Chp 33

"Headmaster Albus Dumbledore resigned?"

　"This is undoubtedly not exciting news."

　"They are simply crazy!" Zacharias-Smith commented: "Professor Dumbledore may be the only target that the Slytherin heir can be afraid of... Could it be that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was released by the Ministry of Magic?"

　In the Hufflepuff common room, many familiar faces have left... Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Steven Lucas and many other junior students have left school early for various reasons.

　The common room no longer had the laughter and joy of the past and seemed a little deserted.

　Jon sat quietly by the fireplace, thinking quietly.

　There is no doubt that the situation is not favorable... Remember, it is only February 15th, and Professor Dumbledore has left the school. It is hard to imagine what terrible things will happen next, whether it is a basilisk ravaging the castle or Hogwarts being completely closed, it is a very bad thing.

　So he must do something to change the current situation!

　Jon's eyes turned to the humble portrait of a witch on the fireplace.

...

...

　"Professor, what should I do?" he whispered to the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff.

　The kind witch looked at Jon tenderly with a smile on her lips; she said nothing, but just nodded slightly... At this moment, Jon seemed to feel a powerful force appearing throughout his body.

　"Thank you, Professor..."

　…

　"Zacharys!"

　"What's the matter, Jon?" Zacharias Smith was stopped by Jon Hart when he was about to go to bed.

　"I need your help with something." Jon said seriously, "Come with me!"

　"Okay, okay..." Zacharias lazily followed Jon into his dormitory.

　Looking at the piles of books on the bedside and desk, Zacharias couldn't help but curl his lips: "You are really hardworking, Jon..."

　"Diligence is a traditional virtue of Hufflepuff." Jon said casually, and also took out a black diary from the pile of books, and then asked, "Do you recognize this?"

　"What?" Zacharias glanced at the diary casually. It was small, thin, and had a tattered black cover. It seemed to have been soaked in water, and it was obviously quite old. "Where did you get this antique?"

　"I found it!" Jon said calmly, "I found it in a bathroom a few days ago. I don't know who it was... After the terrible attack the day before yesterday and the injuries I suffered, I almost forgot about it."

　"Have you asked Ernie and Wayne?"

　"I've asked, but none of them dropped it. I suspect it was dropped by students from other houses..." Jon said, "But you know that the Slytherin monster has been rampant in the school recently, and I'm a Muggle-born, so I don't dare to show up in public."

　"Got it, got it!" Zacharias said carelessly, "Leave it to me. I'll go to the cafeteria tomorrow and ask the Gryffindor and Slytherin students if they lost it!"

　"Okay, thank you very much."

　"It's okay, it's okay!"

　…

　The next morning, Jon and a group of Hufflepuff students, escorted by Filch, had just arrived at the dining hall when they heard Zacharias's loud voice:

　"Have anyone lost a black diary?" Zacharias Smith shouted in front of the Gryffindor table: "Jon... No, I found one in a bathroom a few days ago. It was tattered and old, like something from decades ago. There was a name of a Muggle bookstore printed on it..."

　"No? Okay, then I'll go ask Ravenclaw."

　While Zacharias was yelling, Jon ate a piece of bread and secretly watched the situation at the other tables.

　Unfortunately, the dining hall was a bit chaotic and crowded, so he didn't observe any useful information.

　After breakfast, they had no classes in the morning, so they returned to the Hufflepuff common room under Filch's escort.

　Watching one classmate after another getting into the barrel, Jon stayed at the end intentionally or unintentionally.

　The last one to enter the tunnel, he did not crawl through but stayed... He counted silently for a few seconds, and when he felt that Filch had left, he climbed out of the barrel again.

　Jon didn't leave the area though... he ran straight to a painting of a silver bowl filled with fruit.

　He crept into the kitchen.

　…

　Next to the Forbidden Forest, in the hut of Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher.

　At this moment, several adult wizards squeezed into the narrow hut.

　Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout and Severus Snape, the four professors of the colleges, quickly gathered here after escorting their students; as well as Gilderoy Lockhart, professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

　Professor Kettleburn squatted in the center of the crowd, carefully examining a piece of blood-stained white paper in his hand.

　"This is the blood collected at the scene where Mr. Weasley was murdered. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to analyze it... I can be sure that it is snake blood!" His old voice sounded a little more haggard.

　"So, Silvanus... I should have mentioned to you..." Professor Sprout's voice trembled a little.

　"Yes... that should be right..." Professor Kettleburn said tremblingly, "A terrifying creature... There are many terrible beasts and monsters roaming around Europe. The most bizarre and lethal of them is the basilisk, also known as the snake king."

　"This snake is very large, and its killing method is very shocking. In addition to its deadly fangs, the basilisk's stare can also kill people. Anyone who is stared at by its eyes will die immediately. Spiders will run away when they see the basilisk, because the basilisk is the spider's mortal enemy. The basilisk will only flee in panic when it hears the crowing of a rooster, because the crowing of a rooster is also fatal to it..."

　"Every time an attack occurs, the spiders feel fear and are even scared to death; all of Hagrid's roosters were killed because the crowing of the roosters was fatal to them..." Professor Sprout asked bitterly.

　"Potter and his friends always show up at the scene of the crime first..." Snape said in amazement, "Because he speaks Parseltongue? Can he hear the sound of the basilisk and be attracted to it?"

　Professor Kettleburn nodded slightly.

　"No one died..." Professor Flitwick lowered his head and analyzed, "Because none of them looked directly at it... Mr. Creevey saw it through the camera, Mr. Finch-Fletchley should have seen it through Sir Nicholas, and Mr. Weasley saw it through the mirror in his hand... As for Miss Clearwater?"

　"The knocker..." Professor McGonagall said, "She was struck by the reflection of the bronze knocker; the knocker was damaged."

　"Unbelievable!" Professor Sprout growled angrily, "Such a filthy monster has been running rampant on our campus for so long!"

　"We have to find a way to kill it!" Professor Flitwick drew his wand from his waist.

　"Is that so... No, you are quite right!" Professor Lockhart stretched lazily, but when he noticed the unfriendly looks from several of his colleagues, he quickly changed his words.

　Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, which made several teachers look sideways.

　"What's going on!" Snape had already raised his wand.

　"Wait... Severus!" Sprout stopped him: "It's a house-elf!"

　She turned her gaze to the ugly "little monster" that had Apparated over and asked gently, "What's the matter, Logno?"

　The house-elf named "Logno" bowed respectfully to Professor Sprout, and then saluted to several other teachers in turn.

　"We caught an intruder who tried to break into the Hufflepuff common room..." the house-elf said in a shrill voice, "According to past practice, we would pour vinegar on her and then let her go; but Klein told me that some terrible things have happened in Hogwarts recently, so we should also pay attention."

　"So, dear Professor Sprout...I brought the intruder here!"

　As he spoke, Logno snapped his fingers.

　Six house-elves Apparated to Professor Kettleburn's hut, carrying a small girl.

　"Ms. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall couldn't help but exclaim.

　Ginny Weasley stood there somewhat at a loss, her wand in the hands of a house-elf beside her.

　"What's going on?" Professor Sprout frowned and asked, "Why would a first-year Gryffindor student try to break into the Hufflepuff common room?"

　"I think you owe me an explanation, Miss Weasley!" said Professor McGonagall sternly.

　Ginny Weasley stammered, "Professor McGonagall... I think... the Chamber of Secrets... I might have opened it..."

　"What?" This time, the six teachers' eyes were focused on her.

　"Professor McGonagall..." Ginny burst into tears, "I feel like I've lost some of my memories. Many times my robes were covered with chicken feathers, and I don't know how they got there..."

　"...I don't remember what I did on Halloween, but a cat was killed and..On the day of the Quidditch match, Colin told me that he was going to the hospital to visit Harry that night, and then he was attacked. I don't remember what I did...The day before yesterday, Percy told me that I looked pale and a little abnormal, and I thought he might be suspicious of me...Then he was attacked that night, and I also can't remember where I was at the time..."

　"I feel like I'm the one who attacked all these people, Professor McGonagall!"

...

...

　The expressions on all the teachers' faces became extremely serious, even Gilderoy Lockhart.

　"Tell us slowly what happened, Ginny... I believe you!" Professor Lockhart walked over. His voice was not loud, but it was extremely reassuring.

　"The diary... I found it in a bag my mother gave me... I thought someone had put it there and forgotten about it... I wrote on it, and it could communicate with me. He said his name was "'Tom Riddle'..." Ginny said sobbingly:

　When she heard the name "Tom Riddle", Professor McGonagall's body trembled slightly.

　"I had thrown it away, into the toilet... Zacharias said he found it, and I was afraid that my secret would be discovered, so I wanted to sneak into the Hufflepuff common room to steal it... I heard from Fred and George how to get into the Hufflepuff common room, so I..."

　…

　"What's going on, Minerva?" Ten minutes later, Professor Albus Dumbledore, the former headmaster of Hogwarts, returned to his former office at Hogwarts, holding a letter in his hand.

　A crimson bird, about the size of a crane, stood on Dumbledore's shoulder, making him look somewhat comical.

　"Albus...Miss Weasley told us some useful information about the Chamber of Secrets. After discussion, we think we should ask you to come back and deal with this matter!" Professor McGonagall said seriously.

　"So that's how it is!" Professor Dumbledore smiled and nodded, then greeted Ginny Weasley, who was standing behind Professor McGonagall with a panicked look on her face: "Good afternoon, Miss Weasley!"

　Dumbledore looked directly into her eyes, his pale blue, soft eyes looking relaxed.

　This staring match lasted for several minutes.

　Finally, Professor Dumbledore turned around.

　"Miss Weasley should go to the hospital ward immediately!" he said without hesitation: "I believe her past experience must have been a painful torture for her... The school will not punish her; many wizards older and more resourceful than her have been deceived by Voldemort..."

　Professor McGonagall nodded and waved outside.

　Madam Pomfrey had been waiting outside the Headmaster's office; now she hurried in.

　"Come with me to the school hospital, girl...you'll be fine soon!" she said gently.

　"As for us, it's time to find the Chamber of Secrets!" Dumbledore said with a smile, taking out his somewhat strange elder wand from his arms and carefully began to wipe it with a handkerchief.

　"Ms. Weasley's memory has been modified!" Professor McGonagall said quickly: "She hardly remembers anything she has done..."

　"A little trick of Tom's..." Dumbledore said slowly, "Under the premise that Miss Weasley's brain cannot be completely destroyed, it is indeed a bit troublesome to find the deleted memories... However, he must have left some clues."

　"What is it..."

　But Dumbledore changed the subject: "Where is the diary Miss Weasley was talking about? She said it was in the Hufflepuff common room?"

　"Not really." Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Pomona found Mr. Smith and got the diary. Professor Snape examined it carefully and insisted that the diary was an ordinary Muggle item and no dark magic had been cast on it."

　"Right over there!" Professor McGonagall pointed to a diary carefully covered by glass on the headmaster's desk. "Would you like to check it again?"

　"No need, I believe Severus!" Professor Dumbledore blinked and said with a smile: "Besides, it doesn't look the same as the one Miss Weasley remembers... Maybe it's just an interesting coincidence?"

　Professor McGonagall nodded.

　"Let's go, call Severus, Pomona and Filius, and let's go to the abandoned bathroom between the first floor and the basement of the castle and take a look!" Dumbledore suggested.

　"What's the problem over there?"

　"Miss Weasley's memory has passed through that place many times... This should not happen to a first-year Gryffindor student. Apart from Potions class, it should be difficult for her to appear there!"

　…

　"Professor Dumbledore, look this way!" As soon as I walked into the bathroom, I heard Professor Flitwick's sharp voice.

　"Did you find anything, Filius?"

　Following Flitwick's direction, Dumbledore bent down and saw a line of text under a pool:

　"My name is Ginny Weasley.

　I felt like I had opened the secret room.

　And something is controlling my mind,

　The entrance to the secret room seems to be on the side of a copper faucet under the right pool.

　You need a Parseltongue to open it.

　Save me…"

　"Sure enough!" Professor McGonagall's eyes widened.

　Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

　"What's wrong?" Professor Sprout asked puzzledly.

　"Interesting, very interesting..." Dumbledore stood up, smiled and shook his head, "From Pomona and Silvanus' discovery of the spider's changes, to Miss Weasley's accidental capture, to this line of text here...it's as if someone is guiding us on what to do!"

　"Albus, are you saying this is a trap?" Professor Snape's cold voice sounded from the side.

　"That's impossible... Tom wouldn't come up with such a stupid trap; and he doesn't have the guts to set a trap for me!" Professor Dumbledore said confidently: "Now, in order to open the Chamber of Secrets, we may need a Parseltongue!"

　"Potter..." Snape muttered.

　"That's right!" Dumbledore ordered. "Minerva, perhaps you should bring Mr. Potter over here!"

　"Okay, Headmaster!"

　Professor McGonagall turned and left, while Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout continued to examine the words on the pool.