Chapter 547: A Gift from N.F
Chapter 547: A Gift from N.F
After seeing Hermione and Ron off, Albert also prepared to pay a visit to the Room of Requirement.
As soon as he entered the common room, a girl carrying a parcel rushed towards him, her cheeks flushed as she stammered, "An...Anderson, your owl."
The moment her eyes met Albert's, she blushed furiously.
Albert noticed a gray owl by the girl's side, standing watch like a diligent post owl ensuring the parcel reached its recipient.
"Thank you," Albert said, quickly reaching out to take the parcel. He glanced at the sender's name: N.F.
"And thank you, too," Albert added with a smile as he knelt down and reached out to pat the owl's head.
"Wait a moment."
As the owl prepared to leave, Albert hastily called out to stop it.
He quickly ran upstairs to prepare some water and owl treats for the owl. It had just flown over from France, and that was no easy feat.
The gray owl gave a grateful hoot and began to eat the treats, looking thoroughly exhausted.
Only after seeing the owl off did Albert hurry towards the Room of Requirement.
"It's unusual for you to be late," Isabelle remarked as she set aside her book by the burning fireplace, looking at Albert who had just entered the Room of Requirement.
"Sorry, I had some things to take care of," Albert replied.
Ever since they had made their relationship public, Katrina had stopped tagging along, and the Room of Requirement had truly become their private dating spot.
Albert walked over to Isabelle and placed the parcel on the small round table.
"Who's N.F.?" Isabelle asked, glancing at the sender's name on the parcel.
"Nicolas Flamel," Albert answered.
He withdrew his wand from his pocket and gently swiped it over the parcel, using the Severing Charm to cut open the outer wrapping and reveal a delicate metal box within.
"What is this?" Isabelle inquired curiously.
"Something I requested Mr. Flamel to make for me," Albert explained.
He pressed a button on the metal box, and it slowly unfolded to reveal a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting inside, along with a letter addressed to him.
"Are you nearsighted?" Isabelle picked up the glasses in surprise, puzzled as to why Albert had specifically asked Flamel to make a pair of glasses for her.
"One pair is for you. These are rimless glasses," Albert said as he took the glasses and placed them on Isabelle's face. After a moment's appraisal, he nodded in satisfaction. "They look good on you."
"What are they for?" Isabelle asked, handing the other pair of glasses to Albert to try on.
"To weaken curses," Albert replied without hesitation.
"Weaken curses?" Isabelle furrowed her brows slightly. "Has something happened?"
"Yes, something rather unpleasant," Albert admitted with a nod. "Do you know about the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin?"
"Is it related to the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin?" Isabelle racked her brains, trying to recall. "I thought it was just a rumor. Are you saying the legend is real?"
"Yes, this incident goes back to the end of last semester," Albert began, recounting the prophecy from the end of last semester, Harry Potter's encounter during the summer holidays, and the prophecy he had just given to Hermione Granger, along with his own speculations.
"So, you believe that the monster hidden in the Chamber of Secrets is the Basilisk?" Isabelle frowned, processing the information Albert had provided. "Fifty years ago, the student who was killed is the same Moaning Myrtle who haunts the second-floor bathroom?"
"I've asked Myrtle, but she doesn't know how she died either," Albert recalled. "According to Myrtle Elizabeth Warren's description, 'I remember seeing a pair of great yellow eyes that frightened me. My whole body felt as though it were being squeezed, and then I seemed to be floating away...'"
"Slytherin was a Parselmouth, able to control snakes, and the Basilisk is a snake as well," Isabelle reasoned, understanding the purpose of the glasses. "The gaze of a Basilisk can kill, just like the deadly cry of the Mandrake. Your line of thinking makes sense. A weakened Mandrake only induces unconsciousness, and a weakened Basilisk's gaze wouldn't be as fatal. But this is all just your hypothesis. I hope you won't risk your life testing it."
"It's just an insurance policy," Albert said with a bitter smile. "After all, I'm quite famous now, and an ideal target for elimination."
"Have you had a vision about it?" Isabelle's brows furrowed even deeper with concern.
"The first attack..." Albert lowered his voice. "Will occur before November. Although it's unlikely to target pure-blooded wizards like yourself, it's better to be safe."
"When do you plan to tell Dumbledore about this?" Isabelle knew Albert's character, but she still worried for his safety.
There was no helping it; Gryffindors were simply too reckless.
"After the attack," Albert replied.
"I don't know what you're planning, but please take care of yourself," Isabelle said, kissing Albert on the lips.
"I will," Albert assured her.
The girl heaved a silent sigh in her heart. She couldn't fathom what Albert was planning, but the fact that he had shared these matters with her made her very happy.
In the past, Albert had always seemed so inscrutable, a closed book. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she had been drawn to him in the first place! Time slipped by unnoticed as the couple lingered in each other's company.
Isabelle helped Albert analyze the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.
If the Basilisk truly existed, why hadn't it been discovered in all these years?
It didn't take long for the girl to realize that Albert was quite knowledgeable about the Chamber of Secrets legend, as evidenced by his warning to her not to go near the second-floor bathroom alone.
Although he hadn't explicitly stated it, the entrance to the Chamber was most likely located there.
However, Isabelle couldn't understand why, after all these years, the location of the Chamber remained a mystery.
Moreover, according to the rumors, only the heir of Slytherin could open the Chamber and release the monster within.
Then...who was the heir?
Why hadn't such incidents occurred before? Was the heir a new student?
"No, I've checked. There doesn't seem to be an heir of Slytherin among the new students," Albert thought, marveling at the girl's sharp insight.
"The mark of the heir is probably being a Parselmouth," Albert said, pointing to the metal box on the table. "Just like how this box requires my finger to touch a specific spot to open, the entrance to the Chamber likely requires a Parselmouth to unlock it."
"As far as I know, that nameless Dark Wizard is a Parselmouth," Isabelle said, her pupils dilating slightly as she recalled the events of last year involving the Sorcerer's Stone. "Professor Quirrell seemed to be controlled by the mysterious figure as well."
"Indeed, it was that mysterious figure who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago," Albert sighed softly. "Hagrid was one of the victims, and everyone believed he was the one who opened the Chamber. He was eventually expelled from Hogwarts."
"Is their target Harry Potter?" Isabelle asked, feeling a sense of relief for some reason.
"Most likely," Albert nodded. "But we still need to be cautious."
After sharing these matters with Isabelle, Albert felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It was never pleasant to keep things bottled up.
He suddenly understood why villains always seemed to indulge in monologues just before their plans came to fruition. In that moment of impending success, the urge to share one's achievements with another was strong, hence the propensity for villains to ramble on to the protagonist.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
