Discovery in the Chamber of Secrets

Although Harry and Ron didn't tell anyone about Hermione's hospitalization, her disappearance quickly caught the attention of several Gryffindor.

They were used to her chattering away in the common room, urging Ron and Harry to do their homework, so their sudden quietness was a bit disorienting.

Ron initially denied knowing, but the Weasley knew their little brother (older brother) so well that they managed to get the information out of him in just a few words.

"So, Hermione's at the Hospital Wing?"

"Oh..." Ron groaned, covering his face. He should have kept quiet.

"Is it another attack?" Percy jumped up from the sofa. "You all stay here, I'm going to inform the professor!" With that, he ran towards the door.

Ron and Harry quickly stopped him.

"It wasn't an attack, and it has nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets!" Harry said urgently.

"Not an attack?" Percy glanced suspiciously at Harry and Ron, who were clinging to his legs.

"No, it's not!"

"I promise!"

After much persuasion from the two men, Percy finally sat back down.

Fred and George looked at the nervous Ron with amusement, but said nothing. They simply exchanged a glance and quickly communicated something.

On the morning of the third day of the holiday, as Kyle was leaving after visiting Hermione, he ran into Fred and George, who were acting suspiciously, at the door.

What are you doing at the Hospital Wing?

"We've caught a cold!" Fred blurted out.

"Come here for Pepperup Potion." George coughed twice, making a show of it.

Kyle raised an eyebrow.

They looked radiant, not at all like they had a cold; they must have found out Hermione in the hospital and come here to find out what was going on.

"And you, Kyle, are you here at the Hospital Wing to visit someone?" Fred asked.

"Oh, I'm here for Pepperup Potion too," Kyle said loudly, pulling out a small bottle filled with red liquid.

Hermione clearly didn't want anyone to know she had turned into a cat.

To prevent these two from trying to trick me into revealing information later, the best way is to pretend I don't know anything.

"What a coincidence!" George chuckled. "It's been cold lately, take care of yourself."

"Yes, yes, you're the same."

The three chatted awkwardly for a while before parting ways.

When Fred and George entered the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey had already covered Hermione's room with a curtain, so they couldn't see anything.

Meanwhile, Kyle, back at the castle, originally intended to visit the library.

But as he approached the Entrance Hall, he saw Peeves chasing Moaning Myrtle around the castle with a bunch of balloons.

Ever since Bloody Baron was attacked, Peeves has become completely lawless, spending his days chasing ghosts and students, only behaving slightly in front of the professor.

Moaning Myrtle is one of Peeves's favorite targets for pranks.

Kyle couldn't understand why Moaning Myrtle was afraid of Peeves ' balloons; those things couldn't even hit her.

However, this is also a good opportunity.

After they flew far away, Kyle immediately changed direction and came to the empty washroom.

Based on past experience, the chase between Peeves and Moaning Myrtle would last at least an hour, during which time he could go to the Chamber of Secrets.

Kyle used Parseltongue to open the pipe and jumped in, easily reaching the end of the passage.

The door to the Chamber of Secrets slowly opened, and Kyle, wand in hand, carefully stepped onto the black floor.

Before he left last time, the stone he had stuck by the door was gone, confirming that someone had been in the Chamber of Secrets during that time.

Kyle carefully surveyed the surroundings.

The good news is that there's no one else here besides him, so there's no need to worry about anyone suddenly appearing to ambush him.

However, below the Slytherin Statue, there were some scattered snake skins and a clear drag mark.

There was still some sludge on it that hadn't completely dried, somewhat like the marks left by Flobberworm crawling across the floor, but much larger.

Seeing the drag mark and the shed snake skin, Kyle knew that the Basilisk must have emerged.

But who could it be...? Kyle stood up, carefully recalling everything that had happened recently...

The Chamber of Secrets of Secrets was eerily silent, the snake eyes carved on the pillars and the Slytherin statues all seeming to be watching Kyle.

But Kyle didn't pay attention to any of that; he paced back and forth as he thought about it.

Before this, he had asked Moaning Myrtle several times, but she said she hadn't seen anyone else enter the washroom.

However, Moaning Myrtle's words are not necessarily all correct. Although she lives in the washroom, she does not always stay in the cubicle.

But why aren't any of the props he set up moving? Could it be that there's another entrance... or that the person who released the Basilisk didn't enter through the door?

"Bang bang..."

Suddenly, a completely different sound, distinct from the footsteps, came from the Chamber of Secrets.

Kyle was jolted awake and immediately drew his wand, pointing it toward the door. But he quickly realized the sound was coming from beneath his feet.

Kyle lifted his foot and realized that he had accidentally stepped on a snake's shed skin while pacing.

"You scared me!"

Kyle breathed a sigh of relief.

But just as he reached out to pick up the snake skin, he suddenly discovered something else underneath.

A golden chain...

Kyle quickly picked it up.

The chain, less than two inches long, was made of several small golden snakes linked together, and there were signs of it being torn on both sides, suggesting it had been ripped from something intact.

"Was this left by the person who had the diary?"

Upon seeing those little snakes, Kyle immediately thought of Slytherin.

It's because they love snakes so much; they use them in everything from clothes to accessories.

If you find anything with a snake pattern at Hogwarts, it's almost certainly a Slytherin item.

However... Kyle carefully examined the broken half of the chain.

Although the snake knots connected together were small, they were incredibly lifelike, with even the scales clearly visible. They looked almost alive, and it was obvious at a glance that this was no cheap item.

Slytherin... still have money?

Draco Malfoy?

Kyle instinctively thought of Harry's old rival.

But he quickly shook his head.

No... On Halloween, Malfoy was attending a banquet in the Great Hall the whole time, so he didn't have time to release the Basilisk to attack Filch.

Moreover, Lucius Malfoy probably wouldn't let him get involved.

But who else could it be but him...?

Kyle stroked the chain, then thought of a few other names: Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson... or perhaps Crabbe, Goyle?