"Something's happened again."
Inside the staff room, Professor McGonagall spoke to the other silent professors.
"Two students were taken by the monster and dragged directly into the Chamber."
Professor Flitwick let out a sharp cry. Professor Sprout clapped both hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"How can you be certain?" he demanded.
"The Heir of Slytherin," McGonagall replied pale-faced, "left another message beneath the previous one."
Her dry lips trembled slightly as she read it aloud.
"'Their bones will remain forever in the Chamber.'"
"Who?" Flitwick asked immediately.
McGonagall opened her mouth and forced out the two names.
"Ron Weasley."
"And… Harry Potter."
Bang!
Snape shot to his feet so violently it sounded like an explosion. He looked ready to charge straight out of the room, but McGonagall grabbed him tightly before he could move.
"Don't be reckless, Severus. In this situation, we must proceed carefully. Our priority is preventing the situation from worsening."
Snape glared at her as though he wanted to devour her alive.
But he still stopped moving.
McGonagall immediately began assigning tasks.
"Severus, activate the school's defensive enchantments. Filius, inspect every common room and ensure the students' safety. I need to find a way into the Headmaster's office and contact Dumbledore."
Even her voice trembled slightly.
In decades, Hogwarts had never faced a crisis this severe.
And now their greatest pillar of support—Dumbledore—was gone.
If they mishandled this situation, Hogwarts might genuinely be forced to close.
Suddenly, the staff room doors burst open once again.
Lockhart arrived fashionably late in all his ridiculous finery, grinning as he strutted in.
"Don't worry, my dear friends! I already have some clues, though I can't reveal them yet! It won't be long before I locate the Chamber—"
Then he noticed the professors staring at him murderously.
Lockhart instantly changed his tune.
"Er—I mean, it won't be long… but I haven't found it yet."
McGonagall was absolutely sick of this peacock causing trouble at a moment like this.
Students had been kidnapped and he was still posturing.
"Excellent," she said coldly. "Professor Lockhart, our tasks here have already been assigned. As for you… tonight is the perfect opportunity for you to shine."
"We promise not to interfere. You may confront the monster alone."
With that, the professors hurried out.
Lockhart turned deathly pale.
He knew his own capabilities better than anyone.
There was no way he could deal with a monster that even Dumbledore couldn't handle.
So what else could he do?
Run, obviously.
Just as Lockhart was preparing to leave, the door opened again.
Lewis and the other two walked in.
"Professor Lockhart really is here," Lewis said brightly, immediately putting on the expression of an excited admirer meeting his idol.
In truth, he had never planned to seek help from the professors.
And if he absolutely had to choose one—
Lockhart was the perfect meat shield.
Lewis had endured this guy's shameless heat-leeching and harassment for an entire semester.
Now it was finally payback time.
"Professor, good news," Lewis announced eagerly. "We've already found the entrance to the Chamber. We just need you to lead us so we can rescue them."
"Oh? The Chamber entrance? Ah yes, the Chamber…" Lockhart stammered while avoiding eye contact. "Well, I have my own plans. We can't alert the enemy prematurely."
Seeing him dodge the issue, Lewis pressed on encouragingly.
"Professor, you're the famous Gilderoy Lockhart! The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! You've written so many incredible books, and now is your chance to save the world just like in your stories!"
"If you rescue Harry and Ron from the Chamber, you'll become Hogwarts' greatest professor! The Ministry of Magic will award you the Order of Merlin, First Class!"
Unnoticed by anyone else, his words carried powerful psionic influence.
For a brief moment, Lockhart really was tempted.
But he knew his own abilities too well.
If even Dumbledore couldn't solve this problem, he'd just be delivering himself to the monster.
"Fine! Green, I'll tell you the truth!" Lockhart suddenly exploded. "My books are all fake! I'm not going into that damned Chamber! I don't have the ability, alright?! Everything in those books came from tricking people, ambushing them, stealing their accomplishments, and putting my own name on them!"
"So," Lewis asked calmly, "you refuse to come with us?"
"I'm not going, Green."
Lockhart's hand quietly slipped toward his wand.
He had seen these three students fight during the Duelling Club.
Lewis Green could suppress Snape himself.
Hermione effortlessly crushed girls her own age.
And Ciri could subdue an armed wizard barehanded.
He truly didn't want to fight them.
Unfortunately, in a moment of panic, he had just revealed his greatest secret.
He still hadn't realized why he'd suddenly blurted everything out.
So now he had no choice.
Thankfully, he was extremely confident in his Memory Charm.
As long as he struck suddenly, one Obliviate would erase tonight from their minds completely.
Having made his decision, he instantly whipped out his wand.
"Obliviate!"
He shouted the incantation—
Only to suddenly feel his magic stutter violently.
An overwhelming sensation of emptiness hit him so hard he nearly vomited.
His spell had been countered.
Before Lockhart could react, another spell struck him squarely in the head.
Thunk.
He collapsed unconscious instantly.
"Tie him up," Lewis ordered calmly. "Then grab onto me. I'll bring all of us into the Chamber."
Hermione cast Animated Rope, using Lockhart's own clothing to bind him securely.
Then she grabbed Lockhart's hair with one hand and placed the other on Lewis's shoulder.
Ciri drew her sword and held Lewis's arm.
Lewis cast Greater Invisibility over all of them before beginning to sense the location of the talisman on Harry's body.
The reason he had given Harry that talisman beforehand was because he had already predicted this outcome.
With Voldemort's personality, if the host was exposed so directly, there was a chance he would retreat temporarily—erase Ron's memory and go back into hiding while waiting for another opportunity.
But there was also a chance he'd simply stop pretending and flip the table entirely.
If it was the latter, then Harry would almost certainly be dragged into the Chamber.
Lewis wasn't worried about Harry's life.
With Harry's identity, Voldemort couldn't kill him.
And as long as Harry had followed Lewis's instructions, the talisman would have been brought into the Chamber along with him.
That talisman wasn't an ordinary version.
It had been personally crafted by Lewis and engraved with a teleportation rune.
He had also secretly added a few extra "special enchantments" to give it additional functions.
As long as the talisman entered the Chamber—
Lewis would gain the Chamber's coordinates.
That meant he didn't need to stand around hissing at bathroom sinks like an idiot to open the entrance.
Sure enough, after only a short moment, Lewis smiled.
"Found you," he murmured.
"The Chamber of Secrets."
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