Misunderstanding

In the corridor, Lin Du seemed completely unaware of the commotion that might be unfolding downstairs.

He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on the sensations relayed through his wand.

Magical ripples spread like his tendrils, swiftly sweeping through every crack in the stone, every pipe, every hidden corner... searching for traces of any magical creature bearing serpentine traits.

A few seconds later, he abruptly opened his eyes, his tone grave.

"The Basilisk is no longer here."

His gaze fell once more upon the line of writing that glimmered with ominous green light, his eyes turning cold—

At the height of the feast, Lin Du, seated at the staff table, paused slightly.

Chao Feng's warning voice sounded in his mind. "A nauseatingly evil presence has spread through the upper levels of the castle."

Without changing expression, Lin Du set down his dinner knife, murmured, "Excuse me," to Professor Flitwick beside him, and quietly left the table.

His steps were leisurely at first, but the moment he left the Great Hall's sight, his speed abruptly increased. Like a black shadow, he swept up the stairs with swift, silent movements.

Unfortunately, he was still a step too late.

Soon, the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs came from both ends of the corridor.

First came the professors at the front, followed by a crowd of students drawn in by the disturbance.

When those at the front saw the cat hanging upside down and the green words flashing on the wall, the lively chatter vanished at once. The frightened students pressed forward, only to be held back by the professors, and an oppressive silence fell.

Lin Du stood alone in the middle of the corridor, at the center of everyone's attention.

"Professor Lin Du." Deputy Headmaster Professor McGonagall hurried to the front. Her expression was taut, her tone stern. "Can you explain what happened here before this?"

Seeing Professor McGonagall's frighteningly serious expression, Harry, Ron, and Hermione instinctively shrank back behind Lin Du.

Before one wave had settled, another rose.

Before Lin Du could answer, Filch screamed as he squeezed through the crowd.

"What happened here? What happened?"

He shoved through the crowd with his shoulders. Then he saw Mrs. Norris. Staggering back several steps, he clutched his face in horror.

"Calm down, Filch. She isn't dead, only Petrified. I promise she'll recover, all right?"

"You mean she isn't dead—but she's already like this—how can she be saved...?"

Filch looked utterly terrified.

"A potion made from Mandrakes will do it. So calm down. We still need to find the culprit, don't we?"

Lin Du patted Filch on the shoulder in reassurance.

Just then, Headmaster Dumbledore finally arrived.

His silver-white hair and beard drifted faintly in the torchlight. His bright blue eyes swept over the scene, and he grasped the situation in an instant.

"All students, return to your respective Common Rooms immediately! Prefects, take responsibility!" Dumbledore's voice carried unquestionable authority, instantly overwhelming all the noise.

Under his orders, the students quickly dispersed. Only several professors, Harry and the other two, and the still-sniffling Filch remained in the corridor.

"Dumbledore—you're here—these mischievous students actually did this to my—"

Filch immediately turned to the Headmaster to complain.

"Calm down, Argus." Dumbledore's gaze swept across the scene before finally settling on Harry and the other two.

"Mr. Potter, can you explain why you were here during the feast? And what exactly happened here?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, stammering and speaking vaguely. They only mumbled that they had heard something and come to take a look.

"Heard something?" Filch shrieked. "Lies! You clearly used vicious Dark Magic!"

"Students could not have done this," Dumbledore firmly rejected his guess. "This would require the most advanced Dark Magic—"

When the words "advanced Dark Magic" left Dumbledore's mouth, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick almost involuntarily turned their eyes toward Lin Du.

The atmosphere instantly became delicate.

Yet Dumbledore seemed entirely unaware of the sudden tension. His gaze finally settled on Lin Du.

"Professor Lin, you have long studied Ancient Magic and the castle's history. Your insight is crucial. What do you make of the warning on this wall?"

Lin Du did not quite understand why Dumbledore was asking something he clearly already knew, but he cooperated and answered.

"My view... I'm still considering the writing on the wall. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened—but whose Chamber of Secrets? Who opened it? And who is this so-called heir's enemy?"

He threw out three questions in succession, attempting to redirect the professors' thoughts toward the larger mystery behind the incident.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and said dryly, "It sounds like the legend of Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets again, but Merlin's beard, how many years has that story been passed around...?"

Other than Lin Du, the newcomer, the other three professors exchanged looks that said, Here we go again.

Clearly, the legend of the Chamber of Secrets was like one of Peeves's pranks—it surfaced at Hogwarts every few years, and each version was more outrageous than the last.

"But as far as I know," Lin Du continued calmly, "the only people who could be connected to the words 'Chamber of Secrets' are possibly Lady Ravenclaw or Lord Slytherin. Considering the rather unfriendly style of the message on the wall..."

The others all understood what Lin Du meant. The Chamber of Secrets was most likely connected to Slytherin.

Ravenclaw would never do something like this.

"A splendid deduction. Unfortunately, what we need now is not a detective novelist, but evidence." Snape rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore gave the final summary, his gaze passing over every professor.

"Then beginning tomorrow, we will conduct a full search of the castle. For now, it is late. Minerva, please take Mr. Potter and his friends back. Everyone else should rest as well."

Professor McGonagall frowned, clearly deeply concerned about the school's safety, but she still nodded and gestured for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to follow her.

Professor Flitwick and Snape also turned to leave. Before Snape disappeared into the shadows, his deep, unreadable gaze briefly swept over Lin Du once more.

For a time, only Lin Du and Dumbledore remained in the dim corridor.

The silence lasted only a few seconds.

Lin Du folded his arms and stared directly at Dumbledore, his tone openly challenging.

"I thought you would have handled this, Headmaster."

Just from Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick's reactions, he knew it. The two of them had clearly misunderstood something.

Dumbledore sighed softly, his tone gentle to the point of innocence.

"Oh, Lin Du, my dear colleague, you worry too much. Minerva and Filius are both very reasonable people. Severus... well, he is logical, at least."

A mischievous glint flickered in his blue eyes, and he abruptly changed the subject. "Come to think of it, you didn't truly conduct some improper magical experiment on poor Mrs. Norris, did you? I heard she always received overwhelming votes in the 'Most Unpopular Caretaker's Assistant' polls among generations of students."

Lin Du was nearly angered into laughter by that shameless counteraccusation. Expressionless, he retorted.

"Headmaster, I study Dark Magic to explore its essence, not to frighten a cat. I have not become that bored or depraved."

"I'm glad to hear you say so." Dumbledore nodded with a smile, as though he had merely made a harmless joke.

But the smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression turned serious. "Then let us discuss business. You seem to believe I should have been able to prevent what happened tonight?"

"Shouldn't you have?" Lin Du asked in return. "You know the potential risks very well. I even warned you specifically. Yet we are still standing here, facing a successful attack and an open provocation. I need an explanation, Headmaster. What exactly are you planning? Or rather, what are you waiting for?"

He stared intently at Dumbledore, refusing to miss even the slightest change in the other man's expression.

The old man appeared easygoing, yet every step he took seemed to conceal deeper intentions. The feeling of being kept in the dark, perhaps even treated as a chess piece, made Lin Du deeply displeased.

Dumbledore was quite sincere in response, apology in his bright blue eyes.

"First, Lin Du, I must apologize to you for what happened just now. It was never my intention to put you under such awkward suspicion because of your field of study, and as Headmaster, I truly failed to consider the matter carefully enough."

His tone was sincere, without a trace of perfunctoriness.

"I hope you can give this old man some time, as well as an opportunity to make amends, so I can explain the entire matter from beginning to end."

He extended a hand in invitation, indicating that Lin Du should speak with him somewhere more private.

The two walked in silence all the way to the stone gargoyle statue at the top of the spiral staircase.

"Lemon Drop."

Dumbledore spoke the password and led Lin Du upward.