Chapter 619: Unveiling the Secret
Chapter 619: Unveiling the Secret
Hermione hurried to the library, where she found Harry and Ron frantically finishing their homework.
Due to Wood's frequent Quidditch team practices, Harry had to spend his spare time in the library doing homework to avoid being locked up by professors for not completing his assignments.
Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were certainly capable of doing such a thing.
"Harry, come out, I have something to tell you."
Hermione gestured for Harry to follow her outside.
"I still have a lot of homework to do!" Harry's voice carried an undeniable sense of helplessness.
"It's important," Hermione said in a low voice. "It's about you."
"About me?"
Harry was perplexed but began to gather his parchments and quills from the table at Hermione's urging.
Ron, who was also copying his potion essay, looked up at Hermione, then started packing his things and followed Harry and Hermione out of the library.
Ron jogged a few steps to catch up with them, and walking side by side, he looked at Hermione with confusion, asking, "What's going on?"
"We need to find a place where we won't be disturbed to talk about the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione said quietly to Harry and Ron after making sure no one was around.
"Have you found the Chamber?" Ron asked, then immediately realized his blunder and covered his mouth with his hands. He knew how foolish it was to speak loudly in such a place.
Hermione glared at Ron disapprovingly and said impatiently, "It's just a guess."
"When did you find out?" Harry was also curious about what Hermione had discovered.
As there hadn't been any attacks for a long time, people suspected that the heir of Slytherin had given up.
Hermione didn't speak but walked silently ahead, seemingly looking for a suitable location. Finally, the trio turned into a girls' bathroom on the second floor of the castle.
"Why are we whispering in a place like this?" Ron watched as Hermione opened each toilet stall, apparently checking for something.
When Hermione was sure that Parvati wasn't in the bathroom, she turned to Ron and said, "Because no one will eavesdrop on us here."
"Hermione, what have you discovered?" Harry believed that Hermione might have stumbled upon a big secret, which explained her cautious behavior. He couldn't wait to learn what it was.
Hermione didn't answer directly but suddenly asked mysteriously, "Harry, do you remember the mysterious voice you heard?"
"Are these two things related?"
Harry hadn't forgotten the voice that only he could hear, and he frowned slightly as he asked, "Do you know what it's about?"
"I think they're connected," Hermione said. "Don't forget, Harry, you have a Parselmouth."
"Parselmouth? That voice is actually snake language!" Harry's mind raced with countless thoughts after Hermione's reminder, and he quickly connected all the dots, arriving at an answer: "Is the monster in the Chamber of Secrets a snake?"
"A snake, how could a snake live for hundreds or even thousands of years?" Ron interjected, reminding Harry and Hermione, "Don't forget, the legend of the Chamber has been around for a millennium, and how could a snake turn people to stone?"
"If you carefully search the library's literature, you'll find that there indeed are snakes that can live for a thousand years," Hermione said, glancing at Ron. She then recited from memory, "In our country, there roam many terrible beasts and monsters, among which the most bizarre and deadly is the Basilisk... Its gaze can kill... It is the mortal enemy of spiders... and a rooster's crow is also lethal to it."
"Basilisk!"
At this moment, Harry was so excited that he could hardly breathe. "No wonder I could hear that voice wherever I went, while others couldn't. It's because they aren't Parselmouths."
"The Basilisk's gaze doesn't kill, it petrifies," Hermione explained.
If it weren't for Dumbledore, others might have assumed that the victims were dead.
"Hermione, I never expected you to uncover the truth behind the attacks!" Ron admired his good friend. "I dare say that in the millennium history of Hogwarts, no one has known that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a giant snake."
"No," Hermione shook her head. "Actually, Albert discovered this secret before I did."
At that moment, both Ron and Harry were taken aback, but Hermione continued, "Albert suggested that you tell Professor Dumbledore everything you know."
"Why doesn't he go himself?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"He thinks that Professor Dumbledore should also realize that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk, but he can't find the entrance to the Chamber, nor the heir of Slytherin," Hermione looked at Harry, waiting for his decision.
"If Professor Dumbledore already knows this secret, what's the point of me telling him?" Harry shook his head.
At that moment, he hesitated.
Seeing Harry's hesitation, Hermione guessed his choice and sighed, admonishing him, "Don't spread this around."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Professor Dumbledore has his reasons for not telling everyone about this," Hermione echoed Albert's reasoning. "If you let everyone know, it could easily cause panic, and they will think that you, Harry, are responsible for this.
"It's not me, you know that," Harry said.
"I know it's not you, but others don't," Hermione reminded him. "Don't forget, everyone now knows that you're a Parselmouth. Parselmouths are associated with dark wizards, and they can control snakes, including a Basilisk. No matter how you look at it, you're the prime suspect."
Hearing Hermione's words, Harry shuddered. He could already imagine how others would view him once they learned that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was an ugly Basilisk! Ron also looked at Harry anxiously, knowing that Hermione was right. If he didn't know Harry, upon hearing the same news, he too would believe that Harry was the so-called "heir of Slytherin."
The evidence was that he was a Parselmouth, Parselmouths were considered evil wizards, and only they could control a Basilisk.
"What should I do?" Harry looked at Hermione anxiously.
"We can only wait for Headmaster Dumbledore or Albert to find the entrance to the Chamber or catch the heir of Slytherin," Hermione said, equally unsure of what else to do.
"Why don't we investigate ourselves?" Ron suggested to Harry, "I think we can..."
"Do you know where the entrance to the Chamber is?" Hermione turned to Ron and asked.
Ron fell silent.
Indeed! If it weren't for Hermione telling them, neither he nor Harry would have known that the monster in the Chamber was a snake.
"The Basilisk must be huge!" Harry voiced his doubt. "How can it roam the castle without being noticed by students and professors?"
"The school's pipes are interconnected, and I suspect the Basilisk can move through them," Hermione offered her theory. "And sounds can travel far through the pipes."
"Then we can find the Chamber's location through the pipes," Ron was pleased with his own cleverness.
"Even if the castle's pipes are interconnected, it doesn't mean that all of them are large enough for you to crawl into, and it might be unpleasant inside," Hermione said quietly. "Albert thinks that there's probably only one entrance to the Chamber, and it's well-hidden. There might also be certain conditions required to open it, otherwise, someone would have found it by now."
Ron opened his mouth to speak but ultimately closed it, his rational side winning out.
(End of Chapter)
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