Warnings
"Well, that was... interesting."
It was the only thing Harry could say as they left Andromeda to her letters. For the past hour, they'd discussed almost the entirety of Harry's time at Hogwarts, and Andromeda hadn't been happy to hear it.
"No kidding. I thought she'd storm off to curse Fudge personally." Hermione shared in Harry's disbelief over their talk with Andromeda.
"Think she would have gone for something painful, or just embarrassing?"
"Ron, that isn't funny."
"It's kind of funny, Hermione. I mean, for the first time since our first year, an adult is looking out for Harry... and one of the first things she does is lay a curse where the sun doesn't shine on the Minister. It is funny, at least to imagine.
Despite Hermione huffing at Ron's cavalier attitude, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. He'd met the Minister and was far from impressed by the man. It was pretty funny to imagine him running for his life from an angry Andromeda.
"Well, at least there's a plan in place. Should we head to the library?" Hermione asked.
"I need to write a letter first. Let's head to the Owlery, then we can head to the library until lunch."
With that, Harry led the trio to the Owlery, mentally reviewing the letter he needed to send. He needed to tell Sirius about Andromeda. With her help, maybe they could figure something out. If nothing else, knowing he had some support from his family had to be of help to him.
As they entered the Owlery, the many owls hooting and barking went silent, eyeing the trio as though they had interrupted a grand debate and were waiting for an explanation. All except for two. As Harry approached the table with perches for the owls, Hedwig and Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, flew down. While Hedwig landed with all of the grace that Harry had come to recognize, Pig fluttered down and flew around Hedwig on her perch, twice, before finally landing on the perch closest to Ron, looking at him with big eyes, as though waiting for some praise.
Ron smirked as he gently petted the tiny owl that reminded Harry of a fluffy snitch. As he did this, Hermione handed Harry some writing materials and went over to give Hedwig some attention, while Harry wrote his letter to Sirius.
Padfoot
I'm sure you've heard the news by now, but I'll tell you anyway just in case. My name was chosen as the Fourth Champion of the Triwizard Tournament. I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire, and I don't know how I was entered. Neither do any of the staff and now I have to compete in this death trap.
There is some good news. Instead of representing Hogwarts, I represent my family, and that means another judge has been selected: Andromeda Tonks. She'll be staying in the castle to help prepare me for the Tournament.
I'll write whenever I can. Please don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Prongslet
P.S. She knows about Wormtail. I'm not sure what she plans to do, but hopefully it helps.
Finishing his letter, Harry gave it to Hedwig and watched as she flew out the window. When she was out of sight, he turned to Pigwidgeon, who was now fluttering around Ron's head in an attempt to entertain him. It was working, as Ron was chuckling when he held out his finger for Pig to land on. Eventually, the trio left the Owlery, and they could hear the owls resuming their conversation. Making their way to the library, where Hermione no doubt intended to get a head start on Harry's prep, Gnarl spoke again.
"Master, I've devised a list of spells I think you can make the most use of. Until we know more, these spells will be of great assistance in nearly all situations. Once more information is available to us, we shall make use of more specialized spells."
"Any word from Padfoot or Andromeda yet?" Hermione asked Harry as they made their way back to the castle. Care of Magical Creatures had just finished, and it was time for lunch, after which Ron and Harry would attend Divination while Hermione would attend Arithmancy.
"It's only been a day Hermione. Hedwig's good, but not that good."
"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm just worried is all. We found so little information in the library about the Tournament, and what little we did wasn't very helpful."
"Isn't that the point? We get tossed into a Task we have barely any information about, and are told to win. It's like we're all being tossed into the ocean and told to sink or swim."
"I'm afraid I've found little information to help as well. The Tasks could be anything, but we should expect them to be challenging even for those who have taken their N.E.W.T exams. We can only hope that our combined efforts will be enough to turn the tables in your favour."
As they made their way to the Great Hall, Andromeda cornered them, pulling Harry aside for a private talk.
"Sorry that I missed you at breakfast. I heard back from Gringotts, they'll be sending a team to harvest the Basilisk on Saturday. Be ready to open the Chamber for them at 9 in the morning."
"9 in the morning. Got it. By the way, would the goblins mind me inviting people down to see the Basilisk, before they start harvesting it?"
Andromeda blinked at Harry's question, but answered simply, "Short of inviting the whole school, I can't think of a reason they wouldn't. Is there... any reason in particular you wanted to invite people?"
"Some of the students were petrified by the Basilisk. I thought that, by seeing the dead Basilisk..."
"It might bring them some closure." Andromeda nodded her head at his reasoning. "It might open some old wounds, but I think it would be helpful. Are they all still students, or have some of the victims graduated?"
"Just Penelope Clearwater, last year's Head Girl. I was thinking of writing to Percy Weasley since Ginny is another victim, and it might help to have every sibling she can."
Andromeda smiled, before nodding along. "I'll try and reach out to Miss Clearwater, you try to reach Percy."
Nodding in agreement, Harry went to find Ron and Hermione, seated in the Hall for lunch. Sitting next to Hermione, Harry looked across the table at Ron, just beginning to eat.
"Do you think you could write a letter to Percy?"
"Sure but, why?"
"Saturday, at 9 in the morning, goblins are going to come to harvest the Basilisk. I... was planning on inviting the victims of the Basilisk down into the Chamber to see its carcass. Since Ginny is also, technically, a victim, I thought she might need her brothers with her, and Percy was a student during that year."
Ron paused mid-bite, as he took in what Harry told him. Slowly, he nodded his head, before finishing his bite. "I'll write to him after Divination. Not sure if he'll be able to make it, but I can at least try."
Nodding in response, Harry looked at Hermione next to him and noticed she'd gone unusually still.
"Hermione? Are you alright?" She started, before turning to Harry.
"I... I'm sorry. I just... remembered how scared I was that year."
Taking her hand in his, Harry smiled at her, comforting her with his presence, and the trio enjoyed a silent lunch. At least Harry did until Gnarl began one of his pre-class lectures.
"Remember Master, Divination might not seem that way, but it can be one of the more potent skills in any Lord's repertoire. While true Seers are rare, even a novice might find much to gain from Divination's lessons. Barring that, it's an effective introduction to the more esoteric forms of magic. Seeing the future requires clarity of mind, and an understanding of the ever-changing, and thus truly unknowable, possibilities that define the future. A true Seer is separated from novice practitioners by their ability to receive Prophecies, immutable inevitabilities that will come to pass, regardless of actions taken to avert them. The predictions and visions of many wizards may never come to pass. But the prophecy of a Seer will ALWAYS come to pass."
The lecture continued up until the start of Divination. For today's class, the focus was on crystal-gazing, which is why Harry was staring into a crystal ball, or 'the orb' as Professor Trelawney called it. As Harry, and by extension the rest of the class, attempted to gain some insight into the future by staring into the cloudy ball, Trelawney paced around the class, reminding students to 'broaden their minds' and to use the 'Inner Eye' to see the future.
'I wonder if I could get Gnarl in as a guest lecturer' Harry smirked as he imagined the wizened house elf offering insights into the nature of Divination, confident the class would at least be more entertaining when he noticed something. The clouds seemed to part, offering him a glimpse into their boundless depths. He could only stare, deeper into the clouds, as he felt himself being pulled in, unable to stop, unable to turn away, until...
Harry felt himself falling through the sky, dark clouds on all sides. Above, below, and at his sides were masses of darkened clouds, blotting out both the sun above and the ground below. But he could see, dancing through the clouds, four serpentine shapes, illuminated by an orange glow.
As he looked down again, he saw the hard ground approaching at a frightening speed. When he braced himself for the inevitable impact, he felt himself standing upright. Opening his eyes, he saw fields of white, beneath a crystal moon, hanging above. From the fields emerged figures made of crystal, one of whom appeared in front of Harry, and reached out with diamond-like hands.
Taking the hands, almost instinctively, the figure fell backwards, pulling Harry along with it. As Harry hit the ground, it gave way to water, and Harry now swam in dark waters. In the distance, he could see four figures, glowing ever so slightly, and began swimming towards them.
But as he approached them, he felt a cold strength gripping his legs. It wrapped around his lower body, pulling him deeper into the blackened depths before he felt himself falling on the grassy ground. Standing upright, he looked around and found himself standing in a clearing, surrounded by fog. As he tried to ascertain his location, a blue light appeared near him. Turning towards it, he instinctively reached out to touch it and felt himself being pulled away.
When the sensation ended, he was still in a clearing, but the fog had dissipated, revealing dozens of skulls lying on the ground. Above him, he saw the moon hanging low. Before he could do anything, a dark cloud rose from the skulls, surrounding him, and encroaching on the moon. But the moon changed, from a pale light to a baleful green. As the light threatened to engulf everything, he could make out the familiar voice of a woman, as she screamed 'HARRY!'
With a loud crack, Harry was thrown backwards, landing hard on his back. A familiar blonde looked over him as he stared up at the ceiling. As she noticed him taking deep, heavy breaths, she sighed with relief and turned her head to look at someone.
"He's OK Professor!"
"Good, good, but... my goodness, a student had a vision! And in my class too! Please, someone tell me they wrote what he was saying?"
As Lavender and Parvati helped Harry to his feet, he heard the rustling of parchment. Upon standing, he saw Professor Trelawney reading a piece of parchment handed to her by Ron. As he picked up his chair, she turned to Ron and asked, "Are you certain this is what was said?"
"Pretty sure. It all happened so fast, I was scrambling to keep up, but I think that's it."
Setting the parchment down, she went over to the other students and reviewed what they had written. As she did this, Ron passed his parchment over to Harry, and let him see what he had said.
Arfni sitcele orp arpus setnepres ruotauq
Anul ilamurb bus etcon anu
Subitnecsergin sidnuforp bus sedisbo ruotauq
Sitcele ruottauq orp sunu suhtnirybal
Inimod earbmu utider orp tse xon anu
Eutriv ni sirucsbo sunimod tegruser etcon anu
Rutenet sudnum sirbenet ni xon anu
Harry read the parchment over, and over, while Trelawney eventually confirmed that everyone who was writing Harry's words, had written the same thing. Looking up from the parchment, Harry noticed the crystal ball was cracked when Trelawney approached and asked him to describe his vision to the class. With the vision still clear in his mind, he hesitated, but complied, describing in detail the vision he had witnessed. Everything, from the feel of the wind on his face as he fell through the sky, to the cold grip of the blackened depths.
The class listened, enraptured by the vivid description Harry was giving, or at least enjoying the change of pace. None of their Divination classes thus far had been quite so interesting, so hearing a fellow student describe a genuine vision they had just witnessed, was a new and exciting turn of events. By the end of Harry's description, class was only half over, but Trelawney decided to dismiss it early, so the students could 'contemplate the vast implications behind the vision.' Which suited Harry just fine, as he and Ron returned to their Common Room, where Harry sat and stared into the fireplace, trying to figure out what all of it meant.
"Oh don't tell me you're still on that!"
The trio made their way to an abandoned class on the seventh floor, ready to begin Andromeda's training. At the moment, it was Wednesday, during which the trio had a break between lunch and dinner, perfect to begin prepping for the Tournament. But Hermione's attention was drawn to Ron's description of Harry's vision, and subsequent 'prophecy.'
"I'm telling you, Hermione, that was like nothing I'd ever seen!"
While Ron was adamant that Harry had experienced a genuine vision, Hermione was less convinced. Harry knew that it was partly because of her skepticism regarding Divination, (ironic considering she was in a literal magical school) but also her doubts concerning Trelawney. But Harry had heard her give a genuine prophecy, and even Dumbledore admitted she had given one before. That had to mean something, right?
As they approached the chosen classroom, Harry decided to end the argument.
"All I know is that wasn't a dream, Hermione, and it certainly wasn't some figment of my imagination." Harry's tone was harder than he had intended, but it got the point across. Hermione looked crestfallen, before responding.
"I wasn't saying you were making it up, Harry. It's just... Divination is so..."
"I know your thoughts on the subject, Hermione, and I know your opinion of Professor Trelawney. But if you can't believe it was a vision, can you at least believe me when I say I saw... something?"
"Of course Harry. I'm sorry if I..."
"I know. It's alright. Come on, let's go see what Andromeda's got set up."
Opening the door to the abandoned class, the trio was surprised to find the desks and chairs stacked on one side of the class. At the front of the class, where the teacher's desk still stood, was Andromeda with a dozen potions on the desk next to her. As the trio entered, she was reading from one of the books stacked on the desk, her head snapping up at the sound of the door opening.
"Ah, you're just in time. Come in, and close the door."
When Ron closed the door, Andromeda flicked her wand and turned back to the trio.
"There, now we should be able to avoid interruptions. Now then, Harry, as I'm sure you've guessed by now, the Triwizard Tournament is designed to push witches and wizards to their absolute limit. Even the easiest challenges can have hidden dangers and other nasty surprises. Because of that, for now, we'll be focusing on spells that can be used in life-threatening situations. First, we'll perfect your use of Stupefy, then we'll move on to the other spells."
Perfecting spells, as it turned out, was being able to cast the spell almost silently. Andromeda might have been a healer by trade, but when training she had the iron will of an instructor for the Coldstream Guards. Most of the potions she had brought were Pepper-Up Potions, to maintain their stamina, and maximize their training time. Or rather, Harry's training time.
While the trio each performed a Stupefy on the first try, subsequent uses of it showed Andromeda was only concerned with training Harry. If Hermione and Ron could keep up, and they certainly tried, then were free to participate. But if they needed to stop and rest, or needed more time to perfect the spell, they could do it on their own time. Harry was the Tournament Champion, entered against his will. Making sure he was ready took priority.
Not that they minded, especially as while Ron and Hermione could perform the spell, perfecting it was another matter. While Hermione was certainly the type to try and get it perfect, and Ron was satisfied with a clean efficient cast, Andromeda was determined to ensure Harry got the spell. And after nearly a half-hour of continuous practice, he finally got it. He was finally able to cast the spell without the wand movement, or the spell incantation.
Ron cheered for him, while Hermione hugged him. Andromeda simply looked pleased. Then she conjured a dozen targets and told him to hit each one with a perfect cast, without slipping up once.
When Harry had earned a ten-minute break, he could hear Gnarl's advice in his mind.
"She certainly knows what she's doing. However Sire, Stupefy might be of use in most situations, but it does have its weaknesses. It can be easily blocked by a Protego, and more importantly, a stunned target can be revived. For this Tournament, it's better to prepare for a kill-or-be-killed scenario. I'll teach you how to use more offensive spells like the Fireball, Sanctuary, Thunderbolt, and Lightning Whip spells. From there, if necessary, I'll teach you more destructive spells like Combustion, and Tempest."
When Harry's ten minutes were up, it was time for the Conjunctivitis curse, a potent spell that affected the target's eyes. As they were practicing, Harry wondered just what kind of creatures he would face where these spells would be necessary.
"Today's the day Harry. Ready?"
The trio made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Ron's question today had nothing to do with training, or the First Task. At least not directly. It was Saturday morning, and thus, it was the day the Basilisk would be harvested for its hide and various other parts. The goblins would be arriving in an hour, as would, Harry assumed and hoped, Penelope Clearwater and Percy Weasley.
Penelope, along with Hermione, was the last petrification victim, while Percy was Ginny's older brother. While Harry had never been particularly close with him, he was still present for that nightmare, and no doubt remembers hearing how his sister was taken into the Chamber of Secrets by the 'Heir of Slytherin.' While Harry could only guess their mental states after that horror show, he hoped that seeing the monster responsible for that nightmare, dead by his hand, would bring some closure to that dark chapter in their lives.
Harry merely nodded at Ron's question, however, and reviewed everything that had happened the last few days. While they hadn't broached the topic of Harry's vision in Divination, Gnarl had been extremely interested in Harry's thoughts on it. Thanks to the mirror he'd been using, he had both a full description of the vision, and the subsequent 'prophecy' along with it. But in Gnarl's eyes, it was a warning of things to come, and he had become determined to unravel all its secrets.
To that end, he had been teaching Harry meditation techniques, a useful tool when discerning the meaning of visions of past, present, and future events. It was also a good first step towards Occlumency, and the preparation of mental shields, another useful tool. For an hour every morning, and every evening, Harry would spend that time in meditation, either reflecting on his vision, and the subsequent coded prophecy, or he would practice clearing his mind to prepare his mental shields.
At the moment it was a simple thing, a simple mental barrier to keep people out of his mind and alert him to an attempted trespass. But with Gnarl's training, he was already laying the groundwork for his mindscape, a barrier that served as both shield, maze, and trap, for the most potent of Occlumens. Best of all though, it would allow him to organize his thoughts, allowing him to better retain and process information.
Still, he shouldn't dwell on it. While half the school had heard of Harry's vision, it hadn't generated the buzz he had expected. Either because nobody cared what happened in Professor Trelawney's class, like McGonagall, or they were busy with other things. Which suited him just fine. More time for him to worry about on his terms.
Sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Hall, Harry looked about and saw with some satisfaction that the rest of the victims were here already, minus Penelope. As they finished their breakfast, Harry looked at the doors and noticed Andromeda arriving, with Penelope and Percy behind her, along with the goblins. Andromeda looked at him with a smirk, letting him know it was time.
"Harry, if you're ready."
Nodding his head, Harry stood from the table but used Sonorous.
"If I might have everyone's attention." The Hall went silent as everyone, student and staff, paused in their eating and discussion, to turn to Harry at the doors. "Those of you in their third year and above will remember the events that took place two years ago. On Halloween of 1992, my second year at Hogwarts, Argus Filch's cat, Mrs.Norris, was found petrified, next to a message written in blood. 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware.'
"For the rest of that year, the school lived in terror, especially when students began being petrified. No one knew how it happened, or who was doing it, but we all lived in fear that a monster was waiting for us around the corner. Then, in the middle of a duelling lesson, it was discovered that I was a Parselmouth, something even I did not know. From that moment, the entire school was convinced that I was the one responsible for the petrifications. It didn't matter that the 'Heir' was targeting muggle-born students, of which my mother was one. The school had found its scapegoat, and I was the target of everyone's fear and loathing."
As Harry spoke, he looked about the room and noticed that several Hogwarts students were looking away from him in shame. Several of these, he could remember deliberately avoiding him, or in some cases reciting their lineage to prove their status as 'purebloods.'
"Eventually, my friend Hermione Granger became another victim of petrification, and our very own Rubeus Hagrid was falsely accused of being responsible, and was taken to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. But it was thanks to Hermione we discovered the monster responsible, was a basilisk, left hidden in the Chamber of Secrets by Salazar Slytherin."
At the mention of the basilisk, everyone, even the international students, began murmuring and whispering.
"When one student was taken into the Chamber, I and my friend, Ron Weasley, went into the Chamber to find the kidnapped student. There, I found the basilisk and the 'Heir of Slytherin.' There, I fought the Basilisk and killed it."
Gasps could be heard among the students, as they went quiet again.
"Now, today I'm going with a team of goblins into the Chamber, and I'd like to invite some students, to see the basilisk firsthand. To that end, I invite Hermione Granger, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, Ginny Weasley, Penelope Clearwater, Sir Nicholas, and Myrtle Warren as victims of the basilisk. I'd also like to invite Ron, Fred, George, and Percy Weasley, as Ginny's brothers, along with Argus Filch, whose cat was petrified, and Rubeus Hagrid, who was falsely accused of being responsible."
As the named individuals stood from their tables and approached the doors, Harry had a quick thought and decided to seize upon it.
"I'd also like to invite Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, as they were the only ones who told me they believed in my innocence before Hermione was petrified."
There was some murmuring about their being named, especially at the Slytherin table, but the two girls joined the group at the doors to the Great Hall. With everyone in attendance, and Colin carrying his camera around as always, they made their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Despite some apprehension from the students, surprisingly more so from the girls than the boys, they went inside and found Sir Nicholas waiting with Myrtle.
Approaching the sink that served as the hidden entrance, Harry commanded it to open in Parseltongue and realized he had a problem. The entrance opened into a tunnel, one that made leaving difficult, and wasn't large enough for Hagrid to comfortably fit through. But with some suggestions from Andromeda, and a creative use of Parseltongue, the oversized pipe transformed into a genuine staircase, with ample space for Hagrid to walk through.
Travelling downwards, they entered the corridor where Lockhart had caused the cave-in attempting to erase their memories and save his pathetic hide. On the way, they passed the enormous snakeskin, and everyone, even the goblins, paused to marvel at the sheer size of it. Continuing onwards, they passed the second door to the Chamber itself, and there it was.
Ahead of them, they could see the dead basilisk, lying on its back, eyes gouged out. Everyone's reaction was varied. Argus, holding Mrs.Norris in his arms, audibly gasped and held his cat closer to him. Hagrid spoke, with bated breath, "Gor blimey." Ginny, having been taken down into the Chamber, and waking up next to the dead monster, and an injured Harry, began whimpering at the sight, to which her brothers gathered around. Several of the petrification victims shivered, while Hermione clung to Harry, wrapping herself around his arm.
Sir Nicholas and Myrtle, strangely enough, were rather quiet, as were Daphne and Tracey. Andromeda, still in disbelief at the knowledge Harry had fought this monster, wrapped Harry in a hug, thanking him for saving the students. The goblins, meanwhile, were speaking in gobbledegook, and grinning to each other. One in particular, carrying a clipboard instead of the long hooks and blades like the others, was grinning ear to ear, showing all of his piranha-like teeth.
As they all went forward, Harry began recounting how the fight had gone, telling how Lockhart had trapped Ron and himself in the corridor, while Harry was forced to advance alone. He pointed to the exact spot on the floor, where he had found Ginny and the Heir of Slytherin himself, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Andromeda and Hagrid both gasped at this, Andromeda for having known he was a former prefect, and Hagrid because Tom was the one who accused him in the first place. But Harry didn't stop there.
He revealed the horrifying truth, writing Tom's name in fire, and rearranging the letters to spell 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.' Ginny openly wept as she realized she had been possessed by Britain's living nightmare, while the others shivered, or gasped. Harry described the arrival of the basilisk, and how Fawkes had saved him, both by delivering the Sorting Hat, from which he drew the Sword of Gryffindor and by gouging out the eyes of the basilisk.
Harry described the fight with the basilisk, pointing out the spots on Salazar's statue where its strikes had missed in its attempt to kill him. The goblins were especially interested in this part, listening with rapt attention to the detailed description of a battle against a genuine monster. Harry revealed how he stabbed the basilisk through the roof of its mouth and pulled up his sleeve to show the mark where the basilisk's fang had injured him. He revealed how he used that same fang to destroy the cursed diary that held Riddle's 'shadow' as he called it, and how Fawkes saved him for the second time, using its tears to heal his injury.
"Excellent work, my Lord. Telling the story will ensure its recounting among the rest of Britain. Fear and awe are powerful tools to be cultivated. Your enemies will be fearful, and the rest of Britain will regard you with a newfound respect, both for your skills and your willingness to protect others."
With Harry's tale finished, the clipboard-carrying goblin pulled out an enchanted tape measure and used it to measure the basilisk corpse. While he did this, the victims he had brought came over and thanked him for killing the monster, and for bringing them down here to see it. Except for Hermione, who instead hugged Harry as hard as she could, burying her face in his neck, and refusing to let go. All Harry could do was hug her back, letting her take comfort in his presence, knowing that he was safe.
When she finally let go, Ginny hugged him as well, thanking him for saving her, while her brothers, including Ron, shook his hand and patted his back. Percy, still in shock over seeing the basilisk, quietly promised to find a way to repay him for saving his sister. Hagrid and Andromeda each hugged him, while Myrtle tearfully thanked Harry for avenging her. Perhaps the most interesting reaction was from Mrs.Norris.
The cat, despised by the students for her uncanny ability to ferret out trouble, to the point many wished dearly to give her a good kick, leaped out of Filch's arms. She slowly approached the carcass, pawing at it slightly, before turning around, and approaching Harry. To everyone's shock, especially Harry's, she jumped onto his shoulders and began rubbing up against his face, purring as she did so. This was more affection than she had ever shown to any student, least of all someone with a known tendency to bend, if not outright break, the rules.
When she finished, she jumped back into Filch's arms. Filch, stunned by the show of affection, thanked Harry for killing the monster. But he reminded Harry that if he broke the rules, he'd still be in a great deal of trouble. Which was about as kind as he had ever been to a student.
As the others began leaving, Daphne came up to Harry and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could say anything, she thanked him for saving the school even 'the idiots in Slytherin' and went to join the others. A grinning Tracey gave him a small shoulder-punch, and told him that, win or lose, he was going to 'kick ass.' With everyone gone, and Colin having taken the last of his pictures, that left Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Andromeda with the goblins. The lead goblin, who had been silent until now, chuckled as he spoke.
"Only a Potter could kill something like this." When Harry looked at him, perplexed, he continued. "Where are my manners? My name is Silverspear, Chief of Creature Harvesting for Gringotts. I worked closely with your grandfather, Charlus Potter."
"You- you knew my grandfather?"
"Indeed I did. Charlus was both a warrior and a hunter. I've lost count of the number of rogue creatures and monsters he slew, both in Britain and around the world. The 48-foot-long Hebridean Black was a doozy, but this has topped that."
Beckoning him over, Harry approached to look at the clipboard he was holding, while Andromeda led the others away so that Harry could discuss this in private. On the clipboard, Silverspear had written the exact length of the basilisk, 63 feet and 8 inches. As Harry read this, Silverspear continued.
"Healer Andromeda has already stipulated that a set amount of basilisk hide for War Robes. Is there anything else you'd like to save?"
Harry thought about it briefly, before answering, "Yes, can you preserve the skull, the loose fang, enough hide for three additional robes, and one litre of the venom? And what about the shed skin back there? Is there anything useful in it, or not?"
"Tough to say. Looks old, so the magic might have left the shed skin. I can check just in case, but it won't factor into the estimate beforehand. If that's everything, taking together the loss of additional hide, the skull and fang, the litre of venom..." Silverspear muttered the rest, scribbling on the clipboard, before showing the final estimation of the basilisk's worth. Harry choked when he saw the number.
"S-six million Galleons???"
"That's after deductions for the preservation of certain parts, as well as the percentage as a fee for services from Gringotts. Of course, this is an estimation. Goldtooth owes me a few favours, so if I can get him to sell the parts, I can probably get closer to ten million, given the rarity of the basilisk."
Harry paled at the casual mention of such a large number but composed himself. It was then he had an idea.
"Actually, can you do something else for me? It's financial but doesn't require any further changes to the harvest." Silverspear raised an eyebrow but nodded in response. "I'd like to compensate the victims. Can you payout to Argus Filch, Rubeus Hagrid, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, and Penelope Clearwater 100,000 Galleons each? Either deposited to an already open account, or a new one as needed?"
Silverspear whistled at the numbers but nodded his head. "Absolutely. We'll open a separate vault for the preserved parts, and the remaining Galleons for your deposit. Now then, if that's everything?"
With their business concluded, Harry and Silverspear shook hands, while the rest of the goblins got to work. Leaving them to it, Harry made his way back to the entrance, finding Andromeda waiting for him. Before they left, she wrapped him in another hug, whispering how proud she was of him. All Harry could do was return the hug, trying desperately not to cry. For him, this was the first and only time, he'd ever felt the warmth of a mother's hug.