Chapter 155: Basilisk: This is a monster!
Dylan silently slipped back into his dorm using the shadows. The rest of the matters no longer concerned him. All he needed to do was have Kael'thas appear and settle everything in front of Harry. The rest would naturally be conveyed to Dumbledore by Harry. He only needed to continue his own research.
When Dylan returned to his dorm, there wasn't even a soul there. Neville's and Seamus's luggage, however, lay quietly on their respective beds, looking somewhat messy and only half-packed. They were probably dragged out by the Weasleys while packing.
Dylan was about to put away the trunk by his bed and replace it with his true pet-space trunk. However, his dorm door was suddenly pushed open forcefully from the outside.
"BANG!"
The loud noise startled Dylan. A thought instantly flashed through his mind. Had the fact that he'd taken all the Basilisk and Horcruxes been exposed? No, that couldn't be right. How was that possible? He had just returned, hadn't even encountered Fawkes, and Dumbledore couldn't possibly know about it, so no one should have discovered the specific situation! Could Harry have fiery golden eyes like Sun God? Could Lily's magic on him be that powerful?
Turning around, Dylan immediately saw two Aurors casually enter his dorm.
"You..." Dylan raised an eyebrow slightly, a look of surprise on his face.
"There's actually a kid here? What are you doing here, are you trying to hide some dark object?!"
"I've already told everyone to gather outside. Why are you still here?! What's your name?"
The two Aurors marched menacingly, approaching him quickly after seeing him. Both were tall, and in the dim light, their shadows stretched long and narrow on the ground. The lead Auror's eyes were cold, as if frosted over, staring directly at Dylan. The other Auror narrowed his eyes and also questioned him.
Dylan quickly realized what was happening. These were clearly people sent by the Ministry of Magic. He was startled, thinking they were there to arrest him. Turns out they were just searching for things.
Some idiots at the Ministry of Magic, and that old man who relied on his wealth and family connections to be close to various Ministry officials, couldn't possibly think this would directly bring Dumbledore down, could they? Students were leaving tomorrow, yet they suddenly sent people now. Had they received news that the Heir was about to appear? Or was it... news that Voldemort was about to be resurrected?
Heh.
But now, no matter the situation, those who wanted to see Dumbledore fall were destined for disappointment. Whether it was the Heir of Slytherin or Voldemort, who could be resurrected at any moment, both were now in his grasp. He couldn't possibly let little Tom go. At the very least, he had to thoroughly research Horcruxes.
"Mr. Hawkwood, I was just reading in my trunk earlier. I just came out and don't know what's happening."
The two Aurors paused slightly, exchanged glances, then looked at the trunk by Dylan's feet. "Now open your trunk! I suspect there's dark magic in there!"
Dylan frowned slightly. —He wasn't actually afraid of them inspecting this fake trunk. Because when he had it custom-made, he had applied an Undetectable Extension Charm to it. Although the space inside wasn't large, just enough for one person to read or even brew potions, it was more than sufficient.
However, why should he let them see his trunk? And even if he did, would they continue to trouble him? That was also a question.
He naturally had his suspicions about whose orders these Aurors were acting under. Could old Malfoy be trying to retaliate for the insult he received at the bookstore back then? That old man. Just like his son, truly asking for trouble! When they met again, Dylan would definitely let that guy know what cruelty was!
"Sirs, I don't quite understand the current situation. Are you searching me? Do you have a search warrant from the Ministry of Magic?"
The two Aurors frowned at his words. "Stop wasting time! Open your trunk now! Don't make us use force!"
Dylan glanced at the tall man who was yelling the loudest. The guy's face looked somewhat familiar. He seemed to be the Auror he had attacked in Knockturn Alley using a controlled Imperius Curse. Dylan's eyes grew slightly cold.
When the Auror met his gaze, he was startled, a shiver running through him. —That familiar feeling. He immediately tried to catch Dylan's eye again. However, what he saw was merely the helplessness and compromise of a wizard who hadn't yet reached adulthood.
"Alright, alright, sir, although I don't know if your actions are entirely proper, since you're demanding it, I'll comply."
The tall Auror paused, feeling that Dylan's words were somehow hinting at something, yet he couldn't quite grasp it. The bearded Auror beside him frowned: "Of course we have a search warrant, otherwise we wouldn't be standing here. Now, open your trunk immediately!"
I really want to cast a Killing Curse on both of them and then use their bodies to grow obsidian flowers. Dylan's movements subtly paused. But just as he was about to open his fake trunk, someone else walked through the doorway.
"Why are you making such a ruckus?"
The newcomer was a woman, looking quite young, with long brown hair tied in a ponytail that fell behind her. She wore a black uniform that accentuated her slender figure.
Dylan and the woman looked at each other, both pausing in surprise.
"Aunt Vera?"
"Dylan? So you're here."
Vera's expression was cool, but the corners of her eyes curved into a smile.
"I was just reading in my trunk, and I don't know what's happened yet," Dylan replied.
Vera nodded, her fair, slender fingers waving at the two Aurors: "Out. You're not needed for the search here."
The two Aurors were stunned, apparently not expecting the person assigned as their search party leader to know this young wizard. The tall Auror opened his mouth, but seeing Vera's cold expression, he ultimately said nothing, put away his Seeker's Glass, and strode towards the door.
Although Vera was a full six or seven years younger than him, this young woman's ruthlessness was almost universally known in the Ministry of Magic!
Don't let her young age fool you; she seemed to have just graduated from the Academy, but her abilities were incredibly solid, and her power extremely formidable. Especially her mastery of Frigidus Terra—the Freezing Charm—she could use it to create works of art! Attack, defense, disarming, trapping enemies... Anyone who tried to bully this young woman based on age or seniority was severely taught a lesson! This had made her a rising star among Aurors in just two years. He heard that some higher-ups even wanted to promote her.
Although they were associated with Lucius, both these Aurors and higher-ranking wizards had received many favors from Lucius. However, their superiors wouldn't openly target a talented wizard, so they didn't want any conflict with Vera now.
Not to mention that Vera was also a member of the Fawkes family. Although the Fawkes family had fallen on hard times and was no longer one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, it was once a glorious pure-blood family.
In any case, they were not a problem that these lowest-ranking Ministry soldiers could handle. Who knew if Vera's father would charge out of his children's ice cream shop in Diagon Alley to take revenge for his daughter, and perish with them!
After the two Aurors left, Vera walked towards Dylan.
"Professor Flitwick said you could even help Professor Snape brew Mandrake Restorative Draught?"
To a beautiful woman—an adult woman, at that. Dylan gave a shy smile: "That's all thanks to Professor Snape's excellent teaching. I certainly couldn't do it on my own."
Vera's lips curved into a smile: "I heard that when the first people were attacked, it was you who revived them with the restorative draught you had already brewed."
"—If Professor Snape had taught you, he would definitely have had the potion on hand. Yet, the truth is, the school only just now got new Mandrake Restorative Draught."
"I must admit, Professor Snape did tell me the potion formula beforehand. I just usually brew a lot of potions, and then I managed to concoct those two bottles." Dylan blinked, not dwelling on the topic: "Aunt Vera, what are you doing here this time?" "I heard those two just now say you seemed to be searching for some dark objects."
Vera's expression grew serious. She nodded gently, her golden-brown hair swaying slightly: "To be precise, we don't have a clear objective. Someone reported that a murder was about to occur at Hogwarts, so the Ministry of Magic sent us here."
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"The Chamber of Secrets situation has caused widespread panic, and the Ministry of Magic is very concerned that something might go wrong here."
"They sent us here, partly out of concern for the safety of Hogwarts students, and partly because the Ministry believes that Headmaster Dumbledore being temporarily removed from his post might lead to chaos in Hogwarts' administration."
"Therefore, we need to ensure the school's safety and stability, and strive to find the source of the dark magic threatening the students, as well as the mastermind behind the Chamber of Secrets."
Dylan nodded: "However, the news of a murder at Hogwarts being spread must have caused public outcry, right?"
Vera looked at Dylan in surprise: "How did you know?"
Dylan smiled: "Just logical deduction."
Vera didn't deny it: "Someone spread the news that a murder was about to occur at Hogwarts, and widespread media coverage put a lot of public pressure on the Ministry of Magic."
"Furthermore, Professor Dumbledore was temporarily stripped of his headmastership and forced out of Hogwarts, which caused much dissatisfaction among many people."
Dylan chuckled: "So the Ministry of Magic had to send people to stabilize the situation."
"Exactly. However, there doesn't seem to be an actual murder at Hogwarts right now. We suspect someone has hidden dark magic items in the school, so we've launched a search, hoping to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets at the same time."
"Although there isn't one yet, a student has been abducted, so a murder might happen soon," Dylan replied.
"We are also desperately searching for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, hoping to find the girl before she comes to harm," Vera sighed.
Dylan also showed appropriate concern: "Everything that's been happening lately is truly terrible."
"Sigh, you can say that again," Vera sighed again. She didn't hold a Seeker's Glass but simply scanned the entire room.
"You don't have any dark magic items here. Come out with me. Let's go to the common room and join your classmates. We should finish searching soon."
Vera's tone with Dylan was not as cool as it had been with the two Aurors; instead, it carried a touch of softness. Dylan nodded, not insisting on staying in the dorm.
—The Basilisk was now completely terrified, and with Norberta guarding it, Dylan had also used several dark magic spells to suppress its soul when he put it into his trunk, so it couldn't cause any trouble.
Leaving the dorm and arriving at the Gryffindor common room, it was practically overflowing with students; almost all the Gryffindor students were gathered there. Vera bringing Dylan in immediately drew many gazes.
Percy seemed to know Vera. He walked over and stood beside Dylan: "What's wrong with this kid?"
"Nothing," Vera shook her head.
Before she could say anything more, the Gryffindor common room door suddenly burst open.
"Madam Vera, news has come from the professors! The monster in the Chamber of Secrets has been hijacked by Kael'thas!"
"What?!" Vera's face changed drastically upon hearing this. "How is Kael'thas at Hogwarts?!"
The Auror who delivered the news panted slightly, shaking his head with a bewildered expression.
"I don't know," Vera replied, her delicate brows furrowed. "I understand. Everyone, fall back! Come with me to the professors!"
As she gave the command, the Aurors who had been rummaging through the young wizards' rooms quickly retreated.
"You all stay here, keep the door shut, and don't go running around!" Vera's voice was clear and crisp as she spoke loudly. Then, she lowered her head and looked at Dylan: "Go back and keep reading for now. You're very diligent; study hard."
Patting Dylan's shoulder, Vera swiftly led the four Aurors out of the Gryffindor common room.
After everyone had left, the young lions began to discuss nervously.
"Kael'thas? I've heard that name! My second aunt's husband works at the Ministry of Magic, and he said that guy is a really evil dark wizard! He's killed a lot of people! And he calls himself 'The Fool,' saying he'll send everyone to the afterlife!"
"I've heard of him too! Kael'thas has appeared in Knockturn Alley a few times, and each time he's used extremely vicious Unforgivable Curses to deal with many people! And he demands their lives, and all the money from those poor wizards must be taken by him!"
"Ah, really? What Kael'thas? Who is that?"
Chitter-chatter.
Some young wizards who had heard news about Kael'thas from their families blurted it all out. In an instant, the name of Kael'thas—the evil, sinister, despicable, self-proclaimed Fool, who loved to kill and steal money—became known to all the little lions.
Dylan: "..." His eye twitched. What in the world were these guys blabbering about? Although he had taken money at the time, hadn't he also made some grandiose statements? That was to raise funds for his great cause!
And, most importantly—how could one call "The Fool's" business "stealing"? It was alms-seeking! Moreover, he wasn't doing it for free. Hadn't all those people ultimately been saved by him? They were all sent to the Ministry's prison, and not Azkaban, where they had food and drink for a while. Wouldn't that be a wonderful life?
"My father said that even during the holidays, we should go out less. It's not safe outside!"
"Yeah, my family told me the same thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to stay at school during the last Easter holiday!"
"Huh? So you didn't leave because of this!"
"This is no small matter! The dark magic Kael'thas wields is incredibly powerful! A group of Aurors charged at him, and he wasn't even scratched. In the end, they were the ones who got injured and scurried back to the Ministry of Magic."
"That strong?"
"Indeed! Some even consider him the new Dark Lord! When I went home for Christmas, I saw a group of dark wizards in an alley, and some were even chanting his name! Like a cult! It scared me so much I ran home immediately!"
Dylan listened to the Gryffindors' discussion, his brow slightly raised. Had Kael'thas's name spread so far already? Then why hadn't any new achievements popped up?
"Hey, Dylan, are you alright? We heard shouting from the dorm over here." Neville and Seamus came over, and Dean was with them. The Weasley twins also squeezed in, winking at Dylan.
"Did you take action and teach those Aurors a lesson?"
"No, not at all, nothing of the sort." Dylan shook his head, then looked at Percy: "You know Aunt Vera?"
"A very accomplished, but cold and low-key senior," Percy nodded. "How do you know her?"
"Well, I met her while getting ice cream," Dylan chuckled. "Why are they suddenly searching our dorm? Will other places be searched by these Aurors too?"
Neville's face showed timidity: "I heard so. Seamus and I were packing our bags when Aurors suddenly burst in and gathered us here, saying they suspected someone was hiding dark magic items."
Dean rolled his eyes: "How is that possible? There's no way a dark wizard could come from Gryffindor! And it's even more impossible for anyone to use dark magic items!"
Seamus also nodded: "Yeah, I've hardly ever heard of a dark wizard coming from Gryffindor."
Dean scoffed: "Those people clearly weren't here for a real search. It felt like they were deliberately trying to find trouble! If it weren't for that girl who just left, those male Aurors probably would have tried to lay hands on us!"
Neville whispered: "Just now, if someone even spoke, they would be harshly reprimanded, especially some of the non-pureblood students."
Dean pouted: "They don't even use their tiny brains to think! How could anyone from Gryffindor possibly turn to the dark side? Unless that person's an idiot!"
Dylan: (・_・;)
That's a bit too harsh.
Dylan cleared his throat, interrupting the topic. "Anyway, since they're gone, let's hurry back. I don't know what the situation is there. It's best to pack our bags first."
Neville was the first to respond to Dylan's call, nodding. "I think Dylan has a point. Although they said just now that the monster in the Chamber was taken by that Kael'thas, that will only make the school more dangerous! Let's hurry and pack our things and go home tomorrow."
Hardly any students returned to their dorms to pack, but Dylan didn't care about the others. He returned to the dorm with Neville and Seamus. Dean and the Weasleys also left. —The twins didn't want to go but were sent back by Percy.
Back in the dorm, Dylan told Neville and Seamus: "I don't have much to pack, so I'll just keep reading. Your beds are messy, so hurry up and tidy them."
Neville and Seamus both nodded.
"I wonder where Harry and the others are now. They're not in the common room either."
"Maybe they're with the professors. We don't need to worry too much. If something had happened, that Auror wouldn't have just said that."
"Neville, you're from a pure-blood wizarding family. Do you know who that Kael'thas they mentioned outside was?"
"I'm not too sure. When I went home for Christmas, I overheard my father talking about him, but when I asked Grandma, she told me not to bother with such things and to focus on learning magic."
"Alright..."
Neville and Seamus discussed Kael'thas and Harry while packing their bags. Dylan, meanwhile, pretended to pull out a trunk, threw it on his bed, then subtly put away the trunk by his bed and took out his pet-space trunk.
Opening the lid, he climbed inside. As soon as he entered, Dylan heard a faint mooing sound. Dylan looked over. The Basilisk seemed to be subtly recovering. Its massive snake head turned slightly. Although its eyelids were still barely open, they were squeezed into a slit, looking at the black ball of yarn continuously hopping on its face.
"Moo~ moo~"
But when it looked to the left, the ball of yarn would jump to the other side. When it looked to the right, the ball of yarn would jump onto its head and then swat its eye with a paw, making it wince and unable to maintain its squinted eyes, closing them tightly again.
How could this damn little black ball of yarn be so strong?! The problem was, its soul hadn't completely broken free from the shackles of those evil spells. This left it utterly unable to move, with no way to resist the actions of this cursed ball of yarn. It was so angry its basilisk venom was about to burst!
"Coal," Dylan called softly.
Coal heard Dylan's voice and immediately stopped teasing the Basilisk. Its four tiny paws stood on the Basilisk's head, and it looked towards Dylan.
"Roar~" Norberta also quickly approached Dylan.
—Little Coal was afraid of the Basilisk's eyes, but Norberta wasn't. Before the Basilisk could petrify it, Norberta's full magic resistance could easily sustain it long enough to get out of its line of sight.
Dylan reached up and stroked Norberta's head, then slowly walked towards the Basilisk. The Basilisk, bound by spells and almost completely immobilized, its usually intimidating vertical pupils were now filled with frenzy and panic. Its attempts to lift its head were instantly slapped down, as if by a hard blow. The fierce glint in its eyes completely faded, replaced by extreme fear and trembling.
Dylan stopped in front of the Basilisk. However, the latter didn't even dare to look Dylan directly in the eye. As soon as its gaze touched Dylan's chin, it would frantically shift away, its body pressed tightly to the ground, as if it wished it could burrow into the cracks in the earth.
"Hiss..." The Basilisk let out a low whimper from its throat. At this moment, it looked nothing like a terrifying magical creature that was almost impossible to find anywhere else in the wizarding world. Instead, it looked more like Dylan's pet.
"The shrinking charm dissipated so quickly on you. Your magic resistance is quite high, isn't it?" Dylan chuckled.
However, the Basilisk shuddered. Although this human before it wasn't the masked black-robed wizard it had seen earlier, the evil aura emanating from him originated from the same source as the spells binding its soul! It was certain that this human was the same ruthless, brutal fellow who had casually tormented it just moments ago!
Dylan tilted his head, observing the nearly dozen-meter-long creature. —Twenty feet was still too short; the Basilisk's actual length was far greater than that. Feeling Dylan's almost palpable gaze sweep over every inch of its body, the Basilisk suddenly felt a chill creep up its scales and spread throughout its entire being.
What is this feeling...?
The Basilisk's vertical pupils wavered, not daring to even attempt to attack this human with its magic. As soon as Dylan's gaze lingered for a moment, or even tried to meet its eyes, it would quickly avert its gaze, as if its eyeballs had been scalded by lava.
Damn it, how is this human child more terrifying than the one who took it to that dark, sunless place...? The other person didn't even bring a cackling thing!
—But this one was even scarier than that! Even if he didn't cackle!
"Hiss hiss." Dylan opened his mouth and hissed. Although he wasn't a Parselmouth, he had refined the souls of several snakes. Furthermore, he could actually understand the Basilisk's language, so he decided to try and see if this Basilisk could understand him.
"How long have you been in that Chamber?"
The Basilisk paused, surprised that this person, covered in eyes, could speak its dialect? It hesitated slightly, still not daring to lift its head, only flicking its tongue.
"I don't know."
Dylan tilted his head. The Basilisk seemed to think it hadn't given the other party a perfect answer and had angered them, so its body trembled again.
Dylan frowned. "Is this Basilisk really that timid?" He seemed to remember the Basilisk described in the original novel as quite ferocious and violent.
Rubbing his chin, Dylan decided to get the Basilisk's basic data first. "But the spell might not necessarily work on this Basilisk. I'll just go in there myself."
Dylan stood beside the Basilisk, his wand gently rotating.
"Animagus!"
The next moment, a bright light enveloped him. Dylan's form within it began to shift and contort, his bones cracking. In the blink of an eye, a Norwegian Ridgeback, a full circle larger than Norberta, appeared in its place.
The instant its massive wings unfolded, the Basilisk shuddered throughout its body. What... what is this human anyway? One moment a human, the next a monster covered in eyes, then a dragon?!
The surrounding leaves rustled with Dylan's roar. With a flap of its wings, Dylan gently lifted off. After so much practice, he had developed quite skilled techniques for flying as a dragon.
Dylan floated effortlessly above the Basilisk. He pressed one paw onto its head. The Basilisk thrashed in terror, emitting sharp hisses that seemed both threatening and pleading, yet it couldn't break free from Dylan's strength.
"Don't move!" Dylan directly swiped a claw across the Basilisk's forehead. That single blow made it behave.
Flapping its wings, Dylan used his claws to straighten the Basilisk's winding body.
"Eleven meters long. It can probably grow more."
Such a long period of experimentation allowed Dylan to give a precise number at a glance, without needing tools or magic to assist his measurements.
"Such a long snake could probably produce a considerably large Obsidian Flower."
Dylan's throat rumbled, feeling a ball of fire wanting to erupt from his mouth. But he suppressed it and moved to the Basilisk's head, pressing one claw onto its head and forcibly prying open its gaping maw with the other.
The Basilisk's eyes widened, emitting faint whines, yet it dared not resist Dylan, only letting itself be manipulated.
Slytherin, I hate you...
It could feel that this human, who could turn into a monster and a dragon, was merely a half-blood. According to the commands given to it by its creator, it should have swallowed him whole. But now, the tables had completely turned! The other party was the terrifying and snake-frightening monster!
The Basilisk's entire body of scales rustled nervously. Dylan, however, simply leaned his head in, examining the Basilisk's teeth and the inside of its slimy mouth.
"Why do you have so many small bones stuck in your teeth? Do you usually only eat small rodents in the sewers?"
"(∧) Hiss hiss..."
Dylan performed a complete physical examination on the Basilisk, following the procedures he usually used for his experiments. Only when the Basilisk was completely limp on the ground, utterly unresponsive, did Dylan transform from a Norwegian Ridgeback back into a human.
He instructed Norberta to continue prying open the Basilisk's mouth. His wand raised.
"Aguamenti!"
Instantly, a strong, clear stream of water shot out, directly hitting the Basilisk's sharp fangs, splashing sparkling droplets. The water continuously rinsed away the accumulated grime and slime from between its teeth, even dislodging some stuck small bones.
"Next..."
.....
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