Magic? || Years 1-5

It's A Basilisk: Year 2

The three of them all turned around painstakingly slowly, face to face with a suspicious looking Professor McGonagall.

"Well," Amisty's voice came out tight as she desperately thought of an explanation, "you see -- "

"We were -- we were -- We were going to -- to go and see -- " Ron couldn't seem to speak straight, his eyes wide.

"Hermione," Harry answered, anything but scared as the lie slid easily off his tongue.

Amisty, Ron, and Professor McGonagall looked at him.

"We haven't seen her for ages, Professor, and we thought we'd sneak into the hospital wing," He stepped on both Ron and her feet, "you know, and tell her the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry -- "

"Of course. Of course, I realize this has all been hardest on the friends of those who have been... I quite understand," Professor McGonagall replied, her voice thick and eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Granger. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. Tell Madame Pomfrey I have given my permission."

As they walked away to the hospital wing, they had no chance in going to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom now, they heard the Professor blow her nose.

Amisty couldn't get over their luck.

"That was the best story you've ever come up with," Ron exclaimed as they walked, still wide eyed.

"You need to teach me how to lie that well, someday," Amisty nodded, running a hand through her curly hair for the thousandth time in the past five minutes.

Now it was even more disheveled.

"Quite honestly, Am, I don't think I want you being able to lie," Harry admitted, laughing lightheartedly.

She glared at him, about to reply when Ron joined in on the gentle teasing.

"I second that notion," Ron raised his right hand jokingly.

She jabbed them with her elbows, rolling her eyes.

When they reached the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey let them in, but she didn't seem to approve of the visit.

"There's just no point talking to a Petrified person," She exclaimed as they walked through the door.

She wasn't wrong, something they noticed very quickly as they took their seats beside Hermione's bed.

Amisty felt her heart sink slightly at the sight, the corners of her mouth tugging down. All she wanted was for Hermione to be back up again, laughing and joking with her as they usually did.

"Wonder if she did see the attacker, though? Because if he sneaked up on them all, no one'll ever know..." Ron was fixated on Hermione's stiff face.

She couldn't bear to look at her friend any longer, instead fiddling with the sheets that hung off the side of the gurney.

Harry leaned closer and then nudged the two of them. He was pointing at Hermione's right hand.

Amisty squinted, covering her mouth to muffle her gasp when she caught sight of the crumpled up paper squeezed tightly in Hermione's grip.

"Try and get it out," Ron whispered, shifting his chair to the side.

Amisty did the same, trying to look nonchalant about their movements. Ron kept an eye on the witch and Amisty watched as Harry tugged and prodded the paper out of Hermione's hand. Finally, he got it.

Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious of deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.