima!"
Ten cutting curses streaked through the rain, followed by several Eye-Bane spells for good measure.
The serpent's eyes, unprotected by armor, didn't stand a chance. Both burst in twin showers of black blood.
"Incendio Maxima!"
A ring of flame exploded outward, blazing into a massive circle that fenced the dueling pair inside. The fire danced high, throwing light into the dark sky , his own private spotlight.
"Much better," Tom murmured. "Every hero needs good lighting."
By now, the first wave of students had reached the courtyard , only to find Usagi looming before the gates, wings spread wide, glowing faintly in the storm.
"Don't go out there!"
Professor McGonagall's voice cracked as she sprinted forward, breathless but resolute.
"It's too dangerous! Everyone stay inside! Prefects, hold the line!"
She flicked her wand. The enchanted armor suits that lined the hallways stirred to life, marching heavily to the entrance and locking into position to block the doors.
"Maintain order!" she barked.
Snape, however, had already pushed past her. His face was stormier than the sky itself.
"Out of the way," he hissed to the dragon. "Your master is still fighting , we're here to save him!"
Usagi's only reply was a low growl. Energy gathered at its maw , a blinding sphere, humming with the sound of destruction.
"Professor!" Daphne shouted over the chaos. "Usagi must be following Tom's orders! He doesn't want interference!"
"Nonsense!" McGonagall snapped, eyes blazing. "That's a Basilisk! A creature with the Death-Gaze , classified Level-5X! Tom Riddle cannot handle it alone!"
Harry piped up timidly, "Um, Professor? He's got a spell that lets him avoid the gaze thing."
"That doesn't protect him from its fangs!" McGonagall shot back. "Or the venom! Or, good heavens, its body!"
She turned to Daphne again, desperate. "Can't you command the dragon?"
The girl shook her head. "Sorry, Professor. She only listens to Tom."
Before McGonagall could argue further, a clear, ringing voice carried over the roaring fire and thunder from the lawn.
"Piertotum Locomotor!"
The castle itself answered.
Dozens of suits of armor and stone statues came to life, their eyes glowing blue. They turned, one by one, and began to march toward the grounds.
Far above, at the entrance to the Headmaster's office, the stone gargoyle that guarded the door opened its eyes for the first time in years.
"Well, would you look at that," it rumbled. "Someone finally used the spell again. And it's that Riddle boy!"
The gargoyle stretched its stone wings, cracking its joints with relish.
"Time to show him what Hogwarts' strongest defender can really do!"
With a grin carved in granite, it leapt from its pedestal, smashing through the office window and plummeting toward the battle below.
It landed with a deafening crash, carving a crater into the wet grass , completely unscathed.
"Woo-hoo!" the gargoyle bellowed gleefully, cracking its knuckles. "Riddle, my boy , the cavalry's here!"