The two excitedly clasped hands, their friendship elevating to a spiritual peak in that instant. But just as it reached the zenith, Ron suddenly asked, "What do we do now?"
Screech!!!
The speeding car of passion slammed on the brakes...
Harry was different from Ron. He was a person who firmly believed in friendship. And his friendship wasn't limited to Ron; there was also a certain young witch. Coincidentally, this witch was in the same House. Coincidentally, she was the top student in their year. Coincidentally, she was the smartest!
"Let's go find Hermione!"
"Harry, if we go to the girls' dormitory at this hour, we really will get expelled..."
Mentioning Hermione calmed Ron down significantly. He then offered his most useful suggestion yet: "Let's find Hermione tomorrow morning."
Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office, Owen was saying something quite similar: "Professors, it's getting late. How about we visit the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow?"
That's right. The first message was inconsequential, but the second one involved injuries. Owen had no choice but to confess about the Chamber.
When Dumbledore learned that the Chamber had been discovered last year—and that the Basilisk inside had been tamed—his expression was indescribably complex. This matter was too big to handle alone. He had summoned all four Heads of House and made the young wizard confess everything again in front of them.
Snape, being impatient, immediately demanded that Owen take them to the Chamber. But it was bedtime. Lack of sleep could stunt growth. Between growing taller and visiting a secret chamber, was there even a choice?
The Chamber was right there. It wasn't going to grow legs and run away, right?
But no... a Class XXXXX creature like a Basilisk was extremely dangerous. A direct gaze meant death; even an indirect gaze meant petrification. Without confirming its safety, they couldn't rest easy.
So, Owen led them out of the castle. "There was an entrance inside the castle, but I was worried about accidents, so I sealed it. Now, the only way in is from the outside."
"Very good, my dear. You did the right thing."
Professor McGonagall took the boy's hand. "But why didn't you tell us about something this huge?"
Owen thought for a moment. "Actually, I'm still in the middle of renovations. I planned to tell you all once the renovations were complete, as a surprise."
At the entrance to the Chamber, alchemical lights flickered on. Instead of harsh white light, they emitted a soft, warm yellow glow—bright but gentle on the eyes.
The tunnel walls were lined with portraits—the non-moving kind, of course. The professors saw portraits of themselves, complete with detailed records of their achievements beneath. Professor Sprout was so moved she grabbed Owen's hand, pulled him into a hug, and kissed his cheek enthusiastically.
Past the tunnel lay the main hall. The previous decay had been cleaned away. Ample lighting banished the gloom, and improved drainage eliminated the dampness. Owen had divided the vast hall into several zones: a target practice area, a study area, and even a long, raised platform for dueling.
Magic is meant to be used!
What's the point of learning it if you can't use it?
The professors looked on with great satisfaction. However, their expressions turned peculiar when they saw the Basilisk, sound asleep and snoring.
"Putting glasses on a Basilisk..." Snape placed a hand on Owen's shoulder. "Care to explain how you came up with that idea?"
The young wizard blinked. "Isn't it obvious? We can't put glasses on everyone else, right? That would be expensive and troublesome. It's better to put them on Stripes. That way, he keeps his vision but loses the lethality. Isn't that perfect?"
Snape paused, ready to argue that even so, a Basilisk was extremely dangerous. Just then, Stripes rolled over, exposing his belly. He hooked his tail around, scratched his stomach with the tip, then flipped over again, rolling completely to the side without waking up.
"Although Stripes has lived for over a thousand years, his mind is very simple. He eats when he's hungry and sleeps for a long time afterward. So he's not dangerous. Professor, keeping Stripes here is much better than letting him loose."
Owen's meaning was clear: with sufficient food, the Basilisk wasn't a threat. But if released to fend for itself, that would be a different story.
"Slytherin left him here, presumably as a contingency against some crisis. He was just used by someone with ill intentions. It's fine now; I've made an agreement with him. He won't listen to anyone else's orders."
Snape opened his mouth but said nothing...
The boy's ability was indeed sufficient to control the Basilisk. And a controllable Basilisk was a massive asset. Even with its most dangerous weapon—its eyes—sealed, it still possessed immense magic resistance and physical strength.
Just imagine: a magic-immune dump truck crashing into enemy wizard ranks...
The Chamber wasn't small, but it was empty enough to see everything at a glance. And Owen was truly sleepy now. "Professors, why don't you look around? I'm going back to bed. Fawkes..."
Flash! Flash!
The phoenix appeared instantly and whisked the young wizard back to his room just as quickly. Molly returned too. Watching the boy change into his pajamas, she snuggled into his arms, and soon they were both asleep. Several vines extended from a plant in the corner, tucking the blanket around Owen before sealing the window and door.
With the young wizard asleep, security was now under Milov the Devil's Snare's control.
Although people were on edge, the next day proceeded as usual for the students. Hermione returned from her morning training, washed up quickly, and went to breakfast. But the moment she sat down, Harry and Ron flanked her on either side. Harry spoke immediately: "Hermione, we need your help."
The young witch's eyelid twitched. She remembered clearly the mess that ensued the last time Harry said those words. More importantly, she had taken the request seriously, while these two hadn't taken it seriously at all and played through the entire holiday!
Although she had eventually joined in, it was because she couldn't stand watching them flail. These two idiots were anxious but clueless about how to act. If they got themselves killed, the school might close down!
Hermione loved magic—loved it dearly. She didn't want the school to close because of a few people...
"Is it about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Hermione didn't need to think twice to know their goal. She looked at Harry helplessly. "Why won't you trust the professors to solve this?"
Harry opened his mouth, but Ron cut in. "The professors are focused on Owen right now. And Owen's soul has been twisted by Dark Magic; he's a Dark Wizard now! He'll definitely stop the professors from investigating the Chamber!"
Hermione had intended to help a little, but Ron's outburst extinguished that thought. Even now, Ron hadn't fixed his bad habits, and Harry still trusted this fool blindly. Saying anything more was useless.
"Go to the library. There should be clues there. The Chamber has been opened before."
With that, Hermione grabbed a potato and left. Class was about to start...