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Chapter 35: The Attack
Chapter 35: The Attack
The Great Hall.
The atmosphere of the party was lively, and Dumbledore had kept his promise by inviting a skeletal dance troupe. They played cheerful tunes on instruments made of bones while performing comical dances. Honestly, this style of performance was truly unforgettable.
The young wizards' faces were filled with delighted excitement. They sat in pumpkin lanterns, eagerly savoring the festival specialties. To Felix, the taste hadn't changed much, but the presentation was certainly innovative and unique.
Felix picked up a piece of black, tombstone-shaped caramel cake and popped it into his mouth.
The ceiling of the Great Hall was adorned with ribbons of various colors and monster masks. He even spotted three large black dogs—black dogs weren't exactly well-regarded in the Wizarding world. But upon closer inspection, he realized it was a three-headed dog.
Felix: "..." The three-headed dog's reputation is suffering.
Before he knew it, the time had passed ten o'clock and was approaching eleven. The young wizards gradually put down their utensils, their faces beaming with satisfaction from a full meal.
Felix wiped his mouth with a napkin and began discussing spells with Professor Flitwick. Professor Lockhart tried to join in, but the two ignored him.
After two months of school, anyone with a modicum of intelligence could see what Lockhart was made of.
Felix couldn't help but give Dumbledore a reproachful look. I trusted you, and you appointed such a fraud as a professor?
I thought he had real talent.
Felix felt his time had been wasted.
Finally, the skeletal dance troupe concluded their performance with an unconventional, soothing melody. The audience gave them a round of applause, which continued until they bowed and dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, exiting the stage.
As the party ended, the young wizards crowded out of the Great Hall. A few professors waved their wands to clean up the mess.
Suddenly, a young wizard rushed back, his lips trembling.
"Professors, you need to see this... something has happened!"
Before he could finish, the professors heard the alarmed cries of the young wizards outside the Great Hall. Dumbledore took a few quick steps forward, and the crowd parted to make way for him.
Felix and Professor Flitwick exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
They climbed the stairs to the third floor. Following the young wizards' gazes, they turned a corner and arrived at an empty corridor.
Felix's first sight was of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, standing alone, with a clear space around them. But his eyes soon fixed on a cat hanging from a torch bracket.
It was Mrs. Norris.
She looked stiff and lifeless.
Next to her, about a foot above the ground, some words were scrawled on the wall, glowing faintly in the light of the burning torch.
The Chamber has been opened.
Beware the enemy of the Heir.
Filch was shouting, and Dumbledore quickly moved past everyone to take Mrs. Norris down. His expression turned serious, his piercing blue eyes behind his half-moon glasses carefully examining her.
"Come with me, Filch", he said. "And you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Hermione Granger."
Lockhart quickly offered his office, then followed Dumbledore. Professors Mcgonagall, Snape, and Felix trailed behind, while Professor Flitwick stayed to calm the panicked young wizards.
Lockhart's Office.
Several professors were gathered around a smooth table, examining the stiff Mrs. Norris.
Dumbledore's long, hooked nose was almost touching Mrs. Norris's fur. He peered at her through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently probing her here and there.
Professor Mcgonagall bent over, her face almost touching the cat, squinting as she examined it closely.
Snape stood behind them, half-hidden in the shadows.
Felix stood on the other side, his fingers brushing Mrs. Norris's spine, which had become unusually rigid. He then used his wand to gently touch her body, sensing a powerful curse.
Not dead... seems to be petrified...
Almost simultaneously, Headmaster Dumbledore straightened up and said softly, "It's not dead, Filch. It's been petrified."
However, Headmaster's words did little to quell Filch's resentment. He immediately suspected Harry, even revealing his Squib identity in the process.
But his suspicion was quickly dismissed because, "This requires the most advanced dark magic."
The trio was clearly incapable of such a feat.
Moreover, there was the strange message on the wall.
Chamber...
Felix fell into thought, the name seemed so familiar.
Next, it was Snape's turn. He interrogated Harry and the others with a mocking tone. Harry stammered through his explanation, causing Felix to sigh.
The boy can't even lie properly; his mental fortitude is lacking.
But Felix then wondered, what were they hiding?
After attending the anniversary gathering in the basement, they should have returned to the Great Hall, but they didn't...
Perhaps he could find an opportunity to ask his assistant.
After the trio left, the professors exchanged information.
"Potter didn't tell the whole truth, Headmaster. That's my opinion", Snape repeated.
None of the professors disagreed; they could all see it.
But Professor Mcgonagall, as usual, defended her students, "We have no evidence that they did anything wrong. In fact, they might have just heard some strange noise."
"Such a possibility cannot be ruled out", Dumbledore said noncommittally. "What do you think, Felix?"
All eyes turned to Felix, even the portrait of Lockhart peeked out from the shadows.
"My thoughts... I'm still considering the message on the wall. The Chamber has been opened, whose Chamber? Who opened it? And who is opposing this so-called Heir?" He posed three questions in quick succession.
Professor Mcgonagall pursed her lips and said dryly, "It sounds like the legend of the Chamber of Slytherin, but there has never been any proof..."
Apart from Felix and Lockhart, the other three were veteran professors. Such school legends would resurface among young wizards every few years, growing more sensational and bizarre with each retelling.
"But as far as I know, the names most closely associated with the word Chamber are Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Given this attack, the direction is quite clear."
The other professors understood Felix's point. The Chamber, and its connection to Slytherin.
Ravenclaw wouldn't do such a thing.
"Your reasoning is sound, but unfortunately, there is no evidence", Snape shot back.
Finally, Dumbledore made the decision, "In the coming days, we will search the castle to see if we can find anything."
(End of Chapter)
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