Chamber of Secrets Legend, the Future Must Change

Because Filch insisted that Harry Potter had to be behind this incident, Professor Dumbledore had no choice but to take them all away. Though the people left behind scattered in different directions, they immediately began discussing what had just happened.

"The Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts… Something like that really exists?"

Eugene frowned deeply.

"What is that?"

Uther looked at him curiously.

"A legend about Hogwarts… You should all know that the founders of Hogwarts, the original four Heads of House, each had different criteria for selecting students."

"I know this. We covered it in History of Magic last term. The Sorting Hat also carried on the ideals of the four founders when sorting students into Houses."

Klon answered proactively.

"Right. So, according to the legend, the four founders once had a fierce argument over students’ bloodlines. Salazar Slytherin wanted to admit only pure-blood students, while the other three opposed him."

"Only admitting pure-blood students… Wouldn’t that be difficult?"

Uther was somewhat surprised. Even in the Egyptian Wizarding World, there were barely any families left that had remained pure-blooded throughout. As for the few that remained… they were only too human.

That was inevitable. There were only so many pure-blood wizarding families, and they rarely had many children. After intermarrying a few times, they would all be close relatives. Egypt was so vast, yet it was still like this—never mind Britain, which was so small. There could only be even fewer truly pure-blood families there.

"Perhaps the other three founders considered that as well."

Eugene was not particularly sure about it either, so he could only guess. He then continued with the legend of the Chamber of Secrets:

"Apparently, Salazar Slytherin left the school after that argument. Before leaving, he built a secret chamber within the castle that only he knew how to enter. At the same time, he prophesied that only his heir could open it, and that the heir would release a vicious monster living inside to purge the school of all Muggle-born students."

"Wow~"

Everyone turned toward the speaker. It was Bernard, the only one among the five who could be considered entirely Muggle-born.

A gleam that the other four knew all too well flickered in his eyes.

"What kind of vicious monster could it be? How intriguing."

"…" What are you planning to do?

In the end, no one voiced that question with its obvious answer. Instead, they followed Bernard’s lead and began guessing.

"Mrs. Norris was petrified. My guess is Medusa?"

Klon offered a reasonable theory, but Eugene immediately refuted it.

"But Medusa couldn’t possibly live that long. According to the legend, that thing should have lived for a thousand years."

"But that assumes the creature that petrified Mrs. Norris was truly the monster Slytherin left behind, doesn’t it?"

Klon gave his own view.

"Maybe the culprit this time was only borrowing the Chamber of Secrets legend. Perhaps he isn’t an heir at all, and the one who petrified Mrs. Norris wasn’t the monster Slytherin left behind."

"…You have a point, but how could a Medusa sneak into Hogwarts?"

Eugene’s instincts told him that the culprit really was connected to that legend, but he had no proof.

"Didn’t even a troll manage to sneak into Hogwarts last year—on this very day last year!"

Klon found it a little far-fetched as he spoke. Professor Dumbledore could not possibly allow Hogwarts to be invaded again and again. Still, he came up with a new idea.

"Maybe the culprit wasn’t a monster at all, but a wizard using some kind of Dark magic?"

That complete state of petrification was not something the Full Body-Bind Curse could achieve. It was obviously some extremely dangerous magic.

"No matter what, that should be a dangerous individual."

Bernard summed up.

"How about we…"

"No!"

The other four spoke in unison.

"Bernard, Bernard, could you restrain that overflowing curiosity of yours for once?"

Adam sighed, reaching out to grab Bernard’s shoulders and make him look at him.

"Whether it’s Medusa, a Dark wizard, or something else, it’s all extremely dangerous and deadly. If you’re really that bored, I’ll take you for a walk in the Forbidden Forest."

"Yeah, yeah, let’s go to the Forbidden Forest instead."

Klon hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Though he still had not quite recovered from his first encounter with a horror movie, Bernard’s safety was at stake. As long as Adam did not lose his mind and turn into a dried-up well in the Forbidden Forest, he felt he could endure it.

The Forbidden Forest was dangerous, but they had already experienced its most dangerous possibility. Surely nothing could be more dangerous than accidentally wandering into an Acromantula nest. The thing causing the petrifications this time, however, was unknown—what was unknown was the most terrifying and dangerous.

"I understand. I won’t do anything reckless."

Shaking off Adam’s hand, Bernard sighed regretfully.

Perhaps that was why Bernard had been sorted into Hufflepuff rather than Gryffindor. He really did listen to advice, and sure enough, he did not go investigating the monster in the Chamber of Secrets.

Instead, Adam, who had previously persuaded Bernard, set out for the Chamber of Secrets that very day…

If I capture the basilisk ahead of time, will Harry be unable to defeat Voldemort because he lacks the necessary trials? Should I leave one for him with the Twin Card?

Thinking that, Adam suddenly came back to his senses.

"That’s not right. At my current rate of growth, why would Voldemort need Harry to fight him then?"

Though using The Nothing was still somewhat difficult for him, he could now use the Earth, Water, Wind, Fire Clow Cards normally. He could even sustain the Light and Dark Cards for a few minutes. At this rate, when Voldemort came in another two years… Adam would most likely be able to let him choose his own way to die.

So why let Harry go through eighty-one trials and tribulations, losing classmates and professors, then losing his godfather and finally himself?

Just to follow the original plot?

The original work might have been a wonderful, deeply moving story, but from within that story, was that mutual-destruction victory really such a beautiful ending worth preserving?

Adam made a rough calculation and found that, if things developed according to the original plot, the casualties among his roommates were unclear, but at least half of the clients he had developed over the past year would be gone. The targets of his investments would either die or lose heart, and two lovable, admirable professors would be lost… Oh, and Ares’s little lovebird Hedwig would also die. He wondered how the two of them were getting along now.

And that was only based on the data he currently had. Adam’s losses would only grow, not shrink, by then.

Hiss—

After setting the abacus in his mind straight, Adam drew in a sharp breath.

No, he would not accept this future! Change it! It had to change!

He might as well kill Voldemort directly. As for that prophecy… they could deal with it when the time came. If necessary, he could think of another way. Maybe it would work if Harry grabbed Voldemort first and Adam killed him afterward. All that mattered was whether Voldemort died at Harry’s hands.

Arriving at the girls’ bathroom on the second floor, Adam lightly waved the Wand of Darkness, and the Lock Card’s magic sealed the bathroom door shut.

The Lock Card’s seal was comprehensive. Walls, windows, and everything else became impassable. A locked room could only be opened with the correct key—the Sealing Wand in its key form—or by dispelling the magic. As for other methods… at the very least, Alohomora could not open it. Adam had tried.

Walking up to the tap marked with a snake, Adam summoned the Pull Card.