A Turn for the Better

Chapter 21 ~ Battling the Basilisk

Myrtle floated through the floor into Dumbledore's office, then drifted down the hallway, following a strange whistling sound. She peeked in a doorway and saw Albus Dumbledore asleep. The whistling noise was coming from his crooked nose. He was sleeping on his back, his long beard lying on top of the covers. His feet stuck out of the bottom of the bed, securely covered in a pair of woolen socks.

"Headmaster," Myrtle said, drifting over him. "Headmaster, wake up!"

Albus didn't move, but continued to sleep.

Myrtle was a ghost, so couldn't shake him. So she did the next best thing. She floated down to the end of the bed and stuck her cold hands through his socks, instantly chilling his feet.

Albus awoke with a shudder. He hated nothing more than cold feet.

"Wha . . . what's going on here?" he demanded, taking his half-moon glasses off the nightstand and setting them on his face.

He sat up in the bed, dressed in a long, white nightshirt and pointy cap that folded over to the side. It had a pom-pom on the end of it and his long white hair streamed from beneath it over his shoulders. He blinked down at Myrtle in surprise as she bobbed midair, looking at him through her pearly glasses.

"Headmaster, Professor Snape sent me. He and Hagrid have gone down into the chamber of secrets after two students," she told the wizard.

"What? They've found the chamber?" he asked her, climbing out of the bed quickly.

"Oh! Ohohohoh!" he hissed as his knees locked up.

Albus was up in years and it took a while for his body to warm up. The spirit was willing, but the bones complained. He placed his hand against his back and bellowed for Fawkes.

The phoenix flew into the room, settling on his bed and cocking his fiery red head at his master, squawking.

"Myrtle, where is the entrance to the chamber?" Albus asked the ghost as he bent and massaged one knee.

"In the girl's bathroom on the second floor," Myrtle replied.

"Amazing," he intoned, then said, "Fawkes, get down there and try to help Severus while we rouse the rest of the staff," he told the bird.

Fawkes squawked assent, then suddenly just flashed out in a burst of light.

Albus looked at Myrtle.

"Myrtle, I need you to go awaken the staff and tell them to meet me in the second floor bathroom in ten minutes," Albus said to the ghost who nodded.

The headmaster's knees locked up again.

"You'd better make that fifteen minutes, Myrtle," he grimaced.

"Yes, sir," Myrtle said, dropping through the floor, enthused that after all these years, she was finally noticed for more than her moaning. She was doing something important.

As she headed for Minerva's room, the ghost felt it was good to be needed.

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Snape relaxed, his body straight yet pliant as he flew through the twists and turns of the pipe, so focused on Hermione, he didn't have time to be afraid. He could hear Hercules squawking and Hagrid cursing and yelling behind him as they took the turns as well, the rooster's cage rattling and crashing. Hopefully it wasn't tumbling.

They went down, down, down. The chamber had to be a couple of miles under the school. Snape grimaced as he flew through the loop, then it suddenly occurred to him that this journey might have a very bad end. He managed to work his wand out of his pocket, and carefully gauged his descent. The piping leveled out and he could see the opening drawing closer. Timing it carefully, Snape tapped himself as he zoomed out of the pipe, slowing in midair, Hercules' cage shooting out under him, hitting the ground, tumbling a distance, then breaking apart, followed by Hagrid, who hit the damp, mucky floor with a heavy whomp and a curse.

Snape floated gently downward and landed neatly on his feet.

"Finite Incantatem," he said, tapping himself with his wand again to remove the spell.

Ruffled and out of sorts, Hercules scrambled out of his cage, fluffing his wings and trying to smooth out his feathers. The rooster preened himself and cast a baleful eye on Hagrid as the half-giant struggled to his feet.

"Tha' were quite tha ride, weren't it, perfesser?" he said to Snape, who had lit his wand and was peering up the dark tunnel.

"Why in the world would they come down here?" he said mostly to himself.

"Probably ter kill tha basilisk," Hagrid said, as Hercules got his bearing and flew at his coat. "Hey thar! Stop tha' yah bloody bird!"

Basilisk?

"There's a basilisk down here, Hagrid?" Snape asked him, his heart skipping at the idea of Hermione facing such a dangerous creature.

Snape had heard stories of a monster in the chamber, but no one had said what type of monster until now.

"Yep. I'm sure of it," Hagrid replied. "Its tha only thing tha coulda petrified students an' killed Myrtle tha way it did. Spiders were fleein' tha castle, roosters was bein' killed. It's a basilisk all right or my name's not Rubeus Hagrid."

"Come along," Snape hissed, moving through the dark tunnel swiftly.

"Come on, yah crazy bird. Yer needed," Hagrid said to the still attacking Hercules, who followed him, jumping on his thick coat with both spurs as they headed toward the unknown.

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Luna stood by and watched as Neville and Hermione held the Killing curse for nearly thirty seconds, the green light flying into the open mouth of the statue overhead. She couldn't help them. She didn't have the drive or intent to cast such a curse. Luna could do offensive spells . . . as long as she didn't have to actually use them on another living thing. She was a natural pacifist, and even something as horrifying as a basilisk couldn't make her do harm.

This was a definitely liability.

Finally Hermione and Neville broke off the spell, staring upward intently.

Nothing moved.

"Do you think we killed it?" Neville asked her.

Hermione's brown eyes were narrowed and her belly in knots as she looked upward.

"I don't know, Neville. Nothing's moving," she said in a low voice.

Suddenly, something black seemed to flow over the lip of the statue, like ink spilling down the chin of it, but it left no trail as it made its way down, growing larger as it quickly snaked along the stone beard.

"It's not dead!" Hermione cried. "Run back to the pillars!"

She and Neville took off as the basilisk made it to the ground. They couldn't see anything except a large, sensuous black silhouette. A loud hiss filled the chambers.

"We must have missed it," Hermione said, "fire the spell again!"

The two students fired at the basilisk, which undulated, its baleful yellow eyes resting on them.

Luna still stood in the same spot, apparently mesmerized by the giant snake, unable to move as the green light covered it. The snake appeared to writhe, but didn't fall. Both Hermione and Neville were perspiring now with their efforts, but finally they had to stop. For some reason, the Killing curse didn't work on it.

The basilisk hissed again, its eyes turning on Luna, and it slithered toward her, hissing, mouth agape and fangs apparent. The blonde witch still didn't move. She just stared at the huge form slithering toward her as if hypnotized.

"Luna!" Neville cried, dashing toward her.

"Neville!" Hermione screamed, her heart in her throat as she watched him run toward the deadly beast.

The basilisk drew back and struck at Neville, the wizard stopping short, wheeling his arms as it missed him, the great fangs gouging out two holes in the stone floor, sticking for a moment as Neville ran around the great head and grabbed Luna, trying to drag her out of the way.

Horrified, Hermione ran forward as the basilisk wrenched free, the witch jumping up and down, trying to draw the creature's attention.

"Over here! Look over here!" she screamed, waving her arms, her shield in one hand.

It worked. The basilisk turned from Neville and Luna toward the screechy noise. Unlike snakes, basilisks could hear, and quite well.

The basilisk looked down at Hermione, who held up the mirror shield, reflecting its image back at it. The basilisk blinked at her for a moment, then started to strike. Seeing itself in the mirror had no effect. Suddenly it stopped mid-strike, its yellow eyes rolling in its head as it got a good whiff of the weasel scent.

What the hell was that stench?

The basilisk coiled up for a moment, trying to decide whether it wanted to bite something that smelled so unsavory. Hermione stared up at the black silhouette as it swayed like a cobra. Neville pulled Luna behind one of the pillars and shook her until her blue eyes turned on him. She looked rather dazed.

"Stay here," he ordered. "I've got to help Hermione."

He ran back toward the basilisk.

The weasel musk had stopped the creature, but not out of fear . . . it just didn't like the smell. It had never encountered a weasel, so had no idea it was fatal. But damn, it was hungry. Being dormant for decades left it feeling quite peckish. The basilisk let out a hiss and lunged at Hermione, who barely managed to leap out of the way. She started running toward the statue, rather than the pillars which would have offered her more protection. The basilisk weaved after her, fangs dripping with deadly venom.

Neville ran after it, his wand aimed at the creature.

"Hey! Hey, you slimy serpent! Turn around!" he yelled, stepping on the tip of its tail.

The basilisk let out a roar this time. Apparently its tail was quite delicate.

It whipped around toward Neville, who fired a curse at it.

Unfortunately, he was so excited and frightened, he muddled it up. Instead of casting the "Conjunctivitus" curse, that would have temporarily blinded the basilisk, he screamed, "Confundus!"

This was not a good thing, although it stopped the basilisk cold for a moment. Then it started writhing and rolling about, its body and tail lashing wildly. Hermione barely managed to dive out of the way as its tail hit the foot of the statue, breaking off a piece of the stone toes.

"Shit," the witch thought as it writhed about, Neville suddenly swatted away, crashing into the wall and sliding down it, unconscious.

The Confundus spell confused its target, and the basilisk was disoriented and reacting violently. Hermione ran back and forth, trying to get around it as the creature smashed holes in the walls. It twisted and contorted so wildly, it was next to impossible to figure out where it would lash next.

Severus ran up the chamber, his heart thudding as he watched Hermione trying to get past the out of control creature. She was wearing some ridiculous frilly pink mask. He started to run out into the chamber proper with no concern for his own safety.

"Wait, Professor. Put this on. You can look at the basilisk," Luna said softly.

Snape looked at her a bit startled. He hadn't seen her. She held out a pink mask.

Snape snatched it out of her hand and put it on. Sure enough, all he could see was the shape of the rolling creature, all detail blacked out. The Potions master dashed out into the chamber just as Hagrid and the ever-attacking Hercules ran up. The half-giant was breathless.

"Put this on," Luna said, giving Hagrid a mask.

The giant didn't even question it as he put the mask on, then made a grab for Hercules, who pecked at his hands.

"C'mere, yah stupid bird. We needs yah ter git out thar an' crow!" Hagrid hissed at the cock, who darted back and forth menacingly, its feathers ruffed aggressively.

Snape ran into the chamber, dodging and dipping, avoiding the lashing body of the basilisk as best he could as he tried to make his way toward Hermione. She saw his form fleetingly as she avoided another deadly blow of the basilisk's tail. She didn't know who he was however, because he too was a silhouette.

"Neville? Get back!" she shouted at him, then was clipped by the tip of the basilisk's tail, the wind knocked out of her. She couldn't move, her brown eyes wide as the basilisk rolled toward her bodily.

"Effloresco!" a voice shouted.

Suddenly, the basilisk was covered in a thick tangle of vines, its body locked down for a moment.

Neville had awakened and cast a Devil's Snare seed at the creature, charming it into bloom. It wouldn't last long however, because the plant had no place to root. It would die quickly, but maybe give Hermione enough time to get away.

Snape ran around the restrained creature and grabbed Hermione's arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed at her.

"Professor Snape? What are you doing here?" Hermione gasped at him. The grip on her arm was painful as Snape pulled her back toward the pillars.

"Trying to keep you from getting killed! What in the world were you . . ."

Snape was cut short as the basilisk broke free, the Confundus spell dissipating as it oriented on both he and Hermione. Snape pointed his wand at a piece of broken stone, transfiguring it into a long sword. He pushed Hermione out of the way.

"To the pillars!" he hissed at her, grabbing the sword and holding it on the basilisk. "Run! Now!"

"No!" Hermione yelled, refusing to leave him.

Snape cursed under his breath as the basilisk lunged at him. He leapt aside, blade clashing against fang as he slashed at the creature, cutting its gum.

The basilisk hissed, drawing back and attacking again, Snape dancing away. Hermione fired a blasting spell at the creature, but it had no effect. Neville also fired on the beast, trying to help Snape, but the angry snake was now focused on the dark wizard and doing its best to sink his fangs into him.

Hagrid managed to grab Hercules and flung the rooster far into the chamber. Hermione saw the small black form fluttering about, then let out a cry of anguish as Professor Snape let out a terrible yell, his upper right thigh impaled by the basilisk's fang.

"Professor!" Hermione screamed, running toward him.

"No, Hermione!" Neville cried desperately, but Hermione wasn't listening. She was running up to the basilisk and Professor Snape, who was on the ground now.

"Sorry, Hermione," Neville breathed, "Expelliarmus!"

Neville blasted Hermione back. He had to do it. He had to save her.

Hermione flew back, landing on her ass, stunned but not unconscious. The basilisk hovered over Snape, preparing to give its death blow. No . . . no, he couldn't die!

Hercules was fluttering all over the chamber, and there was a piercing cry as Fawkes flew into the chamber and straight for the basilisk, digging his talons into the back of the reptile's head. The basilisk hissed and turned its gaze on the phoenix.

Fawkes stiffened mid-air, and plummeted to the floor, dead.

"Oh no!" Neville hissed as he looked at the unmoving silhouette.

Snape lay on the floor, his chest rising and falling, his breathing labored, feeling as if his very blood were boiling in his veins as the basilisk's deadly venom worked its way toward his heart. He was going to die, and he hadn't even managed to save Hermione.

Tears fell from Hermione's eyes as she desperately tried to think of something. In the old timeline, Fawkes had saved Harry when he was bitten by the basilisk, but now . . . Fawkes was dead. Snape didn't have anyone to save him.

Why, oh why had she come down here? She didn't know this would happen.

The basilisk turned back to Snape, its jaws opening as it eyed the fallen wizard, almost seeming to gloat. It nudged him with its nose, the wizard sliding across the floor, letting out a cry of pain.

Hercules still fluttered about. Hermione's brown eyes fell on him. Its crow could kill the basilisk, but no one could make a rooster crow. The only time one could be sure was . . .

Suddenly, Hermione got an idea.

A brilliant idea.

She whirled her wand around her head, focusing.

"Nocturnis!" she cried with such powerful intent, the entire chamber went black.

Then . . .

"Solarius Orbis!" Hermione cried, pointing her wand at the floor.

A large, burning orb appeared, its light filling the cavern. Slowly, Hermione raised it higher.

Suddenly, Hercules crowed.

Hermione had created a sunrise.

A smaller glow appeared on the floor next to the basilisk, which dropped unceremoniously to the stone floor with a loud thud, dead as dead could be.

Hermione ran to the small fire, and scooped through the ashes, lifting a tiny chick as the darkness lifted and the orb faded.

It was Fawkes, reborn from his own ashes.

It was quite difficult to kill a phoenix.

Carrying the tiny bird carefully, Hermione ran over to Snape, who lay on his back, eyes closed and paler than normal, his breathing labored as the poison did its work.

Hermione pulled back his robes, exposing the nasty wound in his thigh. She held the baby Fawkes over it.

"Cry. Please cry, Fawkes. Save him," she pleaded with the creature.

Fawkes was a chick, but he understood Hermione perfectly. He leaned one eye close to Snape's wound and let three tears fall into it.

Hermione watched as the hole filled in, then the flesh repaired itself, Snape's breathing becoming easier. She let out a sigh of relief and put Fawkes down, sliding up and sitting close to the fallen wizard, tenderly lifting his head and letting it rest on her lap

She stroked his temple gently, her fingertips smoothing his lank black hair.

"It's going to be all right, Professor," she said softly. "Everything's going to be all right."

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A/N: Brilliant Hermione! Whoo, she came through. Luna kind of fizzled out when the basilisk actually appeared, but our Gryffindor was true to her house and saved the day! Yay! Lol. Thanks for reading.