The Serpent's Secrets

Impostors and A Basilisk

"Sorry Del." He said. "Did you like the necklace Mum sent you? She was worried that it wouldn't be enough. Kept going on about how your uncle hardly ever does anything for you, and that you needed a 'woman's touch.'" He asked trying to distract her from his comment.

"The necklace was beautiful, I did send a thank you letter. Now I've told Aunt Cissy that while my uncle can be a prat a fair amount of the time, actually all of the time, he does care. And don't think that bringing that up has made me forget about that comment because I've told you before just because your father is a git doesn't mean you have to act like one as well." She snapped obviously still angry with Draco. Vincent groaned again his ears turning somewhat red.

"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked Vincent who clutched his stomach.

"He's got a stomach ache." Greggory replied, his voice gruff.

"Come with me Greg." Edelweiss said gesturing to Vincent and he followed her over to the doorway but couldn't go past. "Oh sorry. Liberare. Here." She said and the boundary was disabled. Once they'd entered her dorm she took out some of the potions she kept in her trunk. She took one out and tapped it with her wand. It changed to a brownish color and she handed it to Vincent, then pointed her wand at him muttering.

"Clovaria. Drink this." She said and his hair, which had been turning red returned to brown. Reluctantly he looked at the potion, and Edelweiss gave him a look. "It's not a test potion, you know I only give those to Draco, when he's acting like a prat. The moment I take my eyes off of him he goes and insults someone. Though I really should find a way to hex Lucius for this, teaching his son such despicable things. Years, for years I've been trying to get him to stop using that bloody word, but he can't because it's all he knows to use." She threw her hands up in the air. Vincent glanced at the potion then at her and drank it in one gulp.

"Really?" He rasped, his freckles disappeared and Edelweiss smiled.

"Perfect, now you take this," She said leading him towards the door while handing him a small vial of Calming Draught. "Deliver it to Ginny Weasly and tell the twins they owe me." She pushed him out the door, "And for Godric's sake Ronald be careful." She said closing the door behind him. Leaving Vincent, or rather Ron, standing in the hall shocked. He made his way out to the Slytherin Common room where Greggory was listening to Draco rant.

"She said to wait with Madame Pomfrey after taking the potion." He groaned showing them the potion.

"I'll walk him down." Greggory said, confusing Draco.

"Fine but come back quick or Del really will turn my hair green." He said sounding slightly fearful. The pair left the common room and ran away from the dungeons.

A few nights later while Edelweiss was sitting in her bean bag in the Room Of Requirement the twins burst in.

"Weiss! How did you talk to Ginny? The girl won't talk to anyone, but Ron said that you sent something to her and she accepted it?" Fred yelled at her and she snapped.

"Yes because I actually talked to her and offered to listen to her." The twins claimed their seats, Fred across from her, and George on the bean bag next to her.

"Explain." George both asked and ordered at the same time, causing Edelweiss to scoff.

"No, I promised her I would keep her secrets and I don't break promises." Edelweiss sighed and George threw his arm over her shoulder.

"Alright fine, but tell us what you've found out about this creature from the Chamber Of Secrets." He demanded while Fred nodded in agreement. Edelweiss hissed at the thought flipping through her book.

"I can't find anything, no matter how many times I look through this book, I'm starting to wonder if Newt Scamander actually studied all creatures." She grumbled, and George took the book off her lap to look through it.

"Come on Weiss, you love this guy, you hardly ever stop praising him, you've always wanted to be a magizoologist. He had to have found something." George said.

"What type of creature are you looking for?" Fred asked, glancing at the oblivious couple.

"A snake of some kind, it has to have some kind of magical venom or paralytic aspect." George put a finger on a page,

"Here's a snake." He said holding the book out to Edelweiss.

"'The Basilisk. The King of Serpents. A gigantic snake that can live for hundreds of years and is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Spiders fear it, and the Basilisk's mortal enemy is the cry of the rooster. The Basilisk has venomous fangs that can kill in a matter of minutes as well as a murderous stare that instantly kills its victims. ' Merlin, I'm an idiot, how did I not realize?" She said as she looked up at the twins in horror.

"Any Muggleborn could die." Fred said, completely shocked.

"We have to warn people." She said, and was about to stand up when Ginny walked in. The girl froze when she saw the twins were there and tried to leave. "Ginny wait. Fred, George I forgot I was meeting with Ginny tonight can you go tell Penelope what we found? Tell her to tell any of the Muggleborns or half bloods she knows to look around corners with a mirror, just in case." She asked and they nodded, George detached himself from Edelweiss's side and Fred simply stood up.

"See you in a bit." George said, "And be careful." He stared pointedly at her and left with his brother.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Edelweiss asked, looking worried for the girl's sake.

"My diary. He talks to me and I'm scared that he knows all of my secrets. I feel like my whole soul is in his hands and it's a book. I've been blacking out recently and on Halloween I couldn't remember where I was, now I found feathers all over my robes." Ginny looked everywhere except at Edelweiss. "I think I might be the one opening the Chamber." The first-year looked terrified at the possibility.

"Ginny, why haven't you spoken with anyone about this?" Edelweiss asked causing Ginny to look at her in shock.

"I can't I'll get in trouble! If anyone knew then..." She sniffled and Edelweiss embraced her.

"From how it sounds I don't think you are responsible for any of this. I think that something or someone is magically manipulating you into doing this. Now I'm not going to tell you that you have to say or do anything but I'm asking you if hiding this is really worth it for you?" Ginny sniffled but didn't reply and Edelweiss sighed. "If you ever need to talk to me Gin, I'm here every night and if it's an emergency, use your brothers, the twins will get in contact with me. Okay? But you can't be afraid of telling me." Edelweiss continued. Ginny nodded not looking up at the older girl.

"Okay." Edelweiss patted Ginny's back gently.

"Now you best get back to your common room. Calamitatis." She said pointing her wand at the red haired girl who blended into the background. "Now get going. I need to go make sure that your brothers haven't gotten Penelope a detention again." The two girls left the Room Of Requirement. However, instead of going to look for Penelope like she had told Ginny, Edelweiss went straight to her uncle's office. She knocked on the door, despite it being after curfew and he quite irritatedly yelled,

"Enter." She opened the door and walked in. Severus looked up at her surprised that it was a student.