"Harry Potter- Ravenclaw"Chapter 157: The Confused Suspect, The Confused Victim
Staring at the salmon, its scales now dull and lifeless, Wyzett shook his head slowly. "That killing intent alone is enough to snuff out the life of a weaker creature."
He glanced back at Mrs. Norris, lying motionless on the hospital bed, a sigh escaping him. "Even if we remove only the murderous intent, it won't bring her back... I haven't seen a curse quite like this before."
"You've already done remarkably well," Dumbledore said softly, reaching out to gently stroke the now-softened fur. "At least Mrs. Norris is far better off now..."
"The Mandrakes likely won't mature until the end of May next year. With Mrs. Norris in this state, at least Filch won't have to endure quite so much while he waits."
Wyzett recalled their Herbology lesson on Mandrakes and their properties.
Mandrake roots were the key ingredient in potent restorative draughts, able to reverse even the most stubborn curses and transfigurations.
He remembered Snape mentioning the potion by name during a private lesson—the Mandrake Restorative Draught.
"Are you planning to use the Mandrake Restorative Draught?" The moment he heard "Mandrake," that potion sprang to mind.
"Precisely. It's the best solution we have for now." Dumbledore patted the stool beside him. "Come, have a seat."
"Tell me, what do you make of these rumors about the Chamber resurfacing... and about Salazar Slytherin?"
Wyzett paused for a moment, then spoke thoughtfully. "If we go by reliable historical sources, my view is much like the other Ravenclaws—I don't think Salazar Slytherin was wrong."
"He wanted to remove unstable elements. That was necessary for Hogwarts to thrive."
"But the rumors about the Chamber aren't so straightforward. In fact, most of them only started circulating after the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was enacted."
"Salazar Slytherin's ideals were twisted, used as propaganda by those with their own agendas, laying the groundwork for 'pure-blood supremacy.' That's what we should truly be wary of."
"Well said." Dumbledore smiled with approval, his hand drifting instinctively to his pocket—only to find it empty.
He stroked his beard, thoughtful. "So... do you believe the Chamber is just a myth, not something real?"
"The Chamber is absolutely real—there's no doubt about that," Wyzett replied. "On my way here, I ran into the Grey Lady."
"She told me that fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened, and a Ravenclaw student died."
"But this time, things are strange... Mrs. Norris was only petrified, not killed by whatever's in the Chamber."
"Maybe... the so-called heir who opened the Chamber this time is inexperienced? So they couldn't finish the job?"
"You've learned even more than I expected," Dumbledore said, his smile broadening. "And your concerns are the same as mine..."
"Since you've uncovered so much, there's no need for secrecy between us. The one who opened the Chamber fifty years ago was none other than Voldemort—when he was still a student here."
Wyzett's expression didn't change. "So, even at the end of last year... I didn't manage to completely eliminate that threat."
Seeing his calm, Dumbledore nodded and continued, "Voldemort seems to have found a way to give himself more chances to fail..."
Wyzett frowned slightly. "Headmaster Dumbledore, are you planning to use this as an opportunity—to probe for his true weakness?"
"And fifty years ago? Shouldn't it have been easier to deal with him then? Didn't anyone spot a flaw, since someone actually died?"
"You'd think it would have been easier to act..." He trailed off, suddenly realizing. "But maybe it wasn't so simple after all..."
Dumbledore sighed, a note of resignation in his voice. "Exactly. In 1942, the wizarding world was still at war."
"Even though there was no fighting in Britain itself, the Ministry of Magic was stretched thin, sending aid elsewhere. There just weren't enough people..."
"And then, Voldemort pointed the finger at a culprit. For everyone else, catching a scapegoat was enough."
Wyzett immediately thought of someone. "Was it Hagrid?"
Whenever he'd visited Hagrid's hut, the half-giant would reminisce about his past—his work as gamekeeper, and his time as a Hogwarts student.
That's how Wyzett learned that Hagrid had been expelled, his wand snapped in two.
Given the severity of the punishment and Hagrid's age, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.
Dumbledore nodded. "That's right. Hagrid became the scapegoat... He really did keep a dangerous magical creature."
"But wouldn't finding that creature have proved his innocence?" Wyzett asked, puzzled.
"It was complicated," Dumbledore replied with a weary sigh. "Once Hagrid was arrested, the attacks stopped. That alone was enough to 'prove' his guilt in most people's eyes."
"With things as they were, neither Hogwarts nor the Ministry wanted to spend more time or effort tracking down the creature Hagrid kept."
"What about Myrtle Warren, Headmaster? The Grey Lady told me she became a ghost. Didn't she offer any useful clues?"
"Regrettably, no..." Dumbledore shook his head. "Myrtle was vague about her own death."
"The only clues she could provide were that, right before she died, she heard someone speaking... and saw a pair of enormous, terrifying yellow eyes."
Hearing this, Wyzett finally understood why the Grey Lady had spoken of Myrtle with such disdain.
Still, he caught onto a crucial detail—the voice.
He asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, did Professor Flitwick or anyone else notice anything unusual last night? Strange voices, or anything odd?"
"No," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head. "Filius and Severus searched thoroughly. They found neither strange sounds nor magical traces."
"Maybe reviewing memories directly would be more effective?" Wyzett pressed his wand to his temple. "Memoria Exhaurire!"
As Wyzett drew a shimmering memory thread from his temple, Dumbledore's eyelid twitched in surprise.
Compared to the last time, Wyzett now cast the memory extraction spell with practiced ease.
But this was no time for admiration. Dumbledore raised his wand, caught the silver thread, and guided it straight into his own temple... 🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
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