Chapter 9 - Ch: 101-110

Chapter 101: The Trio's Actions

"Professor Aisen, searching Hogwarts Castle is a very simple matter for me," Lockhart took over the topic at this point. "Trust me, my books show that my adventures are extensive enough. In just a week—no, three days—I can find the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Alright, thank you very much!" Aisen nodded helplessly, not saying much more.

Ever since the last time in the Duelling Club when Aisenand Lockhart had a "draw," whether it was an illusion or not, Aisen always felt that Lockhart's attitude towards him had changed somewhat.

Lockhart seemed to regard him as a "kindred spirit." Whenever he met him at school, he would seek him out to exchange a few words.

At first, Aisen detested him greatly, wishing he could cast a Silencing Charm on him to shut him up. But after thinking about it, he felt it wasn't necessary, so he just let him be.

Time slowly passed. After Dumbledore sang a few Christmas carols, the atmosphere of the Christmas dinner immediately became lively.

Watching Fred cast a spell to change the words on Percy's Prefect badge to "Blockhead," Aisen couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed that the Weasley Twinsnever forgot to play pranks.

While Aisen was still eating and drinking at the Christmas feast, on the other side, the Trio had already left early.

"We still need something from the people we're going to turn into," Hermione said to Harry and Ron. "It would be best if you could get something from Crabbe and Goyle. They are Malfoy's friends, and Malfoy will definitely tell them things."

"But how do we start the first step?" Harry and Ronlooked at each other, then Harry spoke.

"Don't worry, I already have a plan," Hermione said, then took out two chocolate cakes. "I put a sleeping draught in them. If you can let Crabbe and Goyle find them, you know how greedy they are, they'll definitely eat them."

"Then, we can pull out a few hairs and hide Crabbe and Goyle!" Ron took over, but his eyes revealed an expression of disbelief.

Harry next to him was the same. Neither of them could have imagined that Hermione would do something so clearly against school rules.

However, the Polyjuice Potion couldn't be used without Crabbe and Goyle's hair. And they had to carry out this plan to ask Malfoy for the truth. Therefore, Harry and Ronhad to accept the plan.

As for Hermione herself, she confidently took a small bottle from her pocket containing a hair. It was a hair that had fallen onto her clothes in the Duelling Club when Millisent had grabbed her by the neck.

Poor Hermione, she certainly didn't know at the time that it was actually cat hair, not Millisent's hair.

The first step of the plan's implementation seemed perfect to the Trio.

Harry and Ron placed the chocolate cakes with the sleeping draught on the railing next to the entrance hall. As a result, the greedy Crabbe and Goyle saw them and, surprisingly, had no suspicions, simply grinning and grabbing a piece each to eat.

"They really are as stupid as they come!" Ron said, and he and Harry quickly emerged from behind the armor next to the main entrance, pulling a few hairs from the foreheads of Crabbe and Goyle, who were already lying on the ground.

Afterwards, the two of them carried Crabbe and Goyleinto a cupboard at the other end of the entrance hall.

When the two arrived in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Hermione had already finished brewing the potion.

"I believe every step of my plan is fine," Hermione said, flipping through 'Powerful Potions'. It was clear she was still a bit nervous. "After drinking it, we won't turn back into ourselves for an hour."

The potion in front of the Trio looked black and very thick, like mud, and was constantly bubbling. Just from its appearance, it perfectly demonstrated what "disgusting" meant.

"What do we do next?" Harry asked.

"Divide the potion into three parts, then add the hair," Hermione said, scooping up the potion with a long-handled spoon and dividing it into three glass cups, then adding the hair.

This step of the plan was also perfect, but unfortunately, the Polyjuice Potion in Hermione's hand had not been mixed with Millisent's hair, but with a cat's hair.

Therefore, when Harry and Ron turned into Goyle and Crabbe, Hermione had already turned into a "cat-person."

"We need to hurry," Harry, who had turned into Goyleafter drinking the Polyjuice Potion, said, looking at Crabbein front of him. "We only have an hour."

"Seeing Goyle thinking, it's absolutely bizarre!" Ron, who had turned into Crabbe, looked directly at Harry.

"Hermione, hurry up, we need to go!" The two had to urge Hermione to proceed with the next step of the plan.

But unfortunately, Hermione had a problem with the next step of the plan and couldn't carry it out.

"I really don't want to come out—you go by yourselves!"

"We know Millisent is ugly, but no one would know that's you!" The two clearly didn't know that Hermione had turned into a "cat-person."

"Don't worry about me, hurry up and go, don't waste any more time!" Hermione's sharp voice came again.

The two exchanged glances and, having no choice, proceeded with the plan.

Along the way, although the two encountered some setbacks, they eventually approached Malfoy as Crabbeand Goyle. However, it was regrettable that although the two managed to extract some secrets, such as Malfoyleaking the school attack incidents, revealing the secret that their family's Chamber of Secrets was located under the living room floor, and that someone was expelled after the Chamber of Secrets was opened last time, it also ruled out the possibility that Malfoy was the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets.

Clearly, this operation did not let them know who initiated the school attacks.

However, what left Harry and Ron even more speechless was that when they returned to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they discovered that Hermione had actually turned into a "cat-person."

"That was a cat hair!" Hermione cried sadly. "Millisent must have a cat! But Polyjuice Potion can't be used for animal transformation!"

"It's okay, Hermione! We'll take you to Madam Pomfrey, she never asks too many questions—" Harry tried to comfort her.

There was nothing they could do about encountering such bad luck. Harry and Ron spent a long time persuading Hermione to leave the bathroom, and then they took her to a bed in the hospital wing.

The next day, as Aisen was in his office flipping through a Christmas gift from Dumbledore, a book titled 'Alchemy Insights', Harry and Ron knocked on his office door.

"So, you used Polyjuice Potion to find Malfoy and get information?" Looking at the two with gloomy expressions, Aisen was surprisingly calm for a moment, because he had already known about the Trio's plan.

"Yes, Professor, but Malfoy doesn't seem to be the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets!" Ron shrugged.

"That's a shame, Harry, it seems you still can't clear yourself of the suspicion of being the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets!" Aisen looked at Harry sympathetically.

"But we know from Malfoy that the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets before was expelled!" Harryrevealed the information he had extracted.

"Yes, fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Moaning Myrtle was killed at that time, and Hagrid was expelled because of it!" Aisen directly stated these facts.

"What! Hagrid is the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry was startled, looking completely disbelieving. Ronnext to him also looked at Aisen in surprise, seemingly wanting to confirm if the news was true.

"It's true that Hagrid was expelled, but Hagrid is the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets? Of course that's not true, otherwise, he would have been locked up in Azkabanlong ago. How could Professor Dumbledore keep him at school!" Aisen explained simply.

"No wonder last time we went to Hagrid's place, as soon as we mentioned the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid refused to say anything!" Recalling the previous events, Harrysuddenly understood some things.

"Yes, and Hagrid just kicked us out!" Ron also showed an expression of sudden realization.

Chapter 102: 'Cat-Headed' Hermione

'Oh, right, where's Hermione?' Aisen deliberately showed a curious expression, but in reality, under God's Perspective, he had already seen Hermione lying in the school hospital bed in her 'cat-headed' state.

'Cough cough—this—this, when Hermione was with us, there was a little accident...' The two exchanged glances, and finally, Harry stammered out the whole story.

'So, Hermione intended to add Millisent's hair to the Polyjuice Potion, but ended up adding cat hair instead, causing her head to turn into a cat's head?' Although he already knew what had happened, Aisen was still somewhat speechless after hearing Harry's account.

'Uh, yes, Hermione was really unlucky,' Ron said, a hint of schadenfreude seemingly appearing on his face.

'But the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets hasn't been found yet, what should we do?' Harry's face was full of worry. There was nothing they could do; he had originally thought he could find evidence from Malfoy proving he was the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets, but it turned out he wasn't.

Harry naturally knew he wasn't the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets or the culprit behind the attacks, but this meant the culprit was even more deeply hidden.

'Alright, don't worry. Dumbledore will arrange for the Professors to conduct a thorough search. You two be careful and don't run around anymore!' Waving his hand, Aisen comforted them while also cautioning them.

When Harry and Ron left Aisen's office, Aisen noticed that their expressions were no longer overly troubled. Looking at the Alchemy Insights in his hand, Aisen closed it and put it away.

It must be said that Dumbledore's attainment in Alchemyhad indeed reached a level that Aisen still had to look up to. After just a brief glance, Aisen felt he had gained something.

After leaving the office, Aisen paused, then turned and headed towards the school hospital on the second floor. After all, Hermione was also his little fangirl. Since he already knew what had happened, how could he not go and check on her?

Because the Little Wizards had gone home for the Christmas holiday, the corridor was very quiet.

Changing his view, Aisen noticed that the surroundings were empty and there was no one around, so he flashed and disappeared from the spot, appearing simultaneously at the school hospital door.

After pushing open the door, Aisen immediately saw a hospital bed blocked by a curtain.

Clearly, if there were no accidents, Hermione would be lying there, and she had covered herself with the curtain because she didn't want anyone else to see her condition.

'Professor Aisen?' Madam Pomfrey, who was fiddling with some herbs nearby, saw Aisen push open the door and stepped forward to ask, 'Are you here to see Hermione?'

'Yes, I heard from Harry and Ron that Hermione had a bit of an accident. I came to see if she's alright!' Aisen smiled and nodded at Madam Pomfrey, but his gaze went directly through the curtain, seeing Hermione on the hospital bed.

As if she heard Aisen's voice, Hermione, with her cat's head, trembled and quickly buried herself in the covers.

'It's not very serious, but if she's to recover, it will take some time!' Madam Pomfrey was quite nonchalant, seemingly uninterested in knowing what Hermione had been up to. After speaking, she looked at the herbs in her hand and turned to enter the adjacent cubicle.

'Hermione?' Aisen walked directly to Hermione's bed, pulled back the curtain, and sat down. Seeing that Hermione was still wrapped in the covers, Aisen reached out to pull them back.

'No, Professor Aisen—I—I look too awful like this!' Hermione clutched the covers tightly, her voice slightly tearful, clearly not wanting Aisen to see her appearance.

'Alright, don't worry, Hermione. Madam Pomfrey just said you'll recover after a while.' Seeing this, Aisen withdrew his hand.

With a thought, the healing bracelet he had just made appeared in Aisen's hand. He was then about to give the healing bracelet to Hermione.

However, Aisen's movement stopped immediately after. Because he suddenly realized that the healing bracelet might not be useful for Hermione's current condition.

After all, the effect of the healing bracelet was to deal with injuries or some minor jinxes and curses, but Hermione's problem was a self-initiated Transfigurationcaused by using Polyjuice Potion incorrectly, not an injury or curse damage.

Therefore, the healing bracelet probably wouldn't have any effect.

So, could he restore her to normal using his Transfiguration skills? Aisen thought for a moment and felt it should be possible. However, since Hermione's animal Transfiguration state was caused by incorrectly using Polyjuice Potion, he felt that, to be safe, it would be better to wait for the potion's effect to gradually wear off on its own.

After all, he had never dealt with this kind of problem before. If he messed up and turned Hermione into something strange, wouldn't that be even worse?

'Professor Aisen, my plan failed!' Hermione's tone was full of frustration. 'Harry and the others found out that Malfoy isn't the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets!'

'Don't worry, Professor Dumbledore already has a plan. The Chamber of Secrets will be found soon, and once the Basilisk is dealt with, no one will be attacked again!' Aisen comforted Hermione, but his thoughts drifted.

He was thinking that perhaps he could use this opportunity of the major search to tell Dumbledore the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. But this thought was dismissed as soon as it arose.

One must know that Dumbledore had basically guessed that the key to opening the Chamber of Secrets was likely Parseltongue. Therefore, if Aisen directly told Dumbledore the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, there would be no way to explain how he knew about it.

Therefore, he had to wait for an opportunity!

'Thank you, Professor!' Hermione's mood seemed to calm down. Then there was a rustling sound as she seemed to be fumbling for something. 'This is something I wrote myself. I don't know if it's useful?'

A small hand reached out from under the covers, holding a few pages of manuscript paper.

'Let me see—' Aisen smiled slightly, took the manuscript paper from Hermione's hand, and after a quick look, a strange expression appeared on his face.

'Is this—a movie script you wrote?' After flipping through it, Aisen couldn't help but ask.

'Yes, Professor Aisen.' Hermione's voice revealed a hint of embarrassment. 'You said I was an employee of the film company, but I didn't know what I could do. I watched the company's movie, the man from earth, so I wrote a little something. I don't know if it's useful?'

'Uh, it's excellent, Hermione, you've really helped me a lot!' Aisen's face felt slightly warm. He was a bit embarrassed to tell her directly that the film company he opened in Diagon Alley had already gone bankrupt.

But it's fine. Anyway, the film company he opened in London's Muggle World is operating as usual. He can revise the script then hand it over to the company to film.

'However, Hermione, you're a Witch. While you can write movie scripts if you have free time, you mustn't neglect your studies, understand?'

'I understand, Professor!'

'Alright, I'll be going now. You rest well here for a while!' Since there was nothing else to do, Aisen decided to leave.

'Mm, goodbye, Professor!' Hermione waved her small hand that was sticking out, but she didn't show her head.

Smiling, Aisen didn't mind and left the ward directly.

Chapter 103: Nothing Gained

"Professor Aisen!"

Just as Aisen was leaving the hospital wing, a familiar voice called out to him. Immediately, a strange premonition enveloped his heart.

Aisen paused his steps, turned his head to look, and indeed saw Lockhart waving at him from around the corner of the stairs, with Professor McGonagallaccompanying him.

"Professor Lockhart, Professor McGonagall, are you starting the patrol?" Seeing Lockhart in a purple robe, wand held tightly in hand, looking ready to go, Aisenasked directly.

"That's right, Headmaster Dumbledore needs us to check Hogwarts Castle, but for safety, we must work in pairs." Professor McGonagall said this with particular severity.

"I'm with Professor Lockhart?" Aisen pointed to himself, then pointed to Lockhart, adopting a questioning posture.

"Ha—don't worry, Professor Aisen, you don't have to worry about being attacked. I am Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Forces Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming Smile Award. With me here, there's no problem!" Without waiting for Professor McGonagall to speak, Lockhart rushed forward to Aisenand put his arm around him.

"Oh, is that so?" Aisen's expression froze, and with a slight effort, he quietly broke free from Lockhart's arm.

"Don't worry, I will protect you!" Lockhart was not angry at all after being freed, instead, he extended his wand and waved it forcefully, making this promise.

"Professor Aisen, be careful—" After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she also winked at him, and after glancing at Lockhart, she turned and left.

Seeing Professor McGonagall's attitude, Aisen somewhat understood. This was clearly telling Aisen to keep an eye on Lockhart, lest something unexpected happen to him, right?

"Professor Aisen, I think we can start checking from the basement, what do you think?" Lockhart said excitedly.

"Uh, I think that's a very good suggestion, I have no objection." Since Lockhart was so enthusiastic, Aisendidn't object much. Anyway, for him, it didn't matter where they started.

Passing through the empty corridors along the way, Aisenrealized that the school's ghosts were also moving in pairs through various rooms or classrooms, seemingly investigating something.

"Headmaster Dumbledore's order was for all the portraits and ghosts in Hogwarts Castle to take action." Seeing Aisen looking at the ghosts, Lockhart quickly explained, "But I have to say, this is a wrong decision. You know, having me, Lockhart, is enough for this operation!"

"Mm-hmm, that's right, everything you said is correct!" For Aisen, Lockhart was indeed annoying enough. Therefore, he had to humor him.

However, unfortunately, after wandering around from the basement to various classrooms or rooms, Aisen and Lockhart couldn't find any suspicious places.

Meeting other Professors on the way, they found through conversation that the teachers patrolling in pairs also hadn't found anything unusual.

In the following few days, although the Castle was almost completely locked down, the Basilisk seemed to have disappeared. The Professors searched and patrolled but still found nothing.

Professor Lockhart, who was initially in high spirits, stopped babbling and showing off his achievements in front of Aisen after three days of finding nothing useful and being proven wrong by his own words.

"I am sure the Chamber of Secrets has been closed!" After the initial patrol ended, Lockhart swore confidently in front of Aisen and the other Professors.

However, judging from the serious expressions of Dumbledore and others, no one took his words seriously. Obviously, after several days of thorough investigation with no findings, everyone basically realized the seriousness of the matter.

Because finding nothing meant that the culprit of the attacks was still at large, and that Hogwarts would face more attacks.

But this was too dangerous for the school.

However, after the search of Hogwarts Castle yielded nothing, Dumbledore had to stop such actions.

After a few weeks passed, Hogwarts Castle remained peaceful.

Regarding this, Aisen didn't act rashly. Every day, besides practicing Charms, he studied the book Alchemy Insightsthat Dumbledore had given him.

One couldn't help but admire Dumbledore's profound achievements in Alchemy. After studying for a few weeks, Aisen already felt he had gained a lot.

...

On the desk in the office, a sneakoscope was placed. Aisen, who had completed the detection methods, planned to disassemble it.

While researching some time ago, he had originally planned to add some functions to the original sneakoscope to create an enhanced version. However, due to encountering a bottleneck and being unable to balance various functions, he couldn't integrate the functions and paused the production.

During this time, after thoroughly reading Dumbledore's Alchemy Insights, Aisen suddenly found that the ideas and techniques he needed to create an enhanced sneakoscope could subtly be found within it.

Therefore, Aisen decided to try again today.

Since the enhanced sneakoscope Aisen planned to create was meant to combine the original sneakoscope's ability with the Map's function of displaying names, Aisen didn't intend to completely imitate the appearance of the sneakoscope, but rather planned to make it based on a flat mirror.

A faint stream of light flashed in Aisen's eyes. The magical patterns in the sneakoscope were clearly reflected in Aisen's mind. He reached out and pressed his fingertip against the sneakoscope. With full concentration, a brilliant light emerged from it and quickly merged into the flat mirror beside it.

With another wave of his hand, lines of runes intertwined and arranged themselves, imprinting onto the flat mirror.

After more than ten minutes, Aisen stopped all movements. The sneakoscope he had originally bought was completely scrapped, but the flat mirror in front of him looked exceptionally magnificent.

Picking up the flat mirror, Aisen revealed a slight smile on his lips. "The enhanced sneakoscope is finally made. I just wonder how effective it is?"

He gently brushed the mirror surface with his hand, and a ripple like water spread out. Immediately, a red name kept flashing in the mirror, seemingly warning Aisen.

Looking closely, Aisen could see that this name was precisely "Peter Pettigrew". The location where the name flashed was the dormitory of Ron and Harry in GryffindorTower.

"The effect is quite good. This way, whatever I need to do in the future, my initiative should increase significantly!" Aisen showed a hint of joy on his face, then put it away.

Speaking of which, Aisen felt very strange. Fred and George had obtained the Map a long time ago. It was because of this that they could avoid Filch when sneaking around at night.

But what made Aisen feel puzzled was, didn't they notice that Peter Pettigrew's name was always with Ron?

Or could it be that these twin brothers never cared about their younger brother? But even if they didn't care, it's impossible that they wouldn't pay attention even once over such a long time, right?

Or perhaps Peter Pettigrew participated in the creation of the Map, and outsiders couldn't see the creator's name and whereabouts? Is that why he was eventually discovered by Lupin, who was also a creator of the Map? Various speculations flashed through his mind, and Aisenfinally shook his head, clearing the complex thoughts from his mind.

Chapter 104: After the Holiday (Seeking Subscription)

After the Christmas holiday, the Little Wizards returned to Hogwarts once again.

Perhaps it was because they had a holiday, the oppressive atmosphere in Hogwarts was gone. However, when the Little Wizards learned that Hermione had gone missing and then appeared in the school hospital, they naturally assumed she had also been attacked.

However, this 'misunderstanding' brought by the Little Wizards allowed Harry to receive a little less cold stares. Because many people knew that Harry and Hermionehad a good relationship, so when Hermione was attacked, many Little Wizards thought that Harry shouldn't have done it.

So, consequently, many Little Wizards believed that Harry was not the Heir of Slytherin.

But because Harry exposed the fact that he was a Parseltongue, even though the suspicion on him was reduced, he was still the biggest suspect.

Previously, Ernie of Hufflepuff had been spreading the story that 'Justin was attacked by Harry Potter only after he let slip in front of Harry Potter that he was a Muggle-born'.

But after Hermione was 'attacked', Ernie's actions also quieted down considerably.

Under these circumstances, the Little Wizards would choose to walk past the school hospital entrance after classes, wanting to catch a glimpse of her.

But luckily, the curtains on the hospital bed could block Hermione, otherwise, if everyone saw her turned into a 'cat-person', Hermione would probably be too ashamed to stay in school.

Of course, lying in the hospital bed did not mean Hermione would always rest. After the new term started, Harry and Ron would bring homework to Hermione every evening so she could catch up on her studies.

"If I grew whiskers on my cheeks, I could also rest and not have to do homework!" Ron couldn't help but complain to Harry every evening when he saw Hermione still having to rush through her homework while lying in the hospital bed.

"Don't talk nonsense, Hermione won't fall behind on her studies!" Although Harry also thought this was natural, he knew Hermione wouldn't take the opportunity to be lazy.

Fortunately, after a few weeks, Hermione's condition had improved significantly. Not only had the fur on her face disappeared, but her eyes had also turned back to brown.

"Have you found any new clues?" Hermione's tone was somewhat cheerful, but she deliberately lowered her voice to prevent Madam Pomfrey from hearing.

"No!" Harry's voice was slightly low, looking obviously a bit dejected.

"Hagrid must know something." Ron offered his opinion.

"But you both said that the Professors know about Hagrid's expulsion, and yet Hagrid is still at Hogwarts, which means he definitely isn't the Heir of Slytherin." Although Hermione also felt they could learn something from Hagrid, judging by the Professors' apparent conviction that Hagrid wasn't the culprit, their plan seemed unworkable.

"Yes, the Professors all trust Hagrid, so Hagrid must have been framed!" Harry showed a thoughtful expression.

"So, the real Heir of Slytherin framed Hagrid for the attacks? And the current Heir of Slytherin is framing Harry for the attacks?" Ron couldn't help but swallow, even turning around to look around as if the Heir of Slytherin might jump out at any moment.

"But Hagrid isn't a student of Slytherin, and he has Giantblood, so he can't be a descendant of Salazar Slytherin!" Hermione couldn't help but point out.

"Doesn't that mean that Harry, who has already revealed he's a Parseltongue, will find it even harder to clear his name—I mean, if the real culprit isn't found?" Ron said with a worried look.

"If Hagrid was expelled because he was framed, it means the real Heir of Slytherin hasn't been found! He's still hiding in Hogwarts!" The worry on Harry's face became even more apparent.

"If another attack happens, will Harry be expelled and sent to Azkaban?" Ron looked at Harry, his face not only filled with worry but also a hint of sympathy.

"Don't talk nonsense, Professor Dumbledore and the others believe Harry isn't the culprit!" Thinking of the Professors' attitude towards Harry, Hermione directly denied the possibility Ron mentioned.

"Oh, right, you're right!" The worry on Ron's face completely vanished.

"But, I think we still need to find the Heir of Slytherinhiding in Hogwarts, only then can we stop the attacks and clear Harry's name!" Hermione suggested a direction for solving the problem.

However, finding the hidden culprit was an almost impossible task for them. After all, the one truly causing trouble was merely Voldemort's diary.

"I don't think we need to worry too much, Professor Dumbledore will handle all of this!" Ron comforted Harryas they were about to go to the Library.

Because Snape had assigned them too much homework, they had to spend more time doing it.

However, just as Ron finished speaking, an angry shout came from upstairs.

"Filch's voice!" Harry said in a low voice, looking suspiciously at the stairs around the corner.

"Has someone been attacked again?" Ron, who had just said there was nothing to worry about, immediately became nervous. Then, he and Harry stood still around the corner and peered in Filch's direction.

"More trouble for me, as if I don't have enough work to do. No! I'm going to find Dumbledore—" Filch's voice gradually faded away, and then with a violent slamming of a door, Filch's voice completely disappeared.

After hearing the sound disappear, Harry and Ronexchanged glances, then quietly went to where Filchusually stood guard.

When they saw where Mrs. Norris had been petrified, and a large puddle of water had even spread halfway down the corridor, they finally understood why Filch had been shouting.

Clearly, this amount of standing water would indeed take Filch a long time to clean up. But it seemed the water was still constantly seeping out from under the door crack of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

To Harry and Ron's surprise, after Filch's shouting voice disappeared, Moaning Myrtle's wailing could be heard from the bathroom.

"Looks like no one was attacked—" Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go see what's wrong with her again." Harry said, and then he and Ron lifted their robes and walked through the standing water towards the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

After entering, the two of them realized that due to the large flow of water, all the surrounding candles had been extinguished. The bathroom was dimly lit, and the floor and walls were also damp.

"What's wrong, Myrtle?" Harry suppressed Moaning Myrtle's piercing wails and stepped forward to ask.

"Who are you?" Moaning Myrtle emerged from the flushing toilet where she was hiding. "Are you going to throw something at me again?"

"Why would I throw something at you?" Harry didn't understand what had happened.

"Don't ask me." Myrtle shouted and popped out, spraying another larger stream of water that splashed onto the already soaked floor. "I was minding my own business here, thinking about my problems, and someone thought it would be fun to throw a book at me—"

"But even if someone throws something at you, it wouldn't hurt you." Harry looked back at Ron, then turned back and said, "I mean, it would just pass right through you, wouldn't it?"

Unexpectedly, Harry's words angered Myrtle. She puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let everyone throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it at all! If you hit her in the stomach, you get ten points! If you hit her in the head, you get fifty points! Isn't it a lovely game! I don't think so!"

"Uh, who threw a book at you then?" Harry changed the subject.

"I don't know, I was sitting on the toilet seat, and the book suddenly fell from above my head!" Myrtle glared at Harry. "It's right there, soaked through!"

Harry looked in the direction Myrtle pointed and saw a diary with a black cover lying on the floor under the sink.

Just as Harry reached out to pick it up, Ron stopped him, using the excuse that it was too dangerous; incidentally, Ron also gave him an example his father had told him about.

For instance, among the books confiscated by the Ministry of Magic, some books, if you read them, will burn your eyes out. Some books, if you just look at them, you'll never be able to put them down. And if you read a book called 'Fourteen Sonnets of a Wizard', you'll only be able to speak in doggerel for the rest of your life.

"But someone used it to hit Myrtle, which means it's not that dangerous, right!" Harry's thinking was very clear, and then he picked up the diary.

Chapter 105: The Diary (Seeking Subscription)

The black cover of the diary looked a bit worn, and the faded date indicated it was a fifty-year-old diary.

"No, I still think we shouldn't risk it!" Just as Harry was about to open the diary, Ron stopped him. "Maybe the person who threw it away did so because they thought it was dangerous!"

"But if we don't look, we won't know what's written inside!" Harry's face showed a thoughtful expression. "Look, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, and this diary is also fifty years old. Maybe it records something."

"Are you saying it records what happened at Hogwartsfifty years ago?" Ron was stunned, somewhat disbelieving. "But even so, we can't know the truth. Even the Professors don't know who the Heir of Slytherin is!"

"You're right!" Hearing Ron's argument, Harryimmediately felt deflated, but he still didn't quite understand. "However, why would someone throw it away?"

Was it really thrown away because it was too dangerous? Thinking of this possibility, Harry suddenly felt the diary in his hand was burning hot.

"Alright, no matter why it was thrown away, it's not of much use to you anyway." Ron said, seizing the opportunity to lean into Harry's ear and lower his voice. "If you hit Moaning Myrtle's nose with it, you'll get fifty points!"

"Don't say that!" Harry glared at Ron, then looked at the diary in his hand. "What do you say about giving it to Aisen?"

"That's a good idea, I'm sure he won't be afraid if there's any danger on it!" Ron's eyes lit up, and he stopped mentioning throwing it away.

...

"Professor Aisen, thank you so much!" Fred and Georgethanked Aisen in unison, which left him bewildered.

He was in his office continuing his research on Alchemywhen the Weasley Twins came knocking. Not only did they come, but as soon as they entered, they acted so grateful towards him, which made him uncomfortable.

"Uh, did something happen? Why are you saying that?" Looking at the two smiling faces, Aisen couldn't help but ask.

"Ha—Professor, we just received a letter from Dad and learned that you plan to open a shop selling the prank products me and George make!" Fred winked at Aisen, then looked at George next to him.

"That's right, Professor, your vision is fantastic! Believe us, those products are very popular!" George's tone revealed unspeakable surprise.

Clearly, the Weasley Twins had learned about the plan to change the shop into a magic trick shop selling their prank products.

"It's nothing, I just think opening a shop like this can make the most of your strengths!" Aisen smiled, thinking it was better not to say it was actually an option to avoid directly ending the lease.

In fact, Aisen hadn't really given this much thought. After all, in the original plot, they would also open their own magic trick shop.

Bang bang—

A knock suddenly sounded outside the door.

"Alright, Professor, we'll be going now!" Fred glanced at the door, then slightly restrained himself and said to Aisen.

"That's right, thank you, Professor, we will definitely bring the Professor a completely new product experience!" George followed up, then he and Fred left with grins.

After the door opened, Harry and Ron entered one after the other and saw Fred and George leaving.

"Wow—the evil heirs of Slytherin, are you here to attack Professor Aisen?" Seeing Harry and Ron, Fred and George acted in perfect sync, pretending to shiver and showing exaggerated fear.

"Shut up, we have something to discuss with ProfessorAisen!" Ron yelled at them in exasperation. "Harry, ignore what they're saying!"

As Ron spoke, he slammed the office door shut. Harryonly heard Fred and George's laughter from behind him.

"It's alright, I think they were just joking!" Clearly, Harrydidn't mind this attitude. For him, the pointing and whispering made him more uncomfortable; Fred and George's way made him feel more relaxed instead.

"Harry, Ron! Is there something you need?" Looking at Harry and Ron, Aisen couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, Professor Aisen, we found something!" Harry and Ron exchanged glances, then took out the diary and placed it on the desk.

"A diary?" Looking at the diary with the black cover in front of him, Aisen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes, we found it near Moaning Myrtle. Myrtle said someone threw it at her head." Harry nodded. "Ron said some books are dangerous, so—"

Aisen nodded, took out his wand, and pointed it at the diary in front of him. A little white flowing light appeared and landed on it, then the light changed, turning into grey light that scattered and disappeared.

"You were right not to open it. It's likely been cursed, it's clearly a Black magic object!" Aisen said solemnly to the two.

He saw that both Harry and Ron looked scared after the fact.

Turning to the first page of the diary, Aisen faintly felt a sense of being watched, but it was repelled by the vast magic within him. Moreover, strangely, a sense of control suddenly emerged in Aisen's heart, making him feel like he could manipulate this diary in front of him.

But when he felt it closely, Aisen found this sense of control somewhat elusive.

"Tom Riddle!" Looking at the faint name on the first page, Aisen knew that this diary was Voldemort's Horcrux.

"I've heard that name!" Hearing Aisen read out the name, Ron was immediately stunned. "Tom Riddle received a Special Services to the School Award fifty years ago!"

"How do you know that?" Harry was suddenly a bit surprised.

"Filch punished me by making me polish trophies last time. I burped that day and got slug slime on one, and then I spent a whole hour wiping the slime off that name!" Ron was still indignant when mentioning the detention.

"So, how did he get the Special Services Award fifty years ago?" Aisen posed the question, then tapped the open diary with his wand, and the damp pages inside quickly dried.

"Maybe he caught thirty owls, or saved a teacher from the giant tentacles of the giant squid, maybe he was the one who murdered Moaning Myrtle—" Ron stopped at the end, then turned his head and saw that Harry was also looking at him.

"Professor Aisen, Tom Riddle is the murderer!" Harry's breathing quickened.

"Oh, why do you think so?" Aisen praised inwardly, but asked calmly on the surface.

"Look, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, Moaning Myrtle was killed, and then Hagrid was expelled. But Professor Dumbledore and the others all believed Hagrid wasn't the Heir of Slytherin. This means the real Heir of Slytherin opened the Chamber, killed Myrtle, and then framed Hagrid for everything.

Hagrid was expelled because of this, which means the matter ended there. And Tom Riddle received the Special Services Award at that time. Under what circumstances would someone receive a Special Services Award? It must have been for discovering 'Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets and let the monster kill Myrtle'."

"But Hagrid wasn't the Heir of Slytherin!" Listening to Harry's speculation, Ron chimed in, his face showing extraordinary shock.

"Exactly, so Tom Riddle is the real murderer, he must be the Heir of Slytherin!" Harry nodded, then looked at Aisenwith burning eyes.

"A very brilliant speculation. You mean, the real culprit who opened the Chamber of Secrets now is Tom Riddle?" Closing the diary, Aisen looked at Harry and tapped on it.

"This—" Harry and Ron looked at the diary in front of Professor Aisen, and a chill immediately ran down their spines. Could a living person be hidden in a diary? Or were all their speculations wrong?

"Alright, you two go back first, I will discuss this matter with Professor Dumbledore." Aisen picked up the diary and stood up. "I think Professor Dumbledore will know all about this!"

"Okay, Professor Aisen!" Harry and Ron exchanged glances and didn't dwell on it further.

After Harry and Ron left, a faint smile couldn't help but appear on Aisen's face. "It seems the plot is still inevitably developing in another direction, tsk tsk!"

Chapter 106: Conversation with Dumbledore

After pacing around the office for a while, Aisen made up his mind to directly hand the diary over to Dumbledorefor handling.

As for why he didn't keep the diary first, try to trick the young Voldemort, and see if he could learn some knowledge. Aisen stated that he didn't need it at all.

After all, he had a golden finger, and his strength had been continuously growing, so there was no need to deal with Voldemort.

Shifting his gaze, Aisen spotted Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office. With a thought, he flashed and disappeared from the office, reappearing next to Dumbledore.

"Professor Aisen, I was thinking, you don't really need to travel around Hogwarts Castle in this manner, do you!" Looking at the figure that appeared before him, Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, hinting at Aisen.

"Alright, Professor Dumbledore, I will be mindful of that, but what I wanted to say is, I have something urgent to discuss with you!" Aisen's mouth twitched involuntarily, but he still nodded and then explained the purpose of his visit.

"What is it?" Dumbledore looked over curiously.

"Harry and the others found this in Moaning Myrtle's lavatory, and I think I should hand this over to you!" Hearing Dumbledore's question, Aisen didn't hesitate at all and directly pulled out Voldemort's diary.

"This is—" Feeling the power of Black Magic contained within the diary, Dumbledore's expression immediately turned serious.

"Tom Riddle..." Opening the diary, Dumbledore saw the name written inside.

"Well, you know, after Harry's Parseltongue was revealed, many people have considered him the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets. So, he has also been privately investigating the matter of the Chamber of Secrets." Seeing that Dumbledore realized the seriousness of the matter, Aisen organized his words and began to speak.

Next, Aisen told Dumbledore about the information Harryhad found and the conclusion he had deduced that "Tom Riddle is the real culprit."

"Tom Riddle's identity—" After listening to Aisen's explanation, Dumbledore mused for a moment, then looked at him.

"Voldemort!" Nodding, Aisen indicated that he already knew that Tom Riddle was Voldemort.

"So, do you think Voldemort opened the Chamber of Secrets and caused the attacks?" Dumbledore closed the diary and began to ask for Aisen's opinion.

"No, about last year's matter, I mean him trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, he had already become a remnant soul!" Aisen shook his head, then pointed to the black-covered diary in Dumbledore's hand, "I think even if he wasn't killed, he shouldn't be able to return so easily, so the attacks should have a lot to do with this item he left behind!"

"Yes, it seems I guessed correctly, Voldemort wasn't completely killed precisely because of it!" A trace of worry suddenly appeared on Dumbledore's face.

"The Black Magic item he left behind can ensure he won't be killed?" Aisen appropriately showed a look of "doubt," pointing out the characteristic of a Horcrux.

"Yes, a very evil kind of Black Magic." Dumbledorehesitated for a moment, then stated his deduction, "Tomsplit his soul, injected a fragment of his soul into the diary, and made it into a Horcrux."

"That sounds quite powerful, Voldemort used a Horcruxto ensure he wouldn't completely die after being killed. However, can't we just destroy this Black Magic item—well, this Horcrux!" Aisen continued, following Dumbledore's words.

"But Voldemort wouldn't be so careless as to throw a Horcrux into the Second floor girls' lavatory..." Dumbledore shook his head, then gave Aisen a deep look.

"You mean, since Voldemort doesn't care about this Horcrux, it means he made more than just this one Horcrux?" Aisen voiced Dumbledore's guess.

"Exactly, he would definitely do that." Dumbledorenodded solemnly.

"If that's the case, then there's no way to kill Voldemort at all?" Aisen said calmly, "I mean, if Voldemort made hundreds of horcruxes and scattered them all over the world, no one would know how many horcruxes there are, and no one would know where they are—"

"No—the method for creating horcruxes is extremely evil, each time a soul is split, it causes irreversible damage to the Witch's soul, making the Witch extremely unstable! Even among some evil Dark Wizards, not many are willing to create horcruxes." Dumbledore's eyes gleamed, his tone particularly firm, and after speaking, he gave Aisen a meaningful look.

"That is to say, Voldemort can't split his soul indefinitely." Aisen completely ignored Dumbledore's gaze, pretending to speak casually, "Then he might split his soul into seven pieces, and besides himself, he would make six horcruxes?"

"Why do you think so?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Uh, I just guessed, but I think seven is a magical number, isn't it?" Aisen spread his hands, "Maybe Voldemort thought so too."

Obviously, Aisen couldn't just say everything he knew directly. So, he could only hint to Dumbledore in this way.

However, Aisen didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt a sense of ease behind Dumbledore's serious expression.

But upon second thought, Aisen understood that perhaps that was Dumbledore's true feeling. After all, finding the key to killing Voldemort was something worth celebrating for Dumbledore, who had always been worried about Voldemort's return.

"Who do you think brought it into Hogwarts?" After a moment of contemplation, Dumbledore pointed to the diary and changed the subject.

"I don't know!" Aisen shrugged, "But I once visited the Weasley family during the end-of-year holiday last school year."

Seeing Dumbledore staring at him, Aisen continued, "You know, I was once Muggle-born, and Mr. Weasley is also very fascinated by Muggle items, so we've had conversations and collaborated."

"Yes, I heard about it, you collaborated to open a shop in Diagon Alley to show movies from the Muggle World." Dumbledore was indeed well-informed.

"Yes, looking at the speed and trend of Muggletechnology development, the exposure of the Wizarding World in the future is almost inevitable." Aisen paused, seeing that Dumbledore had no other reaction, and continued, "At that time, there will likely be significant conflict between Witches and Muggles. However, conflict stems from misunderstanding. So I plan to show Witches Muggle movies to deepen the understanding between the two groups, perhaps to prepare for a rainy day."

"A very far-sighted view!" A trace of appreciation was revealed in Dumbledore's eyes.

"But unfortunately, Witches were too interested in Muggle items, leading to a surge in incidents of abusing Muggle items, and Mr. Weasley and I had to suspend this plan." Aisen shook his head, feeling like he had nothing better to do after eating his fill.

Afterward, Aisen recounted the information he had heard from Arthur Weasley.

"At that time, the Ministry of Magic was confiscating dangerous items from various Witch families, so I guess this Horcrux was likely secretly given to an incoming Little Wizards by one of Voldemort's former servants, who feared it would be discovered."

"A very reasonable speculation, but there's no evidence!" Dumbledore said.

"No, maybe there is some evidence, although it's not so direct—" Aisen suddenly thought of something.

"Evidence?" Dumbledore looked at Aisen suspiciously.

"Professor Dumbledore, I presume you haven't forgotten how Harry and Ron arrived at the school at the start of the new school year!" Aisen nodded and said these words.

"By riding in Mr. Weasley's modified flying car!" Dumbledore showed a surprised expression.

"That's right, I asked Harry, and Harry said it was done by a House-elf named Dobby." Aisen nodded, "Before school started, Dobby had also warned Harry not to study at Hogwarts, and that day during the Quidditchmatch, Harry was hit by a rogue bludger, which was also done by Dobby.

So why would Dobby prevent Harry from attending school? You know, Dobby is Malfoy's House-elf!"

"I see!" Dumbledore nodded and said nothing more.

This attitude made Aisen pause, 'I haven't even finished explaining, and you already know?' "What I mean is, Dobby knew in advance that attacks would happen at Hogwarts—"

"I know, you mean that Dobby found out that Lucius gave it to a certain Little Wizards to bring into Hogwarts, which is why Dobby did that to Harry." Dumbledorepicked up Voldemort's diary.

"Uh, yes, although it's a guess, everything is very reasonable!" Aisen nodded.

Chapter 107: Harry, Who Still Had to Take the Blame

By the time Aisen left Dumbledore's office, an hour had already passed. Although the conversation was quite taxing, fortunately, Aisen had managed to say everything he needed to say.

Now, Voldemort's first Horcrux, the diary, had been handed over to Dumbledore for handling, so naturally, the attacks would not happen again.

This way, there should be no problems for the rest of the second school year. However, regarding the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, Aisen had a conversation with Dumbledore before leaving the Headmaster's office.

Both agreed that although the culprit who opened the Chamber of Secrets had been found, the matter of the Horcrux was not suitable for exposure. Therefore, the Basilisk, the 'true culprit', must be dealt with.

After all, a Basilisk that could 'stare people to death' hiding in Hogwarts was simply too dangerous.

Moreover, although the attacks at Hogwarts had not yet been reported in the papers, the news had already spread. Therefore, if Dumbledore did not want to face pressure from the school board, finding and killing the Basilisk was the most appropriate course of action.

However, Aisen did not directly tell Dumbledore where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was. The reason, of course, was that he 'had no reason' to be able to find such information. So, to avoid complications, Aisen did not meddle further.

That evening, while Aisen was still in the Library, Harryand Ron came looking for him.

"Have you finished your homework?" Seeing the two impatiently sitting across from him, Aisen couldn't help but remind them.

"No." Harry's face froze, and he instantly became depressed like a wilted eggplant. For Harry, homework was truly an insurmountable mountain.

Especially the large amount of homework assigned by Snape, which made Harry think he wouldn't finish it until his sixth year.

"It's all because of you, Professor Aisen!" Ron glanced at Aisen and grumbled.

"I remember Astronomy homework is the least among all subjects, right?" Hearing Ron's words, Aisen was a bit surprised. After all, Aisen had a conscience and never put pressure on students.

"Uh, I meant the crystal balls you made, Professor Aisen." Ron's face was full of resentment. "The Professors saw that we were in good spirits and increased the amount of homework a lot!"

"Cough cough—just treat it as practicing the sea of questions tactic!" So, this was really his fault? Aisen said, taking the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyway, is there something you need?"

"Right, Professor, what about that diary? Is the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets Tom Riddle?" Harry suddenly perked up.

Ron, who was beside him, also cast off his earlier gloomy expression and looked at Aisen with high spirits.

"That's right! The Heir of the Chamber of Secrets is indeed Tom Riddle, or rather, it's that diary." After a slight pause, Aisen decided to tell them part of the truth to prevent them from worrying constantly.

"That diary?" Harry looked at Aisen with confusion, not quite understanding what he meant.

"Do you remember, I told you that diary was a Black Magic item?" Aisen asked solemnly.

"Yes, Ron said some books enchanted with Black Magic can be very dangerous!" Harry nodded after exchanging glances with Ron and looked at Aisen.

"That diary, in itself, is very dangerous." Aisen reached out and tapped the table. "It is the culprit that opened the Chamber of Secrets and caused the attacks!"

Suddenly hearing such a conclusion, Harry and Ron were dumbfounded for a moment.

"But, Professor Aisen, didn't you say the attacks were done by the Basilisk?" Ron was very confused.

"Professor Aisen, do you mean that diary is alive, it can speak Parseltongue, open the Chamber of Secrets, and control the Basilisk to attack?" Harry said, shivering all over, and looked at Aisen with an incredulous expression.

"Basically, yes, so be careful what you pick up in the future, or you might accidentally run into big trouble!" Aisen glanced at Harry approvingly, then instructed.

"Fortunately, I didn't open it that day—" After exchanging glances with Ron, Harry patted his chest, showing a look of lingering fear.

Actually, even if Harry had opened it, there was basically no danger. But to make him more cautious in the future and less reckless, Aisen didn't explain this fully.

"That diary—" Ron, who had processed the information, immediately looked at Aisen.

"It has already been handed over to Professor Dumbledore for handling, so don't worry. The attacks in the Chamber of Secrets should not happen again." Aisensmiled slightly and stated the result.

"That's great!" Harry's face lit up with joy, and after exclaiming, he jumped up and high-fived Ron.

Seeing Harry's reaction, Aisen could actually understand.

In fact, any adult who was seen as a culprit for a period of time would likely feel particularly suppressed. Not to mention, Harry was just a twelve-year-old boy.

This time, hearing the truth from Aisen and knowing that the attacks would no longer happen, Harry immediately felt much more relaxed.

"However, because this matter involves certain issues, it will not be announced for the time being." Seeing the two of them smiling broadly, Aisen, though reluctant, still poured cold water on their spirits.

"Ah—why is that?" The two's expressions froze, and Roncouldn't help but question him.

If the truth of the matter couldn't be announced, wouldn't that mean Harry would have to continue taking the blame and being seen as the culprit for the attacks?

"Don't forget, the direct culprit of the attacks is the Basilisk. If the Basilisk isn't found and dealt with, no one will believe that a diary is the culprit!" Aisen reminded them.

"But—" Ron opened his mouth but couldn't think of any reason to refute.

In reality, the truth that the diary is the Horcrux and the culprit is not suitable for public announcement. Because it involves a Horcrux, it must be kept secret.

"Doesn't that mean everyone else won't know about this?" Harry showed a slightly embarrassed look. After all, not announcing it meant having to continue taking the blame.

"That's right." Aisen nodded, looking at Harry's face, and felt a little sorry for him. There was nothing for it, after all, Harry was actually Voldemort's Horcrux!

After hearing Aisen's words, the two immediately became disheartened again.

...

"Harry, have you heard those voices recently?" After leaving the Library, Ron quietly asked Harry.

"You mean those voices?" Harry was startled, then realized what Ron was talking about, and shook his head. "No, maybe the Chamber of Secrets is really closed!"

They made their way to the Gryffindor Common Room, put away their completed homework into their storage rings, and then went to the Hospital Wing.

"Harry, Ron, you're late! Hurry up, I think I'll be doing homework very late tonight!" Looking at the two latecomers, Hermione couldn't help but complain.

"Uh, we went to see Professor Aisen!" Harry and Ronexchanged glances, then took out their homework and explained where they had been.

"What did you go to see Professor Aisen for?" A flicker of joy crossed Hermione's face, and she immediately became interested.

"Well, it's like this..." Harry then recounted how he had found a diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

After Harry finished speaking, Hermione already looked stunned.

"You mean, we don't have to worry about the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets hiding in Hogwarts anymore!" Hermione exclaimed after she recovered.

"That's right, that diary is the true culprit who controlled the Basilisk. Professor Aisen and Professor Dumbledorealready know. We don't have to worry about the attacks anymore!" Harry nodded.

"But Professor Aisen said that diary involves some issues and can't be announced, so Harry still has to endure everyone's pointing and whispering!" Ron pouted.

"It's okay, Professor Dumbledore definitely knows too, they must have planned it out!" Harry said, no longer worried.

"Since Professor Aisen and they have made arrangements, there's nothing to worry about!" Hermionenarrowed her eyes, not seeming to mind Harry continuing to take the blame. However, the feeling of the adventure ending just as it began felt a bit strange.

Chapter 108: Lockhart's Time to Shine (Seeking Subscriptions!)

Time came to early February, and Hermione finally got off the hospital bed.

Obviously, after such a long period of treatment, Hermione's head had recovered, without whiskers or cat hair. Hermione, who had transformed back into a little beauty, was naturally in a much better mood.

However, because none of the teachers and students knew that the real culprit of the attack had been found, they were still suspicious all day long, afraid of encountering some terrifying monster.

"I think we must find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, find the Basilisk, and then inform the Professors." When Harry encountered the pointing and whispering situation again, he finally couldn't help but tell Ron and Hermione his plan.

"But the culprit has been found, and after the Chamber of Secrets is closed, the Basilisk might be trapped inside forever." Hermione didn't quite agree with Harry's opinion. "I mean, if everyone sees that the attacks are no longer happening, no one will keep talking about you!"

"But don't forget, Malfoy has already spread the news about the attacks at Hogwarts. If the Basilisk isn't found, Professor Dumbledore will definitely be in trouble.

I mean, you know, Malfoy's father is not only from a pure-blood Witch family but also a Hogwarts school board member. He has always wanted to fire Dumbledorebecause he is close to Muggles. If the attacks are not resolved, Hogwarts might be in big trouble," Harryexplained his reasons.

"But the heir of the Chamber of Secrets has been caught, right? We all know, it's that diary!" Hermione looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she whispered back.

"But Dumbledore doesn't plan to announce it, does he?" Harry immediately found a very valid reason.

"Okay, maybe we really should find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and find the Basilisk." Hermioneopened her mouth, but finally agreed with Harry's opinion.

"Don't worry, at least we don't have to worry about anyone being attacked again." Seeing that they still had to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, Ronimmediately became interested.

"Ron is right, we won't encounter any danger," Harry said. "Don't forget the sunglasses and the rooster crowing recorder that Professor Aisen gave us. We don't have to worry at all!"

In the following time, although the school's atmosphere was still oppressive, as time passed, since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick were attacked, there had been no more attacks. Under the influence of the calming crystal ball, people's emotions gradually became optimistic.

However, Peeves, the ghost of Hogwarts, kept causing trouble in the corridors. He would always squeeze into the crowd, doing a fixed dance while singing: "Oh, Potter, you annoying fellow…"

Of course, seeing that the attacks were showing signs of subsiding, Lockhart, the Professor who liked to show off, took all the credit for himself.

"I don't think there will be any more trouble, Minerva! I think the Chamber of Secrets will never be opened again. Those criminals must have known that I would catch them sooner or later, it's just a matter of time. See, it's very wise to stop before I deal with them.

You know, what the school needs most now is to boost morale, and it is very necessary to eliminate the things from last semester in your memory. I think I am confident about this kind of thing, but I can't reveal it yet…"

This was what the Little Wizards heard Lockhart say to Professor McGonagall during their Transfiguration Class. Everyone didn't believe Lockhart's words, especially Harry and Ron who knew the truth and treated him as a complete liar. Even Hermione was basically completely disappointed with Lockhart.

Early in the morning on February 14th, when Aisen came to the Great Hall to have breakfast, he was as stunned as many Little Wizards by the scene before him.

After entering the Great Hall door, the four walls were decorated with red flowers, one after another, which looked particularly bright and dazzling under the effect of magic.

In addition, what was more eye-catching was that the ceiling had been enchanted at some point, and heart-shaped confetti of various colors kept falling from the ceiling, scattering on the long dining tables and the floor.

Sitting at the Professor's dining table, Aisen saw Lockhart's attire. He was wearing a pink Witch robe, which matched the color of the surrounding decorations perfectly.

Is this Valentine's Day? Thinking this, Aisen glanced at the faces of the Professors. He saw that all the teachers had stern faces, and Professor McGonagall's cheek muscles were even bulging, as if she was about to explode.

And Professor Snape, Aisen noticed that he looked as if he had been forced to drink a glass of strong liquor, his face was not good.

His gaze swept over the dining tables of the various colleges, and the students' faces were either dark or stunned, basically with little difference. Of course, some Little Wizards had silly smiles on their faces, seemingly quite taken with Lockhart's approach.

"Everyone, Happy Valentine's Day—" Lockhart stood up and waved his hand to quiet everyone down, then said this loudly.

But he didn't stop, because next was his moment to perform: "So far, forty-five people have sent me greeting cards, and I want to thank you for that! Yes, please forgive me for taking the liberty of arranging a little surprise for everyone—and that's not all!"

After the words fell, Lockhart clapped his hands.

Like a signal, following Lockhart's movements, twelve grim-faced dwarves strode in from the doors leading to the foyer.

Perhaps it was Lockhart's arrangement, but these dwarves not only had golden wings on their backs but also carried harps.

Looking at all this, Aisen's mouth was already twitching. He didn't know what kind of psychology Lockhart had, but he only felt awkward looking at all this.

However, Lockhart didn't care about the faces of others and continued to wave cheerfully to everyone: "My friendly, card-carrying cupids. They will be wandering around the school today, delivering Valentine's Day cards to you.

The fun doesn't stop there! Believe me, why not ask Professor Snape to teach you how to brew a love potion? Professor Flitwick is more skilled in enchanting magicthan any Witch I've ever seen, that cunning old dog!"

Holy cow! Awesome!

Aisen suppressed his smile, his face a little contorted. He could see Professor Flitwick burying his face in his hands. And Professor Snape had a gloomy expression on his face. It looked like anyone who actually asked him for advice would probably be directly poisoned!

"Of course, there's also Professor Aisen. I think he will be happy to teach you how to identify stars in the night, right on the highest Astronomy Tower. It's truly romantic!"

Hearing this sentence, Aisen's contorted face froze. He turned his head slightly to glance at Lockhart, only to see that the other party was also looking at him, and even winked, as if hinting at something.

This immediately made Aisen speechless. Wasn't it just a "draw" with you in the Duelling Club? Is it necessary to be like this? At the moment, Aisen quietly lowered his head and ate the bread rolls and eggs heartily.

Of course, I have to say that the Valentine's Day activity that Lockhart organized to encourage confessions brought a slight change to the atmosphere of the entire school.

To say that it really boosted morale is not necessarily true. But this whole day was definitely a torture for all the teachers. And the students were slightly more relaxed in class.

Because those dwarves dressed as cupids kept bursting into classrooms to deliver Valentine's Day cards, making everyone very depressed.

Of course, if there was one person who was the most depressed on this day, Aisen thought it should be Mr. Savior, Harry Potter. Because the dwarf dressed as a cupid, in order to prevent Harry from escaping, directly hugged his knees with both hands and threw him heavily to the ground.

If it was just like this, it wouldn't be much, but what made Harry mortified was that the dwarf sang him a singing Valentine's Day gift in front of almost all the first-year new students.

Of course, the song was generally quite interesting: "His eyes are as green as a freshly pickled toad, he is as dark and handsome as the night, I hope he is mine, he is really handsome, a warrior who conquered the Dark Lord."

When this singing Valentine's Day gift was sung by the dwarf, everyone burst into laughter.

In the following days, Harry's eyes, which were as green as a freshly pickled toad, spread among the students.

Especially Fred and George, who couldn't wait to sing this singing Valentine's Day gift in Harry's ear over and over again every day, which made Harry unbearable.

Chapter 109 Dumbledore's Preparations (Please Subscribe!)

Lockhart's performance on Valentine's Day was like an interlude; it caused a stir for the first few days, but as time passed, the Little Wizards had to focus on their studies.

Days passed, and soon it was March. For Aisen, these days were without much turbulence, but for the Professors at the school, they received one good piece of news after another. That was Professor Sprout's Mandrake was about to mature.

This meant that those who had been attacked and were still stiffly lying in hospital beds would soon be revived.

During the Easter holidays, second-year students also encountered a major event: choosing elective courses to prepare for their third-year curriculum.

Aside from the seven core courses, electives included Ancient Runes Class, Arithmancy Class, Care of Magical Creatures Class, Divination Class, and Muggle Studies Class.

While the Trio was studying the new course list, Aisencame to Dumbledore's office.

The portraits of past Hogwarts Professors hung prominently on the walls around the Principal's office. Aisen noticed that Fawkes, who had previously undergone rebirth, had grown a bit.

"Professor Dumbledore, is there something you need to see me about?" Aisen looked at Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk, and was a little curious as to why he would seek him out.

"Yes, Professor Aisen, there are some things I need to discuss with you." Dumbledore nodded and slowly explained the situation.

"You mean for me to keep an eye on Harry and the others at school, and prevent them from encountering danger?" Aisen said, a look of confusion on his face.

"That's right, you know, Gryffindor students, besides being courageous, always love adventure." As he said this, Dumbledore smiled. But then, his expression became serious, "However, the Basilisk is still roaming Hogwarts Castle, and although it's not controlled by Tom's Horcrux, Harry is Parseltongue—"

"So, if Harry accidentally opens the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets using Parseltongue, it would be a very dangerous thing for both Harry and the entire Hogwarts!" Aisen took over Dumbledore's words, feeling quite emotional.

Perhaps, after Aisen's intentional or unintentional reminders, Dumbledore might have already known that Harry was a Horcrux of Lord Voldemort.

"That's right, Harry and the others are still second-year students; they don't have enough ability to protect themselves in times of danger!" Dumbledore said, staring intently at Aisen.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on Harry and the others!" Aisengave a firm affirmation, but then looked at Dumbledorewith a questioning gaze, "But there's no need for Dumbledore to specifically call me over just to say this—"

"I have some bad premonitions!" A hint of worry flashed in Dumbledore's eyes as he handed a newspaper to Aisen.

Aisen took it and found it was a copy of The Daily Prophet, with an article titled "Dumbledore's Blunder."

Just reading the content of the article made Aisenexclaim, "Good heavens!"

"Special correspondent Rita Skeeter reports that Albus Dumbledore, the eccentric Principal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has always been a highly controversial Wizard.

As the Wizarding World's recognized greatest Wizard of his time, Dumbledore rose to fame by defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, but is Dumbledore truly that great?

This reporter recently received letters from some student parents claiming that horrifying attacks have occurred at the school. Regarding this matter, Dumbledore not only failed to find the culprit but also allowed the attacks to happen multiple times. Furthermore, this Principal even suppressed the news…"

After reading this article, a word involuntarily popped into Aisen's mind: "talent." If he hadn't known what kind of person Rita Skeeter, the reporter for The Daily Prophet, truly was, Aisen might have actually believed the content of this article.

Because although the angle of this article was very strange, it really seemed plausible.

"I think what's written on it isn't true!" Aisen looked up at Dumbledore, giving him a look of firm trust.

"If it's truly as you say, that Malfoy gave the Horcrux to the Little Wizards to bring into Hogwarts, then he certainly won't miss this opportunity!" Dumbledorepointed to the newspaper in Aisen's hand. Although he didn't explain clearly, Aisen understood Dumbledore's meaning.

Clearly, Lucius Malfoy, as the head of a pure-blood Wizard family, had always upheld pure-blood supremacy, but Dumbledore, as Principal, was close to Muggles. So he would definitely look for an opportunity to dismiss Dumbledore.

Previously, Dumbledore was, after all, a powerful figure capable of single-handedly confronting and defeating two generations of Dark Lord. If he hadn't made any mistakes, the other Hogwarts school governors would certainly not agree to dismiss Dumbledore.

But since this attack incident was being relentlessly pursued, Dumbledore might indeed be dismissed. Moreover, it seems that in the original plot, Dumbledorewas dismissed for this very reason.

"So, you mean, Lucius Malfoy will unite with other school governors, using the attacks at Hogwarts as an opportunity to drive you out of Hogwarts?" Aisen said, following Dumbledore's implication.

"He will definitely do so, and he's already doing it!" Dumbledore nodded.

It seemed Dumbledore was already aware of Lucius Malfoy's little schemes.

"But I think, as long as the true culprit of the attacks and the matter of that Horcrux are revealed, there won't be any problem!" Aisen hesitated for a moment, then suggested a solution to the problem.

"No, the matter of the Horcrux is too significant; it cannot be easily leaked." Dumbledore's tone was quite firm.

"Do you think the news that Lord Voldemort wasn't killed shouldn't be revealed, or are you worried that some people won't be able to resist the temptation of creating Horcruxes?" Aisen showed a thoughtful expression.

"That's right, Malfoy was once a Death Eater. I cannot be sure of his current attitude towards Lord Voldemort, so he must not know about the Horcrux." Saying this, Dumbledore looked deeply at Aisen, "Moreover, others are not like you; they wouldn't waver in the slightest when faced with the Philosopher's Stone, which can grant Immortality more perfectly than a Horcrux."

Aisen nodded without speaking, but an embarrassed expression appeared on his face. This was because Dumbledore didn't know about his golden finger; otherwise, he would never have said that.

"So, Professor Dumbledore, what are your plans next? Are you preparing to search for Lord Voldemort's other Horcruxes?" After a moment of silence, Aisen opened the topic.

"I need to thoroughly investigate Tom's experiences over the years; perhaps I can find some clues!" Dumbledorenodded.

"Will Lord Voldemort apply some protective magic or curses on the Horcruxes he creates?" Aisen appropriately raised this question, "I can feel that his diary has a powerful Dark Arts, which seems capable of absorbing the life force of people who communicate with it."

"You're right, with his personality, he would definitely do that." Dumbledore nodded approvingly, highly appreciating Aisen's caution.

"Is that so?" Aisen nodded, then took out the healing bracelet he had made a while ago, "It's an item I made with Unicorn hair; it can resist a certain degree of curses and hexes. I think you might find it useful. I mean, even though you are the greatest Wizard of your time, I don't think you would refuse it, right!"

Anticipating that Dumbledore might go looking for Lord Voldemort's other Horcruxes, Aisen had recently been adjusting the healing bracelet, greatly enhancing its ability to counteract curses and hexes.

Aisen's purpose in doing this was, of course, to change the plot where Dumbledore directly found Marvolo Gaunt's ring and was immediately incapacitated.

Although Aisen had previously thought about finding the ring himself and then giving it to Dumbledore. But after thinking about it for a long time, he couldn't come up with a reason to find the ring.

Should he tell Dumbledore that he just happened to be casually strolling around Lord Voldemort's old home, the Gaunt family's old house, and then found it? Clearly, that wouldn't be appropriate.

"I must thank you, Aisen!" Dumbledore smiled as he took the healing bracelet from Aisen, then directly put it on his wrist in front of him, "A wonderful Alchemy item, Professor Aisen, your talent in Alchemy is also excellent!"

"Thank you, I think I still need to work harder!" Hearing Dumbledore's praise, Aisen didn't show any trace of complacency. After all, Aisen clearly knew how big the gap was between his Alchemy and that of Dumbledoreand Nicolas Flamel.

Chapter 110: Duelling Group

Leaving Dumbledore's office, Aisen wasn't worried about Dumbledore potentially leaving Hogwarts; instead, he felt relieved after handing the healing bracelet to Dumbledore.

When Aisen arrived at the Library after lunch, he found the Trio were also there. As his gaze shifted, Aisen had already clearly seen the new course lists the Trio had placed on the table, with markings on them.

"Third year adds five elective courses. Have you already chosen?" After pulling out a copy of 'Practical Defensive magic and its Restraint on Black magic' from the bookshelf, Aisen walked over to the Trio.

"I want to drop Transfiguration!" Harry said listlessly, seemingly unable to muster any energy.

"Yeah, I also want to drop Defense Against the Dark Arts." Ron's mood also seemed very low.

"You can't drop the first-year required courses." Aisen sat down beside them and tapped the table. "What courses did you choose?"

"Harry and I chose the same ones, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures!" Ron showed the marked course list to Aisen.

"Why didn't you choose Muggle Studies?" Aisen glanced at the list, then looked at Harry. "For you, Muggle Studies should be very simple! This should be your strong point!"

"I think my strong point is Flying, but it's not an elective." Harry said, a strange light flashing in his eyes. Clearly, Harry was more interested in Quidditch.

"Well, in that case, maybe you can consider becoming a professional Quidditch player in the future!" Aisen offered a little suggestion.

"That's right, Harry, you are Gryffindor's youngest Seeker, becoming a professional Quidditch player is definitely the best choice!" As a Quidditch fan, Ron's eyes lit up at the thought of Harry's figure soaring on the field.

"But electives don't have much to do with Quidditch, do they?" Hermione said from the side.

This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, and Harry and Ron were instantly deflated.

"Hermione, you chose all the courses?" Looking at Hermione's course list where she had signed her name for all the electives, Aisen, although he already knew this was the case, still asked with a surprised expression.

"Yes, I think choosing these courses is fine!" Hermionesaid confidently, causing Harry and Ron beside her to show envious expressions.

Looking at the confident Hermione in front of him, Aisenwas almost momentarily dazzled by her brilliance. Is this the aura of a top student? Terrifying!

"Oh, right, what do you think of the Duelling Club?" As if remembering something, Aisen suddenly looked at the Trio, showing a meaningful expression.

"That was absolutely terrible!" Upon hearing Aisen's words, Ron immediately showed a hint of disdain. "With Lockhart's teaching method, I don't think it's possible to learn anything from him except how to release pixies!"

"Yeah, and since Lockhart held the first meeting of the Duelling Club last time, he hasn't held another one." Harry echoed.

"But, at least we learned the Disarming Charm, didn't we?" Hermione's face was a little conflicted, but she still slightly retorted.

"That's you who learned the Disarming Charm, we didn't. And when duelling, the enemy won't bow to you—" When Ron mentioned this, his expression became even more disdainful.

"Oh, right, Professor Aisen, you mentioned the Duelling Club is—" Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Harry quickly looked at Aisen.

Hearing Harry's words, Hermione and Ron also stopped their arguing tendency, looking eagerly at Aisen.

"Since you think you can't learn anything from Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts, why not form a duelling group similar to the Duelling Club, and I'll teach you how to actually fight!" Aisen said his purpose with a smile.

"Really?" Ron showed a look of surprise. "That's great!"

"Professor Aisen, are you going to teach us real combat?" Harry also showed a look of surprise.

You know, although the Trio didn't know how strong Aisen's true strength was, judging from his previous actions, it was definitely not comparable to Lockhart's.

"Professor Aisen, is this duelling group just us? When can we start?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"That's right, I think you three are really too fond of adventure, so it's necessary to teach you some self-defense methods." Seeing the three looking at him eagerly, Aisen nodded, saying with a hint of teasing.

When the three heard this, remembering what they had done since starting school, they all showed embarrassed expressions.

"As for the time, what do you think of 8:30 to 9:00 every evening?" Aisen said, his gaze falling on the three.

"Then it's settled!" Ron spoke first, seemingly very interested in this matter.

Hermione beside him nodded without speaking, just smiling foolishly at Aisen.

"I have Quidditch practice with Wood after dinner, but it ends at 8:00, so 8:30 to 9:00 is fine for me." Harry said, although he was also very happy, he was a little conflicted.

Because this way, Harry would have almost no free time.

"Oh, right, Professor Aisen, since we're going to practice real combat, where will we do it? It won't be in the Great Hall, will it?" Suddenly, Harry seemed to think of something and raised this question.

Ron beside him also instantly froze. If they were really going to practice real combat in the Great Hall, the duelling group would definitely be exposed.

"Don't worry, I'll find a secret place, and no one will know about it then!" Aisen pondered for a moment and remembered the Room of Requirement, then gave the Trio a mysterious smile. "Wait for me in the Gryffindor Common Room after 8:00 tonight, I'll come find you."

The Room of Requirement, if there were no accidents, Harry and the others would have to wait a long time to get in. But now that he was going to train the Trio, the Room of Requirement was a good choice.

As for whether the duelling group they formed would be discovered, Aisen said that as long as they were careful, there would be no problem.

Furthermore, even if the matter was exposed and others found out, Aisen didn't think it was a big deal.

After all, Lockhart had first organized the Duelling Club, so Aisen could say that he got the inspiration from Lockhart, which is why he formed the duelling group to train the Trio.

This way, people wouldn't find Aisen's behavior too abrupt. Anyway, several attacks had occurred at Hogwarts School, so Aisen's behavior seemed completely reasonable.

Of course, the most crucial point was that Dumbledorehad personally instructed him to protect Harry and the others. So, Aisen teaching them how to fight and how to protect themselves was the most effective way to protect them.

Therefore, Aisen forming this duelling group was a matter of course.

As for how much of a master he could train the Trio to be, Aisen wasn't really sure for a moment. After all, the Trio's age was there. But Aisen felt that after his guidance and training, their combat ability would at least increase, and that was enough.