Haha, this is quite a magnificent gift in its own right! Wouldn't you agree, Harry?"
"I suppose so, Professor."
After successfully capturing the Basilisk, Harry had tossed Lockhart a random object from his pocket as the promised "treasure."
He wasn't sure what it was, but since it was something his master had made and discarded, it was bound to have some peculiar function.
Lockhart, who had been examining the object that looked like a pair of ornate glasses, placed them on his nose.
Before Harry could stop him, Lockhart nodded in satisfaction. "It's a shame there's no mirror, but it would be a pity to use one for such an obvious matter. After all, there's nothing in this world that wouldn't suit this face. Isn't that right, Harry?"
At his unwavering shamelessness, Harry let out a faint chuckle and managed a nod.
Hermione's reaction was a given, and even Ron reluctantly nodded.
Meanwhile, the Basilisk that had been wrapped around Harry's body had long since vanished.
Even if Lockhart had unwittingly served as bait, Harry couldn't possibly show him the Basilisk.
So, Harry had placed the Basilisk, along with Hedwig, inside the magical bag Aisen had left behind. Naturally, he had lightly wrapped a bandage around the Basilisk's eyes. It would be a disaster if someone was accidentally petrified.
And even if the Basilisk had any complaints, with Hedwig there, he had nothing to worry about.
Upon his safe return to the Gryffindor common room, Harry was immediately subjected to a barrage of questions.
"Harry, what did you do? How did you get the Basilisk to obey you just like that? Tell me, quick!" Ron demanded, shaking Harry by the shoulders in his excitement.
"Harry, what kind of power does Parseltongue have? How were you able to tame such a primal creature so quickly? And why were the Basilisk's scales so damaged?" Hermione pressed, her academic curiosity piqued as she zeroed in on the key points.
For a moment, overwhelmed by their questions, Harry considered revealing that Hedwig was a dragon, but he knew that would only lead to even more questions.
He spoke solemnly. "Friends, are such trivial details really important between us?"
"Of course they are. Now, explain."
"Is that even a question?"
If he had to explain without mentioning Hedwig, the story would have to be extremely brief. "It was upset that Slytherin and his heir hadn't fed it for a thousand years, so I poked at that a bit. I told it I'd give it lots of delicious food if it came with me."
Ron was aghast. "You tamed the most terrifying legendary monster in Hogwarts with just that? Do you really think that makes any sense?"
Hermione also raised a counterpoint. "That can't be all. The Basilisk's scales were much more damaged than when we first saw it. What happened there?"
Harry answered shamelessly, "Food is the most important thing in the world, Ron. And Hermione, I had my eyes closed the whole time to avoid looking at the Basilisk, so how would I know if its scales were damaged? Maybe you just saw it wrong the first time."
Though something about his words didn't add up, it was hard to refute, so Ron and Hermione gave up.
Harry smiled. "Well, whatever happened, the Basilisk is gone now. So the Chamber of Secrets incident is over, isn't it?"
At the time, that's what he thought.
***
It was just like any other day.
After classes and daily routines were finished, in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, the diary was opened.
And the entity controlling the body changed.
The platinum blond hair of the Malfoy family remained, but the pupils had become vertical slits, like a reptile's.
He was no longer Draco Malfoy, but Tom Riddle.
Tom Riddle slowly exited the Slytherin dormitory.
His steps led him to the out-of-order girls' bathroom on the third floor.
The scion of a prestigious family heading to a girls' bathroom in the middle of the night was certainly an act that would be problematic if discovered. But it didn't matter. Compared to what was about to happen, this was nothing.
"Sob... sniffle... Oh, what are you doing here?"
The sound of sniffling came from a corner of the bathroom. Tom Riddle already knew the source of the crying.
Moaning Myrtle. A hopelessly dull Mudblood.
That girl was just as foolish now as she was fifty years ago. That's why all she could do was cry in a bathroom. It was the limit etched into her bloodline.
What would her reaction be if she knew that the person moving Malfoy's body before her was the very enemy who had taken her life?
The thought sparked an impulsive desire to reveal the truth, but Tom Riddle easily suppressed it.
Disrupting his grand plan just to see the reaction of some inferior-born creature was not at all amusing.
Riddle ignored Myrtle and walked to the center of the bathroom.
There, on the ornate tap of a sink, was a carving of a snake.
Looking at the carving, Riddle opened his mouth.
*[Open.]*
With a grinding sound, the sink moved.
Not human language, but the beautiful tongue of serpents, which only the chosen could use.
Savoring the aesthetics of its beautiful rhythm, Tom Riddle walked down the path created by the opening pipe.
At the end of the path was a chamber filled with ornate statues carved in the shape of snake heads. To borrow the expression of others, the 'Chamber of Secrets.'
Yes, a secret chamber that only he, Tom Riddle, could access.
As always, Tom Riddle felt a sense of fulfillment within the chamber.
He was one born with a chosen destiny.
He could not be satisfied with hunting a single Muggle-born as he had fifty years ago.
If even one person died, the school would be closed down, just like before. So, one by one. Not killing, but just enough to make them feel the terror of death.
Then, when the fear had finally ripened, he would harvest the fruit.
So that the terror of Voldemort could once again pervade the world.
This time was different from fifty years ago.
There was nothing that could stop him.
Tom Riddle closed his eyes and whispered.
*[Basilisk, come and greet your master.]*
...
But despite his call, the sound that should have followed did not come.
Tom Riddle spoke again.
*[Basilisk. Come forth now. It is time to hunt.]*
Still, the Chamber of Secrets was eerily quiet. Only the sound of flowing water could be heard.
Only then did Tom Riddle realize.
The Basilisk was gone.
"Well, now. Well, now."
Tom Riddle's eyes, borrowed from Draco Malfoy's body, gleamed dangerously.
Who could have done this?
Albus Dumbledore? That sly old serpent was more of a snake than he was. He might have been capable of anything. Yet, for some reason, Tom Riddle felt this wasn't Dumbledore's style.
Harry Potter? Tom Riddle had never met the boy who had supposedly brought his true self to the brink of death. It was hard to judge someone he had never seen. He didn't know if a mere student could get rid of a Basilisk, but it wasn't impossible.
Riddle closed his eyes and thought.
It didn't matter either way.
Even without the Basilisk, he was more than capable of fulfilling his duty as the Heir of Slytherin.
Possessing the knowledge of Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle was no longer the fifth-year student he once was; he was filled with countless dark magics.
Tom Riddle's lips tilted into a smirk.
First, to accomplish his goal… it was time to offer a sweet carrot to the body's owner.
***
He had been complacent.
Harry bit his lip.
He could only think of it as complacency.
He had assumed that by simply taking the Basilisk away from the Heir of Slytherin, the Chamber of Secrets incident would naturally resolve itself.
It was an utterly naive judgment.
He had never considered the possibility that the Heir of Slytherin might possess powers other than the Basilisk.
To be fair, Harry had reason to think so.
The fact that the heir had emphasized the 'Chamber of Secrets,' and that all the attacks so far had been carried out by the same method.
These facts had led him to believe that the power the heir had gained from opening the Chamber was the driving force behind the crimes.
Nevertheless, Harry should have been suspicious.
He should have considered the worst-case scenario.
As his master had taught him, he should have found the source and eradicated it completely, not just patched up the problem so carelessly. (TN: The original text uses a Korean idiom, 삭초제근 (sakchojegeun), which means to cut the grass and remove the roots.)
But Harry had been complacent. Perhaps his last few victories had made him arrogant.
And in the end, it came back to haunt him.
In the worst possible way.
"…He's not dead yet. But…"
Harry stared blankly, listening to Madam Pomfrey, who had rushed over and was now tending to the patient.
Lying there was Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley.
His eyes were vacant, his body unmoving. Only a faint, thready pulse indicated that he was still alive.
And on the wall above him, a message was scrawled in red letters.
[ENEMIES OF THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN, DO NOT REST EASY.]
To Harry's eyes, it was a clear taunt. A mockery telling him not to even think of relaxing just because he had taken the Basilisk.
Hermione spoke to Harry, her voice filled with worry. "Harry, it's not your fault. Nobody could have predicted this."
"Hermione, thank you for the comfort, but this is clearly my fault. Aisen would say the same thing."
Harry shook his head at her words. He had forgotten a fact his master had repeatedly emphasized, so this was indeed his fault.
As he stared blankly at the words written above Ron, he heard the other professors who were examining Ron's condition.
"It seems his symptoms are a bit different from the previous patients, don't you think?"
"Indeed. This is… a trace of dark magic. It's possible the Mandrake Restorative Draught won't even cure this…"
Harry spoke, his expression hardening. "This is my fault. I have to fix this."
Just then, a jeering voice came from the side.
"Well, well, the stain on a pure-blood family is gone. What a shame. Isn't it, Potter?"
Malfoy was there.
Harry said in a cold voice, "Malfoy, I'm not in the mood for a verbal spat with you. Why don't you just quietly go on your way?"
"Oh, Potter. So scary, aren't you? Of course, not as scary as the Heir of Slytherin, I'd imagine." Malfoy smiled and asked, "Maybe you'll be attacked next, Potter. Or maybe your precious friends will be attacked again. Who's going to stop it?"
At Malfoy's words, Harry instinctively thought of one person's face.
***
A nameless cave in the Highlands, near Hogwarts.
I finally stepped out, spitting the Mandrake leaf I'd been chewing into a vial.
As expected, it was fun to have some research time after so long. The act of exploring magic is enjoyable in itself.
And what's even more enjoyable is the time spent actually using the magic you've explored.
I stretched to loosen the muscles that had stiffened from being cooped up in a cave for nearly three weeks.
"Ughhh. That was a good rest."
I grinned.
For some reason, I had a feeling that some very interesting things would be waiting for me when I returned to Hogwarts.
"Well, before I go back to school, should I grab a snack?"
I wasn't sure what was happening at school, but I probably had enough time to buy a snack before heading back.
I raised the Elder Wand and Apparated.
***
◇─◇───◆─◈─◆───◇─◇
Guys can you please give me some of your power stones, i see many people reading this book regularly but we hardly have any power stones and the book dosent get recomended much
So can you please give some power sstones so this book can grow quicker, it helps a ton thanks