After the memorial, Douglas Holmes quietly packed away the table and wine.
The professors looked on, speechless. Of all things, they hadn't expected Douglas to bring a table and alcohol to a place like this.
Their group moved on, stopping before the kneeling statue of Tom Riddle.
The moment they saw the statue—young, humbled, and unmistakably stylized—the Heads of House all turned to Douglas. They might not have recognized the youthful face of Voldemort, but the handiwork was obvious.
Catching their looks, Douglas offered an explanation: "This is what Voldemort looked like at sixteen—Tom Riddle. I made him kneel here as an act of repentance before the heroes who sacrificed their lives."
Snape let out a scornful snort. "Do you honestly think the Dark Lord would ever repent?"
The others, still steeped in grief from the memorial, let it pass without comment.
Dumbledore spoke gently from the side: "Tom's soul is in grave peril now. The only hope for salvation is repentance. Only remorse can mend what's been broken. Douglas, would you open the door for us?"
The abrupt change of topic made Douglas's mouth twitch. Suddenly, standing before four of his former professors, he regretted his original idea for opening the secret chamber. Spitting on a statue in front of his teachers? He could hardly bring himself to do it.
He scratched his head, embarrassed. "Originally, the requirement to open the secret realm was… well, it needed someone to give up most of their blood. But after I visited last time, I changed it—now, all you have to do is spit on the statue, and the door opens… Heh…"
Snape's lips twitched in disbelief.
The other three Heads of House were equally at a loss for words.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, her tone patient but firm: "Douglas, you're a professor at Hogwarts now—not that mischievous little wizard who used to fill our days with pranks.
If you can, please change this setting. I'd rather not see Hogwarts graduates learning to spit as a rite of passage.
Albus, you must have been present when Douglas did this. Why didn't you stop him?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth, caught off guard to find himself implicated.
Professor Sprout sighed, exasperated. "If you were still a student, Douglas, I'd have you in detention for a week."
Professor Flitwick rubbed his temples, glancing up at the statue—kneeling, yet still taller than he was. The thought of spitting in You-Know-Who's face… well, it was hardly dignified.
"Douglas," he suggested, "couldn't we require some sort of knowledge to enter? Like the entrance to the Chamber of Slytherin—make them answer a question or solve a riddle?"
Snape sneered, "Even smearing toad entrails on the Dark Lord's statue would be better than this. We didn't come all this way at night just to watch you spit."
Douglas wanted to explain that his original idea was simply to help students stop fearing Voldemort. But now, even he had to admit—it was a bit much.
Professor McGonagall offered a new idea: "What if we use Transfiguration to animate the statue, so students know exactly who they're facing? They'd have to duel him, and only by defeating him would the door open. What do you all think?"
She glanced at the other three Heads of House—excluding Douglas and Dumbledore from her "you all."
These professors had changed over the years, their minds shaped by Douglas's antics and constant tweaks to the Slytherin Legacy Chamber. Creative ideas were now the norm.
Professor Flitwick's eyes sparkled. "Douglas once said, 'Your greatest enemy is yourself. What you find in a cave is always a reflection of your own soul.'
We could enchant the statue to match its magical power to whoever approaches. The challenger would have to defeat a wizard of equal strength to pass. What do you think?"
Professor McGonagall nodded. "I agree, but we should set a minimum threshold for magical power. Magic is only as strong as the wizard wielding it. If someone's magical reserves are too low, even the most powerful spells are just a tickle. If they can't activate the statue, they're not ready to open the door."
Snape spoke up, his voice cool and measured: "Actually, I don't think they should fight themselves. They should be able to defeat the Dark Lord at sixteen. Set a minimum magical power, yes, but the statue should at least possess some of the Dark Lord's abilities from that age."
Douglas jumped in: "Professor's right. After all, what they'll face in the future is a far more dangerous, sixty-year-old Voldemort."
Snape let out a cold snort. "Do you expect the Dark Lord himself to deal with a bunch of fresh graduates? What are his followers for—cheering from the sidelines?"
The others considered this and accepted Snape's suggestion.
Professor Sprout added, "I think we should keep a minimum magical power, but also remember—they can use magical items, plants, even magical creatures as allies. That's all part of being a wizard."
"So how should we set the statue's abilities?" someone asked. "Should we give it Transfiguration? I recall Albus saying Voldemort was quite skilled in that area."
Douglas said quietly, "Don't forget—he's the Dark Lord. Dark magic should come first, right, Professor Snape?"
Professor McGonagall glanced at Snape, then pressed on before he could reply: "Severus, why don't you handle the magical aspect? Dark magic is fine, but make sure it's weakened—just enough for students to experience the consequences, not enough to truly hurt them."
Snape's voice was like ice. "Dark magic is not a toy for children…"
Dumbledore interjected, "As long as the magic is within reasonable limits, there's no need to weaken it. If someone gets injured, I trust Douglas can handle the healing. Just make sure the spells are controllable."
Douglas stood by silently—so now he was the designated healer as well. He turned to Dumbledore and said, "Professor, you taught Voldemort. You know him better than any of us. Could you imbue the statue with some of his personality and habits?"
Dumbledore nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "Of course. But tell me—should we make these changes now, or would you prefer to spit first, so we can see what's inside before we decide?"
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