Chapter 635: Curiosity Killed the Cat
Chapter 635: Curiosity Killed the Cat
Albert never expected that Hermione would be attacked at this moment.
In his opinion, Tom Riddle's first target should be Gilderoy Lockhart, not some other Muggle-born wizard. At the very least, with the multitude of panel tasks on his plate, Albert himself was more likely to be attacked than anyone else.
Hermione's attack must have been a coincidence.
In the novel, the Nearly Headless Nick also coincidentally saved a Hufflepuff student, and now this same ghost has saved Hermione. It felt like a historical correction of sorts.
However, the fact that Nearly Headless Nick was petrified left Albert with an indescribable sense of unease.
Could it really just be a coincidence? Albert wasn't sure.
This bizarre feeling stemmed largely from some of the quirky operations of the Time-Turner.
Only after confirming Ginny Weasley's location and using a detection spell to ensure that the Basilisk had returned to the Chamber of Secrets did Albert feel relieved enough to head to the hospital wing to visit the petrified Hermione.
In the corridor outside the hospital wing, he ran into Harry and Ron, who looked dejected and clearly hadn't expected Hermione to be attacked.
Albert stopped Harry and asked, "Where was Hermione found?"
"On the third floor, near the corridor leading to the second floor," Harry said, lowering his voice as he checked that no one was around. "I heard that voice again."
"It seems my guess was right," Albert said, placing a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "Come on, Harry, don't be too upset. You should look on the bright side—Hermione was only petrified, and that's lucky."
Harry and Ron were left speechless by Albert's attempt at consolation.
If you don't know how to comfort someone, don't say anything at all! They couldn't understand Albert's line of thought—surviving an attack unscathed was undoubtedly lucky.
After parting ways with Harry and Ron, Albert made his way to the hospital wing alone.
If it weren't for his close relationship with Madam Pomfrey, and his claim to be Hermione's good friend, he might have been ushered out after just five minutes instead of being allowed to visit.
As Albert approached Hermione's bedside, he saw her lying stiffly, her eyes wide open in terror, clearly having witnessed the ugly Basilisk herself.
Would I have been scared witless by the Basilisk if I were in her shoes?
After leaving the hospital wing, Albert checked the triggered panel task and was quite satisfied. His real purpose in visiting the hospital had been to see if he could find any clues or trigger a panel task, and he had succeeded.
Sleeping Beauty?
Hmm, a simple task.
It's probably about waking Hermione up before Snape brews the strong restorative potion. The reward is mediocre—some experience and affection, but it's better than nothing.
Albert had the strong restorative potion on hand and could give it to Hermione at any time to wake her up.
Of course, Albert didn't plan to wake Hermione up from her petrified state just yet. At the very least, he would wait until Tom Riddle's diary was destroyed; otherwise, waking her up early would only put her in danger.
As Albert left the hospital wing, intending to return to the library, he saw a glove waving at him in mid-air. It beckoned him with a hook-like gesture towards an empty classroom that was usually unused. There was no one inside, but on the dusty desk lay a piece of parchment.
Something was definitely off about this! Albert saw the glove pointing to the parchment, indicating that he should look at its contents. Then, as if it had lost its energy, the glove fell onto the parchment.
He stepped into the classroom and picked up the parchment, but his attention was drawn to something in the corner of the room.
Albert turned and was startled by the shadow in the corner, causing him to draw his wand instinctively.
When he looked again, he recognized the figure as Nearly Headless Nick.
The ghost was no longer translucent and milky white but had turned completely black, shrouded in smoke, resembling a ferocious demon.
There was no helping it; Nearly Headless Nick's partially severed head was a terrifying sight.
The ghost had also been petrified and was floating motionlessly about six inches above the ground. His face wore an unmistakable expression of terror, but Albert could also discern a hint of resolute bravery in the face of death.
Albert picked up the parchment and read the hastily scrawled message: 4:30 pm, West Tower, Third Floor, One Circle, Map.
"There's definitely something wrong," Albert muttered, tucking the parchment into his pocket. This was undoubtedly a clue he had left for himself, instructing him to go back in time to save Hermione.
How peculiar! However, Albert didn't dwell on it and instead took out the Time-Turner, preparing to go back an hour into the past. He recalled the information on the parchment:
4:30 pm was probably the time Hermione was attacked.
West Tower, Third Floor likely referred to Nick's location.
One Circle probably meant going back an hour.
Map was most likely referring to the live map.
Since he had specifically left this reminder for himself, he would definitely need to use it.
Albert put away the Time-Turner and stuffed the glove into his pocket as he hurried toward the boys' dormitory, knowing where the twins kept the live map.
Upon returning to the Gryffindor common room, Albert found that the place was in an uproar, with everyone discussing the attacks on Hermione and Nearly Headless Nick.
Strangely enough, people seemed more concerned about Nick's attack.
Kenneth Towler approached Albert almost as soon as he returned to the common room, hoping to continue their collaboration on the protective amulet. However, Albert made an excuse to postpone it until evening, as he didn't have time to deal with that now.
After retrieving the live map from the drawer, Albert used the Time-Turner to go back an hour.
As he went downstairs, he glanced at the corner of the common room and saw that Ginny was still there, but he didn't know if she was already under Tom's control at this point.
Hermione was also there, seemingly talking to Harry and Ron, and everything appeared calm. Who could have guessed that an attack would soon take place?
Albert wondered if this attack had occurred because of something he had done.
However, he quickly suppressed these emotions and swiftly left the Gryffindor common room to find Nearly Headless Nick. He had to convince Nick to protect Hermione from the Basilisk.
Finding Nearly Headless Nick wasn't difficult, as he was somewhere around the third floor of the West Tower. With the help of the live map, Albert soon located him.
As he approached, he saw Nick talking to a female ghost.
Albert hesitated about whether to interrupt them directly, but as he watched Nick's retreating back, he finally stepped forward and called out to the Nearly Headless Nick.
"What brings you here, Albert?" Nick greeted Albert by lifting his head off his body, like he was doffing an imaginary hat.
"Yes, there is something only the valiant Sir Nicholas can accomplish," Albert replied, not forgetting to flatter the ghost.
"Oh, and what might that be?" Nick asked, intrigued, as Albert's flattery pleased him.
"Are you aware of the attacks that have been taking place in the school?" Albert inquired.
"I am," Nick nodded.
"Very soon, another attack will occur within the school grounds." Albert took out the Time-Turner from his pocket and held it up for Nick to see. "This is a Time-Turner, an object that allows one to travel back in time by a few hours."
"So, you're from the future? From a few hours ahead, to be precise?" Nick asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Yes, about an hour from now," Albert whispered, putting his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. "Please keep this a secret. I'm not supposed to reveal this to anyone, not even a ghost."
"You have my word," Nick assured him, nodding. "What is it that you need from me?"
"I need your help, Sir Nicholas," Albert requested solemnly. "I need you to save the life of a friend of mine at a crucial moment."
"But I'm just a ghost," Nick reminded him.
"I know," Albert explained. "The attacker is actually a Basilisk, the monster left behind by Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets. Someone has unleashed it, and it's on the loose."
"You mean... a Basilisk!" Nick's voice stuttered in surprise.
"Yes, a Basilisk. If my friend, Hermione, were to look directly into its eyes, she would lose her life. But if you stand in front of her and block her view, you can prevent that from happening, and she will only be petrified by the Basilisk's gaze."
"Rest assured, the Basilisk can't harm me. At most, looking into its eyes will only immobilize me temporarily. And in doing so, we can save a life," Albert continued, trying to convince Nick. "Only the brave Gryffindors have the courage to face a Basilisk. And you, Sir Nicholas, will prove your bravery by saving Hermione's life."
"Well, you're right. Not all ghosts would have the courage to do what you're asking," Nick agreed to help.
"There's one more thing," Albert added. "Please keep this a secret, or I'll be severely punished for violating numerous Ministry of Magic laws."
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul," Nick promised, patting his chest to emphasize his willingness to help. He realized that he was about to be a part of something great.
Yes, they were about to attempt to save a student's life, and only a brave Gryffindor ghost could accomplish such a feat. And most importantly, it would be successful.
With a bit of coaxing from Albert, Nick agreed to help. He hurried off to the third floor of the school, following Albert's plan, and waited near the corridor for Hermione's arrival.
It was now fifteen minutes to four thirty in the afternoon.
While Albert was working to save Hermione, the young witch herself was secretly trailing behind Ginny Weasley, having left the Gryffindor common room. She wanted to figure out what Ron's sister was up to.
In fact, Albert's guess was correct. This turn of events had indeed been set in motion by his actions in the past.
Earlier, when Albert had hastily departed from the Gryffindor common room, he had caught Hermione's attention. And the casual glance he had cast in Ginny Weasley's direction had not gone unnoticed by her.
Hermione was curious as to why Albert would specifically pay attention to Ginny. There had to be a reason, as they weren't exactly acquaintances.
Although Hermione didn't know the reason behind it, her curiosity soon led her to notice something unusual about Ginny's behavior. This strangeness in Ginny's actions could very well be the reason why Albert had glanced at her.
While Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it, she soon connected the dots, linking Ginny's unusual behavior to certain events that had taken place in the school.
Ginny had been experiencing frequent nightmares lately, her emotions were volatile, her face was pale as if she were unwell, and she had been deeply disturbed by the attack on Filch's cat... All these signs pointed to something amiss with Ginny.
Moreover, Tom Riddle's diary had been stolen, and the thief was believed to be a Gryffindor student. Albert suspected that there was something amiss with the diary, and his notice of Ginny could mean that he had long suspected her of acting strangely and thus, suspected her of being the thief.
Could Ginny Weasley be the culprit who stole the diary?
There was another possibility that popped into Hermione's mind—a ridiculous thought. What if Ginny was somehow connected to the Chamber of Secrets? What if she knew who had opened it, or worse, what if she was the one who had opened it?
Impossible! But Albert didn't make baseless accusations. There had to be a reason for his suspicion of Ginny.
And Ginny's expression earlier had been very odd.
Hermione paused in her steps, contemplating whether she should inform Harry and Ron about her suspicions. However, her curiosity about Ginny's actions got the better of her, and she decided to follow Ginny discreetly to uncover her intentions. Yet, she was unaware that Ginny Weasley already knew she was being tailed.
Yes, Tom knew he was being followed, but he didn't mind. Especially after learning from Ginny's thoughts that the follower was a Muggle-born wizard and a friend of Harry Potter, Tom had devised a different plan—to summon the Basilisk and kill the follower.
He figured that once his friend died, Harry Potter would go all out to investigate the matter. Then, he believed, he would have another chance to meet Harry and uncover the reason for Voldemort's failure all those years ago, putting an end to Harry once and for all.
As for Lockhart, that despicable man, Tom Riddle had initially planned to kill him during this incident. But with Hermione's unexpected presence, Tom changed his mind.
After all, Lockhart still had some use. He could be manipulated into guiding Harry to the Chamber of Secrets, and then they could both be disposed of together.
Letting Lockhart die too easily would not be in line with Voldemort's style. It would be more fitting to lure him to the Chamber of Secrets and decide his fate there.
Ginny quickened her pace, easily losing Hermione on the second floor. She secretly entered the Chamber of Secrets and commanded the Basilisk to attack Hermione.
However, Tom was unaware that his every action was being witnessed by Albert through the live map.
To be honest, when Albert saw on the map that Hermione was trailing Ginny, he was quite astonished. He never expected Hermione to suspect Ginny, and her deductive skills were indeed impressive.
It was truly a case of curiosity killing the cat! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
