Harry and Ron stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the news of Ginny being taken.
Only Hermione remembered that they still had something urgent to report to the professors.
"Professor McGonagall, we have something very important to tell you."
At Hermione's words, Professor McGonagall forced herself to remain calm. After all, as the Deputy Headmistress, she was the only one left to maintain order at Hogwarts.
"We just..." Hermione hesitated for a moment, "we just came back from the Forbidden Forest."
She spoke with rapid-fire speed, "We gathered information from the Acromantulas. The creatures in the Forbidden Forest are being coerced by Lockhart to launch an attack on Hogwarts—and it's happening right now."
Professor McGonagall's expression grew grim; she didn't doubt the truth of Hermione's words for a second.
She turned and stepped back into the Great Hall. When she emerged again, Snape and Kyle followed close behind her.
At that moment, the sound of several sets of footsteps echoed from the Grand Staircase as Professor Sprout and the other teachers arrived at the Entrance Hall on the first floor.
Professor McGonagall quickly repeated the news brought by Professor Flitwick and Hermione.
"Filius, Severus, I'll leave the rescue of Ginny to you. As for the other professors..."
Kyle interrupted her, "Professor McGonagall, it would be better if I went with Professor Snape to rescue Ginny."
Before she could object, Kyle continued, "Before Professor Dumbledore left, he granted partial permissions to both you and me. Aside from yourself, I am the only one who can use Apparition within Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall paused, then slowly nodded.
Even though Kyle was only a second-year student, ever since he had fought the Basilisk alone and nearly killed it, many professors at Hogwarts no longer viewed this "Son of Grindelwald" as a mere child.
"I leave Ginny in your hands. I will defend the castle with the other professors."
Kyle looked down to check his ninja tool pouch, then glanced at Snape.
Snape nodded with a solemn expression, and together they ran toward the third-floor girls' bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resided.
Watching Kyle and Snape disappear at the top of the Grand Staircase, Professor McGonagall turned and walked toward the castle courtyard.
Standing in the courtyard, she took a deep breath and raised her wand.
"Piertotum Locomotor!"
The entirety of Hogwarts was suddenly filled with the thunderous sound of crashing and rumbling. Every alchemical statue in the castle leaped from its pedestal, armor and weapons clanging together as they quickly assembled into a solemn military formation.
"Hogwarts is threatened!" Professor McGonagall cried out. "Guard the boundaries, protect us, and do your duty to our school!"
Amidst a chorus of clatters and shouts, a battalion of animated statues marched past her in rank and file.
The elderly Animagus rubbed her hands together with a hint of excitement.
If the timing weren't so dire, she truly would have loved to tell someone nearby that she had wanted to use that spell for a very long time.
The students in the Great Hall were startled by the commotion of the statues and came rushing out of the castle.
"Students below the fifth year, return to the Great Hall!" McGonagall barked.
"For those in the fifth year and above, if any of you wish to stay and help defend Hogwarts, then draw your wands!"
In the chaotic crowd, Cedric and the Weasley twins exchanged looks, their expressions betraying a flicker of excitement.
Kyle and Snape soon arrived at the third-floor bathroom.
After locating the tap carved with a small snake that Dumbledore had mentioned, Kyle didn't hesitate. He used a Blasting Curse to blow the entire sink apart, revealing the massive pipe behind it.
Kyle reached out to stop Snape, who was about to jump straight down.
He pulled a kunai from his pouch and dropped it. Only after hearing the sound of the kunai hitting the bottom did he use the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport down.
The scenery shifted instantly. What appeared before his eyes were dark, slimy walls.
After scanning the surroundings, Kyle called out for Snape to jump down.
The tunnel was as silent as a grave. Snape's wand lit up with the light of a Lumos spell.
The ground was littered with the bones of small animals.
Snape took the lead. After rounding a dark bend in the tunnel, they saw a giant snakeskin, at least twenty feet long, lying across their path.
Kyle examined the skin, noting the sword marks he had previously carved into it.
The two moved past the skin and soon reached the end of the tunnel.
A solid wall blocked their way.
Two entwined serpents were carved into the wall, their eyes inlaid with large, glittering emeralds.
"Open," Snape said in a low, raspy hiss.
He wasn't a Parselmouth; he had specifically learned this single phrase of Parseltongue beforehand. It was the only one he knew.
The two snakes parted, and the stone wall cracked down the middle, slowly sliding to either side and vanishing.
A long, dimly lit chamber appeared before them.
The room was filled with stone pillars carved with entwined serpents, rising high to support a ceiling lost in the darkness above. They cast long, eerie shadows across the room, which was filled with a mysterious, greenish haze.
At the end of the room stood a colossal face—an ancient, monkey-like countenance.
A thin, long beard reached almost to the hem of the stone-carved wizard's robes, and two giant, greyish feet rested on the smooth floor.
Between those two feet lay a small figure in black robes, face down, with hair as red as flame.
"Kyle Dumbledore." A tall, dark-haired boy stepped out from behind a stone pillar.
Gilderoy Lockhart followed respectfully at his side.
The teenage Tom Riddle gazed at Kyle. "I truly didn't expect that it would be you who came."
Kyle had no intention of wasting words on him.
He could see that Tom was draining Ginny's life force. If he spent any more time talking, Ginny would be in grave danger.
"Now!"
Kyle raised his hand and hurled several kunai. In that same heartbeat, Snape slashed his wand, sending several Sectumsempra curses toward Lockhart.
With a flick of his wrist, Lockhart conjured a faintly glowing barrier that instantly blocked Snape's curses and deflected Kyle's kunai.
Violent arcs of electricity began to coil around Kyle's body.
In the blink of an eye, his form vanished from the spot. All Lockhart could track was a blur of lightning ravaging across the floor.
Before he could even react, the bolt of lightning expanded rapidly in his vision until it filled his entire sight.
Lightning Release: Heavy Violent Quake!
Just as Kyle was about to twist Lockhart's head off, a suddenly erected Shield Charm caused Kyle's attack to veer off course, forcing him to merely brush past Lockhart.
Tom Riddle had made his move.
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