Like that, a few days passed.
Late one night, near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a small figure slipped between the trees.
The castle lights were distant now, swallowed by branches and shadow. The forest breathed differently at night—older, heavier. Leaves crunched softly under careful steps.
Those footsteps belonged to none other than Victor.
"As expected… this forest is creepy as hell," he muttered, eyes darting around as darkness seemed to breathe back at him.
The Forbidden Forest was never truly silent. Twigs snapped without warning, something scuttled just out of sight, and distant noises echoed in ways that made his imagination far too cooperative.
Every shadow looked like it might suddenly grow teeth and decide he was tonight's snack.
He tightened his grip on his robe, resisting the urge to bolt back toward the castle.
He was scared—very much so—and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Anyone with a functioning survival instinct would be.
So why was he here?
Victor swallowed and forced himself forward.
He needed space. Real space. Somewhere far from curious students, teachers, or ghosts drifting through walls.
His Animagus form wasn't something you tested in a broom cupboard, and turning into a basilisk inside Hogwarts would be… poorly received, to say the least.
The Forbidden Forest, terrifying as it was, offered one thing nothing else could: room.
"Big forest, no witnesses," he whispered. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
Another sound came from deeper in the woods.
Victor froze.
"…Still hate this place," Victor muttered.
Only then did he stop.
He was deep enough now. The trees were thicker, the light thinner, and whatever lived out here had long since stopped pretending to be friendly.
Victor exhaled slowly and focused inwards.
Animagus.
Unlike the traditional method—months of rituals, leaf-under-the-tongue nonsense, moon cycles, and meticulous potion brewing—his was different. A system reward so he skipped all the process.
He closed his eyes and brought the concept forward in his mind, the same way he accessed spells or abilities.
Animagus: Basilisk.
His body twitched.
At first it was subtle—muscles tightening, bones shifting just enough to make him grit his teeth. Then it got worse.
His spine arched sharply, a sharp crack running down his back as his height collapsed inward. His arms jerked, fingers fusing, shortening, vanishing entirely as scales spread where skin had been.
"Merlin—" he hissed, the word dissolving halfway as his jaw stretched unnaturally.
The ground felt closer. Much closer.
His legs drew together, bones melting and re-forming, pulling into a single massive length that slammed into the forest floor with a dull thud. His vision warped, colors sharpening, edges glowing faintly as heat and magic became easier to sense than shapes.
Cold slid over his skin—no, scales. Smooth. Armored.
Victor's thoughts stayed clear, thankfully. That would have been a problem otherwise.
A long, heavy body now rested in the clearing, dark scales catching what little moonlight filtered through the canopy. His head lifted slightly golden eyes reflecting in the dark, tongue flicking out on instinct, tasting the air.
"…Okay," he thought dryly, adjusting to the weight. "That's new."
He shifted, coils scraping softly against the forest floor.
Big. Very big.
At least now he understood why a basilisk needed space.
"It would've been really helpful if there were a mirror," Victor thought. "Hard to appreciate a new form without one."
Curiosity won out. He slithered through the forest, keeping to the shadows, scales brushing softly over roots and fallen leaves.
It took a few minutes, but eventually he found a small pond tucked between trees. Moonlight spilled across the still surface, turning it into a natural mirror.
Victor leaned closer.
"…Huh."
Staring back at him was a massive, sleek body—black scales with a faint sheen, thick and powerful without looking grotesque. His eyes were golden, split by vertical pupils, sharp yet oddly calm. Not wild. Not mindless.
And thankfully—not ancient plumbing-terror basilisk ugly.
"Well," he decided, mildly impressed, "could be worse."
He tilted his head, studying himself from another angle. Definitely intimidating. Definitely illegal if anyone saw him. Still, he looked… controlled.
Then he opened his mouth.
Rows of teeth gleamed back at him—far more than any reasonable creature should have, long and curved, built very clearly for instant killing.
Victor snapped his jaws shut again.
"Now… time for dental work," Victor thought grimly. He needed a tooth saturated with basilisk venom—something capable of destroying a Horcrux. Simple goal. Terrible execution.
He glanced at a nearby rock. Solid. Unforgiving.
"This is definitely not how normal snakes do it," he decided.
Then he bit down.
There was a sharp crack and a brief, unpleasant jolt of pain as one long fang snapped free, venom already coating its surface.
Victor recoiled, hissing softly.
"… it's a little painful," he thought, staring at the broken tooth on the ground.
Still—venom-coated, intact, and very lethal.
"At last, a weapon capable of destroying Horcruxes."
His Animagus form began to reverse.
The massive coils shrank rapidly, scales receding as bone and muscle compressed inward. What had been a huge basilisk moments ago collapsed down, shrinking far too fast to look natural.
If anyone had been watching, it would have been… unsettling. A 16-meter-big snake compressing, folding, losing length and width far too quickly for comfort.
Victor dropped to the ground on his hands and knees as the transformation finished, human again.
"…This is going to take time to get used to," he muttered.
He was a little disappointed he hadn't tested the petrification gaze—but that could wait. There would be other chances.
Beside him lay the broken basilisk fang, still slick with venom.
At least the important part had worked.
He reached into his robes and drew out the diadem, glancing around once to be sure he was alone.
"It's time," he said quietly.
*****
A/N : 🔥 On Patreon, the story has already been updated up to Chapter 51 🔥
⚡ A 15-chapter early access is available for those who want to read ahead ⚡
👉 patreon.com/JakeA30