Chapter 165 This pot is big and round
"If, and I mean *if*!" Hermione emphasized, looking at the two of them seriously. "If we transform into Draco and ask him in the Slytherin common room, would he tell us about the Chamber of Secrets without hiding anything?"
"That's possible," Ron nodded. "Malfoy is his best friend in Slytherin, and a Pure-blood of Pure-bloods. Aaron definitely wouldn't hide anything from him."
"But I don't want to discourage you, Hermione," Harry said with a bitter expression. "Your idea is great, but that level of Transfiguration might only be known by Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore at Hogwarts, and they definitely won't help us."
"We don't need their help. All we need is a little Polyjuice Potion, Professor Snape mentioned it in class.
A properly brewed Polyjuice Potion can transform the drinker into another person for a certain period of time."
"That's brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, grinning with delight. "Then we'll transform into Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle and ask him. Aaron will tell us everything."
"But there are a few small problems," Hermione said, looking at their expectant faces, and had to temper their enthusiasm. "First, it's very difficult, extremely difficult, and very dangerous.
I've never brewed Polyjuice Potion before, and we might have to break almost fifty school rules."
"To hell with school rules!" Ron said nonchalantly. "We've done things to make up for our mistakes before."
"Secondly, the recipe for Polyjuice Potion is in a book called 'Most Potente Potions,' and that book is in the Restricted Section."
"I'll go get a note from Lockhart, I can get it done today," Harry volunteered. Lockhart didn't know his bones had healed yet, and he would definitely feel a bit guilty seeing him.
Plus, he understood Lockhart; as long as he gave him a few insincere compliments and made up some random excuse, getting into the Restricted Section would be easy.
"Thirdly, there are the ingredients. Brewing such a complex Potion requires all sorts of ingredients.
We can figure out how to get the simple ones ourselves, but what about the rare ingredients?"
Ron hesitated for a moment, then slowly looked at Harry, meeting a pair of blue-green eyes.
"Looks like we're on the same page."
Harry nodded, saying in a low voice, "Snape's office, that's definitely the most well-stocked storeroom in all of Hogwarts. It has every ingredient."
"We'll use the Invisibility Cloak. As soon as we're sure he's not there, we'll act immediately," Ron said. "Anyway, his office doesn't have a password."
"This is what I meant about possibly breaking fifty school rules," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And then there's the time. Brewing a powerful Potion takes at least a month."
"What?" Harry immediately became agitated. "A month?
If Aaron really is the Heir of Slytherin, a month is enough time for him to clear out all the Muggle-born Wizards."
Hermione gave him a strained smile. "Finally, and this is the most serious problem, what if Aaron isn't the Heir of Slytherin?
We already disappointed him once last year. If we accuse him wrongly again... have you considered the consequences? He might not forgive us even if we apologize shamelessly."
Harry was silent for a long time. "How about you don't go? Ron and I, the two of us..."
"Don't be silly, Harry.
How would you two transform into Draco and them?" A hint of bitterness appeared on Hermione's face. "He's very smart. Even if he doesn't figure it out at first, he'll eventually realize that I helped you brew the Polyjuice Potion.
In other words, it's impossible for me to stay out of this."
"Um... are you two overthinking it?" Ron chuckled. "We're using Malfoy and their identities, so even if we accuse him wrongly, it won't fall on us.
And if we do accuse him wrongly, it might not be a bad thing. At least it would prove he's innocent, not the Heir of Slytherin."
"That's right," Harry sighed with a slight relief, then looked at Hermione with determination. "Let's brew the Polyjuice Potion first!
If the school finds the Heir of Slytherin within a month, then we abandon the plan. If there are no other suspects, then..."
Harry didn't finish his sentence, but Ron and Hermioneunderstood his meaning.
However, this might be the only thing they could do right now. They couldn't just waste time, could they?
They were very efficient. Harry got the note that afternoon, but Madam Pince still inspected it for a long time before she let him borrow the book.
However, a single note didn't allow for much borrowing time. Before the Potion was finished, they would have to get several more notes from Lockhart, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to keep the book.
They decided to brew the Polyjuice Potion in the girls' lavatory where Myrtle lived, and the ingredients needed were indeed as they expected.
They could get simple ones like lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass, but rare ingredients like powdered Bicorn horn and shredded Boomslang skin could only be found in Snape's office.
However, this wasn't a big problem. Sneaking into an empty office with an Invisibility Cloak was incredibly easy.
Everything proceeded smoothly. By the second week of December, the Polyjuice Potion was mostly complete, but the final ingredient proved particularly troublesome.
Because the last ingredient had to be something from the person they wanted to transform into, such as hair, fingernails, blood, or pieces of skin.
But they usually had no interaction with Draco and his two cronies; in fact, they only exchanged insults when they met, so they couldn't find an opportunity.
The trio was at a loss. Harry and Ron even thought of finding an excuse to pick a fight with the three of them to get something from their bodies, as pulling hair during a fight was quite normal.
Although it might break school rules and cost Gryffindorten or so points, at least it would achieve their goal.
However, luck always arrived exactly when it was needed. On this Saturday, a new parchment appeared on the notice board.
"Duelling Club?" Ron looked at the notice somewhat puzzled. "It seems useful, at least we won't just run away when facing monsters.
But which Professor is hosting this?"
"I don't know, the notice doesn't say," Hermione said. "But I guess it must be Professor Flitwick, he was a duelling champion when he was young."
"This is our chance too," Harry mused. "If we can get Malfoy's hair during a duel, that would be perfect."
"Perfect, a legitimate way to teach Malfoy a lesson," Ronpicked up his wand. Although it was still wrapped in a thick layer of tape, he had figured out how to use this wand these days, at least there hadn't been any problems recently.
"By the way, how has Aaron been these past few days?" Hermione looked at the two of them, asking somewhat nervously, "He hasn't done anything unusual, has he?"
Harry's expression became somewhat complex, and Ronalso looked like he wanted to speak but held back.
"Well, speak up!"
"Originally, we were just suspicious," Harry said with some difficulty. "But now we can pretty much confirm it.
Aaron takes Abey everywhere with him every day. We've both looked into it, and he's been asking about the family backgrounds of students from all four houses."
"And he's especially interested in Slytherin," Ron added.
"But what does that prove?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Merlin!
It's so obvious, can't you see it?" Ron rolled his eyes. "He's choosing targets, the next attack targets for the Chamber of Secrets monster."
"No way!" Hermione frowned deeply. "If he's choosing targets, then why would he investigate Slytherin?"
"That's called being thorough," Ron said sagely and confidently. "You know him. Since he's decided to act, he has to thoroughly check his own backyard, right?"
"That's how it is, Hermione," Harry shrugged. "I know this news is hard to accept, but it's the truth."
Hearing them both, Hermione wasn't as confident as she had been. She let out a long breath, and it took her a while to process it.
"If we get something from Malfoy and them, if all goes well, we should be able to brew the Polyjuice Potion before Christmas."
"That's great!" Harry said excitedly. "Tonight I'll challenge Malfoy, and you two challenge Crabbe and Goyle. They definitely won't refuse."
At eight o'clock that evening, students gathered in the Great Hall.
The four long tables had disappeared, replaced by a long duelling stage in the center.
Rows of torches lined both sides of the walls, their light, along with hundreds of candles hanging from the ceiling, made the Great Hall exceptionally bright.
Aaron held Abey, his gaze occasionally scanning the surrounding crowd.
Honestly, he hadn't wanted to come. Investigating the Chamber of Secrets was far more important.
But he had almost searched every part of the Castle and hadn't found the Chamber, and his investigation into the Heir of Slytherin hadn't yielded any clues either.
Ever since Colin had been petrified, the Heir seemed to have become even more cautious, never showing his face.
It wasn't entirely without results; at least many locations had been ruled out, and many people had been ruled out, narrowing the scope of the investigation considerably.
But after more than a month of hard work, it was false to say he wasn't tired.
It was a good opportunity to enjoy the duelling event tonight, a form of relaxation.