The Return to Hogwarts

"Just like last year when you saved the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort, your wisdom and courage put many renowned wizards, including myself, to shame. Harry, I think... I believe that if Lily and James were still alive, they would be very proud of you."

Harry opened his mouth, his mind still filled with many questions. For example, why did Fawkes suddenly appear when he was fighting the Basilisk to the death? For example, what was the deal with the sword that Dumbledore had taken from the Sorting Hat? And for example, this diary.

But Harry didn't ask a single question, because Dumbledore's words were like a boulder stuck in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. The green firelight in the Chamber of Secrets, the same color as his eyes, concealed the tears welling up in his eyes, making them less noticeable.

Yes, if...if they were still here.

Amos Tower averted his gaze, continuing to stare at the enormous black hole that had appeared on the stone face. Dumbledore, sensing the situation, took a few steps forward, leaving Harry behind. He stood beside Amos Tower, following his gaze to the hole, his long, silver beard, large enough to be tucked into his belt, fluttering slightly as he thoughtfully spoke…

"You believe something exists there, don't you, Amosta?"

"Something just feels off, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta didn't look at Dumbledore; his eyes gleamed with an unreadable light. In fact, he hadn't sensed anything amiss from the dark opening. What had piqued his curiosity and solidified his determination to explore the black hole was the memory he had rediscovered.

"That basilisk, after heeding Voldemort's call, crawled out from that place—"

Harry awoke from his sorrowful silence and answered the two men's questions.

Dumbledore nodded noncommittally, looking down at Amostella with a probing gaze. After a long pause, he calmly said,

“This ancient castle holds countless fascinating secrets, Amosta. Even though I am the headmaster of this school and have read the notes of past headmasters, I probably know less about this castle than the Weasley twins. If you think it’s necessary, I can accompany you to see for yourself.”

Amosta bowed slightly and smiled in thanks.

"I'm very curious, Headmaster Dumbledore. Salazar Slytherin left a basilisk in such a hidden Chamber of Secrets just to purge the non-pure-blooded junior wizards from the school, as rumored. This doesn't seem like the kind of magnanimity or vision a wizard of his caliber should have."

A streak of light flashed across Dumbledore's half-moon mirror.

“A rational and reasonable assessment, Amosta, since that's the case—”

Dumbledore clearly saw something, but chose not to expose it. He raised his elder wand and swung it down sharply. Immediately, the entire Chamber of Secrets began to shake violently, and gravel and dust fell like a sudden storm. Harry, somewhat confused, quickly covered his forehead with his hand to prevent anything from getting into his eyes.

In just a few seconds, the trembling world returned to calm. A disheveled Harry dusted off the layer of gray on his robes and looked ahead. One glance was enough to make his face show astonishment!

Suddenly, a staircase appeared out of thin air in front of Principal Dumbledore and Professor Blaine, leading straight to the towering, dark stone face. The staircase was made of rough stone, with a dark color, and was two hundred feet high, like a pillar reaching to the sky.

Harry was astonished. Turning a stone into the shape of a staircase was not difficult for him, given his two years of formal magical education. But to create such a huge staircase, Harry was certain that even if he were put in a juicer and squeezed dry, he couldn't conjure up that much magic!

Chapter 88 A Secret Chamber Within a Secret Chamber (Part 2)

Dumbledore and Amosta reached an agreement to explore the giant hole in Slytherin's face, but they disagreed on whether Harry should stay or leave.

Dumbledore seemed to think that something worth having a basilisk guarded by Salazar Slytherin, one of the great four founders of the world, must not be a simple thing. There might be unimaginable dangers inside the cave, and Harry was just an underage wizard who did not yet have the ability to deal with unknown dangers.

"No one is born with the ability to face everything with ease, Headmaster Dumbledore,"

Amosta glanced at the somewhat dejected Harry and said meaningfully,

"To help young people grow up quickly, we must give them more opportunities to gain experience."

Ultimately, Headmaster Dumbledore heeded Amosta's reasonable advice.

"You must promise me,"

Dumbledore looked solemnly at Harry and said, "If we encounter danger later, and Professor Blaine and I instruct you to run away, will you obey our orders?"

"I assure you, Headmaster Dumbledore!"

Although Dumbledore's words hurt Harry's pride a little, the thought of embarking on an unknown adventure with two powerful wizards made Harry feel as light as if he were flying. Moreover, he didn't believe that with Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Blaine standing in front of him, what danger could possibly harm his life.

"Even if ten Voldemors appeared together, they couldn't do it!"

As Dumbledore and Amos Tower stepped onto the stairs, Harry secretly grinned, thinking to himself that although it must be very late and he had already experienced a legendary battle that night, Harry was still incredibly excited. However, his excitement only lasted until he stepped onto the stairs and entered the cave.

The passageway at the cave entrance was not as winding and long as they had imagined. However, the white bones of various animals piled on the ground were many times more numerous than those in the stone tunnel after they came down from the pipe. With each step, they could clearly hear the sound of various weathered bones shattering into dust.

The further they went, the stronger the stench of blood became in the air. This stench also came from the bones on the ground. Harry had already seen many rat skulls with blood-stained gray scalps still attached to them, as well as piles of spider hairy legs that looked like small mountains.

"Ugh--"

For some reason, Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh, but when faced with Amostella's probing gaze, he simply shook his head and said nothing more.

The three of them walked around a corner and followed a path cleared by the basilisk's movements for less than half a mile. Then, the scenery inside the tunnel gradually changed.

Golden torches, spaced thirty feet apart, were placed on the walls on either side of the tunnel. Their steady heat dried the damp stone walls and the ground.

The air became fresh, there were no more bones on the ground, and it was so clean that even dust and cobwebs were nowhere to be seen. Harry even felt that this place was comparable to the corridors of the castle maintained by Filch.

"Tsk tsk--"

Amostella stood before a torch, gazing at the flickering flames, and exclaimed in genuine admiration, "The ancient Flame of Slytherin, so extravagant!"

Harry, finally free from the sea of ​​bones, breathed a sigh of relief. Then he heard Professor Blaine's slightly awe-inspiring exclamation. He turned his gaze to Dumbledore, hoping for an explanation.

"The Ancient Flame of Bula is an eternal flame, extremely precious because it will never be extinguished—"

Dumbledore looked at the countless torches with admiration and said gently, "Creating this kind of fairy fire requires a great deal of magic. As far as I know, no one has ever been able to create such a large number of eternal flames in one go."

Harry gasped, finally understanding the value of the bronze torches, but at the same time, he was a little unhappy because he could detect a hint of flattery towards Slytherin in the tone of Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Blaine.

As the founder of the house that Harry hated the most out of the four, and whose Chamber of Secrets had caused him so much trouble this year, it was impossible for Harry to have much affection for Salazar Slytherin.

“Maybe Gryffindor is better—” Harry muttered to himself.

The firelight stained Dumbledore's silver eyebrows and beard red. Hearing Harry's dissatisfied complaints, he chuckled, extinguished the glow of his wand, and stepped forward to lead the way.

The tunnel grew wider and wider, and at the end of the tunnel was a steady, bright light. Amosta, with a solemn expression, gripped his wand tightly and strode after it.

As they drew closer, the deepest secret hidden within this underground chamber was finally revealed!

This is a huge cave, about the size of three or four Quidditch pitches, with a cave ceiling over three hundred feet high. Among the stalactites and stalagmites, there are a number of rough, huge round stone pillars that jut out abruptly. The stone pillars, which are arranged in a certain order, are similar in color to Hogwarts Castle, and seem to be the load-bearing pillars supporting the entire castle!

"That's insane!"

The wind howled through the air, its mysterious sound like history singing praises of the passing years.

Amostah surveyed the massive cavern walls, where ancient, ever-burning torches were placed at intervals, murmuring in astonishment. These torches, radiating a constant light, illuminated the entire cavern as if it were daytime, while their powerful magical magnetic field resisted all locating spells.

"It's unimaginable how much magic Slytherin himself possessed to allow him to squander it so recklessly. No wonder that basilisk could live for a thousand years; in such a dense magical environment, any creature could probably live thirty to fifty years longer than it originally would."

Harry, lacking a real understanding of the difficulty in creating the Ancient Flame, couldn't comprehend Professor Blaine's astonishment. However, the desolate and magnificent atmosphere permeated by time in the cave filled with strangely shaped stone cones and stalactites left him speechless.

"Yes, the great Slytherin—"

Dumbledore was equally astonished by what he saw and uttered a similar sentiment.

"However, I am more curious about Salazar Slytherin's purpose in building this Chamber of Secrets."

Amosta averted his gaze and nodded. He turned to look at Harry, who was still captivated by the breathtaking scenery, and issued a warning.

"It seems that what is hidden in this secret room within a secret room is probably something extraordinary, Potter. Remember to stay vigilant."

Harry nodded hesitantly, but his curious eyes still darted around.

He surveyed the deep furrows in the uneven ground, staring at the dark stone spikes. Suddenly, Harry froze, his eyes widening in a certain direction. When he recognized what he saw, his face turned deathly pale, and he screamed in terror.

“Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Blaine, there’s someone over there!”

Chapter 89 A Secret Chamber Within a Secret Chamber (Part 2)

As Harry got closer to the figure, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at his excessive nervousness. In reality, what he had seen was not a living person, but merely a lifelike statue.

This is a statue of Salazar Slytherin. However, unlike the huge, aged statue in the outer chamber, which appears to be on its last legs, this statue depicts Salazar Slytherin in his youth.

He sat on the stone chair beneath him, leaning back against the backrest, his elbows resting on the armrests, his chin slightly raised, his gaze scrutinizing, and a hint of displeasure showing between his sharp brows.

The statue's eyes are made of black gemstones, and the fire-like eyes make the sculpture seem alive, as if Salazar Slytherin himself is gazing at you from any angle.

Even Harry had to admit that the exquisitely crafted statue before him, in which even the individual strands of hair were clearly visible, proved that Slytherin himself was indeed exceptionally handsome. In fact, with the elegant wizard robes he wore, the extraordinary Slytherin could be described as absolutely stunning!

But no matter what, Slytherin has vanished into the flow of time, and no matter how realistic the sculpture in front of us is, it is just a stone.

After paying their respects to the founder of Hogwarts, Amosta and Dumbledore quickly bypassed the statue and stepped through a stone gate behind it that was far more magnificent than the castle gates.

"It seems this is the final secret Slytherin left behind at the school—"

Amosta looked up at the weathered stone door, its surface pockmarked and bearing the marks of time, trying to see where the top of the door was, but his neck ached before he could achieve his goal.

Having seen it all, Dumbledore was even more interested in what was hidden behind the door. He strode to the stone door, his long, aged hand pressed against the stone wall, as if trying to sense something through his special magical perspective. However, this stone door, left by Slytherin himself, isolated everything. Even a powerful wizard like Dumbledore could not sense what was behind the door before it opened.

Do you think Tom Riddle ever came here?

Amosta took a few steps back. Since even Dumbledore couldn't figure it out, there was no need for him to make a futile attempt.

“Yes, that’s what I think, Amosta—”

Dumbledore took a few steps, his azure eyes fixed intently on a brown stain on the stone wall, and calmly said,

"Clearly, he couldn't open the door either."

"But isn't this the secret chamber Slytherin left for his successor? If he can open it..."

Harry, trying not to disturb Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Blaine's research, couldn't help but speak up. Although he found the stone door very spectacular, the awe it gave him couldn't compare to the cavern he was in.

"Yes, that is indeed very strange--"

For some reason, Dumbledore looked a little worried.

Then Harry made a new discovery: he saw what appeared to be a line of text engraved on the stone wall to the right of the stone door, so he spoke up again to remind him.