"Seriously..."
Mikel placed his completed Potion Class homework aside, thought for a moment, and said, "I feel like they're all acting strange."
Kael was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Do you know what they usually talk about?"
This time, Mikel didn't even bother with his homework; he put down his quill and said, "Every time I go to their common room, I hear someone loudly discussing who the heir is and saying they want to help him purify the school."
"Ha... Helping the monster from the Chamber of Secrets to purify the school?" Mikel was getting more and more indignant as he spoke,
"From the way they talk, it's as if we're some sort of pests, no wonder so many people dislike Slytherin.
I just couldn't hold back one day, and when someone was leaving, I took the chance to punch a smug guy hard, which is how I got caught.
But those people were too slow; I shook them off in just three staircases... Unfortunately, I didn't notice my scarf fell off when I ran away and a third-year Slytherin recognized it, costing me fifty points."
Mikel looked a bit frustrated as he pounded the table.
Kael shook his head with amusement.
Luckily, Mikel ran fast back then; if he had been caught on the spot, losing fifty points might have been the least of his worries.
But what he said did help Kael rule out some suspects, like Pansy, Millicent, and Crabbe & Goyle...
Given the personalities of these people, if any of them had truly released the Basilisk, they would have been bragging about it by now.
So now, he just needed to focus on watching the remaining few individuals.
Kael thought for a moment, then continued to ask, "Do you know if anyone didn't attend the Halloween feast?"
"Halloween feast?" Mikel quickly replied, "They should have all gone."
"They mostly talked about Filch. If anyone wasn't in the auditorium at that time, everyone would definitely have been asking, but when I went, no such thing happened.
Though it's possible I went too late, and they had already asked."
"Is that so?" Kael furrowed his brow, pondering as he returned to the dormitory.
...
In the following days, Kael paid special attention to a few people in Slytherin.
But after observing for a month, he didn't notice anything unusual; everything was normal.
In early February, the snow slowly melted, and the sun began to faintly shine over Hogwarts again.
During this period, no further attacks occurred in the castle, and more people gradually believed what Lockhart said, becoming optimistic too.
Furthermore, Professor Sprout joyfully mentioned in class that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and less talkative, meaning they were rapidly outgrowing their childhood phase.
In just a month or two, those who were petrified would fully recover.
Good news came one after another.
Lockhart was quite pleased with himself lately.
Due to his remarks at the opening banquet, more and more people started to believe that he had prevented the creature from the Chamber of Secrets, and some who had previously abandoned him became his admirers again.
"To boost morale and erase the unpleasant memories from last term, I've prepared a surprise for all of you."
He cheerily announced during a Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, "I need to keep it a secret for now, but I think you'll love it."
The classroom buzzed with whispers as people speculated on what Lockhart's surprise might be.
But soon, they found out.
The next day, Valentine's Day.
As Kael entered the auditorium for breakfast as usual, he momentarily doubted if he had walked through the wrong door.
The walls were adorned with large pink flowers and heart-shaped confetti continuously fell from the ceiling. Behind the teachers' table, a gigantic heart made of various flowers hung on the wall.
If you added some blessings, it would look like a big wedding hall.
"I guess this is Lockhart's surprise," Fred brushed off the confetti from his head.
"I think so too," Cedric looked up at the professors' table.
Lockhart was wearing a bright pink robe, standing at the front, waving for everyone to quiet down.
The professors sitting next to him all looked grim, especially Snape.
His spot coincided with the left half of the huge heart behind, while Lockhart stood on the right half.
This peculiar positioning plus the surrounding decorations made Snape's face look darker than ever, as if someone had stuffed a fistful of cockroaches into him.
He was gripping his wand tightly, and Kael didn't doubt that if anyone said something wrong, Snape would crack their head open... using Sectumsempra.
The only one still smiling was probably Dumbledore.
He'd even changed the color of his robes to match the pearly white of the decorations around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart said gleefully, "So far, sixty-five people have given me greeting cards, I extend my thanks to them... Yes, I took the liberty to prepare this little surprise, and there's more to come!"
With a clap of his hands, twelve sullen dwarfs entered, each with golden wings and a harp.
Lockhart excitedly announced that these dwarfs would roam around the castle all day, helping deliver Valentine's Day cards.
"I know you can't wait, but be patient, it's not over yet." Lockhart clapped again.
"Look up, everyone!"
Hundreds of owls crowded into the auditorium, dropping letters and packages to the students.
Papers filled with messages were mixed in and thrown down together.
Cedric curiously picked one up, and his face changed after just a glance...
"His golden hair like fresh cornmeal
His red lips as tempting as ripe tomatoes
..."
"What the heck is this!"
Cedric felt his stomach churn, swiftly tossing away the paper and vigorously rubbing his hands on the bench.
"I know some of you might have no experience writing cards, so I carefully selected some messages from the ones I received to share with you..."
Lockhart flashed a brilliant smile, "If you don't know how to write one, feel free to copy these."
"Of course, if you have other ideas, that's fine too.
Professor Snape is a master at brewing Love Potions, he's never failed in that aspect.
And Professor Flitwick, he's more skilled in Hallucinatory Magic than any wizard I've met, that sly old dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands, almost sinking under the table.
Veins popped on Snape's forehead, and he repeatedly raised his wand.
"I bet Professor Snape is having a hard time holding back."
Cedric looked at the dwarfs as if an idea suddenly struck him, turning to say, "Kael, I remember you can use the Disillusionment Charm..."
Kael nodded.
"Can I borrow your Invisibility Cloak for a day?" Cedric asked hopefully, "I'm willing to trade all my money for it."
"No need for money," Kael smiled, "The Invisibility Cloak is in the dorm; I'll get it for you after breakfast."
"No problem," Cedric sighed in relief.
Though he didn't know if anyone would be sending him a card today, it's better to be prepared. If he got surrounded by these dwarfs in a crowded place... that'd be utterly embarrassing.
He's not ready to leave Hogwarts and transfer to another magic school just yet.