In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom - Chapter 96: Blood Magic

Neville heard the most ridiculous thing he ever thought he will hear from any being in his life.

“Atone for a Sin? A Sin? Do I look like a muggle preacher to you? You said you atoned for your sins, and I would read muggle holy scriptures, ask Muggle God for forgiveness, and then let you free?”

Neville mocked the serpent.

“Then what? The killing, the only killing in my life was an accident. I was bound by the ‘blood magic’ and even though I have my own intent and purpose, I cannot overcome the blood magic itself!” The Basilisk spoke in anger.

“I have protected Hogwarts for centuries. For centuries. Do you think otherwise the monsters hiding in the forest outside would leave the kids alone? The Acromantula colony, alone would destroy the entire forest and attack the Hogwarts kids without my presence.

So, tell me the great righteous fledgling, have I not done enough? Have I not served my cause?

Why must I die?”

The Basilisk finished his monologue and almost roared in Neville’s ears.

In a jerk, Neville was pushed outside of the fog, and he came back to his sense. He was still on his bed and his suitcase was still under his bed. But he knew. He knew everything that just happened, was not a dream or an illusion.

“Why must I die?”

“Why must I die?”

“Have I not served my cause? Have I not done enough?”

These questions that Basilisk asked Neville were still loud and clear in Neville’s ears and he couldn’t sleep anymore. There are things he needs to know and information that must be verified.

However, it’s not like he can ask these things from his professors without raising enough suspicion or getting grilled by his Nan. What would he say? Hello Nan! Caught a live Basilisk that can kill me if I just look into its eyes, and I had a perplexing conversation with it?

No, he must go back and check Longbottom’s library. There must be books related to blood magic and beasts and contracts.

Unable to sleep or think properly, Neville put this matter on hold for the time being and got freshened up. Soon, Harry and Ron also came with Dean and all the four boys wore their uniforms properly and left for the party.

However, while everyone is smiling and laughing with the threat of the fake monster and fake chamber of secrets gone, Neville felt strange looking at Harry Potter’s face.

In the original book, Neville had read that Harry killed Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor but that didn’t happen in this life. Also, Basilisk was right. At least in some ways.

It never killed anyone except the Moaning Myrtle and even in her case, he never ate her dead body. The Basilisk had plenty of time to just swallow these little kids and the professor or eat them directly by biting their heads off or something, but all of them were just petrified.

Is it a conscious choice by Basilisk? Is it really against killing Hogwarts students and Professors?

“Bollocks!” Neville cursed these conflicting thoughts inside his head. Seriously, if he hadn’t had the chat with the Basilisk, he might have simply used Prof. Snape’s curse to cut off his eyes before feeding it something made from transfigured rocks and woods and then when the magic would have faded, it would have died from inside.

It was so easy after capturing the serpent king but now!

“God Damn Wand! What do you want from me?” Neville bringing his wand closer to his own face spoke angrily.

Wands are quasi-sentient as per wandmakers and wandlores but he had serious doubts about his wand. This was not something a quasi-sentient object can pull off.

“Neville, what are you thinking?” Suddenly the girl with the bushy head, Hermione came from behind and startled Neville.

“Hermione! Oh my God! When did you get discharged from Infirmary?” Neville holding Hermione tightly asked.

Neville had missed this bushy head so much and he had been worried sick about her condition. He was thinking of ways to heal her hand and remove that mark but this was beyond what his potion can do.

The potion can remove the effect of the black magic but it cannot heal the wound caused by it. It cannot simply remove the flesh wound on her hand.

However, when he held her hand, he found there was no mark, no wound and her hand was restored to its previous condition.

“How?” Confused Neville asked Hermione and he knew she understood his meaning.

Hermione this moment was having trouble collecting her thoughts. After days of staying alone and drinking the most unpalatable potions, she only wanted to get out of the Infirmary and meet her friends.

Every day she was there, she was bored to death and she felt since she was admitted to the infirmary, Neville stayed away from her. But now, all those gloomy thoughts just vapourised in the air.

“Yeah…Yea…this…Oh!…” Hermione finally came back to her senses and then she realised what Neville was asking.

“Headmaster’s Phoenix! Headmaster dropped one drop of his tear and it healed perfectly.” Hermione whispered in Neville’s ear and Neville realised he missed another detail from this year’s adventure story.

Phoenix tears have the ability to heal anything. It is imbued with the magic of rebirth and the essence of Phoenix’s life magic.

‘I should try to find a Phoenix myself!’ Neville thought but then he caught a key point.

‘No one apart from Dumbledore’s family ever had a phoenix. There is no one in Britain and even in America. No one. Why? and How?’ Neville thought of this and kept this point in his mind.

“Let’s go to Party. I think Pansy would be happy to find you there,” Neville dragged the bushy head by hand and soon mixed with the cheerful crowd going for the same.

———————————

“Ting…Ting….” Headmaster Dumbledore knocked his glass with a metal spoon silencing the whole crowd.

“Before we begin the feast, I hope you can listen to few words from this old man.

Dance, Eat and Laugh.

Now, Begin!”

Professor Dumbledore finished his speech in the shortest time possible and the whole Hogwarts was enveloped with the festive mood.

There were some ghosts that were invited by the Professors like the headless horse rider and Pumpkin head Swordsmen who scared and amused the kids.

The large towers of delicious food designed in scary beasts shapes and monsters also increased everyone’s appetite.

And finally, before the end, Fawkes suddenly came flying from somewhere and sang a beautiful uplifting tune before flying away. That just detonated the cheering of kids before the party ended.

All in all, this was one of the best Halloween in Hogwarts and it was partly credited to Halloween Hero, Harry Potter who won 200 points for Gryffindor.

(Hermione disapproves the silly and dangerous action from Harry Potter and excessive points given by Professors. Both she and Pansy lost in the points fight because of this injustice.)