"Is that so? I understand."
After hearing the full account of the Basilisk incident from Hermione, Cedric's handsome face tightened as stiffly as wax.
"First of all, are you sure Professor Li Wei informed Dumbledore about this?"
"Of course. We saw it with our own eyes."
Ron answered without hesitation.
But Harry rejected his words the very next moment.
"No! Professor Li Wei only wrote a letter and said he'd have a house-elf deliver it. Do you remember what Barton said to him then? There might be something wrong here. He might not have sent the letter at all!"
Cedric and Hermione suddenly whipped their heads around, their sharp gazes fixed on Harry.
"W-what? Did I say something wrong?"
Hermione's expression was full of regret, while Cedric shook his head.
"No, you have a point. We can't completely rule out the possibility that Professor Li Wei merely pretended to notify Headmaster Dumbledore."
"It's just—" His thick brows furrowed beneath his forehead like two sharp swords, lending his heroic features an intense sense of justice. "I absolutely refuse to believe Professor Li Wei is that kind of person."
"That's right, Harry. Why do you always have to suspect Professor Li Wei?"
"What are you talking about? Why can't we suspect him?"
Seeing them both question Harry, Ron decisively stood by his side.
"Hermione, you put too much faith in authority! Does that mean Professor Li Wei must be right? Have you forgotten about Professor Quirrell?
Back then, we were fooled by his appearance and thought he was an honest, harmless man. And what happened?"
"It's different!"
Hermione's voice wavered slightly, but she still held to her opinion.
"You haven't been in Professor Li Wei's study group, so you don't understand what an extraordinary person he is.
If you knew how profound his understanding of magic was and how skilled he was at teaching, you would never think he was anything like Professor Quirrell!"
"Oh, so now it's time for you to show off and look down on us? The two of us aren't outstanding enough to get into the study group, so we're not worthy to keep company with you two, is that it?
Lady from Gryffindor, do I need to remind you that the professor you admire comes from evil Slytherin?"
"That's not what I meant at all! Why would you say that?"
Hermione was practically furious with Ron.
Harry watched them argue from the side, feeling both uneasy and ashamed—he wanted to join Professor Li Wei's study group too, but Quidditch training kept him too busy, and there was no way he could surpass Hermione academically.
No, this wasn't the time to think about that.
"Stop arguing."
Cedric stepped forward and positioned himself between Ron and Hermione.
"Ron, you're right. It's just that we don't want to think of Professor Li Wei that way."
Cedric turned back and gave Hermione a meaningful look.
"It doesn't matter if we can't agree on this issue. Curfew is almost here. We need to reach a decision quickly and act immediately!"
"Does it have to be now?"
"If Professor Li Wei truly can't be trusted, that means Headmaster Dumbledore may still know nothing about this. He might even be deceived by Professor Li Wei tonight.
We have to find a way to notify the headmaster, or inform Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. Every second counts. Since you chose to tell me this information, that means you chose to trust me. At the very least, let's stand united instead of fighting among ourselves, all right?"
Cedric's exceptional bearing, combined with his rational words, made Ron and Harry unable to stop themselves from admiring him.
The two were immediately persuaded.
"What do you want to do?"
"First, this isn't something we can resolve with our own strength alone. We have to rely on the professors—we'll go to Professor McGonagall's office together right now and tell her."
"Wait, if Professor McGonagall finds out, she'll definitely suspend classes immediately!"
A panicked expression appeared on Harry's face.
"So what? Which matters more, everyone's safety or classes?"
Cedric knew nothing about Harry's family or how terribly the Dursleys treated him, so he couldn't understand Harry's hesitation.
But Hermione and Ron understood.
Looking at Harry's expression and Cedric, who was about to take action at once, Hermione suddenly had a flash of insight. Remembering a detail she had previously overlooked, she hurriedly said:
"Wait! We need to confirm that the Basilisk truly exists first."
"Hermione, have you lost your mind? Didn't we already see Mrs. Norris after she was petrified?"
Ron looked at her with a headache coming on.
"No, I'm clearer-headed than ever."
Hermione looked solemnly at the three of them and spoke calmly.
"Listen. Although I don't want to suspect that there's anything wrong with Professor Li Wei, let's assume that Professor Li Wei really is the mastermind behind all this.
Then this incident may very well have nothing to do with a Basilisk. He could have fabricated it to deceive us. Remember? Professor Dumbledore said at the time that anything capable of causing that phenomenon had to be extremely advanced Dark Arts.
Besides, none of us has actually seen the Basilisk, have we?"
"Then what about the sound of the Basilisk I heard?"
Harry asked blankly.
"Have you forgotten? Professor Li Wei can speak Parseltongue too, and he wasn't with us that night."
Everyone suddenly understood, and Ron said excitedly:
"Do you remember the first time we met him? We thought something about him was vaguely off even then. He was far too calm when Harry heard the Basilisk's voice!
And after confirming it was a Basilisk, not only did he not personally notify Dumbledore, he didn't seem to take the Basilisk seriously either. It was as if he was certain it wouldn't hurt anyone. If Harry hadn't argued with him then, he might not even have planned to go out and check."
"And think about it—how could anyone be that smart? Hermione only asked him one question, and he guessed what she wanted to know, then happened to give her the answer?"
"You mean he deliberately led us to think in that direction from the beginning?"
Harry was beginning to feel that something was wrong too—but what made him feel even more out of sorts was that he still had the mind to think about something else at a time like this.
If Professor Li Wei really was one of Voldemort's lackeys, then did that mean Jiamer was one too? Would he have to become her enemy?
Why was fate playing such a cruel joke on him?
"So, we have to confirm it first!"
Hermione reached her conclusion.
"Even if we find Professor McGonagall now and tell her about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, would she believe us?
Do you remember what happened last term? Once she discovers that we're planning something dangerous, she'll keep an even closer eye on us, and then we won't be able to do anything at all!"
"I stand by my view," Cedric said, shaking his head. "Professor Li Wei can't be that kind of person."
"However, what you said isn't entirely unreasonable."
Cedric knew that Hermione and the others must have omitted some seemingly irrelevant yet extremely important information—such as what she had mentioned about last term, or Harry's terror upon learning that the school might close.
Although he firmly believed that telling Professor McGonagall was the best choice—there was also something hurtful he had not said—Professor McGonagall might not believe Harry and the others' "nonsense," but if the words came from him—
Cedric was confident that Professor McGonagall would listen to him and consider the matter seriously. If necessary, he could even ask Professor Sprout, his own Head of House, to vouch for him.
Still, since the three of them had chosen to tell him such important information, it would seem ungrateful if he stubbornly insisted on doing things his own way. Besides, Hermione's words did make some sense.
If they got something this serious wrong, the consequences would be fatal, and as students, they would have no way to clean up the mess.
With a solemn expression, Cedric settled on their future course of action with the three of them.
"My bottom line is that we must reach a conclusion before the Basilisk hurts anyone again.
Otherwise, even if I can't persuade Professor McGonagall, I'll still tell her about this. Starting tomorrow, I'll try to sound her out.
Next, we need to do three things.
1. Find out whether the legend of the Chamber of Secrets is true, whether Slytherin's heir really exists, and who it might be.
2. Keep an eye on Professor Li Wei and see what he does in his daily life, especially when he suddenly disappears.
3. Spread the word among the students and have all of them prepare glasses or something else, and above all, avoid being alone."
Before you continue