Strange's voice exploded in Harry's mind.
"A basilisk! Don't look into its eyes, Harry!"
"What..." Harry sucked in a sharp breath and instinctively stepped back. His wand was in his hand in an instant.
"Harry Potter..." A hoarse, distorted voice that sounded deliberately disguised came from beneath the hood, thick with malice. "I've finally found you."
The emerald-green serpent seemed to receive a command. It reared up, aimed its flat head at Harry, and opened its enormous jaws, baring pale, terrifying fangs with a threatening hiss.
A basilisk! Harry's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He jerked his head aside and fixed his gaze on the floor tiles beneath the serpent, not daring to look up. No wonder Malfoy was petrified! He must have seen the basilisk's eyes indirectly!
"Protego!" Harry swung his wand almost on instinct.
Just as the Shield Charm took shape, the basilisk's massive tail lashed into Harry like a steel whip, trailing a howl of wind!
Bang!
The force sent Harry flying into the wall behind him. Protego offered only limited protection against physical blows.
Harry felt as though his insides had been smashed, but he forced himself to his feet.
"Stupefy!" Harry tried to fight back. A red beam struck the basilisk's body, but it only threw a few sparks off the hard scales. It seemed to have no effect.
"It's no use, kid!" Strange's voice was graver than Harry had ever heard it. "I told you, a basilisk's scales are highly resistant to magic! Ordinary attack spells can barely hurt it! Aim for its mouth or eyes! Or... run!"
Run? Where? The abandoned classroom door was behind him, the other way led to the end of the corridor, and Malfoy was still standing there, frozen!
Harry made his decision then and there.
"Rictusempra!"