"Harry and Ethan? Albus, isn't that inappropriate?"
Professor McGonagall immediately raised her concerns. She didn't understand why two lower-year students needed to enter the Chamber of Secrets with them. They had no idea what kind of danger awaited inside, not to mention the monster that had already attacked multiple people in the school.
"Minerva, with Severus there, there won't be any problems."
Dumbledore didn't speak sternly, but once he said that, McGonagall knew he had made up his mind.
The Headmaster might appear kind, but Professor McGonagall knew that once Dumbledore made a decision, hardly anyone could change it.
Realizing this, she gave up trying to persuade him and simply reminded Harry and Ethan to be careful, instructing Snape to protect the two students well.
"Now let's head in and see what's inside."
Naturally, Dumbledore wouldn't be the first to jump down. Snape went first, followed by Dumbledore. Harry and Ethan exchanged glances, then Ethan jumped in first.
If he could choose, he would have preferred to descend slowly, but with Harry right behind him, he didn't want the boy landing on his head.
Sliding quickly down the tunnel, Ethan reached the bottom in no time.
Because he was prepared, he didn't end up awkwardly on the ground like Harry did. Instead, he landed steadily on a large pile of bones, pulled out his wand, and cast a cleaning spell on himself, brushing off the dirt and dust from the slide.
After doing that, he turned to look at Snape and Dumbledore. Both professors looked immaculate, having also used cleaning spells to tidy themselves up.
In contrast, Harry, who came down last and landed on the floor, looked quite disheveled. But no one helped him. If he couldn't handle it himself, he'd just have to stay like that.
"Stay close to me and don't wander off."
Dumbledore instructed, then followed Snape deeper into the Chamber of Secrets.
With Snape leading the way, Dumbledore following, and the two students behind them, this lineup had no suspense against a Basilisk that lacked high intelligence.
The only real issue was that the big snake wouldn't appear unless Voldemort actively summoned it.
But for Dumbledore, that was a minor inconvenience. It wasn't hard for him to lure the creature out. As for the battle, it was just as straightforward. Harry and Ethan only needed to stand off to the side and admire Snape and Dumbledore's magic while they crushed the Basilisk. They could even cheer them on if they wanted.
Harry, who in the original plot should have fought hard and killed the Basilisk in a thrilling moment, this time only played the role of opening the entrance with Parseltongue. Besides that, he didn't do much.
After the Basilisk was dealt with and they left the Chamber, Dumbledore said a few words to Harry and sent him off to rest. Ethan, on the other hand, was once again held back and brought to the Headmaster's Office for a private conversation.
Ethan looked at Dumbledore and Snape standing nearby. Dumbledore stood in front, and Snape stood to the side and slightly behind, positioned at Ethan's left rear. It was a placement disadvantageous for a right-handed attacker.
"Is there something you need, Professor Dumbledore?"
"There are some things I'd like to ask you." Although Dumbledore appeared calm, Ethan noticed that he was holding his wand reversed in his hand. It was hidden subtly by his wide sleeves and the back of his hand.
"Before that, I need to confirm. Ethan Arendelle, is that your real name?"
"Ethan is my given name."
Dumbledore nodded, understanding what he meant. Arendelle was not his real surname.
"Then your full name is...?"
"Just Ethan."
Even without turning, Ethan could sense Snape's grip tightening on his wand and his subtle movements as he prepared to cast a spell at any moment.
Dumbledore observed quietly for a moment. Ethan remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic or nervousness. Either he had something to rely on, or he didn't realize how serious the situation was.
Given Ethan's previous intelligence and composure, it clearly wasn't the latter. He must have something to rely on.
"You know, Ethan," Dumbledore collected his thoughts, deciding to try a calm conversation first, "I once thought you were simply a clever and ambitious young man. At worst, I feared Slytherin had produced another Tom Riddle."
Ethan curled his lip, and when Dumbledore paused slightly, he interrupted, "That's giving him too much credit."
"No, I believe you have that potential..."
"No no, you misunderstood me." Ethan waved a hand, cutting him off. "I meant you're giving Tom Riddle too much credit."
Dumbledore was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that. His first thought was that Ethan didn't understand who Tom Riddle was, but from his expression, it was clear he did. That matched Dumbledore's earlier assessment. Ethan knew a lot, and his involvement in the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets incidents was no coincidence.
Ethan definitely knew Tom Riddle's other identity. To say such a thing despite that, was he just an arrogant and ignorant child?
Dumbledore wasn't sure. To confirm, he pressed on. "You must know Tom Riddle's other identity..."
"Voldemort." Ethan nodded. "Yes, I know exactly who Tom Riddle is."
Then he spread his hands. His expression clearly said, Tom Riddle? You think he can be compared to me?
Snape, standing behind him, was already stunned. He found today's events more absurd than any scenario he had previously considered.
He had imagined Ethan might panic, try to escape, or kneel and beg for mercy like many captured Death Eaters.
But he never imagined Ethan would say something like that. Now it was certain. Ethan definitely wasn't one of Voldemort's people. A Death Eater would never dare to speak about the Dark Lord like that.
Dumbledore continued to study Ethan, then raised a hand to stop Snape from speaking. He asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"How have you been getting along at Hogwarts?"
Ethan smiled cheerfully. When Dumbledore asked this, he realized the Headmaster had made a decision. A decision that perfectly suited Ethan's needs.
In that case, he would pretend the probing spells Dumbledore had secretly cast earlier had never happened.
"Very well, Professor Dumbledore. There's a lot of knowledge here that interests me."
"Believe me, Hogwarts contains more mysterious knowledge than you can imagine."
Dumbledore chatted with Ethan for a few more minutes. The tone was just like a Headmaster caring for an ordinary student. After a short while, Dumbledore allowed Ethan to leave.
Even then, Snape still looked slightly dazed. He couldn't quite understand the situation or how it had developed this way.
"You're just letting him go? And the identities of those children..."
"Their identities aren't the issue, Severus."
Dumbledore withdrew his gaze from the door and turned toward Snape.
"This child... no, this person is not our enemy."
"But their identities..."
"He never tried to hide them. That assumption was yours."
As an excellent spy, Snape naturally knew how to hide in the enemy's ranks. The reason Ethan was brought in for this conversation was because Snape had sensed something off about him.
At first, he thought Ethan was young and lacked the ability to conceal himself properly. Later, he realized Ethan hadn't intended to hide anything at all.
In other words, Ethan didn't care whether Snape or Dumbledore discovered his true identity.
"If he didn't intend to hide, shouldn't we at least get a clear explanation?"
That was what Snape couldn't understand. Dumbledore had let Ethan go without even demanding an answer.
"Is Ethan's identity really that important to us? We just need to know he isn't a Death Eater."
"But that point isn't confirmed either."
"I'm very certain."
Dumbledore had secretly cast several silent spells on Ethan, but they vanished like stones sinking into the sea without any response. It wasn't impossible to resist his spells. Though Dumbledore was powerful, he wasn't arrogant enough to think he was invincible.
But to break his spells as effortlessly as Ethan had, without even a trace of magical fluctuation, so subtle that Snape beside him didn't even realize Ethan had used magic...
More importantly, since Ethan entered, Fawkes had yet to show himself. The phoenix had conveyed a sense of fear to him. It reminded him of Fluffy, the three-headed dog that guarded the Philosopher's Stone last year.
At the time, he thought Fluffy had simply fallen asleep. Later, he assumed Quirrell had done something.
Now it seemed Fluffy had been scared. Scared by Ethan.
All of these signs made Dumbledore reach a decision. Since Ethan had no ill intent and merely wanted to study at Hogwarts, he would be treated as just another student.
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had returned to the Chamber of Secrets to enjoy his school life, had only one thing on his mind. Collecting the Basilisk meat.
(To be continued.)
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