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 100: The New Lab
"It smells terrible in here," Bella commented as she reached the bottom. "James… are those bones?"
"I'll admit, the entrance is a bit messy. But it gets better further ahead." James helped her get past the pool of bones and basilisk skin.
"What is this chamber? This doesn't look like it's part of the school," Bella said as she looked around the eerie room. "And you said I was going to like it."
James guided her onto the next corridor. "I thought that a Slytherin student would find this chamber fascinating. After all, it was the founder of your house who created it."
Bella stopped walking. "The founder… hold on, you mean to say that Salazar Slytherin constructed this?" She gasped when she realized what this place was.
"This is the Chamber of Secrets?!" She had heard about it during her first year at Hogwarts. But the general consensus was that it was just a legend made up by the students themselves...otherwise, someone would have found it by now.
James grinned. "Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets! Tadaa!"
"You actually found it? How is it possible? In one thousand years… you are the first one who found it?"
"I'm probably not the first one who found it." In fact, he knew for a fact that he was not the first one, since Tom Riddle had already done so during his school years. "But this is not something that one would reveal to the public."
"Mmm… I suppose. But how can you be sure that—hold on!" Bella seemed to recall something important. "Wasn't there supposed to be a deadly beast inside this chamber? There was a legend about the Slytherin beast going out into the school to cleanse those with impure blood."
"That's only half true. The beast is real, but the whole thing about going out to cleanse those of impure blood is just… ridiculous. A thousand years ago, the whole concept of pureblood was much different from now. Salazar Slytherin could never have cared about something like that. And besides… basilisks wouldn't care either. The one in here was meant to kill anyone who wasn't a Parseltongue."
"There is a basilisk in here?! James, we have to get out quickly." Bella said with urgency. She couldn't even process the rest of what James said after hearing that such a deadly beast was in here.
"Oh, calm down. The basilisk is already dead." James went ahead and opened the last door that led to the main chamber. This one was tied to his own magical signature, and no one else could open it.
"Dead?... wait for me." Bella saw James venturing further and went after him, not wanting to be left alone in here.
"Whoa…"
When she entered the main chamber, Bella was stunned by what she saw.
The chamber was a true marvel to behold. James had fixed all the statues that were broken and cleaned up the place, restoring it to its former glory.
The laboratory had been set up on the huge circular platform at the end of the last corridor, right in front of the statue depicting the visage of Salazar Slytherin.
"You really made your laboratory inside this legendary chamber… that's so… ahhh!" Bella yelled all of a sudden when she spotted something gigantic floating in the air.
"I told you there was a basilisk," James commented.
"That is from a basilisk?!" Bella realized that the thing she saw was not truly floating, but it was hanging from the ceiling with some chains.
She stared in shock at the skeleton of a colossal snake-like creature that was on full display in front of her.
"Yes. I thought it was a waste to get rid of the bones, so I'm saving them. Maybe they'll come in handy at some point."
"That's… you fought that monster?... and won?" She had read about basilisks and other deadly creatures before, and she could not imagine facing something like this when it was alive.
"How?"
"I had some help." James lifted his hand. The white ring on his finger began to glow, and the next moment it had transformed into the tiny chimera that flew happily into the air.
"Kyu!"
"Primum!" Bella called for him, and this one immediately flew toward her.
She grabbed the little guy. "Hey! I missed you too."
Meanwhile, James walked to his workstation. He already had a few potions in process that required some attention.
He also took a look at his delivery area.
James had set it up at one side of the lab, where there was enough space for several owls to leave their packages and rest.
His eyes scanned the area and noted that he already had several deliveries waiting for him.
Two of them were more requests from the owner of the Black Rose.
But the last package was the one that interested him the most.
"I didn't expect the old man to be so quick. He must have gotten to work right after I left." Inside the package was a small container.
James opened it up and found the remains of Djinn Essence that the old potioneer had promised him.
He examined them with care and determined with satisfaction that it was enough for his needs.
"James?"
He just realized that Bella had been trying to gain his attention.
"So, what do you think of the new laboratory?"
"This place is amazing!" she said with excitement. "But, did you really had Primum fight a basilisk?..." Bella could not imagine the cute creature in her hands facing such a terrifying monster.
"That's good to hear." James ignored her question. " You can restart your lessons whenever you wish."
"You want me to come back?... after what happened the last time?" Bella asked with disbelief.
"I took proper precautions. It won't happen again," James said. He really did. If anyone other than him or Bella tried to enter this chamber, they would be in for a nasty surprise.
"But the Slytherins are probably going to keep an eye on me… even if it's just to get back at you," Bella said.
"I have not forgotten about that… I did promise you a way to avoid their vigilance." He walked to one of the cauldrons. A mysterious liquid was boiling inside.
"I have the solution right here."
"What is that?" Bella asked with curiosity.
"Kyu?" Primum was curious too.
"You'll see in a moment. But before that, I'm going to need some of your bodily fluids."
"You… what?!"
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