"Professor Kahn's student?" Hearing this, Sir Podmore withdrew his translucent hand, his spectral face showing an embarrassed smile. "I thought it was some mischievous student sneaking out during curfew, but since you're Evans's student, then there's no problem."
Having said this, he glanced toward the bathroom door. "It was precisely because of his request that I came here to gather intelligence."
"Professor Kahn's request?" Harry's eyes widened with surprise.
He'd come to this bathroom because he'd felt that strange resonance, but judging from this Sir's words, Professor Kahn seemed to have been planning something for quite some time.
Could the resonance he'd felt have some connection to what Professor Kahn was investigating?
A trace of regret stirred in Harry's chest.
If he'd known, he should have gone to ask Professor Kahn first instead of thinking to wait until Sunday's gathering. Or just now, finding Professor Kahn would have been a far better choice than what he was doing now.
Shaking his head and burying that regret, Harry asked softly, "What did Professor Kahn ask you to do?"
"About a month ago, he asked me to enquire about matters related to the Chamber of Secrets. This past month, I've been searching for clues about that chamber. Just a few days ago, I finally had some results."
Looking at the bathroom ahead, the corner of Sir Podmore's mouth slowly curved up in satisfaction.
"In this bathroom, there's a young ghost whose death seems somewhat... problematic."
"It was precisely from her death that rumours about the Chamber began circulating at this school."
"However, this little ghost is terribly shy. Every time I come over, she bolts off somewhere as if she'd seen something horrifying. It took me several days to finally make her comfortable enough not to flee at the sight of me. But just when I was planning to question her about this matter today, those two people suddenly arrived in this bathroom, plotting who knows what."
"And just as I was about to go listen in, you passed right through my concealed body."
Having said this, Sir Podmore looked at Harry under the invisibility cloak again and snorted. "What is your invisibility cloak made of? If you hadn't passed through my body, I might not have noticed you."
"I don't know either."
"Well, never mind if you don't know." Swaying his ethereal form in mid-air, Sir Podmore looked toward the bathroom.
"These two people are quite suspicious. I plan to go listen to what exactly they're scheming. Do you want to come along?"
He'd arrived here ten minutes ago, but that male wizard had been pacing at this bathroom entrance the whole time, frightening poor Myrtle off to who knows where.
And just moments ago, that female wizard had rushed over from somewhere, and the two of them had started conversing directly in this bathroom.
Their behaviour was decidedly odd, and combined with their conversation content, Sir Podmore was intensely curious.
"Go listen in?"
Harry pinched his chin, his eyes showing hesitation.
Although he was wearing the invisibility cloak, it wasn't invincible. Professor Kahn had seen through his invisibility cloak several times, and Professor Dumbledore could completely ignore this magical garment.
Although he didn't think Lockhart had the ability to penetrate the cloak, that strange Ms Umbridge made him deeply uneasy.
After pondering for a moment, Harry's eyes suddenly brightened as he lifted Alice from his head.
"How about you go help us scout out the intelligence?"
"Me go, meow?" Looking toward that bathroom, Alice's eyes showed obvious fear.
She still remembered that suffocating stench that had filled the entire classroom that day and remembered the psychological trauma that Professor Lockhart had inflicted on her.
He was still in the bathroom now—who knew what they were plotting?
What if they were planning to blow up the bathroom again?
With this thought, Alice trembled and couldn't help shaking her head rapidly. "That Lockhart is so scary, meow. Isn't there any other way, meow?"
"You're the best candidate." Harry stroked Alice's head gently and said softly, "Even wearing the invisibility cloak, I'm too large a target. Plus I'll inevitably make footstep sounds—I simply don't dare get too close."
"But you're different. You don't make sounds when you walk anyway, so you can get close to them and hear clearly what exactly they're discussing."
"Afterward, you just need to come back and tell us what they talked about. There won't be any danger."
"...Alright then, meow." Reluctantly nodding, Alice jumped down from Harry's head, slipped out from beneath the invisibility cloak, and instantly vanished from sight.
Watching Alice disappear, Sir Podmore shrugged his spectral shoulders.
"Even with her following, we should still move a bit closer. If she encounters any danger, we can provide timely support."
"Support?" Harry turned his head, looking strangely at Sir Podmore. "Aren't you a ghost?"
"Ha! A ghost?" Hearing this, the corner of Sir Podmore's mouth slowly curved up, his crimson eyes gleaming with playful amusement as he looked at Harry.
"When Evans told you to find me for help, didn't he tell you about my species?"
Shaking his head in confusion, Harry carefully examined this phantom before him.
His eyes were blood-red, and his palms bore very sharp claws—he did indeed look somewhat different from ordinary ghosts.
But just as Harry puzzled over this, the next instant, the spectre before him abruptly vanished, and simultaneously, an icy chill pressed against his neck.
Startled by this sudden sensation and trembling involuntarily, Harry couldn't help but swallow hard, and the chill at his neck instantly disappeared.
"The moment we become spectres, we gain countless abilities that only spectres possess."
"Indestructible claws, spirit-shattering shrieks, and, like ghosts, the ability to pass freely through walls and conceal our forms at will."
Sir Podmore's voice echoed around him before his form rematerialised with a satisfied smile.
"I could fight fifty little wizards like you."
Looking at the spectre that reappeared before him with such confidence, Harry's initial fear slowly dissipated, replaced by genuine wonder.
No wonder Professor Kahn had told him to find this Sir for help when in danger—he really was fundamentally different from ordinary ghosts!
Then getting closer should be safe enough, right?
Maybe he could even take this opportunity to figure out where exactly the voice in his head was coming from!
"Then let's get closer!" Harry nodded decisively and was about to move forward, but before he'd taken two steps, a distinct popping sound suddenly echoed from behind.
"Pop!"
Whirling around in shock, he saw a small green creature with enormous bat-like ears suddenly materialise not far from him, looking around in obvious confusion.