Chapter 83: The Basilisk (Part 4)

"It seems that only Parseltongue can open the Chamber of Secrets," said Grindelwald after observing the serpent-shaped symbol for a while.

"Actually, there's another way: destroy this bathroom," Daniel Davis interjected. The key to the Chamber's location was its secrecy. Once that was gone, there were plenty of ways to get in.

"There's no need for that right now," Grindelwald replied, sending out a message to summon Snape, Professor McGonagall, and others. At Hogwarts, Grindelwald certainly wouldn't use his real identity. If his true identity were revealed, it would cause more problems than Voldemort's resurrection. Voldemort's influence was mostly confined to Europe, while Grindelwald was infamous worldwide. Aside from Newt and Dumbledore, there was no one he truly feared.

In terms of raw power, Newt couldn't defeat Grindelwald. However, Newt had many magical creatures at his disposal. Grindelwald was currently using the identity of an elderly member of a well-known pure-blood family, claiming to be over a hundred years old. Due to various longevity methods in the magical world, people under two hundred years were not uncommon. The numbers significantly dwindled past two hundred, and individuals like Nicholas Flamel, who lived that long, were extremely rare due to the secretive method of making the Philosopher's Stone.

Voldemort was pitiful in a way. His creation of Horcruxes was meant to prolong his life, but ironically, he ended up living a shorter and more wretched existence than other wizards, spending most of his time in a desperate struggle to survive.

Grindelwald's current identity was crucial. It signified that even the pure-blood families were starting to take an interest in Muggle life. Strictly speaking, Grindelwald's identity wasn't entirely false; even the Ministry of Magic would find it legitimate because it was derived from one of his followers.

Unlike Voldemort, who ruled through fear and saw his followers betray him the moment he fell, Grindelwald's followers remained loyal, a testament to his charisma.

Soon, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and the trusted Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, arrived, bringing along Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Upon seeing the trio, Moaning Myrtle floated over immediately. Since others avoided this bathroom, the trio's frequent visits had made Myrtle quite familiar with them.

"Have you found the Chamber of Secrets?" Professor McGonagall asked anxiously. Given that most of the victims were Gryffindors, she was very concerned about the Chamber. Gryffindor and Slytherin had always been at odds ideologically.

"We found it, but it needs Parseltongue to open. Harry, come here," Grindelwald gestured for Harry Potter, who was standing at the back, to step forward.

Harry came forward quickly, followed closely by Hermione and Ron.

"Speak in Parseltongue to this symbol and think about opening the Chamber," Grindelwald instructed Harry after pointing out the serpent emblem.

"Shouldn't we inform Professor Dumbledore first?" McGonagall quickly intervened to stop Harry. She, along with others like Snape and Lockhart, had also deduced the possibility of a basilisk, a creature they knew to be immensely powerful. Hence, she thought it necessary to take precautions.

Snape and Lockhart nodded in agreement. Normally, Lockhart might boast and look for ways to delay or escape, but in Grindelwald's presence, he dared not be so audacious. Even though Grindelwald hadn't revealed his identity, his powerful aura was unmistakable.

Lockhart's appointment as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, despite his lack of true competence, wasn't due to Dumbledore's ignorance. The infamous curse on the position made it difficult to find suitable candidates, and Lockhart was merely a temporary solution. Hogwarts hadn't prioritized Defense Against the Dark Arts much, and among all the past teachers, only Lupin and the imposter Moody (Barty Crouch Jr.) provided useful instruction. Others contributed little to the students' defense education.

Crouch probably didn't realize how much trouble his diligent teaching caused for Voldemort.

"There's no need for that. It's just a basilisk. Leave it to me," Grindelwald dismissed McGonagall's concerns and signaled Harry to proceed.

Grindelwald wasn't lying. Although a basilisk was formidable, it stood no chance against him. His Fiendfyre would make short work of the creature.

As Harry spoke Parseltongue, the sink began to slide open, revealing an underground passage. Harry was about to jump in, but Daniel Davis swiftly grabbed him by the collar and set him aside.

"He seems even more reckless than before," Daniel remarked, looking at the fallen Harry. With him around, there was no need for Harry to take the lead.

Daniel understood Harry's impulsive desire to prove himself. Dumbledore needed Harry to be the "chosen one," the hero, but with his current temperament, Harry's actions were perilous.

Charging into the Chamber with Ron to face a basilisk was sheer folly. If Lockhart had not betrayed them then, Ron could have easily died at the first sight of the basilisk. If Dumbledore hadn't provided Harry with the means, such as the Phoenix blinding the basilisk and giving him the Sword of Gryffindor, Harry would have stood no chance of killing the creature.

"What are you doing?" Professor McGonagall was furious. The trio's frequent troubles were one thing, but their antics in such a dangerous situation were beyond irresponsible.

Harry tried to explain, but words failed him. Hermione and Ron quickly pulled him away.

"I'll go down first to check," Daniel said, nodding at Grindelwald before jumping into the passage.

"You stay here. I'll take care of it quickly," Grindelwald said as he followed.

"You three, back to your common room at once! No more nonsense!" Professor McGonagall ordered Hermione, still glaring at a dejected Harry.

"It looks like this needs Parseltongue," Daniel and Grindelwald soon reached a large door with a serpent engraving. The Chamber of Secrets wasn't just a room but a vast underground space, towering over ten meters high and spanning dozens of meters in width, with its full length indeterminable. The chamber was filled with numerous bones and a massive shed snakeskin.

From the size of the shed skin, it was evident that the basilisk had lived a very long time. The older a basilisk was, the stronger it became. However, neither of them was concerned. To Grindelwald, even the oldest basilisk was just another creature.

"Should we call him down?" Grindelwald asked.

"No need. Let him stay a student," Daniel replied. He suspected that the prophecy about Harry being the "chosen one" was something Dumbledore might have deliberately leaked. But now, there was no need for the savior plan.

"Do you want to go first, or should I?" Grindelwald offered.

"I'll go. Let's see the power of technology," Daniel said, pulling out a bag and retrieving some C4 explosives, which he then placed on the door.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, the serpent door was blown to pieces, shaking the entire underground space.

"I used too much. I thought there'd be protective enchantments on the door, but apparently, there weren't," Daniel noted as Grindelwald quickly cleared the dust with magic.

"Put these on, just in case," Daniel handed Grindelwald a pair of dark glasses as they approached the shattered door.

The basilisk's gaze was indeed lethal, but its deadly power was significantly diminished when viewed through obstacles, reducing it to mere petrification.

Hermione was fortunate not to be petrified this time, thanks to Daniel's earlier intervention.

"Are you planning to use weapons against the basilisk?" Grindelwald asked, putting on the glasses.

"Exactly," Daniel confirmed.

Magical creatures often met their end at the hands of ordinary people. Dragons, in particular, were easy targets due to their large size. While a dragon might stand a chance one-on-one against a fighter jet, it couldn't survive against multiple jets. The dragons in this world, despite their name, lacked the overwhelming power of their mythological counterparts.

"Who are you?" They soon reached a place with a narrow path flanked by water pools and numerous giant serpent statues. As they advanced along the path, they encountered a young ghostly figure in Hogwarts robes.

"Who are you?" Grindelwald asked, unfazed by the apparition. Ghosts were common in the wizarding world.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Voldemort—or rather, Tom Marvolo Riddle, just a pathetic fool," Daniel said, picking up the diary lying on the ground.

"How dare you! Let go of that; it's mine!" The young Tom Riddle shouted furiously upon hearing Daniel's words and seeing his actions.

"A half-blood pretending to be pure-blood, talking about purifying the wizarding world. It's disgusting," Daniel remarked, flipping through the blank diary with some disappointment. However, he didn't destroy it with Fiendfyre just yet. Doing so would cause Tom's soul to disappear and prevent the basilisk from being released.

"You'll pay for that," Tom seethed with anger, speaking Parseltongue to summon the basilisk.

"Is it there?" Daniel observed as a massive serpent statue began to tremble. He quickly placed four anti-tank mines in front of the statue.

As soon as the mines were set, the enormous basilisk emerged, hissing menacingly. Moments later, a series of explosions rocked the chamber.

The blasts obliterated the surrounding statues

 and caused the walls to start collapsing, sending debris raining down.

"That was easy," Daniel said, surprised as the smoke cleared to reveal the basilisk's head, split into pieces. He lowered the loaded rocket launcher he had prepared.

"I guess I won't need this," Daniel added, removing the warhead from the launcher.

The basilisk had barely emerged from its den before being killed.

"What have you done?" Tom Riddle was in utter disbelief. He had never imagined that his prized basilisk could be killed by a few small metal boxes.

"Nothing much, Lord Voldemort. Times have changed. The concept of pure-blood and half-blood is outdated. The world is now under the control of ordinary people."

"That's impossible."

"You've been dead for too long to understand the changes in the world. Hogwarts is the only remaining magic school. The others have been destroyed by those 'Muggles' you despise. The Ministry of Magic is gone too. Muggles are hunting wizards worldwide. This is the last stronghold. I never thought anyone would still be clinging to pure-blood supremacy. But don't worry, soon enough, both pure-bloods and half-bloods will vanish from this world."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. To spare the remaining wizards from fear, we kept the truth hidden, letting them believe they are still powerful, to enjoy their final years of childhood. By the way, your other Horcruxes have been found and destroyed by ordinary people."

"That's impossible," Tom's voice turned hysterical.

Grindelwald shook his head at the scene.

Daniel was clearly deceiving Tom. As a Dark Lord, Grindelwald had extensive knowledge about Horcruxes. This understanding allowed Daniel to taunt Voldemort without fear.

A Horcrux's soul fragment was isolated from the outside world, and its presence was shielded. Even the original soul could not detect its location unless it was physically held. The Horcruxes only activated to begin the resurrection process when the main body was completely destroyed.

Tom's appearance here was an anomaly because Voldemort wasn't fully dead. Lucius Malfoy had intended to use the diary to create chaos at Hogwarts, unaware that it was a Horcrux. If he had known its true value, he would have hidden it rather than handing it over. Voldemort's sudden death had prevented him from securing the diary properly.

Malfoy had only suspected that the diary contained dark magic left by Voldemort, but he didn't know its exact nature.

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