CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── "I never wanted this for you."
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Y/N POV
My quiet footsteps echoed in the silence as we moved through the dimly lit corridors of the library. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last as we stepped forward into the darkness. Despite my best efforts to stay calm, an unsettling chill settled in the pit of my stomach, reminding me that we were walking straight into danger.
"Hermione, I don't think we're any closer to finding the beast than we were before..." I trailed off, glancing at the brunette beside me. She was relentless, her eyes still searching for a sign of the creature. "And even if we were, this is too dangerous. We could be killed!"
"Y/n, we have to keep looking," Hermione replied, her voice edged with determination as she shuffled through old tomes.
I crossed my arms over my chest, advancing toward her. "What exactly are we looking for, Hermione?"
Hermione's eyes shot to mine, her voice a quiet shout, "The Basalisk of course!"
With my eyebrows furrowed, I tried to think as logically as I could. "And what do you plan on defending yourself with?"
"This mirror," Hermione answered, holding up a small hand mirror that she probably snatched from the common room. "It won't kill...but it might petrify if we're not careful."
I let out a nervous laugh, "So you have a death wish?"
Hermione chose to ignore me and keep looking, and I had no choice but to follow. No matter the circumstances, I wouldn't leave my friend in a dangerous situation, no matter how dangerous that situation may be.
"Hermione!" I called, jogging after her. The brunette was now all the way on the other side of the library.
"Hold on!" The girl replied, her back facing me as she focused on the task at hand.
"If we get killed in blaming you," I huffed, catching up to her.
"Yeah, yeah." She said, continuing to gaze through the mirror.
Then, out of nowhere, I heard it — a low, rumbling growl. It was deep, monstrous, and distinctly inhuman.
"What was that?!" I asked, my pulse quickening as my eyes darted in every direction.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Hermione said, brushing it off. "But just in case, stay close. And only look in the mirror—"
A sudden, sinister hiss filled the air, the unmistakable sound of scales dragging across the stone floor. My heart thudded in my chest as I instinctively took a few steps back.
