210- Fortunately, she didn't come from an orphanage

Amidst the sounds of "joyful laughter," the three of them returned to Hogwarts Castle. 

Rhys led Daphne and Astoria straight to the Chamber of Secrets. After reminding them not to look directly into the Basilisk's eyes, he summoned the serpent. 

[Here, this should be enough for you to eat.] Rhys placed the three Acromantula corpses before the Basilisk. 

After death, a spider's legs would instinctively curl inward, making them appear less massive and easier for the Basilisk to swallow. 

Hisssss~

With its eyes closed, the Basilisk flicked its forked tongue in and out, clearly sensing the scent of the spiders. It opened its mouth as wide as possible and swallowed the three spiders one by one. 

"So this is the Serpent King…" Astoria stared at the feeding Basilisk, her eyes practically sparkling. 

What a powerful and magnificent creature! Astoria felt as though even her soul was trembling in awe. She couldn't help but place her hand on the Basilisk's back. 

The scales under her touch were icy cold. 

"..."

The Basilisk noticed Astoria's small action, but since its master had brought it food, it tolerated her behavior. 

Before long, the three large spiders had been swallowed, and three distinct bulges appeared along the Serpent King's belly.

Daphne frowned as she looked at the bulging Basilisk before her—the sight was truly unsettling. If it could swallow an Acromantula, then naturally, it could swallow a human just as easily. 

[Ssspiders… deliciousss!] 

[Now that you're full, go back and sleep well. Let me know when you're hungry again.] Rhys gave the Basilisk a couple of instructions before sending it back to its resting place within the statue. 

"This is truly incredible. This is Salazar Slytherin's Serpent King, yet it's standing right before us, alive. It feels as if we've transcended time itself and are hanging out with Slytherin," Astoria sighed in amazement as she watched the Basilisk's massive form slowly retreat. 

Perhaps a thousand years ago, Salazar Slytherin had watched his Basilisk feed in the exact same way. 

Rhys: "…"

Honestly, hanging out with Slytherin didn't necessarily require transcending time. 

Still, he nodded in agreement, acknowledging Astoria's words. After all, the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was indeed a "living fossil" of Hogwarts. 

"It really likes eating spiders. Next time, let's catch more for it! How long will it sleep this time?" Astoria clenched her fists excitedly, itching to rush back into the Forbidden Forest to hunt more spiders for the Serpent King. 

She had completely forgotten the terrifying ordeal they had just experienced in the forest.

Rhys glanced at Astoria. This little girl seemed to have an unusual fondness for my Basilisk. Such an interest was rather out of place for a young witch her age. 

Her sister's reaction, on the other hand, was much more normal. 

And considering what she had just said… Could it be…? 

He recalled the image of the girl's soul he had seen back at the Greengrass Manor. 

Rhys decided to test his theory. 

[Next time it wakes up, I'll have you catch the Acromantulas. As for how long it will sleep, anywhere from a few months to several years. If no one wakes it, it can sleep for a full decade.] 

"It sure can sleep!" Astoria marveled. "Next time we go spider hunting, I'll be more experienced." 

What the... Daphne's expression changed instantly. 

Just now, all she had heard from Rhys were hissing sounds—but her sister had understood him perfectly! 

Was Astoria a Parselmouth? 

The thought flashed through her mind. 

Coming from a pure-blood family, Daphne wasn't as fearful of Parseltongue as most other young witches and wizards. Pure-blood families often intermarried, so inheriting the gift of Parseltongue wasn't unheard of. 

But, like Rhys, she immediately connected this revelation to the unique nature of Astoria's soul.

This was quite troubling—did it mean her sister's soul had been even more severely eroded? After all, she had never shown any talent for speaking with snakes when she was younger! 

As they left the Chamber of Secrets, Daphne deliberately fell behind, using the opportunity to voice her concerns to Rhys. 

"That's very possible," Rhys said, an image of Harry Potter flashing through his mind. "If Astoria didn't understand Parseltongue when she was younger, then it's likely the result of the curse affecting her soul." 

"Then what should we do?!!" Daphne asked anxiously. 

Even though her little sister was infuriating most of the time, she still wanted her to grow up safe and healthy. 

If only Astoria were just a normal, curse-free Squib! 

"I'll move up my plans for her treatment," Rhys said, pulling Riddle's diary from his pocket. 

Out of caution, he had always kept the Horcrux on him. 

Hearing this, Daphne finally felt a bit more at ease. 

By the time they returned above ground, there was still a while before lunch. Rhys made a quick trip to the Owlery, keeping a small portion of the Acromantula venom for himself before sending the rest to Lupet, asking her to sell it on his behalf. 

When he returned to the Great Hall, it was just in time for lunch.

The influence of last night's Student Dueling Tournament was still spreading. Many Slytherin students crowded around the Greengrass sisters, trying to get closer to them. 

Once the commotion around them finally died down, Rhys half-jokingly, half-seriously said to Daphne, "You could start a small gathering to teach them some dueling techniques." 

Daphne shook her head like a rattle drum—she knew all too well where her strength truly came from. 

I don't even know the correct pronunciations!!

It had little to do with spellwork and everything to do with mana flow. But she had no idea how to teach that; she couldn't even help her own sister, let alone these barely acquainted classmates. 

Seeing her lack of interest, Rhys dropped the subject. 

In his view, both the old and new magical education systems had their strengths and weaknesses.

Perhaps the current approach was the best balance?

Trying to force the concept of mana flow into the curriculum wouldn't work—it was a historically proven fact that such teaching methods had been abandoned. 

Even if he found ways to make Hogwarts students master mana flow, would this knowledge still be passed down centuries later? 

Rhys had his doubts. 

At the staff table, Professor Flitwick beamed as he said to Dumbledore, "Albus, look, the children are still quite enthusiastic about last night's gathering. That young Miss Greengrass has become quite the celebrity."

Dumbledore watched Daphne chatting and laughing with her classmates, smiling without saying a word. 

"That young girl truly has talent. I can't even begin to understand how she manages that flying spell," Professor McGonagall praised Daphne as well. 

She genuinely liked the girl—despite her being a Slytherin. Or rather, Daphne was one of the rare Slytherins who wasn't irritating. 

Dumbledore continued to smile warmly. 

Good at handling interpersonal relationships, a model student in the eyes of her teachers, and a Slytherin at that...

Fortunately, she wasn't from an orphanage—otherwise, he might have yet another reason to lose sleep.

___________

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