But their luck was not too bad.
When Harry Potter and Hermione Granger re-entered the Chamber of Secrets, You-Know-Who had not caught up yet, and the snake-like monster still seemed to be hidden within the giant mouth of Salazar Slytherin's statue.
Both of them gasped for breath as they glanced behind.
Endless darkness stretched out behind them.
Above, scattered lights faintly illuminated the chamber, casting uneven shadows across the massive space.
Soft light brushed against their faces, dim but steady.
They turned to look at each other.
The footsteps they had heard earlier had not returned.
All they could hear now was their own breathing.
The silence was heavy.
Harry shifted his gaze back toward the statue and then scanned the surrounding dark passages.
"We need to move quickly or it will be too late."
"Wait, Harry."
As Harry pulled Hermione forward, she suddenly stopped.
"What is it, Hermione?"
He paused, confusion flashing across his face.
"Harry, haven't you noticed something is wrong?"
"What do you mean wrong, it has always been like this."
"It is too quiet, before there were dripping sounds and even the monster's movements, but now there is nothing, just listen."
Hermione held onto him tightly, unwilling to let him move too far away.
As long as they stayed together, they still had a chance.
Harry listened carefully.
She was right.
The chamber was far quieter than before.
Even the faint hissing they had heard earlier was gone.
With a serious expression, he raised his gun and aimed toward possible hiding spots ahead.
"How about we leave through another passage first."
After a brief pause, Harry pulled Hermione along again.
"Okay."
Hermione nodded.
No matter what was wrong, staying here was not an option.
If they hesitated, they could be trapped between the monster ahead and the unknown threat behind.
They moved toward another passage.
But the moment they stepped inside, their surroundings flickered.
In the next instant, they found themselves standing back at the original entrance.
Harry and Hermione stared at each other in shock.
Not far away, a young man stood silently with his wand raised.
Tom Riddle watched the two of them, who now stood motionless with their eyes closed, and let out a quiet breath.
Through them, he could still see the statue and the Basilisk hidden within its mouth.
Fortunately, he had arrived in time.
With a trace of mental magic, he had created a temporary illusion, sealing their senses and stopping them from going any further.
All he needed to do now was send them back and cast Obliviate to erase this part of their memory.
Although he was curious about Harry Potter, this was not the time.
Before everything was ready, he had no intention of encountering Albus Dumbledore.
Originally, Tom had expected Dumbledore to be present.
But upon arriving, he found only Harry and Hermione.
The tension in his chest eased.
He quickly reinforced the illusion.
It would not last long, but it was enough.
Turning toward the statue, Tom let out a series of low, eerie hisses.
His Parseltongue was far more fluent than Harry's.
Unlike Harry, who could speak it unknowingly, Tom had mastered it fully.
Even as a child, he had been able to communicate with snakes.
After entering Hogwarts, he refined this ability further.
Eventually, by chance, he encountered the Basilisk wandering beneath the castle and learned the true location of the Chamber.
And now, by sheer coincidence, Harry Potter had unknowingly opened it.
The irony did not escape him.
After Tom finished speaking, a response came from within the statue.
A similar hiss echoed back.
Satisfied, he lowered his voice.
The chamber grew quiet again.
Tom closed his eyes briefly.
He could not send them away just yet.
Someone else was coming.
"Stupefy."
The spell shot forward as Tom stepped aside.
Nothing happened.
For a moment, he wondered if he had misjudged.
Then suddenly, a streak of white light flew toward him.
With a casual flick of his wand, he deflected it effortlessly.
"Professor Lockhart, it seems you are not as useless as I once thought, and after receiving the reward from the [Live Broadcast Q&A System], you have improved quite a bit."
From the shadows, a man stepped forward.
Bright white teeth and a confident smile appeared first.
Gilderoy Lockhart walked out, radiating his usual charm.
"It is an honor to receive your praise, but someone is very eager to meet you, and I must take you to him."
"What if I refuse."
Lockhart only smiled and said nothing more.
...
📢 Author's Note
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