"Your eyes are as mesmerizing as a salamander's, and your hair is as smooth as oiled silk," John read aloud, unable to suppress a grimace. "Good heavens, what a dreadful attempt at a love letter."
Malfoy couldn't help but burst into laughter at the description. John shot him a sullen look. "I might as well dispose of it for you. It's probably one of Weasley's ridiculous pranks," Malfoy suggested, reaching out to take the letter.
John, however, snatched it back hastily. "No, let's just keep it," he decided, folding the letter carefully. If it had indeed been sent by a girl, discarding it would be unnecessarily cruel.
Malfoy, brushing his hair back with a nonchalant gesture, turned his attention to Harry and announced loudly, "Look, our savior has received a love letter."
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry retorted, his patience worn thin by the dwarf's relentless teasing and refusal to leave him be. The comparison of his green eyes to those of a pickled toad, mirroring John's salamander-like description, made John suspect the Weasley twins' involvement.
After leaving the auditorium, John sought out Lockhart with a specific request in mind. "Since you're so fond of writing, why don't you write this for me?" he demanded, tasking Lockhart with the creation of "I Swing the Great Sword at Hogwarts." This relieved John from having to endure any more of Lockhart's antics.
The completion of the Felicia potion marked a significant milestone. With the final ingredients added, the potion transformed into a substance as clear as water. John meticulously transferred the Felicia into a glass bottle shaped like a water bladder using a dropper. After months of careful preparation, only a small quantity of the potion was produced. Sealing the bottle tightly, John finally allowed himself a moment of relief.
The Felicia Elixir shimmered with a crystal-clear brilliance, reflecting the flickering candlelight. "It's now safe to venture into the secret chamber," John whispered to himself. He secured the bottle with an amulet string, fashioning it into a pendant. Understanding the potion's importance, he chose to wear it around his neck, concealed beneath his collar for safekeeping.
John made his way to the second-floor girls' bathroom, the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets known only to him. After ensuring the coast was clear, he snapped his fingers, summoning the badge hidden behind the mirror. Catching it with his left hand, he noticed the stars on the badge glow a soft light blue. "The snake remains hidden. Except for Myrtle, Harry and the others are unaware," he mused, pocketing the badge.
Approaching a broken toilet, John knocked politely. "Myrtle, I need a favor from you," he called out.
Myrtle emerged from the toilet, her voice shrill with indignation. "Always picking on Myrtle, aren't you?"
"If you help me, I'll give you a present," John offered, attempting to navigate the situation with the tact he had learned from his time in the Celestial Dynasty.
Upon hearing the promise of a gift, Myrtle's curiosity was piqued, though she remained skeptical. "You do realize I'm a ghost, right? How can I possibly receive a gift?" she questioned, referencing Nearly Headless Nick's predicament as an example of a ghost's limitations.
John, undeterred, simply raised his wand towards Myrtle. "Just trust me," he reassured her, casting a spell that enveloped her in a puff of white smoke. From his bag, he retrieved a feather hairpin, which he then made appear in Myrtle's hand.
"How is this possible?" Myrtle gasped, marveling at the hairpin. It felt as real in her hand as it would have in life, a tangible connection to the world she had left behind. In life, there exists a complex spell that can transform the essence of life into death, allowing wizards to refuse death and become ghosts. This realm of magic, which straddles the line between the living and the dead, is one John has chosen to explore. "It's a simple concept, really," John explained, though the reality was anything but simple. "A material transformation between life and death. In the magical world, there are entities that exist in both realms, and I merely utilize their properties for my purposes."
The hairpin he held was crafted from the feathers of a Thestral and bore the Hogwarts crest, enabling it to exist as a ghost within the school's walls. John had delved into the darker aspects of magic, drawing upon the soul-manipulating spells found in "Toxious Magic" as part of his experimentation. The ultimate goal of his research was a true ghost spell, capable of transforming individuals into ghosts upon their death. This venture into the manipulation of life and death was, by all accounts, a foray into black magic, fraught with peril and moral ambiguity.
As John opened his palm, the hairpin disintegrated into a cloud of ashes and slipped through his fingers. With a smile, he turned to Myrtle. "Can you assist me now?"
Myrtle, overjoyed at the prospect, darted around excitedly. John directed her attention to a faucet marked with a serpent, requesting her to investigate the pipe. Previously, John had ventured into it himself, but without the mechanism activated, he now relied on Myrtle's ghostly abilities to traverse freely. Ghosts, after all, could revisit places from their past, and fortunately, the Chamber of Secrets was constructed with Hogwarts' own magic. Utilizing the Specter Charm, John granted Myrtle temporary autonomy, a feat made possible by his understanding of the Marauder's Map, which connected him to Hogwarts' magical infrastructure.
Myrtle descended through the faucet, navigating to the chamber's depths. Approximately fifteen minutes later, the sound of a toilet flushing signaled her return, though she emerged confused about her unexpected exit point. "How did I end up back here?" she wondered aloud.
John, realizing his spell had malfunctioned, causing Myrtle to return to her starting location, expressed his disappointment. "It's unfortunate. My spell failed, bringing you back to where you began."
Despite this setback, Myrtle shared a crucial observation. "I encountered a wall adorned with two intertwined snakes, but it was enchanted, barring my passage."
"Ah, that must be the entrance to the secret chamber," John mused, grateful for the information Myrtle had provided. After leaving the girls' bathroom, he pondered the necessity of involving Harry Potter. "It seems I cannot proceed without Harry. He is the key, for without a Parseltongue, the Chamber of Secrets remains beyond my reach."
Unbeknownst to John, his musings were overheard by a passerby.
Meanwhile, Harry Potter grappled with a sudden pain and a mysterious voice echoing in his mind, "He's the key, I need him." Visions flashed before him, including John's departure from the girls' bathroom and a glimpse of a trophy bearing Tom Riddle's name. Shaken from his reverie by Hermione's concerned calls, Harry agreed with Ron's suggestion that he needed rest, his behavior raising eyebrows among his friends.
Elsewhere, John encountered Gemma Farley, who regretfully informed him of her failure to locate Tom Riddle's diary. Expressing his gratitude for her efforts, John reflected on the elusive nature of Voldemort, likening him to a detestable presence lurking in the shadows.
This narrative, steeped in the exploration of dark magic and the quest to manipulate the boundaries between life and death, weaves a tale of ambition, mystery, and the unforeseen consequences of delving into the unknown. After concluding his conversation, John made his way back to the Slytherin dungeon. Once he was out of sight, Harry emerged from around the corner of the staircase. He gazed in the direction John had gone, his mind replaying the image of the gold medal he had seen in John's possession. "Why is John so terrified of Riddle?" Harry pondered, sensing that he was inching closer to unraveling the mystery.
Driven by his curiosity, Harry decided to visit the trophy room, a place that had flashed in his mind during his earlier contemplation. Upon arriving, his eyes immediately found Riddle's medal, prominently displayed and gleaming under the soft light. In the corner of the room, almost hidden in the shadows, lay a diary. It seemed as though it had been lying there, forgotten, yet patiently waiting to be discovered for a long time.
Harry approached the diary with a mixture of apprehension and intrigue. The diary, seemingly innocuous, held an air of mystery that Harry couldn't ignore. It was as if the diary itself was calling out to him, promising answers to the questions that plagued his mind.
As he picked up the diary, Harry felt a strange connection to it, a sense of importance that went beyond mere curiosity. He knew that this diary was key to understanding John's fear of Riddle and perhaps even more secrets hidden within the walls of Hogwarts.
With the diary in hand, Harry left the trophy room, his mind racing with possibilities. He was determined to uncover the truth, no matter where it might lead him. The diary, once a silent observer of the past, was now a beacon guiding Harry towards the answers he sought.
_________
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