It exploded.
All of Hogwarts—and the entire British wizarding world—exploded.
It started when the students who had stayed at school over Christmas cautiously made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. The moment they looked up and saw a fifty-foot-long giant snake hanging from the ceiling, they nearly jumped out of their skins. Then came Dumbledore's sudden reappearance after months of absence. He told the students that it wasn't Slytherin being "pre-booked" for the House Cup at all—but that the basilisk that had been terrorizing students all this time had finally been killed…
That very night, the news spread like wildfire. Students who had been hiding fearfully in their common rooms poured out en masse, flocking to the Great Hall to see the massive basilisk with their own eyes. At last, everyone was completely convinced: it really had been a basilisk petrifying students—not the "will of the castle" the Board of Governors had been touting. The disappointment and grievance pent up in Muggle-born students vanished in an instant, replaced by wild relief and post-disaster elation.
That night, Dumbledore made an exception and lifted the curfew, allowing students to celebrate in the Great Hall all night long.
The next day, every student who had left the school received a letter from Hogwarts. Enclosed was a striking photograph of the basilisk's corpse, reassuring them that it was safe to return to classes.
At the same time, a bombshell headline hit the front page of the Daily Prophet, unleashing a public opinion storm that swept across all of Britain—and even Europe:
"Multiple Hogwarts Student Attacks Solved — Thousand-Year Basilisk Appears in Ancient Castle; Dark Lord Not Truly Gone?"
Below the headline were a series of photographs: the basilisk's corpse suspended over the Great Hall; several ancient, sinister-looking chambers; and even a massive statue of Salazar Slytherin in an unknown location…
[Recently, former Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore reappeared publicly after months of disappearance. He presented the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot with an exceptionally thorough chain of evidence, revealing the truth behind the student petrifications that plagued Hogwarts for half a year: a basilisk hidden within the castle…]
This was followed by an overview of basilisk-related magical knowledge, along with a brief mention of the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.
[…But the matter does not end there. After presenting the basilisk's corpse, Albus Dumbledore formally accused seven of the twelve members of the Hogwarts Board of Governors of deliberately harming students and of illegally hoarding and misusing Dark magical artifacts.]
[According to Dumbledore, the culprit responsible for reawakening the basilisk after centuries of slumber and directing it to attack Muggle-born students was a Dark artifact left behind by the Dark Lord. One of the governors—Lucius Malfoy—knowingly smuggled this item into the school, triggering a chain of disasters…]
[In addition, Dumbledore accused the same parties of directly attacking students with Dark artifacts, causing last November's "Hogwarts Student Coma Incident," which had previously been declared resolved. The detailed evidence he submitted to the Wizengamot shows that the cause of the comas was not a "Banshee in the pipes," but rather the Dark Lord's relic controlling a student. With Invisibility Cloaks and other Dark tools supplied by the accused governors, attacks were carried out on students with the aim of fabricating charges to drive Dumbledore out of the castle…]
Accompanying the article were photographs of some of the physical evidence Dumbledore provided—such as a Dark artifact seemingly crafted from withered Mandrake, correspondence exchanged among the governors, and exposes of the institution that had falsely identified the "Banshee", among many others…
["I feel disappointed and enraged,"][Dumbledore told reporters. "I knew my statement last year might touch some sensitive nerves, but I never imagined they would commit such atrocities—attacking innocent students to frame me, even attempting to strip all Muggle-born students of their right to education, bringing profoundly harmful consequences to our entire magical society…"]
["Yes, those students are suffering greatly. Those rendered unconscious by Dark artifacts lost at least a month of study time, and those who were petrified are worse off still—we will need at least two more months before we can be confident of restoring them. This means that the unluckiest among them have missed a full three months of classes… and many are fourth- and fifth-years. I fear this will severely affect their O.W.L. examinations—and, by extension, their futures."]
[At the same time, Dumbledore offered special thanks to the current Hogwarts Headmaster and Potions Professor, Severus Snape, stating that during his tenure he consistently provided Dumbledore with intelligence and did everything in his power to protect students from harm. Though he may have made some unpopular remarks during this period, Dumbledore expressed hope that students would understand his circumstances and recognize his contributions.]
[The governors under accusation have now been taken into custody by Aurors, with the trial scheduled to begin in one month.]
[…Furthermore, Dumbledore has moved to reopen a case from fifty years ago. According to reports, the case involved Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, who was charged with illegally raising a dangerous magical creature that resulted in a student's death. He ultimately avoided Azkaban under Dumbledore's bail…]
As the only magical school in Britain—and a place attended by nearly every witch and wizard—Hogwarts' every move drew enormous societal attention. With only eleven magical schools worldwide, its standing in the international magical community was beyond question. As a result, news of the Hogwarts incident swept through the magical world at lightning speed. People everywhere were stunned by the basilisk's existence, concerned for the injured students, and furious at the governors who had harmed innocents for personal gain…
Combined with Dumbledore's speech from the previous year and the Board's attempt to expel Muggle-born students, the long-dormant topic of "blood purity" was dragged back into the spotlight, igniting fierce debate—almost unanimously condemning its supporters.
And so, amid this roaring public opinion storm, several small headlines tucked away at the edges of the newspapers were quietly overlooked, such as:
"Famed Author Gilderoy Lockhart Accused of Deliberate Harm and Abuse of Memory Charms"
"The Truth Behind the Chamber's Opening Fifty Years Ago — A Glimpse into the Dark Lord's Youthful Crimes"
"Hogwarts Board of Governors to Be Restructured; Dumbledore to Resume Headmaster Position"
"The Dark Lord's 'Nemeses' — The Students Who Sealed Him Defeat His Plot Once Again"
(End of Chapter)