Chapter 148: Charge And Stupefy
Hermione’s eyes suddenly widened: “You… how did so many of you come?”
The Drama Club included outstanding students from middle and upper years, as well as a group of lower years students. Hermione had attended classes with many of them, including Seamus and Dean from Godric Gryffindor, as well as Justin and Ernie, and even first year Luna.
This was the Chamber of Secrets hiding the Basilisk. Why had Ron called them all here? Shouldn’t they go find those professors?
“Don’t worry, your Professor Lockhart is here, you’re safe now!”
Lockhart couldn’t hear Parseltongue. He only saw a strange but safe Chamber of Secrets, with no ferocious dangerous monster, let alone the legendary Basilisk. He couldn’t help but grin, the Legendary Adventurer had a new story at Hogwarts.
“A very hidden Chamber of Secrets, it looks like it’s undergone many modifications, few people have set foot here. It’s hollow and vast, the dim light makes it look scary, but aside from that there’s nothing. I’ve experienced deeper and darker caves in Albania.”
Lockhart maintained the posture of a professor and adventurer. His smile was clearly award-worthy for a magazine, but his incessant self-praise was annoying. Harry now just wanted him to shut up.
Lockhart noticed Harry’s gaze and thought it was just him wanting to show off. Harry and Hermione suddenly froze, and the chattering Drama Club students around them also quieted down. The sound from the direction of the statue became exceptionally clear.
“Shh, stay quiet!” Harry said in a low voice, staring straight at the head of the Slytherin Statue. That skinny monkey-like face opened its mouth, wider and wider, revealing a pitch-black hollow.
“What is that? Is something hiding inside?” Lockhart asked, somewhat surprised.
Something was moving in the statue’s mouth.
This time he felt a foul-smelling breeze rise in the Chamber of Secrets, as if a monster had opened its bloody maw, peering at them from the darkness. The petrified Moaning Myrtle bobbed up and down in the foul wind.
Some little wizards felt like they couldn’t breathe. Panic and fear fermented in the silence. They vaguely sensed something slithering up from deep within the statue with a rustling sound.
Unconcealed malice enveloped the crowd, as if to devour them.
Lockhart swallowed. Could it really be the Basilisk? He patted Harry’s shoulder: “You’re more familiar with this place, go take a look up front.”
“Making students scout ahead, and you’re still a professor!”
Hermione scolded in a trembling voice: “It’s the Basilisk, everyone close your eyes!”
As soon as the words fell, the friction sound rapidly approached. On the Slytherin Statue’s shoulder, two bright yellow snake eyes lit up. The sound of scales scraping the floor grew clearer, rustling, occasionally with bumping noises, the snake tongue flicking in and out with hissing, the foul smell growing stronger.
Something was slithering over, seeming to want to enfold them in its embrace.
“Basilisk!”
Seamus and Dean screamed but kept their eyes tightly shut, not daring to open them.
“Run outside! Run outside!” Hermione’s shouts echoed in the Chamber of Secrets.
Amid the shouts, the thick Basilisk was already upon them. Everyone closed their eyes and turned to run back. Seeing nothing, they only heard Lockhart let out a scream, followed by the dull thud of flesh hitting a pillar, like that night at the Dueling Club when Lockhart, hit by a spell, fell to the ground. This time, however, he didn’t get up.
【Stupefy】
The incantation roared like thunder—it was Cedric!
Even with eyes closed, nearby students could see the hazy red light flash by. The spell didn’t work, but the Basilisk let out an enraged hiss. This action seemed to dispel the panic in the students’ hearts, and some opened their eyes.
Percy’s face was lit by the red light, his eye twitching.
“Spread out, hide behind those pillars, don’t make eye contact with the Basilisk.” He followed up by waving his wand, his voice trembling, somewhat flustered.
Judging the Basilisk’s approximate direction by sound, they avoided its gaze and opened their eyes. Upper years students from each house led their classmates to hide behind stone pillars.
Behind the stone pillars temporarily serving as bunkers, Harry and Hermione looked back. In the rushed half-minute facing the Basilisk, no one except Lockhart seemed injured, which let them breathe a slight sigh of relief.
“I’ve read in books that the Basilisk, like the Fire Dragon, has scales that reduce spell power, but it can’t withstand dozens of Stupefy spells. As long as we keep casting, taking down the Basilisk is just a matter of time. That’s how the keepers in Romania do it, right, Ron?”
Hermione poked the person beside her. Charlie from the Weasley family was a dragon keeper; Ron should have heard about this.
The stiff touch made Hermione pause: “Ron?!”
Ron stood rigidly behind the stone pillar, body stiff, half his head poking out, eyes wide, terrified expression frozen on his face. He had made eye contact with the Basilisk caught off guard.
“Ron!” Harry’s voice trembled too, looking at Ron’s lifeless eyes, his pale face without a trace of blood, no longer his usual lively spark.
Like a lifelike sculpture.
Harry’s expression went blank, icy chill enveloping his body, mind a blank.
“He’s not dead yet, his heart is still beating!”
Hermione’s voice trembled slightly, waking him from sorrow.
Behind the other pillars, Percy’s and Cedric’s groups were also short some members. They too discovered that classmates who met the Basilisk’s eyes were just frozen in place, still showing signs of life.
“Percy, Roger, stay hidden! The Basilisk’s gaze causes petrification, but it’s not fatal. We’ll alternate Stupefy spells, try not to make eye contact with the Basilisk.”
Cedric shouted in a deep voice.
【Stupefy】
Over a dozen spells rang out together. Dense spells fired from behind the stone pillars, striking the Basilisk from two directions. The Drama Club members had no professional dueling training, only some tacit understanding from rehearsals. Though they understood Cedric’s plan, they didn’t know alternating attacks.
When they all poked out and waved their wands, the Ravenclaw students led by Roger Davies happened to meet the Basilisk’s gaze. After the spells fired, the group froze in place.
Harry and the others also saw the Basilisk’s true face from the side: entirely dark green-black, its black scales gleaming with dull iridescent light, thicker than an oak tree trunk, flat head, sharp poisoned fangs glinting coldly.
The Basilisk was massive; nearly all the Stupefy spells hit it. Some covered the head and belly, slowing its movements a bit; some hit the back, with parts of the spells silently dissipating on the scales, like water splashing on stone.
“Stupefy works, attack its head!” Cedric continued commanding.
Low incantations echoed in the Chamber of Secrets, the air thick with intensifying foul smell. Another volley of Stupefy spells fired, the huge beast hissed in anger, swinging its thick iron-like tail, slowly but viciously lunging toward them.
Harry felt the Chamber of Secrets floor tremble slightly, his face paling: “No good, Stupefy can’t stop the Basilisk. At this speed, it’ll reach us before it passes out, and then Ron will really be in danger.”
“What do we do?” Hermione said in a low voice. “We can’t just hide here casting spells. Someone needs to go up and distract the Basilisk… but that’s too dangerous.”
“Someone has to take that risk…”
Someone suddenly darted out from behind a pillar, charging at the Basilisk.
It was Neville!
Everyone stared at that figure, momentarily stunned.
The chubby boy kept his eyes tightly shut, blindly and determinedly charging forward. His comical movements had an unexpected heroism. When he felt close enough to the Basilisk, he turned and ducked behind a nearby stone pillar, hands groping as he fled.
The Basilisk began turning, moving toward Neville.
【Stupefy】
Cedric seized the chance, organizing a new volley.
Dense red light sank into the Basilisk’s body. The Stupefy didn’t stun it, but the impact successfully enraged it. Its thick body twisted in the smoke and dust, steadily approaching the tiny student.
Neville wasn’t good at sports or agile; he soon tripped over himself and fell heavily to the floor.
He got up and opened his eyes to get his bearings, just in time to meet two bright yellow eyes. His body instantly froze, then he was swept flying by a tail swipe.
The Drama Club’s number two leader fell to the ground and went silent.
Harry and Hermione were stunned. The Drama Club members fell silent. Neville was usually quiet and low-key, but exceptionally reliable in handling affairs—this time too.
Between two rows of coiled snake stone pillars, the Basilisk raised its head, hissing at the students behind. In its thrashing, it snapped a stone pillar, smoke and dust enveloping it, the massive figure blurring but more oppressive.
“Hiss…”
The Basilisk lunged at them again, its poisoned fangs chilling.
【Stupefy】
Cedric’s voice rang out again as he waved his wand, running between the stone pillars.
Like Neville, he used himself as bait to draw the Basilisk’s attention, buying time for others and chances to attack.
Students hidden behind stone pillars thrust out wands; Stupefy spells shot toward the Basilisk like a meteor shower, dense red light enveloping it.
Years of Quidditch training let Cedric last longer, giving the students an extra volley chance. About three minutes later, the Basilisk’s tail swept Cedric. He wasn’t petrified, but his bones cracked crisply, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.
Such a Basilisk was despairing.
【Stupefy】
Brilliant red light flashed again—this time from Harry, his posture equally agile, unleashing a Stupefy with all his magic power.
The red light blasted the Basilisk’s head. The pained beast lowered its gaze to this tiny human.
As if forming some wordless tacit understanding, over the next half hour, students kept darting from cover, circling the Basilisk at safe distance to buy time for the others.
First the upper years Gryffindors, then other upper years, and finally even Slytherin’s Marcus charged out.
Spell incantations echoed in the Chamber of Secrets; the red light symbolizing courage shone unceasingly.
【Stupefy】
Hermione’s 27th Stupefy flew out. As she prepared to duck back behind the stone pillar, she suddenly noticed a detail: the Basilisk’s raised head swayed slightly, its movements seeming slower, its constantly flicking tongue drooping limply, its snake body halted, those bright yellow eyes gradually dulling.
The massive snake body crashed to the ground, kicking up dust, the entire floor shaking.
Sobbing filled the Chamber of Secrets.
Only middle and lower years students remained behind the stone pillars. The little witches’ taut nerves snapped; they couldn’t hold on, some slumping powerlessly, others hugging nearby classmates, shoulders trembling nonstop.
Hermione fought the urge to lean against the wall and sleep, suppressing her fear as she walked toward the Basilisk: “A few people, come with me to gather the wounded.”
From behind a nearby stone pillar, two stood out, voices trembling: “We’ll help.”
Marietta and Cho Chang, Ravenclaw girls protected at the back during the first two volleys. After Neville charged, they joined the volley line and persisted until now.
Those still with strength surged out, skirting the stunned Basilisk to carry out those flung by it earlier. This row lay neatly, the petrified students behind cover stood neatly—fortunately all still alive.
For wizards, full-body fractures were minor injuries. As long as not dead on the spot, Madam Pomfrey could save them.
The surviving classmates exchanged looks, cheeks streaked with dried tear tracks, some smiling, exhaling long breaths in full relaxation.
“What an exciting adventure, I can’t help but applaud you!”
Gilderoy Lockhart’s voice suddenly came from behind them.
Lockhart stood up somewhat disheveled, brushing dust off himself, his signature smile on his face, revealing shiny teeth.
“Lockhart… Professor.” The students stared blankly at this professor.
“But your adventure ends here, children!”
He said cheerfully: “Next, Professor Lockhart will finish the story. I’ll take this Basilisk to the school and tell them I arrived late. Though I successfully subdued the Basilisk, I couldn’t save these people, and you were driven mad by the Dark Magic left by Slytherin.”
“What do you mean?”
Marietta asked blankly.
“Oh, dear, it means I’ll wipe your memories and write this thrilling story into my new book, turning it into the Legendary Adventurer Lockhart’s experience.”
Lockhart seemed very patient, unable to resist boasting to the exhausted little wizards.
Hermione angrily demanded: “You stole all those legendary experiences this way? You’re a fake fraud!”
“Don’t say that, my dear child. Readers prefer handsome me over an ugly old American wizard, even though he saved a village from werewolf harm. And that witch who banished the Wailing Ghost, she had a harelip…”
Lockhart shook his head smugly. “And my work isn’t easy. I have to track and investigate these people, ask exactly how they did it, then cast Obliviate on them to ensure they forget completely without arousing suspicion from those around them. That’s a high demand on Obliviate—if I have anything to be proud of, it’s that.”
Hermione shot a look at Cho Chang beside her; the two quietly reached for their wands in their pockets.
“I thought I’d never deal with them again, but because of the Projection Mirror, I had to go back to them, coax them into giving up their memories. This time it’s much easier—I’m right at the story site.”
Lockhart pointed his wand at them: “I advise you not to do anything stupid, got it? A bunch of exhausted students can’t beat a professor.”
The two girls froze in place.
“Now, say goodbye to your memories.”
