When bedtime arrived, Owen didn't lie down in his own bed. Instead, he was in the Chamber of Secrets. Only today did he discover that Basilisks snored when they slept...
Of course, he had no intention of correcting the giant snake's sleeping habits. He was staring at the loose floor tile.
A diary doesn't grow legs. Even if there was something inside it, it wouldn't have the physical strength to push open such a heavy stone slab. Therefore, the diary had been summoned away by someone using the Summoning Charm.
Besides himself, the only person who knew about this diary was Lucius Malfoy. Even Draco didn't know. Could Lucius have come to the school during the holidays and summoned the diary back?
Unlikely. When Lucius handed the diary to him, the fear on his face had been genuine. So it must be someone else.
Thinking of this, Owen turned and left the Chamber. He went to the main entrance of the school grounds. Just as he raised his wand, Fawkes appeared with a flash of fire and landed squarely on his shoulder. Then, with another flash, he was whisked away to the Headmaster's office.
"Mr. Corlett, leaving the school grounds so late is quite dangerous."
The old wizard looked at the suddenly transported boy with a smile. "Of course, if you have any problems that need solving, perhaps I can help."
"Headmaster, I didn't intend to leave. I wanted to conduct an experiment. I want to test the various ranges and effects of the Summoning Charm. You had Fawkes bring me here, but I'll need to go back shortly."
Dumbledore: "...Very well. It seems I misunderstood. May I observe?"
"Certainly. But Headmaster, I'm curious: were you at the school for the entire holiday?"
"No, I was away quite often."
Back at the castle's main entrance, Owen took out his small wand and waved it. "Accio Diary."
After a while, with absolutely no movement, a notebook and quill flew out of Owen's own pocket and began rapidly recording data. The old wizard peered over and looked confused.
[Experiment 1 failed. Magic intensity: 1 star.]
[Experiment 2 failed. Magic intensity: 1.5 stars.]
[Experiment 3 failed. Magic intensity: 2 stars.]
Watching the young wizard seriously conducting his magic tests, the old wizard felt he had indeed been overly suspicious. The boy in front of him was perfectly normal—aside from his abnormally fast-growing magic reserves, abnormal proficiency in Dark Arts, abnormal skill in Alchemy, abnormal affinity with magical beasts, and abnormal affinity with magical creatures.
So, before the sixth experiment began, Dumbledore said goodnight and returned to his office. He had no idea that on the seventh attempt, the boy's experiment succeeded.
"Magic intensity: 4 stars. This wasn't just an adult wizard; it was a wizard with very powerful magic."
Owen narrowed his eyes. He returned to the Chamber of Secrets, looked at the dislodged floor tile, and compared the magical residue. It matched perfectly.
He stood up straight, his posture stiffening. The diary had been taken. He was still too inexperienced; he had forgotten to place an Anti-Summoning Charm on it. It seemed he had made a rookie mistake. Hogwarts wasn't as safe and secure as he had imagined.
Losing a diary wasn't a big deal, but making such a mistake could only happen once.
Without another word, Owen cast an Anti-Summoning Charm over the entire Chamber of Secrets, then went back to bed. A strange Dark Arts object wasn't worth losing sleep over.
Until one day, a scream shattered the peace of the castle.
"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."
Looking at the bloody writing on the wall, the young wizards trembled, and the professors frowned deeply. Only Owen stood there with his arms crossed, sneering coldly.
The Chamber of Secrets did exist, but it wasn't about to be opened. He had opened it last year. The monster inside was a Basilisk, but its name was Stripes now, and it wore glasses he made to prevent accidental petrification. Furthermore, he provided it with plenty of food, so it had no reason to run out hunting.
So, in Owen's eyes, this message was a joke.
However, as he turned to head back to his common room, he spotted the Savior in the crowd, frowning deeply. Owen knew then that things were about to get complicated.
But he didn't want to intervene. Dumbledore had expectations for the little Savior, even if Harry himself didn't realize it.
Since no one was hurt, the incident was dismissed as a prank. Consequently, a certain pair of twins became the prime suspects. This was a massive injustice, and their night-wandering plans were forcibly suspended for the foreseeable future.
Mr. Filch's temper had improved significantly. He no longer shouted at students. Even when they tracked mud on the floor, he would just look at them with utter disdain, casually cast a Scourgify to clean it up, and mutter as he walked away, "Call themselves wizards? Can't even cast a Cleaning Charm. Tsk tsk!"
It had to be said, this tactic was devastatingly effective!
Even against first-years...
When students used magic to clean themselves before entering the castle, Filch would nod in approval. Then he would turn around and silently judge the students who hadn't learned the Cleaning Charm yet.
As a result, while Hogwarts students might not be the most powerful wizards in the world, they were certainly the cleanest. Because no one liked being looked down upon by a Squib. That look... it really hurt.
But after the bloody writing appeared, Filch approached the twins. He invited them to help him catch the culprit doing these bad deeds.
Of course, they weren't the only ones invited. Many mischievous students received invitations and were assigned a schedule to take turns patrolling.
This was incredibly exciting. Legal night-wandering! Not only would they not be caught, but they also had a chance to earn points and glory. The students' enthusiasm skyrocketed.
Perhaps this proactive approach angered the perpetrator. A second message appeared six days later. But this time, there were victims.
The red-headed twins. They were found unconscious beneath the bloody writing, their faces streaked with dripping blood.
This was the last straw for the courage-filled Savior. He couldn't sit still anymore. He decided he had to step up and shoulder the safety of the entire castle!
Dumbledore was old and senile. The professors were useless. Even Owen, in the Savior's eyes, had become "indifferent"—corrupted by the Dark Arts he had learned!
"Hogwarts... it's up to me now!"
"No, you have me too!"
Ron stepped forward, and their hands clasped tightly together...