Fawkes's phoenix Apparition brought the entire group directly to the doorway of Professor McGonagall's office.
When Lewis pushed the door open, he found the room packed.
Professor McGonagall was there.
So was Professor Dumbledore.
Mr. Weasley sat slumped in a chair, sighing heavily.
Mrs. Weasley stood before the fireplace, weeping.
The moment she saw them, she let out a piercing scream.
"Ron!"
She practically launched herself forward, with Arthur Weasley right behind her.
Together, the two of them wrapped their arms around their youngest son—and Harry as well.
Dumbledore stood smiling quietly in front of the mantelpiece.
Beside him, Professor McGonagall clutched at her chest, taking deep, shaky breaths.
Fawkes swept over Lewis's head in a burst of scarlet feathers and settled gracefully onto Dumbledore's shoulder.
A moment later, Lewis, Hermione, and Ciri were all pulled into crushing hugs from Mrs. Weasley.
"You saved them!"
"You saved them!"
"How did you do it?"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, finally exhaling, "is what all of us would very much like to know."
Mrs. Weasley released them at last.
Harry hesitated, then stepped to the desk and carefully returned the Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor.
Lewis placed the ruined remains of Tom Riddle's diary beside them.
Then Harry began recounting everything from his perspective.
He told them about confronting Ron.
About being taken into the Chamber.
About Tom Riddle.
About the diary.
When Harry finished, Professor McGonagall nodded.
"Very good."
"So you discovered that the monster was a basilisk, and that Ron was being controlled. Then both of you were dragged into the Chamber."
She leaned forward.
"But how exactly did you survive?"
Then she turned to Lewis.
"And, Mr. Green, how did the three of you get inside?"
"According to Mr. Potter, you were the one who killed the monster."
"I must admit, you accomplished something even the professors might have found difficult."
Lewis smiled modestly.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. But once we identified the monster as a basilisk, it was much easier than it sounds."
He shrugged.
"I didn't need to fight it directly."
"I simply brought several roosters into the Chamber."
"The basilisk died shortly afterward."
He deliberately omitted any mention of his feathered serpent transformation.
For now, he intended to keep his magical Animagus forms secret.
Fortunately, everyone who had witnessed that part of the battle was either dead, unconscious, or absolutely trustworthy.
Riddle had been destroyed.
Harry, Ron, and Lockhart had spent most of the fight unconscious.
Hermione and Ciri would never betray his confidence.
And with his newfound abilities, Lewis could now cast psychic barriers to protect memories if necessary.
As for Fawkes—
Even assuming the phoenix understood what a feathered serpent was, Dumbledore couldn't exactly sit down and have a detailed conversation with him.
There was no Legilimency for magical creatures.
Lewis then summarized the events from his own perspective.
How he had noticed unusual disturbances in the Forbidden Forest.
How the centaurs had mentioned seeing Ron.
How he became concerned and followed Harry.
How he witnessed Harry and Ron being taken and tracked them into the Chamber.
And finally:
The basilisk was killed by rooster crowing.
Tom Riddle was finished off by Harry's rebounding curse.
The three of them merely provided a little assistance.
Before Harry and Ron had awakened, the group had already synchronized their stories.
Lewis's transformations and his use of teleportation through enchanted badges were omitted entirely.
By the time Harry and Lewis finished speaking, everyone understood the truth.
Ron had never been the culprit.
The real villain had been the diary.
The true Voldemort still lurked in the forests of Albania.
What they had faced in Hogwarts was merely a younger fragment of Tom Riddle.
"You defeated him."
Dumbledore's voice was warm with admiration.
"That is a remarkable achievement."
"By any measure, Tom Riddle was one of the most brilliant students Hogwarts has ever known."
He turned to face Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, both of whom looked deeply bewildered.
Dumbledore gently explained that Tom Riddle had eventually transformed himself into Lord Voldemort.
His appearance had changed so drastically that almost no one connected the handsome, brilliant Head Boy of Hogwarts with the Dark Lord who later terrorized Britain.
The Weasleys stared in stunned realization.
Then they rounded on Ron, scolding him loudly.
Lewis could tell they were less angry than terrified—desperate to make sure no one drew any sinister conclusions about their son's connection to Voldemort.
Dumbledore soothed them with a few calm words and sent them, along with Harry and the still-dazed Lockhart, to the hospital wing.
Then he turned to Lewis, Hermione, and Ciri.
"Mr. Lewis Green, Miss Hermione Granger, and Miss Cirilla Riannon."
"As Headmaster, I wish to thank you for your extraordinary service to Hogwarts."
Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles.
"I believe your actions merit another Special Award for Services to the School."
As he spoke, Dumbledore studied Lewis carefully.
He knew perfectly well that this trio revolved around one person.
Lewis was even more handsome than Tom Riddle had been.
More gifted.
More universally admired.
More beloved by students and professors alike.
But there was one critical difference.
Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Hermione and Ciri.
Both girls were excitedly discussing the Special Award with Lewis.
Neither made any effort to hide the affection in their eyes.
Lewis clearly possessed the power of love.
Though, Dumbledore thought dryly, perhaps in rather abundant quantities.
Afterward, Professor McGonagall personally marched the three of them to the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey examined each of them thoroughly.
Only after confirming they were unharmed did she allow them to return to their dormitories.
By the time Lewis finally made it back to Ravenclaw Tower, dawn was already breaking.
Now that the adrenaline had faded, exhaustion hit him like a Bludger.
He collapsed onto his bed, hoping to steal a few hours of sleep before breakfast.
He did not make it that far.
Early the next morning, the entire tower erupted with cheers and pounding footsteps.
His roommate Steve shook him awake.
"Lewis! Is it true?"
"Did you really defeat the monster in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Did you actually kill a basilisk?!"
Kevin bounced beside the bed, equally excited.
"The school's holding a celebration feast!"
"The petrified students are going to be cured!"
"The Chamber of Secrets is solved!"
Lewis groaned and buried his face in the pillow.
"Could you let me sleep a little longer?"
"Defeating a basilisk is exhausting work…"
A moment later, he sighed and sat up.
"All right, all right."
"No need to drag me out of bed. I'm getting up."
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