Chapter 141: Gotta Pay Up!
The note was brief, containing just one sentence: "Come to the Headmaster's office immediately." There was no signature.
When Ethan rushed over, he found a dark-haired boy sitting on the sofa beside Dumbledore.
"Harry?" It was none other than Harry Potter, who had skipped Charms practice that morning. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were red.
"Sit down," Dumbledore said, pointing to the seat next to Harry.
*What was going on?* Ethan wondered.
"Harry, you may go now. I know all about your situation."
"Mm." Harry opened his mouth as if to speak, but after glancing at Ethan, he nodded reluctantly and left the office.
Once the door was closed, Ethan asked, "What's going on?"
"Harry came to me saying he wanted to drop out." The old man hadn't expected that result either.
*Drop out? Because of the Parseltongue matter? If he leaves school and the Basilisk attacks stop, won't that be even harder to explain?*
"I made the same argument to him. Actually, whether he's guilty or not, we'll likely learn something once Ron wakes up. I talked until I was blue in the face before finally convincing him to stay." The old man sighed.
Dumbledore had originally planned for Ethan to act within two days.
On one hand, he wanted to see if he could catch the real culprit using this last opportunity. On the other, he wanted to train Harry and build his mental resilience.
But unexpectedly, only one day had passed before Harry broke down. He would rather return to the Dursleys than endure such injustice, which surprised Dumbledore greatly.
It seemed Ron meant more to Harry than he had realized. Without anyone to confide in, the boy would eventually crumble under the pressure. In that moment, the old man understood the importance of companionship to a twelve-year-old.
Dumbledore thought back to his own school days. He'd had friends back then, too, though not as close, and he had never suffered such hardships.
*What about procuring mature Mandrake roots from elsewhere?* The old man turned the idea over in his mind for a moment before quickly dismissing it.
*Wait until the basilisk is killed. I'll explain everything to him then, and the pressure will lift.*
*It's best to let him adapt to life without friends. His future tasks will likely require him to walk alone through the darkness.*
"So, what did you call me here for?" While Dumbledore remained silent, Ethan grew suspicious. *Is he asking me to replace Ron? Or to be emotional support for Harry? I couldn't possibly agree.*
However, that idea had never crossed Dumbledore's mind.
"The plan has changed. We slay the basilisk today. Further delay only invites trouble."
"Are we no longer intent on catching the culprit?"
"Another half day won't make much difference. We strike today. There's no reason to delay any further." The white-bearded old man shook his head slightly. Deep down, he harbored a hint of regret.
"Very well." Naturally, Ethan had no objections.
"Let's go," the old man said, rising to his feet with wand in hand as he turned to Ethan.
"Don't you need to prepare?"
"That won't be necessary. Bringing Fawkes is enough." Dumbledore sounded supremely confident. It was just a basilisk, a threat he was more than capable of handling.
Ethan fell silent, trailing behind Dumbledore as they made their way to the abandoned girls' bathroom.
It was Sunday. Aside from a handful of students using the empty classrooms to study, there was no one else on this floor.
"Hello, Myrtle," Dumbledore greeted the translucent ghost.
"Hello, Professor. Are you here this time to clear up that mystery you mentioned a few days ago?" Myrtle blinked.
"That has been settled. Today, I am here to eradicate this scourge." Dumbledore was quite familiar with Myrtle, as she had been a student victimized during his tenure as a teacher.
"I'll leave you for a bit. Make yourselves at home." Myrtle glanced at Ethan and floated away.
As he watched her drift through the wall, Dumbledore said, "This is Myrtle, the girl I mentioned earlier. I wasn't sure if you'd seen her."
"I know, Moaning Myrtle. Other ghosts have mentioned her."
"Really? She was much the same when she was alive. She would cry over the smallest things. She was killed because she was crying alone in the bathroom and, unfortunately, crossed paths with the Basilisk." Dumbledore's voice held a note of regret.
This was the first time Ethan had heard about Myrtle's life, but the old man left it at that and said no more.
Dumbledore approached the copper tap and gestured toward the small snake etched on its side.
"Ethan, say 'open' in Parseltongue. This is the entrance to the Chamber, a mechanism Salazar left for the heir who can speak his language."
"Okay, but we agreed beforehand. I'm not going down there to take risks," Ethan said, still trying to back out.
"Of course. I'll go in alone." The old man seemed completely unfazed.
Ethan stared at the small, etched snake and hissed.
Instantly, the faucet glowed with dazzling white light and began spinning rapidly.
Moments later, the sink shifted.
Finally, the sink vanished completely, revealing a pipe wide enough to crawl through.
Dumbledore peered into the seemingly bottomless pipe and sent Fawkes in to scout first.
Fawkes returned swiftly and landed on the old man's shoulder.
He turned to Ethan. "That settles it. Your task is complete. Wait here for now. I'll be back very soon."
He grasped Fawkes's leg and slid down the pipe.
He would be back shortly. The Basilisk wouldn't appear without a summons anyway. Ethan folded his arms, waiting for the old man to return and ask for his help.
Before Dumbledore could return, however, Fawkes appeared.
"Another door?" Ethan looked at the note tied to Fawkes's leg and patted the bird's head.
He remembered that the Basilisk wouldn't come out unless summoned, but he had forgotten all about the other door that needed Parseltongue to open.
Fawkes returned underground immediately after delivering the message. Ethan slid down the pipe.
The pipe hadn't been cleaned in years. In the damp darkness, it was covered in moss and felt slick and sticky as he slid down.
Other pipes branched off in all directions, though none were as large. He had no idea what they were originally used for, but they clearly hadn't been used in a long time.
He slid all the way down the twisting pipe.
He shot out of the horizontal opening at the end, landing on the damp floor. Mud stained his clothes.
The air smelled stale and moldy. Ethan used his wand to clean himself off, cast Lumos, and then, guided by Fawkes, who had been waiting for him, continued down the dark tunnel.
The tunnel walls were also covered in moss, making it impossible to tell what they were made of.
Small animal bones began appearing on the ground. Ethan walked carefully, trying not to step on them.
In the light ahead, a figure stood examining a shed skin on the ground.
"You came. I didn't expect there to actually be another door for you to open." Dumbledore squinted against the light, holding a piece of faded green scale.
Ethan followed Dumbledore around bend after bend until they reached a wall.
Two intertwined snakes were carved into the surface. Their eyes were set with massive emeralds that glittered in the light.
Speaking softly in Parseltongue, Ethan murmured two sentences.
The two serpents drew apart, sliding to opposite sides. The stone wall shifted, and the fissure between them widened as they slowly separated.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." Dumbledore looked grave as he drew his wand, holding it at the ready. Fawkes soared ahead of him.
"I'll hang back for now. Just find me later." Ethan's eyes were fixed on the discarded Basilisk skins scattered across the ground. He wasn't sure what use they'd be, but he wanted to collect some anyway.
"Very well. I'll be with you shortly," Dumbledore said, figuring it was the safer option and would spare Ethan from potential injury during the fight ahead.
Dumbledore stepped into the inner sanctum. Ethan glanced around the massive hall, lit only by the flames at the entrance, then walked slowly toward the area where the shed skins had been found.
By the time he had filled his pouch with large pieces of shed skin, Dumbledore still hadn't returned.
"Is he fighting the Basilisk?" He took a few steps forward to listen for any signs of a struggle.
The moment he turned the corner, he heard footsteps approaching.
"Finished, Headmaster?" Ethan asked, already suspecting the answer, his voice echoing down the corridor.
"No, the Basilisk wasn't there. I examined the area for a while and found that it still required a Parseltongue summons to appear." The old man seemed somewhat embarrassed.
Dumbledore entered the Chamber with extreme caution, but found no sign of the Basilisk.
Finally, after carefully examining the stone statues, he noticed something unusual about the statue of Salazar. He realized the Basilisk might have been sealed inside it all along, emerging only when summoned.
This meant he would have to ask Ethan for the third time to open the passage and release the Basilisk.
*When I return, I absolutely have to learn some basic Parseltongue!* the old man vowed silently.
"This? We agreed on opening doors, not summoning the Basilisk! The original deal doesn't cover this. You'll have to pay extra!" Ethan smiled triumphantly, though in the darkness, Dumbledore could only vaguely make out the flash of his teeth.
"I promised to give you my Transfiguration notes and a portion of my alchemy notes. What more do you want?"
Ethan pretended to consider the offer. After a moment, he said, "I want the information on Animagi, including why a person can't transform into magical creatures."
Ethan had considered this for a long time. Although the old man had previously promised him Transfiguration notes, the preliminary catalog contained no information about Animagi.
"Very well, I promise." Dumbledore glanced at him and readily agreed.
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4.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 139
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