Bad Faith Island
A Harry Potter Pirate Story
by VG Jekyll

53. In the Eyes of the Creature

Draco stands frozen for a moment, but then hisses at the bird.

"Who is watching us? Voldemort?"

He glances suspicious around. The others don't appear to have heard the phoenix's ominous words and are still puttering about amongst the treasure. Draco cringes as Ron makes something heavy fall from its pedestal and the gold around the man rolls about with way too much tinkling noises.

Fawkes doesn't reply.

Instead, it ruffles up its feathers and proceeds to fly upwards and away. To Draco it feels like the bird is abandoning them.

Draco turns away from the mirror, of which he previously had been studying the edges, and cast his gaze around the room. The bird had sounded rather ominous. And knowing what they have encountered on this blasted island so far, it had to be something terrible.

Maybe more spiders. Ghosts coming for revenge. More dragons maybe.

He couldn't, however, find anything strange.

He figures it won't be a good idea to call out for Harry's attention, so he picks up a small golden ball which fits perfectly in the palm of his hand. He takes aim, pulls back his arm, and throws it with perfect accuracy at the pirate captain.

The ball hits Harry against the side of his head and hearing the soft 'ow' makes him feel the slightest pride. Followed by sheer envy when the other appears to have fast enough reflexes to catch the golden ball before it can fall to the floor.

When Harry turns around to face him and probably complain about being attacked with inanimate objects, Draco quickly makes a hand motion to silence him. He motions for the pirate captain to come to him and Harry already has his mouth open to complain, then shakes his head and actually obeys.

Harry shuffles over the gold towards him and thankfully he isn't that far away. Yet Draco still feels his heart beat faster at all the noise he makes. If there is something inside this chamber with them it will certainly know where they are based only on the noise they make. He tries to stay as motionless as he can.

"What is it?" Harry questions him, still rubbing the side of his head. Draco wonders briefly if it will leave a bruise.

"There is something here with us," Draco tells him. "The bird told me so."

Harry quickly cast his eyes around. Trying, just like Draco did earlier, to find the possible threat. It does seem like he is just as unable as Draco was.

"Is it another monster?" he asks.

Draco shakes his head with the barest movement. "I don't know. The bird wasn't very forthcoming."

Besides him, Harry already crouches down to grab a hand of coins. Draco watches both amused as with a bit of jealousy how he proceeds to throw coin by coin at his friends. His aim is as accurate as or perhaps even better than Draco's.

When they have their friend's attention, Harry signs something and they all seem to understand. Draco wonders when they had the time to learn this silent communication. He certainly wasn't in on this.

All present stop any kind of movement. The sudden silence is deafening. They all hardly move their heads as their eyes try to find whatever has Harry spooked.

It is then when they do hear it. There is movement somewhere behind the large ship in the middle of the room. It is the slow displacements of gold and coins. Almost as if something heavy is dragging over it and pushing it aside.

It sounds like something is slithering towards them. They all seem to hold their breath, their heartbeats spiking and sounding loud to their own ears.

They then see it.

From behind the ship, a gigantic sized snake comes into sight. The light slides over the enormous snake. It looks a vivid, poisonous green. It must have been at least twenty feet long and has large yellow eyes.

On its head is a single scarlet plume. In a twisted sort of way it actually looks beautiful.

It moves slowly as if taking its time. Perhaps it knows there is nowhere for them to run to. It isn't even looking straight at them. Instead its eyes seem to be on the treasure in front of it.

"You gotta be shitting me!" Ron exclaims, he does not even bother being quiet anymore. It is clear that the snake already knows they are there. "First gigantic spiders, now enormous snakes?"

"I don't think that is just another snake," Hermione claims. "If I had to take a guess, this is a Basilisk. I read about them in a book about myths and legends. Don't look at in the eye. It will petrify you. It also has poisonous fangs."

"Is there anything we can do about it?"

"I… I can't remember that," she admits and Draco curses.

"You're not any use!"

"Hey! She already knew more than you did so back off!" Ron defends her.

"We are the ones invading its territory." Harry says "So it will only be natural to defend itself. Perhaps it doesn't even see us as anything of importance. Just another food source. I don't think we will be able to out run it either. Look at how it moves. If we try to run away, we will slip over the coins. This creature goes right through it. We are done for."

"Don't sound so fatalistic, Harry." Remus admonishes.

The creature is now a lot closer but it does not come straight at them. Instead it makes a sort of zigzagging movement as it circles around them. They all move along with it to keep it in sight.

Which is rather difficult because they also attempt not to look at its head.

"There must be something we can do. Anything."

To Be Continued