Edmund found it really hard to focus for the next few days. The memory of Iris kissing his cheek was still fresh in his mind and he had no plans of forgetting it any time soon.
"Get a hold of yourself Ed, there are more important things you need to focus on. All that can wait. I need to find out where the chamber is."
His expression hardened and his eyes were focused. Creating a bunch of shadow clones, he asked them to search every nook and cranny of the castle to find the entrance for the chamber. After a half-hour meditation session, he got into his bed and went to sleep, hoping no more students were targeted that night.
(ROTS)
Edmund was angry, not at Dumbledore or Lockhart or the rest of the student body. No, he was angry at himself. Talking to Myrtle was eye-opening. It was so simple, just ask the victim how she died. The taps on the basins had snakes engraved on them. He had searched everywhere to find a way open a doorway, but nothing happened.
The abuse Iris suffered had diminished to almost negligible ever since Granger was found petrified in the library, with a mirror in her hand. It felt so ridiculous at first, why would anyone take a handheld mirror to the library.
Then the realization hit him.
Every victim had one thing in the common. They had something reflective around them or they looking through something else when they got petrified. Filch's cat had water on the floor. Creevey was looking through his camera, the Hufflepuff boy was looking through Ser Nicholas and Granger had a mirror. They never looked at the attacker directly. A Gorgon's magic did not work that way. It could only be a Basilisk.
And so, he was sitting on the floor, glaring at the taps, think what else he could do to open the damn entrance. He could just punch the damn thing but that would be very risky. Any curious student could fall into it and die while he was in the chamber.
If only he was a purse mouth. He couldn't, in good conscience involve Iris in this. The girl had enough shit to deal with on her own. Just then, two figures came running towards the washroom. Edmund quickly henged into a rat and ran away to hide behind a stall, after quickly asking Myrtle to remain quiet about him.
To his utter surprise and worry, it was Iris herself, accompanied by the weasel and Lockhart.
She asked Myrtle about the night she died.
Iris then looked at the taps that Myrtle had pointed out and traced to snake engravings on them. Then, she hissed. The entrance to the chamber opened and they threw Lockhart down the slide. If he could, Edmund would have chuckled in amusement. Then they followed him down to the chamber. Quickly, Edmund jumped behind them as the entrance began to close.
Down in the chamber, he marvelled at the sixty feet long snakeskin that was shed by the Basilisk. He sped ahead of the three and reached a door with snakes radiating out of it.
Edmund sighed in defeat. Only Iris could open it. He waited for Iris when he heard the cave collapse. When he was about to rush in the direction of the cave, he saw Iris running towards him. He moved out of the way and let Iris open the door for him.
They entered the main chamber. It had numerous statues of snakes and a large face with flowing beard and hair carved into the wall opposite to the entrance. It was probably Salazar Slytherin himself. Then, he saw a young girl lying still on the floor, next to Iris who was trying to wake the girl up. To his surprise and annoyance, it was Ginerva bloody Weasley. The girl had been a complete pain in the rear. She acted so strange for the whole year and fangirled over Iris for most of her time at the castle.
Suddenly, a teenager in school clothes appeared out of thin air and picked up Iris' wand that was lying beside her. Edmund inwardly frowned. Who was this guy?
He listened intently as Iris and the boy, who was now recognized as Tom by her. His eyes widened in surprise when he revealed to be the one behind all attacks. But when he revealed who he actually was, Edmund was shocked to his core. Tom Marvolo Riddle was Voldemort.
Edmund felt the urge to point at all the pureblood supremacists and laugh his lungs out. The fools were following a muggleborn or a possible half-blood preaching pureblood rights and killing muggle-borns, a delusional man who believed he was the Heir of Slytherin. There were thousands of parselmouths all over the world. Only England, and by extension, Europe was the region where they either died out, were killed or stayed hidden due to the stigmas. A phoenix suddenly came flying towards them with the sorting hat in its claws.
Suddenly, Tommy hissed at the giant face and its mouth opened. Edmund heard a slithering sound coming from the opened mouth. His eyes widened when he realised what was coming. Just as the snake's head emerged from the mouth, Edmund hid behind a wall and dispelled the henge. Unsealing a pair of kunai, he charged them with lightning chakra and with all his might, threw them, aimed at the serpent's eyes. When the kunai struck, the snake half hissed and half roared in pain as its eyes were destroyed by piercing lightning chakra.
"No! Who did this?!" Tommy boy screamed. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down and said, "Doesn't matter, my basilisk can still smell you. Run Iris, run for your life but you will die tonight."
Iris ran away from the Basilisk but it followed her, listening to the sound of her footsteps. Edmund hurriedly coursed the walls when he saw Iris throw a stone away in another direction to distract the snake.
Successful in her attempt, she hurried back to the main hall again resuming her futile attempts to wake the stupid girl up. Tommy hissed again and the snake emerged from the water surrounding them. Edmund began charging his chakra and released his resistance seals at once. Even if he would be exposed, he would not risk Iris getting hurt badly or worse, end up dead.
Edmund never saw a sword appearing out of the sorting hat and was surprised to see Iris draw it from beside her. She swung it at the snake desperately trying to keep some distance. Backing away, she climbed Slytherin's face as the snake rammed into the stone.
He snarled and quickly began making hand seals: Horse - Dog - Bird - Ox - Snake...
"Doton: Earth Dragon jutsu!"
A massive wingless dragon emerged from his side and sped towards the unaware snake. Tommy saw the construct of earth and stone and tried to warn his snake to move out of the way but was too late.
The earth dragon rammed into the snake's spine and shattered it. The basilisk shrieked in pain as its body began to bend at odd sharp angles. Iris took the opportunity to strike and shoved her sword through the snake's upper jaw and it's brain. The snake wailed for a few moments and finally dropped dead.
Tommy wailed, "No! Whosoever is responsible for this, I command you to show yourself!" He was livid. Not only was his weapon dead, but someone had helped his enemy from the shadows with strange but powerful magic.
Iris stumbled back near the weaselette. Edmund's eyes went wide in horror when he saw a basilisk fang lodged in her arm. Tommy boasted that Iris was as good as dead due to the venom of the basilisk. Iris looked up at him in defiance. She pulled the fang out and struck a diary next to her with it. Tommy screamed as a magical hole appeared in his chest. Iris stabbed the diary again and again until Tommy was left to nothing but tiny specks of light. The weaselette began to stir when Edmund sent a silent stunner at her.
Iris looked around in panic and fear but relaxed when Edmund emerged from hiding.
"How did you get here Ed... Vulpis?" She said hesitantly, not know how to address him.
"I followed you down that slide and went ahead while you were marvelling at the snakeskin. Sorry, I stunned her, I didn't want anyone to see me here."
He looked at the puncture wound on her arm and lowered his eyes with immense regret. He was feeling miserable. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I'm sorry for that. I could have provided better help but I was afraid." 'Of catching you with a deadly jutsu in the crossfire. Great load of good that did.' He didn't say the last part out loud.
When she was about to ask him about the strange thunder and earth spells, the phoenix came closer to her and shed its tears on her wound. Miraculously, the wound healed as her face regained a rosy tinge.
Iris gasped, "Of course! Phoenix tears are known to heal any and all kinds of ailments and wounds. Thanks, Fawkes!"
Edmund breathed in relief. If Iris had died of his stupidity, he would have never forgiven himself.
The phoenix thrilled. Iris giggled and looked at Edmund, "Thanks for tonight, Edmund."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He shifted nervously on his feet as tried to dismiss it.
Iris just smiled and looked at him knowingly and shook her head.
"Ar.. are you alright? I know you must be happy that you are alive and saved little Weasley but when it sinks in.." Edmund trailed off.
"I know," she replied quietly. "It will be hard to get around it for a few days. I was really scared and knowing I could have died today many times over, it'll take time but I'll be fine."
She stopped for a moment and said, "Let's go."
"No, you can leave without me. I'll be on my own. Just don't tell anyone I was here."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. After that, he went away as she focused on enervating the weaselette.
(ROTS)
All the affected students were healed by potions made from mature Mandrakes. Dumbledore had returned after he was forced away from the school by the death wanker Malfoy and the minister.
No one knew what caused the petrifications. As always, the old coot had put everything under the rug. The Weaselette got away without any repercussions.
But the best part, Malfoy senior got his rear handed to him by his former house-elf, Dobby, the elf who had tried everything to keep Iris safe, at least what he thought was safe.
What angered Edmund was that Malfoy senior was responsible for all of it. But he couldn't do anything about it as there was no subtle proof.
The year came to an end and the old coot told half and twisted truths about the petrifications. Like always, his word was accepted without any complaints.
The Gryffindors won the house cup again, courtesy to Iris for her services for the school. Some had seen Gryffindor's sword in the headmaster's office and Iris was the one to find it and return it to the school.
It was time for the students to return to their homes. Edmund, as usual, was ready to spend another summer training hard for any upcoming surprises the next year. Little did he know, a surprise was waiting for him at his home, a very unpleasant and eventful one.