"Harry, fall back!"
Rowan didn't follow the professors into the chamber. He did exactly as instructed, pulling Harry away from the doorway and keeping his eyes averted. At this point, all they had to do was wait.
Moments later, chaos erupted from deep inside the chamber.
Roosters crowed furiously. A massive, terrified hiss echoed through the stone hall. Spells detonated in rapid succession.
"Eyes shut!"
"Sectumsempra!"
"Confringo!"
"Protego Maxima!"
Rowan listened, quietly impressed. Seal the basilisk's gaze, blast it off balance, finish it with precision cuts, and keep everyone shielded from a counterattack. With that level of coordination, even without the roosters, the professors would likely have prevailed.
Aside from frauds like Lockhart, the Hogwarts faculty represented the absolute top tier of the wizarding world. Even Professor Trelawney, erratic as she seemed, carried the bloodline of a genuine Seer.
When the noise finally died down, Rowan led Harry back inside.
The basilisk's colossal body lay shattered across the floor, unmistakably dead. Nearby, the professors were calmly gathering the scattered roosters and sealing them back into the enchanted crate, not a single scratch among them.
Rowan seized the moment.
"Head of House," he said to Snape, "I've been studying magical creatures with Hagrid. May I keep a few of the basilisk's fangs for reference?"
Basilisk venom was one of the rare substances capable of destroying Horcruxes. Having a few on hand would be… useful.
"This went smoothly thanks to the roosters you brought," Snape replied without hesitation. "The venom is lethal. Be careful."
Rowan quickly extracted several fangs and stored them inside the crate.
With the threat eliminated, the tension finally eased.
Then Lockhart, trailing at the back, quietly raised his wand.
He had spent the entire fight cowering in a corner. If the professors left now, his carefully constructed reputation would collapse completely. Panic twisted into desperation.
He planned to erase everyone's memories and rewrite history. One hero. One savior. Himself.
"Professor Lockhart," Rowan snapped, already moving, "what do you think you're doing?"
His Disarming Spell struck cleanly, sending Lockhart flying and knocking the wand from his hand.
"What's going on?" McGonagall demanded.
Rowan pointed calmly. "He was about to attack everyone."
"I did no such thing!" Lockhart protested frantically. "How dare you attack a teacher!"
Snape stepped forward at once. "Legilimens."
He trusted Rowan far more than Lockhart.
Seconds later, Snape's expression darkened. "He intended to erase our memories and claim the basilisk's defeat as his own. The same way he stole the accomplishments of other witches and wizards before."
Outrage erupted instantly.
"I knew it!"
"A complete fraud!"
"Unbelievable!"
"You're all just jealous!" Lockhart shouted weakly. "I didn't do anything!"
"Incarcerous."
Ropes burst into existence, binding Lockhart tightly.
"You can explain yourself to the Aurors," Snape said coldly. "If needed, I'll happily provide Veritaserum."
Rowan watched silently.
If Lockhart hadn't tried to erase his memory as well, Rowan might have let the man continue his pathetic career. Signed library slips were useful. Unfortunately, Lockhart had crossed the wrong line.
That afternoon, with the Chamber exposed and the basilisk slain, Dumbledore was reinstated and returned to Hogwarts immediately.
Rowan, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were summoned to the headmaster's office and questioned in detail. Rowan answered what was appropriate and left the rest unsaid. Most of the focus remained on Harry and Ginny, particularly the missing diary.
Ginny never mentioned the butterfly bookmark. Rowan suspected she simply forgot.
Even if she hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered.
Without a Time-Turner, there was nothing to find. And the five-hour limit had long passed.
That evening, a notice appeared on the school bulletin board announcing the basilisk's death at the hands of the professors. Relief swept through the castle.
Classes resumed. Quidditch continued. Exams arrived right on schedule.
No miracles there.