Hogwarts i am snape

The light from the tip of his wand could only illuminate a few steps in front of him, as if the entire world had shrunk to fit within that tiny circle. His shadow stretched long upon the damp stone walls, appearing like a lurking Dementor.

The passage twisted and turned, seemingly without end. After turning one corner and then another for over ten minutes, Snape finally, cautiously rounded the next bend, his breath catching for a moment – for a solid wall stood before him.

Upon the wall, two intertwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with unsettling, glittering emeralds.

"This is it," Snape murmured to himself, those emerald serpent eyes glinting in the wandlight, as if possessed of life and scrutinising him. He cleared his throat and spoke in a low, husky voice, "Open."

The two stone serpents stirred as if waking from a long slumber, slowly parting. The wall split down the middle, sliding silently away to either side.

A blast of air, even more stale than that in the tunnel, rushed forth. Snape held his breath, wand raised at his chest, and stepped into one of Hogwarts' most ancient secrets – Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.

The Chamber was even grander than he had imagined. Towering stone pillars supported a ceiling that vanished into the darkness high above. Each pillar was coiled with lifelike serpent carvings, casting long, eerie, shadowy figures across the entire room, which was suffused with a mysterious, greenish glow.

"Hello," Snape said quietly, his voice echoing in the vast Chamber, as if countless versions of him were whispering at once. He advanced slowly and cautiously between the serpent-coiled pillars, each step producing a hollow, resounding echo amidst the haunting walls. The eyes of those serpent carvings seemed to follow his movements, watching the intruder. He kept his eyes slightly narrowed, maintaining a high state of alert, ready to tightly shut them the moment he sensed the slightest shift.

The hollow eye sockets of those stone serpents, in his perception, seemed to have come alive, seemingly following him wherever he went. More than once, he thought he caught a flicker of movement, but upon closer inspection, all was as it should be.

As he reached a point parallel with the final pair of pillars, a statue, as tall as the room itself, loomed into view. Snape had to crane his neck far back to see the ancient, monkey-like face. A sparse, long beard nearly touched the hem of the stone wizard's robe, and two large, grey feet stood on the smooth floor of the Chamber.

Looking up at the face of Slytherin's stone statue, which was hidden high in the darkness, he opened his mouth and hissed, "Speak to me, Slytherin – the greatest of Hogwarts' four founders."

Silence.

Then, a grating scrape of stone shattered the stillness. Slytherin's enormous stone face began to move, its mouth slowly opening wider and wider, until it formed a vast, black maw large enough to swallow several people.

Snape instinctively recoiled a few steps, his back hitting a cold stone pillar. His wand was aimed directly at the dark opening, ready to cast a defensive spell at any moment.

He waited for a long time, but nothing happened. Snape even began to wonder if the Basilisk had truly been awakened by him.

Just as he hesitated, considering whether to mount his broomstick and investigate, a faint, slithering sound emerged from deep within the statue. Snape narrowed his eyes, almost able to discern something coiling itself upwards and unfolding its massive body from Slytherin's mouth. He hastily retreated to create enough space.

A colossal creature slammed onto the stone floor, making the entire Chamber tremble. The beast was entirely emerald green, gleaming with the vibrant, venomous sheen peculiar to serpents. It was at least fifty feet long, its body as thick as an oak tree trunk. The Basilisk coiled its immense form, its raised head nearly touching the stone ceiling.

Just as Snape prepared to summon Dobby, the Basilisk spoke to him.

"Greetings, little wizard," it hissed, its voice like sandpaper. Its forked tongue flickered in the air, tasting for scents. "Who are you? How did you find this place?"

Seeing that the Basilisk had no immediate intention of attacking him, Snape decided to bide his time. "Severus Snape," he replied, forcing himself to remain calm. "I came here following ancient legends."

"Strange," the Basilisk's massive head tilted slightly, as if pondering something. "You are not an heir of Slytherin. You are not the one he awaits. But," it continued to move, its heavy body sliding sluggishly across the dusty floor with a spine-chilling rustle, "you carry a scent I know..."

"A familiar scent?" Snape tentatively asked, slowly moving towards a stone pillar for cover. He thought it might be because he had been in contact with Riddle's diary, and the Basilisk sensed a familiar aura.

"Yes," the Basilisk hissed, a sound akin to a chuckle. "Your scent is in my memory. But too long a slumber – I cannot recall."

"Never mind, is it time?" It suddenly straightened, its voice growing excited. "Since you have opened the Chamber, let us – feed! Purge Hogwarts, cleanse it of the unworthy!"

"Merlin's beard," Snape's heart sank. He had to buy time. "Do we truly need to be so hasty?" He slowly backed away, simultaneously lowering his head and shouting, "Dobby!"

The echo reverberated through the Chamber, then faded into silence. There was no 'pop,' no house-elf. Snape's heart plummeted – Dobby hadn't come.

"What do you mean?" the Basilisk asked, its voice suddenly turning dangerous. "You call me 'Dobbie'?"

Cold sweat trickled down Snape's temples: where was Dobby? The house-elf who could apparate in and out of the Headmaster's office as he pleased, why hadn't he appeared yet? Could the Chamber's restrictions on Apparition possibly affect even him?

"No – no –" Snape struggled to explain. "I meant, oh, I – I'm such a fool for forgetting to bring you food."

With that, he quickly pulled a small cloth bag from his robes and took out the feeder rats inside – the small animals he had originally intended to use to lure the Basilisk. However, the rats had already ceased breathing, their bodies stiff – clearly frightened to death.

"Oh, give them here," the Basilisk said, its tongue licking Snape's palm. The cold, wet touch made him shiver, nearly causing him to cast a spell then and there. The dead rats vanished into the Basilisk's colossal maw. "They'll do," it remarked, its voice laced with obvious disappointment, "but they are too small." It turned towards the Chamber's entrance, its body beginning to move slowly. "I am hungry. Let us ascend. There is more deliciousness above..."

"Wait," Snape called out to its retreating form. "It's not safe up there. The Ministry of Magic is investigating. Perhaps we should devise a plan first." He wondered, 'Will Fawkes come? He's sweating, playing for time with the Basilisk. Professor Dumbledore, I am your most loyal student, come quickly!' But the Basilisk ignored his plea, continuing to slither towards the entrance. "Are you coming with me?" its voice resonated. "You can hold onto my body and ascend with me later."

Snape hesitated whether to follow. His original plan was to deal with the Basilisk within the Chamber, without anyone else knowing. If the Basilisk left the Chamber, the consequences would be unthinkable. Not only would it cause innocent casualties, but more importantly, once the news spread, Voldemort would immediately realise something was amiss with his diary. This would not only bring disaster upon the Malfoy family but might also cause Riddle to change the hiding places or methods of his other Horcruxes, leading him to lose crucial clues in his fight against the Dark Lord.

Just then, a faint rustling and a peculiar sound emanated from the entrance.

"Be a good boy, we're almost there." It was Dobby's voice.

The house-elf, with a protective charm over his head, stumbled into the Chamber, one hand clutching a string of seven roosters, the other holding the cloth bag Hagrid had given him. The moment the roosters entered the Chamber, they came face to face with the Basilisk. They immediately flapped their wings, emitting loud, crowing cries.

"No! What is this—" The Basilisk was clearly startled, its massive body twisting back in retreat.

"Ah, Mr. Snape, Dobby didn't hear your summons, and Dobby has brought you— what is this!" Dobby exclaimed in shock.

"Duck your head, don't look at it!" Snape bellowed, rushing towards Dobby. "Hide, Dobby!"

But he couldn't reach Dobby in time, for the Basilisk had already responded in fury. It raised its head sharply, its huge yellow eyes opening in the darkness. "You played a trick, boy!" it hissed, its voice filled with betrayed rage.

Snape quickly turned and retreated behind a stone pillar. The roosters' crowing grew more frantic, accompanied by the Basilisk's pained hisses and the dull thud of its body hitting the pillars. The entire Chamber shook, and shattered stones rained down from the ceiling.

'The rooster's call is fatal to it,' Snape thought to himself, trying to judge the battle's progress by the sounds. 'Just a little longer.' Suddenly, a gust of foul wind swept over him; he instinctively rolled to the side, feeling the Basilisk's tail brush his back and smash heavily where he had just stood. The stone floor shattered, sending fragments scattering.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the Basilisk hissing in agony. That proud, speckled rooster was flapping its wings, lunging towards the Basilisk's head, but was held back by the ropes that tied it to the other roosters, blocking its movement.

"Sectumsempra!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Crucio!"

A flurry of colourful curses shot from his wand, whistling as they struck the Basilisk's body. But these spells had no discernible effect; even the Killing Curse, besides further enraging the Basilisk, left only shallow marks on its tough scales.

After dodging another of the Basilisk's attacks, Snape quickly pointed his wand towards the roosters and yelled, "Relashio!" The ropes snapped open. The seven roosters, now free, flapped wildly in the Chamber, their cries resounding.

In his evasions, Snape's Engorgio Charm's white light once again hit the proud roosters. Their feathers instantly puffed up, and their bodies swelled rapidly as if inflated, growing to the size of a hunting dog in a blink.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The leading speckled rooster let out an ear-splitting crow, shaking its gleaming feathers, and lunged straight for the Basilisk's head. The other roosters followed, forming a circle – some tearing at the soft scales of the Basilisk's underbelly with sharp talons, while two others jumped directly onto the Basilisk's back, pecking furiously. Amidst their incessant crowing, the Basilisk's scales actually began to fall off.

It went completely mad, flicking its tongue, charging at Snape without restraint. "You damned human! You tricked me!" the Basilisk shrieked, smashing the pillar Snape was hiding behind. Snape kept twisting and turning. Finally, he had nowhere left to hide.

A thunderous crack erupted above him; the Basilisk's tail savagely struck him, slamming him against the wall. A sharp pain shot through his back, and his wand nearly slipped from his grasp. He could no longer afford to duck his head, raising the goblin-made dagger in his hand, preparing for a desperate struggle with the Basilisk.

The Basilisk furiously lunged at him, its mouth revealing long, thin, saber-like venomous fangs. At that critical moment, Dobby suddenly rushed forward.

"Come for Dobby, you monster!" the house-elf squeaked, swinging the cloth bag in his hand and giving the Basilisk's head a solid whack, producing a resounding 'thump.' The Basilisk's attention was diverted. It shook its head, turned towards Dobby, its yellow eyes staring directly at the house-elf. "You must not hurt Mr.—"

Dobby's voice abruptly ceased. His body stiffened like a board, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the Basilisk. He fell like a statue. The house-elf had looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes, despite the protective charm.

"Dobby!" Snape cried, a wave of unprecedented fury washing over him. He no longer dodged, but faced the struggling behemoth directly. Amidst the continuous crowing of the roosters, the Basilisk's movements became increasingly sluggish, yet it still struggled to lunge at Snape. The speckled rooster seized the opportunity, leaped up, and its sharp beak plunged directly into the Basilisk's eye.

The Basilisk let out a deafening roar, wildly thrashing its body, breaking several stone pillars, only to be pinned down by the falling stones. Snape seized the chance, raising his wand: "Confringo!" The spell accurately struck a precarious boulder on the ceiling. Dust rained down from the Chamber's vaulted ceiling, and the colossal boulder crashed down, landing on the Basilisk. Simultaneously, the roosters swarmed it, crowing as they pecked at the Basilisk's exposed wounds.

After a prolonged struggle, the Basilisk finally ceased to move. Silence returned to the Chamber, broken only by the occasional triumphant crowing of the roosters and Snape's ragged breathing.

He dragged his aching body towards where the house-elf had fallen, kneeling beside Dobby. The little elf's eyes were still open. His eyes were like two large glass marbles. Snape held his small, rigid body tightly, placing his hand under Dobby's neck.

"Why do you always try to protect others, Dobby?" He lowered his head, scrutinising the small elf in his arms. "Even being petrified isn't pleasant, you know. And this year's Mandrakes are still so young... I won't say that ill-omened phrase to you—"

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