Harry only realized it was Professor Fawley standing there once he got close.
So that spell earlier… was cast by the professor?
That was… way too cool.
He'd thought it was Riddle's spell, something meant to wipe out both him and the Basilisk. But now the Basilisk was gone, Percy looked much better, he himself was unharmed, and Riddle had vanished.
At last, his heart settled.
"I should remind you," Tver said with a pleasant but threatening smile, "that you snuck into the Forbidden Forest at night, wandered around the castle, and finally slipped into the Chamber of Secrets."
"You've broken at least a hundred school rules along the way."
Harry's relaxed grin froze instantly. He stood rooted to the spot, stiff as ice, just ten feet from Tver.
What do you even do when a professor catches you breaking rules? Panic. Immediate panic.
Luckily, Fawkes swooped in to save him, circling above their heads and letting out two urgent cries.
Only then did Tver relent.
It was obvious Dumbledore was calling them, and besides, Tver would never really punish Harry. No matter how many points he deducted from Gryffindor now, Dumbledore would just add them back at the end of the year.
He was simply offering a friendly reminder not to be so reckless.
"Alright, let's go. Everyone upstairs is probably worried sick."
Tver picked up the Sorting Hat from the ground—the Gryffindor Sword had fallen out of it earlier. Strange enough that the hat mumbled to itself, but it could also hide Gryffindor's sword?
"You two grab onto Fawkes' legs. He'll carry you up."
"What about you, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Me?" Tver suddenly rose off the ground, floating effortlessly. "I'll be right behind you."
"Whoa, that's—" Harry began, grabbing the phoenix's legs.
Before he could finish, a powerful force yanked at his hands. He and Percy were suddenly pulled upward, shooting out of the Chamber of Secrets.
The flight was surprisingly comfortable. Warmth pulsed from Fawkes' talons, spreading through Harry's body. It shielded him from the pressure of the high-speed ascent and eased every bit of exhaustion in him.
It even gave him time to glance back at Professor Fawley.
Even at Fawkes' incredible speed, Professor Fawley followed them smoothly, not falling behind for a second. He even managed to smile at Harry's stunned expression.
They moved so quickly that Harry barely had time to enjoy the flight before his feet hit solid ground again—they were back in the girls' bathroom.
Moaning Myrtle looked delighted to see them, then immediately pretended to be disappointed.
"Oh. You're still alive."
"Why do I feel like that makes you upset?" Harry joked.
He was in a good mood now and didn't mind teasing Myrtle.
Fawkes gave another impatient cry, and Harry hurried after him.
"But Professor, where is Fawkes taking us?"
Tver, who had been staring absentmindedly at the phoenix's tail feathers, snapped out of it at Harry's question.
"Most likely to see Headmaster Dumbledore. He is his pet, after all."
Once they stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed Ron and the others were no longer waiting outside the office. Only the blood splattered from the Basilisk's wound remained as proof of the fierce battle the night before.
Yes—after all that chaos, the night had already passed.
Morning sunlight poured over them, driving away the lingering chill and clearing the shadow that had hung over Hogwarts for so long.
Harry chatted happily with Percy about how he'd dodged the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, as well as the spell Tver had cast.
He even hinted, a bit hopefully, that he wanted to learn it someday.
After all, the strongest spells he knew were the Disarming Charm Snape had taught him and the Blinding Light Charm from Professor Fawley. And honestly, those two spells had bought him a lot of time down there. The Disarming Charm had slowed Riddle, and that sudden burst of Blinding Light had saved him from the Basilisk's fangs. Then he'd managed to hack off the fang with the sword—otherwise he would never have lasted until the professor arrived.
Percy didn't mention the Fiendfyre, but everything he said was filled with admiration for the professor.
They chatted for a bit before noticing Professor Fawley had stopped walking ahead of them.
"Go on in. I imagine everyone's waiting for you."
Tver pushed open the door to Professor McGonagall's office.
For one brief second, the room went silent—then Mrs. Weasley broke into a run.
She slipped neatly around Tver and swept Percy into a fierce hug.
"Percy!"
A moment later she spotted Harry beaming beside him and pulled him into the hug too.
No surprise there—Mrs. Weasley simply had that kind of boundless warmth. If Tver weren't a professor, he probably would've been pulled in as well.
"All right, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, patting her shoulder, "they still have a lot to explain."
Fawkes fluttered his wings and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder by the fireplace.
Tver smiled as Dumbledore's shoulder dipped under the sudden weight, then stepped forward to hand over the Sorting Hat and the diary.
The soul inside hadn't been destroyed—Tver had kept it intact for Dumbledore to study.
But ever since Tver walked in, Dumbledore's gaze hadn't left him. There was a depth to it so profound that even without Occlumency, Tver couldn't decipher what he was thinking.
After a moment of silent regard—each failing to read the other—Dumbledore finally turned his attention to Harry and Percy.
"Tell us," he said gently, "about your remarkable adventures last night."
Harry flushed. Professor McGonagall was watching him. All of his elders were watching him.
He hesitated, then slowly began recounting everything that had happened in the Chamber.
He started with the voices only he could hear, how he gradually deduced the creature was a Basilisk, and how he'd gone into the Forbidden Forest to confirm it.
But when he mentioned using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Snape in order to test Professor Fawley, Professor McGonagall finally lost patience.
"You've broken plenty of rules before, but have you ever considered how dangerous it is to suspect a professor and wander the castle at night?"
"If Professor Snape hadn't intervened, you'd have been Basilisk food!"
Harry lowered his head in shame.
Professor McGonagall looked ready to continue, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop her.
"That's enough, Minerva. Their reasoning wasn't unsound. Their methods were wrong, yes, but their intention was to protect the school."
"Now then, would you tell us what happened inside the Chamber?"
Harry straightened and told them how he followed Percy into the pipe system, then fought the Basilisk and Tom Riddle.
"Who exactly is this Tom Riddle?" Mrs. Weasley burst out. "Ginny said the one in the diary controlled anyone who wrote in it."
"But Percy isn't Ginny. Why was he controlled so easily?"
Ginny had already explained the diary before they arrived, but none of them knew the full truth yet, and they were barely containing their questions.
Dumbledore lifted the diary.
"He is, in fact, Voldemort."
The name made the Weasleys and Professor McGonagall gasp.
"Very few know that Tom Riddle is Voldemort's given name, so it's understandable why Percy and Ginny were manipulated. He is exceptionally skilled at influencing the mind."
Mrs. Weasley immediately tightened her hold on Percy again. This time, Mr. Weasley didn't even try to dissuade her—he wrapped an arm around Percy as well.
Dumbledore watched the tender scene, eyes softening. After a long moment, he gently suggested the Weasleys take Percy to the Hospital Wing to rest.
...
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