Chapter 31. The Basilisk Hunt. Part 3. Salazar Slytherin
After shifting the last stone aside, Severus could finally see the passage the basilisk had crawled out of earlier. It was narrow, but still easily wide enough for three people to crawl through at once.
"Maybe I should go and check first?"
"No need." He jumped into the tunnel and, crouching, began to move forward at a steady pace.
A couple of minutes later, after a fairly winding crawl, he finally emerged into an open space: a spacious cave with something like a nest in one corner. Of course, there were no eggs. The basilisk lived alone and could not fertilize itself.
"It is empty here." Nagini said with a little disappointment, clearly expecting a real mountain of treasure.
"I would not say that," Severus replied. He approached the nest, raised his palms, and released a stream of flame that, in a few seconds, burned away the dry leaves, branches, and other vegetation that had somehow, almost miraculously, ended up beneath the wards.
As soon as the flame died and the ashes were blown aside, Severus saw the imprint of a palm on the smooth stone.
"Hmm. too simple."
"Maybe I should put my palm on it and say, 'Open up'?"
"You are such a naive soul," he said, gently patting the top of her head as he smiled and placed his palm in the indentation. The next moment, an unpleasant hissing sound rose up, and the air filled with the smell of burning.
Lifting his hand, Severus studied the glove. It had not been burned through, but it was close. He immediately tore it off and put on a new one; fortunately, he had prepared three pairs in advance for exactly this sort of situation.
"See? This has to be an entrance, but only for Salazar's descendants. I felt something trying to pierce the glove to draw my blood, and when that failed, it released acid, presumably to punish anyone who tried to enter without being an heir." In the next moment, a transparent dome formed over Severus's head, and acid poured from hundreds of holes in the ceiling. "Too predictable," he said, and when he looked back at the entrance he saw that it had already sealed shut.
"I. I did not know it was a trap. I did not want to."
Hearing Nagini almost sobbing, and feeling her emotions wash over him like a wave, Severus gave a crooked smile.
"I am glad you have become more emotional, but can you see that we are in danger? And I chose to do this myself." There was not a hint of worry on his face, only calm. That soothed her a little, though she was still surprised by his reaction. "That is why I never took a familiar in my past life. It is too much trouble, constantly sensing other people's emotions."
His gaze slid to the walls, and he closed his eyes, focusing fully on his surroundings as he searched for anything solid or unnatural in the magic.
The acid pouring down like a torrential rain did not stop; if anything, it intensified. The barrier held, but it was not all-powerful, and it was being eaten away little by little. The magic in this cave was limited and could not be replenished because of the materials the walls were made from, making it a near-perfect trap for careless wizards.
It took only a few minutes for the acid to flood the floor completely, rising several dozen centimeters.
"Found it." Finally opening his eyes, Severus walked to the stone wall on the left. Touching the uneven surface, he bared his teeth, and a stream of black flame burst from his palm. It lasted only a few seconds before his core tightened and he had to stop at once.
Even that was enough to burn a huge hole through the meter-thick wall. He slipped through into a tunnel that led to a door decorated in the finest Slytherin colors. It was silver, bearing the Slytherin symbol, edged with green patterns, its handle shaped like a snake. Two statues completed the composition on the left and right: one of a basilisk, and the other of an elderly bald wizard with a long, pointed beard, dressed in flowing robes.
"Looks like this is Salazar," Severus said with interest as he moved closer to the statues, while the hole behind him quickly healed under the nonverbal Reparo he had cast.
"I am sorry."
"It is fine. Just try to learn to control your emotions."
"I will try," Nagini hissed with a tired sigh, studying the statues as well. "But what if this too."
"Unlikely, but it never hurts to be careful at moments like this," Severus agreed, sheathing his hand in flames. Just as he was about to take the handle, it suddenly came to life and hissed at him. Severus did not care. He grabbed it anyway, making it hiss even more furiously before it finally went still, returning to an ordinary handle. "Too predictable." Severus opened the door, revealing a small room that vaguely resembled Dumbledore's office, only in green tones.
On the right and left stood huge bookcases. A red carpet ran down the center to a table where several books, sheets of paper, ink pens, and a snake statue lay. Behind it, on the wall, hung a portrait of the same old wizard whose statue Severus had seen at the entrance.
"Interesting," he said, scanning the shelves first and noting with surprise several rather intriguing titles. One in particular caught his attention, a book by Herpo the Foul, one of the most powerful dark wizards in this world. Its title was downright tempting: "How to Become Immortal?" Even in my old world there were no Immortals. Sure, no one forbids living forever, but the soul will still slowly rot over that eternity, which is why those hundreds of Creators never managed to survive until my time. And here is such an intriguing title. I cannot wait to read this masterpiece.
"Severus. I saw his eyes twitch," Nagini whispered, pointing her trembling tail toward the portrait.
From the moment they had entered the room, she had felt out of place, as if someone was watching her, and a strange whisper would not leave her alone.
"Do not worry. It is a living portrait. I just do not understand why he is playing dumb," Severus said, taking one of the books and throwing it at the portrait.
"Hey! What are you doing in my office?! Have not you been taught any manners?!" the elderly wizard snapped, his voice furious and laced with arrogance.
"There is no point trying to talk my companion into anything. If you try that again, I will burn you." Without even glancing at him, Severus kept scanning the shelves until he reached a book that bulged slightly. "Hmm."
"Hey! How dare you threaten the founder of your house?! Where is your respect for your elders?! You are nothing but a pathetic half-blood."
The moment a fireball appeared in Severus's hand, the portrait fell silent.
"I am glad we understand each other."
"He is definitely up to something."
"True. For example, right now he is trying to use Legilimency to break into my mind, thinking I am not paying attention." Shock flashed over Salazar's face at those words. "Better to let him try, then at least he will stay quiet." The sheer indifference left Nagini speechless, but she still felt calmer, seeing that Severus did not give a damn about the old wizard in the portrait, even though that icy gaze still sent shivers down her spine.
"Who are you? You cannot be a simple student."
"You should have stayed quiet," Severus said, pulling his attention away from the books and fixing his gaze on the glowering Salazar. "But I will disappoint you. I am a simple student, just a very talented one."
"A student who can kill my pet and get here cannot be a simple student."
"Well, that is how it is. Nothing to be done," he replied, turning back to the shelves. He pointed his hand at the bookcase and, in an instant, transferred all the books into his wallet, the second one, since the first was packed with the basilisk's body. "Just as I suspected," he said. "Only three books stayed on the shelf." What order?
The portrait looked practically out of breath with rage at the disrespect. This was HIS office, and some half-blood had dared to rob HIM right in front of his eyes, even though he was only a fragment of the real Salazar.
"Put them back at once! This is my collection, and a pathetic half-blood like you has no right to touch it!" But instead of returning anything, Severus's smile only widened. He crossed to the second bookcase and emptied it as well. Just like before, three books remained, clearly part of some mechanism.
Severus did not stop there. Amid the founder's furious shouting, he continued stripping the office bare, tossing everything into the purse. Nagini simply closed her eyes and vanished under his sweater, and somewhere deep down she even felt a little sorry for the portrait.
And only ten minutes later, the office was crystal clear, except for two cabinets. All the decorations, books, certificates, cups, jewelry, artifacts, and everything else had been confiscated by Severus.
"Thief! You are a damned thief! Vandal! How dare you rob my office?! How can you be so disrespectful to the dead?!"
"Relax. I will sell it all later to Muggle-born wizards for half price."
"No! Not Muggle-borns! Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?!" the elderly wizard nearly cried.
"Well. I tried to drown us in acid. Is that not enough?" Severus walked up to the portrait and studied the frame. "It is gold, right?"
That question left Salazar blank for a heartbeat, but when he realized what Severus was about to do, a stingy tear slid down his cheek.
"Green, red, green, blue, green. yellow."
"I am glad you understood," Severus said with a smile as he stepped away from the painting and moved to the cabinets, where he began pushing the books back in that same order.
"What if this is a trick?"
"Do not worry, it is not a trap. He is just trying to distract me from what is behind him, right?" Severus glanced at Salazar, who was pale as death, finished arranging the books, and at that very moment a ladder began to descend from the ceiling.
"H-how?"
"You simply do not know how to use illusion magic, that is all."
The moment the Parselmouth caught Severus's predatory look, he shuddered.
"You would not dare."
"Is it true?"
"How can you rob the founder of your house? Do not you have any shame? At least be reasonable."
"If you are worried about your family, it is completely extinct. You have no one to pass your knowledge and wealth on to, so rest in peace."
"Rest in peace after hearing my whole family is extinct? You think I did not know that?" Salazar hissed, glaring at Severus with icy fury. "But I will not give anything to a pathetic Muggle-born like you!" In the next moment the door slammed shut, and the office shook. "You will die here!"
"I told you so." Nagini hissed, poking her head out from under Severus's sweater, a hint of weariness in her voice. ".or rather. forget it. I did not say anything. I am tired of being surprised today. When you are done, please wake me up," and she slipped back inside just the same way.
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