Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Harry stumbles upon a significant discovery in the Chamber of Secrets, and something ignites a newfound determination within him.
Chapter 39
Harry entered the Chamber of Secrets once more. It looked the same as the last time he visited, with the majority of the floor covered in scattered stone debris. Amelia didn't see the point in cleaning up the chamber because she didn't expect anyone to return after the basilisk was harvested.
What did Helena Ravenclaw expect him to find in this place? If she needed to show him something urgently, why didn't she make it more obvious? Was she afraid of the Bloody Baron coming after her or was she simply unable to come down here herself?
Harry began to investigate the chamber, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. He eventually made his way to the back of the chamber, where he had never gone before. He was taken aback when he discovered a massive statue of Salazar Slytherin's head on the back wall, previously hidden by the dim lighting. The man certainly had a high opinion of himself, as evidenced by his grandiose creation of larger-than-life representations of himself.
He thoroughly examined the head but found nothing unusual. He searched the area for ten minutes, growing increasingly frustrated by his inability to find anything. As he contemplated his next move while staring at the statue, a sudden realisation struck him: Where did the snake come from?
Did Salazar's head conceal a secret entrance? If that was the case, how did he gain access to it? The solution came to him instantly, and he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner.
"Open," Harry hissed.
A grinding noise came from the head, and the mouth opened to reveal a tunnel leading inside. Harry paused, half expecting another Basilisk to slither out of the statue's mouth. He entered the tunnel and walked its short distance until he came out into a hexagonal chamber.
Was this Salazer Slytherin's secret chamber? Could this be what Helena Ravenclaw wanted him to find? The thought of what he might discover here excited him.
There were several closed doors inside the chamber. There was a nest in the centre, where he assumed the basilisk had once slept. The ground was littered with animal bones, prompting him to consider, for the first time, the possibility that the basilisk had a way to exit to the outside. The door on the north wall was noticeably larger than the others, suggesting it could be used as another secret entrance for the basilisk. How did it manage to open the door? Was parseltongue also used to open it?
To put his theory to the test, he approached the door and spoke parseltongue, causing it to slide open and reveal a tunnel leading into the darkness. Could others with the parseltongue ability gain access through this passage as well? Disturbed by this thought, he quickly shut the door.
Harry turned around and proceeded to the nearest door on his left. The symbol of a potion vial was etched into the stone above the door, giving him a clear indication of what awaited him inside. Unlike the larger door, this one opened easily by turning the handle. When he entered, he discovered a potion laboratory with several tables bearing cauldrons. Several shelves on the walls held containers, the contents of which had decayed into unrecognisable messes.
He wondered why a stasis charm, whether in the form of a spell or an enchantment on an object, hadn't been created yet to prolong the freshness of food and ingredients. Perhaps there was, but it had not been invented during Slytherin's reign.
After leaving the potion lab, he explored the other rooms. In addition to the first, he discovered a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, duelling room, garden, and library. The latter was of particular interest because it was the only other one with a parseltongue-protected ward. There was also another door that he couldn't open no matter what he tried. Harry set it aside for the time being. He entered the library and found himself in a cosy, circular room. The walls were lined with bookcases, and a pedestal stood in the centre of the room.
"The others would love this place," Harry mused.
He approached the pedestal and noticed an open book on it. Curiosity drove him to read the text that was written on it.
To whoever discovers this place, I present a library of knowledge for those deserving of its treasures.
Please write your name on the page next to this one. If the enchantments in this book deem you worthy, you will be granted access to any book in this library. If you are found to be unworthy, you will be expelled from this room and will not be allowed to return.
Harry took a look at the other page and noticed only one name written on it. Even though it was crossed out, he could still make out the name—Tom Riddle. Who was he, and why did the book think he was unworthy?
He took up the quill that was lying beside the book and dipped it into the inkpot before scribbling his name on the page. He might as well give it a shot since he had nothing to lose. He braced himself for the inevitable moment when he would be ejected from the room, but it never came. Instead, new words appeared on the first page, neatly written beneath the original text.
Congratulations, Hadrian James Potter.
You have been determined to be worthy in heart, mind, and magic. You have now gained access to the library. When you open this book to the front page, you will see an index of all the books in this library, including my journals. To retrieve a specific book, simply tap the wand on the corresponding entry, and it will be summoned to your side.
All of the books in this library are written in Parseltongue. They cannot be removed or copied from this room. As a result, the only knowledge that can leave this place is what you remember.
Only when it was pointed out to him did he realise that the language he had been reading wasn't English. Instead, it was a language made up of symbols that, upon closer inspection, appeared as incomprehensible squiggles. The swirling symbols transformed once more as he concentrated, arranging themselves into coherent words. Not only could he read the words now, but he also realised he was the only one in the castle who could.
"That will undoubtedly disappoint the others," Harry chuckled, but then a sudden thought struck him.
He had no doubt some defences prevented the books from leaving the room, but it was unlikely that Salazer had taken the Source into account.
Harry went to the index page to look through the available titles. It was no surprise that he was unfamiliar with the majority of them. However, he noticed a few titles that appeared to be similar to books currently available, which made him wonder if they were earlier versions or even served as inspiration for their modern counterparts. Salazer's journals were also listed, each with a title that indicated its contents. Rather than keeping a chronological record, he organised his thoughts by keeping separate journals for different topics. While many of them appeared mundane, there were a few that piqued his interest. One of the titles caught his attention in particular; The Fifth Founder.
He placed the tip of his wand on the entry and watched as a small leatherbound book flew off the shelf and towards him. He deftly caught it and opened it to read the first entry.
13th June 0979
In these trying times, magicals must face a harsh reality. The muggles relentlessly pursue our kind, hoping to exterminate us. Their motives are a combination of fear, ignorance, and religious zealotry. If we don't act quickly, the magical community in England may be forced to leave or face extinction.
Godric, Rowena, Helga, and I have come to an agreement. We have decided to include a fifth founder to ensure the highest level of security for all wizards and witches enrolled at Hogwarts. This is not just any witch or wizard; we have connected with them through a ritual. Merlin is a deity from the fae realm. He possesses knowledge that exceeds ours, allowing us to construct powerful wards capable of protecting us from Muggle attacks while also providing concealment.
To secure his assistance in building Hogwarts, we must assist him in bringing him into our realm, as he is unable to travel here on his own. While I have reservations about working with a deity with powers beyond our comprehension, I recognise that it is all for the greater good.
The castle foundations have been laid, and our major project has begun. If everything goes as planned, we will complete Hogwarts before the end of the tenth century.
Harry furrowed his brow as he considered Salazar's account, which seemed to directly contradict what was widely believed about Merlin. According to popular belief, Merlin was a formidable wizard who served in King Arthur's court, studied at Hogwarts, and apprenticed under Salazar Slytherin.
According to this journal, he was a fae deity, similar to Modor. Harry couldn't help but be suspicious of Merlin based on this fact alone. Why would the Hogwarts founders willingly summon a deity whose true intentions were unknown?
He flipped through the journal, skipping over entries about various interactions with Merlin that seemed mundane. Everything changed, however, when he got to the second half of the journal.
21st February, 0987
Merlin's behaviour has been bothering me lately. He is increasingly isolating himself in his quarters and has no time for us, the students, who have come to regard him as a father figure. His eyes are filled with feverish excitement as if he has discovered a significant secret. We catch glimpses of him drawing runes from time to time, only to have him quickly cover them up.
What could have caused such a shift in Merlin's behaviour?
We are currently in a critical stage of the castle's construction, but his enthusiasm for our project appears to have waned. I need to talk to the others about this because the resulting delays are affecting our schedule.
As Harry read through the entries, he noticed a shift in tone, with each one becoming darker and reflecting Slytherin's growing suspicions. But it wasn't until he reached the last entry that everything suddenly fell into place.
3rd March 0992
We are almost finished building the castle, but there is no reason to celebrate. Godric, Rowena, Helga, and I recently made a disturbing discovery about Merlin's activities over the last few years. It is truly unsettling to think about his true motivations, which were far more sinister than we initially suspected. Our top priority right now is to put a stop to his plans before they become a reality.
He performed a ritual to permanently bind himself to the castle, giving him control over both the castle and its wards. It would allow him to enslave those who live in the castle and drain them of their magic. We have been working on a solution in secret, though it will come at a high cost to us. Simply killing him is not an option because it would necessitate the destruction of the entire ward system. Undoing the wards would take time, and we don't believe they would be as effective if we rebuilt them ourselves. As a result, we devised an alternate strategy.
If everything goes as planned, this operation will effectively confine Merlin to the depths of the castle. Furthermore, this will result in the birth of a sentient Guardian whose sole purpose is to protect Merlin and keep him imprisoned within the castle walls.
"This is insane," Harry whispered.
As he reflected on what he had just read, a tentative understanding of the situation began to form in his mind, taking into account the recent events.
Was Merlin to blame for all of the castle's current problems? Did he cause the Enchanted Wall to appear and attack the students who had their magic drained? Did Helena work with the Guardian to counter Merlin's actions? And who was in charge of putting the castle on lockdown? A power struggle appeared to be brewing between the two, with both vying for control of the castle. Given recent events, Merlin appeared to be gradually gaining an advantage over the Guardian.
What was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't sit back and watch as things continued to deteriorate. He assumed there was a purpose behind stealing the student's magic. Did it empower him and give him the strength to fight against the guardian? Would there be more attacks as time went on until the entire student population was affected?
Glancing at his watch, he realised he needed to leave and get some rest. Harry retrieved the Source and tried to place the journal in his inventory. He was delighted to see that it worked. He went back to the index and chose several more journals that seemed important and took them with him. Perhaps there was something inside them that could assist with the present situation.
Before departing, Harry cast one final glance throughout the chamber. As he retraced his steps to the Gryffindor Tower, an unsettling sensation washed over him, as though a myriad of invisible eyes were fixated on him. The discovery that a deity may be attempting to seize control of the wards made the castle appear even more vulnerable.
He had to weigh the consequences of telling the others. Could revealing Merlin's existence compromise their safety, especially if the man tried to exploit the castle wards? He dreaded the thought of anything happening to them. And what about his grandparents? Would they be in danger as well? He decided to sleep on it, hoping that the answer would come to him without him having to think about it.
It was typical of him to disregard the threat to his own safety.
31st January
Harry had overslept and nearly missed breakfast. As he arrived in the Great Hall, he noticed the students engaged in hushed conversations, a clear sign that something had happened. The air was thick with fear, and several students were visibly upset, with tears streaming down their cheeks.
Harry sat down at the table next to Daphne, serving himself a portion of oatmeal. Looking around, he asked, "What's happening?"
"Master Karlsson has disappeared," Daphne said, her usual composure noticeably absent.
Harry paused, his thoughts immediately turning to Merlin. Had he taken Master Karlsson out of the equation so he couldn't interfere with the Enchanted Wall?
"His quarters were infiltrated," Hermione reported, nervously biting her fingernails. "Master Karlson had strong wards protecting his quarters, which means the intruder must possess considerable skill to bypass them."
It sounded like the intruder was human, which meant it couldn't have been Merlin. There was no sense of relief upon this realisation. It implied that there was another individual in the castle with sinister motives. Could it be Peter Pettigrew or Quirrel?
"That's the last thing we need." Harry frowned. "Why is it that everyone already knows about it? One would assume that the professors would keep it to themselves."
"A student was the first to notice that his quarters were wide open," Tracy explained. "Finding it suspicious, he entered to have a look around. Although he didn't notice anything wrong, he still reported it to the headmaster. It didn't take long for rumours to start spreading from there."
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Neville appeared surprisingly unafraid. He was still visibly upset, though. "It seems like no one is immune from the dangers within the castle. I believe everyone is starting to grasp the seriousness of the situation."
"We will have a club meeting later to discuss this," Daphne said. "Everything seems to be falling apart. Who will be the next victim?"
Noticing the fear in her voice, he extended his hand and firmly grasped hers. The distress evident on her face troubled Harry deeply, as he glanced at his other friends scattered throughout the hall. Susan's tear-streaked face spoke volumes, radiating fear as their gazes met.
The most recent incident, along with the recent attacks on the students, was the final blow that pushed everyone over the edge. Both students and professors had reached their breaking point, showing visible signs of distress.
Harry stared angrily at his bowl of muesli, growing tired of how the castle and the criminals were making life there increasingly unbearable.
They were trapped in a state of passivity, waiting for the next incident. But what would happen if it struck closer to home? What if it was Daphne or one of his friends who got hurt, or worse? Fed up with the situation, he decided he couldn't stand idly by any longer and vowed to take action.
"What did the muesli do to you?" Hermione asked, noticing his expression.
"Nothing," Harry said as he took his spoon and began eating his muesli. He knew he needed to maintain his strength in preparation for his battle against Merlin and wizards like Peter Pettigrew.
The classes that day seemed to go on forever. The students were uninterested in participating in their studies, and the professors chose not to push them to be attentive, recognising that they were disturbed by the events of the day. The situation was different when it came to Defence Against the Dark Arts class. It seemed as though there was suddenly a strong desire among the students to learn how to defend themselves better.
Over the past two weeks, Harry added two new offensive spells to his arsenal: the Full Body-Bind and the Reductor Curse. Among the two, the Reductor Curse had proven particularly effective in bolstering his magical reserves, which now stood at 1710.
After taking a shower, Harry returned downstairs to the common room, where Neville and the girls were waiting for him. This time, they had agreed to meet in the Ravenclaw common room. Usually, they would alternate between three of the houses for their club meetings.
"Where are you going?" Percy asked as they were about to leave.
"To the Ravenclaw common room," Harry replied.
Percy stood up from the sofa and walked over. "I will escort you."
"Thank you for the offer, but if you escort us, you will be alone when you return here," Harry pointed out logically.
"We can come too," the twins said, looking up from the parchment. Their heads were close together as they scribbled something on a piece of parchment, undoubtedly working on another prank item.
"I would like to see someone in the Ravenclaw common room," Percy said with pinkened cheeks.
"Can it be that—" Fred exclaimed, holding his face in exaggerated shock.
"—our dear brother has found a girlfriend?" George cried.
"Percy has finally become a man!"
"I'm so proud that it brings—"
"— a tear to my eye," George said, pretending to wipe away a tear.
"But it also makes me—" Fred continued.
"—want to vomit, hurl, upchuck—"
The twins added a dozen more synonyms, such as "spew," "retch," and "puke," to emphasise just how nauseous they felt.
Fred sighed. "And I feel sorry for the girl who—"
"—is stuck with him," George finished.
Laughter erupted in the common room, providing a much-needed reprieve from the students' constant anxiety. The twins always knew how to lift their spirits.
"Thank you for the input," Percy said, glaring at the twins, then he turned to Harry. "Let's go."
They made their way over to the Ravenclaw common room, with their wands at the ready. It was a sad state of affairs when you were almost anticipating an attack. As they entered the common room, they noticed that all their friends had already arrived. Blaise was the lone individual without an escort, but he seemed completely unconcerned. Although they had offered to pick him up from his common room for every club meeting, he politely declined their offer.
"Harry, can I have a private conversation with you before we begin the club meeting?" Susan asked, exchanging a glance with Daphne.
"Okay," Harry said, following her to a secluded corner.
Susan cast the Muffliato Charm so they couldn't be overheard. The common room was packed, however, and most of the students were watching them avidly. The rest of the club decided to shield them from view so they had some privacy. All of them had their backs turned to Harry and Susan, except for Blaise, who had a look of disbelief and jealousy on his face when he realised what was happening.
"Harry, I was approached by Daphne a couple of weeks ago," Susan said. "She asked me if I was interested in becoming your girlfriend. Were you aware that she was going to speak to me?"
"Yes," Harry said. "I was unsure when she would bring it up, but we had talked about it before."
"I told her that I would think about it," Susan said, fidgeting with her sleeve. "To be honest, I made up my mind ages ago, but I was too scared to approach you. With everything that happened today, I felt like I should stop hesitating and just go for it, in case something happened to one of us."
"Um, so is that a yes or no?" Harry asked.
Susan blushed. "Sorry, I am making a mess of this. That is definitely a yes."
Susan stepped forward and planted a brief kiss on his lips, but squeaked when Harry gathered her in his arms and deepened the kiss. He felt her bountiful chest press against his own, and he resisted the urge to press his lower body against hers to show her the evidence of his excitement. They remained standing for about thirty seconds, their lips fused in an intimate embrace as they explored the depths of each other's mouths. Eventually, they let go of one another.
"Wow," Susan said, touching a finger to her swollen lips. "That felt amazing considering it was my first kiss."
"You are a natural." Harry smiled at her, reaching out and pushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "And you taste like strawberries, which I'm quickly becoming a big fan of."
Susan blushed and then looked over Harry's shoulder, her gaze fixed on something she had spotted. Harry followed her gaze and saw Blaise mimicking the action of wringing his neck. Once Susan had released the spell, their friends turned around and congratulated them.
"Susie," Hannah said, hugging the girl. "It feels wrong that you have a boyfriend before me, as if it's going against the natural order of things."
"Congratulations, Harry!" Neville slapped his shoulder. "I don't know whether to envy or pity you."
"So, how many girls are you planning to acquire?" Blaise asked. "Are you planning to leave any for the rest of us mere mortals?"
"Tracy has no interest in me," Harry smirked. "Why don't you ask her out?"
"Harry!" Tracy yelled.
"Let's get the meeting started," Hermione sighed. "I could do without all the drama."
Ignoring the stares being directed their way, they found seats and started the meeting. As the conversation started, Harry allowed his mind to wander. He had made the decision not to disclose anything about Slytherin's chamber, at least for now, which left him with nothing to contribute to the discussion.
Harry thought about the fact that he had entered into a new relationship. Although he felt delighted that Susan had picked him, the timing was less than ideal, given his commitment to resolving the chaos in the castle. However, declining her offer without offering a good explanation would have hurt her feelings.
During their meeting, they focused on Master Karlsson and speculated on what had happened to him. This time, their meeting was shorter, but they decided to extend their stay in the Ravenclaw common room to allow Percy more time with his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater.
Afterwards, the members of Gryffindor's house began their journey back to the tower. Just as they were preparing to climb the stairs to the sixth floor, Harry suddenly experienced a wave of unease that sent shivers down his spine. It was followed by a sudden onset of weakness in his body, and he staggered into the wall.
"Harry!" Daphne cried before she collapsed to the ground. Neville, Hermione, Tracy, and Percy all experienced the same fate, succumbing to unconsciousness one after another.
"Dammit," Harry slammed his fist into the wall, trying to resist what was being done to him. It seemed as though Merlin had launched an attack on him and was syphoning away his magic. Were his friends now in danger because of him?
After a brief moment, he realised that his weakness had vanished and he stood up straight. The symbol on his hand began to heat up, signalling he had a new message. However, he couldn't spare a moment to attend to it right now.
Glancing down at Daphne and the others, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. However, he swiftly used his occlumency to regain control of his emotions. He understood that they needed his help right now, and allowing his anger to overwhelm him would be counterproductive. He summoned his wand into his hand and pondered the possibility of levitating everyone at once by lifting their robes. Another option was to seek help, which might be easier, but he was uncertain about the severity of the group's condition and decided it was unwise to leave them unattended.
He would need to levitate everyone.
Casting the incantation required immense power and concentration. Harry directed his focus towards grasping the front of everyone's robes, channelling his intent through his wand. With a steady upward pull, all five individuals were slowly lifted off the ground, suspended in mid-air. Despite feeling the strain on his magic, Harry persevered, determined to maintain the spell. Slowly, he started walking to the first floor, hoping to encounter someone along the way.
He had thought about going to the Gryffindor Tower, but he doubted he could carry them up the stairs. Moreover, he wondered if there was anyone in the tower who could assist them.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, he heard the sound of running footsteps. Within moments, Ron ran around the corner.
"Harry, what happened?" Ron asked frantically "A female ghost suddenly appeared out of the wall and told me you were in danger."
"Ron, run down to the hospital wing and tell them that I have patients incoming," Harry bit out, already feeling exhausted. "If you run into anyone along the way, tell them to come and help me."
"I got it," Ron said, turning around and sprinting away.
Fortunately, assistance arrived promptly when he came across the three Gryffindor Chasers, whom Ron had encountered on his way to the hospital wing. Without bothering to inquire about the situation, they immediately relieved him of three of his burdens, instantly alleviating his strain.
Madam Pomfrey and Ron met them at the top of the second-floor stairs and relieved him of his last two burdens. Hurriedly making their way to the hospital wing, they happened to cross paths with his grandmother. With her wand in hand, she followed them, wearing a grim expression on her face.
Upon entering the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey placed her charges on the bed and began to examine them. Meanwhile, Harry restlessly paced back and forth, casting anxious glances at his friends.
"What happened?" Minerva questioned, prompting Harry to divulge everything, even though there was not a lot to share.
"You mean you resisted the magical drain?" Minerva asked incredulously.
"I could still feel it," Harry explained, "but fortunately, it subsided before I lost consciousness like the others."
After a few minutes, Madam Pomfrey straightened. "I have some good news. It appears that the magical drain halted before reaching the second stage of magical exhaustion."
Minerva let out a sigh of relief.
Harry nodded, his mind filled with confusion. He couldn't make sense of it. Merlin had seemingly been launching direct attacks on him and his friends, so why had it suddenly ceased? Could it be possible that the Guardian had intervened to protect them?
"Is Percy going to be alright?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Madam Pomfrey responded. "He should regain consciousness within a day or less."
Harry took a seat beside Daphne's bed, his gaze fixed on her pale face. A mix of guilt and anger swept over him. Merlin had laid the gauntlet down, and how was he supposed to respond? He continued to watch her as others entered the hospital wing, having heard about the situation. Ignoring them, he discreetly summoned the source and checked out the new message he had received.
The host's mental resistance skill has successfully met the conditions to level up and evolve!
***Arcane Resistance 3 [xxxx] - It gives the host the passive ability to resist any magic that seeks to manipulate, control, or alter their mind in some way. The second level allows the host to detect intrusions within their mind from practitioners of legilimency, but not the ability to counter them. The third level provides the host with the ability to resist magic that attempts to drain their magic or alter their physical body This skill cannot be levelled normally, so the next level must be acquired by other means.
Levelling up the skill was the only silver lining about the whole ordeal. After hiding the Source under the bedsheets, he slumped into his seat, suddenly overcome by exhaustion. He struggled to stay awake, his heavy eyes fighting against the urge to sleep.
"Come on, let me take you back to your common room," Minerva said.
"I will stay here," Harry replied, shaking his head.
"You can't stay here." Minerva frowned. "It is safer—"
"Nowhere in the castle is safe," Harry interrupted. "Therefore, I would prefer to stay here and take care of Daphne."
"Fine." Minerva sighed and went to sit in another chair.
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, not feeling like he deserved to rest. He made sure to look around again before retrieving the journals he took from Salazer's library from his inventory. If there was something in the journals that could take the bastard down, then he was going to spend the rest of the night looking for it.
Merlin had deeply angered him, and he was determined to seek revenge at any cost.
So, what do you think? Harry has an idea who is responsible for the events at Hogwarts, but will he be able to stop them?
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