When Owen emerged from the dungeons, it was already quite late. But he didn't return to his room to rest. Instead, he left the castle and headed to the Chamber of Secrets.
A great battle had taken place here, but it had already been cleaned up. Owen glanced around, and his gaze was immediately drawn to a single egg.
"This egg... it's huge!"
Owen was thirteen years old this year, standing at 1.66 meters, but the egg in front of him was almost taller than he was!
"Hatched from a chicken's egg, incubated by a toad, yet fatally vulnerable to the crow of a rooster."
Dumbledore walked out, followed by the four Heads of House. They all looked at Owen with the gentlest of expressions. Dumbledore continued, "The previous Basilisk was left by Slytherin, but it had been controlled by Tom Riddle, so it was no longer safe. We all know you are a good child who values relationships and loyalty, so..."
"Don't worry, my dear. We extracted the Basilisk's soul and infused it into this new vessel. With this rebirth, although it no longer possesses the deadly gaze that kills instantly, it will also no longer fear the rooster's crow. We called you back so you could witness its rebirth firsthand."
Professor McGonagall pulled Owen into a hug, chuckled softly while patting his back, and finally gave him a gentle push toward the giant egg. "My dear, we'll leave you to it."
Looking at the massive Basilisk egg, Owen smiled—a genuinely happy smile. He knew the professors couldn't be that heartless.
Truth be told, in terms of research value, the Basilisk wasn't at the top of the list. Take Milov, for instance—how did a Devil's Snare mutate to become immune to sunlight? Or Molly, the first Wampus Cat to enter Hogwarts. Or Whitey, summoned by his own Patronus Charm.
Any one of them held higher research value than the Basilisk.
Stripes, who had slumbered for a thousand years, was indeed a terrifying weapon. But it harmed friend and foe alike. Once deployed, the cost was too high, and its weaknesses were glaringly obvious.
Now that news of the Basilisk was impossible to keep secret, if word got out, neither the parents nor the Board of Governors would allow such a dangerous creature to remain at Hogwarts.
Thus, this "borrowed death for rebirth" scheme was hatched. Not only would it silence outside critics, but it also erased the Basilisk's weaknesses, allowing it to grow anew—more controllable and even more powerful.
Owen sat down in front of the giant egg, waiting for little Stripes' rebirth. He didn't know how much time passed, but the moment cracks appeared on the shell, he instantly perked up. He watched the cracks spread wider and wider until a snake head poked out.
Its scales were pure white, save for a few black scales in the center of its forehead forming a diamond-shaped mark. Its golden serpentine eyes were filled with clarity. Smiling, Owen pulled a plucked chicken from his pocket. Little Stripes opened his mouth and swallowed it whole. After devouring five chickens in a row, he finally slithered out of the shell, coiled around the young wizard, and rested his large head on Owen's lap...
"Welcome back, Little Stripes!"
The Chamber of Secrets felt like something was missing without a Basilisk. Now, it felt complete. And this time, Owen had no intention of using him as an experimental subject. Witnessing a rebirth always brings a different kind of feeling!
Little Stripes' newborn body wasn't delicate. He was much larger than a normal snake, thicker than Owen's thigh, and already measuring 1.8 meters in length.
Owen stroked his head and laughed. "Good grief, you're already longer than me as a newborn. Don't worry. Even though your biggest weapon is gone, stick with me, and I'll make you even more powerful!"
Little Stripes' tail wrapped around Owen's ankle, sliding gently like a child seeking affection, making Owen laugh heartily.
The days that followed became much more normal. Without an irritating professor or the looming threat of danger, the students could study in peace. Seeing the students become diligent, the professors' moods improved significantly, and they taught with even more dedication...
Everything was developing in a positive direction.
By the way, since the term wasn't over yet and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had once again gone offline halfway through, Owen had to step up as the Teaching Assistant to cover the class again. Classes for fifth years and above were covered by Snape.
The post-dinner lawn sessions were relocated to the Chamber of Secrets. It was a waste for such a huge space to be occupied by Owen alone. Snape helped modify the architectural style—specifically, he smoothed over Salazar Slytherin's giant stone face and replaced it with the Hogwarts crest.
Dumbledore lent a hand, synchronizing the Chamber's ceiling with the Great Hall's, banishing the gloom and darkness.
Professor Sprout moved some plants from the greenhouses, bringing a touch of life to the Chamber. She also didn't forget to prepare a patch of soil so Milov finally didn't have to live in a pot.
Professor McGonagall brought in blackboards, desks, and chairs, and even set up a temporary lounge for Owen.
The entire Chamber was transformed. The students, big and small, who came here for self-study completely forgot this was the legendary Chamber of Secrets and treated it as a brand-new grand classroom.
Of course, Little Stripes' existence wasn't hidden. But his pure white scales disarmed the students' wariness. Some mischievous ones even tried to ride him.
Newborn Little Stripes had an incredibly good temper. He wouldn't harm any young wizard trying to ride him. Instead, he would gently wrap his tail around them and place them safely to the side. If he got really annoyed, he would simply tap the offending student on the head with the tip of his tail.
Whenever Owen saw this, he would smile genuinely—and then casually toss out a tornado to drag the troublemaker inside for a half-hour spin...
"Indeed, life itself is the greatest magic. The current Owen is much more real than before. Severus, any news from that side?"
Dumbledore wiped the corner of his eye. Snape wasn't in the mood to look at him. His gaze remained fixed on a certain young wizard, recalling the eyes that had once seriously declared an intention to surpass him. The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. "It's here. But Owen needs to go with us. We have to confirm it with our own eyes."
Dumbledore thought for a moment and smiled. "Very well. Then this holiday, let us accompany Owen. It has indeed been a long time since I've seen that old friend of mine."
"I will prepare thoroughly."
With that, Snape turned and left. His attire had changed recently: a black high-collared robe with double-breasted gold buttons, tailored to cinch the waist and elongate the legs. Adding a cloak to this ensemble really wouldn't do it justice.
Little Stripes: Everyone, I'm back! Not for anything else, just to see who hasn't voted for my author yet!