The Greedy Frog
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HP: The Salazar's Heir Chapter 10
🕑 Added 2024-01-09 10:09:15 +0000 UTCChapter 10: Tamed Beast
Stranded in between a chamber formed purely of files and documents, a man scratched his head.
"If this job didn't pay well, I would have quit long ago."
The man was tired of having to go through hundreds and thousands of documents everyday –carefully reading through each line for possible fine print scams.
"This is not the job of an auror I imagined as a child."
As a child, most imaged aurors to be the amazing fighters that protected the people from evil and criminals. However, the job of an auror was far cry from just simple fights.
It involved going through countless documents, going on patrol, checking for scams among many others.
And in the endless array of work, if not for the pay and respect, most would have never even chosen to be an auror.
"I just want to get out of this place…"
The man cried, unaware that his wish was about to come true.
Signing the hundredth piece of paper, he heard a knock on the door.
"Coleson."
Drawing his attention to the door was a voice that he knew very well.
"Mr. Adams?"
Without waiting for the approval to enter, the man walked inside the chamber without a shred of worry –or maybe, with so much worry that the common courtesy did not even matter to him.
"You…" The main looked at him, short-breathed, "You will have to go to Hogwarts."
This took him Coleson by urprise, "Pardon?"
"You remember the boy that you found and handed over to the headmaster of Hogwarts?"
Coleson had a very bad feeling about this.
"Yes?" Coleson unwillingly nodded, realizing that things were going to get messy.
"Well, looks like he won't just be a boy under Dumbledore's protection for much longer."
Hearing the words of his superior, Coleson was shocked.
How could anyone or anything remove the authority from Dumbledore's hand?
Coleson could not understand.
"I do not understand, sir." Coleson expressed, but the superior merely sighed.
"You will… once you go to where the boy is." He said, "And that is exactly what you are going to do."
"Uh?"
"I said…" The man took a deep breath, "Pack your things, we are going to Hogwarts."
Coleson never knew that the boy he thought would not appear in front of him again was going to stir trouble again.
But maybe… maybe it was for the best.
He needed to get out of the office, after all.
All thanks to a certain half giant forgetting to shut down his messenger.
…
…
[[Hours Before The Ministry]]
[[Salazar's Lair]]
"Ba-Basilisk…"
"Don't move!" Sebastian ordered, preventing Hagrid from moving unnecessarily. "If you spot his reflection instead of direct contact, you will be petrified."
Hagrid gulped thickly, understanding the severity of the situation.
"Why... why's there a basilisk lurkin' 'round 'ere?" Hagrid exclaimed, eyes wide with the rare sight before him. "They were s'posed to be gone, extinct they were. An' fer one to be still 'ere... an' this huge, I never thought I'd see the like!"
Sebastian did not answer Hagrid just yet, instead he walked towards the basilisk –horrifying Hagrid.
"No do–"
"It's okay." Sebastian assured, "He is tamed."
As he said that, he expanded his blood covered palm, causing the basilisk to move his head curiously before slowly lowering it.
"It's been a while hasn't it, Atlas."
Atlas.
That was the name of the Basilisk. A thousand years ago, when the basilisk was first introduced by Salazar, Sebastian could not understand why the old man chose such a grand and mythical name for the basilisk.
Back then, the snake was barely a few inches long and definitely not worthy of a name which was associated with strength, durability and sheer size.
The titan who carried the globe.
But now, Sebastian could see it. And he was also reminded that while he considered himself smart, hid grandfather was still… well his grandfather. A man who had lived for far longer than him, a man who had far greater knowledge than him and a man who knew more about the basilisk than him.
"It's alright." Sebastian assured, "You are alright. You were just doing your work."
Atlas, the basilisk was both sad and embarrassed.
Sad for attacking and hurting the boy who shared the same blood as his master.
The basilisk lowered his head in shame, yet instead of hurting, Sebastian carefully caressed the top of its head, not touching the plume as it was a sensitive spot for the basilisk.
"You did well protecting this place."
"How in the name o' Merlin's beard are ya able to tame a basilisk?" Hagrid asked, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
"I haven't tamed him," Sebastian answered honestly, "He has always been tamed. He has always been someone that stayed with my family."
Now.
Now Hagrid was curious.
All this time he had not asked Sebastian thinking that his question might be improper. But hearing the boy say that his family had tamed a basilisk and seeing how it actually listened to him –Hagrid couldn't help but ask.
"Jus' who in the wizarding world are ya?" Hagrid’s tone filled with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.
As someone who took care of magical beasts all his life, he had never heard of anyone taming a basilisk, much less seeing it in real life.
Sebastian smiled, "I believe you are wondering about my family."
Dumbledore requested him not to carelessly throw around his family name, at least till he was enrolled in Hogwarts. And Sebastian was smart enough to know why the headmaster asked for such a thing.
Of course, he was greedy and wanted Sebastian to join Hogwarts and no other school of magic.
However, another reason was that it would make Sebastian's life bothersome. People and media would flock to him and there was nothing he could do about it.
So, till he was officially the student of Hogwarts, both Dumbledore and Sebastian wanted to hide his family.
"Isn't It pretty clear after this?" Sebastian asked, scratching the head of the serpent –making it hiss in peace. "You must have heard of a family or specifically a man capable of taming a basilisk."
"I 'ave not! There ain't no one in this day and age who could tame a basilisk," Hagrid quickly denied the assertion, his voice firm and resolute.
This however, made Sebastian chuckle, "You are thinking in a very narrow way, Hagrid. Why think of the present, try to think of the past. Hundred, maybe a thousand years ago. There must have been someone that tamed a basilisk. Isn't it?"
"No that–" Hagrid tried to deny, refusing to believe the statement. However, just when he was about to adamantly deny –he recalled someone.
He recalled a certain class in Hogwarts.
He recalled a class where he learnt about something similar in his history class before his expulsion from Hogwarts.
About a certain man, a man that was linked directly to Hogwarts.
And as he recalled, his eyes went wide.
"That... that's impossible!" Hagrid exclaimed, clearly stunned—a rare occurrence for the half-giant. "They went extinct ages ago! No way they're still roam'n' 'round!"
And this time, Sebastian laughed loudly. "You said the same thing about the basilisk, didn't you? Yet here it is, being petted in front of your eyes."
"You can't be…"
Sebastian calmly nodded, "I am. I am the very descendant of the man that you are thinking about."
"You are…" Hagrid was too stunned to speak.
"Yes. My name is… Sebastian Slytherin, the heir to the most ancient and most noble house of Slytherin."
