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Chapter 44: The Meeting
Chapter 44: The Meeting
Felix found it difficult to understand Professor Lockhart.
He had already seen through this man's true nature—a merchant who sold books by weaving stories and self-promotion.
As for magical talent, that had long been returned to his professors upon graduation.
This author's formula was to make the protagonist of his stories share his name and shamelessly label them as "autobiographies" to make a fortune.
Such a practice wasn't uncommon in the Muggle world, but the magical community was far less open, even bordering on naive. If you claimed that your book contained your own adventures, people chose to believe you—until the fraud was exposed, at which point it usually meant ruin.
Did he not know this? If he did, why was he still acting so recklessly, especially in front of some of the most accomplished wizards in Britain?
To be honest, Felix didn't understand it at all.
He and Lockhart were two entirely different people.
"Silence." With Lockhart's arrival, Dumbledore called the meeting to order.
"A second attack has occurred, just an hour ago, and the victim was also petrified, just like Mrs. Norris", Dumbledore said, his tone heavy.
"But this time, the nature of the attack is entirely different. The victim is a young wizard, a first-year student. This indicates—" His piercing blue eyes scanned the room, "that the Chamber has truly been opened."
"Hogwarts is facing a crisis!"
All the professors grew solemn.
Next, Professor Mcgonagall recounted the last time the Chamber was opened. She pressed her lips together and began her account: "Fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened once before."
"A student died as a result. Her name was Myrtle Elizabeth Warren. Yes, she still resides in Hogwarts, as a ghost in the castle."
"However, the Chamber has remained closed ever since—until now—"
"So, does that mean", Lockhart interrupted eagerly, "that the attacks have ceased? I mean, one student has already been affected, right? I've seen many similar cases, like the lake monster of Morgan, which appears every thirty years. After I gave the locals my homemade amulets, they haven't been troubled since—"
Professor Mcgonagall's lips pressed even tighter together, and she spoke in a rare, raised voice: "I must remind you, Professor Lockhart! Colin Creevey was only petrified; he did not lose his life."
Dumbledore continued, "That's correct. We don't know if the monster will strike again or if the consequences will be limited to petrification. If any of you have suggestions, please speak up."
Professor Mcgonagall added, "I have already arranged for prefects to patrol and strictly prohibit young wizards from going to secluded areas. For first and second-year students, they must walk to and from classes in groups to minimize solitary actions."
"Very good, Minerva", Dumbledore praised.
"Headmaster Dumbledore", Felix felt it necessary to share the information he had, "my focus has always been on the Chamber. There are three key points surrounding it—"
He glanced at the assembled group, "the unknown monster, the Heir of Slytherin, and the location of the Chamber."
"Once we know any one of these, we can uncover the truth."
Dumbledore folded his long fingers, seemingly lost in thought. "Please continue, Felix."
"Why don't we start by considering Slytherin? Slytherin's symbol is a snake, so perhaps this monster is also a snake. This would also explain how it appeared in the castle—through the pipes that run throughout Hogwarts."
The others nodded thoughtfully. Snape spoke up, his voice slow and cold. "Felix, while Slytherin's symbol is indeed a snake, this is only because he was a Parseltongue. If you had studied him more, you would know that he was a master of bloodline research. The magical bloodlines he studied are beyond your imagination."
"But we can't rule out the possibility, can we?"
"Ha! This unknown monster murdered a witch fifty years ago, yet fifty years later, it only petrifies its victims..." Snape's eyes, cold as stone, fixed on Felix. "If I understand correctly, Felix, this is not the same creature, is it?"
Felix shook his head. "I can't explain it either, so my opinion is just for everyone's reference."
He continued, "Regarding the Heir of Slytherin, I can think of two possibilities: active and passive."
"Perhaps this Heir is fully aware of his actions, driven by a desire to fulfill Slytherin's will, such as purging Muggle-born young wizards. Or, it could be that he accidentally obtained one of Slytherin's relics and is being controlled by it."
Dumbledore raised his head. "Very insightful. You've broadened our perspective."
He mused, "We overlooked this in the past. It seems we need to strengthen the students' moral education."
Felix's "control theory" sparked a lot of discussion among the professors. He waited a moment before adding, "As for the location of the Chamber, I have no idea. Perhaps we could ask the castle's portraits and ghosts for information?"
There was a long silence before an elderly professor, hesitating, spoke up. "I shouldn't say this, but given that Hogwarts is at a critical juncture, any clue is important..."
Felix looked at the old professor, Silvanus Kettleburn, who had been his Care of Magical Creatures teacher during his time at Hogwarts. Kettleburn was rumored to be planning to retire.
Kettleburn was known for his fascination with dangerous creatures and had set a record by surviving 62 reviews during his tenure at the school. In Felix's opinion, he was another version of Hagrid.
Kettleburn said, "The boy is not a bad person, but if he, like me, made a mistake out of curiosity..." He paused, then said a name: "Rubeus Hagrid."
"It wasn't him, Silvanus", Dumbledore said firmly. "I was the Transfiguration professor back then, and I knew he was innocent, but there was no evidence... Under pressure, Headmaster Dippet expelled him."
"It was a grave mistake. We didn't catch the real culprit."
The meeting concluded, and Dumbledore assigned a series of tasks. For now, they could only focus on prevention—increasing patrols and reminding young wizards in class not to trust any magical items' lies.
As Felix left, he saw Lockhart talking to Dumbledore. The Headmaster's expression was particularly enigmatic.
(End of Chapter)
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