Chapter 83: Night Wanderings

No one had the heart to search for clover anymore.

They hurried back to the castle and made a beeline for the library, desperate to uncover everything they could about Salazar Slytherin.

# Harry

"It's over. Dumbledore must think I'm a descendant of Slytherin now. He probably believes I'm some kind of Dark wizard in the making..."

Harry's face was pale, and he looked as though he might collapse.

# Harry

"The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I knew it, I just knew it..."

# Ron

"Harry, maybe it's not that serious. If Dumbledore suspected you, he'd have been watching you closely or even expelled you by now. But everything's still normal for you, isn't it?"

Ron tried to reassure him.

# Hermione

"Maybe Dumbledore is investigating Harry's lineage. But I don't know if there's any connection between Slytherin and the Potter family. Could it be your mother's side? But that's even less likely..."

Hermione's pace quickened as she spoke.

Orli stayed silent, her face just as pale as Harry's.

Harry, of course, had no connection to Salazar Slytherin. His ability to speak Parseltongue came from the fragment of Voldemort's soul within him. But if Dumbledore had already known weeks ago that Harry was a Parselmouth, could it be that he had deliberately released the basilisk?

If Dumbledore was willing to risk the lives of Muggle-born students to test Harry, who could Orli trust at Hogwarts?

A dark figure suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Did he know about the basilisk?

——————

Late at night. As she quietly stepped out of the Gryffindor Tower and descended the stairs toward the dungeons, Orli quickly regretted her impulsiveness.

She hadn't even prepared what she was going to say, yet here she was, recklessly wandering the school alone at night—a school where a basilisk was on the loose!

But her unresolved doubts about Dumbledore gnawed at her sanity like a beast.

On one hand, she couldn't bear the thought of doubting a revered elder. She kept telling herself that perhaps the diary had never reached Dumbledore, and someone else had released the basilisk.

But another voice whispered in her heart: Then why did he question Harry? If he was willing to sacrifice Harry and use Snape to defeat Voldemort, why wouldn't he allow other students to face some life-threatening danger to train Harry?

Clutching her wand tightly, Orli felt the cold grip of fear creeping up her legs and arms, making her entire body tense. When she finally saw the familiar wooden door of Snape's office, she broke into a run, nearly tripping over herself.

# Snape

"Orli Waters."

Before she could knock, the wooden door swung open. Snape appeared to still be awake, holding a candlestick as he looked down at her coldly.

# Snape

"I assume you're intelligent enough to read the time. It's past curfew."

## Orli

"Professor, I have an emergency. It's very urgent."

Orli struggled to steady her breathing.

# Snape

"Your Head of House is Professor McGonagall. Her office is much closer to Gryffindor Tower than mine."

Snape said impassively.

## Orli

"Harry is in danger. Please, help me."

Orli mustered all her courage, forcing herself to meet his gaze. She concentrated all her mental energy on practicing Occlumency, replaying in her mind the scene of Harry hearing strange voices in the corridor.

# Snape

"It seems that some people have finally realized how unwise it is to tie their lives to others through foolish contracts."

Snape gave her a glance and stepped aside to make way.

# Snape

"Come in."