Umbridge's sudden spell-casting took everyone by surprise,
Professor McGonagall was even more shocked. She had previously guessed that Ivan had used a Transfiguration Charm to create these ghostly faces. If the Apparition Charm were to break on the spot, she would be finished.
However, to both McGonagall and Fudge's surprise, the Apparition Charm did not work, and the Grimace remained unchanged.
'That's impossible!' Umbridge exclaimed, losing her composure.
Dumbledore was not too surprised by this result, as when he first came into contact with the masks, he had a rough idea of Ivan's level of Transfiguration.
Unbeknownst to Dumbledore, Ivan happened to have magically analysed a round mahogany table during the second outbreak of magic, and was extremely knowledgeable about wooden structures.
Umbridge, on the other hand, was a high-ranking member of the Ministry of Magic, but she was too busy consolidating power and scheming over the years to cast spells at a high level, so much so that even the use of a Revealing Charm could not quickly dispel Ivan's wooden gargoyles.
McGonagall was shocked into silence. She remembered that Ivan's Transfiguration Charm had not reached this level a few days ago. If she had not known that this was where the three-headed dog lived, she would have thought that Snape had bought a bunch of masks and hung them up.
"Impossible, you must have done something!" Umbridge exclaimed, glaring at Dumbledore, believing that he must have buried some secret in advance of his return.
She could never be wrong!
"Are you questioning me?" Dumbledore turned, the vampire mask still on his face.
What frightened Umbridge more, however, were Dumbledore's eyes behind the mask, as if he could see right through her, and as she gazed into them, Umbridge's mind was filled with memories of all the nastiness she had thought she had forgotten…
Umbridge then remembered that this 100-year-old was not one of the minor characters she usually dealt with, but the most prestigious and powerful wizard in the wizarding world!
Umbridge's legs were shaking, and she was overcome with fear, resentment, and worry, but she dared not utter another word.
Without further ado, Dumbledore removed the mask from Umbridge's face and placed it casually in his robes.
"Fudge, you've seen everything there is to see, haven't you? Everything at Hogwarts is in accordance with Ministry regulations! There are no dragons, no danger, and the young wizards who study here are perfectly safe…"
"Of course, I saw." Fudge looked uncertain, certain that Dumbledore was hiding something from him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Let's go, Umbridge," Fudge said to Ulmridge, throwing the Grimace aside.
"Perhaps you should visit Hogwarts more often," Dumbledore teased casually.
'No, there's a lot of Ministry business to be dealt with,' Fudge said grimly as he pushed the door open and left, Umbridge trailing behind him, unable to keep the smile off her face.
Professor McGonagall was the last to close the wooden door when she caught a glimpse of the Grimace Fudge had left in the corner. The Grimace had been transformed into a small wooden comb, while the rest of the Grimace had been transformed into small objects.
McGonagall smiled and closed the door behind her.
"Wait, what's that noise?" Fudge, who was at the front of the group, seemed to have heard something. He turned his head in confusion, but all he could see was the wooden door closing.
"Are you going to look at that corridor again? I think you could pick a mask as a souvenir… how about this?" Dumbledore asked, taking the vampire mask out of his robes.
"Never mind…" Fudge flared up at the sight of the mask, expecting to catch Dumbledore red-handed.
Dumbledore nodded and slipped the mask back into his robes, and without the support of his magic, the vampire mask twisted back into place.
It was a small, round mirror…
…
Ivan, who was falling from a great height, did not suffer any injuries, as the Devil's Snare acted as a cushion, and Ivan cast a Levitation Charm on himself before falling, allowing him to land smoothly.
However, the others were not so lucky. Their bones were shattered, but they did not dare to cry out, as the three-headed dog, Fluffy, was still there. If they accidentally woke it up, they would be doomed.
"Where are we? The Chamber of Secrets? I didn't know there was a place like this in the castle," Ron whispered, looking around.
"Didn't we guess that this was where Professor Dumbledore was supposed to place the stone? Fluffy and the Devil's Snare are supposed to be used to prevent intruders," Hermione explained quietly.
No, the Devil's Snare was designed by Professor Sprout to prevent you from falling to your deaths… Ivan thought.
At the same time, Ivan finds a long passage, with grey stone walls covered in moss and vines, presumably not created on the spot, but a space that existed within Hogwarts itself, presumably because Dumbledore modified it slightly.
Ivan had to move on to avoid a confrontation with Fluffy, who might wake up at any moment.
At the end of the corridor was a room, through which light could be seen the wooden door had been blown open, and what looked like keys lay scattered on the floor.
"Someone got here before us… first he cast a Fire Charm, and then he blew the door open!" Hermione knelt down and picked up a key that had been burned by fire.
"It must be Chino!" Ivan's face fell. No wonder the three-headed dog, Fluffy, had been asleep when they came in. Maybe he had been under a Stunning Spell, or Chino had used a Transfiguration Charm on a flute.
However, Ivan's guess was that it was the former, as the intruders did not seem to have any intention of playing these games. It was possible that they were extremely hot-tempered and did not hesitate to expend a lot of magic to force their way through…
'It's not because of him, is it?'
Yvonne thought guiltily…
The only thing Ivan didn't understand was how Chino or Voldemort had the nerve to re-enter Hogwarts.
"Let's tell Professor Dumbledore!" Harry said urgently.
However, it was only then that the four of them realised that Minister for Magic Fudge had come to Hogwarts today, and that Dumbledore and McGonagall, as Head and Deputy Headmasters, would have to accompany him throughout the visit.