Chapter 154: Kill the Basilisk

TARDIS landed again in the familiar Forbidden Forest; Harry had been about to step out, but when his hand touched the door, he stopped.

"Correct," the Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder, "the past version of us just finished speaking with Zhang Qiu and left—no need to rush out."

They waited a while until Harry was certain the past version of himself had long since departed, then stepped out of the TARDIS.

At this moment, Zhang Qiu—who had just jumped here moments ago—had already left, gloomy after accidentally killing the unicorn.

That Zhang Qiu, dressed in Hanfu and sitting on the grass, had spent over half a month mooching meals at Tang Dun, stolen the Serpent Tongue word for "open," and come here to convey the Will of Time to her past self, inviting Neville to help slay the Basilisk so she could secure a safe, hidden place for herself in Hogwarts later.

And this Zhang Qiu was the one who had handed the travel log to the Doctor; she had urged the past Harry to join her journey because at that time, she had not yet experienced the conversation about the Chessmaster and Fate, and was filled with turmoil and confusion.

That was why, when future Harry followed Zhang Qiu to the final stop of this journey, he did not say "Hello" or "Nice to see you again," but "I'm back."

"Ah, Harry," Zhang Qiu, having lived through most of the summer, seemed much livelier, "you're here to help us fight the Basilisk too?"

"If I can help, I'm happy to," Harry replied with a smile.

"I can't interfere—wait here for me," the Doctor said, then returned inside the TARDIS and gently closed the door.

"Now it's just the two of us," Zhang Qiu blinked, as if about to say something—but in that instant, a figure appeared on the open ground nearby.

It was Neville, having just returned via Hyper-Time Jump to this moment.

"Harry?" Neville looked surprised—no wonder, since Harry had never directly met him during their previous travels; had Li Ao not mentioned anything, Neville might never have realized Harry was also traveling.

"The more help, the better, right?" Zhang Qiu shrugged casually, "Don't worry—Harry knows what we're doing."

Neville gave them both a long look, then said in a perfectly natural tone, "So, Harry, did you bring your goggles?"

"They're broken—I didn't bring them," Harry paused, then remembered: last year he'd specially crafted goggles with one-way glass to fight the Basilisk, but before this time-travel began, he hadn't considered the possibility of needing to fight the Basilisk mid-journey, so naturally he hadn't brought them.

"Oh right—your reflective swimming goggles!" Zhang Qiu recalled too; last year, Harry and his two friends had worn exactly these goggles to enter the Chamber.

"Since we're fighting the Basilisk, I brought my own," Neville said, "and I also borrowed Harry's from the future."

"That's a problem—we're three people, but only two pairs of goggles," Neville said, blinking between Harry and Zhang Qiu.

"Didn't you borrow Ron's too?" Zhang Qiu asked.

"Ron doesn't have goggles—he modified his helmet visor instead," Harry said, slightly exasperated. "So what now?"

"Let me be clear—I need to make up for lost time, so I'm definitely going down," Zhang Qiu looked at Harry, her tone firm, "and I have no other options—either give me a pair of goggles, or I'll go in blind, using invisibility."

"Your original plan was truly reckless," Neville sighed, pulling out two pairs of goggles from his robe. "So, Harry, are you going to take my place and go down?"

"Hmm…" Harry hesitated; logically, Neville—more agile, skilled with his sword, and able to use Hyper-Time—was clearly more useful than he was.

But emotionally, he wanted to stand beside his friends when they faced the Basilisk.

"Let's plan this out first," Zhang Qiu called Harry over, and the three sat down on the grass. "Let's figure out how to deal with this big monster."

"Can we blind it first?" Neville suggested.

"No," Harry and Zhang Qiu said in unison.

"When we saw the Basilisk's corpse, its eyes were intact," Zhang Qiu said. "So if we blind it now, we'll alter history—that's even more dangerous than leaving its eyes alone."

"Besides, snakes have terrible eyesight—they sense the world through vibrations and smell," Harry added. "So with goggles, it doesn't matter whether we blind it or not."

"In other words, invisibility won't help much, right?" Zhang Qiu sighed.

"But we can still sneak in invisibly," Harry suddenly had an idea. "Snakes sense ground vibrations through their bellies—if we float, they won't detect us."

"What about smell?" Neville asked.

"Bubble-Head Charm—adjust it slightly to envelop the whole body, and the scent won't leak," Harry said eagerly. "Add a large heat source to disrupt its thermal sensing—we'll be effectively invisible."

"And snakes have no hearing—we can talk out loud," Harry added.

"Let me think," Zhang Qiu rubbed her chin. "You cast Levitation on me, float me silently above the Basilisk, then I stab straight down through its skull—this might work."

"Oh, yes," Neville scratched his head. "That sounds far easier than the big battle I originally imagined."

"Zhang Qiu's Return Nest technique should be enough to kill the Basilisk," Harry continued calculating. "That matches what we later saw."

"That's a sword technique, not a spell," Zhang Qiu corrected.

"Alright, here's the plan," Harry said. "First, before the Basilisk's door opens—or even if it does, we can close it with Serpent Tongue—we light a huge bonfire to disrupt its thermal sensing."

"Then Zhang Qiu and Neville enter with goggles. Neville, you draw its attention. I'll hide near the bonfire and cast Levitation on Zhang Qiu. She can shout directions until she finds the right angle and strikes with her sword technique—kill it in one blow."

"Agreed." "I approve." Both companions accepted the plan.

"Then let's get started—first, gather dry branches from the forest for the fire," Harry stood up, brushing off his robe, naturally assuming the role of leader.

Soon they collected enough material to build a bonfire, secretly stowing it in Zhang Qiu's storage bag and sneaking it into the school. The three slipped quietly into the abandoned bathroom; Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing in her stall, completely unaware that three young wizards had opened the Chamber and slipped inside.

Harry's clear, precise demonstration of Serpent Tongue again gave the two a significant advantage for future entry and exit from the Chamber.

The three descended into the tunnel, bypassed the shed skin, and reached the end of the Chamber. Unlike the vast stone chamber they'd seen before, this was truly their "first" time entering the Chamber. At the end of the corridor stood a wall, carved with two entwined snakes, their eyes inlaid with large, glittering emeralds.

"So this is definitely opened by Serpent Tongue," Harry nodded. "Let's light the fire first."

The three piled the dry branches from the Forbidden Forest against the wall, quickly building a bonfire nearly a person's height. Harry ignited it with a Fire Charm. The Chamber's ventilation system was surprisingly efficient—the smoke drifted away through dark, narrow openings, and the children weren't choked.

"I'm opening the stone door now—put on your goggles," Harry said nervously, himself wrapped in his invisibility cloak, ready to shut his eyes at any moment.

With a hissing whisper, the massive wall split open, sliding sideways. In the firelight, Harry saw the familiar vast stone chamber. But to their surprise, the Basilisk was nowhere to be seen—only the towering stone pillars and dim, shadowed statues greeted them.

"Where's the Basilisk? I don't see it," Neville whispered.

"Do we have to go invite it?" Zhang Qiu casually uttered an Eastern proverb.

"Do we really…" Harry's mind flashed a strange thought, "have to go invite it?"

Harry stepped forward, picturing the snake's form, then mimicking Snape's cold tone, shouted loudly: "Come out."

He was certain he'd spoken in hisses.

"What is your command?" A terrifying, deep voice echoed directly into Harry's mind. Instantly, a massive snake with tightly closed eyes slithered from the shadows of the stone hall; Zhang Qiu and Neville instinctively gripped their weapons.

"Wait—I think I can command it," Harry said uncertainly.

"Then try," Zhang Qiu noticed the Basilisk's closed eyes—perhaps it mistook Harry for its master.

"Wait there," Harry said in Serpent Tongue. "Wait for my order."

The Basilisk slithered to the wall, coiled its body, and rested its huge, ugly head upon its slick form, as if sleeping.

"Exactly like how it looked when it died—I think this is the truth of the Basilisk's death," Zhang Qiu whispered, sticking a Disillusionment Charm to herself. "Float me up."

Harry cast Levitation, lifting Zhang Qiu into the air, while Neville added a massive version of the Bubble-Head Charm. Harry had learned the Bubble-Head Charm too, but this way, Neville might feel more involved.

The Basilisk, resting with its eyes shut, remained utterly unaware that a giant soap bubble was drifting silently above it, and inside, Zhang Qiu was preparing a lethal strike.

Zhang Qiu gripped her magical sword, calmed her emotions, and unleashed her most practiced sword technique from above. With magical enhancement, the sharp blade pierced through the Basilisk's skull; the energy radiating from the blade destroyed its brain in an instant.

The Basilisk, never needing to open its eyes again, lay still beside the wall, just as the second-year students had found it.

"Killing the Basilisk should've happened at the end of second year—we're way ahead now," Zhang Qiu said cheerfully as they prepared to leave.

"More accurately, third year's already over," Neville's form was fading—he was preparing to return. "We came a bit late."