Was there really a basilisk?

[alt_seamus]

Under the castle somewhere?

I thought basilisks killed people and didn't just petrify them. Also how come no one knew about it?

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

Maybe because it lived in the Chamber of Secrets.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. We saw its skin. It was enormous. Seriously. As long as a Quidditch pitch!

And Harry had to fight it. (The basilisk. Not just its skin, obviously.) We didn't see that happen, though. But he came out okay--just banged up a bit and bloody and

well, he should tell it.

And anyway the basilisk's dead.

[alt_pansy]

I'm glad you aren't.

[alt_neville]

Blimey!

Did you know that when you went down there?! That there was a basilisk?

[alt_pansy]

Just think! It could've been a really gigantic spider. So it could have been loads worse.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, except they've had practise with spiders.

[alt_pansy]

That's true!

You should have seen it. Harry let off some really ace shots while Ron was driving us away, and Draco did something that made one explode.

[alt_neville]

You sure are a Gryffindor, Ron.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I'm beginning to think Harry probably really is one too.

But don't say that where anyone can see.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

Well, sure he is. The Sorting Hat itself said he was, didn't it?

[alt_pansy]

You can say that again.

[alt_ron]

Heh.

[alt_percy]

Never any doubt.

[alt_pansy]

I know, right?

hey, I'm sorry about your sister. Do you know, is she going to be okay?

[alt_percy]

I haven't seen her yet. And she hadn't woken up yet when the twins left the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was encouraging, though, and we're hoping for the best. Thank you for asking.

[alt_pansy]

well, that's good to hear, I guess. And I saw her writing earlier. So that's good too.

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah.

But it wasn't like we figured out it was a basilisk and said, 'Oooh, let's go see it!' I heard Ginny was missing and that someone'd been taken down there into the Chamber, so I went to tell Lockhart it was Ginny, but he was leaving. Packed up and ready to do a runner! And then Harry and Malfoy turned up, and they knew where the Chamber opens (they'd found about the basilisk, too--that's how we knew), so we MADE Lockhart go with us because, y'know, he's always saying he knows how to fight everything and he'd been going on and on about how he knew what was hidden in the Chamber.

But he didn't know anything.

And now he really doesn't.

[alt_padma]

I wonder.

Basilisks kill people who look at them. But did anyone actually look at the basilisk?

Well, maybe Dennis.

But... Wasn't Stebbins found with your ghost? And the cat - there was water on the floor, remember?

[alt_ron]

Well, and Clearwater's up here with a mirror clutched in her fist, like she's looking in it. I guess they couldn't pry it out of her hand.

[alt_pansy]

like Perseus. And Medusa. He wasn't turned to stone cause he looked in a mirror while he was fighting her.

[alt_padma]

Yes, of course! It's astonishingly simple once you put it all together, isn't it?

Like a riddle once you know the answer.

Wow. A basilisk. Underneath us the whole time.

And d'you suppose that means that it could have killed any of us - whenever it wanted to do?

Yikes

[alt_pansy]

but it was opened. The Chamber. Someone let it out on purpose.

[alt_sally_anne]

And wasn't someone petrified the day of the skating party? The ice might have worked like a mirror.

[alt_ron]

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that completely.

[alt_sally_anne]

But the basilisk couldn't have kidnapped Hydra.

And it couldn't have written on the wall about the Chamber of Secrets.

So who did?

[alt_pansy]

exactly. yeah.

Was it Lockhart? ...well, not if he's as thick as Draco makes him out to be.

[alt_padma]

But it wasn't Harry, either. And the only other Parselmouth is - like Mr Malfoy said -

Unless....

D'you think one of Black's people is a Parselmouth?

[alt_pansy]

but it's awful rare, and you mostly see it passed down in pureblood families, I don't think it's likely he's got a tonne of those just waiting around to do whatever he wants. And how'd they get to the school, especially with the Quarantine?

And it has to be opened by the Heir.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well they thought it was Mr Professor Carrow.

He COULD be a Parselmouth and he COULD be working with Black but I don't know how he could've kidnapped Hydra today as he's in Azkaban. Unless he had someone outside who was helping him. But then that person would also have to be a Parselmouth.

[alt_ron]

Well, so what if it's Miss Professor Carrow.

Everybody's always forgetting about her, and it could be that she's done loads of stuff we thought was him.

[alt_pansy]

umm... maybe it's best not to throw about names of Professors we have yet to take exams from? Just saying.

[alt_ron]

Oi.

Exams! I totally forgot we have to take more tomorrow. It seems like years since we got out of the one today.

[alt_pansy]

No kidding. I had a hard enough time concentrating today.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I was rather hoping one of the adults would make that connexion without any of us having to stick our necks out.

They're going to work out who it was once the petrified people wake up and if it WASN'T Carrow I expect he'll be back to teach next year. Ugh.

[alt_padma]

The heir of what, though? Everyone thinks it's Slytherin, and honestly, if the person needs Parseltongue then that makes sense, but -

Well, no one's his real heir, are they?

[alt_pansy]

I don't know. Maybe it's not a blood heir. Maybe it's someone who fits the ideas that Slytherin had, even if they aren't related by blood.

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah. And it took a parselmouth to make the tap open in Myrtle's loo. That's where the thing's been coming out.

[alt_pansy]

well, that's an awful big secret to keep, isn't it? You'd think whoever spoke Parseltongue would be really showing it off, yeah? I mean Harry never does, but it's really nift, and special, so you wouldn't think they'd keep it to themselves.

[alt_ron]

Well, but this would have been a pretty big reason to keep it secret. I mean, if you could use it to let out a basilisk to kill people, you wouldn't be going around letting everyone know you can talk to snakes, right?

[alt_pansy]

yeah, but why decide to open it now? Why wait until this year? Unless they just finished learning or something.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well for Merlin's sake, why didn't Myrtle TELL anybody?

[alt_pansy]

You're forgetting. It's Myrtle.

She might be able to say who opened it and took Hydra down, though, if she isn't too busy whinging about leaky faucets and plugged toilets and GIANT SNAKES crawling through her pipes.

[alt_zacharias]

Giant snakes crawling through her pipes?

Sorry, but do you know how dirty that sounds, Parkinson?

[alt_pansy]

um. ...ew?

[alt_ron]

Heh.