William listened carefully for a few moments, then started toward a side corridor, and Cedric and the others followed.
It couldn't be a wizard—technically, this area was still within Hogwarts grounds, and the Marauder's Map had only shown William and his three friends nearby, with no other wizards in sight.
They pressed onward, their footsteps echoing unevenly down the long hallway in strange, distorted rhythms.
Crunch!
William stepped on something that cracked loudly underfoot. Lowering his wand, he saw it was a small, dry skull—likely a mouse. Bones of small creatures littered the corridor around them.
"William, what's that… over there?" Cedric whispered urgently, grabbing his shoulder.
They froze, staring ahead.
There, coiled along the far side of the corridor, lay the outline of something massive, unmoving.
William raised his wand, casting light over the creature—and saw a vast snakeskin, pale and dry, its hollow coils stretched out along the stone floor. Whatever serpent had shed this skin must have been at least fifty feet long.
"My… God," Fred whispered, stunned. "What on earth is that?"
Just then, the distant sound of something slithering grew louder. The four of them exchanged a single look and, without a word, turned and ran.
There was no way they were going to stick around to be dinner for a serpent that size.
When the four finally scrambled back into the fifth-floor corridor of Hogwarts, the sun was already starting to set. They collapsed on the hallway floor, breathless and clearly shaken.
"I can't believe the school allows… something like that… to roam this deep beneath the castle," Cedric gasped, furious.
Usually, when he saw rare creatures or magical materials, Cedric's first thought was to see if they'd make suitable wand cores.
He'd eyed the Whomping Willow, Hagrid's Cerberus, and even Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes.
But now, the thought of using that snake for a wand never even crossed his mind. One wrong move, and he'd be nothing more than a snack.
"But…" Fred panted, clutching his chest, "you've got to admit, Cedric, we technically weren't supposed to be down there. We were breaking school rules!"
"That's beside the point!" George huffed, catching his breath. "Did you see the size of that thing? I'd bet anything that snake was a solid sixty feet!"
William composed himself and asked, "So, you've never seen the snakeskin there before?"
"Never!" Fred laughed, grimacing. "If we'd known that was down there, no way would we have gone anywhere near that passage."
George nodded emphatically in agreement.
"Maybe the snake's some kind of guard," William suggested, thinking aloud. "It could be that the Founders left it down there to watch over the temple and pyramid."
"Quite possible," Cedric agreed, his tone serious. "Let's not forget, Salazar Slytherin was famous for being a Parselmouth. He could easily have left a serpent behind to guard the place."
They discussed it a while longer, but ultimately, whether it was the temple, the pyramid, the tombs, or the giant snake, there wasn't much they could conclude.
The one thing they all agreed on was that they would be avoiding that passage from now on. Who knew when they might run into a hungry serpent?
Their plan to visit Hogsmeade was out of the question for today, which was a disappointment.
All in all, it had been a nerve-wracking but thrilling adventure, and it left William so on edge that he barely slept that night.
He dreamed of a giant serpent swallowing him whole. Those mysterious coffins from the pyramid also kept drifting around his mind, almost as if calling him to lie inside one.
When he awoke the next morning, the images of those coffins lingered unpleasantly.
It was all a bit too soon, in his opinion, to be contemplating one's own grave. Living as long as Nicolas Flamel would be nice, but he figured he at least ought to outlast Dumbledore.
In any case, he decided he should probably burn some offerings for the Four Founders, just to make sure they didn't keep invading his dreams with ominous invitations to join them.
Well, they were all dead… right?
Yes, they were definitely all dead.
He sat up and, not seeing Boba Tea around, sighed. The cat had been getting increasingly unruly lately, sneaking out at night to go exploring who-knew-where.
After taking a little extra time to get ready, William headed down to the common room, where plenty of students were already gathered. Today was the long-awaited Quidditch final—not that Ravenclaw was involved, but who didn't love a good game of Quidditch?
Back in his past life, William hadn't even liked the national team, but he'd still ended up watching every single match.
After sitting in the common room for a few minutes, William headed to the door, planning to meet up with Cedric and the others, only to jump back in surprise at the sight at the door.
There, standing right by the door, was Robert, his eyes bloodshot and staring intensely at every student as they walked out, his hair disheveled and his expression haunted, as if he hadn't slept in days.
"You… all right?" William asked, hesitantly approaching him.
"Yes… just tired," Robert murmured. "I've been up since four this morning, standing watch."
He really was attached to that door knocker, William thought. Maybe he needed a recording to listen to its voice at home.
Normally, William wasn't one to meddle, but after taking a few steps down the hall, he hesitated, then turned back with a sigh.
"Robert, you should really get some sleep," he suggested a look of concern on his face.
"Don't worry, I'll go sleep for a after everyone leaves got Quidditch final."
William grinned, a sudden thought forming as he dug through his robe pocket. He pulled out a small blue vial.
"This," he said, handing it over, "is a sample of Sleeping Draft I brewed myself. Only my three…. dog tried it so far, so it's untested on humans, but I can guarantee iit works like a charm. Two spoonfuls, and you'll get the equivalent of eight hours of deep sleep in just two."
"Really?" Robert took the vial, looking thoroughly impressed. He unscrewed the cap and sniffed it, his eyes widening as a wave of drowsiness hit him.
"Yes, it's a genuine Sleeping Draft! with this, I'll only need a short nap, and then I'll be fully recharged to be able stand guard again after the final. William, how much do I owe you?"
William flashed him an even bigger smile, patting his shoulder warmly. "Oh, don't worry about that. Just let me know how it works for you."
"I get it—I used to test Professor Snape's potions for him all the time!" Robert chuckled. "Anytime you need a test subject, you know who to call!"
"Best of luck," William replied, grinning.
As William reached the Great Hall, he found it already bustling with students, all eager for the upcoming match.
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