"What a beauty!" Terry said, plopping down onto the white sand.
"Isn't it just?" Harry replied, landing beside him. "Look at Sirius—he's like a little kid..."
At that moment, Sirius was trying—unsuccessfully—to either mount a surfboard or simply dive into the wave. It wasn't working out, but that didn't dampen Black's enthusiasm in the slightest. His cousin watched the noisy antics with visible disapproval, sheltering herself from the sun under a large beach umbrella. Naturally, she couldn't bring herself to wear an open swimsuit, so she was flaunting a light summer dress instead. Though, of course, cooling charms were still an option.
"What do you expect?" Terry said reasonably. "The guy hasn't just been deprived of beaches—he hasn't even seen the sky in years. Let him have his fun!"
"It's not like I'm arguing," Harry said, stretching contentedly. "Ah, if only Luna were here too..."
"What, her father didn't let her come?"
"No, he missed her too much, so they ran off somewhere together," Potter explained. "But honestly, Sirius had a great idea. I haven't been to the sea in ages!"
"Ha, me neither," his friend snorted. "Absolutely stunning! But I bet it cost a fortune, huh?"
"Probably," Harry shrugged, drawing patterns in the sand. "I didn't ask. If he wanted to surprise us, I wasn't going to argue!"
"Wish we had more surprises like this..." Terry mused. "It's really beneficial to be friends with you..."
"Did you ever doubt it? Ah... Too bad there's barely any vacation left. Just a couple more weeks at home, then back to school..."
"You don't sound nearly as miserable about it as you used to," Terry teased. "Because of Luna, huh?"
"Not just that," Harry glanced at him. "There's some unfinished business. You know what I mean."
"Yeah. The backups." He shot a cautious look at Bellatrix, but she was engrossed in her book and wasn't paying attention to their quiet conversation. "Still thinking about how to break them?"
"Exactly. I already told you about the methods," Potter said. "And the best part is, we actually have a basilisk. Only problem is, it's sleeping, and Shen refuses to wake it up because it's 'beneath her status.' So it looks like it's up to me."
"Are you insane? Or did you fry your brain in the sun?" Higgs frowned. "You seriously plan to walk right into a basilisk's mouth?!"
"Well, I'm not going alone, that's for sure," Harry reassured him. "I just need to convince the professor that I haven't lost my mind... And then convince the basilisk that I'm not tasty, and persuade it to take a few bites out of all that junk we've collected. Honestly, I don't know which one will be harder!"
"The professor," Terry said confidently. "You're such a reckless lunatic, mate! Just be careful—I'd rather it be the artifacts getting bitten, not you!"
"Obviously. I still want to live!" Harry snorted. "Come on, let's go swimming!"
…
"Potter, you have lost your mind," Snape said predictably when Harry showed up after the holidays with yet another insane plan.
"Oh, come on, sir," Harry said, curling up in the armchair and starting to gnaw on a lemon. "There's no way in hell you're not at least a little curious to see a real, live basilisk!"
"The main thing is, don't let it glare at me," muttered the professor. Of course, he was curious! But he fully understood the danger of such an endeavor.
"I'll ask it not to open its eyes," Harry reassured him. "And if it comes to it, you can always stop it. For our purposes, even a dead tooth will do, right? Though it's a shame to destroy a relic creature... But if I have to choose between it and myself, I'll pick myself."
"Alright," Snape conceded, realizing that Potter was likely to try and approach the basilisk alone. "And how do you propose to get into that dungeon? Have you learned to walk through walls?"
"Of course not, sir!" Harry sneered. "I figured out how to get in last year. Though I suspect it's going to be a bit dirty down there, but there's no choice..."
"And when do you intend to pull this off?" the professor asked.
"The sooner, the better," Harry answered. "When do you have no classes in the morning? We can go the day before then. To finish this off... How's the Mark?"
"It's the same," Snape replied reluctantly. "But it's quiet for now."
"That's why we need to act now," Harry said authoritatively. "Before things get chaotic… Am I right, sir, that if we destroy these Horcruxes, your Dark Lord will be significantly weakened?"
"Yeah."
"Great," Harry smirked. "He's not in good shape as it is, and then this little setback... So, when do we go for it?"
Snape thought for a moment and finally decided:
"Friday. But, Potter, rehearse your speech beforehand, just in case that basilisk is in a bad mood. You might not have time to gather your thoughts."
"Of course, sir," Harry nodded seriously. "I think I should use the simplest phrases to talk to it. Who knows, maybe it's gone senile..."
"Great Merlin, what have I gotten myself into again?" the professor sighed inwardly. "On the other hand, if Potter can convince that creature to destroy the Horcruxes, that's already something. And if he somehow manages to convince the basilisk to share its venom or scales... That would be a goldmine!"
With this thought, he immediately shared it with the young man.
"Piece of cake," Harry replied, finishing off the lemon peel. "If it works, I'll ask. What's the harm…"
...
On the night of Friday, Harry made sure he was thoroughly prepared and headed to Snape's office.
"You know, sir, you should take off your cloak," Harry said, giving the professor a critical look.
"Why?" Snape asked, confused.
"Because we'll have to crawl through the sewers," Harry explained patiently. "And from the smell, it's not exactly clean. See what I'm wearing? I put this rag on so it wouldn't be a shame to ruin it!"
"You're not familiar with cleansing charms, are you, Potter?" Snape asked venomously.
"I'm familiar with them, but it's too much hassle," Harry answered honestly.
"I'm afraid, if anyone meets me without my cloak, they'll have to be revived."
"Well, if you don't have anything under it, then yes, probably," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Potter..."
"I know, I know, I'm horrible!" Harry waved his hand dismissively. "So, are we going, sir?"
"We're going... By the way, where exactly?"
"To Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Harry giggled. "What are you looking at me like that for, sir? The entrance is there. And I'm not to blame that the person who set up this dungeon was such a pervert!"
"Hmm..." Snape paused. "Potter, tell me, why has Professor McGonagall been avoiding going out in the evenings lately? She even stopped patrolling the castle..."
"No idea, sir," Harry shook his head.
"And also, she's been smelling like valerian for the past three days..."
"Mm... has the professor been drinking?" Harry asked, surprised. "No, I thought about slipping her some valerian back in first year, but I didn't risk it and then forgot, so I'm not involved!"
"And why has she been asking me about the familiars of my students? I mean, the Slytherins?" Snape pressed.
Harry abruptly stopped and slapped his forehead.
"What's the matter, Potter?"
"It's Shen!" he said. "Well, remember when you created her, I sent her to hunt rats. And I told her not to mess with Mrs. Norris. I completely forgot about McGonagall! And she likes to wander around as a cat... Oh, no! Good thing Shen didn't give her a heart attack, that would've been a disaster!"
"Yes," Snape muttered, but then couldn't help but grin at the thought of his colleague, who had gone for her evening stroll, running into a giant snake. He would have loved to see that! "Make sure to warn your pet about the professor's animagus form."
"I'll try!" Harry snorted. "The last thing I need is a repeat of that... Sir, we're here. Now... Open Sesame!"
The sink, as usual, moved down, revealing a tunnel.
"Yeah, I suppose I'll take off my cloak and leave it here," Snape said thoughtfully. "And how are you planning to descend, Potter? You can't levitate, can you?"
"Nope," Harry replied and began unrolling a rope, which he had hidden in his bag. "I think if I wrap it around a couple of toilets, they'll definitely hold me. And I bet you can levitate, sir?"
"I can. But are you sure the rope will be long enough?"
"No," Harry answered optimistically. "But Myrtle says it's almost vertical here, and after that, it's sloped, so we can slide down on our backsides. I brought a cardboard to sit on!"
"And how do you plan to get out?"
"Well, you'll think of something, sir!" Harry responded with unwavering faith in the outcome. "Alright, I'm going in!"
As Snape had predicted, the rope didn't even last a third of the way, and then Harry shot down the wide pipe on his cardboard with an expletive-filled scream, first in fear, then in exhilaration.
"Hurry up, sir!" he yelled from below. The acoustics in the pipe were excellent. "It's awesome down here!"
"Yeah, really..." Snape murmured as he gently descended next to Harry, who was adjusting his shirt into his jeans.
By the light of Lumos, the dark walls were covered in either mud or slime.
"Not bad for a construction job," Harry remarked. "I wonder where we are right now? Hope we're not under the lake..."
"I have no idea where we are."
"Well, whatever. I think we need to head that way, sir," Harry nodded and started walking forward, cheerfully whistling. "Oh, damn!"
Snape's reaction was always excellent; he managed to grab Potter by the shoulder, throw him behind his back, and cast a stunning spell at the giant snake almost simultaneously.
"Ugh, I really messed up," Harry confessed honestly, peeking out from behind the professor. "Heh, it's just a skin... So this snake molts too? Cool! Will you need it, sir?"
"Definitely," Snape replied, eyeing the unexpected prize. It could easily be worth hundreds, if not thousands, of galleons!
"I'll just take a couple of scales," Harry said matter-of-factly, doing so. "For Luna's earrings. They're really pretty! Shall we go on, sir? We can grab the skin on the way back..."
"Hmm, if there is a way back," Snape thought, but didn't say anything aloud.
"Wow, these are some doors!" Harry exclaimed, almost bumping his forehead on the massive barrier. "Mmm... Those emeralds look nice... Should I pry them out, sir?"
"Potter, stop fooling around," Snape frowned. "Are we going to stand here all night?"
"Alright, alright... Open Sesame!" Harry declared. "Wow! These are some halls!"
Harry spun his head around, taking in the enormous hall, giant columns, and the monstrous statue.
"Who's this?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"Suspect it's Slytherin," Snape replied, scrutinizing the shadowed stone face. He was too tired to comment on the swearing. "Haven't you even opened 'The History of Hogwarts', Potter? There are portraits of the Founders on the first page!"
"Yeah, like I'd recognize them from those pictures," Harry snorted. "Hmm. So where could the basilisk be hiding? Judging by that skin, this creature's huge... Shen! Shen!"
"Quiet..." came the snake's voice from somewhere.
"Why quiet? I need to wake it up!" Harry protested.
"You must do it respectfully!" the snake hissed reproachfully.
"Well, you should've said that earlier..." Harry scratched his head. "Hmm... Will it hear me if I call?"
"It sh-sh-ould..."
"Alright..." Harry turned to Snape. "Maybe you should step behind a column? I don't know, what if I can't negotiate with it? I'll have to take it down, but not at point-blank range, that'd be weird..."
Snape silently nodded, acknowledging the boy's reasoning, and stepped back, but still kept an eye on Harry.
"Esteemed basilisk!" Harry began. "Would you mind waking up and showing yourself for a moment? I have an incredibly important matter, and only you can help with this! Is that alright?" he asked Shen. "Esteemed basilisk, I'm terribly sorry to wake you, but we don't have much time!"
"I'm awake... Crawling here..." Shen reported.
The floor trembled heavily, and the Slytherin statue started to move—it almost seemed like the grim figure was yawning.
"Esteemed basilisk!" Harry yelled, squinting just in case. "Could you please close your eyes? Otherwise, I'll petrify and won't be able to explain why I woke you up!"
"It's poss-ssible..." a deep voice rustled beneath the arches, and the colossal snake began to emerge from the statue's open mouth. "W-w-what do you need, ss-speaking one?"
"Well, uh... Hello..." Harry cautiously opened one eye and found himself face-to-face with the basilisk's head, thankfully with its eyes closed, and added, "Oh my goodness! You're huge..."
"Old..." the basilisk hissed. "Tired... Been ss-sleeping for so many years..."
Snape, hiding behind the column, was on the verge of making a Muggle sign of the cross.
"W-what do you wish?" the basilisk repeated.
"Well, if it's not too much trouble, could you maybe bite a couple of nasty things?" Harry asked, desperately signaling Snape, who, by the way, had horcruxes on him. "You see, only your venom can deal with them! Please, please!"
"Sh-show me..." the basilisk commanded, and reluctantly, Snape had to step out from his hiding place and lay out a set of artifacts in front of the creature.
The split serpent tongue carefully inspected everything, and the basilisk seemed to be thinking.
"Not going to, huh?" Harry asked glumly.
"Too ssmall..." the basilisk replied. "How will you reach them?"
"Hmm..." Harry scratched the back of his head and turned to Snape. "Sir, what if I just poke the horcrux with a tooth? Would that work?"
"I hope so..." Snape replied grimly. The proximity of the basilisk was making him very nervous.
"Well then, esteemed basilisk, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind opening your mouth a little? I'll put them on your fang myself," Harry decided. "I mean, if you don't mind."
"Open..." the basilisk hissed and opened its mouth, which seemed large enough to fit a car.
"Have you lost your mind, Potter!" Snape hissed. "If you even touch..."
"Calm down, sir," Harry replied, pulling out dragon-hide gloves from his back pocket—clearly taken from the professor's lab. "Everything's under control! You see, I kind of figured this would happen when Shen told me about the size of the esteemed basilisk. After all, the bowl is really too small for him, not to mention the locket! But let's start with the diary..."
Gripping the notebook firmly with both hands, Harry approached the terrifying face and, taking a deep breath, slid the artifact onto the long, sharp fang that was dripping with venom.
Hogwarts seemed to tremble. A long, bone-chilling scream echoed. Ink poured from the diary, streaming down Harry's arms and flooding the floor. Then silence fell, broken only by a persistent "drip, drip, drip"—the ink was still oozing from the pages of the diary, the venom of the basilisk burning a hissing hole through it.
"Cool!" Harry said, tossing the useless horcrux aside. "Next one, please!"
Snape silently passed him the cup. After all, there were some benefits to Potter's recklessness... He himself would never have dared take such a risk, and he certainly wouldn't have been able to strike a deal with the basilisk. At best, he would have killed the ancient creature just to use its fangs…
"That's it!" Harry said happily and was about to take off the gloves, but Snape quickly caught him by the elbow and motioned toward the fangs.
"Ah! Esteemed basilisk, would you mind if I collected a bit of venom? Just in case another nasty thing turns up, so I won't bother you again..."
The giant head nodded affirmatively, and the professor quickly passed Harry a vial.
"You might as well ask to fill Hufflepuff's cup," Snape scoffed. "Why not go all out?"
"Actually, that's an idea, since it's hard to fit it all into the vial... we'll transfer it later..."
Snape silently covered his face with his hand.
"Thank you, esteemed basilisk," Harry said sincerely, finishing the task.
"You've helped us so much, you can't even imagine..."
"It was diss-sgussting..." the basilisk hissed.
"Sorry, there was no other way... Maybe I can send you a little gift? A couple of sheep, or something else? I could steal them from the kitchen!"
"I would be grateful," the basilisk responded. "There'ss not much tass-sty game in the Forbidden Forest..."
"Ah, I'll stop by soon then," Harry promised. "I'll leave it here, and Shen can pass it to you. Is that okay with her?"
"It's okay..." the monster answered graciously, starting to turn around to return to its lair. "Goodbye..."
"See you later," Harry said optimistically, turning to Snape. "That wasn't too hard! But why are you so pale, sir? By the way, could you help me with the gloves? I can take one off, but I'm kind of afraid to grab the other one with my bare hand..."
The professor realized what a sight it must be, standing in the dungeon with the Hufflepuff cup full of basilisk venom in one hand and Ravenclaw's diadem and Slytherin's locket in the other. The relics had suffered some damage, but were still recognizable enough; they could be returned to the houses, but they'd have to explain where they came from. However… the cup was already in hand, the diadem was honestly found by Potter and Lovegood in the Room of Requirement, and the locket could easily be returned to the school by none other than Black!
"We need to get out of here, sir," said Harry. "We've caused quite the earthquake... who knows, the Headmaster might panic."
"Yes," Snape replied. "Let's go. You'll have to carry all this, I need my hands free."
"Uh-huh, I'll carry all this junk, and you'll carry me, is that right?" Harry smirked. "Oh, and don't forget the skin! Mmm... I wonder what happens next?"
"Next, I'll die ahead of time," the professor replied darkly. "Because you, Potter, are going to put me in my grave!"
"I've already told you – never!" Harry said. "You still haven't taught me everything!"
Snape could only groan quietly...
*
«Hi, Apple Moth!
Well, let me tell you, that was an adventure! Though I nearly crapped myself in fright, but that's nothing. The important thing is, we handled the items. Though there's still a snake of the Lord floating around somewhere, but I'm counting on Shen.
So, I did manage to get the one-you-know-who to go down into the basilisk's dungeon because, well, it's too scary to go alone. (I think he nearly lost it too... didn't faint, though.) The basilisk is a snake the size of a metro train (okay, smaller, but fear makes things look bigger). But it's actually quite the friendly creature. I mean, when you've been stuck in a basement for years, you'd be happy to talk to anyone! (My Shen is proud to no end—he let her talk to him. Apparently, snakes have some etiquette rules too.)
Not only did we get the job done, but we also grabbed the shed skin (it's worth a fortune!), got some venom… so, yeah, we had fun. And now Luna has earrings made of basilisk scales, they're ridiculously beautiful, bright green, they suit her really well. I even hid a few more, wanna see if she'll make something for Hannah? A pendant or more earrings?
One thing's on my mind: has the Headmaster heard about our exploits yet? So far, he's keeping quiet...»
*
«Hi, Lemon Eater!
I see you're having quite the time over there… Listen, could you take a picture of the basilisk? Shen took one, remember? It would be so interesting! But only if it's not too dangerous, of course, or the flash might go off, and he'll bite you...
You know, I've been thinking: on one hand, I'm a bit jealous—such adventures! But on the other, I'd like to live a bit longer. Don't push your luck too much, you never know... You've said the Lord still has backups, these weren't the last ones. And if he's found out they're gone, he must be furious. So, be careful.
If you don't mind, could you bring a couple of scales for earrings? We'll have girls in uniform! By the way, do you think the Headmaster won't recognize the scales? He might ask the girls where they got them, and they... On the other hand, Luna won't spill anything, and Hannah... Well, she'll just say I gave them to her. And I'll say that my father bought them as a gift at my request. Sounds good, right?»