Snape said coldly, "The problem is, that's all the book says."
" Mrs. Norris was found petrified, words appeared on the wall, and then—that was it. That's the end of Part 1; Part 2 hasn't come out yet."
"So we don't know what will happen next." Professor McGonagall's brow furrowed even more.
"When will the second part be released?" McGonagall asked.
"Nobody knows." Dumbledore looked up. "It's the author's usual style to not give prior notice or any warning."
Lockhart finally couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned forward in his chair. "Wait—so that popular Muggle book really describes what happened tonight?"
"To be precise, I wrote part of it in advance." Flitwick nodded.
Lockhart paused for two seconds, then his smile returned, "That's perfect! Since it's already written in the book, it means it's not that serious."
"Think about it, if it were really some terrible disaster, why would the book only mention that a cat was petrified?"
Three people in the office glanced at him simultaneously, their looks carrying almost identical meanings, yet each with its own distinct interpretation.
Snape is pure irony, McGonagall is restrained weariness, Flitwick is a helpless state somewhere in between.
Dumbledore broke the silence. "Don't reveal any details about tonight's events."
His tone was calm. "I'll handle Filch; leave the student reassurance to the deans. Maintain normal order until we figure out the rest of the book."
McGonagall nodded, Flitwick nodded as well. Snape didn't nod, but his silence spoke volumes.
Lockhart raised his hand, as if asking a question in class, and said, "I fully agree with the principal's decision," before his gaze drifted toward the fireplace.
But Dumbledore also knew that the news couldn't be completely suppressed.
The twenty-odd students present tonight, along with other students who arrived later, meant that at least thirty or forty pairs of eyes saw the words on the wall.
He understood better than anyone that secrets couldn't stay hidden forever; what happened tonight would eventually get out, he was just buying himself some time.
That night, the Gryffindor Common Room was packed with people, all talking about the blood-stained words in the hallway and Filch's cat.
Fred and George exchanged glances by the fireplace, their voices hushed but loud enough for everyone present to hear.
"Some say it's a curse," Fred drawled, "The monster from the Chamber of Secrets has escaped."
"It was Slytherin again," George chimed in. "Think about it, what did that message say?"
"' The Chamber of Secrets has been opened,' the Chamber of Secrets. Isn't that what's written in that book?"
"Is that book really correct?" a third-grade girl next to me asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Didn't you see the second one too?" George turned to look at her. " Filch's cat was petrified, and blood-red words appeared on the wall. Exactly the same thing that happened today."
The common room was silent for a moment, then exploded as if it had been set on fire.
Hermione stood up from her armchair as if to say something, but after glancing at Harry and Ron, she sat back down.
Harry sat by the window, a book lying open on his lap, unopened.
He knew that the news would soon spread throughout Hogwarts, then to Hogsmeade, and then to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.
He had seen the chaos caused by the first book, but this chaos might be even greater.
The next morning, the news spread quietly, like ashes scattered by the wind.
First, someone in the Ravenclaw Common Room whispered to their roommate about what happened last night, then Hufflepuff students exchanged glances at the breakfast table.
By noon, people in Gryffindor were openly discussing whether the Chamber of Secrets had truly been opened.
"I heard that this is what's written in that book," a sixth-grade girl said to her classmate in the hallway, clutching her textbook.
"The author's second book is about the opening of the Chamber of Secrets."
So everything written in the book is true? Then the first book is also true?
"Nonsense, you still don't believe me? The Ministry of Magic banned that book before, and now look at that? All the things in the book have come true."
"But didn't the Ministry of Magic's official statement say that there are discrepancies between the book's contents and official records?"
"There are discrepancies? Then why is the account of the petrified cat written exactly as it was?"
Then, similar sounds were heard everywhere: the Leaky Cauldron, the Three Broomsticks, Flourish and Blotts, and even the tea room inside the Ministry of Magic.
Someone in the bar put the bottom of their glass down and said, "So the second part of that book is all true?"
"At least the part where the cat turns to stone is exactly the same as in the book. My cousin goes to Hogwarts, and she saw it with her own eyes."
"Was the Chamber of Secrets real? Were the words on the walls real too?"
"What's written in the book is true. You didn't believe it in the first book either, but what happened? What about Quirrell's story? What about the You-Know-Who story?"
The Ministry of Magic's statement from two days ago now sounded like a boomerang coming back at Fudge, grazing his ear.
The regulars at the Leaky Cauldron began pulling out the previous supplement to the Daily Prophet, pointing to the carefully worded "advice to the public to maintain rational judgment," and letting out knowing laughs.
Someone folded a newspaper and stuffed it into the fireplace. The flames licked the edges of the paper, burning the words "rational judgment" into blackened curls.
Lockhart's female fans are still holding on. Outside the Honeydukes, a witch with a pink headband shouts to her companions:
"Even if the petrified cat incident is true, it doesn't prove that Professor Lockhart can't even beat House-elf. These are two completely different things!"
"But that book portrays Professor Lockhart as—"
"What I care how it's described? That's fiction, and fiction inherently carries the author's subjective perspective! Professor Lockhart's books are based on firsthand experience; don't confuse them with his own."
His tone wasn't as confident as before; the last syllable rose slightly, as if he were trying to convince himself while also trying to convince others.
The owls flew to various places as usual, delivering the rolled-up Daily Prophet to everyone.
But today's delivery wasn't just the newspaper; there was also an extra printout of the supplement.
The front page of the supplement featured a headline in large font. " The Chamber of Secrets Appears at Hogwarts? The Petrification Incident Matches the Book's Description Perfectly!"
The article details the events of the previous night, even quoting an "unnamed student who knew the story," describing the blood-written words on the wall, Filch's cat, and Dumbledore's presence, and concludes with:
"Shockingly, all of this is exactly the same as the description in the recently published ' Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ' (Part 1)."
" The Ministry of Magic had previously warned the public to 'be cautious with unverified information,' and now the facts are clear."