"This involves a secret of time," Merlin explained. "The Time Power will correct the effects caused by time travel. However, if the impact of time travel on the 'collective consensus' exceeds a certain range, a new parallel timeline will be created."
"For example, within the collective consensus, the only living person who knows a Basilisk is hidden in the Chamber of Secrets is the one who opened it: Tom Riddle. Once he decided to seal the Chamber again, no one else in the world knew the true state of the Basilisk."
"Because of this, killing the beast right now will not disrupt the collective consensus. The Basilisk's life or death will remain an unknown variable to the rest of the world, and thus, it will not create a parallel timeline."
"However," Merlin warned, "if you had killed the Basilisk before Tom sealed the Chamber, the Time Power would have had to make corrections based on his memories. That would have created a timeline where Tom actively knew the beast was dead."
"If you choose not to go back to the past to slay it right now, then until the Chamber of Secrets is opened again, the situation inside remains unknown. Perhaps there is a living Basilisk waiting. Or, perhaps, someone else will eventually travel back and kill it before the Chamber is opened again."
What kind of Schrödinger's Basilisk is this... Damian thought, finally understanding. In that case, the moment he had transmigrated to this world, it was already a new timeline.
To put it in terms from his past life, he had effectively traveled to a parallel dimension of the Hogwarts World.
The initiative was still firmly in Damian's hands. He only needed to avoid changing the 'collective consensus', and the Basilisk's life or death would not affect Damian's return to the current timeline.
Damian asked again, "Then do ghosts and portraits count toward the 'collective consensus'?"
Merlin shook his head: "Only living beings count toward the 'collective consensus'. Ghosts and portraits are incomplete echoes, and the Time Power will forcibly correct their memories. My situation is special, allowing the Time Power to ignore my existence."
Damian couldn't help but feel a surge of awe and longing. Merlin had gone so far down the path of magic that he had essentially found loopholes in the rules of time.
He decided to accept Merlin's trial. This could be his first real step toward exploring the deep mysteries of time, and he had absolutely no reason to pass up such an opportunity.
Moreover, he was incredibly greedy for that thousand-year-old Basilisk. The Basilisk is a five-star magical creature, a very rare species in modern times, let alone one that has lived for a thousand years.
Every single part of the beast was a treasure. Its eyes can be made into alchemical items with petrification abilities. Its venom is extremely destructive and is one of the few things that can destroy a Horcrux, its flesh and bones are excellent Potion materials, and even its skin is valuable, capable of being made into armor with high magic resistance.
"I accept the trial," Damian said firmly. "Please help me return to the past."
In the portrait, Merlin raised his painted wand high. The tip erupted with bursts of dazzling, glowing halos.
In an instant, Damian was enveloped in white light.
A moment later, Damian entered a strange place. He was still standing in the same room, but with one major exception: everything around him was only in black and white; the entire world seemed to be composed of black and white sketches.
After a while, Merlin's portrait seemed to be colored in by an invisible painter, and the portrait gradually outlined its original colors.
After the colors were filled in, Merlin's portrait became active again.
Merlin pointed his wand forward, and a light gate emitting a white halo appeared. "Go through this door, and you can return to 1943."
He said seriously, "Remember, you only have one day. You must return to this room within a day."
Damian nodded solemnly: "I'll remember."
Damian stepped into the light gate, and in an instant, the black and white world was filled with its original colors.
Damian had successfully traveled back to 1943.
"Meow~" Nox trilled softly from Damian's arms. The Kneazle had been brought along for the ride.
Damian quickly checked the metal disc residing in his mind; it was unaffected. He could feel that even here in the past, it didn't stop him from activating the disc to travel to another world.
Holding Nox securely, he walked out of the room. The Slytherin Common Room from decades ago was not much different from the future one, with only slight differences in some decorations. A clock carved with snake patterns hung on the fireplace; in the future, a Slytherin banner hung in its place.
"Tom, curfew is almost upon us. Are you still heading out?" a voice called out.
A black-haired boy turned around, his expression impossibly gentle. "The Professor just informed me to go to the Headmaster's Office."
Another sturdy boy curled his lip and said: "Is it about that Rubeus Hagrid thing again? If you ask me, Tom, you're just far too kind. It's only a Mudblood who died anyway. Let that half-breed giant and those Mudbloods fight it out like dogs. Why bother getting involved in such trivial things?"
A fleeting trace of cold killing intent flashed deep within Tom Riddle's dark eyes. His own father was a Muggle; he loathed that Muggle and loathed his name. Sooner or later, he would rid himself of this filthy identity.
He had already found a way. Just recently, he had successfully forged his very first Horcrux. In the future, he would rule this world forever with a brand-new identity!
Damian stood merely a few feet away, holding Nox and watching the scene unfold with intense interest. Judging by the conversation and the boy's striking features, there was no doubt: this was Lord Voldemort during his Hogwarts years.
The Time Power hid the presence of Damian and Nox, so the people in the common room could not discover them.
Tom maintained his gentle, charming smile. "After all, it is that half-blood giant's pet. I'm afraid they might hurt our Slytherin companions in the future. Before any Slytherin companions get hurt, I must make his actions public."
Damian blinked in sheer amazement. Young Voldemort's acting skills were genuinely Oscar-worthy. Even knowing the truth, Damian couldn't find a single flaw in Tom's perfectly concerned expression.
No wonder he had managed to completely fool the Hogwarts staff and successfully frame Hagrid. If Albus Dumbledore hadn't stubbornly vouched for the half-giant, Hagrid might have had to go to Azkaban for further studies.
Damian followed Tom out through the hidden stone door. Along the corridors, every student they passed greeted Tom warmly. In everyone's eyes, Tom was a hero who risked his life to report Hagrid.
A short while later, they arrived in the Headmaster's Office. Sitting behind the grand desk was a thin, frail-looking wizard. His head was bald, possessing only a few wispy strands of white hair.
The Principal of Hogwarts was not yet Dumbledore; at this time, Dumbledore was the Transfiguration Class Professor.
Seeing Tom enter, the old wizard sighed weakly. "Ah, Riddle. Come in."
"You wished to see me, Professor Dippet?" Tom asked, his voice pitching up slightly to sound nervous and respectful.
"Sit down, my boy," Dippet said kindly. "Let us talk."
After Tom took a seat, Dippet looked at him with tired eyes. "Hagrid has been expelled," he said softly.
Tom's face instantly filled with profound sorrow. "I know Hagrid never meant to kill anyone, sir. But his hobby killed Myrtle. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is not an ideal pet."
"What's done is done; we can only try to minimize the damage now," Dippet consoled him gently.
"For the reputation and safety of Hogwarts, we will declare that Myrtle died in an accident and that the Chamber of Secrets is just a legend, something that doesn't exist. I hope you will not discuss the matter of the Chamber of Secrets with others after this. For your act of stepping forward, we have decided to award you the 'Special Award for Services to the School'."
The Principal's intention was to define the matter as Hagrid privately keeping a dangerous pet at Hogwarts, which led to a classmate being accidentally killed by his pet; the whole incident had nothing to do with the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.
Tom hesitated for a perfect, calculated moment, before a look of solemn determination settled on his features. "I understand, sir. The reputation of Hogwarts must be protected at all costs."
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