Chapter 38: A Suspicious Coincidence
Chapter 38: A Suspicious Coincidence
Perhaps it was because they learned that Justin hadn't died, or perhaps the students in the castle trusted Dumbledore enough.
The day after Halloween, apart from speculating about the identity of the culprit during meals, there was no major upheaval. However, when some students began to investigate the messages on the castle walls, which Filch had already cleaned, the rumors of the Chamber of Secrets started to spread throughout Hogwarts.
Even in Sherlock's class, students began to ask him about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.
"This isn't the right place to discuss such matters. If you're truly interested in the Chamber of Secrets, you should ask Professor Binns in History of Magic. He's been teaching here for centuries and knows far more than I do."
Sherlock tapped the blackboard, redirecting the topic back to the lesson.
"Alright, if you're interested in the Chamber of Secrets, you can research it on your own, but for now, we need to focus on how to score high on this year's O.W.L.s exams."
"Memorize the three dangerous elements of werewolves, and remember that the examiners from the past two years have a habit of asking about the most effective spells to quickly escape a werewolf's pursuit."
The attack on a student and the opening of the Chamber of Secrets didn't significantly alter Sherlock's life at Hogwarts. It only made him spend more time in the library.
He knew the plot had deviated from its original course, but he had no way to correct it. So, for now, he could only focus on improving his magical abilities, aiming to reach the original owner's level by the end of the term.
Meanwhile, in the second-year History of Magic class, Hermione publicly asked Professor Binns about the specific rumors surrounding the Chamber of Secrets.
But the stubborn Professor Binns refused to believe that the legend of the Chamber of Secrets was true. He treated it as just a story, though the students didn't share his skepticism.
After all, Justin had been attacked the previous day, and the attacker had openly declared on the wall that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Justin was just the first step in cleansing the castle of those deemed unworthy of learning magic.
After class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered together.
"The heir of Slytherin must be from Slytherin house. Who do you think it could be?"
Ron posed the question and then confidently answered himself.
"It must be Malfoy! After seeing Justin attacked, he looked delighted, and his family has always believed in the pure-blood ideology. He could very well be Slytherin's descendant."
Hermione was also considering this possibility. Frankly, Ron's argument was logical. Given the limited clues and their psychological biases, Malfoy was indeed the most likely suspect.
But Harry wasn't listening to Ron's guess. His eyes were glazed over, lost in thought, replaying the scene from the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class before Halloween, where he had gone to hand in his homework and saw Justin talking to Professor Forrest just ahead of him.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, both noticing that something was off with Harry.
"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously. "Do you know something we don't?"
Harry opened his mouth, hesitating whether to voice his thoughts.
But he was afraid that doing so might tarnish Sherlock's reputation. He didn't believe that the respected Professor Forrest could be the legendary heir of Slytherin.
It was just that, when he thought about his previous experiences, he wondered if it was too much of a coincidence that he had wished Justin a happy Halloween the day before the incident.
Ron noticed Harry's hesitation and said with a frown.
"You're hiding something from us. We even helped you keep the secret about that strange voice you heard."
Harry knew he shouldn't keep things from Ron and Hermione, so he recounted what he had been thinking.
After hearing it, Ron's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about? You're suggesting Professor Forrest is the real culprit? Are you out of your mind?"
Hermione also looked at Harry with confusion.
"It's just a coincidence, Harry. Why do you think there's a connection? Professor Forrest was just wishing Justin well, and it's possible other professors did the same in their classes. We can't use this as evidence, and we shouldn't suspect a professor based on this."
Ron added, "Besides, Professor Forrest is a half-blood."
Harry and Hermione both turned to look at him. Even without speaking, they were clearly questioning how Ron knew this.
"I heard it from George", Ron explained.
"Early in the term, George and Fred had something taken away by Professor Forrest, so they wrote to Charlie to find out about Professor Forrest's time at Hogwarts, to see if he was trustworthy."
"Charlie and Professor Forrest weren't in the same year or house, but the professor was quite well-known back then. They say he used to receive enough love letters to fill an entire cauldron every year!"
Ron's face was filled with admiration, but Hermione, impatient, urged him on.
"We're not interested in how many love letters Professor Forrest received, even though he's still popular with the girls."
"Charlie said that Professor Forrest is a half-blood, which almost everyone knows. His wizard mother apparently passed away when he was very young, and his father is a Muggle duke."
Hermione and Harry exchanged glances. Having lived in the Muggle world for a long time, they understood what a duke's title meant in Britain.
"Professor Forrest is a duke's son!"
"But there doesn't seem to be a Duke with the surname Forrest who still holds the title."
They didn't dwell on this question for long, as even a Muggle duke's status had little bearing on the wizarding world.
However, the information that Professor Forrest was a half-blood largely ruled him out as a suspect.
Harry scratched his head and said, "I wasn't really suspecting Professor Forrest. It just seemed too coincidental."
Ron and Hermione, however, didn't find it that coincidental. Compared to Professor Forrest, Malfoy seemed a more likely suspect.
They continued discussing how to verify their suspicions and test whether Malfoy was indeed the heir of the Chamber of Secrets.
Until Hermione came up with a not-so-great idea.
(End of Chapter)
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