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"A very bold design."
Dumbledore saw the rough principles behind the red-and-white ball at a glance. "A very delicate structure. It reminds me of an old friend of mine who passed away not long ago."
As he spoke, Dumbledore showed a rare trace of reminiscence. "Completely different from his design philosophy. I truly wish I could introduce the two of you to each other. He would certainly like you."
"Just a small trick. Nothing worth mentioning," Dudley said very modestly.
Snape raised his head with a faint trace of pride, as if Dudley had been taught by him.
Though that was not exactly wrong.
Dumbledore's gaze then fell on the Mandrake, which had been cultivated to a remarkably healthy state. "Perhaps I have another young friend who would like you as well. If there is a chance, I shall introduce you."
Magical creatures and magical plants had never truly been separate fields.
"It would be my honor, Professor Dumbledore."
With the Mandrake present, the potion to reverse Petrification was not especially difficult to brew. Before long, it was ready.
Only two drops were used, and Mrs. Norris's fur, which had been as hard as stone, already began to show signs of softening.
After a few more drops, Mrs. Norris's body also began to soften, and warmth returned to her.
"Although it is still just a little short of my own technique, being able to achieve this much is already quite remarkable."
Lockhart kept boasting endlessly, but no one present took his words seriously, including Filch.
"The Petrification is undone. Then the question is: what creature Petrified Mrs. Norris? Having something like that wandering around Hogwarts is not what I would call safe."
When Dumbledore spoke of safety, his tone carried a hint of helplessness. He still remembered that he had once promised Dudley that Hogwarts was the safest place in the world.
"It must be a Medusa," Lockhart said to himself. "When I was adventuring in Armenia, I once encountered a Medusa. You know, that was where I subdued a werewolf. It was mentioned in my work Wandering with Werewolves. If my reaction had not been quick enough..."
Even with only professors present, Lockhart did not forget to draw attention to himself and promote his books along the way.
Lockhart's words were not entirely without reason. Medusas were indeed magical creatures with the ability to Petrify.
However, England was not Medusa territory. That creature was native to Greece. Even in the Forbidden Forest, where all manner of strange things existed, there was no reason for a Medusa to appear.
But if it was not a Medusa, what magical creature could it be?
The professors were troubled.
Even Dumbledore could not guess the answer.
But no matter what, there was a dangerous creature wandering around Hogwarts.
Cormac most likely had not seen it.
That meant the only one who had witnessed its true appearance was Mrs. Norris.
They could not exactly ask Mrs. Norris.
Then again, speaking with a cat did not seem entirely impossible.
Dumbledore thought of someone.
"Mrs. Norris says... she saw a giant snake."
Just then, Dudley, who had been checking Mrs. Norris's body, suddenly spoke.
"What?" His words made everyone freeze.
Lockhart included.
"Mrs. Norris says she saw an enormous snake. Very, very large. It almost filled the entire corridor," Dudley emphasized again, feeding Mrs. Norris the "delicious little dried fish" in his hand.
The poor cat, who had only just been freed from Petrification, recovered a little strength because of it.
"Do you mean you understand cat language?" Professor Flitwick asked. He did not think Dudley was lying; he was only confirming out of habit.
After all, this was an outstanding wizard who could already perform wandless magic in his second year.
"Have I never mentioned it? I understand a little cat language."
Dudley held up two fingers, thumb and forefinger barely separated by a sliver. "Just a little. But it is enough to understand what Mrs. Norris wants to express."
"How marvelous," Dumbledore praised.
"Compared with you, Professor, I believe this is hardly worth mentioning. Don't you also know Mermish and Gobbledegook?"
Strictly speaking, Dumbledore knew more than Mermish and Gobbledegook.
He even understood Parseltongue, though he could only understand it and not speak it.
"Snake heads!" Lockhart seized on the key phrase. "See? I told you it was a Medusa."
Medusas had heads full of snakes. If that was not the culprit, what was?
Case closed.
Dudley clapped his hands, stood, and looked at the other professors. "I do not believe it was a Medusa."
"A Medusa's snakes are all quite small, and there are many of them. Mrs. Norris said the snake was larger than the corridor."
A thousand-year-old basilisk.
How could it possibly be compared with a mere Medusa?
"Don't joke around. How could there be a snake that large?" Lockhart teased, then once again revealed his signature rows of teeth. "Mr. Dursley, she is only a cat. What would she know about size? What she saw as large might only have seemed large to her."
Before Dudley could speak, Filch became agitated.
"Mrs. Norris is very clever! She would not lie, and she would not misjudge what she saw!"
He was not normally like this. Although Filch was very strict with students, he always maintained sufficient respect for professors.
But they could insult him.
They could not insult his cat.
She was his only companion.
"Dudley, what do you think it was?"
Dumbledore ignored Lockhart entirely. His gaze fell on Dudley, and the other professors looked at him as well.
Under countless gazes, Dudley slowly spoke again. "An enormous serpent-type magical creature, Professor Dumbledore. I think the answer is already very obvious."
There were not many famous serpent-type magical creatures to begin with.
Once the ability to Petrify was added, the number became even smaller.
"A basilisk. It was a basilisk."
"Mr. Dursley, your explanation is even more absurd. Basilisks are much rarer magical creatures than Medusas."
Lockhart tried desperately to prove that his own guess was correct. "As far as I know, that dangerous magical creature has not appeared in a very long time. You say it is a basilisk. Why not simply say it is a thousand-year-old basilisk raised by Slytherin himself?"
The Lockhart portraits on the walls all nodded along after hearing Lockhart's words.
Breeding a basilisk was already extremely complicated, let alone raising one to such a size.
"Besides, a basilisk's gaze kills. That cat was only Petrified."
Dudley said casually, "Is it possible Mrs. Norris saw the basilisk's eyes indirectly through the water on the floor, so she was only Petrified rather than killed?"
Mrs. Norris nodded frantically and meowed in agreement.
The two sides each held to their own view.
The professors exchanged looks, feeling somewhat troubled.
In truth, whether it was a Medusa or a basilisk, both sounded ridiculous to them.
Hogwarts Castle was the safest place in the world. How could such a thing possibly be there?
Hm?
Last year, several trolls had apparently gotten in.
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