239- Quest giving Basilisk

Harry remembered what Rhys had told him before—so it was possible that a snake was speaking! 

He quickly lifted his head and looked around. After confirming that there was no one else nearby, Harry became even more convinced of the conclusion he had drawn under Rhys's guidance. 

Then, recalling Ron's explanation of Parseltongue, a bold idea popped into Harry's mind: Why not try talking to the snake? 

Harry was a man of action. As soon as the thought appeared, he acted immediately—he was worried that if he hesitated, the snake might slither off somewhere else. 

"Why are you running away?" Harry lowered his voice and spoke. As he did, he concentrated hard on imagining himself as a snake, speaking to one of his own kind. 

With his efforts, the sound that came out of his mouth was no longer human speech but a series of hissing noises, like the sound of gas leaking. 

Harry's voice reached the basilisk hidden within the pipes—it had come with a mission and wouldn't simply leave as Harry assumed. 

The little wizard before it could actually communicate with it. This surprised the basilisk, but it had no time to dwell on the reason. Instead, it immediately relayed the message Rhys had instructed it to say. 

[The end is near, a terrible monster has appeared—you must flee… Child, don't hesitate, run!] 

Harry: Huh? What the heck?

"What kind of monster? Where is it?" Harry couldn't help but press further. "Even Dumbledore can't stop it?" 

[It's in the Forbidden Forest, lurking among the spiders—very evil, very dark… It's still weak now, but once it grows, it will devour the entire world—] 

Harry: ??? 

He was utterly baffled by this snake, which was hiding who-knew-where. Something living among the spiders that would one day devour the whole world? What kind of nonsense was this? 

For a moment, he even wondered if the snake had lost its mind. 

[If only someone could stop it… There are so many wizards here, yet not a single one knows about the disaster brewing in the Forbidden Forest…] 

The snake inside the walls spoke with deep sorrow and regret. 

"Is this for real?" Seeing how sincere the snake sounded, Harry began to believe it—after all, why would a snake lie to him? (Clearly, Harry had never read the Bible carefully.) 

[It's true. My kin saw it with their own eyes. If I am lying, may I never catch another fat, delicious rat for the rest of my life.] 

For a moment, Harry was distracted by the snake's description of rats. But then he fell into deep thought—if the snake was speaking so convincingly, the story was probably true. 

As the first wizard to learn this truth, perhaps he should do something about it.

At this moment, Harry felt a sudden, heavy burden settle upon his shoulders. After all, according to the snake, if that thing grew stronger, it would devour the entire world. 

He double-checked the creature's location with the snake and received a clear answer—it was hiding within the lair of the Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. 

[Run, child!] 

"Thank you… but I have another choice!" Harry's gaze grew resolute. 

He would change everything! 

Perhaps he was weak, but he had— 

Dumbledore! 

He had to tell Professor Dumbledore about this! 

The snake's voice faded away, as if it had left the area. 

Harry hurriedly ran out of the library—then froze in place. 

The same problem as before—he had no idea where Professor Dumbledore's office was. In fact, hardly anyone at Hogwarts did.

Maybe he could ask Fred and George? They knew the castle inside and out—they'd probably know where the Headmaster's office was. 

Just then, Harry caught sight of a figure in emerald-green robes disappearing around the far stairwell. 

Professor McGonagall! 

Harry shot forward as if he had found a lifeline. 

"Professor McGonagall, please wait—!" 

Hearing Harry's call, Professor McGonagall stopped in her tracks and turned, standing at the top of the staircase, her sharp gaze scrutinizing him. 

"What is it, Mr. Potter?" 

"It's like this—I need to see Professor Dumbledore. It's very important." 

"Professor Dumbledore is extremely busy. If you have something urgent, you can tell me first." Clearly, Professor McGonagall wasn't about to let a student disturb Dumbledore over a simple request. 

Telling Professor McGonagall should be just as good, Harry thought. 

So, he relayed everything he had just heard to her.

"You're saying there's a monster in the Forbidden Forest, lurking among the Acromantula colony? And that once it grows, it will devour the world?" Professor McGonagall's tone was full of skepticism. 

That was completely understandable—no rational adult would immediately believe such a claim. 

"Yes, it's absolutely true." Harry's expression was extremely earnest. 

"And may I ask where you heard this information?" 

Harry was at a loss for words. 

Ron had told him that being a Parselmouth was nothing to brag about—it was best not to let others know. So he hesitated.

More importantly, a thought suddenly struck him: what if this so-called threat was only a world-ending catastrophe in the eyes of a small snake? What if it was just some spider species particularly good at hunting snakes? It would be utterly ridiculous to bother Professor Dumbledore over something like that. 

Seeing that Harry couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, Professor McGonagall seemed to understand everything. She pressed her lips together and said, "I'll inform Hagrid and have him patrol the Forbidden Forest. That's his job." 

Hearing this, disappointment filled Harry's eyes. 

He didn't think Hagrid could handle this crisis. It wasn't that he looked down on Hagrid, but his personality was too rough—he might not notice a hidden danger. And, frankly, the name Rubeus Hagrid didn't inspire the same sense of security as Albus Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall's next words only deepened Harry's despair. 

She said, "With the end-of-term exams approaching, it's normal to feel stressed. But try to keep a relaxed mindset. If it becomes too overwhelming, Madam Pomfrey would be more than happy to prescribe you a calming draught." 

Harry: "…" 

He understood now—Professor McGonagall didn't believe a single word he had said.

This was a disaster. Now, there wouldn't even be a patrol from Hagrid! 

Disappointment poured over him like a bucket of ice-cold water, drenching him completely. 

Meanwhile, in her office, where she was busy grading student essays, Professor McGonagall suddenly sneezed. She looked up, her gaze locking onto the open window. 

"The problem with keeping the window open for ventilation is all the dust that blows in…"

Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and gave it a gentle wave. Instantly, the fine dust in her office and the grime on the window ledge vanished without a trace.

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