A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 59: The Serpent and the Serpent Whispers

"Calm yourself, Miss Granger!" Felix Harp inquired, "You need to tell me, how long has it been since you last saw Harry? Can you ascertain his current location? And by what means did he track the serpent?"

Hermione quickly responded, "Not more than 5 minutes, Professor. We deduced that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so we arranged to meet there. Harry used Parseltongue to locate the serpent..."

"Very well," Felix interrupted her, waving his wand. A silver light emanated from its tip, coalescing into a small, graceful bird with scythe-like wings that hovered in midair.

Felix proclaimed, "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Harry Potter is tracking the Chamber's serpent on his own. Hasten to the abandoned bathroom of Moaning Myrtle; it is highly likely to be the location of the Chamber's entrance."

With his words spoken, the diminutive bird fluttered its wings and vanished into a streak of light.

"Professor, what kind of magic is that?" Even in the urgency of the situation, the young witch couldn't help but ask.

"A Patronus Charm, it can shield you from Dementors or deliver a quick message," Felix explained.

"Is it a kind of swallow?"

"Yes, its speed is remarkable."

"We should head to the bathroom," Felix said to Hermione. "On the way, you can brief me on the situation."

As they neared Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Felix had a clear understanding of the situation.

One hour earlier.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione swiftly finished their dinner in the Great Hall, exchanged glances, and stealthily slipped away.

"It's 6:20 now," Hermione said to the two before they moved, "We have around forty minutes. As long as we're back before seven to rejoin the others in the common room, no one will notice we've been out."

They intended to confront Professor Snape, gain his trust, and then report the information about the Chamber of Secrets to Headmaster Dumbledore.

But their plan hit a snag halfway through—

"Rend you... want to kill... thirst for blood..."

As they passed through a dim corridor, Harry suddenly heard this voice. He yelled, "It's the serpent! It's out!"

"You heard it?" Ron nervously responded.

Harry dashed forward, climbing a flight of stairs, ears straining. He caught faint scraping sounds, so he sprinted, Ron and Hermione close on his heels.

However, the sound was elusive, sometimes disappearing, forcing Harry to climb up and down to determine its source.

After running for quite some time, they were breathless and exhausted.

"Did it go back? Maybe it just came out for a stroll?" Ron optimistically wondered.

"Absolutely not!" Harry declared, "It wants to kill, it said it thirsts for blood!"

"Rend you... target..."

Suddenly, Harry raised his head, the voice coming from above.

"It's upstairs!"

Harry raced upstairs, leaving Ron and Hermione far behind.

Turning a corner, he saw Justin hurrying towards him from the other side of the corridor.

"Emerging... to kill... tear into pieces..."

Harry's expression turned to one of extreme fear. Time was running out. He shouted loudly to Justin, "Quick, shut your eyes, Justin! Shut your eyes, the Chamber's serpent is out!"

Justin, who had been avoiding Harry for the past few days, looked bewildered and asked, "What?"

Harry didn't have time to explain; he heard the distinctive "click-clack" sound clearly. It had to be the serpent, about to emerge, about to kill!

"Obstacle ahead!" Harry pulled out his wand. A Shield Charm sent Justin flying, his face a mix of surprise and fear.

Harry pounced on Justin to drag him away. This proved to be no easy task—once Justin shook off the effects of the spell, he struggled vehemently, and the two wrestled in a tangle.

"What are you doing? Harry, what are you doing?"

"Shut up! I'm saving your life!" Harry delivered a firm punch to quiet him down. "Listen! The Chamber's creature is out. Its eyes can kill, so close your eyes quickly."

Rustling sounds approached, growing sharper in the corridor.

Justin closed his eyes tightly, trembling uncontrollably. Harry, too, closed his eyes and used one hand to grope for his wand—during their brief scuffle, his wand had fallen to the ground.

"Are we going to die, Harry? I don't want to die. Harry, I'm sorry for misunderstanding you," Justin muttered incoherently.

"Shut up!" Harry roared, his voice echoing down the corridor.

He stumbled upon a small stick; it was his wand. But he couldn't fight the serpent with his eyes closed!

A door burst open. The "click-clack" sound grew nearer. Harry deduced the serpent was less than two meters away. Perhaps its head was right above him?

He even caught a whiff of a foul stench.

"Get away from here!" he yelled.

"What?" Justin trembled, his voice shaky.

"Not you, get away from here!"

Justin only understood the first half of the sentence; the second half, coming from Harry's mouth, sounded eerie, like a snake's hiss, but much more terrifying.

Parseltongue, he instantly realized.

Harry continued to speak Parseltongue, ordering the serpent to "leave here" and "go back." It worked—the slithering sound of the serpent's movement ceased.

Yet, it hadn't departed; instead, it responded, "Kill... master's command... tear apart... rid of Muggles..."

"Leave here!" Harry commanded in Parseltongue. "I command you, leave this place!" Fortunately, he had been practicing Parseltongue using a magical scroll for the past two days, which made him somewhat proficient.

"Master's command..."

"My master and your master are the best of friends, we're allies. Listen! You're in grave danger right now, a powerful wizard is coming! Leave this place quickly!" Harry urged incessantly. He didn't know if it would work, but Hermione had informed him from Professor Harp's teachings that Parseltongue could control snakes.

He didn't know if it was true or not, but he could only hope it was.

Finally, the serpent moved away. Harry held his breath, waiting for the verdict of fate. Thankfully, the sliding sounds of the serpent grew more distant until they vanished.

"Cannot cease killings... next attack... soon... patience exhausted..." These were the words Harry heard from above, suggesting that the serpent had returned to the pipes.

Justin sat trembling on the ground, looking shell-shocked.

"It's over." Harry opened his eyes.

After several seconds, Hermione and Ron arrived breathlessly from behind. "Harry, what happened?" They had lost track and taken a detour.

Harry said, still shaken, "The serpent was about to attack Justin. I stopped it."

"What—oh, dear!" Hermione pointed at the scratched marks on the ground. "This is..."

"Yeah, I confronted it face to face."

Note: In the following sequence, various plot threads come together. The protagonist's direct involvement might seem limited (though not absent), but every step of the plot is a result of his participation, influence, and changes. Think of it as the butterfly effect, while also aiming to concentrate on showcasing the different traits of the trio—both the good and the bad. Reader discussions are welcome. Once this sequence concludes, the focus will shift back to the protagonist.

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