Albus Potter, Classmates and Elves

Ch 11 Magical Glasses

Friday afternoon December seventh Harry met with Minerva to talk about the basilisk, and about the glasses that would protect you from the stare of a basilisk. He then ate dinner, sitting at the staff table in the Great Hall. As dinner started, Minerva announced, "At the end of Dinner Mr. Potter will have a very important announcement."

As dinner was coming to a close, Harry arose to address the students. "We are reasonably sure there is a basilisk alive in and around Hogwarts," he started. "It has killed animals and two centaurs. The stare of the basilisk is what killed Myrtle Warren, Moaning Myrtle, and we do not want any of you to be killed by the basilisk. Tomorrow I will be here in the Great Hall at 8:00 AM with glasses that will protect you from the basilisk stare. If you already wear glasses, we will have people who can charm your own glasses to protect you.

"If you have any idea where the basilisk is, or how we may get to where it is, please let us know. We think it may be in the Chamber of Secrets. The way I entered the Chamber of Secrets is blocked, but we feel there is probably another way in.

"Even if you are wearing the glasses, a basilisk is a very dangerous creature. It can kill you with its venom, or squeeze you to death. I do not want any of you going after the basilisk on your own."

After Harry sat down, Albus caught his father's eyes, and Harry nodded, mouthing, "I will see you after dinner." After dinner he stood up and walked over to Albus, and Albus and Scorpius rose to great him. Rose and Cleo walked over to meet them as well.

"Dad," Albus started in with, "We think the Chamber of Secrets is in the direction of the lake, maybe close to the Slytherin dorm or at least somewhere in that direction. We, Cleo, Rose, Scorpius and I, have been trying to map all the areas under Hogwarts, so the Elves can expand their area. They want more private bedrooms, and many more Elves are coming to Hogwarts to be educated. But we cannot map or get to the areas between the current basements and the lake. There is not anything we can see there, but it seems like our attempts to map are being hindered."

"I can feel resistance, Mr. Potter," Cleo added. "When we try to map the Slytherin Dorm and the Elf area and what is between them I can feel a push back something."

"I don't have an answer for you," Harry replied with a puzzled frown. "Please wear the special glasses all the time. I am also going to bring Fawkes, just in case something goes very wrong. I take him with me when we are going on raids, but otherwise he can stay with Albus."

"I think that is a good idea," Albus agreed. "Thank you."

"I want you to map the sewage treatment plant and grounds, Albus," Harry told the group. "Just wait for me to call you before you go over there. I want to make sure Bowman Flint is not going to be home before you go there."

"I think he knew who we were," Cleo volunteered. "Not just Albus, but all of us. I really do not like the way he looked at me, like ... like I was a possession that he needed to do something to. Not sexual, exactly, but it is like, a cold feeling like when a ghost passes through you." She gave a small shiver of revulsion.

"Thank you for telling me this, Cleo," Harry responded. "I don't trust the man either."

*

Saturday December eight Harry Potter, Angelica Weasley and a team of Magi held shop in the Great Hall, fitting glasses to all the students who wanted them, and treating glasses with special spells for the students who wore classes. The also provided special invisible side shields for glasses so you would not accidently look at the basilisk directly and not through your glasses.

Myrtle Warren asked, "Is there any way you can make glasses for us ghosts?"

Cleo was listening to the conversations. She thought out loud, looking at Albus, "Well, you just have to use that magical ... but you could not hold it on. Maybe ... no that would not work either. That is a really hard problem." She started muttering to herself as she worked on the puzzle in her mind, but wasn't able to come up with a solution.