Chapter 142: Unreliable Parseltongue
Hogwarts, Slytherin Chamber of Secrets.
Deep in the underground water pipes lies a slightly dim underground palace. At the edge of the palace, tall and thick stone pillars topped the surrounding area. On the palace floor, large areas of accumulated water were visible to the naked eye.
At this moment, in the center of the palace floor, a huge python or basilisk looked up and stared ahead. The huge eyes of the basilisk emitted a faint yellow light, but it was vaguely visible that something like glass seemed to be blocking them.
On the head of the basilisk stood a handsome man with blond hair, observing the various complex patterns on the nearby stone pillars. Lockhart was examining the densely packed ancient runes on the stone pillars with great interest. Amazement flashed in his eyes, and the more he observed, the more he discovered that Salazar Slytherin definitely had profound knowledge in the field of alchemy. Every stone pillar here could be considered a magic item. These stone pillars, scattered all around, acted as supports, seemingly suppressing or calling for something. It could even be said that if the stone pillars were destroyed on a large scale, the entire Slytherin Chamber would further collapse.
After observing for a while, Lockhart used the contract and asked the basilisk to slowly lower its head and touch the ground. Soon, Lockhart jumped lightly and stepped on the marble floor of the palace. Stepping on some stagnant water, he walked towards a mural deep inside a stone pillar.
After a brief look at the content on the mural, Lockhart discovered that, in addition to content closely related to Salazar Slytherin, there were also histories related to the creation of Hogwarts between him and his three friends. Moreover, according to the mural, it seemed the relationship between the four was quite good. As for what happened next, why did they separate? Some say it was because of blood, others because of dark magic. For the specific reason, Lockhart could only ask Salazar Slytherin himself.
Lockhart could only discover through the mural that the four of them had a good relationship. Therefore, this secret room should have been built during a period when the relationship between the founders of Hogwarts was relatively harmonious.
The thought flashed across his mind, and Lockhart opened the Parseltongue Book in his hand, recalling in his mind the method of unlocking it described by the punished Tom. Gently clicking on the set of words above, a hoarse, eerie voice soon came from the book.
"Hiss. Hiss, hiss, hiss. (In the name of Salazar Slytherin, open the Chamber of Secrets)"
Boom!
Under Lockhart's gaze, the mural suddenly moved to both sides, revealing a dark corridor as if receiving some order. As Lockhart waved his magic wand, a ball of light entered the corridor, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the surrounding area. However, the corridor did not seem short; it appeared to have a space extension spell cast on it. This surprised Lockhart slightly.
Then, "Basilisk, shrink your body and go in to explore the way," Lockhart conveyed through the contract. He wasn't foolish; Slytherin was a famous dark wizard, and although Tom claimed there was no danger, he didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
Under Lockhart's gaze, the basilisk's huge body began to shake and slowly shrink. After a while, it was reduced to at least half its original size, allowing it to easily enter the corridor with plenty of room to spare. Seeing this, Lockhart nodded slowly and waved his hand to signal the basilisk to enter and explore.
The basilisk's ability to shrink its body was a talent only discovered after signing the contract. However, basilisks generally do not shrink their bodies, finding it most comfortable to maintain their original size. Only in very special circumstances would it actively shrink, such as in an escape. Of course, if Lockhart ordered it, it would be a different matter.
After a moment, Lockhart raised his eyebrows slightly. He discovered that the basilisk was indeed undamaged, as if there were no traps, and he also discovered a spacious space. It seemed that Tom, who had been punished, was indeed trustworthy.
Lockhart nodded slightly, waved his wand, and the ball of light poured into the dark tunnel again, followed closely by Lockhart. With every step he took, the ball of light moved forward, keeping Lockhart's vision bright.
The environment in the corridor was different from that outside. The outside might be connected to underground water pipes, so there was a lot of water. Although the corridor had a musty smell, it was very dry.
Tread! Tread! Tread!
As Lockhart walked deeper into the corridor, he soon came to the spacious space indicated by the basilisk. To be precise, it was a spacious stone chamber. However, the stone statue that Tom had mentioned was not there. Instead, a huge picture scroll hung on the wall in front of Lockhart.
On the scroll was Salazar Slytherin himself, wearing dark green wizard robes. What made Lockhart feel strange was that, if he guessed correctly, this scroll should have experienced nearly a thousand years of time, yet it still looked brand new.
In the process of his thinking, suddenly, Boom! The entrance to the palace outside suddenly closed, while a dark green light curtain quietly emerged at the entrance to the stone chamber, as if preventing anyone from leaving. Sensing this, Lockhart looked a little uneasy and subconsciously picked up his wand. At the same time, he called the Basilisk to be ready for offense.
Sand! Sand! Sand!
The basilisk's body twisted slightly, making a rustling sound as it rubbed against the ground. It raised its head, shook it slightly, and bared its fangs, as if sensing something or preparing for an attack.
"What should I call you? Mr. Portrait or Mr. Salazar Slytherin?" Lockhart asked warily, staring closely at the strange portrait in front of him. The most abnormal thing about the entire stone chamber was this seemingly brand-new portrait. Who would believe it if they said there was no problem?
"Hiss, hiss (little snake, lie down, don't move)"
The moment Lockhart finished speaking, a hoarse, gloomy, strange, and evil voice came from the portrait—it was the voice of Parseltongue. After hearing this, the basilisk struggled a little, then slowly lowered its head.
When Lockhart heard this, a sneer flashed across his face, and he whispered the contract, stimulating the basilisk to wake up. In an instant, the basilisk raised its head again, baring its fangs, and made an offensive posture towards the portrait.
He knew that Parseltongue was unreliable. Anyone with Parseltongue could control a basilisk. Thoughts flashed, and Lockhart waved his wand, creating a fireball that quietly appeared in the sky, spinning constantly and emitting hot sparks from time to time. Lockhart shook his wand, and the fireball moved in the air as if threatening something.
"Students of Rowena, don't worry, I have no ill intentions," Salazar on the portrait slowly spoke under Lockhart's gaze. He glanced at the fireball floating in front of him, turning a blind eye to it, as if he wasn't worried at all.
Lockhart's face remained expressionless. He didn't say much; he just slightly infused more magic power into the fireball, making it hotter. At the same time, his voice was flat and boring as he repeated, "Please answer my question."
"What should I call you? Mr. Portrait or Mr. Salazar Slytherin?"
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