The Basilisk and the little diary had both vanished.
Audrey couldn't keep an eye on Hogwarts twenty-four hours a day. She was far too busy—inside her suitcase, she was raising a fire dragon and two phoenixes. In particular, Ao seemed to be pregnant and had developed a volatile temper. Only Audrey's personal presence could soothe her, and Fawkes had suffered quite a bit because of it.
But the silly bird seemed to enjoy every moment of the hardship.
Thanks to Audrey's actions in accelerating the growth of the Mandrakes, the students petrified by the Basilisk quickly returned to normal. Consequently, the impact of the Basilisk incident was minimal and was soon suppressed by the school authorities. To outsiders, Hogwarts remained the safest place in the world.
Furthermore, because the monster in the Chamber of Secrets had already been "exposed" by Audrey, Harry and the others didn't search for information about the Chamber as they had in the original universe. Their primary concern now was the first Quidditch match against Slytherin.
Ginny spent two days in the infirmary before being discharged. Had it not been for her brothers' protection, she likely would have collapsed. Colin Creevey had begun loudly publicizing his attack. In his version of the story, Ginny Weasley was a wicked, dark witch who wanted to murder her classmates!
His damaged camera seemed to corroborate this, though fortunately, his descriptions of the Basilisk were so extremely exaggerated that they made his words lose credibility. After all, how could Ginny, a first-year student, bring a "hundred-foot giant snake with eyes the size of carriage wheels" into the school right under Dumbledore's nose?
"Ginny," Harry called out. Although he was in a hurry to get to the Quidditch pitch, he stopped to greet her. "Don't take what those people are saying to heart. We all know you were a victim too!"
"I... I know, Harry."
"Come on, go to the pitch and watch us play. It might make you feel better!"
"Is it against Slytherin?"
"Of course!"
Ron, standing beside Harry, said with concern, "Look at you. You're so preoccupied you don't even care about our first match. Ginny, the diary business is over! We have to look forward!"
...
While the Gryffindors were persuading Ginny to watch Quidditch, over on the Slytherin side, Isaline and the others were trying to convince Audrey to do the same.
"Go, just go!" Isaline pleaded, acting spoiled, but Audrey remained unmoved. It was drizzling outside and deathly cold. She could clearly see everything happening on the pitch from the comfort of her dormitory; why go out and suffer?
"Senior, this is my first time watching a Quidditch match live," Tsuruko said. "Though we have Quidditch where I come from, it isn't very popular. I hope to learn more about the sport from you!"
"Why does it have to be me? Isaline knows the rules perfectly well too."
"No, Senior," Tsuruko said, her eyes full of admiration. "I've heard that you are the most talented Quidditch player in all of Hogwarts. Almost every professional team in England wants you to join them! Please, Senior! In all of Hogwarts, no one understands Quidditch better than you!"
Tsuruko's flattery was far more pleasant to the ear than Isaline's—a hundred times better, in fact.
Since you're so good at complimenting me, why not say a bit more?
Amidst Tsuruko's repeated praises of "You're so amazing," Audrey gradually lost herself.
"I really can't do anything with you two. Fine, I'll go!"
...
the little snakes of Slytherin arrived in high spirits but returned in dejection.
They had dominated Gryffindor throughout the match. Even the opposing Seeker, Harry Potter, had been targeted by a rogue Bludger. Despite such a massive advantage, Slytherin somehow failed to secure a victory.
The Golden Snitch had still ended up in Harry Potter's hand.
After the match, Draco Malfoy immediately became the target of the other Slytherins' mockery. "If the Seeker were still Miss Audrey Astley like last year, we Slytherins would have won long ago!"
Malfoy was incredibly depressed. He knew he wasn't as good as his cousin, but he hadn't expected the gap to be so vast.
As for the Audrey they were discussing, she was currently walking back to the Slytherin common room with Isaline and Tsuruko. However, her expression was very grave.
"Isaline, you and Tsuruko go back first. I just remembered I have some matters to attend to."
Isaline looked surprised. "What could you possibly have to do? It's Saturday!"
Audrey replied, "Regarding the change of the Muggle Studies textbook, I need to have a good talk with Professor Dumbledore."
Isaline knew about Audrey's failing grade in Muggle Studies during her OWLs last semester, so she didn't say much and left with Tsuruko.
Audrey had already instructed people to handle the textbook change during the summer, and the new materials had long since been sent to the Ministry of Magic. Bringing it up now was purely an excuse to send Isaline and the others away.
Those matters didn't require Audrey's direct concern; Edmond would handle them perfectly. She only had one goal in dismissing her friends: to prevent them from becoming collateral damage.
Because from the moment she entered the castle, she had sensed a murderous gaze fixed upon her.
This gaze was particularly obvious when she was in areas where she lacked authority, but it retreated whenever she entered her authorized zones. In all of Hogwarts, the only ones who could know the extent of her authority were the consciousness of Slytherin and... the Basilisk.
Having sent Isaline and Tsuruko away, Audrey proactively walked toward a remote location outside her authorized area—the room Harry Potter had navigated through last year, the former lair of the three-headed dog, Fluffy.
Standing in the empty room, Audrey drew her wand.
The next moment, the massive body of the Basilisk squeezed through the ventilation duct.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" [Kill you!]
"Hiss, hiss, hiss?" [Why?]
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" [You stole Riddle's position as the Heir, so you must die!]
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" [But I am your Little Master!]
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" [Tom Riddle's orders are absolute!]
Clearly, the Basilisk was under the Imperius Curse. Audrey found herself looking at Tom Riddle in a slightly new light. Regardless of which young wizard he was currently using, being able to successfully cast the Imperius Curse on a Basilisk proved his extraordinary skill!
The Basilisk's eyes stared fixedly into Audrey's. But Audrey was unmoved. Her eyes transformed into golden serpentine slits, and she stared right back.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" [Ah! How can this be!]
Not only was Audrey not killed by its gaze, but her counter-stare caused the Basilisk to feel intense pain in its eyes! With the same physical constitution, Audrey's magical strength was superior to that of the Basilisk!
The Basilisk recoiled in pain, its neck arching high. Since its gaze had failed, it turned to physical attacks. Its massive body, immense strength, and venomous fangs were all lethal weapons.
Its body coiled, and its tail suddenly swept across with massive momentum! The floor struck by the tail shattered into flying stone chips. If Audrey were hit by that sweep, she would likely be in grave danger.
Boom!
Dust filled the air, briefly obscuring the scene.
As the Basilisk's vision gradually recovered, it opened its eyes. In those sallow, vertical pupils, there was nothing but horror.
Hydrus stood there, her body shimmering with the emerald light of dragon scales. With a single hand, she had intercepted the Basilisk's tail. Her palm had even sunk deep into the creature's body, and blood spurted occasionally from the hand-shaped wound.
"A beast that seeks to kill its master has no reason to be kept alive," Audrey said.