Chapter 103: Collecting Information
Chapter 103: Collecting Information
"Mr. Liang, can you explain why you did that?" Lockhart looked a bit unhappy, as anyone would be when their moment of glory was interrupted.
"Uh, I was so impressed by your performance against the Werewolf that I couldn't help but cheer. Unfortunately, I accidentally cast a spell." Liam wiped the cold sweat from his brow; it wasn't easy to come up with such a lie on the spot.
"Ah, I can understand your excitement at seeing my prowess, but I hope you won't do that again. There are many other students in the class, and it's not good to disturb them while they're watching." Lockhart turned around, adjusted his expression, and continued his performance.
Many of the boys secretly gave Liam a thumbs up for his quick thinking, but some of the girls glared at him with anger. Fanatics were everywhere, it seemed.
After class, Liam grumbled about the homework, venting his frustration (writing a poem, and a flattering one at that—what was going through Lockhart's mind?). He then followed the crowd into the Library.
After finishing his homework, Liam began searching the bookshelves for books related to the Basilisk.
Given the Basilisk's rarity, there weren't many books about it in the Library. Apart from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", which provided a general overview, other books only mentioned the Basilisk in passing. The only useful information he found was in a Greek Wizard's travel journal, which noted that the older a Basilisk was, the more difficult it was to defeat.
However, Liam already knew this. But after reading the entire journal, he noticed something interesting. According to the Wizard, although the Basilisk could communicate in Parseltongue, it still had the mind of a beast, lacking the intelligence of a human.
This was good news. Attacking a beast was much different from attacking an intelligent creature. Still, some things needed to be investigated in person.
While most people were busy with their homework, Liam slipped out of the Library and headed to Myrtle's Bathroom. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Myrtle sitting on the sink.
"I recognize you. We met a few days ago. But this is a girls' bathroom; you shouldn't be here." Myrtle said to Liam as he entered.
"I came to see you", Liam said.
"Me?" Myrtle looked surprised. "You know, even though I'm dead, people still talk about me behind my back. No one ever thinks that poor Myrtle has feelings. I'm not like Nick, who has many friends, or Friar Barrow, who is so warm. I don't have the noble status of Helen or Barrow, so..."
At this, Myrtle suddenly floated over and looked Liam in the eye. "I don't know why you're here. You're not here to mock me, are you?"
"This isn't about mocking you. It's just that you're the only one who knows the answer to this question, so I had to come to you", Liam said earnestly, looking into Myrtle's eyes.
"Really, only I know?" Myrtle spun around happily in the air. "Ask away. I'll tell you anything I know."
"Forgive me for asking, but I need to know the specific circumstances of your death."
"Oh, it was terrible", she said with relish, her entire demeanor changing. It seemed no one had ever asked her a question that made her feel so honored. "It happened right here. I died in this very bathroom..."
After listening to Myrtle's account, Liam skipped over the part about her hiding in the bathroom to escape bullying and asked, somewhat disappointed, "You really didn't see what attacked you?"
"Yes, I only remember seeing a pair of huge, terrifying yellow eyes. My entire body felt like it was grabbed, and then I drifted away..."
"Can you give me a rough idea of where those eyes were located?"
"No problem." Myrtle sat on the toilet, and Liam conjured two light orbs to represent the eyes. He then adjusted their positions according to Myrtle's directions.
It was clear that Myrtle had a vivid memory of the creature that killed her. After about five or six minutes, when Liam adjusted the light orbs once more, Myrtle nodded, indicating that the eyes she saw back then were in the current position of the orbs.
Based on the information about the Basilisk from the Library and the eye distance he just measured, Liam could confirm the size of the Basilisk. He quickly pulled out a notebook from his bag and jotted down the data.
Myrtle watched Liam write furiously and asked curiously, "Is this very important to you?"
"Very important, it might even affect my life", Liam replied while writing.
"Oh, I'm honored to be able to help you", Myrtle said, looking very happy. This might be the first time she had received such attention.
After finishing his notes, Liam made some Soul Chocolate to give to Myrtle as a thank-you gift. Myrtle took the chocolate and said, "So you were the one who made the food at Nick's party. Unfortunately, there were too many people crowded around the table, and I only managed to eat one chicken wing. Thanks for the gift! I hope you come back next time."
After saying goodbye to Myrtle for the year, Liam found a secluded spot and opened a small portal to the Plants vs. Zombies World. He then tossed the notes he had just taken into the portal. This data would help the custom equipment he had ordered be more effective against the Basilisk.
After doing this, Liam returned to the Common Room. The study group was gathered there, but they weren't working on homework. Tomorrow was the Gryffindor Team's Quidditch match, so everyone was preparing banners and other items to cheer the team on.
The knowledge Liam had learned from Common Potion Recipes came in handy immediately. He concocted a magical fabric dye that would last for 36 hours (thanks to the Weasley Twins for the raw materials). This allowed them to use bed sheets to make the banners.
After painting a roaring lion, Hermione cast a small spell to make the lion roar.
"This is a little trick I learned from Brother Barrow. Pretty neat, right?" Hermione said to Liam after casting the spell.
"It seems you learned a lot from the ghosts yesterday."
"Yes", Hermione nodded, a bit proudly. "For some reason, most wizards ignore the ghosts, not realizing that they are also carriers of knowledge. Yesterday, when I talked to them, I learned a lot of things I had never seen before, even some that had been lost."
"That's because your attitude impressed them. The ghosts have wandered the world for hundreds of years, and their experience allows them to easily discern the thoughts of those they speak to. Your genuine thirst for knowledge touched them, which is why you gained so much. From what I know, very few wizards can learn from ghosts."
"It seems I'm not just a bookworm, then", Hermione said, relieved.
(End of Chapter)
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