The Twin Who Lived: Secrets of the Serpent - Into the Serpent's Path

The second-floor girls' bathroom felt colder than the rest of Hogwarts.

Not physically cold, though there was certainly a damp chill hanging in the air. It was the sort of place that seemed abandoned by time itself. Moonlight filtered through the grimy windows, casting pale silver beams across cracked tiles and puddles of stagnant water. Several sinks were chipped or broken, their porcelain stained by decades of neglect. Rust marked the pipes that crawled along the walls like metal vines. The silence felt strange, almost expectant, as though the room itself was holding its breath. Every drip of water echoed unnaturally loudly. Every footstep seemed to linger a second too long. Standing near the doorway, Mira could immediately understand why students avoided the place.

Draco glanced around uneasily, "This place is depressing."

Theo nodded, "I think depressing is being generous."

Blaise carefully stepped around a puddle, "I've seen abandoned dungeons that looked more welcoming."

Daphne folded her arms, "At least abandoned dungeons usually smell better."

Even Snape's expression suggested that he wasn't particularly thrilled about being there.

The Potions Master's black robes swept across the floor as he surveyed the bathroom with narrowed eyes.

Years of experience had taught him to trust his instincts.

His instincts currently disliked everything about this situation.

Especially the possibility that the Chamber of Secrets might actually be hidden here.

A loud wail suddenly echoed through the room.

The sound bounced off the tiled walls.

Daphne jumped.

Theo nearly drew his wand.

Blaise muttered something under his breath.

A translucent figure erupted from one of the toilets.

Moaning Myrtle.

She floated several feet into the air, her thick glasses reflecting the moonlight.

Her expression was one of profound misery.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqqwin2YBY

As usual.

"Nobody appreciates me," Myrtle moaned dramatically, "Nobody ever visits poor Myrtle."

Then she noticed the group.

Especially Snape.

Her eyes widened, "Professor Snape!"

Snape looked like a man reconsidering every life choice that had brought him to this bathroom.

Mira stepped forward before the ghost could launch into a twenty-minute complaint.

"Hello, Myrtle."

Myrtle blinked.

Her expression softened slightly.

"You're Mira."

Mira nodded.

The ghost floated lower.

Unlike many students, Mira had always been polite to her.

That earned goodwill.

At least by Myrtle's standards.

Which was no small achievement.

"We need your help."

Myrtle's eyebrows rose, "My help?"

Her voice contained genuine surprise.

Nobody usually asked Myrtle for help.

Mostly they tried to avoid her.

Mira smiled gently, "Can you tell us what happened before you died?"

The bathroom fell silent.

Even the dripping water seemed quieter.

Myrtle's expression changed immediately.

Sadness replaced annoyance.

The familiar pain of old memories surfaced.

For several moments she simply floated there.

Staring at nothing.

Remembering.

Then she spoke.

Slowly.

Carefully.

As though reopening a wound centuries old.

"I was hiding." Her voice became softer, "Olive Hornby was teasing me again."

Bitterness entered her tone.

"I came here to cry." The ghost looked around the bathroom.

As though seeing it as it had once been.

"I locked myself inside a stall." Her gaze drifted toward one of the cubicles, "I remember crying. Then I heard someone enter."

Mira listened carefully.

Nobody interrupted.

Nobody moved.

Myrtle continued, "It was a boy. A student. He was talking," She frowned, "I couldn't understand what he was saying."

Her translucent fingers twisted together nervously, "It sounded strange. Almost like hissing."

At that, everyone exchanged glances.

Parseltongue.

Without question.

Mira felt her pulse quicken.

Draco's expression darkened.

Snape's eyes narrowed.

The story was matching their suspicions perfectly.

"What happened next?" Mira asked softly.

Myrtle looked away.

The memory clearly troubled her.

"I was annoyed." She gave a small huff, "I opened the stall door. I wanted to tell him to leave."

The ghost shivered despite having no physical body.

Then her voice became barely audible, "And then I saw them. The eyes."

A silence settled over the room.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Ancient.

"The eyes?" Daphne asked quietly.

Myrtle nodded.

Fear flickered across her face.

Even after death.

Even after fifty years.

The memory still frightened her.

"Two enormous yellow eyes." She pointed toward the sink area, "Over there."

Everyone turned immediately.

Myrtle's finger remained fixed, "The last thing I ever saw," Her voice trembled, "Then everything went dark."

Nobody spoke for several moments.

Mira's mind raced.

Yellow eyes.

Parseltongue.

Tom Riddle.

The Chamber.

Everything was fitting together.

Piece by piece.

Like a puzzle finally revealing its image.

Draco looked toward the sinks, "The basilisk."

Snape nodded grimly, "It would explain her death."

Theo swallowed.

Knowing the theory was one thing.

Hearing testimony from the victim herself was another.

Mira looked back toward Myrtle, "Before that happened..."

Myrtle blinked, "Yes?"

"Did you ever know Tom Riddle?"

The name immediately caught the ghost's attention.

She frowned thoughtfully, "Tom?"

Mira nodded, "Tom Riddle."

Myrtle thought for a moment.

Then slowly nodded, "I knew who he was."

Her expression became strange.

Uncertain.

Almost wary.

"He was odd."

The statement surprised nobody.

Myrtle continued, "Polite. Charming. But odd," She floated closer. Lowering her voice, "As though he was always hiding something."

Snape's mouth twitched slightly.

That was perhaps the most accurate description of Tom Riddle he had ever heard.

"He spent time alone," Myrtle continued, "And I saw him talking to snakes."

The bathroom became utterly silent.

There it was.

Confirmation.

Draco exchanged a glance with Mira.

Theo looked stunned.

Blaise folded his arms.

Daphne stared at Myrtle.

Even Snape looked thoughtful.

Tom Riddle.

Parseltongue.

The Chamber.

Everything pointed in one direction.

Everything.

Mira could almost see the chain of events unfolding across history.

The frightened orphan.

The Chamber.

The basilisk.

The diary.

The attacks.

It all connected.

Slowly, Mira approached the sinks.

The others followed.

The row of ancient basins appeared ordinary at first glance.

Old.

Cracked.

Neglected.

Nothing remarkable.

Nothing suspicious.

Yet appearances could be deceiving.

Especially at Hogwarts.

Especially when Salazar Slytherin was involved.

Mira carefully examined each faucet.

One by one.

Searching.

Looking.

Waiting.

Then she found it.

Her breath caught.

"Here."

Everyone immediately gathered around.

The faucet looked identical to the others.

Except for one detail.

A tiny engraving.

Nearly invisible.

A serpent.

Its body coiled around the metal.

Its eyes crafted with extraordinary detail.

Its mouth slightly open.

Waiting.

Watching.

Hidden in plain sight.

Draco stared, "That's it."

Theo nodded, "It has to be."

Even Snape looked impressed, "A remarkably subtle mechanism."

Mira reached out.

Her fingers brushed the engraved snake.

Ancient magic stirred.

She could feel it.

Sleeping.

Waiting.

For the right command.

The right voice.

The right language.

Everyone stepped back.

The room seemed quieter than ever.

Even Myrtle floated closer.

Curiosity overcoming her usual misery.

Mira stared at the serpent engraving.

Then opened herself to Parseltongue.

The language felt natural.

Effortless.

Like breathing.

Like music.

Like instinct.

Then she spoke, "Open."

The word emerged as a soft hiss.

Ancient.

Fluid.

Powerful.

The moment the command left her lips, the entire bathroom shuddered.

A deep grinding noise echoed through the room.

Stone shifted.

Metal groaned.

The sinks began moving.

One by one.

Sliding away from the center.

Daphne gasped.

Theo took an involuntary step backward.

Blaise stared in amazement.

Draco couldn't hide his excitement.

Even Snape looked momentarily stunned.

The sinks continued moving.

Revealing darkness beneath.

A massive circular opening emerged where the central sink had stood.

Black.

Ancient.

Bottomless.

A tunnel descending deep beneath Hogwarts.

Far below.

Into darkness.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFDNDY8Mta

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The tunnel seemed to breathe cold air upward from the depths below. Ancient magic lingered around the opening like a living thing. Shadows twisted along the stone walls. Somewhere far below, unseen water echoed through the darkness. Myrtle stared at the entrance with wide eyes. Theo looked simultaneously fascinated and horrified. Daphne folded her arms tightly. Blaise's usual confidence had vanished beneath cautious respect. Draco stood beside Mira, his grey blue eyes fixed on the opening. And beside them all, Professor Snape stared into the darkness below, realizing that after a thousand years of rumors, legends, and speculation, they had finally found the true entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

Cold air drifted upward from the darkness below, carrying with it the scent of damp stone, stagnant water, and something older. Something that felt forgotten by time itself. The circular shaft descended far beyond what should have been possible beneath Hogwarts. Shadows swallowed the lower depths completely. The only illumination came from the pale glow of their wands and the moonlight filtering through the bathroom above. Nobody spoke for several long moments. The weight of what they had discovered settled heavily upon every shoulder. A thousand years of secrets lay beneath them. And somewhere in those depths, a Basilisk was moving through the darkness.

Mira took a slow breath.

Her mind was racing.

Finding the entrance had been one thing.

Entering it was something else entirely.

The Chamber was no longer a legend.

No longer a theory.

It was real.

Before anyone could move toward the opening, Mira knelt and opened her Sanctuary Suitcase.

A moment later, a familiar brown shape bounded out.

Finn.

The Jackalope landed gracefully upon the bathroom floor.

His ears twitched curiously.

The tiny creature immediately sensed the tension in the room.

The usual playfulness vanished.

Instead, he stood alert and attentive.

Waiting.

Listening.

Ready.

Mira smiled faintly.

She trusted Finn completely.

From one of her enchanted pouches, Mira removed a small silver brooch.

Intricate runes glimmered softly across its surface.

A Whisperlink.

One of her own creations.

She carefully fastened it around Finn's neck.

The tiny communicator adjusted itself automatically.

The runes briefly flashed blue.

Then settled.

Finn looked down at it proudly.

As though he had just been awarded a medal.

Draco chuckled despite the situation, "You know he's going to show that off."

"He absolutely is," Mira agreed.

She gently scratched behind Finn's ears.

"I need you to find Professor Dumbledore."

Finn immediately became serious.

"Give him this Whisperlink."

The Jackalope's ears stood straight and nodded vigorously.

His determination made him look strangely heroic.

Despite being only slightly larger than a rabbit.

"Be careful."

The words slipped out before Mira could stop them.

Finn immediately nuzzled her hand.

A gesture that made several members of the group smile.

Then, without another word, the Jackalope bounded away.

His brown form disappeared through the bathroom doorway.

Gone within seconds.

The castle suddenly felt quieter after his departure.

Mira watched the doorway for a moment.

Then turned back toward the shaft.

There was still work to do.

Next came another preparation.

Mira reached into her enchanted satchel.

This time she withdrew a small silver sphere.

It unfolded in her palm.

Metal wings emerged.

Tiny blue runes illuminated along its surface.

The Auror Spy Snitch.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UAix2TJ6V

Mira gently released the device.

The silver Snitch rose into the air.

Its wings beat silently.

Almost immediately, its runes shifted color.

The metal surface altered itself.

Camouflaging.

Blending with its surroundings.

Within seconds it became nearly invisible.

Only the faintest shimmer remained.

The Spy Snitch circled the group once.

Then hovered overhead.

Waiting for instructions.

Mira touched the Whisperlink brooch on her robes.

"Stay linked."

The runes flashed.

Connection established.

Snape watched the device with obvious interest, "Remarkably sophisticated."

Coming from Severus Snape, that was high praise.

Mira smiled slightly, "Thank you."

Draco looked smug.

As though he'd personally invented it.

Theo noticed, "You didn't make it."

Draco immediately looked offended, "I supported the inventor."

Blaise rolled his eyes, "Of course you did."

Even Snape's mouth twitched slightly.

Then Mira turned toward the shaft once more.

The darkness below seemed deeper now.

More ominous.

Waiting.

Watching.

The serpent engraving remained visible on the sink mechanism.

A reminder of the founder who had hidden this place.

Mira stepped forward.

Closed her eyes.

And spoke once again in Parseltongue.

The hissing language echoed through the bathroom.

Ancient magic responded instantly.

The shaft trembled.

Stone groaned.

A low rumbling sound filled the room.

Then something extraordinary happened.

From within the walls of the tunnel, stone began to emerge.

Step by step.

Rung by rung.

A spiraling ladder formed itself along the shaft.

Ancient craftsmanship revealed after centuries of dormancy.

The structure descended deep into the darkness.

Far below.

Into the hidden depths beneath Hogwarts.

Theo stared in amazement, "That's useful."

Daphne nodded, "Much better than jumping."

Snape tested one of the stone steps.

Solid.

Stable.

Safe.

"As safe as anything hidden by Salazar Slytherin can be."

That wasn't especially reassuring.

Still, it was enough.

The group exchanged glances.

Nobody suggested turning back.

Not anymore.

Not after finding the entrance.

Their path was set.

Forward.

Only forward.

The descent felt endless.

The ladder wound downward through ancient stone.

Far beneath Hogwarts.

Far beneath the lake.

Far beneath the foundations of the castle itself.

The air grew colder with every step.

Damper.

Older.

The sounds of Hogwarts slowly vanished behind them.

No distant conversations.

No moving staircases.

No ghosts.

Only silence.

And dripping water.

Eventually their feet touched solid ground.

The tunnel stretched ahead.

Dark.

Vast.

Ancient.

The walls glistened with moisture.

Massive roots pushed through the stone ceiling overhead.

Puddles reflected wandlight across the floor.

The place felt untouched.

Like a forgotten world buried beneath another.

Theo's voice emerged softly, "Merlin."

No one disagreed.

Then Draco's light illuminated something.

Bones.

Hundreds of them.

Perhaps thousands.

The remains of animals littered the tunnel floor.

Skeletons of rats.

Cats.

Foxes.

Birds.

Creatures Mira couldn't immediately identify.

Some appeared ancient.

Others looked more recent.

The realization settled heavily upon everyone.

This was the Basilisk's feeding ground.

Evidence of centuries of hunting.

Centuries of death.

The tunnel suddenly felt far more dangerous.

Daphne wrapped her arms around herself, "That's unsettling."

"Understatement." Blaise replied quietly.

Even Snape looked grim.

The Potions Master had seen plenty of unpleasant things throughout his life.

Yet even he seemed disturbed by the sheer number of remains.

Mira carefully stepped over a pile of bones.

The tunnel stretched onward.

Deep into darkness.

Toward the Chamber.

Toward the Basilisk.

Then the humming returned.

Stronger than before.

The Whispering Balm Jade vibrated against her chest.

At the same moment, the Witcher Medallion trembled violently.

Mira stopped walking.

Instantly.

Everyone noticed.

Draco's expression hardened.

"What is it?"

Mira's gaze swept across the tunnel.

Listening.

Feeling.

Sensing.

Then she swallowed, "The Basilisk."

The words hung heavily in the air.

Theo's face paled.

Daphne froze.

Blaise tightened his grip on his wand.

Even Snape immediately became more alert.

Mira's medallions had never been wrong.

Not once.

If they were reacting this strongly—

The creature was close.

Very close.

Somewhere within the darkness ahead.

Watching.

Waiting.

Then the Whisperlink pinned to Mira's robes suddenly glowed.

A soft blue light pulsed from the brooch.

The group immediately fell silent.

Dumbledore.

Mira touched the device.

The connection activated.

The Headmaster's voice sounded directly within her mind.

Calm.

Measured.

Yet carrying unmistakable urgency.

"Mira."

Her heart skipped.

"Professor?"

"We have a situation."

Dumbledore continued.

"Ginny Weasley has been taken."

The tunnel seemed to grow colder.

"Taken where?" Mira asked.

"The Basilisk appears to have brought her into the Chamber."

Silence followed.

A dreadful silence.

The reality of the situation finally settled over them completely.

This was no longer simply an investigation.

No longer merely a mystery.

Someone's life was at stake.

Ginny's life.

And every second mattered.

Mira straightened.

"We found the entrance."

A pause followed.

Then surprise.

"You found it?"

"Second-floor girls' bathroom."

Even through the Whisperlink, she could hear Dumbledore's astonishment.

Mira continued, "We're already below the castle. We've entered the tunnel. My medallions are reacting."

Another pause.

Then understanding, "The Basilisk is nearby."

"Yes." Mira confirmed.

Dumbledore's voice softened, "Be careful."

For a moment, Mira was reminded not of a Headmaster.

But of a grandfather worried about his students.

The thought strengthened her resolve.

"We'll be fine." Mira continued, "We'll find Ginny. We'll contact you again soon."

The connection ended.

The blue glow faded.

Silence returned to the tunnel.

Everyone immediately looked toward Mira.

"What happened?" Theo asked.

Mira relayed the message.

Word for word.

Nobody interrupted.

Nobody joked.

Nobody complained.

The gravity of the situation left no room for it.

By the time she finished speaking, every face had become serious.

Determined.

Focused.

Far ahead, the darkness stretched endlessly into the depths of the earth. Somewhere beyond those winding tunnels lay the Chamber of Secrets. Somewhere beyond those shadows waited a Basilisk older than most magical governments. And somewhere beyond that darkness, Ginny Weasley was alone. Mira tightened her grip on her wand. Draco stepped beside her. Snape moved to the front of the group, his black robes flowing like shadows. Theo, Blaise, and Daphne followed close behind. Without another word, they advanced deeper into the ancient tunnel, following the path of the serpent toward the heart of Salazar Slytherin's greatest secret.

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