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Chapter 72: The Heir of Slytherin
Chapter 72: The Heir of Slytherin
The entire classroom erupted in chaos.
This class was a joint session for Gryffindor and Slytherin students. When Harry spoke Parseltongue, almost all the Slytherin students knew what it meant.
"Parselmouth!"
"Potter is a Parselmouth!"
"He must be the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets!"
"No wonder Draco was attacked! This is his revenge!"
Even on the Gryffindor side, everyone except those from Muggle families looked at Harry with a mixture of suspicion and fear.
Seamus, Harry's dorm mate, muttered to himself.
"No wonder you wanted to run out of the Great Hall that night. You really did open the Chamber of Secrets!"
Harry looked at the people accusing him with a bewildered expression. He still couldn't understand why he had suddenly become the target of everyone's criticism.
"What are you talking about?"
Even Ron, who was sitting next to him, looked serious. However, there was no fear or suspicion in his eyes, which provided Harry with some comfort.
"Everyone, be quiet!"
Sherlock's cold voice instantly silenced the classroom, which had been as chaotic as a market.
But a brave Slytherin student still raised their hand and said, "Professor, Potter is a Parselmouth! This proves that he is the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets!"
Having researched many magical creatures related to snakes, Sherlock knew what being a Parselmouth meant.
Almost every Parselmouth was a Dark Wizard. Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, was also a Parselmouth, which is why the Slytherin house emblem is a snake.
Moreover, the ability to speak Parseltongue can be passed down through family bloodlines. In the current Hogwarts, anyone who demonstrates this ability is very likely to be the Heir of Slytherin.
"Not everyone in the world who is a Parselmouth is a descendant of Slytherin, Mr. Nelson", Sherlock said coolly. "If you want to accuse Potter based solely on this, the case would be dismissed by the Chief Warlock in the Wizengamot. They would rule Potter innocent."
"But a Parselmouth is the most likely suspect to be the Heir of Slytherin! I think we should at least detain Potter to be safe!" another Slytherin insisted.
Sherlock's tone grew colder.
"Whoever makes the accusation must provide the evidence. If you have solid proof, I can take Potter to the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic right now. But based on the vague evidence of being a Parselmouth alone, why should Potter's freedom be restricted?"
"Are you all the headmasters of Hogwarts now?"
He scanned the students who were still trying to speak up with a cold gaze.
"After this class, I will report everything that happened to Dumbledore. He will decide how to handle this situation. For now, you will sit down and behave!"
Sherlock's accumulated authority among the students took effect, and no one dared to say anything more. However, the rest of the class was clearly a lost cause.
After the class, as Sherlock was about to leave the classroom with the cage containing the Runywen snake, Harry hesitantly approached him.
"Thank you for helping me, Professor."
Sherlock waved his hand dismissively.
"I was just doing my job."
"Professor, what is a Parselmouth?" Harry asked, confused.
"You can think of it as a natural talent that can't be learned later in life. However, people who have this talent are often Dark Wizards."
Sherlock said calmly.
"But I have always believed it is a prejudice. Parselmouth is just the ability to speak with snakes. It's not dark magic, and it doesn't alter a person's mindset after use. Most wizards with the Parselmouth ability are dark wizards, likely due to family issues, and partly because of people's prejudices."
Harry asked, puzzled.
"Then what does this have to do with them suspecting me to be the heir of Slytherin?"
"Because Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. Modern wizards with the Parselmouth ability usually inherit it from their ancestors. The Chamber of Secrets was opened by Slytherin's heir, and you just happened to display the Parselmouth ability at this time. What do you think the other students will think?"
Harry now understood, but he still couldn't grasp why he had become the target of everyone's suspicions just because of his Parselmouth ability.
Sherlock noticed his distress and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"This term has been filled with so many events, and the students are on edge. They just need an outlet for their frustrations. But the professors are adults; no one will label you as a murderer just because you have the Parselmouth ability."
He then showed a rare moment of genuine emotion in front of a student, leaning in and speaking earnestly.
"I believe you are not involved in the Chamber of Secrets incident, Harry. I also believe you will prove it to everyone else."
A smile broke through Harry's dejected expression.
"Thank you for your trust, Professor."
"Alright, we've talked enough. I should be going", Sherlock's face reverted to its usual cold demeanor. "I have a first-year class to teach. You kids are such a headache."
He left the classroom with the cage in hand, the Runywen snake's three heads staring intently at Harry. As Sherlock took them away, the three heads spoke in unison.
"Goodbye, young wizard."
Harry suppressed the urge to respond in another language and waved to them as a farewell.
Once they were alone, Ron spoke with concern.
"Your life at school is probably going to be tough from now on."
Harry's face fell.
"This isn't my fault. How was I supposed to know that speaking to a snake would cause such a big problem?"
Ron suddenly gave him a strange look, examining him up and down.
"You should look into your family tree. There's a chance you might have some connection to Slytherin. After all, the Sorting Hat wanted to place you in Slytherin, didn't it?"
Harry glared at him.
"Are you also suspecting me of being the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets?"
"I'm not like them. The heir of Slytherin might not be just one person. There could be a bad one and a good one like you."
They talked for a while, then noticed Hermione had been silent the whole time. They looked at her curiously.
"What are you thinking?"
Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Do you think Professor Forrest truly believes that Harry is not involved in the Chamber of Secrets incident?"
"Of course he does!" Harry said with absolute certainty.
Hermione's sharp gaze turned to Harry, her eyes filled with doubt.
"Then, by the same logic, the opening of the Chamber of Secrets must be related to you."
"That's ridiculous! Besides, we did the test before. For events with a high probability, Professor Forrest's jinx doesn't work."
"I guess that's true."
"Stop joking around with me. I've had a bad enough day as it is. At least Professor Forrest didn't wish me luck before leaving; otherwise, I wouldn't have made it through today."
(End of Chapter)
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