Journey to the Chamber of Secrets

Dumbledore acted with lightning speed.

He passed through the castle corridors and arrived at the girls' bathroom on the second floor. The lighting was dim, and the air carried a faint, damp smell.

His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's as it swept over every inch of the room, missing no detail. Soon, beneath one of the faucets, he spotted the Slytherin crest.

Yet the problem before him was how to open the hidden Chamber of Secrets.

Dumbledore was perhaps the only Wizard in magical history who had mastered Parseltongue through self-study alone, without relying on bloodline.

However, his command of Parseltongue might have been limited to understanding it; he could not speak it.

After several attempts, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets remained tightly shut.

After watching for a while, Wes made a bold suggestion: use the Cruciatus Curse to control Tom and force him to open the Chamber of Secrets with Parseltongue.

The suggestion plunged Dumbledore into brief thought.

But soon, he shook his head and rejected it.

He had more far-reaching considerations. He wanted to invite Ministry of Magic officials to witness the Basilisk's death, hoping to clear Hagrid's name in this way.

But Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, was known for being cautious—or, rather, cowardly.

Dumbledore could easily foresee that once Fudge learned Voldemort had made Horcruxes and was gradually regaining his strength, the Minister would likely make decisions that displeased everyone.

It would be better if no one else learned of Voldemort's imminent return, lest it cause unnecessary panic.

Although Dumbledore was old, his mind remained agile and quick.

He swiftly found recording equipment and recorded Tom speaking Parseltongue.

Once everything was ready, Dumbledore sat at his desk and carefully wrote two letters, sending them respectively to Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, and Amelia Susan Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The letters detailed the discovery of the Basilisk at Hogwarts, as well as the murder case connected to it from decades ago.

At this time, Fudge was almost completely accommodating toward Dumbledore.

The two exchanged letters frequently and eventually settled on a date: a weekend half a month later.

When the appointed weekend arrived, Cornelius Fudge came to Hogwarts with a Ministry of Magic official and Amelia Susan Bones.

The moment Fudge saw Dumbledore, he eagerly spread his arms and gave him a huge hug.

His face was piled with smiles, and that brilliant smile never faded.

He acted exceptionally close to Dumbledore, tightly gripping Dumbledore's hand and not even letting go when he greeted Lucius.

As for Wes, he was too young to catch Fudge's attention.

Wes did not mind. He could not be bothered dealing with a politician like Fudge anyway.

Amelia looked like a very serious person, with no unnecessary expression on her face.

According to Dumbledore, she was one of the few Ministry officials who actually got things done.

"Albus, you gave me quite a fright." Fudge dramatically clutched his chest, his voice carrying a hint of exaggerated surprise. "How could Hogwarts possibly have such a terrifying creature as a Basilisk?"

"Fudge..." Dumbledore had only just begun.

"Call me Cornelius. The friendship between us..."

Fudge hurriedly interrupted him, an amiable smile appearing on his face.

"All right, Cornelius..."

Dumbledore patiently recounted everything, from Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk to the truth of Hagrid's wrongful accusation.

"Hmm... So that's how it is..."

"Oh... Merlin's beard..."

Fudge seemed to listen intently, occasionally voicing a remark.

After hearing it all, Fudge turned to his deputy, Dolores Umbridge. "Dolores, will resolving this improve my approval rating?"

Umbridge wore an overly saccharine smile, thick and cloying like syrup. She was short, but her mouth was large and her eyes slightly bulging, giving her an unbalanced appearance.

She wore bright pink from head to toe, from her hat to her hair clips. Her poor looks combined with the unsuitable outfit made her resemble an ungainly pink toad.

She spoke in a syrupy young girl's voice that made everyone who heard it deeply uncomfortable.

"Getting rid of the Basilisk and protecting the students' safety? I believe letters of praise would fill your office, Minister."

Umbridge's voice was full of flattery.

Madam Bones glanced at Umbridge with disdain, then closed her eyes, clearly unwilling to look at Umbridge's repulsive appearance any longer.

A smile blossomed across Fudge's face, dazzling and entirely genuine.

"Wonderful!" Fudge said excitedly.

Fudge cared only about his approval rating. He had no concern for the students' safety, and as for Hagrid's innocence, he considered it nothing but a waste of his time.

Fortunately, there was Madam Bones, a woman known for her fairness.

"If the case from back then was the Basilisk's doing, then it proves Rubeus Hagrid was wrongfully accused. The Ministry of Magic will clear Mr. Hagrid's name."

Madam Bones's voice was firm and powerful.

"Yes, Bones is right." Fudge hurriedly voiced his agreement.

As long as he could keep his position as Minister while also winning Dumbledore's favor, Fudge was more than happy to do something that accomplished so many things at once.

However, when he heard that they would have to enter the Chamber of Secrets and face the Basilisk directly, the Minister for Magic began to back down again.

"Umbridge can represent me. She is my assistant."

Fudge did not hesitate to push the dangerous task onto his subordinate.

Umbridge's smile stiffened slightly. Her fingers gripped her handbag tightly, her knuckles turning white.

But she quickly adjusted her expression and once again revealed that signature saccharine smile.

Umbridge was an ambitious woman, willing to seize any opportunity to climb higher, even if it meant taking some risks.

Wes found himself viewing this woman in a somewhat better light.

Dumbledore only wanted someone from the Ministry of Magic to serve as a witness; exactly who it was did not matter.

After explaining several precautions, Dumbledore led everyone to the bathroom.

He took out the recording equipment and played the recording.

Along with the hissing sound,

the mechanism activated. The sink slowly moved aside, revealing a passage leading downward.

Dumbledore's wand emitted a soft glow, and without hesitation, he was the first to jump down.

Seeing this, Lucius followed suit and jumped in after him.

Umbridge came next. Though her face showed a trace of nervousness, she still bravely jumped down.

Madam Bones had intended to go last, but Wes extended a hand in invitation. "Ladies first."

Madam Bones did not refuse Wes's gentlemanly gesture. After giving a slight nod, she jumped down as well.

The four of them proceeded without obstruction all the way to Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.