Avada, still not entirely at ease, quietly cast a soundproofing barrier around himself and Snape, then spoke in a low, rapid voice, explaining how Lucius Malfoy might have come to believe that Avada was the descendant of some wizard; how Lucius had very likely once possessed the black diary Avada had mentioned in the prophecy; and how that diary was the true culprit manipulating the Basilisk to attack students…
By the time he finished, Snape was frowning deeply at the floor, his fingers constantly rubbing the quill in his hand—one that seemed to be made from Fawkes's feathers. He remained silent for a long while.
"…Professor?"
Nearly three minutes passed before Avada finally waved a hand in front of Snape's eyes, pulling him back to reality.
"I understand, Mr. Ken. The information you've provided is extremely important."
Snape drew in a deep breath and nodded lightly. "It also happens to answer some of my own doubts. Progress on both my side and Dumbledore's should speed up considerably…"
As he spoke, he straightened his chair and sat squarely at his desk. He then pulled a sheet of parchment from a drawer and spread it out on the desktop, writing with the phoenix-feather quill.
"This pen is made from Fawkes's feathers. As long as something is written with it, Dumbledore will receive the message simultaneously…"
"Mm."
Avada wasn't particularly surprised. After noticing a magical structure within the quill similar to the Dark Mark, he had already guessed its purpose.
Seeing that Snape showed no intention of dismissing him, Avada lowered his head slightly to glance at what Snape was writing. Snape's hand moved swiftly, leaving lines of dark-golden script across the parchment—his wording concise and to the point.
[Ken believes that one of the primary masterminds behind the attacks is very likely Lucius Malfoy, who once mistakenly believed Ken to be the descendant of a famous wizard…]
[According to the description, the black diary possesses the ability to control the Basilisk using Parseltongue. It is the true mastermind behind the Basilisk attacks, and is currently in the possession of a student within the school…]
Snape wrote briskly, summarizing everything Avada had said in under a minute. "That should suffice."
He then snapped his fingers, and the parchment covered in golden writing instantly burned to ash.
"When I spoke with the members of the Board of Governors, they mentioned a very mysterious individual," Snape continued. "They claimed that the plan's progress thus far relied on that person providing crucial information. However, none of the other governors know how to contact him, nor do they know where he is—only his name. Do you have any leads on that?"
Snape looked slightly relieved as he turned to Avada and abruptly asked the question.
"A mysterious person providing key information?"
Avada frowned. For a moment, he couldn't think of anyone who fit that description. Lucius had possessed the diary, but aside from believing Avada to be a wizarding descendant, he didn't seem to know more than the others.
Someone who could provide information critical to advancing the plan… who could that be?
No one around Avada himself could be the culprit. The professors around Dumbledore were even less likely. Even that fraud Lockhart hadn't done anything unusual—the Horcrux diary wasn't on him, and he had neither the motive to aid Voldemort nor the capacity to provide such crucial intelligence…
As for Peter Pettigrew, Avada had kept him under strict surveillance. The man had behaved himself, never leaving Ron's side, and with Pettigrew deliberately keeping a low profile, no one else could even get close to him…
"I'm sorry, Professor. I don't have any leads," Avada said at last, shaking his head in regret after prolonged thought.
"I see."
Snape looked a little disappointed, but in the next instant his tone turned stern. "Thank you for providing this information, Mr. Ken… but you are not to involve yourself in what comes next."
He stared into Avada's eyes and spoke slowly, word by word.
"I can tell you this—the black diary you foresaw is very likely Voldemort himself. You once witnessed the moment he split his soul, didn't you? According to Dumbledore's research, he most likely fractured his soul multiple times throughout history for various reasons. Each fragment is effectively a lesser version of Voldemort himself. That is why the diary can control the Basilisk using Parseltongue."
So Dumbledore has discovered the secret of Horcruxes.
Avada's heart tightened. Thankfully, he had already taken the Resurrection Stone—otherwise, he would now have to worry about Dumbledore's life instead.
"Do not underestimate Voldemort simply because you once thwarted him. You've seen his methods this time—from the coma incidents, to the Basilisk attacks, to shifting the blame onto the so-called 'will of the castle'… His tactics are far more vicious than last year's Voldemort. And this time, he's hiding among you students…"
"I understand, Professor. I'll be careful," Avada nodded.
In any case, he had no intention of confronting the diary directly. What he needed to do was break open the Chamber entrance as quickly as possible, let the professors kill the Basilisk, then reveal the truth and restore Hogwarts to normal first…
"This isn't a matter of being careful or not. I advise you to leave Hogwarts outright and return only after everything is over."
Snape frowned. "Even if Malfoy altered the records, you're still Muggle-born, and thus still on the Basilisk's target list. And don't forget—you're the 'celebrity' who once defeated Voldemort. The danger you face is likely far greater than that faced by ordinary students."
"..."
From the standpoint of his personal safety, Avada couldn't really refute Snape. But the problem was that he still had the Chamber entrance to deal with—he simply couldn't leave.
If the Chamber wasn't resolved, the Horcrux diary would always have a way out, and the whole affair would never truly end. Yet according to Snape's advice, he couldn't return until everything was over. That turned it into a dead loop.
Dumbledore might have some knowledge of soul magic and could potentially replace Avada in cracking the Chamber—but he couldn't come back right now.
"I'll… consider it, Professor."
After a long silence, that was all Avada could manage.
"Hmph."
Snape let out a dissatisfied snort, clearly realizing that Avada had no intention of simply leaving. "Do as you please. You already know how to deal with the Basilisk anyway. Rooster crows won't work anymore—the creature's ears have been treated. If you insist on staying at school, you'll have to walk around with your eyes closed from now on."
"..."
There was such a method too?!
"All right. Go. You've been here long enough—stay any longer and you'll start attracting suspicion. I don't have the habit of keeping students from other houses in my office for extended periods."
With a wave of his hand, Snape opened the door and unceremoniously ushered Avada out.
(End of Chapter)