Twenty-Seven

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"Wonder if she did see the attacker, though? Because if he sneaked up on them all, no one'll ever know..." Ron says as they all look down at the frozen Hermione Granger. Juniper frowns as she looks at her. "Guys" Harry suddenly says. They look at Harry who was looking at something in Hermione's right hand. "She has something in her hand. A paper ball" Harry tells them.

Juniper moves to sit beside Harry and notices it too, clenched in her fist. "Go on and get it out" Ron tells the two, moving so he blocks Madam Pomfrey's view. Juniper tried to take the paper out as careful as possible though it was a bit difficult from how tight Hermione's grip was around the paper. Juniper manages to get it out without ripping it though and opened it up.

The three leaned over what looked to be a page from a book in the library. 'Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad.'

'It's methods of killing as most wonderous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare. and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it'.

Beneath the reading was a word Hermione had written in, as it looked just like the letter Hermione had written Juniper from her Christmas present. 'Pipes'. "Guys" Harry breathes, looking at the two of them. "This is it. This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber's a Basilisk- a giant serpent! That's why I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. It's because I understand Parseltongue..."

"Slow down. You've been hearing voices? You can actually speak and understand Parseltongue?? I thought when you did it that one time, you were just repeating something you heard" Juniper says confused. "I'll tell you later" Ron waves her off and she nods.Harry looks around at all the Petrified students.

"The Basilisk kills people by looking at them. But no one's died, because no one looked it straight in the eye. Colin saw it through his camera. The Basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified. Justin....Justin must've seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he couldn't die again...and Hermione and that Ravenclaw prefect were found with a mirror next to them. Hermione had just realized the monster was a Basilisk. I bet you anything, she warned the first person she met to look around corners with a mirror first! And that girl pulled out her mirror- and-"

"And Mrs. Norris?" Ron asks, his jaw dropped as he started to realize it. "The water....the flood from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I bet you Mrs. Norris only saw the reflection" Harry adds and Juniper nods in realization. "Wait...I think I've heard about this somewhere" She suddenly brings up and the two look at her. "My parents have talked about it before. It's my father's favorite creature" She looks back down at the page in her hands.

"The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it'. My father always made jokes about never wanting to be near a rooster so he had a chance at meeting a Basilisk." Juniper explains. "And Hagrid's roosters were killed! The Heir of Slytherin didn't want one anywhere near the castle once the Chamber was opened! Spiders flee before it! It all fits!" Harry exclaims. "But how's the Basilisk been getting around the place? A giant snake. Someone would've seen..." Ron comments.

Harry points down at the word Hermione had written. "Pipes, pipes...Ron it's been using the plumbing. I've been hearing the voices inside the walls..." Harry informs him. Ron suddenly gasps, standing up. "The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! What if it's a bathroom? What if it's in-" "Moaning Myrtle's bathroom" Harry finishes for him, also standing up.

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