# Snape
"So, what has our great savior, Potter, done this time to shake the heavens and the earth?"
Snape returned to his desk, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
## Orli
"Professor, Harry... he can talk to snakes."
Orli felt like a shameful tattletale, but she had no choice but to start with this revelation.
# Snape
"...What did you say?!"
Snape's hollow black eyes fixed on her, and for a moment, she felt as though her mind might crumble.
## Orli
"I only found out today. We were looking for a type of herb near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and we attracted some snakes. He made this strange hissing sound, and they left."
Orli spoke quickly, almost stumbling over her words.
## Orli
"And a few days ago, he said he heard the same kind of sounds in the corridor, but none of us could hear them."
# Snape
"And how do you know Potter isn't just seeking attention?"
Snape retorted.
## Orli
"Harry isn't like that. He really can understand snakes!"
Orli shook her head.
## Orli
"Do you know about Parseltongue?"
# Snape
"Salazar Slytherin."
Snape narrowed his eyes.
# Snape
"Perhaps the Potter family has some distant, convoluted connection to him. So what?"
## Orli
"So I suspect... there might be a dangerous snake roaming the castle..."
Orli ventured cautiously.
# Snape
"Hah. 'A dangerous snake roaming the castle.'"
Snape let out a cold laugh.
# Snape
"Waters, just because you happened to guess correctly about a few things last term doesn't mean you're omniscient now. If there really were such a snake, are all the professors and students blind? Or do you believe there's a snake in the world that only Potter can see?"
## Orli
"No, Professor. It's possible."
Orli clenched her fists, feeling more nervous than ever.
## Orli
"Maybe it's hiding in the complex network of passageways, or even in the pipes!"
# Snape
"I don't have time to play detective games with you."
Snape waved his hand impatiently.
# Snape
"If there are snakes or toads in the castle's pipes, that's normal. Such matters should be left to Hagrid or Filch. I'd be happy to introduce you to them."
## Orli
"Please listen to me! Harry is in danger. In fact, everyone at Hogwarts is in danger."
Orli's voice was soft, but her heart pounded so heavily it felt as though it might burst from her throat.
## Orli
"Do you know that Salazar Slytherin once kept a basilisk at Hogwarts?"
Snape's expression froze, and he looked genuinely shocked.
Orli pulled several large books from her satchel and spread them out on Snape's desk, pointing to specific passages.
## Orli
"Here, in Hogwarts: A History, it mentions that before he left the school, he created a secret chamber and left a basilisk inside. And here, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it says that basilisks can live for over a thousand years, which means the basilisk could still be alive! It also says that a basilisk's gaze can kill anyone who looks directly into its eyes. Professor, if the basilisk is alive in Hogwarts right now, someone could die at any moment!"
For nearly a full minute, Snape said nothing.
Orli thought he was formulating a plan to deal with the basilisk, but when he finally spoke, his words left her bitterly disappointed.
# Snape
"Fairy tales end here, Waters. If you spent less time indulging in baseless detective stories and more time on your Transfiguration homework, your grades last term might not have been so abysmal."
His expression returned to its usual cold indifference.
# Snape
"Now, back to your dormitory and get some sleep before I change my mind and hand you over to Filch!"
When Orli left the dungeon office, her steps felt unbearably heavy. She felt as though everything she had said had been dismissed outright. The one person she trusted most thought she was just making things up.
This sense of dejection weighed on her so heavily that she even forgot about the potential danger. She kept her head down as she made her way back to the tower, clutching the books in her arms as if to remind herself that all of this was truly happening.
But she didn't notice the dark figure trailing a short distance behind her, moving stealthily through the shadows. The figure only turned away and headed toward the headmaster's office after watching her climb through the Fat Lady's portrait hole.
——————————————————————————
New chapter live! Patreon updated to Chapter 121
Join for exclusive content: patreon.com/DarkGolds
Thank you for your support.