Chapter Text
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
TREASURE HUNT
February 1, 1972 (Tuesday)
DEADLY EXPLOSION IN HOGSMEADE
by Andy Smudgley
10 Minutes of Terror Ends With 3 Deaths and Multiple Injuries
What appeared to be a regular Hogsmeade Weekend turned into a fiendish nightmare when a fatal tragedy rocked the village to its core. Hogwarts students were milling around the picturesque village of Hogsmeade enjoying hot foaming tankards of Butterbeer or visiting the famous sweet shop of Honeydukes. Then suddenly, there was a bright, neon green flash followed by a horrific boom. The earth quaked and the windows shattered as they fled for cover.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Madam Rosmerta, barmaid at the local pub, The Three Broomsticks, told our reporter. She was taking the rubbish to the alleyway when she saw the scene unfold. "Never in my life have I seen such a mind-numbing event. I thought it was a scene right out of the history books, like the ones retelling how Grindelwald tried to overtake Europe decades ago."
The case is now being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism, according to the Auror Offices. The severity of the incident and its proximity to Hogwarts raised major concerns regarding the safety of its students. This comes after reports suggesting that at least 3 current students were at the site of the explosion and sustained various levels of injury.
In response, Head of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore has already announced an immediate suspension of Hogsmeade travel privileges and heightening of security wards at the school boundaries.
"[The students] will be perfectly safe within these castle walls," Dumbledore told the press late yesterday afternoon. "We will maintain vigilance and we have utmost confidence in our law enforcement to uncover the heinous crimes mounted against our community."
***
Turais peeled off his Cloak, lit his wand, and walked up to the man. Nodding politely, he said, "Excuse me, Master Flamel. I did not mean to startle you."
“You didn’t startle me. After all, you were the next appointment I spoke of,” Flamel smiled kindly. Then, he gestured for them to walk on the return path to Hogsmeade. Turais complied silently and the older man spoke again, "I sense that you are in search of information... information that is not possessed by most."
Turais arched his brow in surprise at the words. "Then I believe you have the answers that I seek."
"Some, perhaps," Flamel said airily, "Not all."
"Do you know where the Philosopher's Stone is?"
"Yes... and no," replied Flamel. He looked down at Turais's confused expression and continued, "What is lost will be found."
Turais knew that Flamel had the Stone in his possession when Harry Potter was in first-year in the original timeline. In the new timeline, however, he could not be certain.
"You fear otherwise?" Turais nodded at Flamel's question. “Why is that?”
"Well, I am more fearful of the implications of the Stone’s disappearance. It is currently lost without a trace as to where it may lie,” Turais said carefully and avoided answering the question directly as he could not possibly say it was because he knew the facts of the other timeline. “If it falls into the wrong hands, immense damage could be unleashed and our society would plunge into far graver danger. In the best case scenario, some narrow-minded, unimaginative fellow filled with greed would confine themselves to producing gold from scrap metals. In the worst case scenario, the Wildfyre explosion in Hogsmeade would serve as an insignificant prelude to more tragedies to come."
“You still have not learnt to be truthful with me since the last time we met,” Flamel observed without the slightest hint of admonishment. Turais wondered how Flamel saw through his lie. “But no matter... It seems your worst fears have not been realized since the disappearance of the Stone months ago. And I can assure you it will not actualize in the future either."
Turais stopped in his steps abruptly. Pointing his finger at the carnage behind them, he said combatatively, "Was what we have witnessed not sufficiently terrifying? Just the mere thought that innocent lives could have been lost to weapons stored with the malicious intent to kill chills me to my core. What has happened might be far from my worst nightmares, but this is no utopian daydream either."
Flamel merely looked at Turais steadily as he took on the barrage of words.
"You misunderstand me," Flamel said softly. His voice was like a soothing balm that somehow relaxed Turais's agitated mind. "Allow me to clarify further. I have precise knowledge regarding the logistics required to produce gold, Elixir, or Wildfyre as well as its subsequent storage and usage. Therefore, I have monitored the flow of gold and potions into the markets, both lawful ones and not, as well as reports of illegal weapons caches since the theft.
"If one were to acquire the Stone in hopes to accumulate wealth through transforming scrap metal into gold, gold with suspicious, unknown origins would have flooded the market and I would have detected such an aberration. It is an even simpler task if they were to sell the Elixir of Life. Wildfyre, while it would not be sold, it is quite cumbersome to store and dangerous to handle. It would be relatively trickier to identify, but not impossible. Remember, I have amassed quite an impressive network of contacts throughout my lifetime, so do believe me when I say nothing is left unaccounted for."
"You describe your abilities in such a manner, yet this incident managed to happen under your oh-so-omnipotent watch," Turais huffed.
"Omnipotence," Flamel repeated thoughtfully. "What an interesting choice of word. Perhaps I would like to respond as such - Omnipotence is like being armed with the brightest torch that reveals everything its beam shines upon. But to uncover the truth in the utter darkness, one must know where to aim the light first. Unfortunately, Hogsmeade was one of the last places I conducted my search as I incorrectly assumed its proximity to Hogwarts decreased its likelihood as a candidate location."
Flamel stopped and waved his arm at the ruins. "One week is the amount of time it takes to fill that warehouse with the deadly Wildfyre. Yet, after concluding my continental search, I can ascertain that this was the only cache of Wildfyre ever produced. Furthermore, there has not been active production of Wildfyre at this location for at least two months."
That was news to Turais. He was under the assumption that the warehouse had a laboratory that was actively producing more of the explosive substance.
"Let us assume - and it is a big assumption - that your assessment is true," Turais said. "Then those behind this conspiracy ceased the production of Wildfyre for an unknown reason and had not used it further or for other purposes either. Why would that be...?" Then, the answer clicked in his mind. Looking up at Flamel, he breathed out, "The Philosopher's Stone has been stolen from them."
Flamel nodded. "The possession of the Stone has changed. Once, at least, and perhaps more."
"But that doesn't answer your initial question. Why did the new owner not use the Stone's powers?"
"It is a legendary substance, after all. Perhaps there are other powers that even I am not aware of."
The ensuing silence was filled by the gentle snaps of twigs and susurrating snow beneath their feet.
"Your lack of urgency on the matter perturbs me greatly," Turais admitted as Hog's Head came into view. From this distance, he could see Aberforth walking in between empty tables with a dirty rag in his hand. Then, a church bell started to ring throughout the night sky.
"As I said before, what is lost must be found," Flamel said with a shadow of a smile. He held out his lithe arm and Turais wrapped his fingers around it instinctively. "Honeydukes will soon close, and there is somewhere else your guidance is desperately needed."
Before Turais could ask a question, the world suddenly warped into a golden haze. Images flashed before his eyes. Some were foreign while others felt familiar. However, they all disappeared before he could process what he saw. The physical link with the ancient wizard broke as Turais found himself alone in front of the sweets shop on High Street.
"Do not worry about the Stone," A faint echo of Flamel's voice reverberated in his head as a gentle night breeze tickled his ear. "All will be well and in due time."
Turais whipped around to find the entire High Street void of any person. The church bell struck its final time as silence filled the air once more. Before he could begin to question what just happened, Turais could hear heavy footsteps and crisp clinking of keys inside the store as Mr Flume walked up the stairs leading to the second-floor. The front door was slightly ajar and Turais quickly crept into the dimly-lit store. Descending into the basement, Turais jumped down the trapdoor into the secret tunnel.
In the safety of the darkness, Turais wondered about the strange encounter with Flamel and his cryptic message.
There was also something unsettling about the ancient wizard. In both encounters, Turais felt as if he stood defenseless with his identity and thoughts laid bare before the man. That feeling of helplessness and lack of control was one he never felt with anyone else, not even with Dumbledore.
The only comparable experience would be his conversation with Time.
A rumble of a distant bell hit Turais's eardrums and struck deep into his chest, rattling his ribs and distracting him from his thought. But it was impossible for such a sound to be heard in the middle of the tunnel. Turais shook his head and dismissed the sound as a figment of his imagination.
However, as Turais thought back to the odd sensation he just experienced, his mind wandered to the day Trelawney prophesied the future and, further yet, his previous encounter with Flamel in Paris. That thought sent a shiver down Turais's spine and he quickly banished it to the back of his mind. Instead, he considered something else in Flame's parting words.
"Where is my guidance needed?" Turais wondered aloud. Clearly, Flamel knew something was about to happen. However, what exactly was his presence needed for? Turais did not know.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, Turais emerged from behind the One-Eyed Witch and headed for the Slytherin common room. However, just as he was about to turn the corner into the hallway, he saw the common room door open. In the disappearing light from the tunnel, Turais recognized that person exiting was Michael. He was in a completed, outdoor attire, including dragonhide boots, an outer protective cloak, and an unlit lamp. It was as if he was going on an adventure deliberately after curfew.
Turais trailed behind Michael as he snuck out of the castle onto the forest ground. The boy tip-toed past Hagrid's hut and pumpkin patch and stopped right at the edge of the forest. In the dim, yellow glow that emitted from the window of the small wooden hut, Turais could see the boy's scared expression as he took a shaky, experimental step forward before the sound of snapping twigs nearby caused him to jump back several steps.
"Come on, Carmichael," the boy muttered to himself shakily. "You can do this."
He breathed heavily several times before walking forward only for a loud yip to deter him once more.
"Crumpy!" Hagrid's voice sounded as the hut door opened with a slam. Turais saw a tall, dark shadow emerge as he sprinted towards the Slytherin captain who was seemingly frozen in place by shock and fear.
"Michael," Turais hissed as he grabbed Michael's arm from behind. The boy jerked violently as he whipped around with frantic eyes. "Get in here."
Michael could only nod as he tumbled after Turais's lead into the shadows of the forest. Just as they found cover behind the nearest tree, there was another small bark close to them. Turais risked a glance and found a cute Crup with white skin and brown patches standing beside his leg. It was looking up at the two boys while wagging its forked tail and panting excitedly.
There was a loud whistle as the Crup turned its head towards the sound.
"Crumpy! What did 'ey say about goin' to the Forest at night!"
Crumpy yipped at the gamekeeper once before staring at Turais once more.
"Go to Hagrid, Crumpy," Turais whispered pleadingly, but the Crup just tilted its head and yipped again excitedly.
"Crumpy, there's a delicious treat for ye if yer follow me," Hagrid called out as Turais could hear his footsteps come even closer.
Crumpy looked at him and yipped for one final time before it sprinted back to its owner.
"Knew tha' would get yeh out o' there," Hagrid said with a light heave. Then, his footsteps grew fainter as he returned to the hut.
"Well... that was close," Turais breathed out a sigh of relief once the door snapped closed. Looking beside him, he saw Michael sitting on the ground with his hands trembling in fear. "Uh... are you alright, Michael?"
"No... No, I'm not," he wheezed out in between gulps of air. "B... But I will be... soon. Just... le... let me... give me a moment."
Turais crouched down beside the boy and waited until his breathing finally returned to normal.
"So... what are you doing here, Michael?" Turais whispered. "And don't tell me you are on a lovely evening stroll."
"I... I... uh... I am trying to... uhm... find... a... uhm... creature."
"In the Forbidden Forest? And at night?"
"Seems like it, huh?" Michael asked with a nervous chuckle.
"What are you looking for?"
"Uh... well... it's like a spider?"
"A spider," Turais repeated blandly.
"Yeah? But like a spider with poisonous venom -"
The answer clicked in Turais's mind instead.
"And the size of a bloody giant because anyone can just stroll up to a man-eating Acromantula, pluck its pincers, drain its venom, and walk out the lair alive," Turais hissed angrily. "Do you have a death wish, Michael?"
"I don't..." Michael said weakly. "I was just trying to locate its lair..."
"Are you mental? I just saved you from burning into a crisp and now this is how you repay me?! By running straight into an Acromantula colony?! Even the Lovegoods would call this madness!"
"Do you think I want to do this?!" Michael hissed back as he buried his head into his knees. "I am so bloody scared right now but I don't know what else I can do to make up the gold."
"Why do need the gold this desperately?" Turais asked with a frown. Then, memories of Jonty’s words rushed back into his mind.
Turais gasped out in realization as Michael let out a tiny sob before the older boy said, "Because my family has an enormous debt and I broke off a marriage with the Swires that will reverse our financial woes and save our family from the brinks of ruins! I was talking to Hagrid last week when he let it slip that he was celebrating the birthday of a thirty-year-old Acromantula... and, as you know, the venom in that thing is more than enough to repay our debt."
"This is not the way to do it," Turais hissed. "You will die before you ever get near Aragog!"
"Aragog?" Michael asked wetly.
"It's the name of the leader of the Acromantula colony that you are trying to find. Bet you didn't hear about that, did you?" Turais said wryly.
"I guess not," Michael said. "I left when he tried to offer me a slice of rock cake."
Turais choked out a laugh but quickly covered it with a cough.
"What will you do with the venom even if you somehow managed to obtain it? How will you sell it? No apothecary has that amount of gold to buy it off you."
"It's not through the apothecaries," Michael sniffed. "The goblins at Gringotts have a list of extremely rare Potions ingredients that they are interested in acquiring as collectables, both for their own collection or for interested clients. And they offer to pay handsomely for every item. Acromantula venom was one of them on the list."
Turais closed his eyes before he took in a large, calming breath. The option had been in his mind for a long time but he never wanted to use it in fear of raising Dumbledore's suspicion, Voldemort's ire, and distrust of the school population... but he did not save Michael's life only for him to get killed trying to repay his family debt.
"Does the list include shed Basilisk skin?"
"It does..." Michael said slowly as a hint of fear crept into his words. "Why did you ask?"
Turais sighed.
"How much can an intact fifty feet long Basilisk skin fetch?"
***
The next day, Turais woke just before the break of dawn. He dressed quietly, retrieved his trusty broomstick, and met up with Michael at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. However, was interrupted when he saw Narcissa dozing off near the entrance. Sensing Turais's arrival, Narcissa's eyes flew open.
"Cousin Turais," Narcissa said as she walked up to him.
"Cousin Narcissa," Turais replied with a hint of surprise. There was an awkward pause as neither of them seemed to address why they were awake at this early hour. "It has been quite a while since we have last spoken."
Narcissa nodded with a sincere expression. "I am here to give to my thanks."
"For what?"
"Due to your efforts, you helped clear Lucius's father of his crimes," Narcissa said gently. "Now, I believe that reconciliation between the families can finally occur."
There was a genuine sense of hopefulness in her voice.
"Narcissa," Turais said calmly. "I didn't do it for any reason other than to uncover the truth. Lord Malfoy should not be punished for a crime he did not commit, neither should anyone else."
"Of course, of course," Narcissa agreed readily. "But now that he is due to be released from the Ministry holding cells soon, perhaps the Blacks and Malfoys can start to mend our relations." Narcissa stepped forward and held Turais's hand in hers, "Turais, I know you have your grandfather's ear. Can you please put in a good word to allow Lord Malfoy to be reinstated to his previous posts?"
Turais found himself in a bind. On the one hand, he would never willingly return Lord Malfoy to his previous height of influence and power. On the other hand, he wanted to preserve the rare amiability that Narcissa had displaced towards him today as it would be an important basis to rekindle their frayed relationship under Malfoy's toxic influence. But all of this was without mentioning the fact he and Arcturus had a serious fall-out that remained unresolved.
"I will try," Turais finally said.
Narcissa nodded as she stepped with a slightly disappointed frown.
"Well... I will await your good news."
She walked away with Turais wondering how he would handle the entire situation.
***
Turais met up with a jittery Michael as they wandered deep into the Forbidden Forest under the cover of the dense, cold morning fog. With poor visibility, Turais trudged ahead with his wand held above his forehead, illuminated by a Lumos . His boots splattered occasionally on the muddy riverbanks until the forest ground were slowly replaced by mildew-coated rocks. The air also changed subtly, turning more frigid and damp as the magic grew stronger.
Slipping on a step, Turais balanced himself by reaching for a nearby tree branch, causing the leaves to rustle noisily.
"Oh dear Merlin," Michael muttered behind him, clearly startled by the loud noise. "What are we doing here? This is mental."
Turais placed his Nimbus on top of the large boulder in front of him. Turais exhaled a large breath while testing his grip on the slippery edges of the rock. "You've been grumbling under your breath for the past half an hour."
"We are breaking a hundred school rules right now," Michael kept his voice low and quiet as Turais hoisted himself atop the boulder. Turais turned around and watched Michael looking at the trees around him nervously. There was a distant howl as he recoiled violently. Turais extended a hand and took Michael's broom before the captain climbed up as well.
Brushing the moss off his trousers and robes, Turais commented dryly, "I would just like to take the opportunity and point out how you did not worry about any of this when you decided to hunt for an Acromantula colony on your own last night."
"That was not my brightest moment," Michael admitted grudgingly. He picked up Turais's broom and handed it to its owner. "But how is hunting for a Basilisk any less dangerous?!"
"It is not," Turais said as they resumed their journey on the rocky terrain. "But fortunately for us, we don't need to find a live Basilisk. We just need to find its molted skin."
"Uh, tell me if I am misunderstanding anything, but you need a live Basilisk to have Basilisk skin. Basilisks molt in their pits, and there is no such thing as an abandoned Basilisk pit."
"If you rather head for the Acromantula colony, it's somewhere due east," Turais said breezily while Michael huddled closer when something darted across the path behind them. It was probably a deer or a Threstral, but Michael looked as though he had seen a Dementor. The poor boy was so on edge the entire time that he would have probably been spooked by his own shadow at this point. "Or don't mind the directions at all and just follow the spiders. I'm sure they don't mind having human flesh for breakfast."
"Uh... do I have a third option besides a giant murderous serpent and a giant murderous spider?" Michael asked weakly. "What's due west?"
"Cereberuses, if I'm not mistaken. Not too keen on us humans either, mind you. But if you're up for a rough tumbling..."
Michael gulped as he muttered something about "exactly like being in a Triwizard Tournament with dangerous monsters around them."
"Relax, Michael," Turais said soothingly. "At least you have the best possible weapon against a potential Basilisk attack."
"What is it?" Michael frowned as he eyed the environment warily. The fog seemed to close in on them as it became thicker and denser. With the aid of the Lumos charm, their vision was limited to barely an arm's length ahead of him as the light failed to penetrate further.
Turais rolled his eyes as he pointed at himself. "Me, Michael. I'm a Parselmouth, remember? Maybe I can negotiate our way out of a sticky situation."
"How could I forget that? Let's just talk to a blood-thirsty serpent king if we come across one," Michael grumbled sardonically, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
"Will you stop the chuntering?" Turais paused and turned around. "We can always turn back and pretend none of this happened."
"Can you keep your voice down?" Michael hissed. "Also, I didn't say we should turn back - ack!"
The boy let off a scream as a fern brushed across his face unexpectedly. After realizing his mistake, his face flushed into a deep shade of red.
"You didn't hear that."
"It doesn't matter what I hear. You better hope that the Basilisk didn't hear that," Turais said as he continued trekking, leaving a stunned Michael gnawing the inside of his cheek anxiously.
"How did you find the Basilisk anyway?" Michael asked.
"You're not the only one who takes slight detours into the Forbidden Forest from time to time," Turais explained. "Also, I've never seen or heard the Basilisk before. I've only ever found its skin."
"I never knew there was a bloody Basilisk living in the Forbidden Forest. What is Dumbledore even thinking for not getting rid of it?!"
"He did say the Forbidden Forest is off limits... but I'm also not positive there's a living Basilisk around."
"That's not good enough. Also, a fat load of help to keep us away from it considering the thing has free will and can slither around and come to us ," Michael grumbled. "You don't think this has something to do with the legends, do you?"
"You mean the Chamber of Secrets?"
"No, I meant the Lost Diadem," Michael replied sarcastically, his reaction likely due to the immense stress. "Of course I meant the Chamber of Secrets!"
"Well, Salazar Slytherin supposedly sealed the monster within the secret chamber and only his Heir could control and unleash it." There was a pregnant pause, causing Turais to turn around. There, he saw Michael giving him an expectant look. Defensively, Turais asked a sharp "What?"
"I mean... you said it yourself... you know Parseltongue... and that's sort of what Slytherin was well-known for," Michael hedged. "Also, the trait is hereditary... so..."
"You know my family tree as well as every Pureblood in Britain does," Turais said. "There isn't a single drop of Slytherin blood running in my veins, unfortunately. Or else, my ancestors would have definitely made it known to the entire world."
"I suppose so... but what if the monster is in fact a Basilisk, you could potentially control that thing... almost like a pet," Michael suggested.
"I'm not really interested in testing out the theory about whether being a Parselmouth is good enough to control the Basilisk. Furthermore, I'm absolutely, unequivocally, and utterly uninterested in having a monster as a pet," Turais’s face scrunched up in disgust at the thought. "Why have a large, venomous serpent that could kill someone with a single eye contact when you can - for example - cuddle with an adorable Crup?"
"I suppose that's fair," Michael conceded.
After a few more steps, Turais felt that the magic in the air grew to a critical level. He recognized that they had arrived at their destination and stopped in his tracks abruptly, causing Michael to bump into him. "Why did we stop, Turais? Turais?"
Ignoring Michael's hushed whispers, he raised both hands in front of him and pushed forward.
" Ventus ."
A strong gust of wind whipped past the boys from behind and pushed the milky fog to the sides. Now, a few feeble rays of the morning sun were able to filter through the partially dissipated moisture and illuminate the entrance of a large cave. In its obsidian depths, the sound of wind magnified and whistled mysteriously.
Turais recognized it as the opening where Fawkes flew out after he rescued Ron, Ginny, Lockhart, and himself from the Chamber of Secrets.
"Is this the Basilisk cave?" Michael squeaked.
"Yes," Turais said as he swung a leg over his broom. "Mount your broom. We will need to fly down."
"Do we have to?" Michael let out an uncharacteristic whine.
"Come on, Michael," Turais said as he lifted off and headed into the darkness. "Lumos maximus."
A bright ball of light erupted from the tip of Turais's wand, illuminating every stalagmite and stalactite inside the cave tunnel as it shot forward towards the underground systems. Turais glanced backwards to see Michael flying after him with a look of grim mixture of horror and resignation.
The flight ended a minute later as they touched down on the chalky cave floor. Looking around, ancient stones that formed the basement foundation of the castle could be seen faintly between the stone crevices. In front of them, there were two tunnel openings wide even for an adult Basilisk to move through. One likely led to a blocked off and unused section of the castle near the Slytherin dungeons while the other, of course, led to the vaulted entrance of the Chamber of Secrets. Besides their bated breath, only the sound of dripping water on rocks echoed in the dimly lit space.
Turais didn't remember this part of the cave system, but he supposed that this place collapsed into a larger opening after Lockhart's Memory Charm backfired.
"We will need to go through one of these tunnels," Turais said as he glanced at each opening in turn, but the visual assessment did not glean much information. "It shouldn't be too far from here."
"You wander pretty far from where you should be," Michael noted nervously.
"Well, we're here now," Turais said as he took the lead and entered the darkness armed with only the tiny glow at the tip of his wand. A short walk later, they appeared in a much larger cave that Turais recognized as the antechamber. One end would bring them to the sewer system that led up to the Moaning Mrytle's bathroom while the other end would bring them to the Chamber of Secrets. However, neither ends could be seen from their current position. Then, their eyes landed on the prized treasure. Nearby, there was a long, winding snake skin in muted green and grey that stretched more than fifty feet long. Turais knew that there should be other skins lying around nearby, but this was the only one that his wand could illuminate in the dark cave.
"The Basilisk skin!" Michael whispered in amazement.
"Let's not muck around. Don't want to risk meeting a Basilisk down here," Turais said as Michael suddenly remembered about the very present threat of sharing this space with a living Basilisk. Turais, of course, knew that the Basilisk was hibernating deep within the Chamber, securely isolated by two doors that could only be activated by Parseltongue. However, there was no harm in deterring Michael from returning after this one instance.
"Of course, of course," Michael said quickly. "But how are we going about this?"
"We will take this and bring it through the tunnel. Then, we will get on our brooms, cast the Levitation Charm together, and slowly transport the skin up to the surface," Turais said.
The maneuver was quite complicated even with Turais's magical powers. However, lifting a fifty-feet Basilisk skin from its lair was not a common task, Turais supposed. By the time they were able to reach the surface with the treasure, they were both drenched in sweat and exhausted from concentrating on their tasks. The fog had also disappeared and was replaced with open air under the warm, afternoon sun.
"Am I off my head?" Michael asked once he finally caught his breath. His trembling fingers, both from shock and exhaustion, glided over the dusty surface of the glistening snake skin. In the bright environment, even the decades-old layer of dust could not brunt the brilliant array of vibrant greens. The scales, under the gentle breeze, rustled and shifted as red, yellow, and purple colours danced in their eyes. It was as if a Basilisk was slithering lively on the forest floor. "Is this real or am I in a bizarre dream?"
"I would go spare if this turned out to be a dream," Turais chuckled. "All that hard work for nothing."
With their task complete, they collapsed beneath a tree overlooking the Black Lake. Completely drained of energy, they rested as they watched the murky, dark waters ripple under the gentle winds.
"This is your golden ticket to freedom," Turais said quietly with his eyes closed. "No more marriage to Lavinia Swire, no more debt, and maybe a few Knuts to spare and store away in your vault."
"Yeah..." Michael responded as he picked at the blades of grass by his feet. "I... I... don't know what to say..."
"A thank you would be nice, I suppose," Turais teased weakly.
"Thank you, Turais," Michael said solemnly. "But I owe you so much more. This... this would never have happened without you."
"Perhaps that is true. But you don't owe me anything," Turais said. "Just make sure you treat Kaiden right. Or else..." He made a threatening gesture and Michael chuckled.
"I promise."
"Good," Turais nodded. "Kaiden has a good heart and soul... but they are a bit... delicate when it comes to friends and family. He has always treated you as both his best friend and closest family, so I just want you to be very clear on one thing. Not only do you have to have his safety and happiness in mind, you also need to ensure your own safety and well-being. Please never put your life in harm's way so needlessly like you did yesterday."
"I promise," Michael nodded. "No more Acromantula hunting."
"No more Acromantula hunting. You two have a bright future ahead together, Michael, please cherish it," Turais said as he opened his eyes and stood up. "That's all the gushy sentimentality I have to offer for one day. Now, bring Slughorn over. I will stand guard here to make sure no one accidentally comes upon this and claims it for themselves."
"Are you certain you don't want a share of this?" Michael asked.
"Absolutely," Turais reaffirmed strongly. "In fact, I need you to not mention my involvement in your 'discovery' at all. I do not need to draw any extra attention to myself. Stick to the story and, with some luck, you will get the gold you need and I will disappear into the background without a trace." At Michael's hesitation, Turais added, "Trust me, Michael. You are doing me a favour here."
Michael nodded awkwardly before he jogged along the edge of the Black Lake towards the castle afar.
***
Everyone was huddled together in the Great Hall the following morning as the news of Michael's discovery made its way throughout the castle.
"So, according to my sources, Wilkins was on his daily run when he decided to take a slight detour. That is how he came across an anomaly! He immediately ran back to the castle and notified Slughorn, who called the other three Heads of Houses and the Headmaster and headed back to the site. Voilà, there it was!" Jonty said excitedly to the captivated audience. "An intact Basilisk skin that was more than fifty feet long!"
"Woah..." those who understood the significance gasped collectively while the rest looked around for answers, evidently confused.
"What is so special about the Basilisk?" a first-year Hufflepuff asked.
"What's so special?" another older Ravenclaw repeated incredulously. "It is one of the rarest and most dangerous magical creatures in the world! If you make eye contact with one, you will die instantly. Its bite is also incredibly venomous and there is no antidote for it... except for Phoenix tears and, potentially, the Elixir of Life."
"Wait, does that mean there is a Basilisk living in the Forbidden Forest?" James asked excitedly while Sirius was uncharacteristically silent.
"Possibly -"
"Wicked!" James gasped.
"No, it is not," another student scolded. "There's a reason why the Ministry banned the breeding of Basilisks. They are dangerous and can only be controlled by a Parselmouth."
"Well, Turais knows how to speak," Everyone turned to look at Turais.
"I was nowhere near that thing," Turais said firmly.
"What happens to the Basilisk skin?" Sykes asked as he took some of the attention away from Turais. "A fraction of a piece would be worth hundreds of Galleons, let alone an intact one from a fully matured Basilisk!"
"That's mad," another student said. "Wilkins has literally struck gold."
"This is much better than striking gold."
"Reckon you should have followed through with your New Year's resolution of doing daily runs on the school grounds?"
"Do you think it has anything to do with the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I don't think so... The last descendants of Slytherin died out decades ago."
"Do you think he had to battle a Basilisk for this?"
"No way!"
"There's no Basilisks in Britain since it was outlawed centuries ago!"
"Well, if he did, he survived and he deserves all the gold he gets!"
The discussion continued but Turais tuned it all out. There was nothing he didn't know already, and he was just glad the spotlight was not on him.
"So... you didn't have anything to do with this discovery, Turais?" Sirius muttered softly. His eyes were fixated on a piece of homework but his quill remained stationary in his hand.
"I wish..." Turais lied. "Imagine all the gold I would have..."
"Yeah... imagine that..." Sirius whispered with an odd expression on his face. Then, the owls started to fly in with their packages. A newspaper fell on Turais's lap as he opened it up to the front page. A quick glance at it, however, had already caused Turais to gasp in shock, anger, and desperation.
"No..."
"What is it?" Jonty asked immediately as he snatched the papers. Scanning the front-page, he said, "Oh, it's the same headline as yesterday."
"What is it?" James asked as he jumped up to try and catch a glimpse of the newspaper.
"Tiberius McLaggen is the primary suspect behind all the Ministry murders," Jonty replied as a stunned Turais sat silently, trying to process what he just read.
"Turais..." Alex said with uncertainty as he watched Turais closely. "We all knew from the papers yesterday. Is there something...?"
"He was administered the Kissed yesterday..." Turais hissed. The trail had gone cold with the incident, and everything was all for naught. The more time he spent on this thought, the more the sadness and fear transformed into frustration and anger.
"Yeah, the sight of it apparently gave Lord Malfoy enough of a fright that it landed him in St. Mungo's," James said with a chuckle. "But McLaggen deserves it though. Everyone and all the evidence pointed towards him. Even he confessed his crimes. So what's the issue?"
"Who authorized the Kiss? The Head Auror?" Turais whipped his head towards Jonty and asked. The boy, startled by the amount of vitriol in his voice, flipped through the paper nervously and read, "Uh... uh... it says... yes - the Head Auror Shafiq -"
Turais stood up and scanned the Great Hall. Focusing in on Catherine who was chatting with her friends, he marched over to the Ravenclaw table and tapped her on the shoulder.
Surprised, she turned around and said, "Oh, hey Turais -"
"We need to talk," Turais said bluntly. "Privately. Now."
"Oh... okay," she frowned before excusing herself from her friends. Following Turais out into a nearby corridor, she asked, "Uh... what's up, Turais? I'm sorry that we didn't get to play against each other last week-"
"I'm not here for the Quidditch talk, unfortunately," Turais interrupted. "Your father issued and executed the Dementor's Kiss on Tiberius McLaggen before the investigation was finished."
Catherine looked genuinely taken aback at Turais's antagonistic behaviour. "Oh... W... What? Ah... yes, I saw yester-"
"Do you have any idea why he issued that order?"
"Turais... I have no idea -"
"He potentially knows the identity of the other terrorists behind the Ministry plot as well as the location of the Philosopher's Stone," Turais continued with a simmering anger in his voice. "Your father just destroyed our one and only lead towards solving the larger mystery!"
"Turais... I honestly don't know what is happening," Catherine replied anxiously. "My... my father must have his reasons..."
Turais closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he willed valiantly for his anger to cool down. He knew Catherine was not to be blamed for her father's misdoings, but he couldn't face a person who shared the same last name as the person he reviled immensely at the moment.
"Turais!" There was a shout of his name nearby and Turais reopened his eyes. Avoiding a look at Catherine's face, he turned his head to see Sirius running towards him. He stopped in front of him and said between heavy pants, "You... you... need to come... with... with me to the Hospital Wing... it's Andromeda and Narcissa..."
Nodding, Turais turned around. However, he paused and gave a final glance towards her general direction.
"I can only pray that you are correct and it was a tragic mistake," Turais said coolly. "If it proves to be otherwise, I shudder to imagine the possible explanations."
"What do you mean, Turais?" Catherine shouted as Turais walked away, ignoring her question.