My instincts were stronger than any other thoughts as my body began to change. I felt myself shrugging off the rubble, rising towards the dark sky, emerging from it like a monster from a lake. I felt two spells hit me in the stomach, or at least in my much bigger body''s underside. It was like two rapid punches, but it wasn''t strong enough to harm me. Turning towards their source, I saw Celine rush into the building to her left while Fleur was backing off, eyes closed, using magic to detect her surroundings and avoid my eyes.


    "Vermin." I uttered coldly, and I knew they heard my voice even if they couldn''t understand me now because I saw Fleur shudder as she retreated.


    With a tail swing, I slammed down on the house Celine was hiding in, prompting Fleur to use explosive spells and attack me again. Every time one landed on my body, I felt like being punched, but I could go on and ignore it for now. Even without seeing her, just by sticking out my tongue, I could sense Celine and that she was buried under the rubble. Was she unconscious? Dead? Alive? I didn''t know... but I didn''t care. I was about to open my mouth, ready to spit my venom on the structure so it would dissolve her along with it, when my whole being shuddered.


    I hadn''t felt this kind of fear before, not even when Lord Voldemort took me away for training. Turning towards the source, I saw Fleur''s hand disappear into a weird bag, pulling an animal out. When its bottom half appeared, its leg clamped down by her hand, I already knew what it was. Shaking myself, I hurriedly turned back into a human, using the levioso spell to land on a different rooftop, watching Fleur hold a rooster, making it cry out forcefully. Although it didn''t hurt me in my original form, I still felt uncomfortable hearing it, and my spellcasting failed when I tried to shoot a silencing hex at the animal.


    "You sneaky bitch..."


    I didn''t wait for long and instead opted to run away, heading towards the bell tower and letting Fleur start digging out her friend from under the rubble. At least that will keep her busy for now... and calm my nerves as my inner thoughts became chaotic the moment that rooster appeared. This clearly showed that Dumbledore told Flamel what we did with Quincy, and I am sure he also unlocked all the memories inside Fleur''s mind, confirming my basilisk form.


    No matter, the fact that I am a human, first and foremost, shows that it can''t kill me instantly. Or until I remain unchanged. I wasn''t really keen on experimenting to learn, which was it. Nearing the middle of the city and watching the tower, I could hear loud thumpings, feeling the shaking travel through the air and the rooftops long before I saw the three-headed dog.


    "Something is off..."


    I didn''t need to be an expert to know that, as the beast was straight-up rabid-looking. All three heads were foaming from the mouth, and their barks were like thunderclaps next to my ear, deafening and stomach shaking. I saw it chasing Martyn Poliakoff, who was cursing and running away, but the dog slammed through a building without stopping. That wasn''t a dog; that was a damned wrecking ball! It seems Victor didn''t give him a potion, but this also could mean he was already here and aiming for the vial; it was time to use everything.


    "Evocatio Solis!"


    It was a simple spell that shot a ball of golden light high into the air, illuminating the area around the bell tower. It worked as expected because I noticed a silhouette sneaking forward, already trying to scale the tower as its ground floor was blocked by rubble. If I didn''t know what to look for, I would have missed it... Sorry, Victor.


    "Внимавай!" I shouted loudly before aiming a spell at the tower, blasting it and making it shake. "Once again!" This time, I hit the already broken bell atop it, making it chime out mournfully, and that made the rampaging dog stop and turn around, heading back straight for us... for me. "Come pup... chase your daddy!"


    I wasn''t really running away. My aim was simple: get near my enemies and prevent them from getting past this rabid dog. Whenever the sun spell wore off, I shot out another one, looking for the invisible Victor and ensuring he had the most challenging time possible, even if he tried sneaking just me and the dog on my heels.


    "Pes Velox!"


    Aiming my follow-up spell, I charmed my own shoes, making me run faster than usual, hearing the rabid barking coming close every time I made a turn. Looking back, I saw the beast slide on the wet cobblestone, crashing into an abandoned home, climbing out with visible anger on its face, its bloodshot eyes staying locked on me.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    It took only four or five minutes to notice that Fleur and Celine had also arrived, and I saw them drink a potion, turning invisible. Bastards! I won''t believe they figured out the potion by themselves when one of them needed help to realize her clue was for thestral hair! Cheaters... all of them!


    "Imperio!"


    I didn''t know if it would work on the beast, but I had to try. My command was simple: to turn around and attack the space I was going to aim my spells at... but something different had happened.


    The moment the curse landed on the dog''s mind, an even stronger consciousness stirred within it. I realized the feeling because this was the same type of will coming from the dragons when I attacked those damned beasts! Was this normal? Or...?


    "Shit!"


    I didn''t have time to ponder about it, and I had to focus on maintaining a shield charm with all my strength against its new attack. From the left and right mouth of the Cerberus, some kind of ash-like cloud flew out while the one in the middle bit down on it with a feral snarl, igniting it despite the rain and creating an explosion in a 50-foot-wide area.


    It wasn''t finished with just that as it reared up on its hind legs, slamming down, causing a mini earthquake, repeating it over and over again, completely losing control of itself in a mindless rage. I was still coughing, lowering my shield charm, smoking rising from my body just to be hit by another spell. It sent me flying and made me slam against the tower, breaking through a boarded window.


    "Fuck you!"


    I saw and heard Poliakoff laughing as it was him who attacked me... but my revenge could never come as he lived no longer than a few moments. I caught a glimpse of the giant dog leaping into the air and landing straight on him... As to what happened next, I only heard a scream, which was cut in half by another explosion.


    "Idiot..." I grunted, standing up from the rubble and ruined furniture, hissing after noticing that my left leg was pierced through a wooden stake, maybe an old leg of a chair; I couldn''t really tell. I pulled it out with a determined yank, pointing my wand at the deep wound, "Ferula!"


    I watched as the cloth around my leg ripped apart, becoming an enchanted bandage, covering the wound and easing the pain. I won''t heal it, but for the time being, I won''t have a problem going on.


    "Up, hurry!"


    "Fleur..." I whispered, recognizing the voice immediately, and I knew they were inside... no. They were outside, trying to climb the side of it like Victor did. "Confringo!"


    Aiming at the source of the voice, my spell demolished the wall, throwing stones everywhere, resulting in a sharp scream on the other end, followed by a world-ending roar as the dog was already hurrying over. Was... was he aiming at me? Or was it the noise? It was hard to tell, but soon, I saw a bloody, foaming snout of a dog press into the hole, trying to bite me. When it couldn''t reach me, it began stretching out its tongue, which was filled with blisters as if it had been recently doused in acid. It was licking out the rubble and spitting out after chewing on it, wanting nothing more but to catch me.


    "Stinky, mangy, rabid mutt!"


    With a flick, I sent blue flames into its mouth, making it whimper and pull back. I only had a quick moment to breathe as it slammed against the tower and began spreading cracks on it everywhere, roaring, barking, and going nuts. I saw blood dripping to the ground, washed away by the heavy rain... it was killing itself by headbutting the tower repeatedly. Was it truly that mad?


    *HOOT!*


    "Quincy!" I inhaled sharply, snapping my head up as that owl sound came from the top.


    I didn''t have much time to be happy about it as the tower finally cracked, and it began collapsing in on itself, coming down, burying not just me but everyone around us, including the dog. When I came back to myself, I was in my basilisk form, shrugging off the rubble once again, rising up, disoriented, and coughing. The ash, mud, and whatnot were sticking to my scales, and just when I managed to blink it out from my eyes, I saw the dog, which was still alive, standing back up. Or... partially alive.


    Its left head was split open, clearly dead, half of the bell sticking out of it, while the one on the right was unmoving, its tongue hanging out and blood flowing from its mouth. The middle one wasn''t in any better shape, yet its crazed eyes were just as frenzied as before. It still wanted to fight, but it was over when it looked into my eyes. I saw it go stiff, and that was it... it moved no longer.


    "Shit... the rooster!"


    With a hurry, I transformed back, stepping only twice before collapsing again. Looking down, I saw that my intact leg was no longer uninjured as it was facing the wrong direction.


    "The 2nd Trial is over."


    The voice that spoke, echoing through the land, was that of Snape''s. I felt my body surrounded by creamy, white light before feeling like someone yanked me from behind, pulling me through a weird tunnel before finding myself at the starting point, encircled by teachers. Was it a forceful apparition? I couldn''t tell, but I watched as the others emerged the same. First, it was Victor, then Fleur, who was unconscious... and that''s it. I almost asked what happened to Quincy when Severus Snape''s cold voice hushed everybody around us.


    "Quincy Anguine has obtained the vial. The trial has ended. Follow your teachers, and they will take care of your injuries. Tomorrow morning, an official announcement will be made in the Great Hall regarding the trial!"


    I no longer wanted to speak. Looking at Victor and then the unconscious Fleur, I knew that the others were dead and Quincy was ''gone,'' doing exactly what we spoke about. She was hiding the prize... good! I couldn''t help but smirk and meet the eyes of Fleur, who just regained consciousness thanks to the spell of the great Flamel. Heh... Once again, her Headmaster needed to pull her out of a crisis. When she noticed me, what I saw in her gaze was malicious, and I knew she wanted to scream at me, but somehow, I couldn''t help but maintain my smile, satisfied with the outcome.


    Victory feels really good...