Chapter 199

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-February 23 – Room of Requirement-

"Hmm, transfiguring the hand is easier than the foot," I muttered, looking down at my left hand which was now made of black mist.

With my hand still in this state, I tried to touch the armor in front of me, but it was very difficult to move it.

"Damn... How am I going to move my hand if I can't even feel it?" I said, losing concentration, making my hand go back to normal.

"Well, I think the first thing I have to do is learn to better control my body in this state. And I also have to train so that I don't have to be 100% focused to maintain this form... I don't even want to imagine the what would happen if my hand returned to normal with me touching something"

As I pondered what concentration and control training I would do, I felt a magic surge up behind me, and recognizing the magic I turned in curiosity.

*Poof!*

"Fawkes?" I said as the fiery bird Apparated into the room holding a package in its claws.

'Hmm, I'm getting better at sensing when someone is going to Apparate next to me' I thought, but then my focus returned to the package in Fawkes' claws.

Deciding to take a break from my training to see what Fawkes brought me and who it was from, I asked the Room of Requirement to move from a training room to a living room.

When the room has finished changing, I sat in an armchair across from a table, and Fawkes dropped the package onto my lap before landing on the table.

"What is this Fawkes?" I asked, turning on my Magic Vision and looking at the package.

As I looked at the remnants of magic that were in the package, I widened my eyes in excitement, recognizing one of the magic signatures.

"It's from Nick!" I exclaimed excitedly, with a little anticipation in my tone, opening the package and finding a wooden box trimmed in silver.

I was excited for a very simple reason... I knew what item was inside the box.

"It arrived earlier than expected," I said, placing the box on the table and opening it.

When the box was opened I saw that inside there was a 17 centimeter dagger, which had a common design, but beautiful and elegant.

The dagger was obviously silver, but with my Magic Vision I could see the enchantments and magic in the silver. The blade was thin and straight, and the dagger hilt was made of black silver and leather, with a small ruby ​​inlaid at the pommel base.

In the box, along with the dagger was also a wrist sheath made of leather, and I could see that she was enchanted with many spells, probably for durability and protection.

Looking back at the dagger, I saw its blade glistening, and looking at it I could see the reflection of my amber eyes.

"It's beautiful," I muttered in awe, taking the dagger from the box.

Holding the dagger in my hands, I shook it and turned it a little, feeling the weight and quality of it.

I then, to test the dagger's sharpness, ran the blade over the arm of the armchair on which I was sitting, and as if I had been cutting butter the leather of the armchair was cut with ease.

Feeling satisfied with the dagger, I picked it up and stowed it in the sheath that came in the box.

"Well then, I guess I won't need the sheath I bought anymore," I said to myself, attaching the sheath with the dagger to my left wrist.

Now I had a goblin silver dagger on my left wrist, and my wand in the holster on my right wrist.

I still intended to get another wand, and at that moment I could put it in an ankle holster.

"Lucky for me that holsters and sheath can be enchanted with invisibility spells... It would be weird if I walked around in short-sleeved shirts showing my arms with my sheath and holsters showing," I said, noticing that the armchair mended itself, probably a feat of the room's magic.

"Now that I have the dagger, nothing's stopping me from killing the Basilisk anymore," I said, taking a deep breath, "Well, it was going to happen sooner or later... And it's better that it happen now that I'm prepared, than at a time when I'll be off guard."

"On the 27th I'm going to kill this basilisk since it's Saturday and I won't be missing any classes so I'll have plenty of time" I told myself.

I then leaned back in my armchair, staring at the fireplace the room created in front of me, lost in thought as I stared at the dancing flames that burned in the fireplace.

'One step closer to being able to destroy the Horcruxes... And one step closer to making Voldemort mortal again' I thought.

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-February 27th - Saturday-

-Black Lake-

It was morning, and since it was the weekend, one of the few days off students had to rest, I was probably one of the few, if not the only student awake at this hour.

I was sitting on a rock in front of the Black Lake shore in a castle blind spot, throwing stones into the water and enjoying the sunrise while lost in thought.

I had taken a secret passage to come to the Black Lake, wanting to have a time of peace and tranquility, as today will be the day I will face and kill the Basilisk.

My mind was a mess, and it started the moment I woke up and realized what I had to do today.

I don't know why, but the thought of killing the Basilisk, even though I knew it was necessary, made me feel bad... I felt a discomfort and disgust welling up inside me, and I didn't know why.

I thought it was because I was scared, or maybe worried... But unbelievably I was calm when I thought about facing the millennial snake.

In fact, when I thought of the challenge I would have to face upon entering the chamber, a conviction and anticipation took hold of me... I felt excited and expectant for this difficult new challenge.

But this feeling of joy only remained until I thought about killing the snake... For at that moment the discomfort returned.

At one point I started to think about why, and the only conclusion I came to was that because of my Beast Power, the thought of killing another creature made me sick.

I knew it was necessary, but that didn't mean I had to like it. And I also knew that the Basilisk being a bloodthirsty, out-of-control monster wasn't the creature's own fault, but Salazar Slytherin, Riddle, and every other Parselmouth wizard who had ever entered the chamber.

And because of these consanguineous and prejudiced idiots, I'm going to have to end the life of an amazing and special creature.

"Damn it," I growled in frustration, standing up and throwing a stone hard into the lake.

Seeing the stone sinking into the lake, I let out a long weary sigh before sitting back on the ground.

"Why am I thinking about this so much?! The damn basilisk isn't an innocent creature... And I don't get that way when I think about killing a human" I grumbled, putting my hands on my head, "Okay, I know these humans I think about killing are dark wizards who like to torture and kill other people for their own amusement... But Basilisk killed people too" I said, in an attempt to convince myself that what I was going to do wasn't wrong.

Taking my hands off my head and drawing my knees closer to my body, I hugged my legs, and resting my chin on my knees, I started to look out over the calm waters of the lake.

"Why couldn't things be simpler and easier?... More peaceful?" I muttered under my breath, pulling my legs closer.

I then stood there, looking at the Black Lake and the Giant Squid, which had one of its tentacles out of the water lying on the grass, sunbathing.

As I looked at the lake with a cool breeze caressing my face and the wind blowing my hair, I heard footsteps approaching me.

"Hi Luna" I said without turning around.

"Hi Ethan" she replied, and then I felt Luna sitting next to me, and without saying anything else she just hugged me.

Time then passed with both of us like this, and the sun on the horizon continued to rise high in the sky, lighting up the grounds and castle.

With my mind calmer and more relaxed, I realized it was time for me to begin my preparations to enter the Chamber of Secrets.

"Thanks Luna," I said softly, and Luna released me from her embrace.

"You're welcome... My mom always hugged me like this when I was feeling sad, or when I was upset about having something stolen by a Nargle" she told me with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"I don't know if I've told you this before... But your mother is an amazing person, and I wish I'd known her," I said, smiling at the innocent, joyful girl next to me.

"I know" she said, also smiling, "And I wish she had met you... You and the others are my first friends"

"Heh... I don't know whether to be happy or worried," I said, letting out a light laugh.

"Worried?" Luna asked me confused, cocking her head to the side.

"Worried that his first friends were us... A bunch of weirds with a tendency to get into trouble," I replied, and she looked at me in surprise for a moment before she started laughing.

"Yes... You should definitely be worried" she said smiling, wiping a tear from her eye. She then turned to me, "But what would the world be without a little weirdness and troubles?"

"A very boring and sad world," I replied, looking out over the lake with a small smile, much more relaxed than when I arrived.

End.

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(End AN:Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth)