Chapter 196 Try not to be in the spotlight
A white stream of light landed in front of everyone. Dumbledore smiled as he looked at the Wizards inside the barrier, especially when he saw Fawkes standing on Harry's shoulder; he smiled even more brightly.
"You've given me a great surprise, solving a problem that has plagued Hogwarts for decades."
"Professor, I, we didn't help at all," Harry stammered. "It was all Aaron. He killed the Basilisk and defeated Tom Riddle."
Dumbledore nodded, then looked at Aaron, who was being supported, and his eyes widened in surprise.
What was going on?
The last time he saw him, he was only an intermediate-level Senior Wizard, but in such a short time, his strength had advanced a whole rank! This was far too fast!
"You are stronger and more talented than I imagined."
Hermione trembled slightly. Having touched that ring, she knew very well that Aaron's strength was at least twice what it appeared to be.
"Thanks for the compliment, but it's innate; there's nothing I can do about it," Aaron said indifferently.
"Principal, if there's anything to discuss, let's talk about it later. Can you break this barrier first?" Professor McGonagallasked.
Dumbledore smiled slightly, observing the gray-white curtain wall, and quickly located the two green magiccrystals.
"Truly remarkable. Riddle is indeed the most outstanding student Hogwarts has ever had."
"Principal, can you be a bit faster?" Professor Snape said, a hint of impatience in his voice. "My student is waiting for healing!"
"Calm down, Severus." Dumbledore tore a gap in the barrier with his wand, then reached his wand inside, chanted a spell, and knocked down the two magic crystals. The barrier vanished as the magic crystals shattered.
Aaron's eyes widened in disbelief. Although Dumbledore's method of breaking the barrier seemed simple, the effortless way he tore it open suggested that even all four Professors combined couldn't match him. No wonder Lord Voldemortwas so wary of him.
Harry and the others were also dumbfounded, but compared to their surprise, they felt an even stronger sense of security.
With such a Principal overseeing Hogwarts, they were definitely the luckiest batch of students.
"When you get back, give me a detailed account of what happened," Dumbledore said. "This is something we all need to know."
"Um..." Aaron weakly raised his right hand. "I won't be participating. I need to go to the Hospital Wing."
"Of course, Madam Pomfrey will be waiting for you there."
Aaron nodded, then turned and gave the others a meaningful look: say as little as possible.
The three looked at each other, feeling a bit awkward.
They all knew Aaron wanted to keep a low profile, but now that everything was settled, it was impossible to hide it.
The Professors already understood most of the investigation process, and as for the battle, Dumbledore could probably deduce most of it just by looking at the crime scene. They couldn't possibly expect them not to go to the Chamber of Secrets!
"Alright! I was careless." Aaron sighed slightly, his gaze sweeping over the four Professors, finally resting on Dumbledore. "Principal, I have a small request: could you try to minimize my presence?
For example, four students worked together to find the legendary Chamber of Secrets, and united with several Professors to eradicate the Basilisk and the true mastermind."
"This... wouldn't be very fair to you, would it?" A glint flashed in Dumbledore's eyes. "You are a great hero of Hogwarts and should receive everyone's respect."
Aaron pouted. He didn't believe Dumbledore didn't understand what he meant.
Being in the spotlight was fine, but the problem was that this time the spotlight was too bright.
Slaying the Basilisk was one thing, but if word got out that he defeated Tom Riddle, he would be pushed into the eye of the storm. What would Lord Voldemort think?
A thirteen-year-old Wizard defeating him when he was sixteen? Lord Voldemort's attitude would probably change from admiration and recruitment to apprehension, and his future days would be filled with anxiety!
"Just tell me directly! Can it be done?" Aaron looked directly into Dumbledore's blue eyes. "If not, I can take a small loss and have my uncle talk to Cornelius Fudge."
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore's face showed some helplessness.
This child was a bit too clever, actually knowing how to use the Ministry of Magic to pressure him. It seemed that completely drawing the Gaius family to oppose Lord Voldemort was still a long and arduous task.
"It can be done, but you also need to know that your achievements cannot be erased."
"That's enough." Aaron didn't take it too seriously. As long as he wasn't the brightest star, the famous Harry Potter would automatically attract everyone's attention.
"Oh, right, I just saw Lockhart seemed to be under Petrificus Totalus. Who did that?"
"I did it, Albus." Professor McGonagall said with an angry expression. "Gilderoy Lockhart is an incompetent scoundrel. He... he's a liar.
All in all, he's not suitable for teaching at Hogwarts. Azkaban, however, suits him quite well."
Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully. He understood Professor McGonagall; for her to be so angry, it seemed Lockhart indeed had a big problem.
It just meant that the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classwould need to recruit a teacher again. This class seemed to consume teachers too quickly, one every year!
Harry and the others were called to the Principal's office. The Weasleys were also waiting there; the news of Ginny's incident had truly terrified them.
Aaron, on the other hand, was personally escorted to the Hospital Wing by Professor Snape. Madam Pomfrey was also surprised to see him covered in injuries.
"How did you get like this?"
"Uh... it was quite dangerous. Just assume I was struck by lightning!"
Snape glared at him, then looked at Madam Pomfrey. "Please examine him carefully. He's badly injured. Try to avoid any lasting after-effects."
Madam Pomfrey helped Aaron to a hospital bed. Beside him was a row of petrified patients: Colin, Justin, and Penelope, all waiting for Mandrake to cure them.
"How can this be?" Madam Pomfrey examined him for a few minutes, her expression changing from concern to surprise, then curiosity, and finally bewilderment.
Snape watched Madam Pomfrey's wonderfully changing expressions, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little anxious. "Can he be cured?"
"Professor Snape, I don't know how to say this, but he doesn't seem to need treatment.
If I wrap some bandages on him, he should recover after a good night's sleep."
"Are you joking?"
"I'm not joking. Mr. Gaius's physical constitution is terrifying, far exceeding that of ordinary humans.
His injuries are not as severe as they look." Madam Pomfreysaid solemnly. "And his self-healing speed is very fast."
Snape was stunned, then looked at Aaron with a profound gaze. "Does your family have some special bloodline?"
"Not that I recall." Aaron said with a wry smile. "You forgot, when I joined the Quidditch team, I got injured like a normal person.
Maybe it's because I was forced to soak in medicinal liquid for two months during the summer, and then..."
"What's the recipe?" Madam Pomfrey eagerly asked, but after asking, she stood awkwardly in place.
No matter how she looked at it, this was a secret of the Gaius family, not something a doctor like her should inquire about.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that question."
"It's understandable. Just don't spread it around."
"I know my limits." Madam Pomfrey smiled. "I'll go get you some bandages."
"Since you're fine, I'll take my leave.
However, as your teacher, I feel it's necessary to remind you: try to keep a low profile in the future." Professor Snape said sternly, then left the Hospital Wing.
Soon, Madam Pomfrey returned with a roll of bandages and securely wrapped several of Aaron's joints.
"This will be fine. You'll recover after one night's rest."
"Thank you."
"It's my duty." Madam Pomfrey stood up. "You rest well. I need to go help Professor Sprout brew the Mandrake potion. There are still a few petrified patients over there!
Originally, they were supposed to recover tonight, but something seems to have gone wrong, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
Meanwhile, in the Principal's office.
The Weasleys hugged their daughter tightly, then kept thanking Harry and the others.
The three of them just smiled and said nothing. They hadn't played much of a role in the whole affair, so they felt undeserving of the thanks.
Lockhart had been freed from Petrificus Totalus, but he was fixed to a chair like a prisoner.
Everyone knew about his deeds and unanimously agreed to hand him over to the Ministry of Magic for investigation.
Mrs. Weasley was the most furious. She was a loyal fan of Lockhart, but today, her idol's glorious image had completely crumbled in her heart.
After Professor Snape returned, he informed everyone that Aaron was fine, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Harry then recounted everything to the Professors, from hearing strange voices, to their suspicions about Aaron, to discovering most of the clues, then the Forbidden Forest and Aragog.
Of course, Riddle's diary was not omitted.
However, he cleverly avoided the process of brewing Polyjuice Potion. He didn't have the courage to admit to sneaking into Snape's office to steal ingredients in front of him.
"This is incredible. You've broken countless school rules.
Your actions are enough to get you expelled." Dumbledorelooked at the several people who were bowing their heads in silence, then changed his tone, smiling: "However, you also discovered the Chamber of Secrets, earning you a Special Contribution Award for the school."
Upon hearing this, the three excitedly looked up. This was a familiar case of atoning for their mistakes with meritorious deeds.
"Principal, what about Ginny?" Harry asked nervously. "What will happen to her?"
"I know what you're worried about." Dumbledore picked up Tom Riddle's diary. "Miss Ginny Weasley will not be punished. She should rest well.
Fortunately, the holidays are coming soon, and she will have plenty of time to overcome this terrible psychological trauma."
"What do you mean by psychological trauma?" Mrs. Weasleyasked, puzzled.
"Riddle's diary," Ginny sobbed. "I kept writing in it, and it controlled me."
"What?" Arthur Weasley exclaimed in shock. "Didn't I tell you not to trust things that can think for themselves? This diary is clearly a Dark Arts artifact."
"Calm down, Arthur.
Many Wizards older than her have been deceived by Lord Voldemort. It seems natural for an innocent young Witch to be tricked; he simply has that ability."
"Vol..." Mrs. Weasley gasped, her mouth agape. "But what does this have to do with him?"
"Tom Riddle is Lord Voldemort from fifty years ago," Harrysaid.
"You know?" Dumbledore looked at Harry in surprise. "Very few people know his old name was Tom Riddle."
"Aaron found out. We don't know how he knew," Ron said. "You-Know-Who values Aaron immensely. He's offered to recruit him several times..."
Mid-sentence, Harry and Hermione suddenly realized something. One gave him a subtle look, and the other stepped on his foot.
Ron's eye twitched slightly, and he immediately added: "But Aaron firmly refused."
"Is that so?" Dumbledore pondered for a few seconds, then slowly turned his gaze to Snape. "Severus, you..."
"Principal, I think your worries are completely unnecessary." Snape immediately interrupted him, seemingly knowing what Dumbledore was about to say. "Gaius would never have any connection with him, otherwise, the few of them wouldn't have come out of the Chamber of Secrets safely."
"Uh... actually, I just wanted to congratulate you on having a good student to be proud of."
Snape:...Don't I know you? Do you think I'd believe that?