Victor took a slow breath and closed his eyes.
He didn't know what exactly had triggered it. Maybe the basilisk just sensed something moving alone in the corridor at night and thought, easy snack. Maybe it was just instinct.
Either way,
All those reasons could go to hell.
Right now, there was a giant snake behind him.
And that was his problem.
Victor exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.
His pupils had changed, stretching into thin vertical slits. The fear that had been there a moment ago settled into something colder, sharper.
Then he smiled.
If it was a snake…
Then it made a mistake.
Because so was he.
Victor adjusted his stance slightly, still not turning around yet.
For a moment, he just stood there, calm again.
Then, very quietly,
"Alright," Victor muttered under his breath. "Let's see which one of us is the bigger problem."
The change began immediately.
His body shifted, bones stretching and reforming as black scales spread across his skin. His form lengthened rapidly, expanding far beyond human shape until a massive serpent filled the corridor. Dark, polished scales reflected the dim torchlight, and his eyes burned faintly in the darkness.
Victor had taken his Animagus basilisk form.
When he turned his head, the corridor seemed smaller.
Behind him, the original basilisk stopped.
For the first time, the ancient creature hesitated.
It had not expected this.
Two basilisks now faced each other in the narrow corridor, their massive bodies coiling and shifting against the stone walls. Victor's form was larger, heavier, his presence pressing into the space like a predator that had no intention of yielding.
Victor studied it.
Smaller… and uglier, he thought.
Then he let out a low, dangerous hiss that echoed through the corridor, filled with clear intent.
The basilisk answered immediately.
A furious, violent hiss tore through the air as it recognized the challenge.
Neither of them looked away.
Their deadly gaze meant nothing here.
They were both basilisks.
For a brief moment, the corridor was completely still.
Then the creature struck.
It lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive body slamming into the stone floor as its jaws snapped toward Victor. The impact cracked tiles beneath it.
Victor reacted instantly.
He twisted his larger body sideways, the attack glancing past him as his tail whipped around with force. The strike slammed into the basilisk's side, sending it crashing into the wall. Stone splintered under the impact.
The corridor shook.
The basilisk recovered quickly, coiling again and striking back with another furious lunge. Its fangs scraped against Victor's scales, leaving shallow marks but failing to pierce through.
Victor pushed forward this time.
His greater size gave him advantage.
He drove his body against the creature, forcing it backward down the corridor. Their scales ground against stone, the sound harsh and heavy as the walls cracked under their weight.
The basilisk tried to twist free, striking again and again, but Victor's movements were controlled, deliberate. He wrapped part of his body around the creature, tightening his hold and slamming it into the floor.
The impact echoed through the castle.
The smaller basilisk hissed violently, thrashing with all its strength, but it was already losing ground.
Victor's eyes narrowed. He tightened his coil.
"Blimey—!"
The voice cut through the corridor.
Victor's eyes widened instantly.
He knew that voice.
Bloody Ron.
For a split second his focus broke.
That was all the basilisk needed.
With a violent twist, the creature forced itself free from Victor's hold and shot backward, its massive body scraping against the stone as it slithered away at frightening speed. Within seconds it disappeared into the darkness, slipping toward one of the hidden pipe openings in the walls.
Victor loosened his coil and lifted his head slightly.
He didn't follow.
Chasing it now would be pointless. The creature knew the plumbing system far better than he did. It could vanish into the pipes and reappear anywhere in the castle.
He closed his eyes.
His magic eye senses spread outward, tracing the faint disturbance in the corridor. He followed the direction of the sound Ron had made and quickly picked up movement—three figures running.
Harry, Hermione, Ron.
Victor's expression darkened slightly.
These Gryffindors… their courage is honestly irritating sometimes.
They had come close—far too close.
If even one of them had looked directly at the basilisk at the wrong moment, they would not have been walking away.
Victor shifted slightly, his massive form easing back.
Then he sensed something else.
Movement.
The castle was beginning to stir.
Without hesitation, Victor slipped back into the shadows and his form began to shrink, scales receding as he returned to his human shape. Within moments, there was no sign that two basilisks had just fought in that corridor.
He adjusted his robes calmly and moved silently through a side passage, avoiding the direction the Gryffindors had gone.
Soon he was back in the Slytherin dormitory, the quiet of the room undisturbed.
As if nothing had happened.
*****
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