Chapter 323: The Four Founders, A Conversation Across Millennia
Chapter 323: The Four Founders, A Conversation Across Millennia
Kyle surveyed the Chamber of Secrets. Not only had Riddle disappeared, but even the pillar on the left no longer bore any traces of the Shadowless Blade Charm.
It was as if everything that had happened was an incredibly realistic dream.
However, the pain in his thigh and the diary in his hand clearly told Kyle that this was all real.
After walking around, Kyle finally looked up at the Slytherin statue.
Although he didn't know what had happened, he decided to destroy the diary first... just in case the Basilisk was still inside.
"Speak to me..."
Kyle recited Parseltongue, but the statue's mouth did not open as it had before. Instead, the snake-shaped statues on the pillar began to move.
They came to life... like real snakes, they slithered down the pillar and gathered around Kyle.
This familiar scene made Kyle feel uneasy.
He was sure of it; he must be dreaming!
Perhaps he had been too gentle earlier, which was why he hadn't woken up yet.
Kyle clenched his teeth, ready to pinch himself again... but suddenly, a deep voice came from above the Chamber.
"Good, what do you want to say."
"Who!" Kyle exclaimed, looking up.
At the same time, as the voice appeared, the living snake statues began to connect with each other, quickly forming a large circular archway.
A layer of soap-bubble-like transparent veil gradually appeared, filling the archway.
After the veil shimmered a few times, a middle-aged wizard wearing a green robe appeared.
He looked at Kyle expressionlessly and asked, "Weren't you just about to speak to me?"
"You... I..." Kyle opened his mouth, but he was too surprised to speak.
He thought of a name, but it was too absurd.
"Salazar, I think you should be more proactive. That child doesn't know what happened."
At this moment, a second person appeared in the archway, a plump witch... she looked exactly like the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff in the Common Room.
"I must be dreaming!" Kyle muttered under his breath.
"You aren't," assured a wizard in a red cloak, the third person to appear in the archway.
Behind him stood a cold-faced witch.
All four of them were present.
It took Kyle a good while to recover. He tugged at his hair, "No, this can't be..."
"I guess you know who we are," said the cloaked wizard with a smile.
He even pushed the pointed hat on his head, as if giving Kyle a hint.
"Yes... and I'm trying to convince myself to believe this absurdity."
Kyle looked at the four people in the archway, "In fact, in my understanding, you should be people from over a thousand years ago... I mean, how could I possibly meet you."
"Because of time."
Salazar Slytherin calmly said, "You awakened the Basilisk but failed to put it back to sleep because you lacked the specific passwords. This caused the Basilisk to instinctively destroy the Time Turner inside the statue."
He took out a golden pocket watch from his pocket.
"There are two of them, one in the future and one in the past. If the future one is damaged, it will establish some connection with the past."
Kyle nodded, somewhat understanding.
This meant that when he first summoned the Basilisk, Salazar Slytherin from a thousand years ago already knew about it.
Kyle had never heard of, let alone seen, such an absurd method.
This was akin to predicting the future.
"But why didn't you... show yourself then?"
"Because he couldn't."
Godric Gryffindor burst into laughter, "That move was originally meant to counter me, fearing I'd cook his precious Basilisk. Unexpectedly, it led to the discovery of the future a thousand years later.
The time span is too vast, and the connection between the Turners alone is insufficient for us to directly converse with you...
Unless you've also altered time, making yourself less 'stable'."
"I suppose there was a time when you were particularly obsessed with using the Time-Turner..."
Kyle remained silent.
No wonder he had always felt something was amiss before; now, it all made sense.
He didn't care about those certificates, but he uncharacteristically chose twelve subjects... and even applied for the Time-Turner twice...
"It was you!" Kyle realized, "So those voices I heard back then..."
"Consider them minor side effects," Gryffindor said, "Salazar thought you were up to no good with the Basilisk, so he was a bit rough."
Find more popular novels at 6.9 Book Bar!
But it was mainly Rowena who wanted to see how far he could go, so she used an interesting magic... let's call it a Confusion Charm, using the statues in the castle as a medium, causing you to subconsciously hide the truth about the Basilisk from others."
Rowena Ravenclaw glanced at him with a calm expression, but she didn't refute it.
In an instant, Kyle felt his mind become exceptionally clear, and all his previous doubts were resolved.
No wonder every time he wanted to tell Dumbledore about the Basilisk, he hesitated inexplicably. He never imagined that the Four Founders were also involved.
After learning the truth, Kyle had a million questions, but at that moment, the curtain flickered, and the Four Founders' images became much blurrier.
"Our time is limited," Helga Hufflepuff stepped forward and pushed Gryffindor aside,
"Listen, child, I know you have many questions, but none of that matters now. What you need to do is find a way to get time back on the right track, or you may very well may be trapped in a time loop forever."
"Let me give you some advice, kid," Gryffindor said, "Never touch the Time-Turner again. It will take away the protection of time."
"As compensation, I'll help smooth out the impact of this Time-Turner incident," Slytherin glanced at him, "You can also take the Basilisk with you. The command to make it sleep is... 'Sleep Well, Awaiting Tomorrow's Glory.'"
"Your Mind Block Charm is too weak," Rowena Ravenclaw spoke for the first time.
Her voice was calm, "Don't be complacent. When you find yourself unable to progress, wear my crown."
As soon as Ravenclaw finished speaking, the image in the archway turned into a thick mosaic, then completely disappeared.
The snake that formed the arch crawled back onto the pillar, and the Chamber of Secrets returned to tranquility.
Kyle stood there, taking a deep breath.
He had actually met the Hogwarts Founders a thousand years ago and even talked to them face-to-face.
It was unbelievable... but very magical.
Kyle wanted to sort out the bizarre experience he had just gone through, but he quickly remembered what Hufflepuff had said.
According to her, he might not be in the original timeline and could very well be trapped here forever.
Without hesitation, Kyle ran out of the Chamber of Secrets.
Outside the Chamber, there was no Professor McGonagall or Harry... Kyle ran to the end of the corridor and returned to the castle through the pipes.
Voices and laughter echoed all around, a lively atmosphere that, in Kyle's memory, had long been absent.
Following the corridor, he soon found two students walking together.
"Hello," Kyle greeted them.
"Oh, I know you, Kyle from Hufflepuff," one of them smiled.
"Sally Perks," said the other, "We're both in Ravenclaw, second year."
"It's an honor to meet you," Kyle replied, "May I ask where you're headed?"
"Of course, we're going to the Halloween Banquet,"
The student named Terry Boot said, "I heard that Headmaster Dumbledore invited a skeleton dance troupe. This year's Halloween Banquet will be amazing!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
