6 Chapter Six: Chamber of Johnny

When morning arrived, I checked the Marauder's Map to make sure it's safe and teleported into a broom closet on the second floor. Then I cast a Disillusionment Charm on myself and wandered into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. The annoying ghost was luckily not around, and I easily entered the Chamber of Secrets after commanding the hidden entrance to reveal itself to me. Before I descended into the dark hole, I also changed the access word to 'Wakanda Forever.'

The air was damp but odorless as I descended into the darkness. The entrance behind me closed after I gave the command – to make sure that nobody accidentally stumbled on it while I was exploring Slytherin's secret basement.

"This place requires a serious cleanup," I complained as I dodged a bunch of dusty spiderwebs.

Exiting the tunnel, I stepped into a large corridor that was filled with shed snakeskin, and if I didn't know better, I would say it belonged to Titanoboa. The basilisk was more or less around fifteen meters long by the look of it, a true monster in size and everything else.

"Don't tell me that the basilisk is awake," I cursed under my breath. As I walked deeper into the dimly-lit corridor, I spotted a few rotten remains of dead animals that didn't look that old.

There was a high chance that it woke up from time to time to hunt, but I was fortunately sensible enough to magic to be able to sense its aura should it approach. Something like a thousand-year-old basilisk was definitely highly magical, but so far, I didn't sense anything in my close vicinity.

Such a large snake would also make a lot of noise, and I could simply teleport away should it be awake and hunting.

So, I continued my travel and soon stopped in front of a large, round door made from massive iron that was open, revealing the famous Chamber of Secrets. Magic felt a lot stronger around here, raw and potent, and saturated the air like an invisible mist. My body greedily absorbed the ambient magical energy surrounded me.

"Hmm, I wonder what Salazar used this place for," I mumbled to myself as I walked into the legendary Chamber of Secrets.

The corridor leading to this place was rather bland and unimpressive, but the secret basement around me was something else entirely. It didn't resemble the one shown in the movies. This version was grander and more mysterious, and was also a bunch of times larger in size.

Scanning the area with amazement shining in my eyes, I estimated that it was at least something like fifty meters long and thirty wide. The ceiling was fairly high and made of glass that showed the floor of the Black Lake. Weak rays of sunlight managed to find their way into the chamber, tinted green by the waters of the massive lake above me.

Aside from that, the fairly dark, almost black walls were covered in runes that glowed with violet and purple shades, arranged to portrait artful designs. There were also countless animated metallic snakes that were slithering across the walls, ignoring my presence as they carried on to do whatever they did.

The floor below me appeared to be perfectly flat and polished black marble. Strangely enough, each of my steps left a white footprint on the dark floor that would vanish after a few seconds. It made walking around on it a fairly curious experience.

At the very end of the large hall, across from the entrance I came from, waited the giant face portraying a bearded old man. The beard seemed to be made out of tentacles, which made the old man look like the grandfather of Cthulhu. The mouth of the creepy old guy was obviously the place where the basilisk would be crawling out when it was hungry again.

Aside from all that, there was nothing else of interest. The large room, while impressive, was totally empty and offered no treasure or anything.

"Oh-well… at least its fee real estate," I comforted myself with a weak smile.

I never expected much since I wasn't the first visitor. Voldy came here before me and many more before that. If there was any treasure left behind by Salazar Slytherin, it was probably long gone.

But on the other hand, I found an awesome place with an absurd high amount of magic soaking the air. Hogwarts was sitting on seven so-called Ley Lines, and this place must be really close to where the ley lines crossed their paths. That focus point was where most of the environmental magic was bleeding into reality, and the close you are to that magical place, the better.

Using magic would come easier around here, and potions produced in this area would also brag with a higher potency. Generally, the more magic you have available to you, the higher the chances that your magical endeavors succeed.

"But I still have to get rid of that bloody snake," I reminded myself, giving the old grandpa face an annoyed look.

Before doing anything else, I teleported myself away to a forest outside of Paris to grab myself a massive boulder. Then I returned with that boulder and appeared right in front of the mouth of the old grandpa. That procedure was repeated a few more times until half of the face of the old grandpa was hidden behind by a large pile of heavy boulders.

"That should keep the basilisk from getting out," I exhaled with a satisfied nod, feeling just slightly exhausted.

My ability allowed me to teleport other people and even stuff as well. It was more exhausting, but my special physical enhancement was a real cheat in this regard. Actually, I couldn't remember if I ever physically exhausted myself so far.

Well, anyway, I definitely planned to kill the basilisk and feed it to my flames. But there was no need to rush things. I wanted to kill it with a rooster since it was the safest way with the lowest amount of risk. Doing that would allow me to harvest its precious venom and sell it for outrageous amounts of cash.

Everything else of the basilisk would end up as a sacrifice to my flames. Its skin was too heavy and bulky to make armor out of it since its scales alone were almost as large as my palm.

No, I would devour the snake with my flames and hope for its magical abilities. The basilisk was known for its deadly stare, its highly corrosive venom, but also for its magic-resistant skin.

Yeah, and there was also that Serpent King aura that would make all spiders flee in utter terror. I would really love that ability just to mess with Spiderman later.

Besides that, the basilisk was around a thousand years old and its entire body was a powerful source of concentrated magic. Devouring it would, beyond doubt, boost my physical quality by a significant amount.

"Fuck, I am going to be overpowered soon!" I exclaimed gleefully.

This was the world of Harry Potter and Marvel mixed together. Thanos, Apocalypse, Hydra, and who knows who else was running around here. Voldemort wasn't even worth mentioning when it came to these guys. The noseless bastard could be seen as a sassy child compared to the likes of Thanos, who wants to kill half of the universe because he wants to impress some Death Goddess.

Of course, I could only speculate at this point, but I was sure beyond doubt that the top villains of the Marvel Universe were in an entirely different kind of league.

That's why I also wanted to collect the Deadly Hallows. Being the master of death would essentially make me Death's father in some way, and I could simply say no to her relationship with Thanos.

"But first, I need to unload my stuff and appear for breakfast before someone starts to ask questions," I reminded myself.

That said, I grabbed the shrunken chests out of my Mokeskin Bag and placed them in the middle of the large room. It was unfortunate that I could teleport out of the Room of Hidden Things but not back into it in order to get one of the many shelves. Hence, I started to pile the books I plundered on the black floor, which made it turn milky-white on the places where my stuff touched it.

I didn't take anything else with me from the Room of Hidden Things. Most of my time this night was spend with the books I found. A few of them were on how to create spells, about elemental magics, fire-based magic, and one book I found was on how to enchant stuff with the help of rituals and the blood of magical creatures.

It was hard to stop once you start reading something so delicious, and time flowed rapidly this way.

*bampf!*

I teleported myself back into my room to change into a new set of clothes. There were no classes anymore since everyone would return back home in three days, but I still had to appear for breakfast, especially since Flitwick and Lily Potter started to take an interest in me.

The latter surprised me a bit yesterday. Lily Potter acted differently from what I expected from her. She didn't behave snobbish or arrogant at all, and she didn't praise her child as if he the next Merlin. It felt as if I talked to a secret twin sister.

Be it as it may, I stepped out of my room and wandered into the Ravenclaw Common Room, a very spacious place decorated with blue and bronze colors. The large room was circular and had graceful, arched windows that offered a spectacular view of the school grounds, including the Great Lake and the Forbidden Forest. Aside from the tasteful wooden furniture, we had portraits of famous Ravenclaws that would answer academic questions if students requested their help.

We even had our own library, a small place with a statue of Rovena Ravenclaw in the middle of it. The older lady looked like some kind of queen with that diadem of hers that I munched two days ago.

The Ravenclaw Common Room was the best, and not because I was a member of the House, but that was simply a fact.

I mean, the Slytherins had to lurk around in the dark and unwelcoming dungeons. The path to their common room looked like the hunting grounds of a serial killer.

Gryffindor was full of loud-mouthed brats with the compulsive behavioral disorder to 'party' every night for the smallest reason. I swear that the house of the lions had a lot of brats that must be suffering from ADHD. They were always loud, talked too much, couldn't stay still, acted before thinking, and were unable to concentrate on a single task for too long.

And based on the rumors I heard, the Hufflepuff Common Room was basically designed like a big kitchen. It was strange because they were right next to the actual kitchen where the house elves prepared the food for the school's population.

"Johnny!"

I turned around to see Paulina approach me, easily one of the prettiest girls in the younger years. She had long, wavy blond hair that was darker at the roots, sky-blue eyes, and faint aristocratic features mixed with an exotic South-European charm. The way she moved around at times told me that she grew up with many dancing lessons.

"We are going to win the House Cup!" Paulina squealed happily, jumping up and down while shaking my shoulders.

"Because of me," I pointed out with a smug smile.

Paulina stuck out her pink tongue at me. "Don't think that you are the best now, Johnny. I will surpass you next year and maybe help you with your assignments. But only if you are nice."

"Aye-aye, Captain Barbossa!" I exclaimed with a mock salute, earning myself two stomps on my foot.

We still traveled towards the Great Hall together. Paulina acted as if she hated it to be teased with pirate jokes, but she secretly enjoyed it because it allowed her to exercise violence against me. She really liked to slap, stomp, and punch me. I found it cute, and it was a great way to improve her self-defense abilities. Her punching skills improved by quite a bit.

On the way to the Great Hall, I also told her about my meeting with Flitwick and Lily Potter, making her stare at me with big eyes.

"You will receive extra tutoring with Professor Potter?" Paulina inquired with a bit of envy in her tone.

"Starting from next year," I confirmed with a nod. "My little display yesterday was more special than I imagined. They want to help me develop my fire-bending abilities."

"Can I read these books, too?" Paulina begged, giving me the puppy eyes.

"After I get them, yes," I nodded, causing her eyes to shine brightly. "We can look through them together on our ride back home."

I also planned to give her one of the books on Occlumency. There was no reason not to let others have the benefit. It would boost her focus and ability to memorize information. Paulina was a motivated girl, and I was confident that she would probably only need a year or two to become a beginner Occlumens.

…

Paulina and I entered the Great Hall together and took a seat at the edge of the Ravenclaw table with the wall behind our backs. The next table was the Hufflepuff one, then came the Gryffindors, and lastly the Slytherins. Each table with a few meters of space between each other.

To my right was the High Table where the professors ate. Between myself and the High Table was a large corridor that led into the Grand Staircase Tower with the Grand Staircase. The main entrance/exit was at the other end of the hall to my left, leading into a corridor connected with the Entrance Hall and the Grand Staircase Tower.

More and more students with sleepy eyes rushed in, all hungry for some bacon and that stuff called pumpkin juice – it was a big mystery for me how anyone could enjoy something so sickly-sweet.

"Professor Potter is coming," Paulina warned in a whisper.

I nodded in thanks, but I actually already noticed that because I remembered the general feeling and strength of her magical aura.

"Good morning, everyone," Lily greeted with a perfect smile, showing us her perfect white teeth. Half of the students yawned as they greeted her back drowsily.

"Why does everyone seem so tired today?" I wondered.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. There was a party in the common room yesterday," Paulina informed quickly. "I knocked at your door, but you didn't respond."

"That must be our fault," Lily said, placing two heavy books next to me on the table. "Professor Flitwick and I were quite fascinated by Mister Vegaz's artful use of fire-based magic."

Paulina nodded in understanding, giving the books beside me a hungry gaze. One was coal-black and titled with red letters Mastering the Inferno, while the second exemplar was covered in what must be dragon-skin, its title said: Maesters of Fyre by Ikarus Sonnenkind.

"These are the books that Professor Flitwick promised," Lily informed and waved her wand at them to cast some spell that made them glow for a second. "What I did just now was to charm them so that only you and Miss Barbossa can read them," she added with a knowing smile.

"These two are also copies of the originals and will cease to exist after about one year worth of time, so make sure you carefully study their contents," Lily advised in a stern tone that reminded me of McGonagall. "I know the content well enough to be able to test your knowledge next year, Mister Vegaz. Don't disappoint me."

Lily Potter returned to her seat besides Professor Flitwick after I thanked her. The little professor nodded back with a cheerful smile after I sent him a nod of appreciation. Paulina slid over closer to me and was basically glued into my side, eyeballing the two books with a predatory gaze.

"Stop acting like a living Ravenclaw cliché, Paulina," I scolded her in amusement.

She gulped down her saliva and hissed. "These are books from Professor Flitwick's private collection! They must be very rare. So precious…"

The other Ravenclaws at my table had a similar predatory glint lingering in their eyes for a moment, but they lost their interest when they heard that only Paulina and I would be able to read the content of the books. And nobody dared to disrespect Flitwick by trying to steal or take them away from me.

There was an unwritten rule amongst the members of my House, saying that a true Ravenclaw should never steal or harm the book/s of a fellow eagle. Breaking this rule was one of the highest levels of crime amongst our kind. It was social suicide. You would end up scorned by everyone wearing blue and bronze. People that committed such an atrocity were condemned as Fallen Eagles.

"Lina, my dear, people will think that we are a serious couple if you continue to stay clued into my side for much longer," I whispered into Paulina's ear, causing her to yelp in shock before retreating from my side with a blush.

"And you can have the books today and can keep them until we return back home," I informed her with a grin. "I have a… ehm, other projects that required a lot of my time and won't be able to split my attention much."

Paulina's eyes started to sparkle. "Thank you, Johnny!" She snatched the two books from my side with a swiftness that would put even the quickest viper to shame. Just as quickly, they disappeared into her bag.

Suddenly, seven heavy folders filled to the brim with notes dropped on the spot where the two books just rested. The collection towered almost half a meter high. I looked up and saw Louis Bolton grinning at me.

"There are my notes from all my years," he explained. "We are leading the race by a hundred and twenty points. It's safe to say that the House Cup is ours."

I thanked him and nodded with a smile. Dumbledore had no good reason to cheat Gryffindor more than a hundred points, and the house of lions wasn't even second on the list.

"No big deal," Louis replied, slapping my back. "You are quite smart, Johnny. And if you make it to something, I can say that my notes helped you on your way."

"Ah, so you want to enter politics?" I asked with a raised brow.

He snorted and appeared as if he smelled something bad. "Only losers without talent for a proper profession become politicians…"

"My father mentioned that the current undersecretary barely managed to get her three OWLs!" he continued in contempt. "My kneazle can do better than that!"

Paulina giggled, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing either. Louis slapped my back and thanked me again for winning the House Cup for the House.

Students believed that winning the House Cup would bless them with luck for next year, and finishing your magical education as a part of the House that claimed the House Cup would bless you with good fortune for your future path in life. The same goes with the Quidditch Cup, only that it was more about getting blessed with material wealth. And to be more precise, the House Cup was about academic success, or success in your future profession if you won it during your last year.

…

After eating my fill and drowning a few glasses of orange juice, Paulina and I returned to the Ravenclaw Common Room. We ultimately ended up spending the next hours together until lunchtime arrived, studying the experiences of Master Elementalists with the element of fire.

I gifted her one of my newly gained Mokeskin Pouches during lunch, making her hug me in gratitude. She didn't ask how I got them when I told her that I found a room filled to the brim with treasure, believing that I was making a pirate joke again.

When lunchtime was over, we parted ways since I had a date with a room full of treasure, and Paulina desired to study the two books on fire-magic more intensively.

Nobody bothered me on my way to the seventh floor, not even Dysnomia, who limited her interactions with me to upset glaring during breakfast and lunch. Warrington took his defeat rather nonchalant, enjoying his food without paying any attention to me.

…