A Trio of Serpents

17: A Basilisk? In My School?

College will be starting up again soon. Awesome /sarcasm.

Summary: Dumbledore has a lot on his plate right now.

It felt like Harry's mind was going faster than the speed of light. Who was Remus? Why didn't he ever visit? What were his parents like when they were in school?

"Harry, I can practically see your mind whirling," Remus said. "You can ask."

Harry glanced at Ron, who nodded encouragingly.

"Okay. So, you're Remus... what?" It wasn't exactly the best thing to start with, but Harry didn't know what to say.

"Lupin."

Okay, now the name was really ringing a bell.

It was silent for a few seconds.

"What were my parents like?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Remus paused and let out a deep sigh, bittersweet memories swimming in his eyes. "Your mother was one of the kindest people I've ever met. She was also one hell of a witch, you do not want to get on her bad side."

Harry chuckled. "And Dad?"

"A lot of people would say he's one of the most irresponsible wizards in history. And he was, in his first few years. But he was also quite the mother hen, always looking out for me and the rest of his friends. He takes after his mother."

Harry didn't know what to say. True, Ron had admitted to knowing very little back on the first train ride, but he had implied James had always been rambunctious. "Why did I never hear from you if you knew my dad so well?"

A shadow crossed Remus' face. "Because I was a coward, still am. I thought you were safe." He turned to give Harry a look. "You are safe, right?"

Harry automatically opened his mouth to say yes, but one look at Ron and he stopped. "I'm... alive?" he said.

But Remus did not look appeased. "And safe. Right?"

The silence was deafening.

Remus looked away and swore under his breath. "... never stopped by... checked in..." was all Harry caught.

"What's wrong with your relatives?" Ginny asked, thinking of Ron's words earlier that summer.

"Well, they gave me a fifty-piece pence and a toothpick for Christmas," Harry said dryly.

Ginny's mouth dropped. "That's it?" Even with their financial hardship her parents provided the best they could.

Harry shrugged. He didn't really like the thought of discussing this in front of Remus, even if he did like him already.

They finally reached the hospital wing. Mrs. Norris, Colin Creevey, and Justin Finch-Fletchley all laid on different beds, stiff as rocks.

Madam Pomfrey had Ginny take a seat on an empty bed on the other side and began looking her over.

The doors to the hospital wing opened and Dumbledore stepped inside with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley flung her arms around her daughter. Mr. Weasley rubbed her back soothingly.

"There, there. She's safe now. She'll be okay."

"Percy wrote to us — he knew something was wrong — I didn't do anything about it! I thought it was just homesickness."

"Mum, it's okay," said Ginny, looking slightly embarrassed. "Harry and Ron helped."

"Mostly Harry," Ron corrected, but his mother embraced him anyway.

"Miss Weasley, if I may, I must look into your memories," Dumbledore said.

"My — my what?"

"You said you couldn't remember certain parts. I believe if I look, I can find them."

Ginny looked at her parents and back. "O-okay."

She sat perfectly still as Dumbledore leaned close. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then the headmaster straightened up and Ginny slumped against her mother's shoulder.

"What did you see?" Mr. Weasley asked, running her fingers through Ginny's hair.

Dumbledore didn't answer right away. He turned to Harry and Ron. "You should go back to your common room. This is even more serious than I thought."

Harry and Ron entered the common room to see that nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Hermione's bushy hair was the only thing visible around the stack of books she had in front of her. She peeked over it and her eyes lit up. "There you are! What happened? Paisley told me you two and Ginny went somewhere, but she didn't know where."

"Headmaster's office. We found out what was causing the petrifications."

"You did? What was it?"

"Well, we didn't find out exactly," Ron backtracked. "But apparently the diary Ginny was writing in was cursed or something..."

Hermione listened in rapt attention. When they brought up Lucius Malfoy's role, she scowled. "There has to be something we can do about him."

"This is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about," Ron pointed out unhappily. "He'd probably bribe himself out."

"Assuming any charges even stick," Harry agreed.

Hermione's scowl deepened. Then her eyes slid to a point behind them and she said, "Hey, Professor Snape's here."

The potions master was standing in the middle of the common room, waiting until he had everyone's attention before speaking. "The headmaster has given explicit orders for students not to leave the common room at this time," he said. "If for whatever reason you must, go to your prefects. Not even the most troublemaking, attention-seeking should disregard this."

Ron shook his head slightly, thinking of his brothers.

"Meals will be served here until further notice," Snape continued. "That is all."

He left, his cloak billowing behind him.

"Do you think he takes lessons?" Jayson asked, his eyes having followed the movement.

Harry suppressed a snort despite himself.

As soon as Harry and Ron had left the hospital wing, Dumbledore headed for the fireplace located in Madam Pomfrey's office.

A moment later, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge arrived, brushing off soot from his robes.

"What is it, Albus?" he asked.

"It seems Miss Weasley had been victim to powerful magic," the headmaster explained, nodding to where Ginny sat. "It had been forcing her to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the monster inside."

"The Chamber of Secrets? It's real?" Fudge gaped.

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed it is. Now, Miss Weasley has had trouble remembering what she did, but with her permission, I have looked into her memories and saw the creature itself. A basilisk."

If possible, Fudge went even paler than normal. "A basilisk? In the school?"

Dumbledore dipped his head. "Yes, but the attacks should stop. However, having a basilisk under the school is, as you no doubt know, is very dangerous."

"Right, right." Fudge looked very put out. "We must get rid of it at once!"

He went back to the fireplace to call for Aurors.

Dumbledore turned to Remus, who had been silently staring at his feet the entire time. "Something is troubling you."

Remus lifted his head. "It's about Harry," he said heavily. "More specifically, his relationship with his relatives."

Dumbledore's eyes darkened.