Special Contribution Award, Snape Wants Basilisk Materials (4000 words)

The Great Hall early in the morning.

A lavish breakfast was laid out on the long table, but few people touched their knives and forks.

Almost all the young wizards' gazes, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted to a certain spot at the Ravenclaw Table again and again.

Lucien sat there quietly, as usual.

However, the image of him wielding his Basilisk in the rain last night, slashing at the basilisk amidst flames and thunder, was so shocking that it has been deeply imprinted in everyone's mind.

The whispers in the Great Hall ceased instantly when Dumbledore stood up.

Although they witnessed the Basilisk's death last night, the details of the incident are still unclear to the young wizards.

"As you all probably already know, some unusual things happened outside the castle last night."

Dumbledore's Sonorus and clear, echoing throughout every corner of the Great Hall.

"Here, I need to clarify for everyone: the Chamber of Secrets, and the Basilisk within it, were indeed left by Salazar Slytherin himself."

This caused a slight commotion.

Although a Pure-blood Slytherin student was later attacked by the Basilisk, the initial pronouncements of purging the non- Pure-blood students from the school instilled fear in most young wizards. And to make matters worse, the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk were left behind by one of the school's Founders...

But their original intention was not to weed out so-called "unqualified" students.

Dumbledore looked around at everyone, his tone becoming serious.

"Slytherin left them behind as a barrier for the school."

It paused slightly to allow everyone to process the information.

"However, this power has been exploited and distorted by those with ulterior motives. Someone brought a dangerous Dark Magic artifact into Hogwarts and, through its manipulation and control, orchestrated a series of attacks this semester."

After a brief silence, the Great Hall was filled with the indignant voices of the young wizards.

"Whether he was misled or not, this person's intentions are far too malicious!"

"That's right! He should be locked up in Azkaban!"

"Lock him in the deepest part of the prison! Let him taste the Dementor's Kiss!"

The fear and repression of the past few weeks have erupted at this moment.

Because of the Basilisk's threat, no one dared to walk alone in the corridor, fearing that they might be targeted by that terrifying monster.

Even though they only saw it from afar last night, the enormous and ferocious Basilisk's appearance still became a nightmare for many. The thought of having shared the castle with such a monster sent chills down their spines.

Some quick-witted students, however, frequently glanced at the teacher's long table.

There was an empty seat, where Professor Lockhart, who usually wore the most eye-catching clothes and had the brightest smile, was not present.

Considering the "curse" surrounding the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the precedent set by Professor Quirrell last year, some students already had vague guesses in their minds.

Dumbledore didn't let the speculation linger for long:

"I regret to inform you that the person who was bewitched by Dark Magic and manipulated the Basilisk to launch attacks was Gilderoy Lockhart. He has already paid the ultimate price for it."

A chorus of shock and gasps filled the Great Hall.

Dumbledore's gaze swept over the young wizards below the stage.

"I must take this opportunity to solemnly remind you all that if you encounter anything truly magical in the future, especially magical items that can communicate with people and respond to their requests, be sure to inform your professor or your parents immediately. Do not investigate them alone, as they may conceal unpredictable dangers..."

During a pause in Dumbledore's speech, Lucien's roommate Terry leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Merlin's socks! At least Quirrell taught us for a whole school year last year, but Lockhart, this time, didn't even last a semester before he was finished!"

Lucien, who personally participated in the retirement ceremonies of the two professors, nodded with deep feeling.

Terry continued muttering, "Speaking of which, the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts is really weird, isn't it? Two professors in a row..."

Yes, ever since the curse was placed on us, it seems like no one has been able to stay in this position for more than a year.

I wonder who the next professor will be, and who Dumbledore will be able to find.

In the past, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, with the exception of a very few unlucky ones, at least survived. But after the experiences of two recent figures...

He has a notorious reputation!

"Now, the crisis that had been looming over Hogwarts has been completely averted, and everyone no longer needs to live in fear."

"In this crisis, we must thank one student for the courage and strength he displayed; he made an indelible contribution to protecting the school!"

Dumbledore smiled and looked toward the Ravenclaw Table:

"Let us express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Lucien Grafton!"

Wow!!!

As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, deafening applause erupted, almost lifting the dome of the Great Hall!

Students from all houses clapped their hands enthusiastically, and the Gryffindor Lions cubs even whistled loudly.

The applause and cheers were a tribute to the heroes and a cathartic release of relief after fear.

After the applause subsided, Dumbledore continued:

"In recognition of Lucien's outstanding contributions, Hogwarts will award him Special Contribution Award! Additionally, Ravenclaw House will receive an additional two hundred points!"

"Yeah!!!"

This time, the cheers came entirely from the Ravenclaw Table.

Two hundred points!

Under normal circumstances, a college's total score at the end of the academic year will generally hover around 300 points.

The sudden addition of two hundred points means that, with only half the school year gone, Ravenclaw already has a firm grasp on this year's House Cup!

The other houses reacted differently. Hufflepuff remained unmoved, while Gryffindor and Slytherin were still counting on their fingers, hoping that winning the Quidditch Championship Cup would give them a chance to catch up...

But soon those people stopped racking their brains to calculate, because the Christmas holidays were just around the corner!

It's almost holiday time, who cares about those things!

Although the Basilisk incident gave Hogwarts a three-day break to allow students to recover, there's still a week until the Christmas holidays, and classes still have to be held.

Inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Snape stood at the front of the classroom, his deep voice echoing through the room.

"The core of the Expulso lies in emitting a concentrated burst of magical energy, causing the target object to be propelled backward. It's the opposite of the Accio, allowing objects to quickly move away from the caster. It's extremely useful for both deflecting incoming projectiles and temporarily repelling close-range enemies..."

As Snape explained, he waved his wand, easily sending a training puppet that tried to pounce from the corner flying and crashing into the cushions on the wall.

The young wizards in the audience were listening intently.

After enduring Lockhart's flashy but impractical "reenactments" and Quirrell's lingering garlic smell, the students have become quite tolerant of the course.

However, the students' feedback was surprisingly positive when Snape temporarily taught Defense Against the Dark Magic.

Of course, this is not an illusion created by comparison.

The clear explanation of principles, the precise demonstration of spells, and the emphasis on practical application all bring this course back to its original purpose.

Snape was already extremely skilled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so teaching a group of students was more than a task for him.

Lucien watched Snape lecturing and felt that he had become more energetic.

The position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts was quite comfortable for Snape, wasn't it?

Well, as long as the curse remains, this position will still bite, with a bite force comparable to that of an African spotted hyena...

While Snape turned to write on the blackboard, Ron nudged Harry with his elbow and whispered,

"Harry, didn't you notice that Snape's tone changed when he taught this class? At least he didn't spew 'venom' all the time like he did in Potions Class?"

Harry felt the same way; at least so far, Snape hadn't used his usual sarcastic tone to belittle any student in this Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Weasley," a cold voice suddenly rang out, Snape not even turning around, "Not paying attention in class, talking out of turn, disturbing others. Five points deducted from Gryffindor!"

Ron froze instantly and shut his mouth in embarrassment.

As soon as the bell rang, Snape put away his textbook and glanced at the students who were about to leave.

"Lucien, come to my office."

Following behind Snape, Lucien already had a general idea of what was going on: Snape was almost certainly after the Basilisk's corpse.

The Basilisk is a treasure trove, especially for those skilled in potions, it is undoubtedly a goldmine, particularly its organs and tissues that contain special magical power.

Stepping into Snape's dimly lit office, surrounded by jars and bottles filled with biological specimens, a strong smell of herbs and potions wafted over.

Snape: "Do you know how to dispose of the Basilisk's corpse?"

Dealing with Magical Creatures of this Basilisk requires special knowledge and skills; otherwise, it's easy to damage precious materials.

"I'll handle it, Professor."

Salazar has taught Lucien the methods of dissecting and breeding Basilisk, meaning that if he needs more Basilisk materials in the future, he can raise and kill them himself.

At the time, judging from the tone of the Slytherin Head of House, Lucien thought it was just like raising and killing chickens, speaking so casually.

The crisp, decisive answer made Snape pause. He had been thinking that if Lucien couldn't handle it, he would offer to help and then distribute the materials...

Lucien glanced at the bookshelves and cabinets, then said:

"But the process is still very troublesome. The Basilisk has thick skin and its scales have extremely strong magic resistance, requiring specific cutting tools and techniques."

"Professor, would you like to exchange some materials from the Basilisk?"

Hearing Lucien's direct question, Snape remained silent for a few seconds before nodding slightly and clearing his throat:

"What would you like to exchange for: finished potions, ingredients, potion recipes, or books?"

Lucien hardly hesitated:

"I choose the recipes and the books, Professor."

Snape wasn't surprised by this choice; he knew Lucien loved knowledge, which was why he added the book recipe option.

"I need a snake's eye, just one will do."

The Basilisk's pupils are one of the most concentrated parts of its magical power, containing special magic related to "death," making them a coveted raw material and catalyst for advanced potion research.

However, Lucien shook his head:

"I'm sorry, Professor, both snake eyes have important uses for me. Perhaps we could look at the other parts?"

According to the knowledge taught by Salazar, the snake's eye can be used as a medium to improve one's Eye of Magic Sight.

Salazar's legacy at Hogwarts largely focused on the wizards' own Magic Circuit, elucidating and studying them from both physical and spiritual perspectives.

Lucien's Eye of Magic Sight originally combined potions, Transfiguration, and other techniques to modify the eyeball, so he was quite adept at it.

In fact, Salazar's legacy did not remain entirely in this castle; after he left Hogwarts, he traveled the world, and a considerable portion of it is scattered around the globe.

During winter break, I'm planning to take Norbert to several major Norwegian Ridgeback habitats to "test the waters," and maybe we'll stumble upon some legendary sites...

Snape frowned slightly, but didn't insist further, instead proposing another goal:

"So, part of the Basilisk's heart..."

Lucien declined again, marveling at Snape's discerning eye. Snake Heart was the source of his immense life force, and crucially, he needed it for his Magic Weaving, as an indispensable core material for optimizing Norbert's Magic Circuit.

"Well, I also have other uses for the heart. But there might be some leftover material; we can discuss it further then?"

"..."

Snape stared silently at Lucien for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Snake eyes and snake heart, you intend to use them to create alchemical items?"

By the end of the semester, Snape had gotten used to Lucien occasionally producing some strangely functional alchemical creations.

If any other junior wizards had said they wanted to use both the Serpent's Eye and Serpent's Heart, Snape would have thought they were just wasting their time, but Lucien...

Well, the other junior wizards probably can't kill the Basilisk.

Lucien mumbled, "More or less, magic experiment, magic experiment..."

After some haggling, Snape finally reserved some of the snake's gallbladder and brain, as well as a large amount of venom, scales, flesh, and bones.

Snape waved his wand, and several scrolls of parchment and thick books floated from the cabinet or bookshelf and landed on the table in front of Lucien.

Lucien's gaze swept quickly across the books, finally settling on one that looked particularly worn, the ink on its cover already beginning to fade:

Advanced Potion-Making

This book seems to be...

Lucien reached out and pulled out the book on Advanced Potion-Making, then quickly flipped through it.

Seeing Lucien pick up the book first, Snape raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing.

As you turn the pages, you can see tiny, dense notes in the margins of almost every page.

At the bottom of the back cover, there is a line of equally small text:

"This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince."

"This book belongs to the Half-Blood Prince."