Chapter 108

Malfoy had been petrified, an event that instantly triggered widespread panic across Hogwarts School. Rumor had it that the Basilisk only targeted half-blood wizards, but Malfoy was a thoroughly proper pure-blood. This meant that the creature attacking them was likely not the Basilisk after all, or perhaps the Basilisk had completely lost control. Though terrifying, the Basilisk had previously remained controllable, posing little real danger while under control. Now, however, it had begun attacking pure-blood wizards, which was a deeply unsettling development. It caused every student at Hogwarts to feel that they were in mortal danger—even the Slytherin students, who had always remained utterly unruffled. Slytherin had always been the stronghold of pure-bloods, but now that even the benchmark of pure-blood status had been frozen solid, their composure completely evaporated. How could they not be terrified?