"Speak to me, Slytherin—greatest of Hogwarts' four founders."
Karl remembered that in the original story, Lord Voldemort said this to the statue of Slytherin, and then the Basilisk would crawl out of the statue's open mouth.
"Hmm, it feels full of plot holes."
"Leaving aside that somewhat arrogant password, why did the Basilisk have to emerge from the mouth?"
"This was not just horrifying; it was even a bit disgusting."
Perhaps the Wizards of a thousand years ago were just that wild, or perhaps Slytherin, that big shot, simply liked that sort of thing.
"Pfft~ How perverted." Dumbledore, holding the Slytherin locket, didn't need that password; he directly summoned the Basilisk.
For the statue and the Basilisk, this might not have conformed to principles, but Dumbledore held the principles in his hand.
While the man and the snake were communicating, Karl and Grindelwald squatted on the ground not far away, their backs to them, engaged in a private transaction.
"You little bastard!"
"What do you want, you old geezer?"
Grindelwald's expression was very displeased, "You're only building a luxurious tomb for Albus? Didn't you think of me?"
"Albus is the Principal!"
Karl gave him a helpless look, "Can't you figure out your own position?"
"I don't care! You're showing favoritism!"
"Oh, come on! You haven't even customized my spiked club yet!"
"Well, how about this: I'll customize your spiked club, and you build me a luxurious tomb."
"Pah! Do you think I'm stupid? You think you can buy me off with just that? When the time comes, I'll just roll you up in a straw mat and throw you into the Forbidden Forest!"
After being rejected, Grindelwald sighed, his expression filled with loneliness and sorrow.
"Albus has you all, but I have nothing left. It's truly sad to think about."
Karl: (—_-)
"This move looks a bit familiar; it's like I used it not long ago."
"Do you want to be buried in Albus's tomb? So you can keep each other company?"
"Oh~ How could I be so presumptuous~"
Karl:
"If you're truly embarrassed, please rein in that smile that's stretched to your ears, thank you."
"Oh, never mind then, I'll just send you back to Nurmengard."
Grindelwald stopped smiling, "You brat! Give me a straight answer! How can I make you agree?"
"To put it plainly, if I do this, it's a lot of time, effort, and painstaking work."
"So?"
"You need to pay more!"
Grindelwald: (—_—)
"Well, how should I put it? Unexpected yet reasonable, true to form!"
He pointed at the emerald Karl was playing with, "Actually, I also have a little bit of savings. I have a whole bunch of small items like this."
Karl: (w)
"Old man! Look at what you're saying! What kind of relationship do we have? How could I forget about you? Impossible!"
"Let's build one for you too! A big one! As grand as possible!"
"If you like a lively atmosphere, I'll invite several ghost song and dance troupes to reside in your tomb, performing 24 hours a day without interruption."
"If you prefer quiet, I'll find a place with pleasant weather and beautiful scenery, and bury you next to Albus. How does that sound?"
Grindelwald, whose eyebrows were dancing with delight, hadn't spoken yet when someone behind them did.
"Actually, I'd prefer to rest in peace at Hogwarts or Godric's Hollow. A tomb that's too luxurious isn't good; it feels like it'd be easily robbed."
Holy cow!
Karl was so startled he jumped up, turning to see Dumbledore's smiling face.
"Albus! You scared me to death!"
Dumbledore winked at Karl, "Sorry, it's just that you two were so engrossed in your conversation."
Grindelwald glanced at the statue in the distance, "Where's the Basilisk? Has it gone back?"
"No, it's right here."
Dumbledore was holding the open Slytherin locket in his hand, and a small snake was coiled inside.
Its body was covered in dark green scales, and it lay motionless with its eyes closed.
"It told me it was too hungry, so I'm going to take it out to eat something."
At this moment, Karl hadn't realized the seriousness of this statement, not until dinner.
The Great Hall, Ravenclaw long table.
"What's going on? Why is there only a little bit of meat? Where's my big chicken leg?"
Karl looked at the toast, sandwiches, and pumpkin juice in front of him, and he felt utterly miserable.
He had just had an exciting ride this afternoon; he needed to eat meat to replenish his energy.
"A Hufflepuff student went to the kitchen to ask. They said there was a shortage of meat reserves."
Nina picked out a sandwich with more meat and handed it to Karl, "It'll be back to normal tomorrow. You can eat more then to make up for it."
Karl:
"Damn it! Is that Basilisk that much of an eater? How can it not burst from such gluttony?"
Dumbledore said "a little something to eat," but it wasn't a little; it was a lot!
"Alright, I guess that's how it has to be."
Karl sighed helplessly, feeling as if all his vitality had drained away.
Nina poked his arm, her eyes, shimmering with tiny starlight, full of curiosity.
"I heard a little Witch from Gryffindor was attacked today. What exactly happened?"
"Huh? There's something like that?"
Karl feigned surprise, looking like an innocent bystander.
"You're lying to me again! The news of you teaching Malfoy a lesson has already spread throughout Hogwarts!"
Nina gently patted him, her expression inevitably a bit worried.
"Old Malfoy is a member of the school board. Won't there be trouble?"
Karl shrugged indifferently, "Don't worry, I'm waiting for him."
Seeing Nina still frowning, he quickly changed the subject, talking about Ginny Weasley being scared unconscious and the words carved on the wall about the Chamber of Secrets.
"The Chamber of Secrets? Could it be Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets? I've read about that legend in books before."
Recalling the specific details, Nina immediately gripped Karl's hand tightly.
If the legend was true, with the Chamber of Secrets opening and the monster appearing, Karl, who came from Muggle society, would be among the targets to be purged.
"What's wrong? Why are your hands so cold?"
Karl looked at Nina strangely, then simply held her hands in his palms to help warm them.
"Karl! Danger is coming!"
Nina hurriedly blurted out all the information she knew, completely tense.
"Uh-huh…"
Seeing the little girl so worried, Karl felt a bit embarrassed.
This whole thing, he hadn't expected to scare his own people before scaring anyone else.
"Don't worry, it's just a legend. Ginny Weasley is fine, isn't she?"
"But she's a pure-blood! We must quickly find Slytherin's heir!"
Karl:
"That actually makes a lot of sense."
However, finding him would definitely be impossible, because Senior Tom was enjoying a good life in the lantern, and the Horcrux diary, shredded into paper, had already been flushed down the toilet by him.
"Hmm! You're absolutely right! Nina, I think I need your help!"
Anyway, in the coming days, he would be busy with role-playing and wouldn't have time to accompany her, so he might as well find something for this little girl to do.
Nina nodded firmly, her eyes resolute, "Okay! I will definitely protect you!"
"Cough! Thank you!"
Karl only hoped that this girl wouldn't try to hunt him down frantically once she knew the truth.
Just then, Cho ran over in a panic, her face filled with fear.
"Nina! Karl! This is bad! There's a monster in the school!"
"A little Witch was attacked! Now everyone is saying she was scared unconscious by an extremely evil, terrifying, and very ugly monster!"
Karl: (,)
"Is—is that right?"
"To think that I, the esteemed Warden of Souls, if not handsome and a genius among ghosts, am at least mysteriously charming and graceful."
This is slander! Rumor-mongering! Defamation!
"What's wrong with you?"
Nina looked at the gnashing Karl strangely, feeling he was a bit agitated.
"Nothing! Just righteous indignation!"
He had already decided: starting with the Weasleys, then the pure-blood little Wizards of Slytherin House, he must make the entire school feel the care from the Warden of Souls.
Halloween! Night of a Hundred Ghosts! Activate!
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