Rustle, rustle.
The walls, floor, and ceiling began to warp and writhe.
Cold, slimy, ink-black scales emerged across the solid brickwork.
They twisted slowly, enveloping everyone in the room, as if they had suddenly been plunged into a living sea of darkness.
Bodies and visions shifted and contorted with the undulations of that tide.
The figures in the hanging portraits vanished without a trace.
And this was merely a glimpse of the monster's tail!
It was impossible to imagine the sheer enormity of the creature's full body!!!
"Ah… ah…"
The members of the Round Table Council who had been holding Harry uttered a few meaningless sounds and instinctively released their grip.
What… what is this?!
The monster from the Chamber of Secrets?
Why had it suddenly appeared? Why target them?!
Could it really be Harry?!
"No, no!"
One member stammered, unable to tear his gaze away.
"I am the most outstanding student at Hogwarts—you can't do this to me—however."
Apparently, this "monster from the Chamber of Secrets" didn't select its meals based on academic performance.
Just then, cracks appeared amid the massive ink-black scales.
Then, pairs of golden eyes opened.
Like flowing rivers, they twisted along with the serpent's body.
A brilliant radiance filled the air, blotting out the sky and overwhelming all sight.
It pierced through skulls and into the cerebral cortex.
Illuminating the winding grooves of the brain, banishing darkness, erasing all thought.
Thump, thump.
One by one, they knelt, tears streaming down their faces.
Yet their lips curved upward uncontrollably.
They gazed up at the overwhelming light, as if they were its most devoted followers.
The face of the informant, Marietta Edgecombe, was streaked with tears.
She mumbled incessantly, her eyes brimming with fear and regret.
When she had snitched, she had only been thinking of the reward she would receive.
But she hadn't expected this.
Retribution had come so swiftly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have informed… I'm sorry…"
"Hehe… Praise the radiance… Praise the radiance… Hehehe…"
The radiance was merciless.
Mercy could only be found in the darkness.
Who knows how much time passed.
Until a chilling, hair-raising scream erupted!
The eyes closed, and the radiance gradually faded.
The ink-black scales melted back into the walls, and the writhing air settled into stillness.
The darkness lifted from Harry's eyes.
He blinked, staring in utter shock and fear at the several statues kneeling before him!
The Ravenclaw students who had arrogantly dragged him toward the Headmaster's office moments earlier.
Now, as if they had undergone some divine judgment, they were all kneeling on the ground!
Their faces etched with palpable terror!
Ron, Hermione, and Cho Chang, meanwhile, lay unconscious on the floor.
Harry stammered, "W-what in the world is going on…?"
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, Harry."
A calm and clear voice sounded from behind him.
Harry whipped his head around and saw Ethan, who had followed them out of the Forbidden Forest!
And Luna, standing beside him.
It was Ethan who had covered his eyes from behind just now.
Saving him from harm.
Ethan withdrew his hand, his cobalt-blue eyes gazing indifferently down at the kneeling figures.
In his hand, a streak of light flashed.
The painting of the serpent's body, surging with malevolent energy, vanished.
Ethan curled his lips into a playful smirk.
They had brought this upon themselves.
They deserved it.
The radiance of justice would judge all evil in the world.
As for the method of judgment, don't ask.
Just then.
A noisy clamor of footsteps approached from afar!
Whoosh!
It was as if every student in the school had suddenly converged on the spot.
Countless figures surrounded them in an instant!
"Someone—someone else has been attacked! It's the students from that Ravenclaw society!"
"Merlin's beard! Weren't they going around boasting about how amazing they were…? How did they get taken down too?"
"Pfft, as expected, it was all just for show—big talk, no substance."
"Look! Ethan's fine. The Enlightenment Society is still the stronger one…"
"But why is it Harry again…?"
Just then, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out.
"Move aside! Move aside—Oh! Merlin!"
Professor McGonagall took in the scene of the kneeling figures and the unconscious ones.
She clutched her chest, feeling as if she were on the verge of a heart attack.
If Headmaster Dumbledore weren't still around, she might have thought Hogwarts had been invaded by the Dark Lord!!
[Your artwork has fully spread the gospel of the "Light"!]
[It has given the wicked their due punishment!]
["Breaking Out of the Shell" progress increased by 8%]
Ethan nodded in agreement.
He believed that once they woke up, their thoughts would become incredibly upright!
After all, they had bathed in the radiance. However…
Ethan glanced at Ron and Hermione, who lay fainted on the ground.
He had knocked out Cho Chang.
Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, had been hit by two Stunning Spells from Luna.
He hadn't heard Luna cast the spell.
It wasn't wandless or silent magic, but rather spoken swiftly in a very low voice.
Ethan looked up at Luna, who was fiddling with her wand.
She noticed his gaze, turned her head, and offered him a small smile.
Excellent spell control.
Casting quickly with a calm demeanor, rather than being driven by emotion.
Ethan curved his eyes and nodded slightly at Luna.
Well done, little moon.
Ethan and the others were invited to the Headmaster's office for tea.
In the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore regarded the nervous Harry, and Ethan, who was poking Fawkes the phoenix with his wand alongside Luna.
He felt a headache brewing.
"Mr. Vincent."
Dumbledore suddenly spoke.
His eyes behind his half-moon spectacles fixed on Ethan, who turned to meet his gaze.
He asked the same question he had once posed to another student fifty years ago:
"Is there anything… you'd like to tell me?"
"?!"
Harry looked at Headmaster Dumbledore in surprise.
Did the Headmaster think Ethan was involved in this?
On the contrary, Ethan was the one who had saved them!
Anyone with a normal brain wouldn't save people while harming them—no, wait.
Harry suddenly fell silent.
Saving and harming at the same time.
Isn't that the true essence of "torture"?!
Harry didn't dare to think further.
Afraid his resolve would shatter.
On the other side.
Ethan stared back at Dumbledore, feeling his thoughts and memories being rifled through in his mind.
Unfortunately.
All that could be seen was pure art.
A few seconds later.
Ethan slowly spoke:
"Yes."
Headmaster Dumbledore was stunned.
He had been prepared for Ethan to give the same answer as the student who had eventually become the Dark Lord fifty years ago.
He hadn't expected…
Ethan looked up, his eyes shining brightly.
Suppressing his excitement, he said:
"Have you finally decided to discuss great art with me? Or, regarding the construction and development of Hogwarts, I also have a few ideas I'd like to propose."
"First, there's the great roller coaster class plan."
"Students attending class must first be chased by three dogs, then be hacked by eighteen types of blade-wielding assassins, and then be sprayed by a faucet—"
Dumbledore: "…"
He looked at the eloquent Ethan, the expression on his face gradually turning blank.
It was even worse than the answer from fifty years ago.
"—That's enough, you can go back and rest now."
Dumbledore didn't ask anything more.
Because asking was useless.
What he didn't know, he still wouldn't know.
How did this child avoid Legilimency…?
Dumbledore really wanted to learn art.
Upon hearing this, Ethan felt a bit regretful.
However, considering the elderly man's need for sleep, he bowed slightly and politely said:
"Let's chat next time."
Dumbledore: "…"
His head ached.
Watching Ethan's receding back, Dumbledore suddenly said, "If this continues, Hogwarts might have to close."
Ethan turned his head.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Harry's shocked and disbelieving expression.
He looked directly at Dumbledore and said with certainty, "It won't."
Before Hogwarts closed, he would bring Hogwarts down.
Dumbledore felt relieved.
He nodded and let them leave.
Although Ethan might be the mastermind behind this Chamber of Secrets incident.
But it was somewhat impossible for Ethan to be the mastermind behind this Chamber of Secrets incident.
No matter the truth.
With Ethan's assurance, Dumbledore felt somewhat at ease.
"This child, Ethan, ultimately can't cause any major trouble…"
You see.
Even now, no students have died yet.
Although the number of attacked people had set a new record since Hogwarts was founded.