"There's one more thing," Harry said. "I want to know why everyone suddenly became so hostile toward me."
"Didn't you notice?"
Hermione answered with a question.
"What?"
Harry was rather confused.
Ron nudged Harry and answered for Hermione:
"Because you talked... to that snake!"
"You're actually a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us before?"
"A what?" Harry was completely lost.
"Let me explain." Hermione shook her head. "A Parselmouth is a wizard born with the ability to understand the language of snakes and communicate with them."
"You thought you were speaking normally, but all we heard was hissing."
"As for why they're afraid of you... Parselmouths are extremely rare, and they've always been considered a sign of a dark wizard. Most importantly..."
"Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. Now everyone thinks you must be his descendant."
Harry stood rooted to the spot, as though struck by lightning.
Before, the news might not have meant much to him.
But now, after the petrification incident, Professor McGonagall had already told them the legend of the Chamber of Secrets in class.
There was no question about it. They must have taken him for Slytherin's heir, the mastermind who had opened the Chamber of Secrets and caused the petrification!
Just like that, all the blame had landed on his head.
"No, I'm really not..."
Afraid Hermione might misunderstand, he hurried to explain.
"I know. You don't have to explain it to me."
Only then did Harry relax. Then something suddenly occurred to him, and he looked up at Hermione.
"So the real heir of Slytherin is still hiding among the students? Doesn't that mean we're all in danger?!"
"All right, all right. What are you worrying about?" Hermione said flatly. "That damn heir of the Chamber of Secrets will probably come after me first. What