Chapter 65: Telling the Story
Chapter 65: Telling the Story
Madam Pomfrey used a few simple spells to heal the wounds and then gave the three of them a dose of Joy Elixir. "This will do you good!" Harry rolled his eyes as he choked on the potion.
"Poppy, could you give us a few minutes?" Dumbledore said gently.
Madam Pomfrey turned and left the room.
The only people left were the Golden Trio, Dumbledore, and Felix. Snape had been sent by the Headmaster to fetch Professor Mcgonagall. They would need to return to the Chamber to properly dispose of the Basilisk's body.
"I imagine you have a lot to share", Dumbledore said, his gaze falling on the table where the Sorting Hat and the ruby-encrusted Gryffindor Sword were placed.
Harry began to recount the events in detail. He told them about hearing the bodiless, ghostly voice while serving detention in Professor Lockhart's office. With the information Hermione had gathered from Professor Hup, he realized he was a Parselmouth.
"However, due to the bad reputation of Parselmouths, I kept it a secret, especially since there were no attacks at the time", Harry said, feeling a bit ashamed.
"Everyone has secrets they don't want others to know", Dumbledore said understandingly, which made Harry feel a little better.
He also mentioned the spiders fleeing the castle after the first attack and how they learned from Moaning Myrtle that she was the victim of the Chamber's opening fifty years ago. Harry emphasized that on the day Moaning Myrtle was attacked, she heard a boy's voice, which was their strongest clue about the Chamber's entrance.
Dumbledore couldn't help but clap in admiration.
"It was Hermione who figured it out", Harry said, giving her credit. Hermione blushed and waved her hand modestly.
Then came the second attack. At this point, Harry felt a strong urge to mention their suspicions about Malfoy. Surely Dumbledore could uncover something if he knew?
But just as he was about to speak, Snape and Professor Mcgonagall entered. Professor Mcgonagall, seeing the trio's disheveled state, clutched her chest. "Oh, my! What on earth have you been through? Professor Snape said you recklessly challenged the monster in the Chamber... If that's true, I'll certainly deduct—"
"Minerva", Dumbledore interrupted, "and Severus, you've arrived just in time. Let's hear their adventure before making any judgments."
So, the audience grew by two.
Harry opened his mouth but swallowed his words about Malfoy. He began to explain the key information he learned from Hermione—that a Parselmouth could control snakes, just like Slytherin did. He also mentioned learning about the existence of Aragog, the acromantula, and its fear of the Basilisk from Hagrid.
"Don't forget the chickens!" Ron reminded him.
"Right, Hagrid lost a lot of chickens, and he thought it was foxes", Harry added. "We pieced together the truth about the Chamber with this information."
"I'm more interested in what happened tonight", Dumbledore said, nodding approvingly before continuing his question.
Harry then described how they sneaked out of the Great Hall to inform Professor Hup about the situation—Snape snorted at this—when they heard the Basilisk's voice again. They rescued Justin, and Harry told the others to find a professor for help while he kept an eye on the Basilisk to prevent it from attacking anyone else.
"Truly noble, Harry", Dumbledore said softly.
"But what I saw was a reckless and arrogant adventure. Headmaster Dumbledore, you've given them too much leeway", Snape said sternly, playing the role of the skeptic.
Felix watched with great interest as Snape made no attempt to hide his disdain for Harry Potter, yet he was the first to step forward when Harry was in danger...
Recalling the information he had uncovered in the past, a smirk involuntarily crept onto his face.
"We cannot jump to conclusions, Severus."
Next, Ron and Hermione recounted their parts of the story. Hermione didn't have much to add; she had merely wandered the empty castle for a few minutes before encountering Professor Hup.
Ron's tale, however, was far more exciting. He not only attacked Professor Lockhart but also stole his wand. In the chaos—Ron tried to make it sound like a stroke of genius—he made his way to the bathroom. Realizing Harry hadn't brought a powerful Magical Automaton, he decisively jumped down, becoming a "delivery hero."
"By the way, Headmaster", Ron said hesitantly, "Professor Lockhart's wand was swallowed by the Basilisk. Do I have to pay him for it?" His own wand was still half-broken.
"That is indeed a problem. Gilderoy has been having some bad luck lately... I'll talk to him about it", Dumbledore said lightly. "If we're lucky, his wand might still be intact inside the Basilisk."
The three young wizards finished recounting their experiences. Professor Mcgonagall, looking weak and frail, said, "What you did tonight far exceeds your duties. I should also add that you violated at least a hundred school rules—how did you manage to defeat the Basilisk?"
Harry recounted how he and Ron met near the Basilisk's skin and together entered the Chamber, where they encountered the Basilisk. As he spoke, Harry suddenly realized he should have stopped at the Basilisk's skin, but at the time, it hadn't crossed his mind.
Am I really as reckless as Snape says, just a foolish lion?
The story continued, detailing how the unexpected intrusion of the two boys pushed the Basilisk past its limits, leading it to attack Harry and Ron with a frenzy. It wasn't until Fawkes blinded the Basilisk that they had a fighting chance.
"Professor Hup's Magical Automaton was a great help", Harry said, glancing gratefully at Felix. The professor merely smiled and said nothing, his gaze fixed on the tattered, dirty Sorting Hat. Harry continued, occasionally giving Hermione a strange look, not knowing when she had joined them.
Finally, he described how, through their combined efforts, he made the final leap and defeated the Basilisk. With that, the story came to an end.
Felix clapped his hands. "A truly thrilling adventure. I think your story could fill a book."
"Felix", Snape drawled, his voice devoid of emotion, "perhaps you see a bit of yourself in them..."
"No, Professor Snape", Felix said lightly. "I am nothing like them. They are all exemplary Gryffindors, while you and I", he glanced at Snape, "are textbook Slytherins, aren't we?"
"The Sorting Hat can vouch for that."
He reached out and, with a natural ease, placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
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[Intelligence Unveiled]
- A Parselmouth can control ordinary serpents but not magical serpent creatures.
- The Chamber of Secrets has only two true masters: Slytherin and Voldemort. In the second-year plot, the Basilisk followed the commands of the Horcrux, not any controlled young wizards.
- Dobby saved Justin because he could communicate with the Basilisk and tricked it into leaving (see Chapter 58). However, when Harry and Ron entered the Chamber, Harry's attempts to communicate were ineffective because they contradicted the master's orders.
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(End of Chapter)
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