Harry waited for a long time before finally forming a team with Cho Chang of Ravenclaw, Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, and Draco Malfoy of Slytherin.
Harry and Draco were both unpopular choices, and they ended up together simply because no one else was available. In a way, they were a pair of bickering lovers.
The temporary group of four arrived at the castle's secondary tower. Because they were late, many classmates had already emerged from the Chamber of Secrets.
Cedric was very popular in Hufflepuff, and he grabbed a friend to ask, " Alleria, why are you out so early? Did you clear the secret Chamber of Secrets?"
Alleria shook her head. "We failed, but I must say, the person who designed the Chamber of Secrets was a genius. So that's how it all started... I can't spoil it, you should try it yourself, Cedric."
After she politely greeted Cho Chang, she also noticed Harry and Draco pretending not to exist behind Cedric.
"And you two too, let's keep it up!"
Harry hadn't been encouraged like this by someone from another house in a long time. After a brief blank, he snapped back to reality, "Oh... okay, thank you."
Draco didn't speak, but he nodded in response.
Cedric led everyone upstairs and immediately spotted Professor McGonagall, who was working in the hallway.
Professor McGonagall quickly registered everyone, then handed Cedric a key. "Your assigned Chamber of Secrets is the second one on the left on the third Chamber of Secrets, marked 302. If you get trapped inside, shout Professor Flitwick's name."
Cedric listened intently, but Harry keenly noticed a small string of words on the key.
The curse of the Triwizard Tournament.
The Chamber of Secrets was pitch black.
" Lumos." It's unclear who cast the spell first, but the others followed suit.
Cho Chang approached the wall with her wand, quickly swiping her phone across the surface, seemingly checking the humidity in the Chamber of Secrets. Then she raised her wand and, sure enough, discovered the wall lamp that had been turned off.
Cedric pulled out his wand and pointed it at the spot illuminated by Cho Chang: " Incendio."
The warmth of the flames gradually relaxed Harry's body. He then imitated Cho Chang, searching for the location of the wall lamp on the wall, which was then lit by the arrogant Draco with Incendio.
Before long, the layout of the Chamber of Secrets became clearly visible.
"Where is this? It looks like an office."
"It's the Ministry of Magic's meeting room," Draco said definitively after a cursory glance.
Harry walked in front, the tip of his wand still Lumos: "So what are we going to do?"
Cedric said, "Everyone, spread out and search around. We'll meet back here later."
The simulated Ministry of Magic meeting room in the Chamber of Secrets was incredibly realistic. Draco even found past meeting minutes in the filing cabinet, but most of the contents were blurry, except for the words "The Curse of the Triwizard Tournament," which were clearly visible.
It seems the Chamber of Secrets is related to the Triwizard Tournament.
Before long, the four of them met at the round table, each carrying a stack of paper documents.
"Look what I found," Cedric said without any airs of a senior, "The password to the meeting room. They actually wrote it down? I thought they'd just randomly pick a dessert like Professor Dumbledore."
"I have the meeting minutes here," Draco said, "But the others are all very blurry, only the minutes of the Triwizard Tournament are very clear."
"The theme of the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets should be the curse of the Triwizard Tournament," Harry continued. "I saw it when Professor McGonagall gave us the key, but what is the Triwizard Tournament?"
Cho Chang placed a stack of newspapers on the round table. "It was a competition jointly organized by the three major magic schools in Europe— Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. The competition was so dangerous that after an accident, the Ministry of Magic claimed to be under Goblin's curse and thus stopped it."
Harry laid out the letters he had found hidden in the book's folds. "But I discovered that the letters between the Minister for Magic and the Hogwarts Headmaster didn't mention the word 'Goblin' at all."
"..."
The group exchanged information and discovered that the Triwizard Tournament was suspended because the Cockatrice was enraged by the Goblin's curse and went berserk, injuring the three principals and contestants, and causing numerous casualties.
"And what's next?" Draco couldn't help but ask.
"I understand," Cedric said, a sudden inspiration striking him. "It's time. We need time to shout out the corresponding password. Let me see: In 1811, Minister for Magic Stamp issued a decree; in 1800, Durmstrang officially introduced it; in 1794, the Acromantula was first discovered in Borneo; and in 1792, the Cockatrice was listed as a high-risk monster."
"This is it, the password from 1792!" Cedric shouted to the surroundings, " Fire Serpent Ash!"
"Fire Serpent Ash" was a password recorded in 1792. As Cedric's voice fell, the surrounding environment suddenly changed.
Harry stared in disbelief. "This is... the Triwizard Tournament?"
The Cockatrice's corpse lay slumped on the ground, its scales covered with huge black patterns. There were many miniature versions of the Acromantula on the ground, and even a dead Goblin.
At the far end of the area stood an offering table. Harry stepped forward and softly read aloud its contents, "Please place hair, scales, or other derivatives of three species related to this incident."
"Aren't they Cockatrice, Acromantula, and Goblin?"
"Remember what we saw in the Ministry of Ministry of Magic's office?" Cho Chang interrupted. " The Acromantula wasn't discovered until 1794, and besides, I've never seen a book about Goblin being able to curse."
Draco removed a scale from the Cockatrice's corpse, only to find that the black patterns painted on its body could be wiped off with a single touch.
Cedric leaned closer and sniffed. "The design was drawn with Fire Serpent ash. Fire Serpent ash can make Fantastic Beasts irritable and easily angered."
"It seems the Fire Serpent is one of the answers to the mystery. Cockatrice, Fire Serpent, and the last one... is it Goblin?"
"Not Goblin," Harry suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "Remember the office password? The Ministry of Magic knew about the Fire Serpent ash a long time ago. They later issued laws specifically distinguishing between intelligent species and Fantastic Beasts. I even think..."
"It's the Ministry of Magic paving the way for the legislation," Cho Chang continued. "The Minister of Magic didn't mention Goblin in the previous letters between the Minister for Magic and the Hogwarts Headmaster, which means they know this incident has nothing to do with Goblin."
"Is the Ministry of Magic trying to prevent a recurrence of the Goblin Rebellion?"
The four walked to the offering table. Draco and Cedric placed the Cockatrice scales and Fire Serpent ash respectively, while Harry went to the last plate and plucked a few strands of his hair.
This is the final answer submitted by the temporary quartet: Cockatrice, Fire Serpent, and Wizard.
A sudden burst of white light appeared on the offering platform, all the chandeliers hidden in the ceiling lit up, the windows on the walls suddenly opened, the previous scene disappeared, and the Chamber of Secrets instantly became spacious and bright.
"Click." The door opened.