A new attack has occurred, and the victim is found to be a double victim.
The first was a student from Hufflepuff, and most believed that Harry had something against him because of the snake incident at the dueling club. The second was Sir Nicholas, and even though he was a ghost, he was petrified.
Fortunately, the student had only seen the basilisk's reflection, which somehow saved him. Since Sir Nicholas is a ghost, he could not die, so it is manageable even though he is petrified.
The problem with this story is that Harry was seen at the scene of the incident before it was reported, so now 90% of the students believe he is the heir.
Because of this speculation, I should intervene to prevent everyone from turning against Harry.
The urgency of the situation meant that competent teachers were called, so, obviously, Lockhart was not among them. Additionally, I was called because I needed to share my findings and present a plan I had developed.
"You're sure of what you say, Miss Longbottom?"
"Yes, I am. Moreover, I know that the gorgon, which was once my second hypothesis for the monster, cannot petrify a phantom."
The silence was heavy as I answered Professor McGonagall.
I was glad the atmosphere was like this because I wasn't in the mood for a cheerful environment; after all, I had missed Fawkes' rebirth, which I often attended just to see him.
"As long as we have roosters, we can manage."
Professor Flitwick was thrilled about our potential weapon against the monster, but the problem was that they had all been killed, likely by the heir.
"Unfortunately, we can't do that anymore because all the roosters have been murdered. Furthermore, continuously bringing in new ones won't help us identify the heir or find the Chamber of Secrets."
"But without a weapon against the monster, the students are in danger. If the monster cannot get out, all is well," I replied.
"I have a plan to prevent deaths, but we must keep in mind that petrifications could still occur. It would be necessary for all the walls and floors to reflect the basilisk's gaze. Normally, the chances of directly encountering its gaze without looking at a wall, floor, or another surface are almost impossible. By casting this spell on the castle's walls, we could prevent all deaths from happening."
"But you're not serious, Miss Longbottom. This strategy is far too dangerous," Professor McGonagall said, clearly angry at what she considered a foolish idea.
"Yet we must do something to guarantee that, at worst, we only deal with petrifications and not deaths."
"The spell might be feasible for a part of the castle, but I don't think it could be applied to all the walls," Professor Flitwick replied, already analyzing my plan and identifying its biggest flaw—the lack of energy needed to power such a spell.
"I have an energy source. Since the castle is not currently in danger of enemy attacks, we could temporarily disable the defensive barrier around the castle and use that energy to power the spell," I suggested.
It's the only idea that has come to my mind at this point and the one most likely to work.
All the teachers held a vote, and even though some were very reluctant, they eventually accepted my proposal, as it guaranteed the highest level of security, allowing us to stay in the castle.
Dumbledore will handle the defenses and the implementation of the spell, while I return to search for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.
I already know that the key involves Parseltongue and could be tied to blood or an artifact used as a key. That's why I've asked Harry to teach me the language—because I know he'll rush straight into the Chamber as soon as he finds its location. Gryffindors are too brave and very foolish. I'm certain he would go in without any plan, even knowing what the creature might be.