NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30 – The First Ritual (1)
We got to work immediately. Our first job was to confirm everything Quincy had learned about. We scoured the old newspapers that we could get our hands on, and surprisingly, we found more info in them than from any other sources. It seemed as if HE totally forgot or just looked down on the so-called 'press' and didn't pursue the matter after it was hushed away to fade from the public's mind. There were mentions of the Chamber of Secret incident many times in the Daily Prophet, throwing all the blame at Armando Dippet, who was the Headmaster at the time. The fact he couldn't stop the increasing attacks against the students was a big blemish not just on his career but on Hogwarts itself. They were even threatening to shut the school down after Myrtle's death. Only then was it discovered who was the real culprit; Rubeus Hagrid and its pet arachnid monster. After that, a few issues did expand on the story, how he was expelled, how his wand was broken, and how he was expelled from the magical community in a way… yet remained at Hogwarts, living there.
"And it was another reason why Dumbledore was clearly behind the attacks. At least… going by the papers that were printed right after he escaped and left Hogwarts. Harkening back on the old news... It said he planned it all out, to chase out Dippet and replace him as the new Headmaster. A complete smear campaign, it seems."
"Who knows? He could have been behind it!" I shrugged as we were walking along the giant lake, having a discussion out in the open, breathing in the cold January air to freshen our minds. "It did work a little, no?"
"You don't believe that!" He looked at me sideways, making me grin.
"Nope! I do not! Not after all the dots are connected. It is hard to ignore the facts. Also… isn't it weird that this information, even if subtly, got suppressed and slowly removed from access? Nobody is talking about it, yet it happened. What? 50 years prior? In a wizard's life, that is not even half!"
"Hmmm, so…" She pulled out two flasks from her winter coat, tapping them with her wand, "Incendio!" she voiced before opening them, and the next moment, we were drinking hot chocolate milk from it while we were continuing to crunch the snow below our feet. "We know that an ancient snake is living under the castle. One that is immensely old! Maybe even more than a thousand years old! Who knows when it was hatched? Do basilisks live that long?"
"I… I think I read they can live up to... 800? 900 years?" I answered while sipping on my drink. "But if it is that old, it can mean three things. One, it has to be extremely powerful. Two, it is feeble as it is already way too old. Three, it hibernates or is kept young by magic. I don't know which I would prefer."
"Hmm… My bet is on the first one. I had a talk with Professor Slughorn after our discovery. I was inquiring subtly if there is anything that could give protection against the gaze of a basilisk."
"Let me guess... The answer is a resounding... no."
"Yep!" She giggled, watching my face fall, although I expected it to be the case. "Not a direct contact, at least!"
"Oh?"
"Looking into its eyes is a death sentence. Even after the death of the snake, it could still kill you! It is that powerful! Now… that brings us to the dilemma of how to face one!"
"Looking through objects is the only option, but then we are going to be petrified. So… The Professor has a solution for that?"
"He does! Kinda!" Quincy grinned happily while explaining it to me. "Well, first, we spoke about the Mandrake Restorative Draught that can bring people back from being petrified! That is an after-effect solution, though! It is an advanced potion, but I was let to see the recipe while we were having dinner!"
"You went on a dinner with him?" I asked, surprised, and somehow, I couldn't explain why… my chest contracted a little.
"I did visit him in his office, and we… talked. A lot… That is why I was so exhausted last Tuesday! Anyway! Listen to this!" She continued feverishly, making me shake my head, pushing those weird thoughts that intruded into my mind back to the deepest part of it. "We don't need to solve it from the perspective of dealing with a basilisk! We have to tackle this problem from the angle of preventing petrification!"
"Is there a potion that lets you withstand the effects?"
"There is! And I memorized it!"
"What?!" I stumbled, slipping on ice hidden under the heavy snow that covered the landscape.
"Aha! Watch your steps!" She caught me, holding onto my hand as I regained my balance. "I asked if it was possible after a long talk, going into hypothetical rants with the old guy… he is surprisingly talkative after a few rounds of brandy! I kinda like him because he is really open to those he likes!"
"Yeah… I guess… so you went and shared some drinks with him, huh?" I grumbled and surprised even myself with how it came out.
"Wait… are you jealous?" She watched me, looking incredulous, scanning my eyes as I tried to avoid her gaze as I would do with the basilisk.
"No…? Why would I?"
"Conrad…" She blushed, and I was sure I heard her voice flutter a little, and I could swear she looked bashful yet extremely happy for some reason. "He is like a quirky grandpa or something!"
"Khm!" I cleared my throat, rubbing the ridge of my nose, looking towards the lake, still avoiding her gaze, and smiled, "So? What is the solution? What did you memorize?"
"EVERYTHING!" She spoke slowly, but with so much proudness I couldn't help but look into her eyes and be lost in them for a moment. "There is a potion called Draught of Life! It boosts the user's vitality to an unimaginable level! It is not against petrification per se… but it works against it. It is said to be used when serious injuries may occur or when danger is imminent! It is a potion designed by warrior mages in medieval times before they went into battle. It is said it comes from the time of Merlin himself! It fills the one who drinks it with vigor and life energy and erects a protective charm inside their bodies!"
"So this potion could battle the effects of petrification…" I murmured to myself, crossing my arms and scratching my chin while I breathed out a cloud of white smoke as we stood in the cold air… yet none of us felt it. At that moment, both of us were just as excited, and we ignored the chilliness.
"I went through it with the Professor multiple times! With all things considered, yes. It could. But it isn't a perfect protection; we are talking about a basilisk here!"
"What are the possible drawbacks?"
"On one hand, it can at most deflect one glimpse at the eye through a medium. The petrification will kick in, but it has the potential to battle it. But…”
"It does not mean some body parts won't turn to stone."
"Yes. The Professor also said there is an 80% probability that it will immediately turn some parts of the body to stone." Quincy nodded, agreeing with my deduction.
"That is where the mandrake juice comes into play."
"Ahaha~ Yes~ In combination, they can give us a chance to survive an initial encounter. But of course... this is only against its gaze. Not against the whole snake... you know, it can move, coil around us, bite us, kill us with venom... It does not only have the eyes!"
"Yeah, I know... but I have an idea about that."
"And what is that?"
"If that beast stayed here for so long, he is loyal to its master, who was a parselmouth. If one would talk to him... I bet he wouldn't kill that person! Because it would be an indication he is Salazar's heir! That is why HE was not killed!"
"You do realize that is a big IF..."
"Heh..." I grinned, rubbing my nose sheepishly, making Quincy sigh as she just continued, ignoring it.
"Also, after taking the Draught of Life, it is only active for a few minutes before diminishing completely. So it is a one-shot potion!"
"Hmm… still better than nothing. And you… memorized it? That is what you told me?"
"I did! Both of them!" She answered me proudly, her hands on her hip and pushing her chest out like she was expecting a medal of valor for it. "Your so-called 'mandrake juice' is not even that hard! It just needs a fully-grown mandrake and has to be prepared carefully and under the right conditions! Easy! I even found its whole recipe in a library book! I cross-referenced everything I remembered, and I can do it!"
"You… are… something!" I muttered with an open, gaping mouth, watching her completely astounded. Did she memorize advanced potion recipes just like that? What type of brain she has in her skull? No, for real? Was she an absolute genius? Well… she was. I am sure about that now.
"Fufufu!" She giggled again, pushing her chest out even more, basking in my evident surprise and shock. "The second potion… well, that is a bit harder. I memorized the ingredients, when and how to add them, how to prepare them… but…."
"But? Lay it on me! I can take it!"
"I have only a little confidence in making it. I may screw up the first few tries and…."
"Its ingredients are rare. I get it. No matter! I guess you wrote all of it down?"
"Um!" She nodded, searching her inner pocket and pulling out a rolled-up parchment for me. "Here! Are you going to ask your father to send it?"
"No," I smirked, taking it and reading through the twelve clearly listed stuff we will need to procure. "It is time our little friend put in his own weight."
"You will use Draco?" She asked, catching on quickly.
"Yeah…" I bit my lower lip while thinking, "I already started planting the idea in him that we have something that would benefit him too. It is time I tell him parts of our plans. Some that he would not find problems with! Maybe even show him the Room of Requirments.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Risks have to be taken here and there!" I shrugged, "I am confident in leading him on a little. But I know he is not stupid... He will figure it out if I try tugging him along too long. For now, he only needs to see the ritual's place and not the ingredients… he can think these twelve will be what we need for it! While he gets them for us, we are going to capture a snake!"
"Well… hope this works!"
"Me too." I put the parchment away and looked into her eyes, smiling, "But I am an ever optimistic~! So it will work~ With such a genius at my side!" I smacked my lips, hugging her shoulders, pulling her close.
"Heh~ Flatterer!"
"Glad you noticed!" I giggled as we continued walking, switching to a much more leisurely topic concerning whether the lake could freeze over entirely because of the merpeople living in it.