Although the girls' bathroom wasn't particularly large, searching for half an hour without knowing what the entrance looked like proved fruitless. In the end, it was Harry who, after asking Moaning Myrtle, found a small engraved snake on the side of a sink faucet.
Casually, Harry cast a Knockback Jinx on the faucet. A loud knock echoed through the room, and at the same time, the faucet emitted a dazzling white light. Then, the entire sink began to rotate and shift. Seven or eight seconds later, the sink had vanished, replaced by a massive pipe—so wide that an adult could easily slip inside.
Dumbledore jumped in first, followed by Professor McGonagall, then Professors Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout. Harry, after casting a Lumos spell on his wand, followed suit.
The pipe was slimy, possibly from moisture or something else entirely. With a swipe of his hand, Harry could easily scrape off a handful of black, sticky gunk from the walls.
He wasn't sure what material the pipe was made of, but he could see numerous smaller pipes branching off in various directions. However, none of them were as large as the one he was sliding through.
After gliding down a steep decline for what felt like ages, an opening suddenly appeared ahead. With a whooshing sound, Harry shot out of the pipe, slipped past the professors, who had made room for him, and landed with a splat in a pile of foul-smelling muck. Climbing to his feet, he adjusted his glasses and cast a quick Cleaning Charm on himself. Feeling the newly restored cleanliness of his robes, he curiously took in his surroundings.
By the light of his Lumos spell, Harry saw that they were standing in a moss-covered stone tunnel. To his left stood Professors Snape and McGonagall, while to his right were Professors Flitwick and Sprout.
"We slid for so long—are we under the Black Lake now? And... Professors, where is Professor Dumbledore?" Harry's voice echoed through the empty tunnel, traveling far into the distance.
The four professors, alert for any potential threats, seemed too preoccupied to answer him.
After a few minutes of waiting, a light appeared at the far end of the tunnel. Dumbledore, holding his glowing wand, walked toward them. "The path ahead collapsed midway—it's a dead end. It seems the basilisk must be in the other direction. Ah, Harry, excellent spellwork—it's much brighter now."
The group proceeded deeper into the tunnel at a steady pace. As they advanced, the ground gradually became littered with small animal bones. At the edge of their vision, illuminated by the glow of the Lumos spell, a massive coiled figure shimmered faintly.
"Is that the basilisk?" Professor McGonagall tensed, raising her wand at the sight of the enormous form.
"I don't believe so, Minerva. I can't sense much magic coming from it," Dumbledore shook his head. However, his next words only heightened the tension among the professors. "This appears to be just the basilisk's shed skin."
After walking another ten meters, the truth became clear. The object lying in the tunnel was indeed nothing more than a discarded basilisk skin—over twenty feet long, emerald-green, and glistening vibrantly.
They carefully stepped around the shed skin and continued forward. Snape, constantly glancing back at the massive husk, finally turned his attention ahead again as they reached another bend. There, a stone wall blocked their path. On its surface, two intertwined serpents were carved, their eyes adorned with four enormous, gleaming green gemstones, so lifelike they seemed to be watching.
A loud knock rang out. The two stone serpents slithered apart, and the wall split open, revealing a vast stone chamber beyond. At the far end of the chamber, a colossal statue slowly opened its mouth. From within, a massive triangular head began to emerge.
...
After more than ten minutes of fierce battle, what had once been an unremarkable, albeit damp, chamber was now a battlefield strewn with rubble of all sizes. The previously smooth walls were cratered and scarred as if they had been bombarded.
Harry approached the slain basilisk, its skull split open, and cast an Identification Spell.
--
Basilisk
Gargantuan Beast, Unaligned
Armor Class: 16 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 258 (18d12+90)
Speed: 30 ft., Swim 30 ft.
STR: 20 (+5)
DEX: 12 (+1)
CON: 20 (+5)
INT: 2 (-4)
WIS: 10 (+0)
CHA: 7 (-2)
Skills: Perception +6
Senses: Darkvision 20 ft., Passive Perception 30
Languages: ---
Challenge Rating: 9 (5,000 XP)
Hold Breath: The basilisk can hold its breath for 1 hour.
Scaled Armor: The basilisk's scales are extremely tough. To effectively attack an adult basilisk, aim for its eyes.
Death Stare: A creature that meets the basilisk's gaze takes 40 points of damage. This ability can only trigger once within a set timeframe.
--
After a brief moment of thought, Harry turned the Identification Spell on himself.
--
Medium Humanoid (Human), Chaotic Good
Armor Class: 14
Hit Points: 42 (9d8)
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: 10 (+0)
DEX: 12 (+1)
CON: 12 (+1)
INT: 13 (+1)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 17 (+3)
Saving Throws: Charisma +6, Wisdom +4
Skills: Survival +6, Athletics +6
Senses: Passive Perception 11
Languages: English, Draconic, Common, Dwarvish
Challenge Rating: 7 (2,900 XP)
Spellcasting: As a 9th-level spellcaster, Harry's spellcasting ability is Charisma (Spell Save DC 15, Spell Attack +6). He knows the following spells:
[Further details omitted]
--
After a second of hesitation, Harry reached toward Dumbledore.
--
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral Good
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 178 (15d8+75)
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: 10 (+0)
DEX: 14 (+2)
CON: 14 (+2)
INT: 20 (+5)
WIS: 16 (+3)
CHA: 18 (+4)
[Further details omitted]
--
"Something wrong, Harry?" Dumbledore glanced at the hand Harry had placed on his shoulder, his expression kind.
"N-No... nothing at all. I just thought your robe had some wrinkles," Harry replied with a sheepish grin, withdrawing his hand.
By late afternoon, students and teachers alike returned to the castle, laden with goods but considerably lighter in coin.
A new week began, and life at Hogwarts resumed its usual, peaceful bustle.
Except for Lucius Malfoy.
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