[30] The Emerald Watch

In the corridor, Hall pulled out a moving photograph of a snake hissing.

"Harry, if you greeted this snake, what would you say?"

Harry looked at it, confused. "Hiss~ hiss~ hiss~"

Hall imitated the sound. "No, no," Harry corrected. "It's hiss~ hiss~ hiss~"

Hall repeated it. "That's it! Henry, your 'hello' sounds strange today."

Hall had learned Parseltongue. Harry couldn't tell the difference between English and Parseltongue when he heard it — the scar on his forehead translated for him automatically.

Hall handed Harry a bundle of study materials. "This will help with your exams."

He headed straight for Myrtle's bathroom.

Behind them, unnoticed, Ron followed.

Behind him, unnoticed, Ron pulled Harry along. He was determined to catch Henry William breaking rules and get him docked 150 points.

The sink opened into darkness.

"Oh~ you're back~" Myrtle floated happily.

Hall greeted her and approached the serpentine sink. He hissed. The carving came alive, writhing across the basin.

"Aaaaaah!" Myrtle screamed and dove into her toilet.

The sink opened. A ramp led downward.

Hall slid down. The slope was long and winding, like a slide. He landed on a soft feather mat.

"Henry! Get out of the way!"

He leaped aside. Harry and Ron landed beside him.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

The room was enormous, decorated in silver and green. Strange stone statues filled the space — centaurs, porcupines, other creatures.

Those aren't statues. Those are people the basilisk petrified.

"Hiss~ hiss~ hiss~"

Hall turned. A small snake with emerald eyes was watching them from the wall.

They landed on a soft feather mat.

"Lumos."

Hall lit the room. It was larger than the Great Hall.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"It's Slytherin territory," Ron said. "Look at the colours."

The room was full of stone statues. Ron examined them curiously. "This one looks like a centaur. This one looks like a porcupine."

Hall knew what they really were. Petrified victims. The basilisk's leftovers.

"Henry, this place is terrifying. We have to tell a professor."

"Harry, if you tell the professor, we'll never get to come back. Don't you want to explore?"

Ron screamed. Hall and Harry ran toward the sound.

Ron was covered in white debris. Hall pulled him out, shaking him.

"Do you know where you are? You can't just wander off!"

"Who are you to be so fierce? I didn't mean to fall!"

Hall stopped himself. Now isn't the time to reveal my identity.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"This is a snake's shed skin."

"What?!" Harry's eyes went wide. "That big?"

Ron got goosebumps. The skin was piled half as high as the room. Fully extended, it would cover half the floor.

The basilisk was enormous.

"So you knew there was a snake here?" Harry asked.

Hall nodded. "Let's find the exit."

They reached the end of the room. A wall carved with countless snakes. Hall pulled Harry to one carving.

"Harry, say hello to it. Like you taught me."

Harry hissed for a long time. Nothing happened. His throat went dry.

"Henry, I can't keep going."

"Rest. I'll try."

Hall hissed the only phrase he knew. As he examined the wall, he noticed one snake's eyes blink.

Emerald green. Same as Slytherin's green.

He froze. The snake slithered toward him. Hall lowered his eyes, focusing on the wall's base.

It's not a basilisk. Basilisks are huge. And I saw its eyes — I'm not petrified.

He looked up. The snake stared back at him.

It was pretending to be a statue.

Hall raised his wand to poke it. The snake darted away.

"A snake!" Ron screamed as it brushed across his face.

The room stretched larger than the Great Hall.

The little snake clung to Ron's neck, trembling. Ron was on the verge of collapse.

Only after Harry repeatedly assured her she was safe did she peek out. She introduced herself to Harry. Her name was Helena.

Helena. The basilisk. She can shrink?

Hall glared at her. She glared back.

"Harry, ask her where the door is."

Harry and Helena hissed for a long time. Harry's expression kept changing. Finally, he translated.

"She said the door can be pushed open directly. It's the room where her master last appeared. She's been waiting for him to return."

Harry pushed a spot on the wall. The door was manual.

"How long has she been waiting?"

Harry was silent. "A thousand years."

"A thousand years!" Ron shouted. His echo bounced through the room. "How can a snake live that long?"

"She's not a snake. She's a basilisk."

Harry tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge.

"Helena," Hall said, "what are the conditions to open it?"

Harry translated. "Only her master's bloodline."

No way. The plot can't be that cliché. Am I a Slytherin descendant?

Hall cut his finger and smeared blood on the door. Nothing.

"Harry, try yours. The Potters are an old family."

Harry's blood. Nothing.

"I should try too!" Ron pushed forward.

"Don't be ridiculous." Hall pushed him away. We were born at the same time. If I'm not, he's not.

"Ouch!"

Ron was clutching his shoulder. Blood gushed from two round puncture wounds.

Helena bit him.

Hall poured healing potion on the wound. It stopped instantly. He grabbed Helena by the waist.

"Do you know what a windmill is?"

Helena shook her head.

"Now you know."

He spun her at high speed until she was limp as a noodle.

Ron's wound was healed. Harry's hand was covered in blood.

"Hey, since we're bleeding anyway." Ron grabbed Harry's hand and slapped it against the door.

The door opened.

A small snake with emerald eyes watched them.

Hall stared at the open door. Ron's blood worked? We're twins. How can he have a different bloodline?

He cast a few detection spells on Ron. Nothing unusual. It was definitely Ron.

"Ron, didn't you say Weasleys are all Gryffindors?"

"I don't know! Let's go in! I'm so curious!"

Ron grabbed the dizzy Helena from Hall and hugged her. Harry looked horrified.

"Side effect of the healing potion," Hall explained.

They entered. The door closed behind them.

The room was at the bottom of the Black Lake. Windows showed dark water and glowing fish. One wall was floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Another held shelves of ingredients, like an apothecary. A desk and armchair sat by the window. A simple bed against the wall.

In the centre of the floor, a massive magical array.

Helena curled up on the bed and began to cry. Snake tears. Eerie.

"Her master isn't here," Harry translated.

"A thousand years? Even if he were, he'd be ashes," Ron said.

"Not necessarily." Hall studied the array. "I've seen similar concepts in the Restricted Section. Time travel arrays. Later generations used the research to create Time-Turners."

The array was far more complex than anything in the books. Hall couldn't take it with him. He'd have to memorise it.

"Helena," Hall said, "I want to help you find your master."

She sat up, tears in her emerald eyes.

"In exchange —" Hall held out his hand.

"Have you no humanity? You'd even make money off snakes?!"

Helena understood. She rolled on the bed, her body growing larger. Thicker than Hall's thighs.

She's not going to eat us, is she?

The bed creaked under her weight. She curled up, barely fitting. Then she gagged.

Vomit splattered across Hall's robes. Helena picked something out of the mess and offered it to him.

Hall wanted to refuse. But her expression was insistent.

He took it. The shape was familiar.

No way.

He cleaned it off and examined it closely.

The Philosopher's Stone.