Victor, having eaten his fill, quickly left the meddlesome Dumbledore behind and headed for the Room of Requirement. By evening, his mood had significantly improved. However, the moment he stepped across the threshold, icy goosebumps ran down his skin.
Scanning the space, he froze. In that instant, he bitterly regretted that his senses were so sharp—the darkness beneath his blindfold would have been much better right then.
— I've been looking for you all day. Where have you been? — Adele asked calmly, almost tenderly, without looking up from the cauldron where a potion was bubbling away.
Victor stretched his lips into a tense, nervous smile.
— So, you're my problem after all... — he whispered under his breath, barely audibly.
— What? — Adele shot a quick glance at him.
He slowly removed his blindfold, opening his eyes.
— Since we had a free day, I decided to dedicate it entirely to my faction. Checked on their progress and held a small extracurricular lesson.
Adele nodded slowly, stirring the brew.
— Together with Daphne? — she clarified in the same even tone.
Victor chuckled cheerfully.
— Well, of course. She is my loyal assistant, after all.
Adele finally stopped stirring the potion. Turning down the fire under the cauldron, she slowly turned around and looked him dead in the eye. There was none of the anger he had anticipated in her gaze—only icy determination.
— I won't give up that easily. I will prove to you that I alone am worthy of staying by your side. Truly by your side.
Looking at her serious face, Victor couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. He walked over to his sister and gently hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the crown of her head.
— I have no doubt, — Victor affectionately pressed her close. — But why aren't you resting? It's already quite late.
— I couldn't sleep, — Adele replied, completely relaxing in his embrace and closing her eyes. — Victor?
— Mmm? What is it?
— Luna... does she really see creatures that we can't see?
Victor smirked.
— No, of course not. Otherwise, life would be much simpler for all of us if we could just learn to scare away these beasts that affect the minds of wizards.
Adele pulled back slightly and looked at her brother with a serious expression.
— But she saw your clone in the Chamber of Secrets. When he was invisible to everyone else.
Victor raised an eyebrow in surprise.
— Really?
Adele nodded with certainty.
— But that's impossible... My clone is a pure manifestation of magic. It cannot be seen unless it wishes to be. Unless... — Victor frowned, sinking into thought.
— Unless what?
Victor slowly let go of his sister and walked over to the cauldron, where the potion was still lazily bubbling. He took the ladle and began to smoothly stir the brew.
— Do you know how I, being blind, learned to "see" people?
Adele thought for a moment.
— You feel them.
— Feeling them is one thing, — he said. — You can perceive that someone is standing nearby. You can even guess who it is by their scent or the sound of their breathing. But if you've never met that person before, they remain nothing but a faceless smudge in the void to you.
— Then how? — Adele stepped closer, watching his movements with fascination.
Victor turned off the fire completely—the potion was ready.
— Our world is saturated with magic. In some places it's abundant, in others there's barely any. And every wizard, every creature constantly interacts with this background, absorbing and radiating energy. I learned to sense these ripples. When someone stands near me, I "see" how a dense layer of magic surrounds them, literally clinging to their body. To me, it looks like a glowing silhouette. For some, this light is blindingly bright, for others, it barely smolders—it all depends on their power, character, and even their mood.
— And how does this connect to Luna?
— I think our Luna has an innate gift to see something similar, — Victor turned to his sister. — Perhaps, when she was little, she didn't understand what it was, and thanks to her father's imagination, her mind interprets these energy clusters not as colors or a glow, but as bizarre creatures swarming around a wizard. To her, it's not an "aura," but Nargles or Wrackspurts.
— Is that really possible?
Victor nodded.
— Why not? This is a magical world; a lot depends on intent and imagination here. I once read about a Korean girl who could determine a person's power by their scent. The stronger the person was, the more unbearable their scent became... Except for one single individual. She liked his scent, even though he was the strongest of them all, — Victor suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning.
— Victor? What's wrong?
He slowly turned his head toward Adele, and a dangerous, fanatical gleam flared up in his aura.
— Adele... — he whispered, his lips stretching into an anticipating smile. — I want a shadow army.
— What?
— Oh, nothing... Just a sudden daydream, — Victor shook his head, banishing the rushing images, and, stepping up to his sister, gently covered her eyes with his palm. — Alright. Let him in, — he commanded quietly, addressing the emptiness of the room.
— Victor, what are you doing? — Adele asked in surprise. In that exact second, the space around them began to rapidly expand.
— Be patient for a moment, dear. You'll see.
In the center of the expanded hall, coiling in loops, a furious Basilisk materialized.
— How dare you?! I am the great serpent of Salazar Slytherin himself! The protector of this school! — a fierce, hissing voice echoed in Victor's head. — How dare you keep me out?!
— Hey, take it easy. Stop making so much noise, — Victor placated him.
— Oh... Master? — the Basilisk froze, his scales gleaming dimly in the torchlight. — There are some strange barriers here. I swear, when I find out who placed them, I will tear that arrogant fool to shreds!
— This room was created by Rowena Ravenclaw. So those are her charms.
Upon hearing the name of one of the Founders, the Basilisk abruptly cut himself off. His massive coils trembled slightly, and the serpent literally shrank in size, trying to appear smaller.
— That is to say... I meant... who could have created such an outstanding space? This person was undoubtedly the greatest wizard of all time!
— Victor, who are you talking to? Let me look! — Adele tried to pull his hand away.
— Eyes! — Victor barked strictly, addressing the serpent now. — Keep your eyes closed. If my sister gets hurt because of you, I will personally turn you into boots and gloves.
Only when the Basilisk obediently shut his eyes tight and lowered his massive head to the very floor did Victor remove his hand from Adele's face. The girl opened her eyes and froze, unable to utter a single word at the sight of the colossal scaled monster.
— So, why were you looking for me? — Victor asked the still-vibrating serpent.
— Master... can we speak elsewhere? Please! I fear I may have inadvertently offended the mistress of this room with my harsh words...
Victor was genuinely surprised, sensing the fear radiating from the ancient creature.
— Are you... afraid of Rowena?
The Basilisk nodded repeatedly, nearly brushing his nose against the ceiling.
— Lady Rowena was very kind... She even agreed to let the Creator leave me in the school. But if you make her angry... — the serpent shuddered even harder, as if remembering something truly horrific from the events of a thousand years ago.
Adele finally found her voice and turned to her brother in shock.
— You... you understand him? You're talking to him?!
Victor nodded calmly.
— Yes, I am his master now. Long story. Hey, — he addressed the serpent again, — stop shaking. Rowena Ravenclaw left this world a long time ago. Speak quickly, what do you need?
After these words, the Basilisk recovered a bit. It finally dawned on him: if his great creator had been dead for so many centuries, then the terrifying Lady Rowena was most likely no longer able to punish him either.
— What is he saying? Will I be able to hear him?
— Of course, young lady, — a deep, vibrating voice of the Basilisk suddenly echoed in Adele's mind, making her shock even deeper. — Master... I am hungry.
Victor tilted his head, puzzled.
— And? What does that have to do with me?
— You are my master, — the serpent argued reasonably, — and you must take care of me.
— What do you feed on? — Adele asked with lively curiosity, gently running her palm over his cold scales, which were as hard as steel.
Victor shook his head wearily.
— Souls.
Adele froze for a fraction of a second. A strange gleam flashed in her eyes, and a sweet, almost angelic smile blossomed on her face.
— Brother... can I take him out to eat?
— No, thank you. I don't want to be left without an assistant; my Daphne is not animal feed for you, — Victor refused. — Go back to the cauldron and bottle your potion.
Adele clicked her tongue in annoyance, but obeying her brother, she returned to her work.
— If you would allow it, Master, I do not wish to kill innocent children, — the Basilisk pleaded.
— And how did Salazar feed you?
— Criminals... Murderers... Those whose souls were already black, — the Basilisk hissed.
Victor nodded understandingly.
— Well, alright. Hang in there for a bit. When the school year is over, I'll find a few suitable victims for you.
— What about world peace and your refusal of violence? — Adele asked without turning around.
Victor looked at his sister imperturbably.
— I will merely find them. He will be the one doing the killing. My hands will remain clean.
Adele rolled her eyes, continuing to methodically pour the potion into vials.
— Are you... really going to get me out of this school? — an unvarnished surprise sounded in the Basilisk's voice.
— Why, do you mind?
The serpent remained silent for a few moments before replying:
— You are the Master. I will do whatever you command. Very well... I shall wait.
The gargantuan body began to slowly dissolve into thin air, but Victor could feel that the serpent was excited. The Basilisk had last ventured out into the outside world back with Salazar himself. When the latter grew too old, he left his final command—to guard Hogwarts. Centuries later, another boy had found a way to subjugate him, but due to prolonged starvation, the Basilisk had nearly lost his mind back then. They hadn't even truly spoken. And when his sanity finally fully returned to him—well after he had almost killed a student—the serpent realized what kind of person his new "master" Riddle was, and preferred to remain a brainless monster locked away within the school walls. Now, hearing that he would be set free, he was incredibly happy.
When the Basilisk vanished, Adele frowned.
— And how do you plan to get him out of here? He's the size of a train.
— Oh, that's exactly what I'm here for. I already have an idea, — Victor smiled in anticipation, and the Room of Requirement began to shift once more, long tables cluttered with alchemical apparatus and rare ingredients appearing around him. — Well then, another sleepless night awaits me. Time to plunge into the abyss of alchemy and dangerous experiments. Will you stay with me?
Adele, who by this point had already finished with her vials, gave a silent nod, deciding to stay with him.