Ikuto woke with a start when he felt something on his leg. He cautiously opened his eyes, and looked down. Their on his leg...was a snake.
Yukito was grinning evilly.
"Where did you get a snake?"
"I hatched it following the instructions from the book."
"What book exactly?"
Yukito handed him the book he had been reading, with the bookmark on a certain page. Ikuto read with shock...
"You didn't."
He nodded.
"If that old man finds out..."
"He won't unless an idiot tells him."
The snake, which Yukito named Orochi, stayed hidden around his waist as a belt. No one was any the wiser. It seemed when Yuki asked Orochi to do something politely, it listened.
Things livened up thanks to Draco, who had his father buy the Slytherin house team new brooms. After Ron made a fuss, and tried to hex Draco, Ikuto stepped in.
"What's wrong with a Slytherin Alumni donating brooms to the team? Did it ever occur to you that Draco might actually be a good Seeker?"
After practice, Draco went to the library. Which is where Yukito and Ikuto found him later.
"Thanks for sticking up for me. No one has ever bothered to do that before."
Ikuto and Yuki exchange a look. Yukito proceeded to tell Draco about the Chara eggs...
The next morning, Draco woke up to find...two eggs. One was the Slytherin Green and Silver with dragons. The other was Gray and Blue with an eagle owl.
"Welcome to the club Ryu."
"What club?"
"Our little club for those with Chara. Hermione, Luna and Neville all have at least one Chara Egg. How many did you get?"
"Two."
"We'll help you when they hatch. Charas can change their partner's characteristics without warning."
"Eventually we'll teach you to Chara Transform."
A week later, Draco's first egg hatched. A boy with green and silver dragon scale shirt and scaled pants appeared. He had Dragon wings, and cat's eyes. His hair was a similar color to Draco's and his feet were clawed.
"The name's Ryusuke, don't forget it."
"Draco."
"I know."
"So what now?"
"Breakfast sounds good."
"Roll call!" sounded out Gin. Draco still couldn't get over how much the Chara looked like his godfather.
"Yoru!"
"Padfoot!"
"Gin!"
"Moony!"
"Midori!"
"Hana!"
"Athena!"
"Ryusuke!"
"So you got your first Chara. Congrats. We'll teach you to Chara Change later after classes."
Neville was still getting the hang of Chara Change, while Hermione had gotten it on the second try. Draco tried his first, and found the effect to be interesting.
He found that all his doubts about being a true Slytherin fade away, as he flexed wings that could actually lift him up! He loved the feeling of flight without a broom!
"Time to come down, Ryu."
Draco came down reluctantly. Neville was grinning, as he finally Chara changed with Hana!
"Seeing as how you three have finally gotten the hang of Chara Change, it's time for attacks."
"Wait, we can attack?"
"Yeah, just be careful with your Chara Change though. If Dumbledore or the Ministry discover we have Chara, they may label it Dark Magic and ruin all our fun!"
They all agreed to keep it a secret as they swore on their wands to never reveal Chara to those without an egg at least. Which is why Dumbledore became more frustrated with them when the second attack occurred. Ikuto was upset by the attack on Mrs. Norris, and everyone knew it. Lockhart was pranked daily by Athena, Yoru, Ryusuke, and Padfoot. Midori and Hana were often seen by them helping Neville with his potions homework. Soon they had a strategy for the difficult subjects.
Ikuto-Transfiguration (He was McGonagall's favorite student)
Hermione-Charms and History of Magic (Only student who could stay awake long enough to take notes.)
Draco-Potions
Neville-Herbology
Yukito-DADA (He researched the spells that they practiced)
Luna-Astrology
Soon they were at the top of their classes. Even though the other Ravenclaw made fun of Luna because of the Quibbler, they more than made up for it. The Chara were especially good at cheering her up, as they often took turns hanging out with her during class.
It didn't hurt that after the fourth attack Luna woke up with three eggs.
Hermione came to them in a huff, carrying a familiar book.
"What Hermione?"
"The creature that's been attacking everyone...its a Basilisk!"
Yukito looked sheepish...only Ikuto noticed.
"Are you sure? How has it been getting around the castle?" asked Draco.
"The pipes! A snake that size would have to travel through the pipes to remain unseen."
"I suppose it fits. But where is the entrance?"
It was around that time that someone threw a book in Myrtle's bathroom, which Luna found and gave to Yukito when she saw the waves of Dark magic.
Luna's Charas were 'Moon, Sun and Star.'
Moon wore a silver dress, with the lunar cycle around the waist, Silver hair with a blue crescent moon barrette. Her eyes were quicksilver.
Sun wore a gold outfit, with a sleeveless shirt and short skirt, both in shades of yellow, amber and topaz. Her headband had a sun on the left side. Her hair was a shiny amber, and her eyes were topaz.
Star wore a sparkly shirt with stars and deep blue fabric. Her blue jeans were navy with gray streaks, and her shoes were missing. Her hair was platinum and her eyes were an vibrant sapphire.
Orochi became more restless as the months passed. Since Yukito told him not to attack Chara, students or pets, he was starving. He was also growing at an alarming rate. Finally, Yukito had an idea.
He asked the house elves for as much meat as he could safely carry. As he put the snake in the Come and Go room, he let it gorge itself, watching as it stretched and grew three times in size, shedding it's skin in one piece. That's when it hit him. Orochi must be feeling the pent up energy from enlarging. Which meant his venom would grow more deadly soon. Yukito took a vial, and with Orochi's permission, milked the excess venom.
"Professor Snape, can I ask you something?"
"What is it Tsukasa?"
"How would you like to have a full vial of Basilisk venom and a complete skin to use in your potions, no questions asked?"
Snape gaped at him.
"Where did you find these...items?"
"A good Slytherin never reveals his source unless it's beneficial to him," said Yukito with an innocent grin.
Snape regarded the scion of James Potter. He hated to admit this, but the boy made an excellent Slytherin. He had quickly risen to from the ranks of the first years to be a Slytherin King. Draco was his second in command, and Ikuto his advisor. Crabbe and Goyle were his unofficial enforcers.
Granger, though a Gryffindor, was his researcher. Luna, the starry-eyed first year, had all the signs of being a natural Seer. Longbottom, with his abysmal potions grades was a natural with plants.
The Leader, the researcher, the advisor, the second-in-command, the Seer, the healer, and the enforcers. It was almost as if Lord Voldemort himself had returned to Hogwarts to enlist his Death Eaters all over again. Almost...but there was one key difference. The Potter scion actually cared about his troops, even going so far as to help them.
Then there was the matter of the blurs he always saw around Yukito and Ikuto...and recently around Draco, Luna, Granger and Longbottom. What they were, he couldn't say. But he didn't care.
"Thirty points to Slytherin."
Yukito grinned. So they had a deal.
Snape took the ingredients, and held his shields around the headmaster. It wouldn't be good for his favorite Slytherin to get caught with basilisk items.
Eventually, Yukito talked to Myrtle, and found out that the opening was in her bathroom! Ikuto, Draco and Neville went with him down the pipe. (Hermione and Luna were the last to be petrified...apparently when their human partners are petrified, so are the Charas. Padfoot, Hana and Draco's second Chara, Orion stayed with the girls.
Orochi went ahead, and hissed, "Low hanging ceiling, watch out. Also, the serpent's hide is here."
"Watch your head. Orochi says there's a low-hanging ceiling. And we should get an idea of how big the damn thing is when we see the skin."
"HOLY CRAP!" yelped Draco.
"Keep it down. The last thing we need is to alert that damn thing that we're here."
Draco actually glared at Ikuto, who sniggered.
They were met with a door that had a LOT of snakes around it.
"Orochi, scan ahead and see if your forebearer is awake and in the next room, please."
"Fine..."
Orochi came back, reporting an all-clear, with the exception of the missing student. The girl was breathing, barely.
"OPEN."
Ginny Weasly lay in a puddle, with the cursed Dairy next to her. Neville ran to her, worried. Draco Chara Transformed, and hid in the shadows until Yukito gave him the signal.
Draco had dragon claws, wings and a tail that shimmered in the low lighting. He could actually breath fire when he bothered to put his mind to it, and he was as good as Ikuto in stealth. Draco went by the name Ginryu when he turned into Ryusuke.
A shade of a person came into sight. He looked to be about sixteen, and was mildly good looking.
"Riddle, I assume," said Yukito calmly.
The boy scowled. So this was the brat who killed him off eleven years ago? After doing the villain's rant, he went to open the statue that held the basilisk.
"NOW!"
"CHARA TRANSFORM!"
Silver Fox, Black Cat (I can't remember the name of Ikuto's form), Lion Vine came out. Yukito grinned, giving Neville a thumbs up for his speedy transformation. The basilisk came out, and stopped as if puzzled. It flicked it's tongue and hissed. Apparently it smelled Orochi.
"Come out here."
"Yes sir."
Orochi slithered out from the pipes, and was a third of the other snake's size. Apparently Riddle didn't know that Yukito had hatched his own basilisk for a pet.
"Wha...?"
Yukito smirked.
"Riddle, meet Orochi, Orochi meet the idiot who almost blew our cover."
Orochi gave the man a Snake glare. Thanks to this idiot, Dumbledore almost found him! If that had happened the best he could hope for was to released in a magical zoo!
"Who is your master?"
"The boy with wolf-ears. He stole an egg and hatched me. He even gave me a name and feed me every time I was hungry."
The older basilisk looked at Yukito with something that could be akin to surprise.
"How old is this hatchling?"
"About seven months, give or take. I hatched him a few days into the beginning of the year after reading an article about basilisks, sir."
"You have my approval. I hope you don't mind if the hatchling comes to visit?"
"Only if Orochi wants to."
"Really Yuki?"
Yukito gave his snake a smile, "Why would I deny my favorite serpent the opportunity to learn from an elder?"
Orochi curled around his master, and hissed happily. Yukito picked up the book, and had Orochi snap it in half. Riddle screamed as his soul was destroyed. Ginny sat up in shock, and screamed when she saw Orochi. Ikuto promptly knocked her out, and Yukito cast an obliviate to erase the memory of Orochi.
Orochi stayed with Azriel, the older basilisk for the rest of the year. Ikuto told Ginny about Charas, to shut her up. Dumbledore was shocked to learn that Yukito didn't kill the basilisk, saying "It won't bother anyone with the chamber closed off. And I didn't see the point to kill something that had every right to live like I do."
Yukito and Ikuto left Hogwarts with the knowledge that they had thrown the manipulative headmaster for a loop. They also left behind an assignment for their new Chara club, as they called it.
Ginny Weasly, the latest to learn about Chara and gain an egg. She promised to write them when it hatched. Draco and Neville were told to master 'instinctive' transformation, while Hermione was to master her Chara Attack. Yukito couldn't wait until Dumbledore finally figured out that Yukito was his own person, and it would be a could day in hell before he could spy on him!