Heroes' Journey: To be the Strongest, Be the Weakest

FINAL BIT

"Hebridean! Welcome back, champion!" The Slytherins crowded around him cheering. Hebridean high-fived everyone and headed to his room. It would be good to sleep in an actual bed again. He just wanted to do something first. He took the key and unlocked his broom cupboard. He took some nails, wood and leather. Finally, he was done.

"Alrighty then... don't drop me..." Hebridean stood at a large, second-floor window. He pushed it open and got on his broom. He jumped. He dropped towards the ground, but... at the last second they flew open. He watched in amazement as his broom swooped (mainly) where he told it to. "So that was what we needed all along!" Hebridean mused, patting his broom as its new wings kept it under control. He spotted Magpie in another field, all alone, and went to join her. "Look! It works! It actually works!" Hebridean called, waving with both hands. THUNK. "Well, mainly." Magpie laughed and walked over, giving him a hand up.

"Hebridean! Finally! And just in time too!" she exclaimed. Hebridean looked at her questioningly. "Well, let's just say that that may be a small problem..." Hebridean looked up at the forest. In the distance, trees were falling over in a wave-like pattern. "Go get Hagrid! He'll know what it is!" Hebridean raced off to the lonesome shack. The half-giant had soon alerted the entire school, who scattered throughout the building to watch the weirdly-falling trees from the windows of the school. Hastily, the students passed around word of the cause: Basilisk.

"Students! To your dormitories, wands at ready! Keep low and out of sight! Draw all the curtains!" Mrs. McGonagall called across the halls. The students hurried off, keeping their eyes on the rapidly proceeding beast. Hebridean and Magpie grabbed their wands and broom out, staying in a corner. Students began to pile up at the sole window. Finally, Hermes spotted the beast.

"It's huge!" he commentated, "And dark green, with bright yellow eye-" Hermes froze midsentence. The other Slytherins near him dragged him away and shut the curtains.

"Hermes is paralysed. Stay back and hope that the basilisk didn't realise there are more of us in here." Magpie called to the group. The Slytherins pressed against the walls and under the beds. No one argued, since Magpie was the only student in the school who had figured out how to get into all the other houses' common rooms. Soon a hissing filled the air. Hebridean pointed to his broom silently, and the others grabbed theirs. They would need them for a quick escape if the 15-metre long creature struck. If there was anywhere to escape to. They heard the sound of the creature rearing up. Magpie finished locking a frozen Hermes in his broom cupboard. The walls blew open. Hebridean looked at the creatures shining scales. Soon, someone would look directly into its eyes. That would be the end of them.

"ESCAPE!" Hebridean yelled, zooming forward with his flapping broom. Magpie and the other first years were huddled under the beds. Luckily, the plan worked. The basilisk slid after the brooms, snapping at everyone's heads. The first-years were safe. But now no-one else was. Wherever they went, the basilisk was there.

"Help!" One girl plummeted to the ground. She hit the ground, paralysed. At least she had her glasses on when it looked at her. She could still be healed. But the basilisk was getting too fast. What could they do? The spells that they were casting didn't seem to do much harm. Hebridean looked at the pipe hanging from his neck, the one gifted by the dragons. Maybe it was some sort of dog whistle? He tried it. The snake didn't react.

"Avast ye scurvy Basilisk!" Krishna called. Ravenclaw came streaming out of their common room, loaded with spells.

"One for all and all for one!" Hufflepuff called, peppering the beast with potions just-prepared.

"Wait up!" called Gryffindor, flying out of their common room with glasses on so the beast could only paralyse them. They handed out more to the other houses as the teachers came flying over, hitting all of the basilisk's weak spots with the strongest spells.

"Whaa?" Hebridean cried. That was coincidence! Soon, the basilisk was streaming off, most of the teachers tending to it. And he learnt that it wasn't that much of a coincidence. Amaterasa and Krishna explained that they had heard the whistle, so they came to help. With such noise that Gryffindor heard.

"The teachers probably heard the whistle and raced over. They had probably lost the basilisk... however that's possible for a billion-metre long snake who hisses so loud that it knocks houses down..." Krishna reasoned. Hebridean laughed and flew back to the common room. He had enough of mythical creatures to last all year now. And he was looking forward to a good night's rest.

Just then, the Sun rose, peppering the sky with colours. And just then, Hebridean realised that for the first time in forever, he was looking forward to class. Especially, broom flying.

THE END

Giulia Hoekman Milesi