Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 1: Venom

Author's note: The characters and story belong to JK Rowling (story starts at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). Magic can't fix everything. Magical prosthetic eyes such as Mad-Eye Moody's will be explored as a concept much further along in the story (about 60+ chapters in). This story will stick to canon as much as possible (including the neglect of the Dursleys) while exploring this what-if scenario, except for the use of the Accio charm . . . it will be performed by a first-year student.

This is a very slow-building story that will take a lot of time following Harry as he learns how to adapt to his new reality. I'm planning on taking him through the summer and connecting the story up to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and possibly beyond, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Lots of original characters (OCs) will be introduced. I'm not planning on shipping anyone at this point (he's 12!). Also, like many fanfiction writers, I'm writing about things I haven't personally experienced. If you have and think I could do a better job of it, I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Thanks for reading it and for your reviews!

UPDATE: The talented Nebulababe generously offered to beta this story, but was not able to continue beyond chapter 8. Thank you, Nebulababe, for your keen eyes! Chapters 1-8 have been beta'd.

Crossposted in ffnet and AO3: Basilisk Eyes by Hegemone and harrypotterfanfiction as Basilisk Eyes by HegemoneMilo. Basilisk Eyes art at DeviantArt account, Hegemonemilo. I'm also on reddit, u/hegemonemilo.

UPDATE: 12-21-2020 XYDO4art has started translating Basilisk Eyes into Russian! Find it on ficbook dot net 10192934.

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As Harry thrust the sword into the roof of the serpent's mouth, blood spurt from the wound, drenching him. He felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang sank deep into his arm. It splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, on the floor.

Trying to blink the stinging basilisk's blood from his eyes, Harry stumbled and slid down the wall to the floor. He grasped the fang and wrenched it from his arm, screaming as a white-hot pain tore through his body. Dropping the fang, he tried to clear the blood from his eyes with his good hand so that he could see the wound, but it didn't help. My eyes! Tears poured down his face. He heard a soft clatter of claws on the stone beneath him.

"Fawkes," said Harry, his tongue heavy in his mouth. "You were fantastic."

He felt the bird lay its feathered head on the hole in his arm where the fang had pierced him.

Echoing footsteps approached him and a dark shadow moved in front of him. Harry blinked trying to clear his eyes so he could see Tom Riddle, but he remained a dark shadow towering over him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," Tom taunted. "Even Dumbledore's bird knows it! He's crying."

Harry tried to see, but Fawkes was just a pinkish blur.

"I'm just going to sit here and watch you die, Potter! Take your time. I'm in no hurry!" The dark form sank to the floor in front of him.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter!" Riddle crowed.

Harry found it hard to focus on his words as Tom blithely described Harry's predicament, dying alongside Ginny in the bowels of the school on the cold, wet floor of the chamber. Harry's thoughts stumbled to Ron trapped in a pile of rocks and Hermione petrified in the hospital wing and then to the warm fire in the Weasley's kitchen. He sank into the warmth, imagining what it would be like to be embraced by Mrs. Weasley again. He was ready to surrender to it.

But then the cold of the chamber started seeping back into his numb limbs and he felt as if he were waking up. Tom's voice came back into focus. He was talking about Harry's mother, calling her a mudblood. The vile word shook him and he opened his eyes, blinking trying to bring the world back in focus and take the stinging away, but everything was even more shadowy.