A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 44: The Meeting

Felix Harp found it difficult to comprehend the nature of Professor Lockhart.

He had seen through this person's essence – a merchant who sold books by concocting stories and self-promotion.

As for magical ability, that had been returned to the teachers along with his graduation.

This author's routine was to crown the protagonist of his stories with his own name, shamelessly labeling them as "autobiographical" to amass wealth.

Such a thing might not be uncommon in the Muggle world, but the wizarding world wasn't as open, and to some extent, it could even be considered quite sincere. When you claim your adventures in a book are your own, people choose to believe – and that borders on fraud. Once exposed, it almost always leads to a tarnished reputation.

Did he not know this himself? If he did, why persist? And why perform in front of the most outstanding batch of wizards in the British magical community?

Honestly, Felix couldn't fathom it.

He and Lockhart were entirely different sorts of people.

"Silence." With Lockhart's arrival, Dumbledore convened the meeting.

"The second attack has occurred, just an hour ago. Again, a case of petrification, like Lady Lorris." Dumbledore's tone was somber.

"But this time, the nature of the incident is entirely different. The victim is a young wizard, a first-year student. This suggests—" His piercing blue eyes swept the room with intensity. "The Chamber of Secrets has truly been opened."

"Hogwarts is facing a crisis!"

All the professors grew solemn.

Next, Professor McGonagall recounted the information from the previous time the Chamber had been opened. She pursed her lips and began narrating that piece of history: "Fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened once before."

"A student lost her life then. Her name was Moaning Myrtle Warren, and yes, she still lingers at Hogwarts as a ghost."

"However, since then, the Chamber has remained sealed until now—"

"So you mean to say," Lockhart couldn't contain his eagerness, "the attacks are over? I mean, a student has been targeted, hasn't he? I've encountered numerous similar cases, like the Loch Lake Monster, which appears every thirty years. Since I provided the residents there with my self-made protective charms, they've not been bothered again..."

Professor McGonagall's lips tightened even more, and she uncommonly spoke with a raised voice: "I must remind you, Professor Lockhart, Colin Creevey has only been petrified; he hasn't lost his life."

Dumbledore followed up McGonagall's words: "Indeed, we don't know if the creature will launch more attacks or if the consequences will be limited to petrification. If any of you have suggestions, feel free to voice them."

Professor McGonagall added, "I've arranged Prefect patrols for now, strictly forbidding young wizards from venturing into remote areas. Especially for first and second-year students, they must queue up for classes and avoid solo activities."

"Very well, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore commended.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Felix Harp felt it necessary to share the information he held, "My focus has always been on the Chamber. Around the Chamber, there are three key elements—"

He glanced at the assembled individuals, "Unknown creature, heir of Slytherin, and the location of the Chamber."

"As long as we know any one of these, we can deduce the truth."

Dumbledore folded his long fingers and seemed to be pondering, "Please continue, Felix."

"The unknown creature, why not associate it with Slytherin? Slytherin's emblem is a serpent. Perhaps this creature is also a serpent, and that explains how it appeared in the castle—by using the network of tunnels that permeate Hogwarts."

People seemed to be pondering, and Snape spoke up in his subdued, aloof manner, "Felix, Slytherin's emblem might be a serpent, but that's just because he had a fondness for snakes. If you've done even a slight study of him, you'd realize he was a master of bloodline research, delving into magical ancestry beyond your imagination."

"But we cannot rule that out, can we?"

"Hmph! The unidentified creature killed a witch fifty years ago, and fifty years later, it's only causing petrification..." Snape's eyes, as cold as stone, locked onto Felix. "If I'm not mistaken, Felix, those aren't the same creature, are they?"

Felix shook his head, "I can't explain that either, so my opinions can only be considered as possibilities."

He continued, "The heir of Slytherin, there are two possibilities I can think of. Active and passive."

"Perhaps this heir is conscious, knowing what they're doing, like inheriting Slytherin's will to remove Muggle-borns. But it's also possible that they've come across an heirloom of Slytherin and are being controlled by it."

Dumbledore raised his head, "Insightful perspective, Felix. You've expanded our horizons."

He seemed thoughtful, "We've overlooked this in the past. It seems we need to strengthen the students' moral education."

Felix's theory on "manipulation" led to several professors discussing. After waiting a moment, he continued, "As for the location of the Chamber, I have no way of knowing. Perhaps we can ask the castle's portraits and ghosts?"

After a quiet moment, an elderly professor with hesitation began, "Originally, I shouldn't say this, but I believe Hogwarts is in a critical time. Every clue matters..."

Felix looked at this senior professor, Silvanus Kettleburn. He had been Felix's Care of Magical Creatures instructor during his school days, rumored to be considering retirement.

This professor was renowned for his love of studying and caring for dangerous creatures. He set an unparalleled record, having faced 62 medical check-ups during his tenure.

If Felix were to rate him, he'd be another version of Hagrid.

At this moment, Kettleburn said, "That child isn't evil, but if you ask me, if he's like me... making mistakes out of curiosity," he paused and mentioned a name, "Rubeus Hagrid."

"It's not him, Silvanus," Dumbledore said firmly, "I was the Transfiguration professor at the school back then. I know he's innocent, but there's no evidence... Under pressure, Headmaster Dippet expelled him."

"It was a grave mistake; we didn't capture the real culprit."

The meeting concluded with Dumbledore assigning a series of tasks. For now, prevention remained the priority. Apart from regular patrols, they also needed to urge young wizards in classes not to trust any magical items' nonsense.

As Felix left, he saw Lockhart engaged in conversation with Dumbledore.

The headmaster's expression was intriguingly inscrutable.

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