Dumbledore and Bryan finally reached a consensus, after a brief but intense debate. They were ready to go into the huge hole in Slytherin's face to explore the secrets hidden behind the stone wall, but for Harry's stay, the two had a little disagreement.
Dumbledore seemed to think that what was guarded by a snake monster by one of the great founders of the four houses, Salazar Slytherin, would not be a simple thing. There might be unimaginable dangers in the hole, lurking in the dark and waiting for intruders. Harry was just an underage little wizard, and he did not have the ability to cope with unknown dangers. He should stay behind and wait for their return.
"No one is born to be able to face everything calmly, Headmaster Dumbledore," Bryan looked at Harry who was a little dejected, and said with a deep meaning, "If you want young people to grow up as soon as possible, you have to give them more opportunities to practice–"
In the end, Headmaster Dumbledore still followed Bryan's reasonable suggestion. He knew that Harry had a curious and adventurous spirit, and that he had already faced many perils in his short life. He also knew that Harry had a special connection with Slytherin, through the Parseltongue he inherited from Voldemort. Perhaps he could discover something that they could not.
"You have to promise me,"
Dumbledore looked at Harry solemnly and said, "If we encounter danger , I and Professor Watson will give you the instruction to run away, you have to follow our orders"
"I promise, Headmaster Dumbledore!"
Harry nodded eagerly. Dumbledore's words hurt Harry's self-esteem a bit, but when he thought that he could go on an unknown adventure with two powerful wizards, Harry's mood was as light as flying. He also did not believe that with Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Watson standing in front of him, there was any danger that could harm his life.
"Even ten Voldemorts can't do it!"
As Dumbledore and Bryan stepped on the stairs, Harry secretly grinned and thought so. Although it must be very late now, although he had experienced a legendary battle tonight, Harry's spirit was still extremely excited. He felt a rush of adrenaline in his veins, and a spark of curiosity in his eyes. However, his excitement only lasted until the moment he stepped into the hole.
The passage of the hole was not as winding and long as they had imagined. It was just that the bones of various animals piled up on the ground were more than twice as many as the stone tunnel after they came down from the pipe. When they stepped on it, they could clearly hear the sound of various weathered bones breaking into slag. It was like walking on a carpet of death. The smell of decay and blood filled their nostrils, making them nauseous.
As they ventured deeper , the air became thick with the scent of blood. They saw bones scattered on the floor, some still bearing the grisly remains of fur and flesh. Among them were mouse skulls stained with dried blood and heaps of severed spider legs. Harry wondered what monstrous creature had feasted on these prey, and if it was still lurking in the shadows.
"Ah–"
For some reason, Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh. However, facing Bryan's probing gaze, he just shook his head and didn't say much. Harry sensed that there was something Dumbledore was not telling them, something that made him sad.
The three of them passed a corner and followed a road cleared by the snake monster's swimming trajectory for about half a mile. Then, the scene in the tunnel gradually changed. A golden torch every thirty feet apart was placed on the walls of the tunnel on both sides. The stable heat emitted by them dried up the damp stone walls and made the ground dry.
The air became fresh, there were no bones on the ground, and even dust and cobwebs were not visible. Harry even felt that this place was comparable to the corridors in the castle maintained by Filch.
"Tsk tsk–"
Bryan stood in front of a torch and stared at the swaying flame. He praised sincerely, "Extravagant Slytherin ah"
Finally out of the sea of bones, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Then he heard Professor Watson's awe-inspiring praise. He looked at Dumbledore and hoped to get an explanation.
"This eternal fire is very precious, because it will never go out–" Dumbledore looked at those unclear number of torches with appreciative eyes and said gently.
"It takes a lot of magic power to make this ancient fire. As far as I know, no one can make such a number of eternal flames at once."
Harry gasped and figured out the value of these bronze torches. But at the same time, he was a little unhappy because he heard some compliments for Slytherin from Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Watson.
"Perhaps Gryffindor would be better–" Harry muttered softly.
The fire dyed Dumbledore's silver eyebrows and beard red, giving him a warm and gentle appearance. He heard Harry's dissatisfied complaint and chuckled softly. He extinguished his wand's glow and stood in front of everyone, leading the way with confidence.
The tunnel became more and more spacious, as if it was welcoming them to the heart of the mystery. At the end of sight was a stable bright light, beckoning them to come closer. Bryan's expression was solemn. He clenched his wand tightly and followed quickly, alert for any signs of danger.
As they approached gradually, the deepest secret hidden in this underground chamber finally unveiled its mysterious veil! This was a huge cave with an area of about three or four Quidditch fields. It was like a hidden world under the castle, full of wonders and secrets. At the top of the cave that was more than three hundred feet high, there were many rough and huge circular stone pillars protruding from between the stalactites that were densely packed. Those stone pillars arranged in a certain order were similar in color to Hogwarts Castle. They seemed to be the load-bearing pillars that support the whole castle!
"Too crazy."
The air was filled with wind howling, echoing in the vast space. The mysterious voice was like history singing the years, telling them the stories of the past.
Bryan looked around the huge cave walls, admiring the craftsmanship and magic of Slytherin. Every distance there was an Ancient Fire torch, burning with a golden flame that never faded. He uttered a shocked whisper. Those torches that emitted constant light illuminated the whole cave as bright as daylight. At the same time, the strong magic field radiated by them also resisted all positioning spells, making this place impossible to find by anyone else.
"It's hard to imagine how powerful Slytherin himself was, that he could be so extravagant. No wonder that snake monster could survive for a thousand years. In such a rich magic environment, I'm afraid any creature can have a life span of thirty or fifty years longer than the original."
Harry, who lacked a substantive understanding of the difficulty of making Ancient Fire, could not appreciate Professor Watson's shock. But the desolation and magnificence that permeated the cave full of strange-shaped stone cones and stalactites still made him speechless. He felt like he had entered a fairy tale world, where anything could happen.
"Yes, great Slytherin–"
Dumbledore was also surprised by the scene in front of him, and he also made a similar feeling. "But what I'm more curious about is, what is Salazar Slytherin's purpose for building this chamber."
Bryan retracted his gaze and nodded. He turned around and looked at Harry who was fascinated by the ghostly scenery. He warned,
"Now it seems that the secret hidden in this chamber of secrets will be shocking. Potter, remember to stay alert."
Harry nodded hesitantly, but his curious eyes still wandered around. He looked at the deep gullies on the undulating ground, stared at the black stone cones that looked like giant teeth, and suddenly, Harry's expression froze. He widened his eyes and looked in a certain direction. And when he confirmed what he saw, Harry's face turned pale and shouted,
"Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Watson, there's someone there!"
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