Harry Potter : In the shadow of divinity39.29%

Chapter - 33 : The Serpent's Bite part - 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loving the story so far? There's a whole world of magic and mystery waiting for you with over 85+ chapters still to come! By supporting my Patreon.

You not only get early access to new chapters but also exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and special perks just for fans like you.

Join us on this enchanted journey and help shape the future of the tale. Your support makes all the difference—discover more and become part of the adventure today!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's not working," Loki growled in frustration. "Why isn't it working?"

Harry felt something hot and wet his face, he looked up and realized with a jolt that his father was crying.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It doesn't hurt that bad anymore."

"No! I will not let you die."

"W-will you tell Uncle Thor about me? About how much I loved all of the stories about-about him and how bull headed and absolutely Gryffindor he is?"

"You will tell him yourself," Loki snarled.

Harry gasped when the fire raging in his body faltered and something cold, and brutal, and not human attacked, and suddenly fire and ice were at war, fighting a bloody and brutal battle with his body as the battleground. His body writhed in pain and screams tore themselves from his throat, the pain was unbearable; he was hot and cold all at the same time and he wished it would just end. Finally, after what felt like ages, the ice beat the fire into submission and the last of the venom drained from Harry's wound. But instead of settling back into the dormant state it had been in before, the ice spread through Harry's veins as the fire had, twining with his magic. However, unlike the fire, the ice didn't feel particularly bad, it felt safe.

"Harry?" Loki cried pulling the small boy into his arms. "Harry?"

"I'm all right," the twelve year old whispered, "I'm fine."

And suddenly Loki was crushing him to his chest, running trembling fingers through his hair and gently rocking back and forth. "Oh, thank you," he whispered. "I thought I lost you."

"I'm fine," Harry assured him. "I'm fine. You did it, you healed me."

As Loki slowly regained control over his emotions, he looked down at his son confusion in his eyes. "Harry," he said, "that wasn't me."

Before Harry could find the words to respond, a soft moan sounded behind them, reminding Harry that they weren't alone. "Dad, you have to go."

"As if you could make me leave after you almost died."

"Dad, Ginny will see you and all of those years spent keeping this a secret will be for nothing."

Loki glared at Harry, but there was a look of resignation shining in his eyes. "I will remain close," then he disappeared.

The moment he was gone, Harry scrambled to his feet and hurried to Ginny's side just as her eyes fluttered open. She looked at the huge form of the dead basilisk in confusion, then over to Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary lying beside him. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face. "What have I done?" she whispered.

"Nothing," Harry said firmly. "None of this was your fault," he grabbed the diary and held it up so she could see the gaping hole punched straight through it. "And the person who's behind it is no longer around to cause any more trouble."

"But it was me," Ginny wept as Harry helped her to her feet, "I'm the one who did it. I'm going to be expelled! I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and…w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

Harry gently led the sobbing girl from the Chamber and down the dark tunnel, it took them several long minutes to get through the tunnel, made even longer by Ginny's slow pace, but eventually they made it back to the cave in.

"Ron," Harry called, "Ginny's all right, I've got her."

He heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock wall.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? I heard the most horrible noises coming from down the tunnel, but I couldn't be sure what was going on."

"I'll explain once we get out of here." Harry said once he had shimmied through the gap. "Now come on, I don't want to be here a second longer than we have to be."

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe. "Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he asked Ron, who shook his head. Sighing softly, Harry reached out and placed a hand on the wall, he could feel latent magic running through them.

"Up," he hissed in parseltongue, nothing happened. "Um, all right stairs?" with a low rumble, stairs pulled from the wall, giving the group of three an easy path up.

"Up we go then."

The trek to the top of the pipe was long and exhausting, they must have been miles under the school, and was made in complete silence. When they finally reached the top, Harry hissed the password to reopen the entrance and they climbed out of the pipe, only to be accosted by both Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, the Weasley parents, Moaning Myrtle, and Neville, Draco, and Blaise.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screamed and grabbed her daughter into hug, Mr. Weasley soon joined in. "Oh, thank Merlin, you're safe."

"Harry got to me just in time, Mum," the redheaded first year said.

And suddenly Harry found himself in a bone crushing hug. "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that." Professor McGonagall said placing a hand over her heaving chest.

"Could we perhaps go to somewhere a bit more comfortable?"

"Professor Lockhart's office is close by, and as of now it's empty."

"What happened to Lockhart?" Ron asked.

"We gave him the task of finding Miss Weasley and he, unfortunately, fled," McGonagall didn't sound as if she would miss the blonde author in the slightest.

The unusual group trouped to the man's empty office, and settled down to listen to Harry's tale. He, for the most part, told them everything, only leaving out his injury and Loki's presence.

"You mean to tell us, you killed a sixty foot basilisk," McGonagall asked incredulously, "with a dagger?"

"Yes, ma'am." Harry nodded.

"May we see this dagger?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry hesitated for a moment before reluctantly pulling the dagger from the sheath tucked under his sleeve and handed it to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore studied the knife carefully, testing the balance, examining the hilts design, and holding it only inches away from his eye.

"I cannot be certain what metal this is," he finally concluded, "as it is nothing I am familiar with, although it looks goblin forged. I do know, however, that whatever this blade is made from, the element has absorbed the venom, making this a very dangerous weapon." He looked at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "Wherever did you get such a tool, Mr. Potter?"

"My aunt gave it to me," Harry lied smoothly, "right before I left for Hogwarts. She said it was my mother's, that she carried it with her everywhere before her death, so I've done much the same."

"I never noticed," Dumbledore smiled kindly at Harry. "As I said, this is a dangerous weapon, perhaps I should hold onto it for you, just until you're a bit older."

"No," Harry said sharply. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but that is the one of the only things I have left of my mother and I will not entrust it to anyone but myself. If it is my safety or the safety of the students you are worried about, I will take it home and leave it there, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to keep it."

Dumbledore's kind smile dimmed just a fraction. "No, I understand, dear boy. And there is no need to leave it home, I trust you to handle it responsibly."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Harry retrieved his dagger and quickly slipped it back into its sheath.

After that, the conversation quickly turned to Ginny's possession and the diary that had caused so much trouble. When that had concluded, Ginny and her parents left for the infirmary and McGonagall went to the kitchens to prepare a late night feast. Harry and his friends left soon after her, following the three Weasley's path to the infirmary. The mandrake potion needed to wake the petrified had been finished that afternoon which meant Hermione would be woken up soon, and they wanted to be there to tell her all about what had gone on while she was unaware.