Draco repeated it briefly.
"So fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Moaning Myrtle died, Hagrid was blamed, and the matter was forcibly suppressed; fifty years later, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, Mrs. Norris has been petrified, and blood-red words have appeared on the walls—everything is repeating itself."
Draco, looking at Hermione's pale yet resolute face, added, "And that haunted girls' bathroom on the second floor is the true entrance to the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets. Moaning Myrtle's death there is no coincidence."
Hermione's mind raced.
Connect all the clues...
Basilisk, Moaning Myrtle, Hagrid, the tragedy of fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets reopening, Harry's Parseltongue, suspicion of being framed...
At this moment, all the fragments finally pieced together a complete yet chilling picture.
Hermione froze, a chill instantly creeping down her spine.
Every time she went to the second-floor washroom, she only thought Moaning Myrtle was a crybaby and annoying, never imagining that her death was so closely tied to the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk.
She spoke in a trembling voice, "So, the real culprit from back then was never caught, and now, he or his followers have returned."
Draco nodded, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's right. And this time, he's hiding much deeper and is much more dangerous than he was fifty years ago."
Hermione bit her lower lip tightly, rapidly processing all the information in her mind. With each layer she understood, the chill in her heart grew stronger.
"So... the murderer from fifty years ago wasn't Hagrid at all, but Voldemort, right?"
Draco nodded slightly, his eyes turning cold. "It was him, Voldemort. He is the true heir of Slytherin. Fifty years ago, he opened the Chamber of Secrets, released the Basilisk, and killed Moaning Myrtle."
"That diary is his Horcrux, a tool he uses to preserve his memories from when he was sixteen and to manipulate others."
"After I handed in my diary, I thought this thread was completely broken, and Riddle's traces would be completely erased..."
Hermione suddenly looked up,
"So there's something else? Besides the diary, there's a medium that allows him to control others and open Chamber of Secrets?"
"Very likely," Draco replied in a deep voice.
His gaze swept across the dark corner at the end of the corridor, alert to any possible movement.
"And the person hiding in the shadows knows everything."
Hermione's heart sank as she recalled Harry's bewildered look in the Great Hall.
Recalling the grotesque blood-stained words on the wall, and Mrs. Norris's stiff body, an indescribable anger and worry welled up in my heart.
" Harry is too dangerous," she whispered. "Everyone will suspect him. He speaks Parseltongue, he can hear things others can't. The people in the shadows are trying to mold him into the so-called 'heir,' making everyone hostile towards him."
"So we can't let them succeed," Draco immediately chimed in. "We have to keep an eye on Harry!"
Hermione was startled and looked at him. "Keep an eye on him? But... how are we supposed to keep an eye on him? He's definitely the center of attention now. If we get any closer, we'll be suspected."
"It's not surveillance, it's protection, and more importantly, keeping an eye on him," Draco explained.
"That guy's mind is a complete mess right now. He has no idea what the Parseltongue he heard means, let alone that someone in the shadows is waiting for him to make a mistake."
"Once he acts impulsively, once he goes off to investigate something on his own, he's just walking right into the trap the other party has set for him."
" Harry is in the most danger right now—both a target for the murderer and a suspect in the entire school."
"If we don't keep an eye on him, it won't be long before he's either targeted by the Basilisk or arrested as the Heir of Slytherin, without even a chance to defend himself."
Hermione instantly understood what he meant.
That's right, what Harry needs most right now is calm judgment and someone to lend him a hand.
Ron was impulsive, and Harry was bewildered. If no one calmed them down, the consequences would be dire.
"So... we'll start following him around tomorrow?" Hermione asked quietly.
Draco gently shook his head. "We don't need to go ourselves. Let Olivia do it."
Hermione paused for a moment, then immediately realized what she meant.
Olivia has keen observation skills, but unlike him, she won't stand out too much. By blending into the crowd and keeping an eye on Harry, she won't arouse any suspicion.
"We both have more important things to do."
Hermione pressed, "What is it?"
"Let's look it up." Draco's gaze fell on the library. "Let's search through all the relevant ancient books in the Restricted Section."
His voice carried a hint of solemnity:
"Something's not right about this. The diary is in Dumbledore's hands, Harry didn't open the Chamber of Secrets on his own, but the Basilisk has awakened... Perhaps things aren't as simple as we think."
"Perhaps the Chamber of Secrets has more than one entrance, perhaps the one controlling the Basilisk isn't even a living person, or perhaps... none of this is Tom Riddle's doing at all."
Draco took Hermione's hand again and led her quickly toward the stairwell.
"Your brain works better than anyone else's. If we search the books together, we'll be the most efficient. As long as we find the extra records left by Slytherin, we'll know everything!"
Hermione's heart calmed down instantly, and she nodded vigorously, her panic and fear transforming into a clear goal.
Draco was in charge of making judgments and planning, she was in charge of sorting out and cracking the scheme, Olivia kept watch from the outside.
A secret little team quietly took shape in the dead of night at Hogwarts.
As Draco led Hermione up the Gryffindor Tower, the portrait of the Fat Lady clicked open.
The lounge was brightly lit, and everyone in the room was awake, all waiting for them with tense faces.
Upon seeing the two appear together, the buzzing discussion abruptly stopped for half a second.
Harry immediately stood up from the sofa, and Ron rushed forward, asking urgently:
"Where have you all been?! The professors told us not to wander around, we were so worried—did you see the words on the wall? Mrs. Norris has been petrified!"
Draco released Hermione's hand and calmly scanned the room full of people.
Almost everyone I knew was there.
"Did you see the words on the wall?" Draco asked.
The mere mention of this caused everyone's faces to turn pale.
Colin's fingers were trembling as he held the camera.
"This is terrifying... those words weren't written by a human! They seeped out from a crack in the stone, like blood, slowly creeping into a line of characters... The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Those who oppose the heir, be on guard."
Ginny huddled in the corner of the sofa, her face deathly pale, clutching Parvati's arm tightly, and whispered, "..."
"No pen, no spell, no one approaching... it's as if the castle itself is writing."
After these words were spoken, the lounge fell even quieter.
Hermione instinctively looked at Draco.
Draco's retraction of his fingers confirmed his suspicions.