The basilisk hesitated, then leaned down, and Ivan jumped on top of it, grabbing the bulge on top of its head to steady himself.
The basilisk seemed to have got used to this, as it led Ivan away from the statue, down the hall of the Chamber of Secrets, through the maze of pipes, and back the way Ivan had come.
Ivan stayed on top of the basilisk's head as they passed through the length of pipe again, feeling more comfortable than when they had arrived.
Yvonne learned from her research that, in addition to being used as a pet by Salazar Slytherin, basilisks were often used as a means of transportation and lifts.
After all, the statue at the entrance of the research lab was too tall and the pipe was too long. Only a snake monster could come and go as it pleased.
More importantly, standing on the head of the Basilisk and moving back and forth was more… imposing!
Perhaps this is the real reason Slytherin keeps basilisks…
After about ten minutes of walking through the tube, with spots of light shining down from above, Ivan knew he was back on the surface.
He once again said "Open" in Serpentine, and soon Ivan could see the light above them growing larger and larger, and a faint vibration coming from above.
In the bathroom, the large number of washbasins that made up the circular sink began to move again, revealing the circular pipes underneath.
A large, flat snake's head emerged from the hole, followed by a small half of the snake's body. Its dark yellow bulb-sized eyes surveyed the familiar yet strange surroundings.
Ivan jumped off the basilisk's head, then turned around with his eyes closed and spoke to the basilisk.
"Hiss ~ (Go back to where you belong!)"
"Hsss ~ (Eating… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the… the…
"Be good and go back to your lair, next time! Next time I come, I'll take you to eat an Acromantula!"
The basilisk looked at him hesitantly, then slowly turned around and slithered back through the tube…
Ivan was relieved when the basilisk obeyed his orders.
Although the language of snakes was originally a wizarding tool for controlling snake-like creatures, the serpentine monster was a powerful magical creature and could not be subdued by mere language of snakes.
Fortunately, according to the information left behind by Slytherin, when fused with the Basilisk's blood, the power of the language would be greatly enhanced, and he might be able to use the Basilisk as a pet.
Yvonne's anticipation grew.
The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets slid shut, and Ivan heard intermittent crying.
Ivan's gaze went to the toilet at the far end of the bathroom and he shook his head.
Myrtle really could cry. It had been half a day, but she still could not calm down.
However, this was not bad. Previously, he was worried that Myrtle would see him when he came out. Now, he did not have to worry…
Ivan sorted through his haul as he headed back to the dormitory.
When he arrived at the Gryffindor Lounge, Harry and Ron ran towards him with panicked faces.
"What's wrong?" Yvonne asked, looking puzzled and vaguely worried.
Harry and Ron didn't reply, but eagerly dragged him away. Ivan didn't resist, and when the door opened and they reached the dormitory, Ivan realised why they were in such a hurry.
Ivan could see that the room was a mess, with books and clothes strewn all over the floor.
Somehow, his strange-looking owls had escaped from their cage, and his terrified Malkah was hiding behind a pillar near his bed.
Ivan stared at an open suitcase with a sour expression.
He was worried that he would not be able to find any clues in the Chamber of Secrets, so he spared Tom's life. On his way to the Chamber of Secrets, he sealed the Horcrux in his suitcase and stuffed it under his bed.
So the intruder was undoubtedly after the Horcrux!
Yvonne hurried over to inspect the diary, but it was nowhere to be found. She was baffled, wondering who could possibly have thought of owning a Horcrux.
No one but Malfoy Senior should know that he had it.
He also kept the Horcruxes close to him most of the time, and kept them safe the rest of the time. Tom Riddle never had a chance to seduce anyone.
Ivan, thinking of the possible thief of Horcruxes, suddenly turned his head and stared fiercely at the chubby mouse lying by the window.
Scabbers was leisurely nibbling on a Flavorful Bean. Even though the dormitory was in a mess, he acted as if it was none of his business.
However, when Ivan fixed his gaze on Scabbers, Scabbers felt a chill run down his spine, and even the Many Flavour Beans in his hand were no longer fragrant. Scabbers jumped into Ron's arms as fast as he could, and then crawled into Ron's pocket, shivering.
Ivan looked away. The fact that Scabbers had the nerve to stay here suggested that he had nothing to do with the Horcruxes…
"Ivan, is something important missing?" Harry asked when he noticed Ivan's odd expression.
"It's just a notebook for taking notes. It's black, so it's nothing important…" Ivan hesitated.
Ivan did not want to involve Harry and Ron, so he described the Horcrux and asked if they had seen it.
Harry and Ron both shook their heads.
"Where were you before? Did you see who did it?" Ivan asked again, suppressing his anxiety.
"Ron and I stayed in the break room all afternoon to get rid of the wizard's flag, and when we came in, it was like this.
"We checked our things and didn't lose anything, so we came out to find you and Neville," Harry explained.
"Who the hell would go to all this trouble to steal a useless book?" Ron demanded angrily as he tried to calm Scabbers's agitated state.
Ivan frowned. This was going to be troublesome. He couldn't think who would want the Horcrux.
There were no witnesses except Scabbers, and as Ivan was having a headache, Majka flew onto his shoulder and pecked him on the cheek, cooing.
"Macca? Yes, I almost forgot. You should have seen it. I could have asked you!" Ivan was stunned at first, then he was delighted to realize that in addition to Scabbers, his owl was also a witness.
(PS: The theft of the Horcrux is a plot that has been planned for a long time. There are many foreshadowing in the beginning, so it has to be written. However, the later parts will not be the same as the original, so don't worry… More importantly, there are some settings that need to be explained by Tom, so…)