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Chapter 567: Truly Deserving of Gryffindor
Chapter 567: Truly Deserving of Gryffindor
Ever since the attack on Halloween, Albert had been on high alert, even hesitating to use his Time-Turner casually. He was afraid that one day he might accidentally bump into the Basilisk in the corridors, even though he knew the likelihood of that was low. But what if?
Better safe than sorry! What if he was unlucky enough to encounter the Basilisk on his way? Although Albert had confidence in the protective glasses made by Nick Lemon, it was one thing to have confidence and another to test it. What if it couldn't weaken the Basilisk's curse? He would die on the spot! The rewards on the panel tasks were tempting, but his life was more important!
Albert felt that he needed to stabilize his situation first and work on his development before taking on such a formidable foe.
Of course, Albert wanted to drag things out until the end of the term, waiting for Harry Potter to successfully save the day. But the situation didn't allow for that, and he had to come up with a solution as soon as possible, or he might not make it. It wouldn't do to always live in fear.
Even Fred, George, and Lee Jordan noticed Albert's unusual behavior.
Although they didn't know the reason, they could guess that something must have happened to Albert for him to become so anxious.
Under their persistent questioning, Albert briefly explained his predicament.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan didn't take Albert's words, "I might be targeted by the heir of Slytherin," as a joke.
After all, Albert wasn't the type to seek attention, and his words often proved true.
Knowing that there might be danger ahead, the trio still chose to stick with Albert, doing their best to ensure he wasn't left alone and thus reducing the risk of an ambush.
In their minds, the heir of Slytherin was targeting Muggle-born wizards, and they weren't Muggle-born, so they believed they wouldn't be attacked. It was like having a good luck charm with them.
At least, that was what Fred, George, and Lee Jordan thought.
Albert found their reasoning a bit amusing. If Tom really wanted to kill him, he wouldn't care if there were other pure-blood wizards around; he would just take them out together.
After all, Ginny Weasley was already under Tom's control, and she didn't care if her target was her own brother.
"Hagrid said that the giant spiders in the forest know what the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is?" Lee Jordan looked around to make sure no one was nearby before lowering his voice and asking, "So, is the monster in the Chamber of Secrets real?"
"Yes, but keep this a secret for now. Don't spread it around; just know that it's for your own good." Albert whispered, "If the heir of Slytherin has their eye on you, don't come crying to me."
Lee Jordan fell silent. He knew that many students in the school believed the professors would quickly catch the culprit behind these attacks and expel him.
However, the reality seemed to be different. The fact that Albert was so cautious about this person, the so-called heir of Slytherin and the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, indicated that they were extremely dangerous.
"So, what are you going to do?" Lee Jordan asked, looking at Albert. "You seem nervous all the time. Are you trying to come up with a plan to catch the heir of Slytherin?"
"Don't be silly," Albert replied. "The fact that even the Acromantulas fear that monster is proof of how dangerous it is. I don't want to encounter it, and the best course of action is to let Dumbledore handle it."
As they approached a corner, the two stopped talking.
Albert paused, checking the map in his hand to ensure there was nothing unusual ahead before continuing.
"Don't worry," Lee Jordan said, pointing to the chair at the corner. Beyond it was the wall with the words "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." "Filch often patrols the area where Mrs. Norris was attacked. He thinks the attacker might return."
Lee Jordan bent down and used his finger to lightly trace the words on the wall. Turning to Albert, he said, "Last time I saw Filch, he was using 'Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess-Remover' to clean these words off the wall, but they just won't budge."
"I bet Professor Flitwick could completely remove these words in a few seconds, but he hasn't done so," Albert muttered, his eyes fixed on the words that still glowed on the wall. "This whole situation is strange. We must remain vigilant."
"We should leave this place," Lee Jordan advised. "Filch has been in a foul mood lately. He often finds excuses to put students in detention."
"I wouldn't be in a good mood either," Albert agreed.
"By the way, you didn't bring your cat to school. Does that mean you knew something like this would happen?"
"No, I just prophesied that something not-so-good would happen. I remember telling you guys about it before," Albert glanced at Lee Jordan, knowing that he hadn't taken his words seriously back then. It was understandable; who would pay attention to such vague statements?
Just then, a sharp rebuke caught the attention of the two; it was Percy Weasley. As they approached, they saw the Gryffindor prefect glaring angrily at his younger brothers.
"What are you doing here? Looking for clues?" Albert asked as he walked over to greet them. "What did Moaning Myrtle say? Does she know who the murderer is?"
"How did you know about that?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Myrtle doesn't know who did it either." Hermione shook her head. "Any news from Hagrid's end?"
"Well, he doesn't know what the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is either." Albert glanced at the furious Percy. "But the Chamber of Secrets legend seems to be true. It's said that fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened, and a Muggle wizard was killed by the monster, so we must be careful."
"We?"
"Albert means me!" Hermione explained.
"Alright, don't gather here. Everyone is in the Great Hall eating. If others see you loitering outside the girls' bathroom, what will they think? Also, stop with this detective business; don't you know how dangerous it is?" Percy warned angrily. "If you continue, I'll write to Mom, Ron."
"I think Percy is right." Albert agreed with Percy's words and left with Lee Jordan to have their meal in the Great Hall.
"That guy is a bit strange," Ron said, watching Albert's retreating back. "Isn't he also investigating this matter?"
"That's different." Hermione shook her head.
"How is it different?" Harry was completely confused.
"Albert is too famous. He's the most renowned genius wizard in school, and he's from a Muggle family, so it's natural that he's concerned about this incident." Hermione explained.
"Are you saying he's an easy target for attacks?"
"I think if the heir of Slytherin sets their sights on him, he'll be in big trouble."
Noticing the confused looks on Harry and Hermione's faces, Ron explained, "Fred and George said Albert is quite formidable, and he's extremely clever. When Slytherin students tried to cause trouble for him, he taught them a lesson. And..."
Ron lowered his voice, "It's said that in his first year, Albert dared to venture alone into the Forbidden Forest at night and rescued Fred and George from a group of terrifying giant spiders."
Speaking of spiders, Hermione suddenly remembered something.
"I just noticed a group of spiders trying to escape the castle. I wonder if it's related to this." Hermione's mind was sharp. "Those spiders seemed really scared."
"Do you think the spiders are afraid of the monster in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I don't know." Hermione shook her head. "I think Albert might have gotten some clues from Hagrid."
"With his intellect, he might have already identified a suspect." Ron suddenly said, "Who would want to get rid of the Muggle-born students and the 'Dumbledore's favorite' the most?"
"You mean Malfoy?"
"You heard what he said: 'You're next, mudbloods'!" Ron affirmed. "He's a prime suspect, and I bet even if Malfoy isn't the heir of Slytherin, he definitely knows something."
"Is Malfoy the heir of Slytherin?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "But Albert said the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago."
"The entire Malfoy family is in Slytherin, and he often boasts about it." Harry reminded them. "They likely have Slytherin blood, and his father is despicable enough."
"You know, pure-blood wizards intermarry, so most of them are related somehow." Ron added. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Malfoy had Slytherin ancestry."
"It's possible, but we don't have any evidence." Hermione frowned. "The professors won't... Wait, I have an idea."
"What idea?" they asked in unison.
"There's a potion that can disguise us as someone else," Hermione said calmly. "Snaps mentioned it in class."
"You mean we disguise ourselves as Malfoy's cronies and question him about this incident?" Harry's mind raced as he guessed Hermione's intention.
"You won't be able to brew that potion." Ron frowned.
"I can get my hands on the recipe." Hermione said confidently. "But it will require breaking a lot of school rules."
"Fred and George always say that rules are meant to be broken, and I think they're right." Ron was clearly in support. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Malfoy.
"So, what's the plan?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione.
If Albert were here, he would have exclaimed, "Truly deserving of Gryffindor!"
(End of Chapter)
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