Chamber of Secrets

The heavy slithering sound continued as Rowan felt it rather than heard it as something huge hit the stone floor of the chamber. Trying to not raise her head, she suddenly saw something huge, and green appear in her vision (via the aura spell). Almost gasping, she took a step back and raised her gaze to see the top of the green thing's head.

Trying not to flinch nor imagine the giant serpent staring at her with gaping maws open, Rowan croaks, "Whom do you still serve?"

The Basilisk is silent for what seems an eternity until it hisses, "Serpent Speaker, why have you come?"

"I wish to know who it is that you serve," Rowan asked again painfully clenching her wand.

The basilisk arose higher as if infuriated by the question. "I serve only Salazar Slytherin and his heirs," the basilisk hissed in anger as it moved to the side as if to coil around her.

Refusing to follow the snake, Rowan says, "And what proof did the child that released ye not long ago provide? I know that you obeyed him, King of Snakes."

The basilisk is still for a long moment, before hissing, "He smelled of my master much like you do." As it paused its head to sniff the top of Rowan's head.

Rowan barely kept herself from flinging herself back and away from it. "Yes, you also smell of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff," the basilisk mused out loud. "Yes, I'd had forgotten what they smelled like."

Rowan frowned at the remark and put aside that little tidbit in the meanwhile. "Then you know that I too am his descendant?" Rowan hissed.

"Yes," the basilisk answered.

"But that does not mean you will serve me, does it, King of Serpents?" Rowan said. "After all, you already serve that boy who still lives. And you cannot have two masters."

The King of Serpents froze and suddenly rose to its full height. "Lies, the boy is gone!"

"No, the boy yet lives gathering his power in the shadows."

"Good, then he follows in master's footsteps."

Keeping her personal thoughts to herself, Rowan says, "Then I presume that you will not aid me in any of my requests?"

"And what is your request?" The basilisk inquired.

"I wish to restore the honor of our ancestor."

"Good and how may I aid thee?" The basilisk began to coil around her once more as it whispered, "Let them come to me...Let me rip them…. Let me tear them…. Let me kill them…."

"In that case, it would be best if you'd die for me!" Rowan shouted in English as she pointed her wand at the pillowcase. All of a sudden, the pillowcase transformed into a rooster and let out a loud screech. The basilisk hissed in pain and threw itself back as it began to wither in agony.

Opening her eyes, Rowan teleported herself outside into the tunnel and began to sprint with the fake rooster in hand. "I knew it!" Rowan panted to herself. "The magical nature of the basilisk won't be tricked by the transfigured rooster. It'll only hurt it or stun it, but I'll take that."

Suddenly from far away down the tunnel, Rowan heard a bang as two doors were blasted open. She began to curse as the rooster in her arms squawked again. "Shut up!" Rowan hissed as she ran down the tunnel and clamped her hand over its beak.

"Oh, why is it never easy!" Rowan gloomily thought to herself. The tunnel seemed endless in the dark as she ran for what seemed like miles. Panting, she turned around the bend to see the pipe before her.

"Yes!" Rowan gleefully shrieked in her mind as she was about to teleport back to Myrtle's bathroom. Suddenly a loud booming sound was heard as literally, the wall split open to reveal a fierce basilisk sliding out.

"Are you bloody kidding me!" Rowan screamed as she clamped her eyes shut and released the beak of the rooster in her arms.

The rooster let out another cry as the basilisk shrieked in anger its tail harrowingly missing Rowan. Squinting through eye slits, she manages to see a giant emerald snake as thick as an oak whirling about. The back of its blunt head has a red plume signaling that it is in fact a male.

Not waiting for the basilisk nor daring to lead it up the castle, Rowan continues down the tunnel with her rooster neatly tucked under her arm. It was amazing how much ground one could cover in such a short space of time when under the influence of sheer terror and veins full of adrenaline.

All too soon, the booming sound of something slithering behind her can be heard. And yet with just as much miraculous strength, Rowan increases her pace and points her wand behind her causing a giant sticky tar-like pit to appear behind her. She didn't stick around to see what would happen, but what seemed like a mere second later a loud angry cursing from behind her could be heard.

Gasping loudly Rowan followed the tunnel out of the castle and emerged in the middle of the forbidden forest. Unable to sigh, she merely whimpered as she tiredly ran forward with her lungs and ribs on fire. "Follow the bloody spiders," Rowan muttered as she glanced all around in the moonlight trying to find a single web. Exasperated she used her wand to point her north. The wand in her hand changed to the east as she made a beeline for the tree line in that direction. She hadn't gone very far into the tree line when a large web appeared in view.

Rowan began to pray for once in her life as she was about to do one of the stupidest things she had ever done in her short life. "Please don't eat me, just take me to your lair!" Rowan thought to herself as she brushed the web with her hand to trigger the acromantula's attention.

From behind her, a clicking sound could be heard as swiftly something long and hairy sized her from the middle and lifted her off the ground. Not even trying to struggle Rowan merely kept a firm grip on her wand and her petrified rooster who mercifully was silent in fear. From her upside-down view, she was able to see six immensely long, hairy legs, the front clutched her tightly below a pair of shining black pincers.

Feeling queasy, Rowan tries to keep very quiet lest she begins to pour out her dinner on the forest floor. She had known it would be a bad idea to have dinner, but had she listened? No, she was too hungry of course!