John's previous encounter with the basilisk had left one of its eyes injured. With his eyes firmly shut to avoid the creature's deadly gaze, John rhythmically pounded the ground with his wand, summoning his strength. As the basilisk approached, he activated his flying boots, soaring into the air to evade the beast. With a swift motion, he directed a burst of white light from his wand onto the basilisk's body.
"I am a fire dragon," he declared, as his sword burst into raging flames. John slashed through the air, his blade slicing across the basilisk's scales and embedding itself into the creature's flesh.
The basilisk writhed in agony, rolling over and causing John to be thrown off balance. He couldn't steady himself. Aiming his wand at the basilisk's wound, John launched a relentless assault. "Bones to pieces! Reducto!" he chanted, casting the spell thrice. Each incantation sent streaks of white light crashing into the basilisk, causing scales to fly off from its wound.
In its pain, the basilisk slammed into the sewer walls, sending John crashing into them as well. The impact drove the blade deeper into the creature, leaving John no choice but to release it. Perhaps due to its advanced age, the basilisk's senses, aside from its sight, had dulled.
John attempted to use a transfiguration spell to turn the surrounding debris into sharp spikes, but the basilisk's scales were too tough, effortlessly crushing them to clear a path.
"Trying to escape?" John noticed the basilisk's aggression waning and realized it sought to flee the hostile environment. The cramped sewer limited the basilisk's movements, making it clumsy and vulnerable.
As the basilisk opened its mouth to spit a stream of venom, John quickly cast the Iron Armor Curse to shield himself, only to find the curse corroding under the venom's potency. "So fierce," John muttered, narrowly dodging the deadly spray.
Seizing the moment, John cast another spell. "Flaming! Incendio!" Flames erupted from his wand, forming a fiery cloud. With a flick of his wand, John directed the inferno towards the basilisk. The creature screeched in pain, turning tail and fleeing deeper into the sewer.
John stretched out his hand, reigniting the sword of Iron Wick that had been embedded in the basilisk. The flames engulfed the creature, causing it unbearable pain. In its frenzy, the basilisk lashed out with its tail, striking John and shattering two protective amulets he wore. "Hiss... almost died," John gasped, feeling as if his internal organs had been compressed. Without the amulets, he might not have survived.
With the basilisk fleeing with the sword of Iron Wick still embedded in it, John took a moment to catch his breath. He retrieved an enhancement potion from his bag and drank it in one gulp. Once recovered, he pursued the basilisk, guided by his connection to the sword of Iron Wick.
...
"Colin, are you coming?" asked Sylvia Bradley, a compassionate and friendly Gryffindor girl from a Muggle family, and Colin Creevey's good friend.
"Of course, I want to see Harry Potter," Colin replied, his camera in hand. He had grapes and other fruits for Harry, having witnessed an exciting Quidditch game earlier that day.
Sylvia had been hesitant to visit due to the terrifying rumors about the Chamber of Secrets and the potential purge of Muggle-born wizards, which had left her sleepless with fear. However, John Wick's bold stand against the heir of Slytherin had reassured her.
As they walked towards the school hospital, Colin recorded their journey to Hogwarts. Suddenly, a noisy sound echoed from a pipeline nearby, startling Sylvia. Terror gripped them as they heard an ominous sound. "What's that sound?" Sylvia asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"I don't know," Colin replied, equally scared. He picked up his camera, aiming to capture whatever was causing the disturbance. Suddenly, a massive head emerged from a pipe connected to the wall. Instinctively, Colin pressed the shutter button. The basilisk, its scales cracked and turned from emerald green to a dark, smoky black, its eyes irritated and barely open, charged towards the sound of the shutter.
Colin and Sylvia screamed, their hearts pounding with the fear of impending doom. "Impedimento!" A voice shouted, and the basilisk's advance slowed. John emerged from the shadows, his eyes transformed into vertical slits, a sword ablaze in his hand. "I am a fire dragon!" he declared, as the sword, named Iron Wick, ignited with flames, causing the basilisk to roar in agony.
Seizing the moment, John cast a Levitation Charm on Colin and Sylvia, pushing them to safety. He then turned his attention back to the basilisk, which was about to open its eyes. With a swift movement, he cast another spell, striking the beast on the head with a burst of white light, forcing it to avert its gaze.
"Run, call for a professor!" John commanded the two young Gryffindors. The sheer size of the basilisk, towering at 50 feet, was enough to paralyze anyone with fear. John's command snapped them out of their trance, but his intervention came at a cost. The basilisk struck him, sending him nearly flying.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, John countered with a Crushing Spell. The battle raged on, with John's magical energy dwindling. "Vera Verto!" he exclaimed, transforming a nearby torch into a rope that he then wrapped around the basilisk. Activating his flying boots, he leaped onto the beast's back, gripping the sword's hilt tightly. "I am a fire dragon," he roared, the flames intensifying, scorching the scales as he slowly extracted the sword. Blood splattered over him, causing a stinging sensation on his skin.
Just as John was about to deliver the final blow, a peculiar sound halted the basilisk's frenzy. It turned towards the pipe, seemingly regaining its composure. John prepared to continue his attack, but a spell struck him with a blinding white light. "Your uncle's!" he cursed, feeling the amulet's protection fade as he was thrown back, pain searing through his back.
He saw a figure disappear into the pipe with the basilisk. Powerless to pursue, John cursed the cowardice of his unseen assailant. The commotion quickly drew the attention of the professors, alerted by Colin and Sylvia.
As John struggled to his feet, he was met by an unexpected sight. "Uh... John, are you okay?" Gilderoy Lockhart asked, a curler still in his hair. John's response was terse. "I can't die!" he snapped, frustration evident in his voice. He knew that if any other professor had arrived, he might have pursued the basilisk into the sewer. However, with Lockhart's arrival, he felt all hope was lost.
Lockhart, sensing John's hostility, offered a sarcastic smile. "What happened here?" he inquired, just as other professors began to arrive. The sight of the devastated corridor shocked them, especially Professor McGonagall, whose eyes widened in disbelief.
John, feeling overwhelmed and in pain, sarcastically pushed Lockhart forward as if to say, "You deal with it." He just wanted to rest, his back aching from the curse and feeling as if it were about to break.
Lockhart, seizing the moment, began to fabricate a tale of his heroic encounter with the monster. The professors, however, turned their attention to John, noticing his pale and distressed appearance.
"John Wick, what's the matter with you?" Professor McGonagall asked, concern evident in her voice.
Professor Snape, noticing the blood on John's clothes and the signs of poison, stepped forward with a frown. "There is poison," he began, his voice laced with urgency as he prepared to administer aid. The sentence about the incident sent shivers down everyone's spine. Thankfully, the school infirmary was close by, and the injured were quickly transported there. Harry, aware that Dobby was behind the rogue Bludger, was seething with anger and harbored a strong desire to confront Dobby. With the knowledge that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, Harry was eager to inquire more. However, he was interrupted by noises from outside. In an instant, Dobby disappeared through Apparition. Harry, acting swiftly, lay back down on his bed and feigned sleep. Peeking through barely opened eyes, he watched the door as several figures entered the room.
The first to enter was Snape, who appeared to be supporting someone. Following him were Professors McGonagall and Sprout. Professor Flitwick, being quite short, was almost missed by Harry's gaze. Then, to Harry's surprise, Dumbledore entered as well. The group congregated around the hospital bed. Dumbledore, with a grave expression that softened upon seeing the patients, expressed his relief, "Thank God, you managed to save the two young wizards."
It was revealed that it was thanks to John's quick thinking and Dumbledore's subsequent instruction to increase patrols that the professors arrived in time. Colin, having encountered the basilisk, had frantically sought out the professors for help. Dumbledore acknowledged that without John's intervention, the outcome for the two young wizards could have been fatal.
Madam Pomfrey rushed in, her scream cutting through the air as she feared the worst for John, who looked to be on death's door. However, after a thorough examination, she determined that the most severe injury was from a Blasting Curse. Remarkably, John's robust constitution meant he could recover after just a night's rest. The curse had introduced poison into his bloodstream, but fortunately, John's resilience to toxins suggested the worst he might suffer would be a bout of diarrhea.
The professors collectively exhaled in relief, their immediate concerns alleviated. Dumbledore hinted at having more to discuss but decided it could wait until the following day. Once the professors had departed, Harry cautiously approached John's bedside.
Harry was momentarily taken aback by John's first request. "Harry, could you fetch me a taffy from your stash?" John asked, his stomach audibly rumbling in hunger, having not had the chance to eat amidst the chaos.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge