Before Dumbledore could utter a single word, Victor rose from his chair and approached the lineup of students with a grand, solemn air.
First, he stopped in front of his sister. Staring at her long and intently through his red blindfold, he merely hummed thoughtfully:
— Hmm... Interesting. Very interesting.
Then he moved further down the line and paused before Luna. Victor honestly tried to maintain a stern face, but looking at how serenely the girl smiled up at him while twirling the hem of her robes, he couldn't hold it together. A fleeting smile played on his lips, and he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.
Stepping forward, he stood in front of Ron, and his expression instantly turned ice-cold. He stood so close that Ron could distinctly hear him breathing. Weasley swallowed hard, not daring to move.
Dumbledore watched the scene in silence, completely at a loss as to what was happening. Finally, to Ron's immense relief, Victor switched his attention to Harry.
Standing right in front of him, he suddenly commanded:
— Lift your leg.
— What? Why? — Harry stammered, thinking he had misheard.
— Do you have something to hide, Potter? — Victor narrowed his eyes dangerously beneath the blindfold.
— What? No! What makes you say that?
— Then why are you so desperately refusing to lift your leg?
— How does a leg have anything to do with— — Ron began, but in the blink of an eye, Victor was standing right in front of him. Ron instantly shut up, breaking out into a cold sweat.
— Have you heard something about a leg? — Victor asked in a freezing tone. — Answer me quickly: where is it?! — His voice suddenly broke into a shout.
— Who?! — Ron cried, now entirely bewildered.
— I am asking you: WHERE?! — Victor roared, towering over him.
— I don't know! — Ron yelled in sheer desperation, on the verge of tears.
A deathly silence fell over the office. The only sound was the ticking of the instruments on the shelves.
— Hmm. I see, — Victor nodded thoughtfully, as if he had understood something profound.
Finally, he walked past Harry and stopped before the last person in the line.
— He really doesn't know? — he asked Ginny.
— I... I don't know... — the frightened girl timidly whispered.
Victor merely gave a cold smirk:
— Crystal clear.
He turned around, took his time walking back to his place, and casually slumped into the chair opposite Dumbledore.
— I think everything is fine, — he informed the Headmaster.
Dumbledore frowned, looking back and forth between a trembling Ron and a dead-serious Victor.
— What exactly is "fine," Victor?
With a contemplative air, Victor picked up his cup, which was once again full of steaming coffee. Blowing gently on the beverage, Victor gave a confident nod and replied:
— I have absolutely no idea. But it seems everything is in perfect order.
Dumbledore's eye twitched noticeably. He looked at the rest of the children—everyone present, with the sole exception of Luna, wore the exact same expression: a mix of profound shock and total incomprehension. Luna, meanwhile, was simply observing Fawkes with mild curiosity, completely oblivious to the tension hanging in the air.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, the Headmaster shook his head.
— Victor... are you really that bored?
The serious, oppressive weight on Victor's face vanished instantly, and he laughed merrily, leaning back in his chair.
— Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to break the ice a little. Ha-ha-ha!
Ignoring Victor's laughter, Dumbledore turned to the rest of the children. His voice sounded soft and reassuring.
— Pay no mind to him. Don't worry, why don't you tell me what happened tonight instead?
Thanks to his warm words and the familiar aura of a kindly grandfather, the children finally began to relax after Victor's bizarre interrogation.
— Harry, let's start with you. Tell us, what happened in the dungeons?
Harry glanced hesitantly at Victor. Adele had made it perfectly clear: tell no one about Voldemort except the Headmaster himself. He hesitated, unsure if he should begin in front of Victor, entirely unaware that Victor knew far more about the night's events than Harry did.
While he dithered, Luna suddenly and quite naturally walked over to Victor and sat down beside him in the wide armchair. Noticing this, Adele narrowed her eyes dangerously, keeping them glued to the pair. Victor, sensing his sister's curious gaze directed at his cup, silently handed his coffee to Luna.
Luna took the cup, took a tiny sip, and immediately winced:
— Blech... Bitter!
Victor burst out laughing.
— Can we get something sweet for my friend? — Victor requested softly, speaking as if to the very air.
Almost instantly, another cup materialized on the table, this time filled with thick cocoa, accompanied by a whole mountain of assorted sweets. Luna's eyes lit up with joy, and she immediately reached for a chocolate bar.
Dumbledore watched this display in mild shock. "This is still my office, flashed through his mind", "so why do the Hogwarts house-elves obey Victor's commands so unquestioningly and swiftly?"
Pushing those thoughts aside for later, he gave Harry another encouraging look.
— Harry, do not worry. There are only friends in this room. You can tell us everything just as it happened.
Reassured by Dumbledore, Harry began his tale. Gradually, the relay passed from one person to the next. When it was Ginny's turn, she trembled all over and spoke without raising her eyes from the floor. The girl feared seeing judgment or anger on the Headmaster's face, but Albus merely soothed her gently, assuring her that she was not to blame for anything.
Then came Adele's turn. She calmly explained how she had accidentally ended up in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and confirmed the broad strokes of Harry's story. However, as she spoke, her gaze never wavered from Victor and Luna, who were clearly having a grand old time, ignoring everyone else.
Hearing Adele's version, Dumbledore frowned for a fraction of a second—the Headmaster's experienced eye caught the omissions in her words—but he quickly hid it behind his habitual, benevolent smile. Finally, all eyes turned to Luna.
Noticing the collective attention, the girl looked genuinely surprised.
— What?
Victor smiled and gently wiped a bit of cream from the corner of her mouth.
— Tell us about what happened last night.
Luna understood and nodded obediently.
— Last night I followed Adele.
And while everyone waited for the continuation, Luna simply went back to her sweets. As it turned out, that was her entire story.
— Ha-ha-ha! — Victor couldn't hold it back and laughed out loud. — I think Luna's version is the most believable of all! Ha-ha-ha!
— Well, I understand everything now, — Dumbledore looked seriously at Ginny, who was still trembling slightly. — Ginny, do not be afraid. You are not at fault. This is my responsibility; as Headmaster, it was my duty to prevent such dangerous objects from entering the school. You all did well to keep this a secret. And I want to ask you to ensure that everything that happened in the Chamber of Secrets remains strictly between us.
— Why? — Harry asked in surprise. — Shouldn't people know the truth?
Dumbledore sighed heavily, adopting an expression of mournful wisdom.
— Harry, the world has only just begun to forget the dark times brought by You-Know-Who. Right now, any mention that his young phantom has appeared will reflect very poorly on everyone. It will sow a panic we simply cannot afford.
Harry and both Weasleys nodded understandingly, placing their full trust in the Headmaster's authority. Victor merely smirked at how easily Dumbledore manipulated the children's minds.
— Very well, you may go and rest. Except for Adele—stay with your brother, please. And Harry, wait for me just outside.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny nodded silently, said their goodbyes to the Headmaster, and headed for the exit. Adele, crossing her arms over her chest, stepped toward Luna, who still hadn't budged.
— The Headmaster made it clear: it's time for you to leave, — a chill pierced through the sister's voice.
Luna ignored her friend's tone and, trustingly taking Victor by the hand, looked into his face:
— Victor, are you coming?
Victor smiled gently and patted her head.
— Luna, go with Ginny. I think after everything that happened, she really needs a friend to talk to.
Luna thought about it for a moment, nodded, and without a single word, hurried to catch up with Ginny, who was still standing lost on the stairs.
Once the staircase carried the students down, Adele took Luna's place next to her brother. Her face remained inscrutable, like an icy mask. Victor was about to tease her, but froze. He noticed Adele tightly gripping the fork Luna had been using moments ago. She wasn't holding it like a piece of cutlery; she held it as if she were about to stab someone. Victor wasn't afraid of pain, but the prospect of getting a fork to the ribs from his sister did not appeal to him.
Trying to ignore Adele's heavy aura, he shifted his gaze to the Headmaster.
— Professor, what did you want to talk about?
Dumbledore smiled warmly.
— I simply... wished to clarify a few things.
Victor, who had known Dumbledore for two years now, instantly sensed something amiss in that smile. Suddenly, the clatter of a dropping fork reached his ears. Turning to his sister, he saw that Adele had frozen, her gaze turning glassy under the intense stare of the Headmaster.
Legilimens!
Beneath the blindfold, Victor's Sharingan instantly flared to life and began to spin. With one sharp motion, he ripped off the red fabric and locked his gaze onto Dumbledore's eyes. The Headmaster, caught off guard by such a powerful mental counterattack, scowled. He felt the reality around him begin to warp, and his own eyes briefly took on the same ominous, blood-red hue as Victor's Sharingan. Rapidly severing the connection, Albus squeezed his eyes shut.
Adele groaned and collapsed limply against Victor. He caught her, holding her tightly to himself.
— What is the meaning of this, Headmaster? — Victor's voice vibrated with freezing rage. The tomoe in his eyes spun furiously, never breaking contact with Dumbledore.
— So that is what those eyes are for... — Dumbledore said calmly, recovering his composure. — They possess an extremely dangerous trait. It seems Nicolas has once again invented something the world would be better off not seeing.
Reinforcing his mental shields, Dumbledore finally opened his eyes and met Victor's gaze directly. The air in the office began to visibly heat up and vibrate from the clash of two immensely powerful auras.