Loki and Augustus walked briskly through the school corridors and arrived at the staff room. Harry and Ron were already there, anxiously surveying their surroundings near a teacher's wardrobe. Spotting Augustus, the two hurried over.
"Time is short; the teachers will be here soon. Did you bring the Invisibility Cloak?" Augustus asked Harry.
"It all happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to grab it," Harry admitted, looking embarrassed.
"Then both of you, stand over here." Augustus drew his silver wand and cast a group invisibility spell. A faint blue veil enveloped them, creating a ten-meter radius of concealment and gradually rendering the four of them invisible.
They stood in a corner, observing the room as the door to the staff room was flung open. One by one, the teachers entered—some looking puzzled, others visibly shaken. Finally, Professor McGonagall arrived.
"There's been another incident," she announced gravely to the silent room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Dragged straight into the Chamber of Secrets."
Professor Flitwick let out a sharp cry, while Professor Sprout covered her mouth in horror. Snape gripped the back of a chair tightly and asked, "How can you be certain?"
"The Heir of Slytherin," McGonagall said, her face pale, "has left another message below the previous one: Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."
Professor Flitwick burst into tears.
"Who is it?" Madam Hooch asked weakly as she collapsed into a chair. "Which student?"
"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall replied.
Augustus noticed Ron stagger to the floor, his face stricken with grief. Loki glanced at him sympathetically. Ginny being in such grave danger was indeed tragic.
Augustus studied the furrowed brows of the teachers, his expression heavy. To think that even at this stage, another attack had occurred—this time far worse than before. A victim had been taken directly into the Chamber. Was the Heir making a final desperate move, or had they become so ruthless that they wanted to take someone down with them? Regardless, Augustus knew it was time to venture into the Chamber of Secrets himself.
The staff room door slammed open once more. For a fleeting moment, Harry thought it might be Dumbledore returning, but to his dismay, it was Gilderoy Lockhart, still wearing his signature smile.
"Apologies—I dozed off—what did I miss?"
He seemed oblivious to the hostile stares from the other teachers. Snape stepped forward.
"Our problem-solver is here," he said with biting sarcasm. "Lockhart, a student has been taken into the Chamber by the monster. Your time to shine has arrived."
Lockhart's face turned ashen.
"Yes, Gilderoy," Professor Sprout added. "Didn't you say just last night that you knew exactly where the entrance to the Chamber was?"
"I—I mean, well—" Lockhart stammered.
"And didn't you assure me that you were certain about the monster's identity?" Professor Flitwick chimed in.
Augustus watched Lockhart squirm with thinly veiled amusement. The man's hubris was catching up with him. His earlier boasts that Hagrid was the culprit now looked laughable as the teachers turned on him.
"Let's go. We'll discuss things outside," Augustus said to the group. The four slipped out of the staff room unnoticed.
In the corridor, their forms gradually reappeared. Ron trailed behind the others, his shoulders slumped, while Harry tried to console him to no avail.
"With Ginny taken into the Chamber, our priority now is to locate its entrance," Augustus said calmly. "If we can get inside quickly, there might still be a chance to save her. Any delay could mean the worst."
Ron's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. "Harry and I think we've already figured out where the entrance is!"
"Yes," Harry confirmed. "We believe the entrance is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The Basilisk must have been moving through the pipes—that's how I heard it speaking before Mrs. Norris was petrified. And based on the incident decades ago, we think the Chamber entrance is near Myrtle's bathroom."
"Then there's no time to waste. Let's go and save Ginny before the Heir can act," Loki said firmly.
"Agreed," Augustus declared. "Every second counts. Let's move!"
The four headed toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, descending staircases and passing dimly lit corridors adorned with ominous writing. As they reached the door, they found Myrtle trembling, perched on the water tank of a toilet in the far corner.
"Oh, it's you," she said, brightening as she saw Augustus. Then her eyes darted to the others behind him, her expression turning puzzled. "What do you want?"
"We have a question for you," Augustus said thoughtfully.
"A question?" Myrtle blinked in surprise, clearly unused to being asked anything of importance.
"What strange things happened before you died?" Augustus's silver eyes glimmered.
Myrtle's demeanor changed instantly. No one had ever asked her about her death with such respect. She straightened up, glowing with pride.
"Well, just before I died, I heard a boy speaking in a strange language outside. I opened the door to yell at him to go away—and then…" Myrtle puffed out her chest, clearly relishing the attention. "Then I saw them."
"Saw what?" Augustus pressed.
"Great big yellow eyes. Terrifyingly large. My whole body felt like it was being lifted, and then... I was gone," she said, her voice dreamy as she stared at Augustus.
"Where did you see those eyes?" Augustus asked directly.
"Right over there," Myrtle said, pointing vaguely toward a sink.
Loki rushed forward to examine it. The sink appeared ordinary at first glance. The group inspected every detail, from the taps to the pipes below. Then Harry noticed it—a tiny snake engraved on the side of one of the copper taps.
"Harry, try speaking Parseltongue to it," Loki suggested.
"Open," Harry hissed in the strange language, his voice producing an eerie sibilance.
Instantly, the tap emitted a dazzling white light and began to spin. The sink shifted and disappeared, revealing a massive pipe large enough for a person to slide down.
"This must be the entrance," Augustus said with a faint smile. "Let's go. Let's hope the Chamber's owner is feeling hospitable. Otherwise, we're about to intrude."
He stepped into the pipe first, with Loki following closely. Harry and Ron exchanged glances before entering behind them. The four descended into the unknown, swallowed by the pitch-black darkness ahead.
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