Chapter 111 – Facing Fleur (3)
Something was very wrong... very, very wrong. Hermione couldn't help but stand still, trembling, watching as the body of the boy began transforming. She wanted to shout that something was off, but the fear blocked every order from her brain to reach their destination. This was not an animagi transformation. They didn't destroy the clothes nor morphed the body. None that she knew about looked so painful to go through... this was something else and dark... she could feel it. It was as if another presence was emerging from his body, taking over the original flesh. Maybe even Fleur could sense it, as she had just stood there, watching until the dark, giant snake manifested before their eyes.
"It was such a long time since I had a body." It hissed, but of course, none of the girls could understand what Herpo was saying. "Temporary freedom... mhm... Distant memories are relived in a flash of a dream. Poetic... Be happy, my little descendant, that I am no longer the same as before, ahahahaha!"
"Don't look into its eyes!" Fleur cried out as everyone panicked, trying to avert their eyes, but Hermione just... couldn't. She already glanced into the basilisk's glowing, yellow eyes before she could move her head.
"I'm dead..." She whispered, wanting to cry, expecting pain or just darkness enveloping her... but nothing happened.
"As I said," Herpo hissed to himself, "Everyone should consider themselves lucky. Do you think someone like me can't control a basilisk's powers? I CREATED THEM!"
With another laugh, he flung his snake tale at them, blasting snow into the air, aiming to bury them under it. Brigitte was fast and managed to cast a shield charm, stepping before Hermione, while Elodie pulled her to the ground, afraid she was turned into stone. Luckily, she wasn't; she was simply numbed by fear.
"Die, Conrad Anguine!" Fleur roared, raising a platform from snow and ice, standing on it, holding a bag in her hand, throwing out not one but a dozen roosters.
"Anguine?" Hermione flinched as that name finally broke the 'spell' on her, replacing fear with confusion and astonishment.
"You are a stupid girl. Roosters may kill a basilisk, but I am not a basilisk. Does an animagus who took up the form of a dog really become a dog? Your understanding is weak and flawed." Herpo lectured her, standing still, letting his tail sweep the ground behind him while the roosters began crying in fear, realizing where they were.
It didn't take long for Fleur to realize the snake wasn't dying, although its face did morph a little, displaying his displeasure.
"Tsk... it still hurts and interferes with the transformation." He groaned, feeling that his body, meaning Conrad's body, wanted to turn back into a human, which would be really perilous right now.