Chapter 226: Entering the Chamber of Secrets and the Hungry Basilisk
Chapter 226: Entering the Chamber of Secrets and the Hungry Basilisk
"Patronus!" Ivan waved his wand.
Strands of white mist emerged from the tip of the wand, forming a translucent, white Unicorn. The Unicorn happily trotted around the area before diving headfirst into the deep pipe.
Patronuses were always the best choice for exploration, and they could even serve as a light source in the dark.
Controlling the Unicorn to go ahead, Ivan followed without hesitation, jumping down.
The surrounding water slowly merged and returned to its original state.
*Thump!*
Ivan felt himself fall into a slippery chute, sliding down the pipe's slope. The two "Owls" on his shoulders shrank in fear, nestling into his chest.
The surroundings were pitch black, with no light visible. Only the faintly glowing Unicorn in the distance provided a minimal amount of illumination.
After what seemed like a long time, just as Ivan felt he was about to be dizzy from the twists and turns, he noticed the slope gradually becoming flatter.
Ivan immediately understood that he was almost there.
Sure enough, the pipe's opening grew larger, and Ivan soon slid out, landing on the ground.
Ivan winced as he got up, brushing the slime and dust off his clothes. The two "Owls" also tumbled out of his chest, dazed.
"Scourgify!"
Ivan used the Scouring Charm to clean himself up and then looked around.
This was a straight, wide tunnel. The ground was damp, and the distant sound of running water could be heard.
Ivan quickly moved forward, walking through the entire tunnel with the help of the Patronus's glow. To his surprise, he did not see any Basilisk skin.
But upon reflection, the Basilisk hadn't been released yet, so there wouldn't be any skin.
Instead, Ivan saw many animal bones on the ground, mostly rats. They crumbled underfoot, indicating they had been there for a long time.
At the end of the tunnel was a solid wall with two intertwined snakes carved into it. The snake eyes glowed eerily green in the dim light.
"Parseltongue: Open!" Ivan spoke again. The snake carvings on the door seemed to come to life, wriggling rapidly. The stone wall split down the middle, revealing a path.
Ivan entered and found himself in a vast space with many tall stone pillars. Each pillar was adorned with coiled snakes, standing guard on either side.
At the front was a wide platform, with a statue reaching up to the ceiling at the end.
It was a statue of Salazar Slytherin. Ivan had to look up to see the massive face of the statue, where the Basilisk lay dormant.
Ivan had no intention of disturbing it and began searching the Chamber of Secrets on his own. He tried speaking the phrase at each stone pillar with snake carvings, paying homage to the great predecessor—Salazar Slytherin!
The eerie Parseltongue echoed through the Chamber of Secrets, but none of the snake carvings responded. Undeterred, Ivan continued to search for other clues.
After a few hours, he finally found some text left by Slytherin, a series of strange symbols that translated to this message:
"Come to my statue, speak to me, and offer your highest respect! (Remember, close your eyes!)"
At the same time, next to the strange characters, there was a bizarre illustration.
It depicted a figure standing in the center of a platform, mouth open as if reciting something, with a giant snake emerging from the mouth of a statue in front of it.
Ivan furrowed his brow. If he didn't know this was the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin, he would have thought it was some dark wizard's sacrificial ritual.
He hadn't come here to summon the Basilisk. If it wasn't necessary, he didn't want to provoke the massive snake that could kill with just its gaze.
However, after an entire afternoon, Ivan still hadn't found the location of Slytherin's laboratory.
Recalling Tom Riddle's words earlier, Ivan became increasingly anxious.
Perhaps, he should summon the Basilisk to ask it questions?
This terrifying thought flashed through Ivan's mind. It was undoubtedly the worst option. He couldn't be sure how powerful the Basilisk was, and if something went wrong, he wasn't certain he could defeat it.
However, compared to going back and continuing to argue with Tom, which seemed endless, Ivan was even less willing to do so.
To avoid Tom Riddle setting up any contingencies in the Chamber of Secrets, Ivan didn't dare bring him in. Instead, he used a Sealing Runic Inscription to restrict him and left him in the luggage in the dormitory.
Given the possibility of being discovered in the Room of Requirement, the dormitory was relatively safer.
After much hesitation, Ivan finally steeled his resolve and decided to take a risk. He walked to the center of the platform, mimicking the actions of Tom Riddle from the original timeline, and spoke in Parseltongue.
"Hisssssss~ (Speak to me, Slytherin—the greatest of the four founders of Hogwarts.)"
Under Ivan's watchful gaze, the massive stone face of Slytherin above him began to move. The mouth opened wider and wider, revealing a large round opening, large enough for a person to walk through easily.
Ivan quickly closed his eyes to avoid direct eye contact with the Basilisk when it emerged.
Fortunately, even with his eyes closed, Ivan could still see everything in front of him through the shadow of the Unicorn. He wasn't sure if the scene seen through magic would affect the original form.
If he remembered correctly, the Basilisk's Killing Gaze wasn't effective against everything. The Phoenix, a top-tier magical creature, could directly resist it. The effect would also be weakened if seen through a mirror or water, turning the viewer to stone instead.
Just as he was thinking this,
Ivan faintly sensed a rustling sound coming from above, as if something was sliding out of the statue's mouth.
The two "Owls" Ivan had brought with him trembled on the ground, making low, frightened sounds.
Ivan grew alert. If his attempt to communicate with the Basilisk in Parseltongue failed, he was ready to transform the two Roosters back to their original forms at any moment.
"Hissssss~ (Hungry~ So hungry)"
A clear Parseltongue voice echoed from the statue's mouth.
In the next moment, the massive snake emerged, its heavy body landing on the stone floor with a dull thud.
It quickly slithered toward Ivan, who gripped his wand tightly. The enhanced runes on his wand glowed, and the Sectumsempra spell was ready to be cast.
Through the vision of his Patronus, Ivan clearly saw the appearance of the Basilisk. Its body was a vibrant green, covered in scales that resembled aged tree bark. Its flat, large head was adorned with grotesque, grain-like protrusions.
What made Ivan's heart race the most were the sharp, dagger-like fangs and the eerie, glowing eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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