Chapter 85 - 85: Detective Audrey Makes Her Debut

Words : 1806 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 85 of "HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity" starts revealing the story: When Audrey, Hermione, and Harry returned to the Great Hall, it was already packed with... Don’t miss it!

When Audrey, Hermione, and Harry returned to the Great Hall, it was already packed with students from all years. Everyone was whispering about Malfoy's death, and although the prefects were doing their best to maintain order, it wasn't working too well. The moment Harry walked in, a wave of Slytherin students surged toward him: "Harry Potter! You killed Malfoy in that duel last night, didn't you?" "You're the murderer, Harry Potter!" "You should be locked up in Azkaban!" "If you could kill Malfoy today, what's stopping you from killing any one of us Slytherins tomorrow?" "Grab Harry! Send him to Azkaban!" Faced with the growing crowd, Harry stumbled back in fear, mumbling over and over that he didn't know anything. Hermione immediately stepped forward, shielding Harry behind her. And when the Gryffindors saw one of their own being bullied, the Weasley twins were the first to lose it. They rallied a group of students and charged forward— "You lot want a fight?" "Bring it on, we're game any time." "Don't think you can bully our Chosen One." "Come on then, hit us if you dare!" The situation spiraled quickly, and several students even drew their wands. A golden glint flashed across Audrey's pupils. She gripped her dragonbone wand tightly and shouted in a low voice, "Silence!" Buzz! A powerful wave of pressure rippled outward, striking a chord of dread in everyone nearby. Whether they were Slytherins and Gryffindors arguing or Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs watching from the side, everyone instinctively shut their mouths. In an instant, the hall went dead silent. A few seconds later, all eyes turned to Audrey. "…" That actually made her feel a little awkward—her earlier momentum vanished all at once. She pressed her lips together and said somewhat nervously, "None of us knows the truth right now. But I believe the professors will give everyone a clear answer soon. For now, let's just be patient and wait." Of course, words like that weren't going to satisfy anyone. The students, who had only just quieted down, were already starting to stir again. "…." Audrey clenched her teeth, then raised her voice and said, "Alright then! You all want a fight? You, you and you—yes, all of you holding wands—come on, fight me instead." The Slytherins and Gryffindors exchanged glances, recalling all too clearly how easily Audrey had "wiped the floor" with every opponent the night before. Fight her? Yeah…maybe not. "What are you all still standing here for? Clear out—now." Professor McGonagall arrived at that moment, striding over with a face like frost and a tone that brooked no argument. The Gryffindors were the first to back off. The Slytherins, though reluctant, had no choice but to leave as well. "Thank you, Miss Hall," Professor McGonagall said to Audrey first, then turned to Harry, who was still visibly shaken. "Oh Harry, I'm sorry. I know this has nothing to do with you." "It's alright, Professor." After a few more words of comfort, she hurried off. Hermione turned to Audrey, concerned. "Are we…still going to investigate this? It's starting to feel really dangerous." Audrey nodded in agreement. "Exactly. That's why I'm going to ask Professor Dumbledore what he thinks." "But I heard he's gone to the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said. "What?" Audrey was surprised. "Then should we talk to Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall instead?" It was Harry who spoke up then, unable to hold back any longer. "I want to find out the truth." Hermione's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?" "Because right now, I'm the only suspect," Harry said, his voice rising. "Everyone thinks Malfoy ended up like that because of me. And I—I don't like being falsely accused." He turned to Audrey. "Besides, Malfoy might've gotten into trouble while helping you investigate the Chamber of Secrets. Don't you think you should take some responsibility and find out who hurt him? Get revenge for him?" What Harry said…actually kind of made sense. Audrey felt a strange flicker of excitement inside her. After just experiencing a "wizarding duel", she was finding herself more and more drawn to the thrill of adventure. And more importantly, this was her very first time independently facing a "supernatural incident". Even though she felt a little sorry for Malfoy…she couldn't help being just a bit excited. ——— [Hogwarts—Great Hall] The Next Day. Audrey and Hermione were quickly flipping through a stack of books. After a while, Hermione closed the last one with a sigh. "There's nothing new about the Heir of Slytherin or the Chamber of Secrets. All we've got is that same passage we found before. But both The Rise and Fall of Dark Magic and A Review of Magical Education in Europe mention rumours that anyone who obtains Slytherin's legacy will gain the immense power of Salazar Slytherin himself." Ron's eyes lit up. "Would that make me as great as Dumbledore?" "Keep dreaming! You're in Gryffindor. There's no way you could inherit Slytherin's legacy." "Hmm…then do the books say if the founder of Gryffindor left behind anything special?" Hermione picked up Hogwarts: A History, flipping quickly to a page. "It says here that Godric Gryffindor left behind the Sorting Hat—and the Sword of Gryffindor." "Ugh, that dirty, ugly hat counts as a legacy?" Audrey placed the book she was holding in front of Hermione, pointing to a line of text. "This book mentions that the Chamber of Secrets was opened once before, fifty-one years ago—and that time, a student actually died. But there aren't any details." She stroked her smooth chin thoughtfully and added, "I remember Malfoy mentioned this incident before too." "He read this book as well?" "Probably more than just this one. I think Malfoy found the Chamber of Secrets." Malfoy must have read the legend about Slytherin's legacy too. He might have given in before out of fear of Audrey, but now that there was a chance to gain power, he could have been tempted to act recklessly. It was very possible that last night hadn't been his first time searching for the Chamber. "What do you think petrified Malfoy?" "No idea, but it definitely wasn't the Petrificus Totalus spell. That one wears off after a while, even without a counter-curse. I overheard Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary this afternoon—she's certain it wasn't done by a wizard." Hermione pulled out a thick copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and continued, "So I started thinking about magical creatures." "Hahaha! Ron, I heard about it—the Slytherins really did blame the wrong person." The Weasley twins plopped down on either side of Ron. "Was it you who did that to Malfoy?" "Of course not!" Ron shouted. "Right now, the only suspect is...is clearly Harry!" Harry: "??" "But I heard you cursed Malfoy." "I did not!" "And Scabbers too." Ron shoved his two brothers away, flustered. "You guys are the worst!" "Hahaha!" One of the twins noticed the pile of books on the table and asked, "Are you guys looking into the Chamber of Secrets? You should ask Hagrid." The group was stunned. "Why?" "Because fifty-one years ago, it was Hagrid who opened the Chamber." Harry was the first to protest, "That's impossible! Hagrid—he would never do something like that!" "Well, the Ministry people are here already. They said they're taking Hagrid to Azkaban." Harry shot to his feet. "What about Dumbledore? Isn't he doing anything?" "Seems like even Dumbledore's in trouble now. Malfoy's dad is one of the school governors, and he rallied the others to impeach Dumbledore over Malfoy's situation. Said he's unfit to remain headmaster." Harry and Ron were left speechless. "How could this happen?" The trio, along with the Weasley twins, quickly slipped away to find Hagrid. Meanwhile, Audrey returned to the girls' bathroom. It had been closed off since last night's events, but a simple unlocking charm was enough to get her in. She adjusted her imaginary detective hat and, recalling all the mystery novels she'd read, whispered to herself for encouragement: A proper detective never overlooks the crime scene. "Fifty-one years ago, a student died the first time the Chamber was opened. Last night, it opened again, and Malfoy was petrified. Both incidents happened here. That makes it very likely that the entrance to the Chamber is in this room." "That much I'm sure Dumbledore and the other professors have also considered. But they still haven't found the entrance. Which means… there's some hidden mechanism." Audrey stood before the sinks, pulling out her dragonbone wand. "Alohomora." "Alohomora." "Alohomora." Three unlocking charms in a row—just as she expected, none of them worked. "Is it some kind of puzzle?" She turned on one of the taps. Water gushed out with a splash. She turned it off, stepped to the right, and twisted another. Same result—water flowed. She repeated this process again and again, circling around the sinks. Eventually, she twisted one tap—and nothing came out. Still, she didn't stop. She opened all the other taps, one by one, and finally confirmed that only this one was different. Audrey leaned in closer for a better look, and soon spotted a tiny, snake-shaped engraving on the side of the tap—something none of the others had. "Is this it?" She tried twisting the tap and pulling at the pipes around it, but nothing happened. She twirled her wand thoughtfully, then hesitated. "Hm…maybe a Blasting Curse could blow it open? Should I try?" Wait. Suddenly, something came to her. She parted her lips and let out a strange, garbled hiss: "%...%#·%#" If Edward had been there, he would've recognized it immediately—it was Parseltongue. — Two minutes later. "…Nothing?" Audrey frowned in confusion. That bizarre incantation had been taught to her by the Sorting Hat, which had told her it would unlock the secret to Slytherin's legacy when the time was right. It was that mysterious promise which had sparked her quest to find the Chamber and the Slytherin inheritance in the first place. What had started out as a treasure-hunting adventure had taken a sharp, dark turn—first with Malfoy's petrification, then with the link to a fatal incident from fifty-one years ago. And now even Dumbledore was in deep trouble. "AHHHHHHHHHH!!" A sudden scream shattered Audrey's thoughts. She whirled around, wand raised toward the sound. Floating in mid-air was a short, chubby, translucent girl wearing thick glasses and long, straight hair. She clutched her ears, face twisted in panic. "Moaning Myrtle?" There she was—the witness at the crime scene! ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 85 - 85: Detective Audrey Makes Her Debut

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