https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-564-Albert-s-Analysis-is-Fierce-as-a-Tiger/12526919/
Chapter 565: A Fierce Analysis (2)
Chapter 565: A Fierce Analysis (2)
A few minutes later, Albert appeared near Hagrid's hut. Hagrid, who was pouring food from a pot into Fang's bowl, heard the approaching footsteps and looked up, greeting Albert with a smile and inviting him in for tea.
"Hagrid, do you know what happened in the castle last night?" Albert asked bluntly.
"What happened?" Hagrid picked up a large teapot and poured amber-colored tea for Albert, then brought over a large plate of rock cakes that he had baked himself.
"Filch's cat was petrified?" Albert lifted his head to observe Hagrid's facial expression carefully.
"Who did it?" Hagrid asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The heir of Slytherin," Albert replied, setting down his teacup and fixing his gaze on Hagrid. "That guy even left a message on the wall: 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.'"
Hagrid was stunned by this news, and his expression became somewhat complicated, as if he were recalling certain unpleasant past events.
"Hagrid, how much do you know about the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin?" Albert took a sip from his teacup and fixed his sharp gaze on Hagrid, prompting, "Don't rush to deny it. Your expression tells me that you know something about this."
Hagrid fell silent and absentmindedly picked up a rock cake, popping it into his mouth and chewing noisily, seemingly reluctant to discuss the matter.
"The heir of Slytherin will release the monster inside the Chamber of Secrets to attack Muggle-born wizards in the school," Albert continued, seeing that Hagrid was unwilling to speak. "Filch's cat was just a sacrifice to proclaim the heir's return. There will definitely be other Muggle-born wizards who will be attacked, and I'm likely to be the next target."
In fact, Albert was not lying. The night before, he had discovered two rewarding panel tasks on his task board:
Survival of the Fittest
The heir of Slytherin has marked you as a target for attack. The threat of the Chamber monster will endanger your life. Survive a deadly attack.
Reward: 10,000 experience, 2 skill points.
A Mistake in Judgment The heir of Slytherin seems determined not to let you off the hook. Make them understand that targeting you is the stupidest decision they've ever made. Uncover the identity of the heir of Slytherin by any means necessary and make them pay for their foolishness.
Reward: 10,000 experience, gain a specified skill.
A specified skill.
This was the most valuable task reward Albert had come across. He had been working towards earning special contribution rewards specifically for this type of task.
It meant he could either master the creation of the Philosopher's Stone or skip the tedious process and become an Animagus... The possibilities were exciting.
"We must find that damn heir of Slytherin and put an end to this farce as soon as possible," Albert said righteously, his entire being seemingly enveloped in a holy light.
"Well... about fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and there were multiple attacks at Hogwarts," Hagrid said hoarsely. "The school almost had to be shut down. The professors searched the entire castle thoroughly, but they still couldn't find the so-called Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin."
"How old are you, Hagrid?" Albert asked suddenly.
"Sixty-four. Why?" Hagrid didn't understand why Albert was asking about his age.
"I remember you were expelled from school, right?" Albert narrowed his eyes, continuing his interrogation.
Hagrid's expression turned ugly as he realized why Albert had asked about his age.
"It wasn't me! It really wasn't me! It wasn't Aragog either! Aragog didn't kill anyone!" Hagrid's emotions were stirred, and his tone became more agitated. "Back then, they said Aragog was the so-called monster in the Chamber of Secrets, and I was even expelled because of it."
"Of course, I know it wasn't you," Albert said, softening his tone to soothe Hagrid's agitated state. "An Acromantula couldn't petrify Filch's cat."
"But you don't understand. At that time, no one wanted to believe me. Only Dumbledore believed in my innocence," Hagrid said, his eyes reddening as if he had suffered a great grievance.
"Tell me what you know!" Albert said, both comforting Hagrid and using his words to induce him to reveal what he knew. "Don't refuse, Hagrid. If this matter isn't resolved quickly, you'll be in trouble as well."
Hagrid looked bewildered, not understanding why Albert said he would be in trouble.
"That cat is just a sign. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is still roaming the castle and will definitely continue to attack Muggle-born wizards here," Albert said, fixing his eyes on Hagrid. "If they can't find the culprit, who do you think they will suspect first?"
"But, Dumbledore..."
"I know Dumbledore won't suspect you, but it's useless," Albert pointed out coldly. "If the attacks continue, the Ministry of Magic will need a scapegoat. You will definitely be suspected, maybe even thrown into Azkaban, and then the Ministry can tell everyone that they've caught the culprit."
Hagrid was left dumbfounded after hearing Albert's words.
"Don't doubt my words, Hagrid. Politics is a dirty business. Even if they know it won't help, you'll still be dragged down with them," Albert said.
"How could they do that?" Hagrid muttered.
"Of course, they could, or you wouldn't have been expelled back then." Albert sneered, "Although I don't know exactly what happened, the situation isn't hard to guess. When you, you must have kept the Acromantula in the castle, and someone found out. Then, you let it escape, right?"
"But why... "
"... would you care so much about this matter?" Albert finished the sentence for Hagrid, "Don't forget, Hagrid, I'm a Muggle-born wizard, and I have a rather prominent reputation in the school. To a Slytherin heir who despises Muggle-borns, I'm the most hated person, and it's not an exaggeration to call me a thorn in his side. To be frank, if I were him, the first person I'd target would be someone I detest like me. At the very least, I'd be at the top of the 'purification list' for the Slytherin heir."
"For my safety, I have to strike first." Albert declared resolutely. The reason he was so invested in this matter, going so far as to disregard his initial principle of keeping a low profile, wasn't just for the tasks and experience but also because he had no choice from the beginning. Sometimes, having a prominent reputation could bring its own set of troubles.
So, Albert intended to trigger as many panel tasks as possible, collecting rewards and points, and then rely on Dumbledore to put a stop to Tom Riddle's diary once and for all.
He would absolutely not give up on the specified skill.
To Albert, the rewards of over ten thousand experience or a couple of skill points were nothing compared to the value of the specified skill.
"Alright." Hagrid hesitated for a moment before beginning his tale, "It was probably when I was in my third year. Hmm, about fifty years ago, around this same time, there were multiple vicious attacks on Muggle-borns at Hogwarts. At the time, everyone was spreading rumors that Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets had been reopened. Later, someone died, and I was accused of being the murderer. I was treated as the culprit and expelled from the school."
"Who accused you of being the murderer?" Albert asked.
"I think it was someone named Tom." Hagrid finally said with certainty, "Tom Riddle, yes, that was him."
"I see, so it was probably because of this incident that Tom Riddle received the special contribution award." Albert nodded, noticing Hagrid's confused gaze and casually explaining, "I saw his name in the trophy room on the fourth floor."
"Oh." Hagrid's expression turned even more glum, likely due to the mention of Tom Riddle's name.
"What kind of person was Tom Riddle?" Albert suddenly asked, "Was he a student of Slytherin House?"
"How did you know that?" Hagrid was curious as to how Albert knew about Tom Riddle.
"Are there any other clues?" Albert continued, "Do you know of any monster that could petrify a cat?"
"I don't know," Hagrid shook his head, "But Aragog might know. He seemed to be very afraid of the castle's monster and even begged me more than once to let him leave. At the time, I asked Aragog several times, but he never told me what the Slytherin monster was."
"Hmm, that narrows it down considerably. There aren't many creatures that can make an Acromantula fearful."
"Do you know what the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is?" Hagrid couldn't help but ask.
"Not yet, but it shouldn't be difficult to find out. I just need to look up what the natural predators of Acromantulas are, and I should be able to guess what the Chamber's monster is." Albert quickly took notes, taking a moment to explain to Hagrid.
"You're amazing."
Hagrid stared at Albert, dumbfounded, and it took him a while to muster this sentence.
"Are there any other clues?" Albert thought for a moment and asked, "Who died back then?"
"I don't remember." Hagrid tried to recall but eventually shook his head, "It was probably a Muggle-born girl from Ravenclaw."
"Where did she die?" Albert inquired further.
"In a bathroom, I think." Hagrid replied, "Have you discovered something?"
"If it's the natural predator of the Acromantula, it means the monster is quite large. Otherwise, how could it be a threat to those giant spiders?" Albert analyzed, pushing up his glasses, "A monster like that wouldn't be able to roam the corridors openly."
"You make a good point." Hagrid nodded, impressed by Albert's insight. If the Hogwarts professors back then had Albert's ability, he might not have been wrongfully accused.
"Hagrid, I should head back." Albert finished his tea and walked to the door, turning back to say, "If anyone asks you about this matter, don't tell them, especially Harry Potter. He has a loose tongue. Well, if you want to talk, go find Dumbledore and tell him about our conversation today. Although it may not help much, the headmaster will definitely give it some thought. I think he should be able to guess what the Chamber's monster is. I'm going to the library first."
"You'll catch him, right?"
"Of course, I will find that damn Slytherin heir and, in the process, clear your name and restore your reputation." Albert nodded confidently.
As he left Hagrid's hut, the task panel was triggered once more.
"That's about it." Albert muttered to himself, looking at the new task, "But this time, I really need to be careful. After I succeed, I wonder how much I can squeeze out of that diary."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
