Avada's drowsiness vanished in an instant. He jolted fully awake and almost dragged Summers with him as he dashed straight for the Great Hall…
What's going on?
Snape is actually going to announce the basilisk? But didn't he know about it long ago? Why choose now to make it public?
And with the Board of Governors and the Ministry involved, plus the Unbreakable Vow he took—this must be an assignment from the Board. Why? Why now? Is there anything special about this moment besides Christmas next week?
If he's summoned so many outsiders, it definitely won't be just to announce the basilisk. He's going to roll out some major measure.
Once the basilisk is announced, panic is inevitable. How will he handle it? And how will he deal with the basilisk?
…
By the time Avada crossed the doors of the Great Hall, more than half the students were already seated at the four long tables. All the professors were present on the teachers' dais, with only the central chair still empty. An additional row of seats had been set up beside the dais, occupied by eight governors—and one middle-aged man in an ornate purple robe, somewhat portly, who was currently whispering among them.
"That's Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic."
After Avada sat down at the Hufflepuff table, Cedric leaned over and quietly explained, pointing at the man in purple. "Other than the day he took office, he's never visited Hogwarts. For him to come now like this, something big must be happening…"
"Hogwarts being infiltrated by a XXXXX-level ultra-dangerous magical creature that's attacked a large number of students—doesn't that already count as big?" Avada glanced sideways.
"He didn't come for the coma incidents last time either…" Cedric frowned. "By the way, you still think the culprit is a basilisk?"
"Your reasoning makes sense, but the facts are right there—students without glasses are only petrified, not killed; rooster calls don't work; and the targets are selective… however you look at it, it doesn't resemble a magical creature."
"Harry heard snake sounds a few times too, but he never stopped an attack, did he? Thinking about it now, maybe what he heard were just ordinary snakes. There are plenty of those at Hogwarts…"
"Arguing about that now is pointless," Avada sighed weakly. "The truth's about to come out anyway. Let's hear what Snape has to say."
"Yeah, that's true."
Cedric nodded. He could see something was off with Avada's expression and didn't push the issue further.
Time ticked by, second by second. Finally, a figure in a voluminous black robe emerged from the side entrance and strode toward the headmaster's seat. His trailing hem and sleeves billowed in the air, making him look like a mass of advancing black fog—or a giant bat with wings spread wide.
Severus Snape took his seat. His jet-black, razor-sharp eyes slowly swept across every face in the hall. Then he stood, raised a hand, and—almost as if by magic—the Great Hall fell silent, leaving only his low voice echoing through the space.
"Never tickle a sleeping dragon."
His voice was subdued, yet in the stillness everyone could hear it clearly. "That is the motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"It exists to warn people not to cross the line, not to do things that may seem harmless but are in fact extremely dangerous—things that invite catastrophic consequences."
"But regrettably, within this school, someone has violated this ancient and noble principle, implicating many innocents and bringing about an irreparable disaster."
"And that is the fundamental reason behind the recent petrification incidents that have left every one of you perplexed."
"What?!"
The moment Snape finished speaking, the students erupted. From his words alone, nearly everyone immediately concluded this was a deliberate human attack. Heated discussions broke out as people scanned the hall, checking which seats were empty—or glanced around warily, afraid the cornered attacker might be right beside them.
Snape stood motionless like a statue. Under his gaze, the noise gradually subsided, and only then did he continue:
"And the one who set all this in motion—you have all heard his name."
He paused, then slowly uttered a name that stunned everyone present.
"Albus Dumbledore."
"I believe you have heard, to some extent," Snape raised his voice at once, suppressing the next wave of uproar before it could form, "that Hogwarts Castle is not a completely lifeless structure, but one with its own will. It chooses the headmaster it acknowledges, seeks out magically gifted children, selects champions through the Goblet of Fire in the Triwizard Tournament, and countless other crucial matters you may never have noticed."
"But the castle's will—once devoted to protecting everyone and maintaining the school—was provoked in recent times by Albus Dumbledore's reckless actions."
Snape's voice rose, no longer as deadened as before, now carrying unmistakable fury. "As Headmaster, Dumbledore's duty was to protect students, maintain order, and build the safest possible haven for fledgling young wizards and witches… yet he committed an unforgivable crime, one even more serious than the coma incident that cost him his position."
"He openly stirred long-suppressed social conflicts within the school, using his authority as Headmaster, and even sought to ignite them!"
"He tried to turn what should have been a peaceful school into the eye of a storm, into a stage for realizing his so-called grand vision—without considering the devastating impact on the students!"
"Think about it. When a school once isolated from the outside world becomes the focus of society's gaze, when blood status eclipses every other bond between students—what kind of terrifying future would that be?!"
Snape halted his impassioned speech, clutching his chest as he gasped for breath, as though about to burst from pent-up rage. Below, the students stood stunned, struggling to process the shocking claims they had just heard.
"Though he is no longer Headmaster, the castle's will remains enraged by his brutality."
Snape's breathing steadied, and his tone returned to calm. "Hogwarts was founded to protect wizards from Muggle hostility. When Dumbledore's folly awakened the castle's will, it chose drastic measures to fulfill its innate duty—and to atone for his mistakes."
"It began to attack Muggle-born students."
"Having already provoked conflict, the rift between Muggle-borns and students from wizarding families was bound to escalate. To fulfill its duty of shielding wizards from Muggle hostility, the castle's will decided to expel all Muggle-born students. Those petrified were merely its warning."
"That is why the petrification magic was so powerful that no professor could undo it—because its source was the castle itself."
"To ensure the school's continued operation, and for the safety of all students—including Muggle-born students—I, Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts, must regretfully announce…"
Snape swallowed. Under the incredulous stares of everyone present, he produced a piece of parchment bearing the headmaster's seal, projected it, and read its brief contents aloud:
"All Muggle-born students of Hogwarts are hereby instructed to pack their personal belongings and leave the school during this Christmas holiday—and never return."
Before the final words had even settled, an overwhelming wave of chaos engulfed the Great Hall…
(End of Chapter)