Chapter 104: Back to the Chamber of Secrets
Chapter 104: Back to the Chamber of Secrets
Mrs. Pomfrey was suddenly confronted with so many injured students that she thought a dark wizard army had invaded Hogwarts. Fortunately, for wizards, losing a hand or a foot was a minor issue, and she soon had everyone treated.
The troublesome one was Harry Potter, who remained unconscious. After speaking with Dumbledore, Mrs. Pomfrey arranged for Harry to have a private room.
With their hunger finally catching up to them, the group eagerly devoured the food that Vedder offered. In between bites, they filled him in on everything that had happened beneath the trapdoor.
To protect the Philosopher's Stone, the professors at the school had set up a series of intricate puzzles and challenges. The first was a Devil's Snare planted below the trapdoor, which cushioned their fall and prevented serious injuries. Unfortunately, Neville had landed awkwardly and broken his leg, forcing him to wait nearby while the others proceeded.
The next challenge was to catch the correct key among a flock of bird-like keys. Harry's Seeker skills shone as he snatched the right one, while Theo ended up with numerous cuts and scratches from the other keys.
This was followed by a dangerous game of Wizard's Chess, where Ron, who had accompanied Harry, won the game but took a nasty blow to the head, rendering him unconscious.
The final challenge was a towering giant, more massive and ferocious than the one they had faced at Halloween. The young witches and wizards pulled out all the stops and managed to defeat it, but not without casualties. Ryan suffered a broken arm, and the rest sustained various injuries.
Vedder's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "A giant?"
"Yes, a giant that stank to high heaven," Theo sighed. "I can hardly believe that half a year ago, you guys managed to defeat such a creature without a scratch."
"If the giant was one of Quirrell's challenges, then the one we faced at Halloween must have been his doing as well," Michael chimed in. "I heard he even pretended to be scared senseless by it!"
Vedder frowned, choosing not to comment further.
—The original trio had not encountered the giant.
Was this the butterfly effect? Or something else...?
"For the final challenge, we were trapped in a room filled with flames," Hermione continued, her lips quivering slightly. "We had to choose between potions left by Professor Snape—one to move forward, one to go back, and the rest were poison or plain old Bartemius Brew."
"I solved the puzzle Professor Snape had left, and Harry went forward," Hermione said, her fingers twisting together as she spoke, her tone calm and rational as always. But her hair seemed to stand on end, and her body was taut as a drawn bowstring. "The rest of us drank from the potion to go back, found Ron and Neville, and... well, you know the rest."
"Hermione!" Padma suddenly leaned over and hugged her. "Don't worry... and don't blame yourself... It was Harry's choice to face him, not yours... and he will recover, won't he?"
She gently pulled the girl's hands apart, revealing the bloody scratches Hermione had unconsciously made on her own wrists.
"You don't understand, Padma," Hermione said, her voice thick with unshed tears as she leaned against Padma's shoulder.
"Harry jumped first, not knowing if there would be something to catch our fall... and he said... if anything happened to him, we should go back immediately... I really..."
Padma gently stroked her back, understanding the true reason for Hermione's tears.
It wasn't just worry for her unconscious friend... but also the overwhelming despair and fear that had gripped her heart now that she was back in a safe environment, realizing just how close they had all come to death...
She looked around at the others—the boys didn't shed tears, but there was a subtle change in their expressions... as if, quietly and without fanfare, they had all undergone some sort of transformation...
Just then, a commotion broke out at the door.
"No, he's still unconscious. No visitors allowed!" Mrs. Pomfrey said sternly.
"Mrs. Pomfrey, we're here to see Theo and Ryan. We're all from Hufflepuff," someone pleaded at the door.
"Very well, but no noise," Mrs. Pomfrey conceded.
A crowd of students poured in, having likely witnessed the injured Theo and the others riding their brooms through the corridors, and were now eager for news.
As the injured were surrounded by "visitors," Michael and Vedder exchanged a glance, and, perhaps because they were unscathed and seen as mere spectators, they managed to slip out of the infirmary unnoticed.
"I want to go back to the Chamber," Michael said, taking a breath at the door. "Now that Dumbledore has brought Harry out, the blocking flames might be gone... I want to see what happened in the last chamber."
"We'll go together," Vedder said.
"Of course," Michael smiled. "I guess you're curious too—how did Harry Potter survive yet another brush with death?"
In truth, Vedder wasn't curious.
He just... wanted to see.
The checkpoints below the trapdoor were almost completely destroyed. The two rode their brooms smoothly through the stone corridor and brightly lit rooms until they reached the end.
This was a relatively spacious room with an arched ceiling, tall stone pillars embedded in the stone walls, and remnants of flames burning all around.
There was also a huge mirror in the room, with a golden frame decorated very elaborately, and an inscription carved on it, supported by two claw-shaped feet.
"Look, Vedder."
Michael suddenly crouched down and poked at a wizard's robe on the steps with his wand, whispering, "If I'm not mistaken, this is Professor Quirrell's robe—look, the scarf is here too—"
He suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in horror as he stared at the dust covering the robe, his steps stiffening as he backed away.
Vedder, on the other hand, took a step forward. He transfigured a container and collected some of the dust from the floor.
"Vedder!" Michael's scalp tingled, and he exclaimed, "Do you know what this is?"
"Professor Quirrell's remains—and the vessel of the Dark Wizard," Vedder replied, capping the container and eyeing the ashen dust within. "Who knows, it might come in handy someday."
Suddenly, as if something had been awakened, eerie voices echoed from all around—
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."
"Disturbing the dead shall bring death to the living... Unnamed dead shall grant no favors..."
"Vedder Grey... Michael Corner... Do you wish to embark on the journey of eternal rest..."
Michael's limbs turned weak, and goosebumps covered his body. He grabbed Vedder's arm, his face as pale as a sheet as he stammered, "V-Vedder... p-put that stuff away quickly..."
Vedder's body also turned cold, but soon, he realized something—
"Weasley?"
Vedder whispered.
(End of Chapter)
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