After Dumbledore led a group away from the second-floor corridor, Professors Flitwick and Sprout, along with the other staff, busied themselves dispersing the remaining young wizards at the scene. Was this matter really going to end so hastily?
Of course not.
For days afterward, the most talked-about topic among the young wizards was the attack on Mrs. Norris. It seemed they could never tire of discussing it. Wherever Glenn went, he could hear whispers about the incident.
Naturally, Filch played a role in keeping the memory alive. His behavior ensured no one could forget.
He had completely altered his patrol routes, frequently pacing the area where Mrs. Norris was attacked. At times, he would lurk silently in the shadows of the corridors, his bloodshot eyes scanning for the culprit who had harmed his beloved cat.
Unsurprisingly, the real culprit eluded him. Instead, curious young wizards who came to see the scene for themselves—or innocent passersby—ended up being captured.
When his efforts to catch the perpetrator failed, Filch vented his frustration by accusing the captured students of nonsensical crimes—such as "stepping with the left foot first" or "smiling too much"—and then locking them up in detention.
"As a cat owner, I can understand Filch's feelings," Hermione said, flipping through a heavy book with one hand while holding her fluffy Crookshanks in the other. "But as a student, I strongly condemn this kind of venting behavior."
After the incident, Glenn had returned to the scene, attempting to find more clues about the giant serpent. He planned to follow the trail of water left by the serpent to investigate further. Naturally, Hermione had tagged along.
Then Filch, like a ferocious leopard spotting prey, pounced on them with bloodshot eyes and bared teeth.
However, Glenn had anticipated this. With a seamless combo of Stupefy and Obliviate, he swiftly knocked Filch unconscious, sending him into a baby-like slumber.
Crisis averted.
Glenn had noticed Filch lurking around the corner, but he didn't bother warning him to stay away.
The path was Filch's own choice. If he decided to confront Glenn and Hermione, he would have to bear the consequences of that decision.
Despite the minor hiccup, their efforts were not in vain.
"Sigh, even though this matter is dangerous, I've noticed that most young wizards don't take it seriously," Hermione said, scratching Crookshanks' neck with her small hand. The cat purred contentedly. "I don't even dare let Crookshanks roam around Hogwarts anymore. I'm really worried that it might get attacked by the serpent you mentioned."
Indeed, Crookshanks had been cooped up in Hermione's dormitory for several days. The usually energetic little creature, who loved wandering around Hogwarts, had become listless. Hermione had no choice but to bring it out for some fresh air.
"You've gained weight, haven't you?" Hermione put down her book, placed her hands under the cat's armpits, and lifted it up. "If you keep eating like this, when you meet that monster, you might not turn into stone—you might just get eaten instead."
Crookshanks, with its pancake-like face, showed a human-like expression of dissatisfaction. It wriggled its body in protest.
I'm not fat! It's all fur!
...If anything, I should be called fluffy!
While Hermione was distracted petting—no, teasing her cat, Glenn continued flipping through the books in the library. The two of them were trying their luck, hoping to find clues about the serpent's true identity based on the information they had gathered.
As long as that creature remained alive in Hogwarts, Glenn couldn't feel at ease.
No one knew who the next victim might be.
Even Glenn couldn't stay by Hermione's side all day.
The last time he tried, the embarrassed girl had kicked him out of the bathroom with a red face when she wanted to use it.
After all, Glenn only knew that the serpent had appeared in the corridor through some location behind the second-floor passage. Unless he maintained maximum magical output for heightened perception, covering the entire area and collecting detailed information, it would be impossible to monitor all of Hogwarts' movements and detect the serpent's presence the moment it began to move.
But that was just wishful thinking.
Not to mention the risk of magical exhaustion, the noise from the castle's rowdy students after class would be enough to drive Glenn mad.
It wasn't that Glenn couldn't filter through the chaotic flow of information to extract useful details, but doing so all day would be unbearable. Glenn thought that he might lose control of the Obscurial within him before the serpent's next move. In a fit of rage, he'd storm into the Gryffindor common room, silence all the noisy students, and flee Hogwarts with Hermione to seek refuge with his grandmother.
But that would upset Hermione.
So, he decided to stick to searching through books for information.
...If all else failed, he could resort to his last resort. Though he found the method unsettling, Glenn could endure it if necessary.
The two had already spent several days in the library on this endeavor but had yet to find anything. None of the magical creature encyclopedias they borrowed contained any mention of a serpent matching the one Glenn had seen.
Today, they decided to broaden their search. Just like how even Gilderoy Lockhart's books contained records of rare magical creatures, perhaps there were autobiographies or travelogues by other authors that might coincidentally mention such a serpent.
It was certainly possible.
Of course, the two book-loving youngsters wouldn't waste time on books whose titles clearly indicated they wouldn't contain relevant information. Based on their experience, they selectively chose books that were more likely to hold answers.
This task required a lot of time. Searching for potentially non-existent or scarcely documented information in a sea of books was truly challenging. It required effort and a bit of luck.
Additionally, the content on the walls was worth pondering.
The Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts?
Well, they'd see if they could find anything about it in the books.
Hermione volunteered to take on the task of searching for information about the Chamber of Secrets. After all, she had been studying Hogwarts' history, and looking into the Chamber was just part of that research.
It was a tedious job.
Fortunately, Glenn and Hermione didn't find it boring. Not only because they both loved reading, but also because they had each other's company.
...
However, the two self-reliant youngsters completely forgot about the option of seeking help from a more knowledgeable elder.
In his empty office, Dumbledore took a sip of tea, glanced at the clock on the wall, and muttered with a hint of grievance, "Why haven't Glenn and Hermione come to ask me yet...?"
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