78 078 See You At Last

"Professor, you can fly?!"

Hermione's voice was full of disbelief and awe as she followed Bryan through the seemingly endless pipe. She had just experienced the most bizarre sensation of becoming a phantom and passing through solid walls, and now she was witnessing another miracle of magic.

She had always thought that flying was impossible without alchemy tool like broomstick or a carpet, but Professor Watson had just proved her wrong. He had lifted them both into the air with a flick of his wand and soared through the dark tunnel like a bird. They flew for about two minutes, dodging the twists and turns of the pipe, before they finally landed in a dark stone tunnel. Hermione felt her feet touch the ground and her body regain its solidity. She was still dizzy and nauseous from the phantom state, but she couldn't help exclaiming.

In the little witch's mind, flying by magic alone was something that only the most powerful and legendary wizards could do. She had read about it in books, but she had never seen it in person. She wondered how Professor Watson had learned such a skill, and what other secrets he was hiding.

"Hehe, obviously–"

Bryan glanced at the shattered rat skull under his feet, exhaled, and said in a relaxed tone.

He seemed unfazed by the feat he had just performed, as if it was nothing more than a simple trick. He looked around the tunnel with a curious eye, searching for clues and signs of danger. Hermione followed his gaze and felt a shiver run down her spine.

The tunnel was dimly lit by the faint glow of Professor Watson's wand tip, but she could see enough to make her skin crawl. The floor of the tunnel was littered with bones of small animals, some still with bits of flesh and fur attached to them. The walls were damp and moldy, covered with slime and moss. The air was thick with a foul smell of rotting meat and stagnant water. The tunnel looked like a tomb, or worse, a lair. She tried hard to restrain herself from screaming, but fear made her tremble and weak. She could only stand by pulling Watson's robe, hoping that he would protect her from whatever horrors lurked in the dark.

For Bryan, however, the bones on the ground were nothing more than ordinary. He had seen worse things in his life, things that would make most people lose their sanity. He had explored many magical ruins in his quest for knowledge and adventure, and he had encountered many dangers and mysteries along the way. He was not afraid of death, nor of the unknown. He was only curious and excited by the challenge.

"Let's go, Miss Granger, we don't have much time to waste–"

Bryan's tone was calm and confident. He let the little witch pull his wizard robe and walked steadily along the tunnel. He held his wand in front of him, ready to cast any spell that might be needed. He knew that they were getting closer to their destination, and to their enemy.

The air was getting hotter and drier as they walked deeper into the tunnel. The tunnel was old and not well sealed, and water dripped from the cracks in the ceiling. Hermione flinched every time a drop of muddy water landed on her face or neck. She hated this place more than anything. She didn't dare to think about Ginny's fate, or Harry and Ron's whereabouts. She only hoped that they were safe and alive.

"Professor Watson, that is."

Just after a dark bend in the tunnel, a huge silhouette suddenly appeared in front of them. It looked like a giant snake coiled on the ground, blocking their way. Hermione screamed in terror, thinking that it was the Basilisk they were looking for. But before she could express her panic completely, Bryan reacted faster than her. He raised his wand arm and drew a swift arc in the air. The wand tip that emitted fluorescent light burst into a violent fire!

Boom!

The sound was deafening, like a thunderclap in a storm. A huge ball of fire erupted from Bryan's wand tip and flew towards the silhouette with incredible speed. It hit it with a loud bang and exploded into a thick golden tornado that spun around wildly. The tornado swept over the space ahead with a devastating force, burning everything in its path to ashes. Wherever the fire passed, the puddles on the ground evaporated instantly, creating clouds of steam that filled the air. The bones sleeping in the puddles turned into dust that scattered in the wind. The mud and moss attached to the wall cracked and peeled off under the intense heat.

In the dark, Hermione felt like she was standing in front of a volcano that was about to erupt. She stared blankly at a golden sun rising from the rolling lava! She felt an unbearable heat on her face and body, as if she was being roasted alive. She covered her eyes with her hands, trying to shield them from the blinding light. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Professor Watson had just unleashed a firestorm that could destroy a small village!

Gurgle!

The surging heat wave forced Hermione to swallow saliva to moisten her dry throat. She stared blankly at Professor Watson's side face that was reddened by the firelight. His fluffy curly hair was flying in the wind, giving him a wild and fierce look.

Suddenly Hermione couldn't tell who was more terrifying between the Basilisk and Professor Watson. It wasn't until half a minute later that Bryan lowered his wand and dispelled the magic fire. He led Hermione past the smoking ground that burned his feet and came to the huge silhouette.

The snake skin that was about thirty feet long had been charred all over. It was covered with golden fire clusters that crumbled into dust as soon as they touched it. It was the remains of the Basilisk's shed skin, a sign that it had grown bigger and stronger over the years.

"Huh professor,"

Hermione gasped, giving her judgment.

"Is this the snake skin shed by that Basilisk?"

"Hmm–"

Bryan nodded. After roughly estimating the size of the Basilisk, he didn't say anything else and walked straight ahead.

He knew that the real Basilisk was still ahead of them, waiting for them in its nest. He was not afraid of it, nor of its deadly gaze. He had a plan to deal with it, and he was confident in his abilities.

Hermione stayed in place for a few seconds before she came back to her senses. She ran after Professor Watson and grabbed his fluttering wizard robe again. She followed him step by step, wondering what he was going to do next.

The two walked along the tunnel through one bend after another. Every nerve was twitching, every sense was alert. Hermione finally understood why Professor Watson's maze in Defense Against The Dark Arts practice class looked like that. It was a reflection of his own experiences and personality, full of challenges and surprises.

"Keep your eyes on the ground and don't look up–"

Bryan whispered this warning as he led Hermione through the dark and damp tunnel. He could feel the cold sweat on his forehead and the tension in his muscles.

After about ten minutes of walking, Bryan suddenly stopped at a corner. He sensed a surge of magic fluctuations and heard faint rumbling noises coming from ahead.

He raised his wand in front of him, pointing it at the darkness. His purple eyes spun slowly like millstones, scanning for any signs of danger or traps. He had a feeling that they were not alone in this place.

A minute later, after passing through the last corner, Bryan and Hermione faced a solid wall with two stone snake statues with green eyes on both sides. The snakes seemed to stare at them with malice and contempt. They were the guardians of the Chamber of Secrets, the hidden lair of Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. At this time, there was a violent tremor on the ground. In the cold air, there was a faint sound of pleasant chirping and rocks colliding. It seemed that there was a fierce fight going on in the room with faint light ahead.

"Take out your wand, Miss Granger. We're almost there."

Reminded by Professor Watson, Hermione realized that she hadn't taken out her wand as a wizard in such a dangerous situation. She felt ashamed and embarrassed. She quickly apologized in a low voice,

"I'm sorry, Professor Watson. I didn't pay attention–" She hurriedly pulled out her wand from the pocket of her wizard robe.

It had been three months since he returned to Hogwarts after Christmas. Although there were some twists and turns, anyway, Bryan finally stood in the Chamber of Secrets that had been legendary for a thousand years!

This was a long, dimly lit room. On both sides of the room, there were many stone pillars carved with entwined snakes standing side by side. They supported the ceiling that melted into the darkness above, casting long and eerie shadows on the whole room that was filled with green and mysterious mist.

At the end of the room, there was a statue as high as the room itself. It was Salazar Slytherin in his old age. Probably because he had been conducting dangerous magical experiments on himself for years, the handsome Slytherin in his youth looked more like a weak old monkey.

Ginny lay at the foot of the statue without a sound. She looked pale and lifeless, as if all her energy had been drained by something sinister. Ron was lying a few steps away from Ginny. He had a large stone on his back and bite marks on his arm. His wizard robe was torn and stained with blood. His face was twisted with pain and fear. Bryan, who led Hermione in, also noticed that Ron's wand seemed to be broken in two again. He wondered how he managed to survive this long without a proper wand.

When they entered the chamber, Harry was dodging the stones swept down by the tail of the Basilisk in the air. He held a sword with an ancient style in his hand and stuffed a pudding-filled hat in his pocket. The sword was shining with silver light, contrasting with the dark green scales of the Basilisk.

"He still has a card up his sleeve, Dumbledore–"

Bryan recognized at a glance that the colorful bird flying in the air and pecking at the Basilisk's ferocious and horrible head was Dumbledore's office's phoenix named Fawkes. He had seen it before when he visited Dumbledore's office for several 'matters'. He knew that phoenixes were loyal and powerful creatures that could heal wounds with their tears. He glanced at the shadow behind a stone pillar. He was in a good mood.

"Ron and Ginny, professor, please help Harry!"

The huge body of the Basilisk, which glowed with green and gorgeous metallic luster, blocked their way to the Weasley siblings. This made Hermione unable to rush over to check Ron and Ginny's condition. At the same time, Harry's situation also made Hermione very anxious. She cried out in tears and begged Professor Watson to help.

Hermione's call finally made Harry, who was dizzy by the stones, notice the new visitors in the chamber. He dodged the Basilisk's iron tail with a neat roll and shouted anxiously,

"Professor Watson, I'll hold off this Basilisk. You hurry up and take Ron and Ginny to the hospital. Ron was bitten by the basilisk's venomous fang!"

"This kid"

Bryan had a tickmark on his forehead and showed a helpless expression.

"Did he hit his head with a stone!"

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