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Chapter 71: Parselmouth
Chapter 71: Parselmouth
"Among magical creatures, there are many snake species, but only a few are registered with the Ministry of Magic and classified as dangerous."
Sherlock wrote the word "basilisk" on the blackboard.
"Among these, the basilisk is one of only two snake species classified as Xxxx-level. The other, the horned water snake, is extinct in Europe and only a few survive in the Americas, so we won't discuss it. Even when compared to other highly dangerous Dark creatures, the basilisk stands out."
"This creature is not a product of natural selection but the result of a dark wizard's magical experiments."
"Vile Hepulus, a notorious Greek dark wizard from a thousand years ago, created the first basilisk. This creature was born to kill."
"It is a massive snake, with historical records indicating that the longest basilisk could grow up to fifty feet in length. It is incredibly powerful, with venomous fangs, but its most dangerous feature is its eyes."
The students listened intently, finding Sherlock's storytelling far more engaging than Professor Binns's History of Magic lectures, even though snake-like magical creatures weren't particularly interesting.
Sherlock spoke with grave seriousness.
"The basilisk's eyes possess immense magical power. Anyone who meets its gaze will die instantly, without exception!"
"So, if any of you ever accidentally encounter a basilisk, remember: never, ever look into its eyes. No magic can protect you from that!"
His stern tone made the students in the classroom hold their breath, etching his words into their minds.
Of course, the lesson wasn't just about the basilisk. Sherlock brought a cage into the classroom, covered with a black cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside.
After finishing his explanation of the basilisk, Sherlock pulled back the black cloth, revealing the creature inside.
It was a three-headed snake, about five to six feet long, with a bright orange body and black stripes.
The left head was coldly observing the students. The middle head seemed lost in thought, while the right head continuously hissed, like a chatterbox.
Harry sat in the second row with Ron, able to see the three-headed snake clearly.
But strangely, he didn't hear the usual hissing sounds from the snake. Instead, he heard a grating, incessant voice speaking.
"It's all your fault. Captured by wizards and brought here to be gawked at by these little brats. You've always been doing the wrong things. Why am I sharing a body with you? This is terrible, absolutely terrible."
Harry stared at the snake in the cage, realizing the source of the voice was the right head of the snake!
As all the students' attention was drawn to the snake in the cage, Sherlock's voice echoed through the classroom.
"Runywen snake, native to the African country of Burkina Faso. As you can see, it has three heads and a fearsome appearance. It is classified as Xxx in the Ministry of Magic's danger rating, alongside the augurey and fire snake."
The Runywen snake, though its appearance is terrifying, is not particularly vicious in nature. Many dark wizards keep it as a pet simply because of its fearsome look.
"The one I brought is on loan from a friend who works as an auror at the Ministry of Magic. This snake was seized from a dark wizard they apprehended."
As Sherlock spoke, Ron quietly leaned over to Harry and whispered, "I can't even imagine how miserable Professor Forrest's friend must be."
Harry didn't respond, still frowning as he stared at the snake.
"Once, a wizard skilled in Parseltongue documented the Runywen snake's behavior. Each of its three heads has a distinct role."
"The left head is the planner, deciding where the Runywen snake should go and what it should do next. The middle head is a dreamer, remaining motionless for days, lost in grand and fantastic visions. The right head is a critic, constantly hissing impatiently, evaluating the efforts of the left and middle heads."
As Sherlock continued, the students began to lose their fear of the snake's intimidating appearance and found it increasingly fascinating.
Just as Sherlock described, the three heads in the cage were behaving exactly as he said. From the start, they hadn't made any aggressive moves, appearing quite safe.
"Runywen snakes rarely live long because their three heads often attack each other. It's common to see the right head hissing, only to find the other two heads have already teamed up to bite it off."
Just as Sherlock said this, a student suddenly exclaimed, "Professor! The snake is fighting with itself!"
Sherlock frowned and looked down, seeing the talkative right head being attacked by the other two heads. The three heads were hissing loudly in a cacophony.
At that moment, Harry heard something entirely different.
"You think you're so great. Then why don't you act on your own!"
"My dreams are gone. I've put up with you for too long. Every time I get to the crucial part, you ruin it!"
"You two are the ones who mess up, yet you blame me! Want to fight? Bring it on!"
"Bite you, bite you!"
"Bite you both, bite you both!"
Harry, watching the snake as it wrestled with itself, couldn't help but try to mediate.
"Stop fighting. If you keep this up, you'll all die."
The three heads, which had been biting each other, suddenly stopped and stared at Harry in unison.
The entire classroom fell silent, so quiet that even the sound of breathing was audible.
Sherlock, who had been about to cast a Stunning Spell at the snake with his wand, froze. Everyone in the classroom was staring at Harry.
Sherlock's eyes were filled with confusion, while the students were overwhelmed with fear and revulsion.
"I heard it! I heard it!"
A Slytherin student shouted, "Potter is talking to the snake! He's a Parselmouth!"
Harry finally came to his senses, looking around in a panic, still not fully grasping what he had done.
The information about the Runywen snake comes from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", and this snake is indeed quite intriguing.
(End of Chapter)
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