Over the next two months, a hefty amount of homework—designed to keep students occupied in the common room—resulted in little progress for Harry, Daphne, and Draconica in unraveling the mystery of the attacks at Hogwarts. The absence of any new movements from the 'heir' led them to a frustrating standstill. The only certainty the trio had was that the attacks on Hermione and Neville were meant to silence them; it seemed the bushy-haired witch had nearly uncovered the nature of what was targeting the students.
As two months passed without incident, the students of Hogwarts began to relax their guard, perhaps forgetting how the 'heir' had once taken a break as well. Unfortunately, with this lapse in vigilance came a resurgence of the attacks.
On Wednesday, April 21, Jack Longbow, a half-blood Hufflepuff in his fourth year, was found petrified on the second floor, just meters away from where Filch's cat had been attacked. Just like the previous incident, water was found pooling around him. Word spread quickly through the school following dinner; the 'heir' had seemingly returned.
Security measures were once again intensified, but they proved ineffective. The next morning, a prefect patrol—comprised of sixth-years Scott Thomson and Jessica McKinley, as well as Astronomy professor Aurora Sinistra—was discovered petrified on the fourth floor, right beside a suit of armor adorned with a polished metal shield.
The news of the entire patrol being attacked sent waves of panic through Hogwarts. The situation grew worse when it was revealed that Dumbledore had been placed on probation for his inability to resolve the crisis, limiting his powers further and leaving him without immediate assistance. Hogwarts' defenses felt increasingly compromised, though a glimmer of hope surfaced when Professor Sprout announced that the mandrakes would soon be ready for harvest.
With Astronomy class canceled due to the professor being petrified, Harry took the opportunity to reflect on the recent attacks. He realized that he had uncovered a crucial piece of the puzzle that he and his Slytherin friends had neglected two months prior. However, he wanted to discuss his findings with Daphne and Draconica to confirm his hypothesis.
"You seem pretty excited today, Potter," Daphne remarked once the trio had distanced themselves from the other second-year Gryffindors and Slytherins. "Did you figure out what the monster of the Chamber is?"
"Not exactly," Harry admitted. "But I think I may have an idea that could lead us closer to the answer." The witches exchanged intrigued looks.
"And what might that be?" Draconica inquired, her gaze fixed on him.
"Well, I've been considering the circumstances of the attacks. Filch's cat and Jack Longbow were both found near puddles of water. Colin Creevy was busy snapping photos, Thomas White was by the window, Justin saw his attacker through Nearly Headless Nick, and Padma and Amanda Greendale had reflective metal plates scattered at their feet. Hermione and Neville had a mirror, and the patrol was next to polished armor…" Harry explained.
"Hmm… Thinking back, Tracey and John Freeman were also checking out his pocket watch… Are you saying that none of the victims ever directly saw the attacker?" Daphne asked.
"Exactly," Harry confirmed. "We overlooked the actual monster in our investigation because we were searching for something that could petrify directly. In these cases, it looks like the petrifications occurred because the victims didn't see the attack full on—thanks to reflections, or, in Justin's situation, a ghost's semi-transparent form." The girls nodded, grasping the logic of his theory. "If I'm correct, the creature in the Chamber is a basilisk. This can be inferred from two facts. First, there were no visible injuries on either victim of the petrification, meaning the attacks were likely spell-based or gaze-related. Secondly, basilisks can kill with their gaze, so their reflection would likely petrify."
"Good God, Potter!" Daphne exclaimed, displaying more enthusiasm than usual. "Are you sure you're not a Slytherin or a Ravenclaw?" Harry grinned sheepishly.
"Actually, the Sorting Hat considered placing me in your house, but deemed me too impatient to be a Slytherin, which is why I'm in Gryffindor." The girls exchanged glances, unsure how to process this revelation.
"I see…" Daphne responded, just as Lockhart dismissed the previous group of students. The second-year Gryffindors and Slytherins began to enter the classroom. Due to the reduced class size, Harry chose to sit next to Daphne instead of his usual spot. With limited opportunities to converse outside their common rooms, they needed to take advantage of every chance they had to discuss their findings.
"Okay, so supposing we're right about the basilisk," Draconica began, "they can live a long time, which means they get quite large. It feels unlikely that such a giant snake could move through the castle without being noticed."
"True. I can't say for certain, but I'm sure we can brainstorm some ideas in this class," Harry replied. "In fact, I might have a lead on that. After Susan's lecture during Defense Studies, I heard a voice in Parseltongue while heading back to the tower. Initially, I thought I was imagining it, but now I know I wasn't… And the sound seemed to be coming from the walls."
"But the walls… Aren't they solid?" Daphne asked. Harry shook his head.
"I'm not sure. I think a detailed map of Hogwarts would help us tremendously, but the only one I know of is with the Weasley twins, and I doubt they'd lend it to us."
"And how would a map help us figure out the hissing from inside the walls?" Daphne queried.
"It wouldn't, not directly. But with the map, we could pinpoint where the attacks occurred and look for commonalities. That might give us a clue about the basilisk's movements," Harry explained. The girls nodded in agreement. 'I think I should also inform McGonagall about the basilisk. Although it's not confirmed, all signs point to this conclusion.' He pondered that professors should take charge of the situation.
After class, Harry encountered an irate Ron Weasley, who opposed the idea of him collaborating with Slytherin witches.
"You traitor! How could you associate with those slimy Slytherins?" shouted Ron. "You're betraying Gryffindor!" In retaliation, he delivered a punch to Harry's stomach. Though Harry wasn't particularly strong, Ron's lack of physical training made the impact enough to wind him.
"Don't insult my friends," Harry hissed. "I don't owe you an explanation for speaking with Daphne and Draconica. But I will let you know; they're seeking revenge against the 'heir' for hurting their friend. Our goals align, and uniting our resources is the best course of action in this situation." He paused. "I have nothing more to discuss," and walked away, rejoining the rest of the Gryffindors. Ron begrudgingly hobbled after his classmates, feeling left behind.
~/ *** \~
Later that night, Professor McGonagall returned from a staff meeting to find a note on her desk adorned with white owl feathers, a clear sign of who had sent it. Intrigued, she picked it up and read:
Good evening, Professor,
I know you have been investigating the attacks at Hogwarts, and that you haven't yet found an answer. While we aren't entirely certain, we believe the creature is a basilisk. The gaze of a basilisk is deadly, yet it appears no one had faced it directly; rather, the encounters involved reflections or were filtered through a ghost—hence the petrifications. Regrettably, we haven't determined how this ancient and undoubtedly massive basilisk is moving around unnoticed. Additionally, we have no leads on who the heir is or where the Chamber of Secrets may be, but we trust that our findings will be beneficial.
The professor shook her head, reflecting on the audacity of these children. Yet, Harry was right; their insights were indeed useful. The staff had reached similar conclusions, and this note provided final confirmation that they were up against a powerful basilisk. Though unsigned, she knew exactly who penned it and who was collaborating to uncover the truths surrounding the Chamber.
"Thirty points to Gryffindor for assisting in the fight against the 'heir.' Twenty points to Slytherin…" Though McGonagall wasn't particularly fond of Slytherins—being a staunch Gryffindor herself—she recognized that both Malfoy and Greengrass were working alongside Harry and his friends in addressing the attacks. "…for their help in protecting Hogwarts," she concluded, satisfied with her assessment. She folded the note and headed to Dumbledore's office; the staff needed to be informed of the basilisk's presence within their castle.
~/ *** \~
Meanwhile, Harry was engaged in conversation with the infamous Weasley twins, having learned that they possessed a map of Hogwarts. Initially, they attempted to deny it, but soon gave in and asked why he needed it. Honesty prevailed as Harry explained that he needed the second, third, and fourth floors specifically to investigate the ongoing Chamber of Secrets mystery.
Though the twins were unwilling to lend out the actual map, they wanted to see the 'heir' situation resolved without the school closing. Consequently, they agreed to make a partial duplicate of their map for Harry. However, the task of copying even three floors proved time-consuming, given the castle's size and the map's protection against ordinary copying charms.
~/ *** \~
On Monday, Harry once again chose to sit with Daphne and Draconica during their DADA lessons. Thankfully, the Weasley twins had completed the map copy, allowing Harry and his partners to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the Chamber of Secrets.
"I see you got the map, Potter," Draconica noted. "But I still struggle to see how it will help us understand how the basilisk is sneaking around the castle undetected."
Harry shook his head. "As I said, it won't provide a direct answer, but…" He laid out a handful of knuts next to the map, explaining, "These will indicate where the attacks occurred." As he placed the coins down, they formed three distinct clusters, revealing a clear pattern. "What can we deduce from these locations?" he asked, gesturing to the map.
"One attack cluster is near a girls' toilet that nobody uses because of the ghost. The second is close to a rarely frequented boys' toilet, and the third is near a corridor leading to an abandoned section of the castle," Draconica observed while analyzing the map.
"In other words, none of those spots are often visited by students or teachers," Harry concluded. "There may be another common thread: I don't think there are any portraits in those areas, meaning no one could see the 'heir' or the basilisk."
The girls nodded in acknowledgment. "And about that ghost… Isn't that the so-called Moaning Myrtle?" Daphne asked.
"Indeed. She haunts the girls' toilet on the second floor," Draconica confirmed, prompting Harry to smile.
"She's the only ghost that could be considered young enough to have been a student at the time of her death," Harry added, noting the girls' puzzled expressions. "The Chamber was opened about fifty years ago, resulting in several petrifications and one death. I believe Myrtle was the student who died when the Chamber was last opened." He placed a sickle over Myrtle's bathroom on the map.
"Oh," both witches breathed, finding Harry's theory compelling. "But that still doesn't explain how the basilisk moves without being seen," Draconica voiced.
Harry gestured again to the map. "Notice that two of the three attack locations are toilets," he remarked, having anticipated their continuation of thought.
"Pipes," Draconica concluded. "There's a massive system of pipes in the castle, and some should be large enough to accommodate a gigantic snake. Plus, the largest pipes are indeed connected to the toilets, which are hidden in the walls."
"Yes, that explains why I was hearing the basilisk's hissing from inside the wall," Harry stated. "It must have been moving through the pipe within it."
"Alright, so we've identified what the creature from the Chamber of Secrets is, how it petrifies victims, and how it moves undetected. But what about the location of the Chamber?" Draconica questioned.
"Those toilets seem to serve as the entrances," Harry replied, peering at the map. "I'm not positive which one corresponds to the abandoned section of the castle, but Myrtle's bathroom seems the primary one."
"Why do you say that?" Daphne inquired.
"Consider the writing on the wall," Harry answered. "What I assume took a fair amount of time and effort to create, especially given its resilience to removal. The 'heir' wouldn't have had time to come from another location to write it after the attack during dinner."
"So that toilet is the primary entrance to the Chamber? We should inform the professors about this immediately!" Draconica exclaimed. "The faster we resolve the issue, the sooner Hogwarts can return to normal."
"Agreed," Harry nodded. "However, there's one minor complication: I doubt Slytherin would permit just anyone to enter his secret Chamber. There must be some type of protection in place, likely based on blood or Parseltongue. We can only hope it's the latter." The two witches nodded in agreement; if the Chamber's defenses were blood-based, access would be impossible for the professors.
"So you're risking your safety to protect the school?" the blonde witch asked, sharing Harry's desire for Hogwarts to remain open. He shook his head.
"No, not unless I'm ambushed. I'll just open the doors and let the professors handle it… I'll also ask them to swear an oath of non-disclosure, ensuring that my status as a Parselmouth remains a secret."
"Good," Daphne responded, prompting Harry to raise an eyebrow.
"Are you worried about me, milady? I'm flattered," he teased, causing her to laugh and Draconica to blush slightly.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Potter!"