In an effort to discern the nature of the shadow he had glimpsed, John utilized the reflective surface of Ironwick's sword. What he saw was a formidable creature adorned with black scales and a striking scarlet crest atop its head. Its mere presence suggested it could easily devour a troll. John muttered a curse under his breath, puzzled about the creature's origins, when suddenly, the shadow turned. Through the sword's reflection, John locked eyes with a pair of large, yellow orbs, and felt his body stiffen as if turned to stone.
"No, it's petrification!" he realized in horror. He hadn't anticipated that mere eye contact would ensnare him in such a trap. Although John's magic fought against the petrification, it was barely effective. "Damn!" he thought, knowing full well that if he were fully petrified, it would be the end of him. In desperation, his eyes morphed into vertical slits, and the spread of petrification across his body slowed.
Without a moment's hesitation, he reached into his bag and retrieved several potion bottles. After quickly downing an antidote, which had little effect, he frantically grabbed another. In this critical race against time, before petrification could claim him entirely, John consumed an antidote derived from mandrake. This particular potion, which he had stealthily concocted by pilfering a mandrake from the greenhouse last semester while Professor Sprout was distracted, reversed the petrification.
"Is it a curse?" John pondered, now able to see that the creature's eyes were imbued with a potent curse. Without a second thought, he activated the flame mode. The curse reflected in the blade was incinerated under the fiery magic of the flame sword, and through the blade, John saw the shadowy figure advancing towards him. As it drew near, he closed his eyes and, guided solely by sound, slashed at the shadow with Ironwick's sword, now imbued with a flame spell. The blade pierced the creature's scales, drawing blood and eliciting a pained growl from the figure. A gust of wind followed, and John rolled away to escape.
"No, I must dodge!" he realized, turning to run in the direction he remembered. The wounded shadow grew increasingly frenzied in its pursuit of John. Activating his flying boots, John kept his back to the shadow and maneuvered to evade it. Through the sword's reflection, he could see the shadow still in pursuit. With the Halloween party nearing its end, John feared the catastrophic consequences if this murderous creature were to invade the school. Determined, he resolved to lead the creature away from the castle.
After some distance, he checked the blade once more and noticed the shadow had vanished. "Gone?" he paused, a sudden realization dawning on him, prompting him to rush back with a sense of urgency.
...
Meanwhile, on the second floor, Harry discovered Mrs. Norris, Filch's detested cat, petrified and suspended from a torch bracket. A chilling message was scrawled in blood on the wall: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."
Ron, trembling, read the ominous warning aloud. Realizing they should leave before being caught at the scene, they were too late; the Halloween party had ended, and a crowd of young wizards had already gathered. Filch, pushing through the crowd, was met with the sight of his petrified cat, which drove him to a state of horror and despair, eliciting a mix of pity and discomfort from the onlookers. Malfoy, however, found amusement in the chaos.
Filch, in his grief, wrongfully accused Harry of harming Mrs. Norris and threatened retribution. Dumbledore arrived promptly, discerning signs of a struggle. Amidst the growing panic and confusion among the students, he knew immediate action was needed to quell the fear. He requested the presence of the first witnesses—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—in his office for questioning. Filch's glare followed them with undisguised loathing, while Lockhart, ever the opportunist, offered to escort Dumbledore to the nearest office. After they departed, John returned to the scene. He gazed at the blood writing on the wall, then surveyed the dispersing crowd. He was certain that during his confrontation with the shadow, these ominous words were absent. This indicated that someone had ventured here after he had drawn the shadow away. "Who could it be?" John pondered, his mind racing with possibilities.
Meanwhile, Gemma Farley, the sixth-year Slytherin prefect, was ushering students back to their dormitories. "Gemma, I need to attend to something," John announced abruptly, before heading in the opposite direction without waiting for a response. Gemma, though slightly exasperated, chose not to intervene.
John's next stop was the girls' bathroom, the initial location where he encountered the shadow. Upon arrival, he noticed the lingering water stains, prompting him to proceed with caution, using his sword as a makeshift guide. "Not here?" he muttered to himself after a thorough search of the premises revealed no sign of the shadow. Myrtle was present, but John, pressed for time, opted not to engage with her.
Leaving the bathroom, John's expression remained fraught with concern. He recognized the gravity of the situation; it was no longer just about Harry's safety but the welfare of the entire school. "Dumbledore must be informed," he resolved, understanding the significance of involving the revered headmaster in such a critical matter.
John made his way to Professor Lockhart's office, where he found the professor boasting about his past exploits, as recounted in his autobiography. The claim, reminiscent of a series of attacks in Ouagadougou, was met with skepticism by the other professors present. Dumbledore, assessing the situation, deduced that Mrs. Norris had been petrified, not killed, much to Filch's distress.
Dumbledore reassured Filch that it was highly unlikely for a second-year student to be responsible. However, his thoughts inadvertently drifted to John, who, if any second-year could be implicated, was the most probable suspect. John's absence from the dinner only compounded Dumbledore's concerns.
Filch, adamant in his belief, pointed fingers at Harry and his friends, spurred by an unfortunate misunderstanding involving a correspondence letter. Snape, ever the cynic, dismissed the notion of Harry possessing such advanced magical skills, yet he couldn't ignore the suspicious timing of their appearance.
The tension escalated when Snape suggested Harry be removed from the Quidditch team, a proposal that nearly led to a confrontation with Professor McGonagall. Amidst the chaos, John decided against intervening, sensing that his presence might exacerbate the situation.
Once the meeting concluded, with Dumbledore assigning Snape the task of concocting a de-petrification potion, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sought refuge in an empty classroom to deliberate their next steps. John, having promised Dobby to safeguard Harry, felt compelled to follow.
In the secluded classroom, Harry voiced his unease about the mysterious voice only he could hear. Ron, in an attempt to comfort him, advised against sharing this with others, citing the wizarding world's apprehension towards such phenomena. Just then, a voice disrupted their huddle, causing Harry to tense up.
"Harry, where did you hear the voice?" The familiar tone prompted Hermione to inquire, "John?"
"It's me," John revealed, dispelling the disillusionment spell that had concealed his presence. John materialized seemingly from the shadows, his gaze fixed on Harry. With a tone of urgency, he inquired, "You can hear that voice, right?"
"John, did you hear it too?" Harry asked, a sense of alarm creeping into his voice upon detecting the unusual tone in John's question. "I heard it in the corridor on the second floor."
"That's correct," John replied, a spark of determination lighting up his eyes. "After the entity left and returned to the second floor, it vanished. It's possible that its base of operations is located there."
Upon triggering the quest, a notification appeared: [Exploration Mission Activated: Discover the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin. Reward: Snake Catcher Blessing. Snake Catcher: Increased damage against snakes and immunity to snake venom curses.]
With the quest initiated, John was certain of the origin of the mysterious voice. The challenge now was locating the Chamber of Secrets. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he realized he needed assistance.
Addressing Harry and his friends with a focused intensity, John shared, "I encountered the creature. It was a massive snake with eyes that bore a deadly gaze."
The trio listened in shock. John had come face-to-face with the perpetrator?
"You mean, you know who is behind this?" Harry asked urgently.
"No, there's someone else involved besides the snake. This person wrote in blood after I had left the scene. We need to find them," John clarified.
In situations like these, the protagonist often proves to be the best ally. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the trio recognized the importance of their mission. The heir of the Chamber of Secrets posed a significant threat.
John tasked the three friends with uncovering the identity of the Chamber's heir, while he decided to seek counsel from Dumbledore. However, upon reaching the door to Dumbledore's office, he encountered an obstacle—he didn't know the password.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge