The adjacent hospital bed was eerily quiet...
Madam Pomfrey also fell asleep, and Kael put on his shoes and clothes, tiptoeing out of the hospital wing and into the equally silent castle.
However, upon reaching the castle, Kael remembered that Professor McGonagall had mentioned earlier that Dumbledore wouldn't be at Hogwarts today.
But it didn't matter; he ran into Professor McGonagall on the third floor.
Professor McGonagall was very angry to see Kael in the castle.
"You should be in the hospital wing… not wandering around here!"
"Professor McGonagall, I know where the Chamber of Secrets is!" Kael said quickly: "The entrance is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, under the tap that doesn't work."
"What?" Professor McGonagall looked at Kael in surprise, then quickly reacted.
"Wait here, don't go anywhere."
She waved her wand and a transparent tabby cat suddenly jumped out; it was her Guardian God.
Professor McGonagall said something to the tabby cat, which then flexibly jumped onto the staircase and vanished in a few flickers.
During this, Kael wasn't waiting obediently.
In fact, as soon as Professor McGonagall summoned her Guardian God, Kael slipped away through a secret passage behind him.
Kael knows the professors certainly wouldn't let him accompany them into the Chamber of Secrets, but he must go.
Perhaps because of that strange dream, ever since he reached the third floor, Kael had this idea in mind, growing stronger and stronger.
Kael emerged from the other side of the secret passage, identified the direction, and quickly arrived at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
The previously placed "Explosive Textbooks" here had all disappeared inexplicably, but Kael didn't care about those anymore.
He used Parseltongue to open the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and said to the astonished Moaning Myrtle nearby: "The professors will be here shortly; remember to tell them the Chamber is right below."
"You..."
Moaning Myrtle seemed to say something, but Kael didn't hear.
He had already jumped into the pipe, sliding rapidly downward.
A sticky feeling spread across his back, making Kael regret a little.
Why didn't he use a broomstick just now...
Soon, Kael was back on the ground, quickly navigating through the damp, dark tunnel to the final door of the Chamber of Secrets.
Oddly enough, upon reaching here, the buzzing in Kael's head disappeared, and he returned to normal.
He spoke Parseltongue to the entrance of the Chamber.
"Open!"
The stone wall split in the middle, slowly sliding away to disappear on the sides...
The Chamber looked the same as before, but Kael noticed a black diary at the foot of the Slytherin statue.
"Didn't expect it to be you." A voice said softly.
Kael wasn't overly surprised, turning to look in the direction of the voice.
A tall boy was leaning against the nearest stone pillar, watching him. The boy looked about fifteen or sixteen, with black hair, thin lips, and handsome features.
At first glance, he somewhat resembled Cedric.
"Tom Riddle."
"It's me." Riddle nodded, "Long time no see, my… good friend?"
He walked over, "I have been wondering who would first find the Chamber's location… Dumbledore? Harry Potter?
Didn't expect it to be you."
"Surprised?" Kael asked.
"Not really." Riddle said with interest: "You're just like me back then, astute and meticulous… Finding the Chamber's location isn't surprising."
"Don't flatter yourself." Kael scoffed, "I'm in third grade and already have two Special Contribution Awards for Hogwarts, as well as a Second-Class Meritorious Order of Merlin.
And you, only got one Special Contribution Award in fifth grade… tsk tsk."
Riddle's face finally showed some change, not as calm as before.
"I told you, those things don't matter, only power does!"
He stepped forward again, somehow having a wand in his hand.
It was Ron's wand.
"We are kindred spirits, Kael, those filthy Mudbloods aren't fit to sit in the same classroom as you."
Riddle extended his hand, "Follow me, under the great Salazar Slytherin's witness, I promise you we can change this world, ushering the Magic Realm into a new, glorious era."
Kael glanced at the wand subtly pointed at him, narrowing his eyes to ask, "I only have one question, how did you get out?"
"To be honest, I don't know." Riddle displayed an odd smile, continuing to stare at Kael.
"I had been trying to earn your trust… But one day, I suddenly found myself out of that place devoid of magic power, and met another person.
Though that person was timid, weak, even afraid to peel off his dirty disguise, he was much more naive than you, easily opening his soul to me..."
"See, with his help, I've become so well-off."
"Who is it?" Kael inquired again.
"Consider him my future servant…" Riddle casually said: "Now, it's your turn to answer my question.
Though you once deceived me, I don't mind. As long as you follow me... I won't hold the past against you."
"Hmm…" Kael touched his chin, "Can I think about it a bit?"
"Of course." Riddle said indifferently: "The Chamber entrance you left in the bathroom has been closed by me; for the time being, no one will disturb us."
"Really, that's…"
Suddenly, Kael lifted his wand without warning.
A row of sharp stone cones grew under Riddle's feet, penetrating his body.
But Riddle seemed indifferent.
"Too bad, I thought you would agree."
Kael chuckled, "If I said I just slipped my hand, would you believe me?"
"What do you think!" Riddle glared at Kael with a savage look,
"Crucio!"
"Sectumsempra!"
A red and a white beam of light collided in the air, each redirecting to land elsewhere.
The white light grazed a nearby pillar, leaving a deep cut on it.
Riddle stared at the pillar in surprise.
"This level of Dark Magic, along with the Quietening Charm earlier… Among the young wizards your age, you're the strongest I've seen.
I almost don't want to kill you."
Despite saying this, the grin on his face grew more obvious.
"The game ends here; let me show you my true power, power from Salazar Slytherin!"
Riddle turned, facing the face of the Slytherin statue, opening his mouth to hiss.
"Speak to me..."
"Speak to me..."
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
The unexpected change made Riddle instinctively turn his head.
However, during this moment of hesitation, Kael finished the Parseltongue phrase first.
"Speak to me, Slytherin… the greatest of the four founders of Hogwarts!"
"You… you… that's impossible!"
For the first time, fear crossed Riddle's face. He rapidly turned, shouting harshly, "How the hell did you learn how to summon the Basilisk!"
"Because I'm the true heir of Slytherin." Kael flashed Lockhart's signature smile, "You, a mere counterfeit knockoff."
...