"Argus!"
Headmaster Dumbledore arrived at the scene with a group of professors in tow and swiftly took Mrs. Norris down.
"Come with me, Filch," he said to Argus Filch. "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger. And you, Mr. Su-Fuli? Where are you planning to go?"
"I'll just tag along," Su Yu said directly, then turned to the girls. "All right, my lovely ladies. Take Slytherin back to the common room and wait for me. I'm going to have a look and will be back soon."
Fa-jie glanced at him without saying anything, then took Ka-jie and Daphne away. As Daphne left, she looked back at Su Yu. He nodded to her.
Lockhart stepped forward, looking especially eager to help. "My office is closest, Headmaster—just upstairs—please, use it as you wish—"
The silent crowd of students quickly parted to let them through. Lockhart hurried along behind Dumbledore, excited and smug, while Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape followed just as swiftly.
When they entered Lockhart's dim office, Harry saw several curly-haired Lockharts in the portraits scrambling to get away from the crowd. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk, then retreated to one side.
Dumbledore placed Mrs. Norris on the polished tabletop and began examining her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione slumped heavily into chairs beside the candleholders, while Su Yu continued lounging in his usual chair. The three of them watched Dumbledore, occasionally exchanging anxious looks.
Headmaster Dumbledore's long, crooked nose hovered barely a foot above Mrs. Norris's fur. He peered closely through his half-moon spectacles, gently prodding her with his long fingers. Professor McGonagall bent over beside him, squinting for a closer look. Professor Snape stood behind them, partly obscured and hard to make out, wearing a strange expression as though he were struggling not to laugh. Lockhart drifted among them, occasionally offering his own opinions on the matter.
"A spell must have killed her—perhaps a Transfiguration Torture Curse. I've seen it used many times. What a pity I wasn't here earlier, or I'd have known a countercurse that could save her—"
Lockhart's comments were repeatedly interrupted by Filch's dull, agonized sobs. Filch had collapsed into a chair beside the table, his face buried in his hands, too afraid to look at Mrs. Norris. Though Harry loathed Filch, he still felt a little sorry for him. Of course, he felt even sorrier for himself, because if Headmaster Dumbledore believed Filch's nonsense, he would surely be expelled.
Headmaster Dumbledore murmured strange words as he lightly tapped Mrs. Norris with his wand, but nothing happened. He continued examining her as if enchanted.
"...I recall something similar happening in Ouagadougou, Africa," Lockhart said. "There was a series of attacks there too. I wrote all about it in my autobiography. I can provide some evidence to help you get to the bottom of this."
Then Lockhart seemed to suddenly remember something. He hurriedly brewed Su Yu a cup of hot tea, brought it over, and told him to drink it while it was warm. The whole sequence nearly left Headmaster Dumbledore speechless—the old man looked at Lockhart, then at Su Yu, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He said nothing.
A long time passed.
At last, Headmaster Dumbledore straightened up.
"She isn't dead, Argus," he said softly. At those words, Lockhart, who had been counting the murders he had prevented, abruptly fell silent.
"Not dead?" Filch asked in astonishment, peering at Mrs. Norris through his fingers. "Then why is she completely rigid and motionless, and cold all over?"
"She has been petrified," Dumbledore said. "But as for how she was made like this, I cannot say..."
"Ask him!" Filch shrieked, turning his filthy, tear-streaked face toward Harry.
"A second-year student could not possibly do this," Dumbledore said firmly. "It would require extremely advanced Dark magic—"
"He did it! He did it!" Filch sputtered, spraying spit as his plump face turned purple. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found out—in my office—he knows I'm a—I'm a—" A dreadful expression twisted across Filch's face. "He knows I'm a Squib!" he finally blurted out.
"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry shouted back, feeling deeply uncomfortable as he realized everyone was looking at him, including the Lockharts on the walls. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."
Hermione explained to Harry what a Squib was—she had been so focused on talking to Su Yu that day that she had forgotten to tell Harry afterward.
Then Filch began arguing with Harry again. Professor Snape occasionally cut in to kick Harry while he was down, claiming Harry was not telling the truth and should not be allowed to remain on the Quidditch team, and that some of his privileges should be revoked.
Professor McGonagall kept defending Harry from the side. In the end, it was Headmaster Dumbledore's firm declaration—"Unless he is proven guilty, he remains innocent"—that settled the matter for the night.
Professor Snape looked exceptionally furious, and so did Filch. His cat had been petrified, and he wanted Harry to pay the proper price!
Headmaster Dumbledore told Filch that once Professor Sprout's Mandrakes matured, they could brew a cure, and Mrs. Norris would recover then.
"I'll do it," Lockhart cut in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could brew a restorative potion in my sleep."
"My apologies," Professor Snape said coldly, "but I believe I am the potions master at this school."
Another awkward silence followed. Su Yu nearly laughed aloud—Professor Snape had come tonight just to snap at everything and everyone. He had already gone after Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron, and Lockhart. Su Yu silently cheered him on.
"You may go," Headmaster Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, while also glancing at Su Yu. Su Yu spread his hands and watched the trio rush out as fast as they could. He followed after them.
At the turn of the stairs, Su Yu hugged Hermione again. Her hair brushed against his chin, soft and fluffy like a clump of cotton candy scattered by the wind. He watched them return to the Gryffindor common room before leaving.
Su Yu turned and returned to the Slytherin common room as well.
When Su Yu entered the Slytherin common room, he found the same sort of party as last year. Deep green ribbons and silver stars hung from the ceiling, the fireplace burned three times brighter than usual, and the long tables were laden with Pumpkin Pasties, roasted chestnuts, and hot butterbeer. Small groups clustered together—some danced, some chatted, and some played cards at tables in the corners. Blaise leaned against a wall with a glass of red wine, talking to a third-year girl, a flirtatious, punchable smile on his face.
No matter what, Su Yu was not drinking again! He rubbed his stomach, still hungry—he had eaten nothing at the ghosts' party. When he reached Daphne and the others, he found that the three girls had saved plenty of food for him. They had prepared several slices of toast, roast beef, and mashed potatoes on small plates, covered with foil to keep them warm. There was also a whole pizza, neatly sliced, with a cup of cola beside it.
Su Yu sat down, picked up his fork, and began eating. Kurama leaped out of his arms and crouched on the table, pawing at the roast beef Daphne had saved for Su Yu with her little claws. Daphne smacked her paw, and she withdrew it, only to stretch it out again once Daphne turned away. Only when Daphne brought out her favorite cheesecake did she pounce on it excitedly.
When Su Yu woke up the next day, he realized Fa-jie had tricked him again last night. He had wondered what kind of bread had such a strong fermented smell—he had thought it was the sourdough Daphne had brought him from the kitchen, so he drank a glass of water. And what happened? The water had been alcohol! He could overlook the alcohol in the bread, but what kind of water had no water in it, only alcohol? Because of that, he had no idea what Fa-jie had done to him last night!
Twice! Two whole years! Su Yu lay in bed staring at the ceiling, his face wearing the blank confusion of Who am I? Where am I? What happened to me? Fa-jie slept soundly beside him. If Su Yu's limbs had not been restrained at that moment...
Boys had to protect themselves when they were out in the world. Su Yu silently wrote himself a new motto.
During this period, aside from discussing what had happened to Mrs. Norris, the school talked about little else.
Filch often passed by the place where she had been attacked, as though he believed the culprit would return. It kept the incident fresh in everyone's mind.
Harry saw him scrubbing furiously at the message on the wall, but it had no effect. The words remained as eye-catching as ever. He scrubbed with brushes, tapped them with his wand, and sprayed all kinds of cleaning agents, but the writing did not budge, as if it were mocking him. When Filch was not guarding the scene, he crept through the corridors, catching students who did not believe him and trying to lock them up on charges like "breathing too loudly" or "looking too happy."
Crabbe and Goyle got caught once. Filch said their footsteps were too loud and had shaken dust off the wall, so they had to serve detention. Crabbe and Goyle exchanged baffled looks, unable to understand what they had done wrong, but obediently followed Filch anyway—they did not care about detention in the first place.
In the library on Wednesday, Su Yu held Kurama in his arms and stroked her fur. Kurama sprawled across his lap with her chin resting on his arm, her tail swaying back and forth, her eyes half-open and half-closed as she hummed contentedly.
Su Yu had already given up. Professor Binns had assigned each of them a three-foot essay on "Medieval European Wizarding Conventions." Damn History of Magic! Ron had already written two feet! Su Yu had not written a single word!
Daphne had actually finished long ago. What she was writing now was Su Yu's essay, but she had not told him. She simply wanted to see the furious look on his face. Her expression remained calm, though the corners of her lips curled slightly, as if she were enjoying some secret amusement.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron were also in the library, but they were looking for books about Hogwarts history. Unfortunately, all the books on the subject had already been borrowed by others. Everyone else wanted to know about the Chamber of Secrets too.
Then the bell rang. Su Yu and the others had another class with Gryffindor today—Professor Binns's History of Magic.
Today was as boring as usual. Professor Binns opened his notebook and began reading from it. His voice was like a vacuum cleaner, low and monotonous, making everyone in the classroom drowsy. They only woke now and then to copy down a name or date before falling asleep again. Su Yu had already drifted off. He did not want to write down a single word.
Professor Binns lectured for half an hour, then something that had never happened before occurred—Hermione raised her hand.
Professor Binns snapped out of the dreary 1289 Wizarding Ordinance, looked up, and showed a surprised expression.
"Hmm—?"
"Professor, could you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?" Hermione asked in a clear voice.
Every sleepy student instantly looked up. Even Theodore and Daphne, the good students, glanced at Hermione in surprise.
Only Su Yu was still asleep.
"My subject is the history of magic," Professor Binns wheezed in his dull voice. "I teach facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat, the sound like the crack of snapping chalk, then continued, "In September of that year, Sardinia—"
He stopped. Hermione was waving her hand again.
"Miss Granger?"
"But sir, aren't legends always based on facts?" Hermione's eyes met Professor Binns's directly.
Professor Binns stared at her in great surprise. Harry was certain no student had ever dared interrupt him like that before, whether living or dead.
"Hmm," Professor Binns said slowly. "Yes, I suppose one could say that." He studied Hermione as if he had never properly looked at a student before. "However, the legend you mention is quite sensational, even absurd..."
At that moment, every student in the classroom listened intently to every word Professor Binns said.
"Oh, very well," he said slowly. "Let me think... the secret room..."
After class, Daphne explained it to Su Yu while smoothing down the hair that had stuck up from sleeping.
Hogwarts had four founders: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Slytherin opposed admitting Muggle-born students, fell out with the others, and left. Legend said that before leaving, he secretly built a Chamber of Secrets in the castle, one that only his true heir could open. Once opened, it would release the monster inside to purge all those he believed unworthy of learning magic—that was, Muggle-borns.
But that was all bullshit! The school had searched countless times. There was no Chamber of Secrets, no monster—just a story made up to scare cowards.
Honestly, Su Yu had no interest in that bit of history. It was pointless for him to voice an opinion about who was right or wrong. Right now, he only wanted to find that diary.
Before you continue