At this moment, Harry Potter was following Albus Dumbledore through the castle corridors in endless circles.
And from Harry's mouth came strange hissing sounds.
Harry had not boarded the train with the other students.
After lunch, Dumbledore had personally taken him aside.
Officially, he claimed he was bringing Harry to the Ministry of Magic—
but in reality, he had kept Harry behind to use Parseltongue and lure out the basilisk.
Meanwhile, the vanished Gilderoy Lockhart Apparated outside a potion shop in Knockturn Alley.
Trembling nervously, he knocked on the door.
A bald Black wizard opened it.
"Fudge arrived at Hogwarts this morning," Lockhart said quickly. "The basilisk happened to kill a female student, and now Fudge has shut the school down."
"You're somewhat useful after all."
A figure stepped out from behind the bald wizard.
Herpo the Foul.
Both the bald wizard and Lockhart immediately lowered their heads.
"Master."
"Let's go," Herpo said calmly. "Time to retrieve my staff."
Ironically, Lockhart's original plan had been to locate Adam, learn where the staff was hidden, and steal it himself.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore had strengthened nighttime patrols shortly after the school year began, completely disrupting Lockhart's search for Adam.
So he was forced to execute Plan B—
a plan taught jointly by Herpo and Salazar Slytherin.
Both ancient old monsters were master Parselmouths.
The Chamber itself had been built by Salazar.
And both had once raised basilisks.
No one understood the creature's terror better than they did.
To Lockhart's credit, his talent for language and memory truly was exceptional.
The obscure and difficult Parseltongue phrases Salazar taught him—
he memorized in only two days.
The previous night, Sean had blasted Lockhart hard enough to fracture his leg.
Lying helplessly in the hospital wing had nearly eliminated all suspicion from Dumbledore's mind.
Before curfew, Poppy Pomfrey had personally changed his bandages and confirmed that he would not even be able to leave bed for at least twelve hours.
But the moment she left—
Lockhart took out a strange mask.
After putting it on, he immediately felt power flood through his body.
Magic surged wildly inside him.
Even his fractured leg instantly healed.
Using the power of the Pain Mask, Lockhart shattered Dumbledore's seal on the Chamber entrance.
Then he used Parseltongue to open the Chamber itself.
Finding the golden staff inside had simply been an unexpected bonus.
Before returning to the hospital wing, Lockhart stopped by the owlery.
There, he secretly informed Herpo that the basilisk had been released—
and the staff located.
After receiving the message, Herpo instructed the bald wizard to anonymously tip off the Ministry.
That was the true reason behind Fudge's sudden arrival at Hogwarts.
The three men Apparated outside Hogwarts Castle.
Almost immediately afterward—
Sean arrived as well.
"Of course this would happen…"
Sean hid behind a massive stone pillar near the gates.
His heart pounded as he cautiously glanced toward Herpo's group.
Just as he was thinking about how to warn Dumbledore—
a deafening explosion erupted from inside the castle.
Harry's Parseltongue had succeeded.
When the basilisk began emerging from the first-floor boys' bathroom pipes, Dumbledore's sharp senses immediately caught the sound.
The instant the basilisk appeared, Dumbledore shouted,
"Don't look into its eyes!"
Harry hurriedly lowered his gaze.
At first glance, the basilisk didn't seem as terrifying as he had imagined.
It looked only slightly larger than the snake Draco had summoned during the dueling club.
"Fawkes!"
Dumbledore called out loudly.
A powerful phoenix cry echoed from the headmaster's office.
Fawkes swooped downward through the castle.
The basilisk heard the cry—
a sound it instinctively loathed.
Then suddenly—
its tiny fingernail-sized scales expanded visibly until each became the size of a dinner plate.
Its body expanded with them.
Fifteen meters long.
Over a meter thick.
The monstrous serpent twisted violently, smashing bathroom stalls, sinks, walls, and doors apart like paper.
Harry nearly panicked and accidentally looked upward toward its eyes.
Fortunately, Dumbledore instantly grabbed his head and pulled him away.
"Professor… is this the basilisk's true form?" Harry asked shakily.
The basilisk's scales gleamed an eerie emerald green.
Its terrifying head possessed four pairs of protruding horns—
and one striking crimson feather.
The creature opened its enormous maw, filled with venomous fangs and rotting stench, roaring furiously toward the diving phoenix.
Its voice sounded like an ancient beast awakening from primordial ages.
Even Sean, hiding near the castle gates, felt his heart shake from hearing it.
"So this is a XXXXX-class basilisk…"
"Just hearing its roar is terrifying."
Sean had never believed the basilisk would die as easily as it had in the original story.
A near-sighted second-year with a sword killing this thing?
Absolutely impossible.
Back in Whispering Forest, a berserk XXXX-class Runespoor had already forced three professors into a difficult battle.
This basilisk had lived nearly a thousand years.
Its magical resistance, offensive strength, and abilities were unquestionably top-tier among Class Five magical creatures.
"The snake you raised seems quite energetic."
Herpo casually commented to himself.
Behind him, Lockhart trembled violently.
After hearing the basilisk's roar, he wanted nothing more than to flee immediately.
But compared to the terror Herpo inspired—
obedience seemed far safer.
"Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "your task is complete. Leave now."
Harry knew he would only get in the way.
He turned and sprinted from the danger zone.
Fawkes lunged directly onto the basilisk's head.
Its razor-sharp claws pierced through the thick serpent scales and embedded themselves deep into flesh.
The basilisk roared in pain.
Its gigantic body convulsed violently, smashing into surrounding structures with overwhelming force.
Stone and brick crumbled like tofu beneath its power.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Severus Snape cast the Killing Curse coldly.
The green curse struck the basilisk directly.
But the result was far from ideal.
The basilisk's dark green scales possessed terrifying magical resistance.
Even the so-called "unblockable killing curse" merely caused minor bleeding.
At this moment, Dumbledore silently permitted Snape to use Unforgivable Curses.
Minerva McGonagall immediately joined the attack.
The enraged basilisk charged toward Snape.
Snape instantly used his flight spell and shot upward into the air.
He flew out into the open central courtyard.
The basilisk pursued him relentlessly, launching upward like a dragon breaching the sea, jaws wide enough to swallow him whole.
Then suddenly—
a blue fire phoenix erupted skyward.
Its dazzling azure flames illuminated the entire castle.
When Sean saw the blue phoenix rise, only one name appeared in his mind.
Gellert Grindelwald.
This was the advanced form of Fiendfyre.
From releasing Fiendfyre—
to mastering complete control—
to finally shaping it into living forms.
Most dark wizards capable of casting Fiendfyre never advanced beyond the first stage.
Just like Crabbe in the original story—
unable to control the cursed flames and burning himself alive.
The blazing blue phoenix radiated an aura capable of incinerating all things.
As it crashed toward the basilisk, even the air itself seemed to ignite.
The entire castle grounds became scorching hot and dry.
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