Misunderstanding

Lin Du, oblivious to the potential commotion downstairs, walked down the corridor.

He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on the sensations transmitted by his wand.

The magical ripples acted like his tendrils, rapidly sweeping through every crack in the stone, every pipe, every hidden corner... searching for any trace of magical creatures with serpentine characteristics.

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

"The Basilisk is no longer here."

His gaze fell again upon the writing that flickered with an ominous green light, his eyes icy--

Just as the banquet was at its most lively, Lin Du, seated at the staff table, paused slightly.

Chao Feng's voice, tinged with alarm, echoed in his mind: "A nauseatingly evil aura has spread through the upper levels of the castle."

Lin Du's expression remained unchanged. He put down his knife and whispered to Professor Flitwick beside him, "Excuse me for a moment," before quietly leaving the table.

His steps were unhurried at first, but the moment he left the Great Hall's sight, his speed increased dramatically. He moved like a black shadow, swift and silent, ascending the stairs.

Unfortunately, he was still a step too late.

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

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

When the people in front saw the cat hanging upside down and the green writing flickering on the wall, the lively, chattering sounds abruptly ceased. The students, terrified, pushed forward, only to be held back by the professors, creating a stifling silence.

Lin Du stood alone in the middle of the corridor, the focus of all eyes.

"Professor Lin," Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall hurried to the front, her expression tense and her tone stern. "Can you explain to me what happened here just now?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, seeing Professor McGonagall's frighteningly stern expression, subconsciously shrank back behind Lin Du.

One wave had barely subsided when another rose.

Before Lin Du could answer, Filch shrieked and pushed through the crowd.

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

He shoved his way through the crowd with his shoulder, then saw Mrs. Norris. He stumbled back a few steps, clutching his face in horror.

"Calm down, Filch. It's not dead, just petrified. I promise it will return to normal, alright?"

"You mean it's not dead—but it's already like this—how can we save it..."

Filch appeared extremely distraught.

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

Lin Du patted Filch's shoulder reassuringly.

Just then, Headmaster Dumbledore finally arrived at the scene.

His silver-white hair and beard fluttered slightly in the torchlight. His deep blue eyes quickly scanned the crowd, instantly grasping the situation.

"All students, return to your respective common rooms immediately! Prefects, take charge!" Dumbledore's voice, carrying an undeniable authority, instantly drowned out all the noise.

The students dispersed quickly under his command, leaving only a few professors, the trio, and the still-sobbing Filch in the corridor.

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

Filch immediately turned to the Headmaster to complain.

"Calm down, Argus." Dumbledore's gaze swept across the scene, finally landing on the trio.

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

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, stammering and vague, only saying they heard a commotion and came to investigate.

"Heard a commotion?" Filch shrieked. "Lies! You clearly used vile Dark Magic!"

"Students wouldn't be capable of this," Dumbledore firmly dismissed his conjecture. "This requires the most profound Dark Magic—"

When the words "profound Dark Magic" were uttered by Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick almost involuntarily glanced at Lin Du.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became subtle.

However, Dumbledore seemed completely oblivious to the sudden tension, his gaze finally settling on Lin Du:

"Professor Lin, you have extensive research in Ancient Magic and the castle's history, and your insights are crucial. What are your thoughts on this warning on the wall?"

Lin Du was a little confused by Dumbledore's feigned ignorance but still answered cooperatively:

"My opinion... I'm still thinking about the words on the wall. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Whose chamber? Opened by whom? And who is opposing this so-called Heir?"

He posed three questions in quick succession, attempting to steer the professors' thoughts back to examining the larger mystery behind the incident.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "It sounds like the legend of Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets again," she said dryly, "but Merlin's beard, how many years has this been passed down..."

Apart from Lin Du, the other three professors exchanged a look that said, "Here we go again."

Clearly, the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, much like Peeves' pranks, resurfaced at Hogwarts every few years, and each version was more outlandish than the last.

"But as far as I know," Lin Du continued calmly, "the only ones associated with the word 'Chamber' would be Lady Ravenclaw or perhaps Mr. Slytherin. Considering the rather unfriendly style of the message on the wall..."

The others understood Lin Du's meaning – the Chamber of Secrets was most likely related to Slytherin.

Ravenclaw wouldn't do something like this.

"A brilliant deduction, but what we need now isn't a mystery novelist, but evidence," Snape said, rolling his eyes.

Dumbledore made the final summary, his gaze sweeping over each professor:

"So, a full search of the castle will begin tomorrow. Now, it's getting late. Minerva, please escort Mr. Potter and the others back. Everyone else, please rest."

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

Professor Flitwick and Snape also turned and left. Before Snape melted into the shadows, his deep, inscrutable gaze briefly swept over Lin Du again.

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

The silence lasted only a few seconds.

Lin Du crossed his arms, looking directly at Dumbledore, his tone laced with undisguised accusation:

"I thought you would handle this, Headmaster."

Just by looking at the reactions of Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, he knew they had 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 very reasonable people, and Severus... well, he's at least logical."

A mischievous glint flickered in his blue eyes, and he suddenly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, you didn't really... conduct any unsanctioned magical experiments on poor Mrs. Norris, did you? I heard she always wins by a landslide in the 'Most Unpopular Administrator's Assistant' poll among students."

Lin Du almost laughed at his attempt to shift the blame. He replied expressionlessly:

"Headmaster, I study Dark Magic to explore its essence, not to intimidate a cat. I am not yet that bored or depraved."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Dumbledore nodded with a smile, as if he had just made a harmless little joke.

But the smile on his face slowly faded, and his expression turned serious, "Now, let's talk business. You seem to think I should have been able to prevent what happened tonight?"

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

He stared intently at Dumbledore, not missing any subtle changes on his face.

This old man, though seemingly amiable, seemed to have hidden depths in every move. The feeling of being kept in the dark, or even being used as a pawn, made Lin Du very unhappy.

Dumbledore's attitude was quite sincere about this, his cerulean eyes filled with apology:

"First, Lin Du, I must apologize for the situation just now. It was never my intention to put you in such an awkward position of suspicion because of your field of research, and it was indeed a lapse in judgment on my part as Headmaster."

His tone was sincere, without a hint of perfunctoriness.

"I hope you can give this old man some time, and give me a chance to make amends, to explain the whole story."

He extended his hand, making an inviting gesture, signaling Lin Du to move to a more private place to talk.

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

"Lemon Drop."

Dumbledore spoke the password, leading Lin Du upwards.