"That's not what I meant, and Artel is just making a conjecture. It doesn't matter if he's wrong... Besides, what if Artel is right?" Hermione retorted, fixing Lavender with a pointed stare.
"Anyway, Artel is genuinely concerned, unlike some who do nothing but gossip!" Hermione's frustration was evident as she confronted Lavender.
"Humph! I may not have done anything, but I certainly didn't stir up trouble!" Lavender shot back defiantly, rising from her seat.
"Lavender Brown!" Hermione's anger flared, her fists clenched in frustration.
"Lavender, you shouldn't speak to Artel that way. You owe Hermione an apology," the Patil sisters intervened, trying to diffuse the tension.
But Lavender shrugged off their attempts at reconciliation, her irritation evident. "I didn't say anything wrong! Why should I apologize?!"
Once fond of Artel, Lavender's attitude had soured since she discovered that the Christmas present she'd given him had been repurposed into a dog kennel. Her jealousy towards Hermione, coupled with her own feelings towards Artel, clouded her judgment.
"Why bother with your silly stories? I'm going back to bed!" Lavender announced, brushing off Hermione's attempts to confront her.
"Stop!" Hermione attempted to pursue, but the Patil sisters held her back.
Exasperated, Parvati rubbed her temples. As a prefect, she felt the weight of the situation, unsure how to resolve the conflict between the two first-year witches.
"Alright, enough! No more arguing," Parvati declared, addressing the others in the room. "Let's all return to our dormitories and get some rest. The school and the professors will provide us with an explanation in due time."
"Now, off to bed, everyone!" she concluded, hoping to put an end to the dispute.
After Passy's remarks, the other students filed out of the room, but Hermione remained seated, her gaze locked on Lavender with barely contained anger, her fists clenched in frustration.
"If what Artel said is true, Lavender, I expect you to apologize to him publicly in the Great Hall! Otherwise, I'll challenge you to a duel!"
Lavender bristled at Hermione's words, ready to retort, but the memory of Hermione's prowess in Defense Against the Dark Arts class gave her pause. She swallowed her words and stormed out of the room instead, seething with resentment.
Persuaded by the Patil sisters, Hermione eventually made her way back to the dormitory. Thankfully, her bed was on the opposite side from Lavender's, so further confrontation was avoided.
Once they were alone, Ron nudged Harry, sensing his friend's troubled demeanor. "Shall we head back too?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
Harry nodded, following Ron and Neville back to their dormitory. As they settled in, Ron couldn't help but notice Harry's preoccupied expression. "You seem to have something on your mind," he observed.
Harry hesitated for a moment before deciding to confide in his friend. "Well... I actually think what Artel said might be true..."
He recounted his experience with the mysterious sound earlier that day, speculating that it could be the echo of a basilisk lurking within the castle's pipes.
Ron's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?" he asked incredulously.
"Absolutely," Harry affirmed. "Don't you think it's possible?"
He elaborated on his theory, suggesting that the basilisk's elusive nature could explain why it had never been seen by anyone at Hogwarts.
"But..." Ron began tentatively, trying to grasp the gravity of Harry's assertion, "how could you understand the basilisk? How could you communicate with it?"
"Isn't a basilisk a serpent?" Harry countered. "And don't you remember I can understand Parseltongue? I can still communicate with snakes..."
Harry noticed a shift in Ron's expression, his voice trailing off.
"I discovered this ability before... I thought all wizards had it..."
"Absolutely not! Speaking to snakes is incredibly rare among wizards!"
Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement.
"Wow! That's amazing, Harry! You're a Parseltongue!"
"Parseltongue? What's that?"
Harry sensed that Parseltongue might hold the key to why he could hear the voice.
"It's an innate skill. Slytherin was rumored to be a Parseltongue... Merlin, Harry, could you be Slytherin's heir?"
Ron's exaggerated reaction drew the attention of Neville and others.
"What? Harry's a Parseltongue?"
"Could Harry have opened the Chamber of Secrets?"
Amidst the chatter, Harry suddenly stood up.
"It's back!"
He announced grimly, hearing the ominous voices once more.
"The time to kill..."
"I'm so full~"
"Blood!! Panic..."
Harry pressed against the wall, then turned to Ron and Neville, his expression serious.
"We should... investigate?"
Ron's voice quivered with fear, and Neville nodded in agreement.
"Or we could fetch your brother... he's a prefect, and he could alert the professors..."
"It's too late!"
Harry cut them off, grabbing his invisibility cloak.
"The basilisk is attacking! I need to stop it!"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Ron lunged to restrain Harry, joined by Seamus and others.
They admired Harry's bravery, but facing a basilisk was beyond recklessness.
"A first-year stopping a basilisk? It's suicide!"
"Let me go!"
Harry struggled against Ron and the others.
"I can't wait... If I don't act, someone could get hurt!"
....
Want to read more exciting chapters, then join my P@treon right now and get access to 60+ premium chapters.
Free members get 2+ advanced chapters for free.
JOIN NOW
Link: pa#treon.com/KittyLovesMilk (Remove the #)