Chamber of Secrets, Basilisk, Tom!

Harry thought that Myrtle was very sensitive about this topic and that it would take some time to appease her.

Unexpectedly, Myrtle suddenly changed her expression.

"Oh dear, I was just kidding."

Myrtle twirled in the air, giggling as if she were very happy.

"If you want to ask me how I died..."

Her expression suddenly changed, as if she were extremely honored to be asked this question—

"Alright, since you're so eager to ask, I'll tell you... It's actually quite scary."

At this point, Myrtle suddenly paused.

The perceptive Harry knew he had to play the straight man at this moment, so he feigned nervousness and asked, "How scary is it?"

Myrtle was extremely pleased to see Harry like this.

She chuckled twice, cleared her throat, and said solemnly, "Actually, that terrible thing happened in the girls' restroom. I died in that toilet—I remember it very clearly."

Myrtle looked nostalgic. "Back then, my classmate... Oliver Humbell of Ravenclaw made fun of me for wearing glasses and looking like a four-eyed dog, so I hid here—I locked the door and cried inside, and suddenly I heard people come in. They were speaking a funny language, so I thought it must be another language—but what annoyed me the most was that I heard a boy's voice."

"So I opened the door, yelled at him to go away and go to his own men's restroom, and then—"

Myrtle puffed out her chest, radiant with pride, and declared, "I'm going to die."

"Can you tell me more details?" Harry pressed.

"I don't know," Myrtle said mysteriously in a low voice. "I only remember seeing a pair of terrifyingly large yellow eyes, and it felt like my whole body was being grabbed, and then I floated away..."

She looked at Harry with a dazed expression. "Then I came back, you know, I was determined to settle scores with Oliver Humbell... Oh, she really regretted making fun of me for wearing glasses."

"She didn't regret mocking you for wearing glasses; it's just that you can cling to her after death, while she can't do anything about it, so she had no choice but to compromise," Harry commented. "Believe me, if you had died like that, she would have been happier than anyone else."

"Uh—probably not?" Myrtle asked hesitantly, "After all, we're both Ravenclaw..."

"Come on," Harry scoffed, "As if you're not Ravenclaw."

"Oh..." Myrtle said suddenly, "Then I think I should go and settle the score with her again..."

"It's over. So many years have passed, she's probably long dead." Harry sighed. "Do you remember where you saw that eye?"

"If you want to know, I'll take you to see," Myrtle said mysteriously. "Come on, big sister will take you to see, to the women's restroom..."

As she spoke, Myrtle brought her face close to Harry's, and Harry could even see the clear pimples on the ghost's face.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not a good person?" Harry said with a complicated expression.

"What are you saying?" Myrtle, hands on her hips. "I'm not happy with how you talk to me!"

"But we need to hurry," Harry said to Myrtle. "Come on, show me where we are."

"Okay." After saying that, Myrtle floated up into the air.

"However, I suggest you try to keep a low profile and not let others see you," Harry advised Myrtle.

Myrtle looked at him, puzzled, wondering why Harry would say that.

"Why? Do you think it's shameful to walk with Myrtle?" Myrtle said angrily, "Fine, I knew you wouldn't like it..."

Harry quickly interrupted her.

"No, you misunderstood." He spoke quickly. "I suspect that the person who attacked you has returned to Hogwarts. I just don't want him to know about it."

"Oh, it's too late then," Myrtle said smugly. "We were seen on our way here, and now the whole school probably knows about it—"

"That's still a while, so we need to hurry," Harry said to Myrtle. "You lead the way, and I'll follow you using the Disillusionment Charm."

Myrtle fluttered about, glancing at Harry's expression. Seeing that he didn't seem to be faking it, she said leisurely, "Well, I never expected a second-year student like you to know the Disillusionment Charm... Well then, I'll be waiting for your arrival in the bathroom."

After saying that, Myrtle jumped back and floated out of the classroom like a swimmer on her back.

Harry cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and followed Myrtle into the bathroom.

The girls' washroom on the second floor is not used often. It is only when Myrtle offends someone that someone comes here and takes advantage of her not paying attention to flush her into the Black Lake.

After entering the washroom, he removed the Disillusionment Charm, and Myrtle was startled by his sudden appearance.

Harry found it a little funny; it was the first time he'd ever seen a person scare a ghost—usually, it was the ghosts that scared people.

"Oh, so you've come after all," Myrtle said with a grin, pointing to the pool beside her. "Look, this is it. If I remember correctly, it's this area, no problem."

Harry walked to the edge of the pool and looked at it closely.

The pool looked very ordinary, just like any other ordinary pool.

"Help me look for it," Harry said to Myrtle. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be a serpentine mark on the Chamber of Secrets... You look for it too."

"How did you know?" Myrtle asked with great interest. More than looking for the snake mark, Myrtle wanted to know how Harry knew about it.

"Because I've been to Slytherin's Study before," Harry said slowly. "Outside Slytherin's Study, there are always many snake-like markings. If you speak Parseltongue to a snake, it will activate a mechanism and open a hidden door."

"There's such an interesting place?" Myrtle was even more curious now. "Then, Mr. Potter —no, Harry, could you demonstrate to me what Parseltongue is?"

"I don't speak Parseltongue on purpose, Myrtle." Harry glanced at the still excited Myrtle. "I can only passively trigger this talent when I see a snake—if you can find that, I can demonstrate it for you."

Upon hearing Harry's words, Myrtle turned around and went to help Harry find the snake mark in the pool without saying a word.

The two of them thoroughly inspected the pool inside and out, top to bottom, not even missing the water pipes underneath.

"Hey, here." Myrtle pointed to the side of a brass faucet. "I remember this faucet. It never produces water, no matter how I turn it... It seems this must be the snake mark you mentioned—alright, I've found it for you. Now you should demonstrate the Parseltongue for me."

"Looks like you think I'm some kind of circus member," Harry said helplessly.

He leaned closer and looked at the little snake.

Actually, his talent for Parseltongue wasn't obvious, but after Ominis's special training, he mastered a portion of it.

"Open it," he hissed, as if he were slurring his words.

Myrtle showed a look of surprise upon hearing the hissing, Parseltongue.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I remember now! That boy also spoke Parseltongue!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dazzling white light emanated from the dragon head carved with a small snake, and it began to spin rapidly.

Then, the pool began to move. They watched as the pool slowly disappeared from sight, revealing a very thick water pipe, large enough for a person to crawl into.

"This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?" Myrtle asked in astonishment. "I've lived here for decades, and I never knew that there was a secret passage leading to the secret Chamber of Secrets hidden in the girls' restroom on the second floor..."

"Yes, this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said succinctly. "Alright, Myrtle, thank you for your help, but I'd like to ask you to keep this a secret for now until Dumbledore catches the boy who killed you, okay?"

"Don't worry, Harry, I promise I'll keep it a secret!" Myrtle said, patting her chest.

"Also," Harry said after taking a few steps, noticing Myrtle following, "You just wait here, and whatever you do, don't come down with me."

"What, are you worried I'll die again?" Myrtle chuckled. "Don't worry, Harry, I'm a ghost now, I can't possibly die again."

"But according to the book, ghosts who make eye contact with the Basilisk will turn to stone," Harry said helplessly. "If you don't want to be the first ghost to be petrified, I suggest you wait here."

"Alright," Myrtle said, spinning around. "Then I'll wait for you here."

Harry walked to the front of the pipe, took a deep breath, held the pipe opening, put a Shield Charm, and slid down the bottom of the pipe.

This feeling was very unpleasant, like going up a water slide in an amusement park— Harry remembered being taken up a water slide by his Dudley, and that feeling was really... not good.

The pipe didn't go all the way to the end; instead, it meandered and twisted. Harry felt himself constantly bumping into the pipe walls, making slight clattering sounds. If it weren't for the Shield Charm underneath him, he probably would have been rubbed Mars by now.

Fortunately, this feeling didn't last long. Less than five minutes later, Harry finally felt a wide-open space in front of him, and he emerged from the pipe.

"Arreento (Slowing Charm)!"

Harry pointed to the ground and cast a Slowing Charm spell on himself, thus avoiding being bumped or knocked over.

While it's unlikely to cause any serious injury, getting bumped or knocked around can certainly hurt a lot.

"Revilio (Revealing Charm)!"

The spell did not detect any living beings.

"Lumos!"

He raised his wand, and the tip of the wand lit up with a light bright enough to illuminate the area around him.

This... seems to be the bottom of the Black Lake?

Harry looked around and found himself in a stone tunnel. The walls around him were dark and sticky, covered with what appeared to be a thick layer of moss—or perhaps some kind of stain.

The tunnel was completely silent; Harry could even hear his own breathing clearly.

He tried to walk forward, but after only a few steps, he heard a click under his feet.

I stepped on a rat's skull.

After walking a few more steps, Harry saw the snake skin left on the road in front of him.

The light from the wand shone on the snakeskin, making it appear a vibrant green.

Without saying a word, he put the snake skin into his wallet.

The Basilisk is a valuable commodity; it can be used in both Potions and alchemy.

Even if he doesn't need it, he can sell it for a lot of money—or rather, it's not impossible to give it to Professor Snape as a Christmas present, after all, that arrogant old Batman... the old professor has helped him a bit.

After collecting the snake skin, he walked forward while simultaneously Revealing Charm, attempting to detect potential enemies.

As Harry walked to the end of the tunnel, he found a solid wall in front of him, with two intertwined snakes carved on it, their eyes inlaid with large, Winky emeralds.

This should be it, he thought.

As Harry stared at the two intertwined snakes, he kept mentally criticizing Slytherin.

As expected of the Founders of Slytherin House, he not only has Parseltongue in his blood, but also likes to turn everything he handles into snake-themed mechanisms... He even keeps a Basilisk at the school.

No wonder everyone says Slytherin is an old madman, he thought.

Thinking this, he hissed in a low, hoarse voice, "Open!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two snakes wriggled on the wall for a while, and then the stone wall cracked in the middle, slowly sliding to both sides before magically disappearing.

Harry went in and found himself in a bright and spacious room—no longer a stone wall with pipes, but a large, dimly lit room.

Opposite him were many stone pillars carved with coiled and intertwined snakes. They towered up and supported the ceiling, which was melting into the darkness above. Under the dim light, they cast long, eerie black shadows on the entire room, which was filled with a mysterious, greenish mist.

Harry cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and carefully moved forward, occasionally using his Revealing Charm to probe the creatures around him.

When Harry reached the last stone pillar, which was parallel to the ground, he discovered a wizard statue standing at the far end of the room.

The statue was level with the entire room, and its face was that of an old man with a sparse, long beard that reached all the way to his feet.

It must be Slytherin, he thought.

Harry stepped forward, looked up, and saw a line of words carved next to the Slytherin Statue, crooked and twisted, like a writhing little snake.

Those words weren't English, but rather Parseltongue.

He read it out without thinking.

"Speak to me, Slytherin —the greatest of the Four Founders of Hogwarts."

Just as he finished speaking, Harry suddenly noticed that the Slytherin statue had opened its mouth wide, revealing a round, thick black hole.

There seemed to be something moving inside, making rustling sounds.

It's Basilisk!

In a flash, Harry knew what to do.

Without a word, he waved his wand and transformed his clothes into Slytherin style.

Then, feeling that this wasn't safe enough, he moved his wand and temporarily transformed his hair into the likeness of Ominis.

He snapped his fingers, and a white haze appeared before his eyes through Transfiguration Spell.

Sure enough, an incredibly thick and enormous Basilisk swam out from the wide-open mouth of the Slytherin Statue and coiled around it.

Harry could sense that the large snake seemed to be sizing him up.

"Who are you?" a hissing voice rang out. "You're not the Young Master —who are you?"

"Young Master?" Harry hissed in return, "Who is this 'Young Master ' you're talking about?"

"Tom Riddle," the Basilisk hissed again, "Awakening me from my slumber... He carries the blood of Slytherin, and is therefore my Young Master..."

Because I have the blood of Slytherin, that's why I'm your Young Master?

Harry thought of Slytherin's consistent ideas and Voldemort's strict criteria for identifying Pure-blood.

Could it be that this Basilisk determines its master based on bloodline?

He decided to ask first, since the Basilisk hadn't attacked him directly, which must be because his Parseltongue made the Basilisk unpredictable.

Oh, Harry's Parseltongue isn't just innate; he also underwent special training from the Gaunt family. You could say that even Marvolo Gaunt might not be as authentic as he claims to be with the Gaunt.

He decided to test the waters.

"You decided to pledge allegiance to him just because he saved you?" Harry asked.

The Basilisk hissed in reply, "No, because he is the last of the Slytherin bloodline... But I'm curious why there is anyone else besides him who can talk to me, and even more so, what you say that makes me want to obey you than he does..."

The case is solved, Harry believes his guess was correct.

This Basilisk doesn't care who rescued it; it only cares about whose bloodline is purer.

With that in mind, Harry decided to teach the Basilisk a lesson.

"You have disgraced Slytherin, you little snake," he said, mimicking the villain's furious tone. "You were actually fooled by a Half-blood- breed!"

"Half-blood bastard?" The Basilisk was stunned.

"Let me tell you, you little snake!" Harry said angrily. "Do you know what? His mother is my niece. She fell for a Muggle, so she drugged him with Love Potion, and that's how Tom Riddle came to be! Let me tell you! He's just a damn Half-blood Mudblood who dares to pretend to be a descendant of the great Slytherin! What makes me even angrier is that you actually believed him!"

Upon hearing Harry's words, the Basilisk went into a daze.

If Harry could look up at it, he would see a clear look of confusion and struggle in the Basilisk's eyes.

who I am?

Where am I?

What am I supposed to do?

It understood exactly what this "true Gaunt" in front of it meant—that damn Half-blood guy had come to the Gaunt family to beg for food?

Could it be... that it has been deceived by that 'young young master ' all along?

"And who are you?" the Basilisk asked tentatively.

"Ominis Gaunt!" Harry declared proudly, "The great descendant of Slytherin! By seniority, your 'young young master ' should call me grandfather!"

The Basilisk shuddered upon hearing Harry's words!

Good heavens! It was actually the ancestor of the Gaunt family...

But... why is he so young? It was puzzled.

So he asked.

"Young master Ominis, why do you... look so young?"

"Because of Time Magic, little snake," Harry scoffed. "Don't you know? I've awakened the legacy of Ancient Magic..."

Harry only wanted to dabble in Ancient Magic, but he never expected that after hearing his words, the Basilisk would let out a sharp, explosive roar!

"Ancient Magic! Ah! Ancient Magic!"

What's going on?

Harry looked at the Basilisk, which resembled a salted worm, and secretly took out his wand, ready to use a Charms if the situation turned unfavorable.

"You've awakened Ancient Magic! It seems you must be a descendant of the great old master, Slytherin!" The Basilisk's tone suddenly became obsequious. "My goodness, you are truly... truly great. It seems I should believe you—you know, even the old master's children haven't awakened Ancient Magic... My goodness, what an honor, what an honor to meet... such a pure Heir of Slytherin!"

For a moment, Harry felt like he was a bad boy who had stolen someone else's girlfriend.

They still used deception.

He had no doubt that even if Voldemort were to appear before him now, he would have no chance to command the Basilisk in the slightest.

"My esteemed young master..." the Basilisk slithered over, its tone obsequious, "Please allow me to serve by your side... young master Tom... no, that Half-blood Mudblood shamelessly deceived me; he wouldn't even take me out of this Chamber of Secrets..."

"Why?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"I don't know." The Basilisk shook its tail in frustration, making a thumping sound as it hit the ground.

"If you don't mind, I have a wallet with a Untraceable Extension Charm here," Harry said to the Basilisk. "But I can understand you, after all, you're the Basilisk, and he's afraid you'll petrify other people after you go out."

"As long as it doesn't petrify the master, it's fine." The Basilisk swished its tail happily, like a puppy. "You should know that a true Slytherin descendant is not afraid of the Basilisk's Petrifying Charm."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously. He was also wondering why Tom wasn't killed when he first released the Basilisk because he made eye Basilisk with it.

"Because the Basilisk doesn't kill naturally born Parseltongue, and besides, this ability can be controlled," the Basilisk said cheerfully. "So, when will you take me out, my esteemed young master?"

Seeing Harry's hesitation, the Basilisk hissed and mumbled, "Young master, I can eat a little less. Don't let my size fool you, I really can eat less—"

"Alright then." Harry didn't refuse, after all, playing with snakes was such a fun thing.

Harry opened his wallet and suddenly remembered something important.

"But there's one more thing. I need some Basilisk Fang."

"Oh, this." The Basilisk shook its head and moved closer to Harry.

The two venomous fangs fell to the ground with a thud.

"If you're not satisfied, I can shed some more," the Basilisk said. "But I need to replenish my food... after all, you know I haven't eaten in a long time."

Harry beckoned, and two fangs flew into his hand.

He was still a little worried and didn't dare to bend down to pick it up, so he could only perform a spell Wandless Magic.

"What a genius! No wonder he's a descendant of his old master!" the Basilisk exclaimed gleefully. "Look at that staff -Wandless Magic!"

Harry smiled, opened his purse, and said, "Come in. I'll get you some food after I leave—how about some beef? You don't eat beef, do you?"

"Food, young master, as long as you don't throw the chicken down," the Basilisk hissed. "But I prefer the Acromantula —you know, that creature has delicious flesh."

"Okay," Harry nodded. "Oh, by the way, I haven't asked you your name yet."

"Alfonso," the Basilisk replied, "That's the name my old master gave me."

"Okay, I understand. Come in, Alfonso," he said.

The Basilisk swam a couple of steps, Harry used its wallet to swiftly stuff the snake inside.

Even when the Basilisk was put away, Harry still felt like he was in a dream.

The Basilisk was dealt with so easily?

What he found even more unbelievable was that he had managed to persuade a Basilisk to obediently crawl into his wallet with just a few words...

It seems it's time to brush up on his knowledge of the Gaunt family, he thought.

He put the Basilisk Fang in his pocket, changed his clothes back into Gryffindor style, and used Apparition to arrive at the gates of Hogwarts Castle.

While Apparition is not possible inside Hogwarts, he was in the Chamber of Secrets — Chamber of Secrets is beneath the Black Lake, so it's not considered part of the castle.

The first thing he did upon returning to Hogwarts was not to go to the Map Chamber, but to go straight to the Headmaster's Office.

Veratia's matter is important, but we absolutely cannot let Voldemort get away.

The Waterspout Gargoyle had already made way for Harry the moment he stepped onto the Seventh Floor.

Harry walked into the Headmaster's Office without any hindrance.

"Oh, Harry." Dumbledore asked with delight upon seeing Harry, "Well, did you find out something?"

Harry didn't say anything, but took out a Basilisk Fang and placed it on the Headmaster's desk.

Dumbledore didn't understand Harry's meaning, and looked at Fang suspiciously, then at Harry.

"So... what is this?" He looked at the fangs that were still oozing black venom and asked in confusion.

"Basilisk Fang," Harry said succinctly. "I've found the Chamber of Secrets. The entrance is in the second-floor bathroom, but you need Parseltongue to open it. I really don't know why Slytherin has such a twisted sense of humor."

"Because Slytherin liked snakes."

Professor Dumbledore reached out and picked up the fang, held it up to the sunlight, and looked at Harry with considerable shock.

"I truly never imagined that a young wizard like you could single-handedly confront Basilisk and pull out its fangs..."

As he spoke, Dumbledore casually put the fang into his pocket.

Harry said nothing and simply placed his hand on the table.

"Haha, forgive an old man's collecting habit." Professor Dumbledore chuckled awkwardly, took out the fang and returned it to Harry. "But I still have to remind you, the Basilisk's venom is highly poisonous, so you'd better be careful."

"Don't worry," Harry nodded and said, "I'll definitely be careful."

"But I still don't quite understand, how did you defeat the Basilisk?" Professor Dumbledore asked, puzzled. "Even if you are a descendant of Ancient Magic, how could you..."

"Of course, I convinced the Basilisk." Harry spread his hands, looking utterly helpless. "The Basilisk only obeys the orders of a descendant of Slytherin, but I told it the truth—about Voldemort's origins. After learning the truth, the Basilisk was furious. He felt humiliated and believed that a Half-blood Mudblood was not worthy of being a great descendant of Slytherin."

"But you are not a descendant of Slytherin," Dumbledore said.

"I got Ominis Gaunt's notebook in the Crypt," Harry said succinctly. "I know he's Marvolo Gaunt's brother, and by lineage, he should be Voldemort's grandfather... so I impersonated him."

"So how did you make it believe it?" Professor Dumbledore was still puzzled. "Harry, I'm just curious. You can choose not to tell me; after all, everyone has their little secrets."

"That's no secret, because I'm a natural Parseltongue," Harry said with a laugh.

"A natural Parseltongue?"

Dumbledore felt he had already been shocked enough today, but nothing was as shocking as hearing that a Gryffindor was born with Parseltongue.

He opened his mouth, but chose to remain silent.

Never mind, I won't ask anymore.

"So what's your plan next?" Dumbledore asked again.

After thinking for a moment, Harry said, "I think I should have Draco write to his father and have him work with the Board of Governors pressure you into resigning."

After a moment's thought, Dumbledore said to Harry, "If you can persuade Lucius, this would be a good plan."

He couldn't help but marvel in his heart that Harry was truly the most mentally sound, the most capable, and the most promising young wizard he had ever seen at the same age.

If you want to find someone who can be compared to him, perhaps only that transfer student from a hundred years ago.

Dumbledore's eyelids twitched involuntarily when he thought of that transfer student.

He knew that the transfer student was Gellert's older sister.

"Don't worry, I'll give Lucius Malfoy an irresistible reason," Harry said.

After leaving the Headmaster's Office, he found Miss Farley studying in the Great Hall.

Harry left her a small note and then turned and left.

"Take Draco to the empty classroom on the second floor in a little while. I'll be waiting for you there."

Miss Farley read it and burned the note.

She pretended to continue reading, and after about five or six minutes, she stood up and called Draco away.

"What does Miss Farley want with Draco?" Pansy asked curiously, craning her neck.

"I heard it's about his father, and it seems they're going to talk about the relationship between their fathers," Crabbe said without looking up.

Pansy nodded, said "Oh," and continued to sit and study.

In the empty classroom, Harry was casually feeding the Basilisk snacks.

The Basilisk very happy, swishing its tail and hissing gleefully.

Hearing someone approaching, Harry whispered something to his wallet before looking up.

"Harry, what you just said was..." Draco asked with great interest.

"I said someone's coming, I'll feed you in a bit," Harry said calmly. "Parseltongue —you should have heard of that ability."

"Parseltongue?!" Miss Farley and Draco were both shocked.

Parseltongue is a very rare ability and is usually hereditary—almost all Parseltongue are descendants of Salazar Slytherin.

This explosive news undoubtedly shocked these two orthodox Slytherin students.

"Oh my god, Harry..." Miss Farley exclaimed excitedly, clutching her collar and breathing heavily, "You... you'd be interested in coming to Slytherin? My goodness, I'm sure you'll be the best graduate Slytherin has ever had..."

"Even Voldemort is no match for me?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Uh..." Miss Farley thought for a moment, then nodded firmly. "She's definitely better than him."

"I think so too!" Draco raised his hand and said, "Too..."

Harry glanced at him.

Draco decided to swallow his words.

He thought indignantly, "Let you look at me like that. When my great-aunt comes back, I'll say it to her face and see if you still dare to yell at me!"

"We can talk about this later. Right now, I have something I want to tell you, Draco," Harry said to Draco.

"Just give the orders!" Draco said, patting his chest with great pride.

In his view, Harry and his great-aunt Cassandra were a perfect match!

So here's the question: if we look at it this way, Harry really is his ancestor.

If their ancestors were so great, wouldn't he, as a descendant, have something to boast about in the future?

He thought viciously, "From now on, I don't need to mention 'my father' when I meet people. If I have to, I'll say 'great-uncle'."

Therefore, the matter concerning the great-uncle is the matter concerning the Malfoy family.

"I need you and your father to write a letter explaining the current situation at Hogwarts and to join the Board of Governors in impeaching Dumbledore." Harry tapped the table.

Before he could finish his sentence, Draco excitedly stood up, interrupting him, "Good heavens! You really have a keen eye! I knew he shouldn't be the Headmaster! I'll write to Dad right now!"

"Don't get too excited..." Harry said, pulling Draco back. "This is just part of my and Dumbledore's plan, it's not really about impeachment... so you should tell your father about this beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings."

Harry doesn't want to use the Malfoy family; he should just say what he wants.

When dealing with subordinates, try to explain everything beforehand and avoid complaining afterwards; this is the rule Mr. Septimus taught him.

"Alright." Draco looked a little disappointed, but he perked up and said, "Then I'll write to Dad and explain this..."

After settling Draco in, Harry went to the Map Chamber.

"Veratia." Harry pushed open the door to the Map Chamber, holding up the Basilisk Fang and laughing, "Look, what's this?"

"Basilisk Fang?" Veratia stared intently, her face filled with worry. "You... aren't you hurt? That's Basilisk that's been dormant for thousands of years; it must be very dangerous, right?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"He can still laugh, so nothing must be wrong," Professor Rackham commented from the side.

Harry recounted everything that had happened in the Chamber of Secrets to Veratia.

The three professors and Veratia in Map Chamber fell into a long silence, not uttering a single word for quite some time.

How should I put it?

Was the Basilisk too stupid, or Harry too... clever?

"Well done, Harry!" Veratia said with a smile. "I'm relieved there's no danger—what's your next step?"

"Hmm..." Harry pondered for a moment before saying, "I plan to deal with Voldemort in the school first, and then go to Slytherin's Study to rescue you—you know, having such a threat in the school is never a good thing."

"Your concerns are valid," Veratia said with a light laugh. "But you must be careful. Even if Voldemort is just a remnant soul, he is still the most powerful Dark Wizard of this century..."

"Why do we have to emphasize this century?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Because it was her in the last century." Professor Rackham gave Harry a disappointed look.

Harry: "Oh..."

Veratia did not deny Professor Rackham's accusation of being a "Dark Wizard," and readily accepted the title. "Let's just call it that for now, thank you for the compliment, Professor Rackham."

"You actually took that as a compliment?" Professor Rackham took a deep breath.

"I only value 'the strongest'," Veratia said proudly.

"So, are all the materials ready?" Headmaster Fitzgerald asked from the side. "It must be said that witnessing the successful resolution of this matter is indeed a satisfying thing."

"Yes," Professor Rackham wiped his eyes, "It's truly touching; the bond between a boy and a girl always grows stronger with time."

"Everything's ready," Harry nodded. "By the way, Veratia, how many Basilisk Fang do we need? One or two?"

"One is enough," Veratia said gently, then seemed to remember something important. "By the way, Harry, Gringotts promised to cover the price of the fang. Aren't you planning to take this opportunity to make some money?"

"Money is something you only need enough to get by," Harry said nonchalantly. "The most important thing right now is to get you out of here... God, I wish I could grab Voldemort right now, that damn guy, if it weren't for him I could have gotten you out today!"

Veratia covered her mouth and chuckled, then said to Harry, "But remember, Harry, when you go to Slytherin's Study, you must bring someone else with you."

"Bring someone else along?" Harry asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Have you forgotten what happened to Noctua Gaunt? She was Ominis Gaunt's aunt. She was trapped and died outside Slytherin's Study because she couldn't use the Cruciatus Curse..." Veratia sighed. "She was one of the few good people in the Gaunt family, and it's a pity she suffered such a fate. I don't want you to end up like her."

If Veratia hadn't brought it up, Harry would have completely forgotten about it.

But... who should I bring along?

Bring Ron? Obviously not... What about Hermione? Don't even mention it, Harry doesn't want to cause Hermione any trouble.

"I should think about who to take with me," Harry sighed, saying to Veratia, "It seems I don't have anyone around me who can..."

"Are you stupid, Harry?" Professor Rackham said again in a tone of exasperation, "Why don't you just grab any dark witch out there?"

"Oh, right!" Harry exclaimed, realizing that this solved his predicament.

He looked up again and said, "I hope Lucius's actions will be quick. If all goes well, we can actually meet in a couple of days—I mean, meet your true form."

Harry wasn't completely lacking in emotional intelligence; he didn't utter the word "portrait."

However, he did not know that what was in the Map Chamber was not Veratia's portrait, but her soul.

"Okay." Veratia nodded gently.

Veratia sighed after Harry left.

fool...

After returning from the Map Chamber, Harry resumed his leisurely daily life.

Now that we have the venomous fangs, Voldemort is locked on, and the Basilisk has been dealt with, the rest is up to Lucius and the Board of Governors to handle.

When it comes to impeaching Headmaster, they are professionals.

Harry wasn't in a hurry, nor was he afraid that Pansy would run away after the lifting of martial law—after all, Dumbledore had personally been guarding outside Hogwarts after his impeachment.

If Pansy, or any other student, tries to throw away the Notebook, Dumbledore will definitely notice.

On Wednesday morning, a strange tension settled over Hogwarts.

To everyone's surprise, Hogwarts convened Board of Governors! This very morning!

This was not kept from the students, because Draco, beaming with pride, had boasted about it in public the night before.

"My father is a Hogwarts school board member," he said, looking extremely proud.

However, it's understandable. Anyone with a school board member as a father would feel arrogant, let alone a young boy like Draco.

Everyone was curious, discussing it not only in their dorm rooms at night, but also whispering about it while eating breakfast in the Great Hall in the morning.

Everyone wanted to know what the Board of Governors was discussing—whether it was cutting student benefits or increasing the burden on students by adding more classes.

Or perhaps, should we pass a bill that would allow young wizards to cast spells freely during holidays? That's what the Weasley twins suggested.

But everyone thought it was wishful thinking and said it was impossible.

However, just as they were preparing to go to their first class, Lucius strode into the Great Hall of Hogwarts with his head held high and an arrogant expression on his face.

He walked all the way to the High Table and stood in front of the Headmaster's seat.

A buzzing sound suddenly erupted in the Great Hall.

"Everyone, quiet down."

Lucius looked around and cast a Amplifying Charm on himself.

"Based on the decision of the Board of Governors, Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore is no longer fit to serve as Headmaster. Effective immediately, Dumbledore is no longer Headmaster, and the position will be temporarily Headmaster by me, Lucius Malfoy!"

The entire hall was completely silent.

"Why?" someone below asked.

"The Board of Governors unanimously agrees that the former Headmaster attempted to use martial law to cover up his incompetence," Lucius Malfoy announced loudly. "The Board of Governors deeply regrets the attack on Mr. Creevey. Colin Creevey, but this does not mean that Hogwarts is in danger... Therefore, martial law is officially lifted as of today!"

After he finished speaking, a cheer erupted from the Slytherin.

Following closely behind are Ravenclaw's Gryffindor, and finally Hufflepuff.

But Hufflepuff was clearly distracted, only offering a perfunctory reply.

They didn't think Dumbledore was incompetent; on the contrary, they were the students who understood Dumbledore best.

But this was of no use. Since the Board of Governors had intervened and Dumbledore had not shown up, it proved that this was already a fait accompli.

Lucius glanced smugly around the Great Hall, then turned and left.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin's Long Table out of the corner of his eye and, sure enough, saw Pansy wearing a strange smile.

"Get me excused from class today," Harry whispered to Ron. "I mean—all of them."

"Okay." Ron nodded. "What's wrong?"

"I have some personal grudges to settle," Harry said, patting Ron on the shoulder.

"Do you need help, Harry?" Ron asked with concern.

"No need, it's just a small grudge, I can handle it," Harry said with a smile. "Go to class, I have something to do—"

Today's three lessons are Charms Class taught by Gryffindor alone, Herbology Class taught by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff together, and Transfiguration Class taught by Gryffindor alone.

Harry didn't go with the Slytherin, so Harry wasn't worried about being discovered by Slytherin. Instead, he had already been lying in wait at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets.

He crouched behind the wall where the two snakes were coiled, at the entrance to the hall, waiting for Voldemort —or rather, Pansy —to arrive.

The hands on my hand ticked away, from nine o'clock to twelve o'clock, without making a single move.

The three hands continued moving until Harry was bored out of his mind, when a rustling sound came from outside.

Harry glanced at his watch; it was 4:05.

A short while later, the wall in front of him parted to the sides and disappeared into the rock walls on either side.

It was indeed Pansy Parkinson, standing there with an incredibly wicked smile on her face.

"Miss Parkinson's," Harry suddenly said.

"Who?!" Pansy's face suddenly showed fear.

She truly hadn't expected that there would be someone else in Chamber of Secrets!

Harry removed the Disillusionment Charm and appeared before her.

"It's you!" Pansy recognized Harry almost instantly. "Potter!"

"It's me, Miss Parkinson."

Harry looked at Pansy with a half-smile, sized her up and down, and then gave her a meaningful smile.

"Should I call you Pansy? Or... Tom, Tom Riddle?"

(Please vote with your monthly tickets! Veratia will be making a triumphant return tomorrow!)

(The last 4000 words are a bonus chapter for when the monthly votes reach 5000-5500)