After much hesitation, Kael ultimately decided not to open the Slytherin statue to awaken the Basilisk.
It wasn't because he was afraid the Basilisk would kill him.
The Basilisk, although a fantastic beast that kills with a mere glance and is overwhelmingly powerful, has quite apparent weaknesses.
As long as it hears the crow of a rooster, it will flee in panic, for that sound is fatal to it.
An ordinary rooster can kill one of the most dangerous fantastic beasts. Although it sounds like a joke, it's the truth.
This time, Kael came prepared. Before this, he made a trip to Hogsmeade and bought over a hundred roosters through the Owl Post Office, feeding each one a Stimulant Potion.
At this moment, those energetic roosters were having a party inside the box. Just opening a small crack would let you hear the noisy and loud crowing from inside.
In the Chamber of Secret, where even the sound of footsteps could be amplified infinitely, the sound of these hundred roosters would at least be magnified tenfold.
If he released them all, for the Basilisk, it wouldn't merely be fatal. Surviving even one second would be considered a testament to its robust constitution.
But Kael didn't want a dead snake...or rather, if there were other choices, he didn't want to turn the Basilisk into a one-time treasure box.
The only problem now was how to make the Basilisk obey him, which was a bit troublesome.
After all, he wasn't Riddle, and had not even half a Knut of connection with Slytherin, with no idea how to control the Basilisk.
"No way, got to think of a way...no matter what, Voldemort the wastrel cannot get it cheap."
Kael squinted his eyes. He thought of a special ghost, Ms. Gray of Ravenclaw, or rather Helena Ravenclaw.
As the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, perhaps she would know something...
Kael suppressed the urge to blast the Basilisk and walked out of the Chamber room, turning back every few steps.
Luckily, this year Voldemort was preoccupied with the Philosopher's Stone, so he still had time.
After leaving the Chamber, Kael rode his broomstick, retracing his path back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Just as he jumped off the broomstick, the sink hiding the pipe automatically slid back into place.
The bathroom was eerily silent, with Moaning Myrtle yet to return.
Wasting no time, Kael cleared any traces like footprints and left with the Disillusionment Charm on him.
The corridors in the early hours were just as silent as the Chamber but lacked its ominousness. Kael glanced at the library doors, shook his head, choosing not to transcribe any books, and decided to head straight back to his dorm.
However, he barely took two steps when a piercing, terrifying scream suddenly shattered the surrounding silence.
Startled due to just coming out of the Chamber, Kael instinctively thought of the Basilisk, and with a twitch, he accidentally opened the box in his hand.
"Flap...flap..."
A large number of roosters fed with Stimulant Potion burst forth like a fountain.
Though Kael quickly shut the box upon realizing it, it was already too late; more than half of over a hundred roosters had run out.
Instantly, the corridor became lively.
The screaming from the library and the crowing of the roosters echoed like a music concert.
"By Merlin's beard, what kind of mischief is this in the library at midnight!"
Kael slapped his forehead, cursing internally.
Such blatant violation of school rules by these young wizards deserved a penalty of a hundred points directly!
At that moment, a rush of footsteps sounded downstairs.
It was Filch, holding a dim oil lamp, hurriedly making his way here.
"Damn it!"
Kael furrowed his brows. This time he hadn't brought the Invisibility Cloak. Although the Disillusionment Charm was useful, it left a shadow, and if caught by the lamplight, he'd be revealed.
Seeing Filch almost upon him, Kael didn't hesitate, turning to run upstairs.
He remembered a secret passage behind a set of armor on the fourth floor leading directly to the underground classroom corridors.
"Come out, I saw you!"
Behind, Filch's angry voice, sounding piercing even amid the chaotic crowing.
Reaching the fourth floor, Kael inexplicably got bumped by something, but when he turned, there was nothing there...
No silhouette in sight.
"Potter?"
Kael frowned, guessing who the unlucky soul in the library had been earlier.
Just a moment ago, he had suddenly felt a water-like smooth sensation in his hand.
He was all too familiar with that feeling—it was an Invisibility Cloak.
"Couldn't be such a coincidence..." thought Kael, quickening his pace, right before spotting Snape and a pajama-clad Professor McGonagall in the distance.
Due to the earlier incident, the entire castle was echoing with loud crowing, waking all the professors.
Professor McGonagall and Snape were merely the first to arrive.
Kael hugged the wall tightly without moving an inch; this was the last time he wanted to be caught, for it would end very badly!
"What happened, Severus?"
"Maybe someone thinks Christmas is too dull and wants to spice it up..." Snape said coldly. "Keeping everyone awake, how delightful, whoever it is, I'll dock one hundred points!"
"Professors..."
At this point, Filch had also arrived, shouting loudly from the stairs: "Someone was in the library, in the Restricted Area. I found a shattered oil lamp!"
"Night roaming, in the Restricted Area, creating a disturbance waking everyone...docking two hundred points, and a month's detention!" Clearly, Professor McGonagall was also furious.
"Restricted Area?" Snape sneered. "Then he can't have gone far. We will catch him for sure!"
"Leave the capturing to Argus."
Professor McGonagall frowned. "Severus, first we need to resolve the current issue, or else the students won't be able to sleep all night.
Goodness, how did they get into the castle?"
Kael noticed their voices getting closer, confirming that his Disillusionment Charm wouldn't fool the professors. As soon as they turned a corner, they would spot him.
Taking a deep breath, he began to back away step by step, making an effort not to make any noise.
A door to his right was ajar, and Kael's eyes lit up. Without giving it much thought, he slipped inside.
Almost simultaneously, Professor McGonagall and Snape stepped into the corridor where he had been before.
"Students nowadays are more and more outrageous!"
"Minerva, I think we should check the dormitories to see who's missing tonight!"
...