0163 Inside The Chamber

Words : 1825 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

The walls of the Chamber of Secrets seemed to throb with malice as Harry approached Slytherin's statue. Harry's hands trembled slightly as he stepped forward. Drawing a deep breath, Harry forced his voice to remain steady despite the nervous flutter in his chest. "Speak to me, Slytherin—greatest of the Hogwarts Four." The moment the words fell, Slytherin's statue made strange sounds and began to change. Its face started to contort, its mouth began to open, and finally transformed into a black hole. "Close your eyes!" Dumbledore's usual gentle tone was replaced by urgent command. Without hesitation, every person in the chamber squeezed their eyes shut. Even Adrian felt his heart race as he obeyed. The Devil's Snare vines beneath his robes responded to his heightened emotions, and unfurled like a living carpet across the chamber floor. Their vines placed themselves around Slytherin's statue, ready to ensnare whatever creature might emerge from that terrible darkness. High above them, Fawkes spread his magnificent wings. His claws were extended as he prepared for battle. Time seemed suspended in that moment of anticipation. The chamber fell in such that it felt suffocating. Each person held their breath, waiting for the legendary basilisk to emerge. But nothing happened. The expected roar of an ancient monster never came. No massive body slithered across the stone floor. No deadly hiss filled the air. Only silence—vast, empty, and somehow more terrifying than any monster could have been. It was Fawkes who finally broke the spell, his clear, bell-like cry cutting through the tension. Cautiously, one by one, they opened their eyes to find themselves staring into nothing but empty darkness. The statue's mouth remained open, revealing only a hollow passage that stretched into blackness. There was no basilisk. Professor McGonagall was the first to voice what they were all thinking, her usual voice wavered slightly with a mixture of relief and horror. "Could it be... that the basilisk is still inside Hogwarts castle?" Adrian's eyes suddenly became sharp. The Devil's Snare vines responded to his emotional shift, retreating like a dark tide beneath his robes. A cold understanding came over him as he realized the trap they had all fallen into. They had assumed the basilisk would be waiting in its ancient lair, following the patterns of legend and expectation. But what if the creature had never returned to the Chamber after its latest attack? What if, at this moment, it was coiled within the network of pipes in Hogwarts? This meant that while they had been searching an empty chamber, the basilisk could be anywhere within the castle. "Let's go back," Dumbledore also obviously noticed something was wrong and said gravely, "Notify the professors to patrol inside the castle. Report anything unusual to me immediately. As for the Chamber, Fawkes will stay here." Professor McGonagall's face had gone pale, her face was now pale with worry. "What about the students?" she asked in a soft tone. "We should evacuate the students immediately!" But Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "No, that's not necessary, the students will be fine. Trust me." The journey back to the castle felt ominous. Upon reaching the main floors, the group immediately dispersed into action. Adrian wasted no time in beginning his patrol, the Devil's Snare emerged from beneath his robes like a living detection system. Meanwhile, teams of professors moved through the castle hoping to find the basilisk. Professor Flitwick led a group through the upper floors and his usually cheerful demeanor was replaced by focused determination. Professor Sprout also came out from the greenhouses with an arsenal of defensive plants. Harry made his way back to Gryffindor Tower with a heavy heart, his mind was shaking with everything he had witnessed. Ron and Hermione were waiting for him, their faces turned immediately alert as they saw his expression. He poured out all the story. As he spoke, he could see his friends' faces growing pale. "The facts prove that Lockhart isn't as miraculous as he writes in his books," Ron said with a shrug, though his attempt at lightness fell flat in the tense atmosphere. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have—" "That's not the main problem!" Hermione interrupted, her voice sharp with worry and frustration. "The basilisk is wandering around the castle. We're in danger. They should order a temporary school closure, keep students away from here until the basilisk is found!" Her words made perfect sense, but Ron shook his head. "Even Dumbledore can't just close the school," He said, stuffing a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean into his mouth and speaking unclearly around the candy. "This might require consent from the entire Board of Governors." "But still—" Hermione began. "Professor Dumbledore must have his plans," Harry said suddenly, "We'll be fine." Hermione looked at him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face for the source of his certainty. Finally, she sighed. "Alright," she said, sinking into one of the armchairs by the fire. "I won't leave the common room today. I don't want to turn into a block of stone after turning a corner." Night fell over Hogwarts. The castle remained peaceful on the surface, no screams echoed through the corridors, no new victims were discovered turned to stone. The patrols continued their vigilant rounds, but the basilisk remained hidden. For most students, this day passed much like any other. They attended their classes, completed their homework, gossiped about the latest Quidditch matches, and complained about particularly difficult assignments. The younger students, especially, seemed mostly unaware of the danger that might be lurking around them. However, observant students couldn't help but notice the changes in their professors' behavior. Professors like Flitwick who were usually relaxed and approachable now moved through the corridors with tense expressions and alert eyes. The absence of their usual Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was another puzzle for the students to ponder. Some had noticed Lockhart's usual turquoise robes were no longer a common sight in the hallways. As evening approached, Adrian made his way through the staircases to the headmaster's office. "Then I'll trouble you, Professor Westeros," Dumbledore said, extending a prepared class schedule across the desk—one that Professor McGonagall had just prepared. Adrian accepted the schedule with a mixture of resignation and understanding. Yes, because Lockhart had been petrified, Adrian was once again forced to take over the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching duties. Oh, and Snape was no exception. Adrian would handle the lower years, Snape the upper years—it was no different from last year. After glancing at the schedule in his hand, Adrian nodded and turned the conversation to the morning's events: "Professor, regarding the basilisk, what do you plan to do?" Dumbledore glanced at Adrian and shook his head slightly. "We can't find it for now. But don't worry, Fawkes is monitoring the Chamber's entrance." Adrian shrugged; this was all they could do for now. If the basilisk didn't return to the Chamber, they had no particularly good solutions. He couldn't go searching for the basilisk in those pipes. Never mind how many pipes Hogwarts actually had—unless he transformed himself into a snake, he couldn't move smoothly through the pipes anyway. After leaving the headmaster's office, Adrian returned to his own office, sat in his chair, and slowly sighed. The petrified Lockhart, the missing basilisk... Things were becoming increasingly chaotic. Even he didn't know how to find the person who had released the basilisk. He had originally suspected Lockhart, but now Lockhart had also turned to stone... But since even Dumbledore wasn't anxious, his anxiety wouldn't help much. Unfortunately, the mature Mandrake he had used before was already gone. The Mandrake closest to maturity now would still need some time, and it wouldn't be ready until after Christmas at the earliest. The day after Lockhart's petrification, students were surprised to discover that their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had become Adrian again. Though slightly surprised, this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened—it had occurred last year as well. In fact, this was a good thing for them. They had been thoroughly tormented by Lockhart's theatrical performance classes during this period. "Thank Merlin," whispered a second-year Hufflepuff to her friend as they took their seats. "I was starting to think Defense Against the Dark Arts was supposed to be a drama class." With proper Defense Against the Dark Arts classes available, who would want to perform those embarrassingly awkward stage plays? Compared to Lockhart, they still preferred actual learning. "Professor Lockhart has been temporarily injured due to an attack while he was conducting research outside the school," Adrian said, his tone saying that the topic was not open to other discussion. "Until he recovers, I'll be resuming my previous teaching duties." The students exchanged glances, some looking skeptical about the official explanation. The more perceptive ones noticed that Adrian's choice of words—"temporarily injured"—was oddly formal and evasive. But they also realized the decisiveness in his tone and knew they won't get another answer if they ask for more details. However, the truth spread through Hogwarts. Several Gryffindor students, seeking treatment for winter colds, had made their way to the hospital wing and discovered something unexpected. In a room adjacent to the main infirmary, lying on a hospital bed with an unnaturally still and gray appearance, was the petrified Professor Lockhart. The discovery spread through the school like wildfire. Students began to speculate wildly about what had happened to their former professor. The theories ranged from the simple ones to the fantastical. Some said that Lockhart had been the victim of a curse, perhaps from one of the many dark wizards he claimed to have defeated in his books. Others said that he had made a critical error while experimenting with dangerous magic, and became a victim of his own incompetence. The most popular theory, however, was that Lockhart had fallen victim to the legendary "curse" of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. It was common knowledge among Hogwarts students that no Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had ever lasted more than a year in the position. The reasons were many some left under mysterious circumstances, others suffered various misfortunes, and a few had simply disappeared. When students brought their theories and questions to Adrian, he insisted on his previous answer. However, most students still didn't believe this; they were more inclined to think it was the "curse" of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position taking effect. Of course, except for Harry and his friends, no one knew of the basilisk's existence. The basilisk continued to wander in the darkness, waiting for its opportunity. ________________ You can read more chapters on: /IamLuis

0163 Inside The Chamber

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