Chapter 70: Parseltongue

"Today, we delve into the magical creature of the serpentine category," began Professor Sherlock Forester, the recently appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. "Although snakes are plentiful in the magical world, shockingly few are officially registered and ranked as dangerous by the Ministry of Magic."

Carefully, he chalked the word 'Basilisk' onto the ominous blackboard, each stroke producing an echoing scratch that resonated in the silencing classroom. "The Basilisk holds an appalling classification as one of two serpentine creatures assigned a XXXXX level threat in magic. The Horned Water Serpent, considered to be extinct in Europe but whispered to reside in certain hidden corners of America, also shares this ominous ranking. However, for today, we shall focus our discussion on the Basilisk, which when pitted against the Horned Water Serpent, takes the crown of the more formidable creature."

Professor Forester turned back to his students. His voice, calm yet riveting, was a stark contrast to the terrifying topic of discussion. "Beyond their extraordinary characteristics, it's important to note that creatures like the Basilisk were not products of natural evolution or occurrences in the magical creature world. No, they were the horrifying results of dark and dangerous experiments by malignant wizards. The first Basilisk, a terrorizing force of death and destruction, was the macabre creation of the vile Herpo the Foul, an infamous wizard hailing from ancient Greek."

Suddenly, the Professor's voice grew quieter, drawing his students in as they hung onto his every word. "When it comes to the Basilisk, its massive size and potent venomous fangs are formidable, indeed. But the most treacherous aspect of this monstrosity is its eyes."

A murmur rippled across the students at this revelation, but it was a whisper compared to the silence that had dominated the classroom so far. Every student in the room listened attentively as Sherlock spoke. Even though the lecture topic was not particularly amusing, it was certainly far more interesting than the History of Magic lectures held by Professor Binns.

Sherlock further elucidated, "The Basilisk's eyes hold a potent magic, so powerful, that it will kill anyone who locks gaze with them instantaneously. And it does so without exceptions."

He let the information sink in before he continued, his voice echoing in the room, "If under any doomed circumstance you were to cross paths with a Basilisk, it's crucial to remember - do not meet its glances, it's an invitation to death. There isn't a single spell that can shield you from its deadly gaze, there is isn't a potion that can grant you immunity. The Basilisk's eyes, like twin voids, hold an ancient malevolence that pierces through all defenses, freezing your very soul, taking your life away before you've realized it."

Cloaked in silence, the chilling warning echoed as the students sat petrified, their minds searing the information into memory.

As the students processed the deadly nature of the Basilisk, Professor Forester pulled out a dark-cloaked cage from beneath his desk. Before revealing its content, he delved deep into further detailing the nature of the Basilisk.

Moving on from the topic, Sherlock brought out a cloaked cage and placing it in the center of the classroom, in view of all his students. When he finally lifted the dark cloth, an audible gasp filled the room.

Coiled within the cage was a bright orange, three-headed serpent sporting black stripes. It was barely five or six feet long, but its heads were distinctly different, presenting a striking spectrum of different behaviors. The left head featured a cold gaze that scanned his classroom, the middle one seemed lost in its thoughts, ignorant of the surrounding gawkers, while the right head was in constant motion, akin to a chatterbox, ceaselessly hissing.

From their spots on the second row, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley could observe the peculiar snake clearly. What puzzled Harry was that instead of the regular hissing, he heard a continuous nagging voice coming from one of the heads seemingly berating the other two, "You two... It's all your fault... We've been trapped by that wizard... Brought here to be gawked at... You're always causing trouble... Why do I have to share my body with you... It's wretched... utterly terrible."

His eyes froze on the cage as Harry realized the nagging voice belonged to the incessantly chattering right head.

The three-headed serpent was indeed garnering everyone's attention, and amid the hushed whispers and wide-eyed stares, Professor Forester's voice once again anchored the classroom.

"Meet the Runespoor snake," he began, "A notably unique creature native to the African nation of Burkina Faso. Its striking nature, largely attributable to its three heads, has earned it the Ministry's classification of a XXX level danger - identical to the Occamy and the Ashwinder ." (E/N.: Author is wrong, Runespoor and Occamy are classified as XXXX, only Ashwinder is XXX....)

"While these three-headed creatures may seemingly appear threatening, they are typically not overly hostile. However, their peculiar and striking appearance often attracts dark wizards who wish to own them as pets."

Pointing towards the cage, he added, "This particular specimen was previously possessed by a Dark wizard, but it was eventually seized and placed under the care of an Auror friend of mine from the Ministry."

As he finished, Ron leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, "Can't fathom how dreadful a life that friend of Forester's must lead."

Harry, however, seemed lost in his thoughts, his eyes fixated on the snake, his brows furrowed in contemplation.

As Harry and Ron had a quiet interaction, Professor Forester continued, "A Parseltongue wizard once documented the habits of the Runespoor. Apparently, the three heads harbor different roles - the left acts as the planner, deciding the next action course and providing perspective; the middle one is like their daydreaming friend, often lost in thoughts and illusions while remaining immobile for days; and the right, the vocal critic, constantly criticizing and taunting the other two."

With this reveal, the wave of fear previously dominating the classroom dissipated, replaced by hushed whispers and stifled laughter.

In the cage, the Runespoor seemed to agree with Sherlocks's observations. The once terrifying snake now appeared docile and securely in control of its behavior. It showed no signs of aggression, aligning perfectly with the unique traits Sherlock had described.

"Runespoor snakes are known for their short life spans," Sherlock continued, "And this is a result of their self-destructive disposition. Aggressions amongst heads often result in physical attacks, usually with the continually displeased right head ending up bitten off."

Suddenly the classroom was filled with screams. "Professor! The snake's fighting with itself!" yelled a student.

Sherlock turned his attention to the cage in disbelief, only to find the right head under attack. The snake was now writhing in the cage, its furious hisses filling the room.

Harry, however, interpreted the hissing differently. The disgruntled right head seemed to challenge the other two - complaining of their incompetence while threatening retaliation. As the conflict between heads escalated, Harry intervened, his voice echoing in the room, "Quit it, now! If you keep at it, you'll all die together!"

In an almost synchronized choreography, the three heads stopped mid-argument and turned towards Harry.

Silence washed over the classroom, so profound that the drop of a quill could startle.

Seeing Harry at the helm, Sherlock stood back, wand ready to cast a 'Stupefy' charm on the bickering snake, observing Harry with a wide-eyed expression of fascination and awe.

In the silence, a voice pierced, a horrified scream from a Slytherin student. "Potter is speaking to the snake! He's talking in Parseltongue!"

Harry, who had been engrossed in the snake dram, suddenly woke from his trance. He seemed startled, confused, his eyes wide as he slowly began to realize what he had done.