"Harry, open your eyes. It's safe."
David kept a firm grip on the rooster, its presence a powerful deterrent against the basilisk. As the massive serpent slithered forward, David squeezed the rooster slightly, causing it to let out another sharp crow. The basilisk recoiled instantly, its body twisting in evident pain.
Cautiously, David stepped closer, mindful of the immense danger posed by the serpent's sheer size. He placed his hand firmly at the basilisk's seven-inch mark, the mythical weak spot of such creatures. "Harry, make it recognize me as its master."
"What?" Harry blinked in shock, but seeing the determination in David's eyes, he hesitated only briefly before hissing in Parseltongue.
The basilisk immediately reacted, its tail lashing out in defiance. The idea was preposterous! It had never received such an absurd command in all its years of existence. Even though the boy spoke the language of serpents, it refused to be tamed so easily.
David, quick on his feet, dodged the basilisk's movement and thrust the rooster forward. The serpent trembled as another crow filled the chamber, its magic-infused body wracked with pain.
"Harry, again!"
With each cry from the rooster, the basilisk's resistance weakened. Its mighty scales now bore faint traces of blood, its willpower steadily eroding. After a few more cries, the basilisk could resist no longer—it submitted.
A wave of knowledge flooded David's mind, another page from his illustrated book appearing. A victorious smile touched his lips. He gently set the rooster down and reached out to soothe the basilisk's injuries, easing its pain, though he couldn't fully heal it.
"Thank you, master," the basilisk finally spoke, its voice laced with unexpected gratitude. It was no longer the fierce creature that had threatened them moments before.
David's newfound abilities resonated within him. Through the book's magic, he had gained the Basilisk's Sight and the gift of Parseltongue, allowing him to control the degree of petrification—perhaps even a new form of a killing curse.
Harry, still reeling from the sight of the once-deadly serpent now tamed, stepped closer. "You actually did it."
David smirked. "I told you, as long as you listen to me, we wouldn't fail."
"That wasn't my doing," Harry admitted, a relieved grin spreading across his face.
"Well, maybe a little," David teased before turning his gaze upward, toward the massive stone mouth from which the basilisk had emerged. "Harry, want to see what's inside?"
Harry hesitated, staring at the gaping maw of Slytherin's statue. "Uh… are you sure there aren't any more monsters in there?"
"Don't worry. Basilisks are solitary creatures," David assured him, running his fingers over the serpent's thick scales.
Harry hesitated, but curiosity soon won over fear. The two climbed onto the basilisk's head. David cast a spell to secure them in place before instructing Harry to command the serpent forward.
The basilisk obeyed, slithering back into the tunnel from whence it had come. As they moved, glowing green gemstones embedded in the ceiling illuminated their path, revealing intricate carvings of enormous snakes in battle. The air was thick with an ancient, almost sacred presence.
"What do you think Salazar kept hidden in here?" Harry whispered in awe.
David studied the ornate engravings. "Probably something important—his magical research, maybe even artifacts. He might've lived here at some point."
The passageway twisted and turned before finally leading them to a fork in the path. Through the dim light, they spotted an iron door at the end of one passage.
"Let's check that out," David suggested, leaping down from the basilisk, Harry right behind him.
The iron door was adorned with a massive snake coiling protectively around it. The lock was made up of two smaller serpents entwined together. Recognizing the mechanism, Harry instinctively stepped forward and hissed in Parseltongue.
The large snake's eyes glowed green as it slowly uncoiled. The smaller serpents slithered into its mouth, and with a deep metallic groan, the door creaked open.
David expected the door to be heavy, but as he pulled, it moved effortlessly as though enchanted. Stepping through the threshold, he felt as though he had crossed through time itself—into Salazar Slytherin's era.
The chamber beyond was simple yet elegant, dominated by a massive portrait of Salazar Slytherin himself. Unlike the stone effigy outside, the wizard in this painting wore fine emerald robes.
Harry shuddered. "David, why isn't it moving?"
David frowned. A wizard of Slytherin's caliber would have left behind an enchanted portrait, yet this one was eerily still. Something wasn't right.
As he stepped closer, the portrait's eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Who dares intrude?" Salazar's voice echoed through the chamber, his gaze locking onto the Gryffindor crest on their robes. His expression twisted in fury. "A Gryffindor? How dare you enter my chamber!"
David didn't understand his words—the dialect was too ancient—but Salazar's anger was clear. The entire room seemed to tremble in response. The iron door behind them rattled, showing signs of closing.
"David!" Harry shouted as the serpentine decorations along the walls began to stir. The massive iron snakes came to life, their eyes gleaming with malice.
David remained calm. He could escape easily using house-elf apparition, but Harry wouldn't make it in time.
With a flick of his wand, David summoned a Thunderbird and rendered it invisible. The majestic bird swooped down, grabbing Harry by his robes and lifting him just as the door slammed shut. Harry's terrified yells faded into the corridor beyond.
Inside the chamber, the iron serpents slithered closer. One lunged. David dodged, countering with a jet of dragon fire. The snake melted instantly, reduced to molten metal.
Salazar's portrait sneered. "You dare defy me?"
David sighed. "I have no idea what you're saying. Do you have a translator?"
Salazar faltered, then scowled. He seemed to realize they were speaking entirely different tongues.
While he ranted, David found another door and slipped through, entering a grand study lined with ancient tomes. At its center sat a glowing figure—Salazar's magical echo.
"Welcome, my heir," the spectral figure intoned in an unfamiliar dialect. "Here, you shall find all you need."
David waved a hand before it—no reaction. Just a recorded message.
Losing interest, he perused the books, stuffing the most promising ones into his bag. Then, in a hidden compartment, he discovered a small, intricately designed box. Inside lay a tiny, turquoise snake, its metallic scales shimmering.
Curious, David hissed in Parseltongue. "Move."
The snake didn't react.
Then, recalling the incantation used to summon the basilisk, he tried again. "Speak to me, Slytherin—the greatest of Hogwarts' four founders."
The snake stirred. It gazed at him, then suddenly lunged, sinking its fangs into his finger.
"Bloody hell!" David yelped, shaking his hand. The snake hung on stubbornly before finally releasing him, eyes filled with an odd intelligence.
David stared at it. "Can you understand me?"
The snake nodded.
David smirked. "Can I command the other snakes?"
The snake nodded again.
Grinning, David turned back toward the enraged portrait. "Guess I just found the master key to your little kingdom, Salazar."
Salazar's expression darkened as David issued his first command.
"Stand down."
The iron serpents obeyed.