Soon, two people appeared together at the end of the corridor.
One was indeed Ron, and the other was Professor Snape.
"What happened?" Snape asked with his characteristic cold demeanour.
"I encountered Professor Snape on my way to Professor Dumbledore's office," Ron quickly explained to Dudley and Harry.
Looking at Snape, Dudley immediately frowned with concern.
There were some things he could tell Dumbledore, but definitely not Snape.
"I'm asking you directly, what happened?" Snape asked again with a darkening expression.
"I have matters that need to be reported to Professor Dumbledore," Dudley said diplomatically.
"Professor Dumbledore is not at school right now. Whatever it is, tell me!" Snape replied with authority.
"Professor Dumbledore isn't at school? Where did he go?" Dudley immediately pressed with growing alarm.
Now that such dangerous things were happening at Hogwarts, if Dumbledore wasn't present, then all the teachers and students on campus would be in serious danger.
"Professor Dumbledore has many positions besides being Hogwarts' headmaster," Snape explained coldly, studying Dudley's reaction.
"We were just attacked!" After pondering for a moment, Dudley said directly.
"Attacked? Who would dare attack you?" Snape's expression shifted as his gaze swept around the area with sharp attention.
"I don't know either, but it should be extremely powerful dark magic. Harry and I were almost directly petrified just now, and not the kind of petrification from an ordinary Petrification Curse," Dudley said with complete seriousness.
Hearing this revelation, Snape's expression finally became genuinely serious.
"Are you telling the truth?" he asked with intensity.
"I have no need to lie to you," Dudley said gravely. "Last time when we had our conflict in the corridor, I told you I had discovered hidden dangers in the castle."
"Just now, I discovered that danger again. After pursuing it here, I used a special mirror to reflect the surrounding situation and saw a blurry yellow light. Then Harry and I became completely rigid and were rapidly being petrified."
"I used some of my own methods to break free from this dark magic."
Dudley explained, concealing some of his secrets but trying to restore the course of events as accurately as possible.
This matter didn't just concern the two of them but the safety of all Hogwarts students. He could only temporarily set aside his grudge with Snape.
"I can testify that everything Dudley said is completely true," Harry glanced at Dudley and said with gratitude.
He was thankful that Dudley hadn't mentioned his hearing that terrifying voice.
Snape's expression also became intensely serious. He stepped forward, drew his wand, pointed it at Dudley's shoulder, and recited some complex spells Dudley had never heard before.
Detection spells fell upon Dudley one after another, meticulously searching for traces of dark magic.
After several tense moments, Snape narrowed his eyes slightly with recognition.
"Very powerful dark magic," he confirmed grimly.
"Come with me!"
Knowing that Dudley wasn't lying, Snape also realised the extreme seriousness of the situation.
Without another word, he headed straight for Dumbledore's office.
"Ron, go find Professor McGonagall immediately."
"Harry, go get Lockhart."
However, as his words concluded, Snape suddenly realised something and turned to look at Dudley. "Wait, is that danger still present?"
"No, it's gone," Dudley shook his head.
Snape breathed a sigh of relief and indicated that Ron and Harry should do as he had instructed.
More than ten minutes later, everyone had gathered in Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Severus, what happened?" Professor McGonagall walked in with a deep frown; then she saw Dudley sitting in the office, and her eyes immediately darkened with suspicion.
"Have you caused trouble again?" Professor McGonagall asked with obvious disbelief.
Now whenever she saw Dudley, Ron, and Harry gathered together, she felt they were up to something troublesome.
Especially this late at night, with Snape calling her over, and it was Ron who had summoned her. This gave Professor McGonagall an instinctive sense of foreboding.
"No, Professor," Ron said with obvious hurt feelings.
"It's something else entirely. I've already notified Professor Dumbledore. I believe he'll be back soon," Snape briefly explained.
"It's so late. What are you all doing here? Having a midnight party?" A relaxed voice came, followed by Lockhart walking in slowly under Harry's guidance, wearing an ornate blue-purple pajama set that was quite elaborate.
"Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, good evening," Lockhart greeted them with his practised smile.
"When Harry came to find me just now, I thought he wanted my autograph," Lockhart showed his confident smile again.
"He didn't," Snape said with cold directness. "There was an attack here involving dark magic, which happens to be your supposed area of expertise."
"I remember Professor Lockhart saying before that if there were any matters involving dark magic, we must notify you, as you're supposedly a professional in this area. Well, now there's a dark magic incident right in front of you."
Hearing this challenge, the charming smile on Lockhart's face immediately stiffened noticeably.
"Well... oh, I did say that. No problem, Professor Snape. What kind of dark magic incident is it that even you can't solve and requires my intervention?" Lockhart asked with obviously forced confidence.
His gaze swept nervously over Dudley, Harry, and Ron.
Professor McGonagall also showed a surprised and puzzled expression at this development.
Bang.
Suddenly, at that moment, a brilliant flash of fire appeared behind the desk, and Professor Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere in the office.
"Good evening, everyone. What happened?" Dumbledore asked with gentle concern.
Everyone's attention immediately focused on the headmaster.
Dudley noticed that Dumbledore looked somewhat tired, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't had proper rest for a very long time.
Thinking back to the beginning of the school year when Dumbledore had asked Dudley to protect Hogwarts, this likely meant that Dumbledore had encountered some serious matters outside the school.
"Dudley, you tell us," Dumbledore said after his gaze swept over everyone present.
He seemed very clear that when all these people appeared together, the key to the problem was often Dudley Dursley.
"Professor, there's hidden danger in the castle. Harry and I were just attacked by dark magic and were almost instantly petrified!" Dudley immediately reported.
As his words concluded, both Professor McGonagall and Lockhart showed expressions of complete disbelief.
Dudley paid no attention to their reactions and briefly recounted what had happened earlier.
"I did indeed find traces of powerful dark magic on them. However, besides the traces of powerful dark magic, I also discovered a very special trace on Dudley. It seemed to be some kind of exceptionally strong purification spell," Snape finally spoke with professional assessment.