Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 85: James vs. the Beast
'Ssssss….' The hissing grew louder, telling James that he only had a few more seconds before he was face to face with a colossal basilisk… again.
'This is not really going according to plan.' He had hoped to have some time to prepare before facing the snake.
He had initially thought about attempting to capture the creature alive. If he could do that, the basilisk could become a trove of treasures, like an endless supply of venom and blood.
But that plan went out the window now that the beast was awake...and he was standing on the stone path, looking into the distance with no preparation.
"Not much of a choice anymore." James removed the white ring on his right hand and threw it into the air. "Primum, wake up, you have work to do."
"Kyu!" The ring expanded and transformed into a small chimera with pale scales.
Primum flew happily through the air and looked around the unknown chamber.
"Kyu?" It looked confused, as it had never been outside the laboratory on the sixth floor.
"I know, it's new. But get used to it quickly… because we have company." James took out a glass sphere the size of his thumb and held it in his hand.
"Kyu?!" Primum watched with alarm as the colossal basilisk began to slither out of the stone mouth of Salazar's statue.
"Look here, boy." James called for Primum to get closer and held the glass sphere up. Something inside shone with a blue light.
The little creature reacted immediately when it saw what James held, rushing forward and opening its mouth wide, as if James held the most delicious treat in the world.
James tossed the glass sphere, and Primum ate it without hesitation.
"Kyu…" As soon as it swallowed the 'treat', its body began to change.
Primum's body grew several times in size; its wings expanded and became more dragon-like.
[Image]
The ivory scales covering its body interlocked like chainmail and its eyes shone brightly with a blue light.
"Roar!" The chimera let out a feral sound as it glared at the basilisk.
As if sensing another predator, the giant snake's yellow eyes locked onto Primum and hissed loudly.
"Primum, kill that snake. But try to avoid damaging the eyes. I have use for those."
The chimera flew straight at the basilisk without wasting a second, while the serpent was still extracting itself from the statue.
Despite its sudden growth, Primum's size still paled in comparison to the colossal creature it was attacking.
James observed them for a moment before deciding what to do next.
Unfortunately, he didn't believe Primum could win this fight alone, not in its current incomplete state.
"If only I had been able to finish that other one… oh well…" There was no point lamenting his misfortune. He would have to act personally.
A thousand-year-old basilisk was no joke. This creature would rank at the highest danger level in the classification of magical creatures and would require an entire squad of well-trained wizards to take it down.
The fact that he'd killed one with just a sword as a child was nothing short of a miracle, even with Fawkes' help.
"I no longer need miracles, though." He pulled one potion after another from his robes, drinking their contents as he approached the two struggling creatures.
Primum flew around the basilisk, taking bites here and there when it had the chance.
Meanwhile, the basilisk tried desperately to catch the annoying chimera with its venomous fangs.
Unfortunately for Primum, its primary weapon wouldn't be useful against the basilisk and it knew this, but on the other hand, the venomous serpent faced the same dilemma.
Its petrifying gaze did nothing to Primum, as it wasn't a living creature and its venom would be equally ineffective.
James' wand flickered in his hand. "Move away… now." A silvery flame appeared near the tip.
As soon as Primum flew slightly out of range, James fired his spell.
"Argentum Ignum!" A burst of pale flames manifested over the basilisk's skin and began to spread.
"Tsk… what a waste." Basilisk scales were incredibly useful, and he was damaging a large portion of them with this spell, but normal magic wouldn't work against this creature so he was employing an advanced alchemy flame to pierce through its protections.
The basilisk shrieked and tried to submerge itself in the water to extinguish the flames covering the back half of its body.
"Clever… but that won't work. That fire is kinda special." James prepared his next spell.
"Ssssss!" The monster hurried out of the water, realizing too late that the liquid only worsened the flames.
The fire seemed to grow and spread faster the more it touched the chamber's water.
The basilisk squirmed onto the stone passage, thrashing wildly and breaking the stone statues that were placed on the sides of the passage. Then...it noticed James approaching and got more furious.
The snake glared at him with its cursed yellow eyes.
James felt an unpleasant sensation wash over his body, but he didn't turn to stone.
"That won't work either, one of the potions I took protects me against… why am I explaining anything to a snake?"
He pointed at the struggling reptile. "Primum, hold that thing down!"
If left alone, the basilisk would eventually be consumed by the flames—but that could take a long time, given its size.
Not only would it cost him a fortune in materials, but the ruckus might draw unwanted attention.
The last thing he needed was for the Headmaster to discover this chamber.
Primum flew down, grabbed the basilisk's head with its claws, and bit into its neck.
"I'd better hurry…" James rushed toward the beast.
The basilisk desperately tried to free itself from Primum's grip and the silver fire that continued to consume its flesh.
In a last-ditch effort, the serpent flung its tail, striking Primum's back.
"Kyu!" The chimera was thrown aside, one wing broken.
James couldn't waste this chance. The basilisk was now in the perfect position.
He sprinted toward the beast's head.
The basilisk hissed and bared its deadly fangs.
"Got you." James slashed his wand downward. "Magna Gladium!"
A massive sword materialized inside the creature's mouth as this one was still open. When it tried to close its jaws, the blade impaled it, driving deep into the basilisk's skull.