Five Paintings in One!
Finally, it can come out!
Ethan's eyes lit up, and he impatiently waved his wand.
"Swish!"
In mid-air, the other four paintings, besides the snake head, immediately appeared.
The inky snake bodies connected to form a complete World-Devouring Python!
The Great Snake painting, complete!!!
[Name: Land of Eternal Slumber]
[Type: Living Painting]
[Grade: Second-Order · Purple Epic]
[Description: A creature that only exists in myths and legends, now replicated by your brush.]
[Effect: Consumes a massive amount of magic power. By coiling its snake body around an object, it can swallow the object into its belly, causing it to fall into eternal dark slumber.]
[Evaluation: Hogwarts Ecstatic Snake]
"Come, my little darling—"
Ethan murmured, mesmerized, opening his arms to welcome this colossal python of the mortal world.
[Hiss—… ]
Black mist surged, like a slowly writhing, majestic mountain range, filling the entire Chamber of Secrets.
Compared to it, the original Basilisk was as tiny as an earthworm.
It was squeezed into a corner, trembling in fear!
My master, what kind of monster is this?!
Even when it traveled the world with its old father, Salazar Slytherin, it had never seen anything so vast and terrifying.
It seemed as if it shouldn't exist in the current world at all.
It exuded an aura of a superior being, making it instinctively want to kneel and worship.
Ethan looked up at the golden eyes, like two lanterns, floating in the rolling black mist.
He curled the corners of his mouth and whispered:
"Go."
"Go give Hogwarts a little shock."
Use fear to open the true Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin.
Obtain the treasured legacy that even Lord Voldemort coveted.
In the Black Lake.
Slytherin common room.
Malfoy was playing Wizard's Chess desultorily.
A student said, "You know, we're almost at our final exams. Will that Chamber of Secrets monster attack again?"
"Ah, I really hope it comes again. It would be great if we could just cancel the exams."
Malfoy chuckled, "Do you think the Chamber of Secrets opens just because you want it to?"
"Besides, Hogwarts is so heavily guarded now, the mastermind behind it can't cause trouble anymore."
And Ethan is here, what's there to be afraid of?
"Checkmate."
Malfoy was about to proudly knock over his opponent's king.
However, the chessboard beneath his hands suddenly began to rattle.
"Hmm?"
Malfoy frowned.
He saw the water in the goblet beside him shaking, ripples spreading.
It was as if some colossal creature was constantly drilling up from underground!
"Boom—!"
In just a few seconds.
The entire common room began to shake violently!
"What the devil?!"
Malfoy instinctively squatted down, clutching his head, and looked around.
An indescribable fear welled up from the bottom of his heart.
It seemed as if something was coming.
Creak, creak.
A slight sound, almost imperceptible, echoed amidst the roaring.
But somehow, Malfoy caught it.
He turned his head to look.
He saw a writhing shadow rising outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window that occupied an entire wall, facing the Black Lake.
In an instant.
All sounds receded like a tide.
Malfoy's eyes widened, his breathing stopped.
In his eyes, he could only see the shadow constantly, constantly climbing up.
It was so close that he could see the scales on the shadow, twitching.
Little by little, it climbed up the window.
Blocking the faint light seeping from the Black Lake.
Merlin, is that a "living thing"?
A "living thing" whose body alone covered an entire window?
Unimaginable, unobservable.
Such a blasphemy against life!!
At this moment.
Malfoy's mind was blank.
He could only stare blankly as the unspeakable shadow coiled over the window.
Spreading darkness across their faces.
Until a piercing scream broke the silence in the room, "Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!"
In an instant.
It was like pressing a start button.
The atmosphere of fear in the Slytherin common room immediately exploded!
"Help, help!!!"
"Merlin! What kind of monster is that?!"
"Mom—! Isn't Hogwarts the safest place in the world?!"
In the midst of chaos.
Malfoy stood frozen, jostled by the frantically fleeing crowd.
He stared blankly at the coiling shadow.
In his mind, there was only one thought: Hehe, it seems like it's over.
The Chamber of Secrets has truly been opened again.
This time, it's targeting all of Hogwarts!!
Creak, creak.
Hogwarts Castle.
First floor, second floor, third floor...
Dark scales scraped against every brick, rubbed against every windowpane.
With its unimaginably vast body, it blocked the bright moonlight, spreading darkness and fear within the stone walls.
Shattering the peaceful night completely!
Ghosts silently huddled together.
Paintings screamed and fled.
Nearly Headless Nick and The Fat Friar hugged each other tightly, their teeth chattering.
Even Peeves, who was usually fearless and mischievous, reined in his smile.
He stared at the massive body sliding past, froze for a few seconds, then vanished with a pop.
From bottom to top.
Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor...:
Without exception.
Wrapped, swallowed.
Wailing and screaming filled every corner of Hogwarts!
Even if Lord Voldemort himself came, he probably wouldn't achieve such an effect!
"Ah, ah, ah, ah…"
Gilderoy Lockhart slumped against the wall, his eyes wide, hands clutching his head, his body trembling like a sieve.
In his mind, a forgotten memory surged up.
"No, no—I won't dare anymore, I'll be good, I'll never steal other people's experiences again!"
Lockhart tremblingly raised his wand, for the second time, pointing it at himself.
On his face, a crying smile stretched.
"Please, let me forget all this... Obliviate!!"
Whoosh!
A white light flashed, heavily knocking Lockhart flying.
As he fainted, a blissful smile appeared on his face.
Principal's office.
"Pop!"
Peeves appeared with a loud bang, screaming shrilly, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened! The monster from the Chamber of Secrets has escaped!!"
Headmaster Dumbledore was already standing by, ready.
He spoke calmly and majestically, "I know. Thank you for telling me, Peeves."
"Would you mind asking you and the other Professors to organize the student evacuation?"
Peeves nodded vigorously, then vanished with another pop.
The Professors quickly sprang into action, their faces ashen.
Even Snape, who was usually the most sarcastic, had his lips pressed tightly together, not saying a word.
To hell with Potter!
How could this be more exciting than when he was in Lord Voldemort's stronghold?
Professor McGonagall asked tremblingly:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, is this the monster from the Chamber of Secrets? What, what on earth is this thing?!"
Dumbledore said calmly, "Hug."
"It seems that even I, with my long years, still don't know many things, and there exist things far beyond my comprehension. Now, the only thing clear is that Hogwarts is in an unprecedented crisis."
"Whether we can overcome this difficulty, I'm afraid, sometimes doesn't depend on our will."
"We can only do our best, at least, to ensure the safety of the students."
Professor McGonagall was shaken.
She had never imagined.
To hear such an uncertain answer from the mouth of the omnipotent Headmaster Dumbledore.
Who exactly is the mastermind behind all this?
How can "he" come and go freely in the heavily guarded Hogwarts?
What exactly does "he" want to do?
What kind of powerful existence is "he"?!
"...I understand."
Professor McGonagall nodded.
She quickly left the Principal's office and joined the other Professors to rescue the students.
In the Principal's office, Dumbledore was once again alone.
And a fiery red Phoenix.
"Fawkes," Dumbledore called softly, "You don't need to stay with me anymore, go to the right person."
"Chirp—"
The Phoenix cried out.
It spread its wings, transforming into a streak of flame, and flew away.
On the walls.
The portraits of past Principals shook uncontrollably due to the tremors.
From the ceiling, dust and debris constantly fluttered down.
They all solemnly watched their successor—Albus Dumbledore.
They watched him stand before the arched doorway, holding the Elder Wand as if it were a sharp sword, his pale beard and hair fluttering in the wind.
Soon.
[Hiss—… ]
A low, hoarse voice, like the sound of wind whistling through the night, came from outside.
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened, and he tightened his grip on his wand.
He swore in his heart that no matter what terrifying, abnormal monster he encountered.
No matter what existence the mastermind behind this was, he would fight to the death to protect the countless students behind him. The next second.
Dumbledore was stunned.
His eyes widened slightly, his gaze constantly moving upwards.
He stared blankly, looking up at the figure rising before him.
It was an existence that stood between heaven and earth, capable of making tiny humans abandon all thought of struggle by its sheer size alone.
Dumbledore's mouth was half-open as he gazed at the golden vertical pupils, like two suns, looking down at him.
Suddenly, he laughed.
He put down his wand.
He murmured with a wry smile:
"Ethan, I really need to check your lineage."
From the gigantic snake body, a faint scent, a mix of nuts and minerals, emanated.
Dumbledore deduced that this monster, like something from myth and legend.
Was a painting.
A painting, painted by the great painter Ethan Vincent.
On the wall.
The most annoying Principal, Phineas Nigellus Black, laughed:
"Didn't you also say that the kid promised you Hogwarts would be very safe?"
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then sighed:
"It seems our understanding was flawed."
Perhaps what Ethan meant by 'very safe' was just 'still alive'.
Dumbledore thought deeply.
"Heh, now, even I cannot predict how this grand performance will conclude."
It was like the chess pieces were all set, and suddenly someone came and flipped the chessboard, then slammed the chessboard on his head, and finally kicked him off the chess table.
In his daze, he gently comforted himself:
Trust me, it will be safe.
"Ethan, truly a rare genius, like the rising sun—"
The next second.
[Hiss—! ]
The inky black snake roared, opening its mouth wide enough to swallow the heavens and earth.
It lunged at Dumbledore and the Castle beneath him!
In an instant.
A warm darkness, like velvet, enveloped Dumbledore.
Screams and wails disappeared.
It was like falling into soft cotton, a sense of tranquility instantly soothing the pain.
Along with the world, everything vanished into the darkness of eternal slumber.
. What a merciful act.
For a human.
Dumbledore thought, closing his eyes in resignation.
In his heart, he even felt a touch of curiosity about this fate that had completely deviated from its course.
Harry floated in a daze.
In the dark cradle with no up, down, left, or right, he was drowsy.
Yes, if he died too, it would prove that he wasn't the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets, right?
Until an ethereal voice called out in his ear:
"Wake up, Harry."
"You need to go save the world."