A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 53: Lies and Truth

On the morning of the second day, a weekend morning, Harry and Ron stumbled out of their dormitory to find Hermione already seated in a chair in the common room.

As they took their seats beside her, Hermione slammed a newspaper onto the table with a resounding "thwack."

"I knew it!" the young witch exclaimed, her anger palpable.

Harry and Ron immediately snapped to attention, exchanging a glance before Harry inquired, "What's happened, Hermione?"

"Do you remember the book the professor showed us? The one about Headmaster Dippet? There was a copy of 'The Daily Prophet' on Snape's desk that day, and something just didn't sit right with me. So, this morning I collected the newspapers from the past few days... That woman, Rita Skeeter! She dared to defame Headmaster Dumbledore..." Hermione's voice shook with rage.

Harry quickly picked up the newspaper while Ron plopped down next to him, craning his neck to read.

It was yesterday's issue of 'The Daily Prophet,' and the most prominent feature was a photo of Dumbledore with his mane of white hair looking upward, aged and stern in appearance. The headline blared, "Dumbledore's Grand Blunder."

An ominous feeling gripped Harry as he began to read—

"Our special correspondent, Rita Skeeter, reports that the peculiar Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School, has always been a controversial wizard."

"As the acknowledged greatest wizard of the modern era, Dumbledore has resided within the walls of Hogwarts Castle since his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, rarely stepping into the public eye."

"He is widely praised for safeguarding the hopes of the British wizarding world, tirelessly supplying magical talent of all kinds. But is this truly the reality?"

"In recent times, the author has received letters from concerned parents of students claiming alarming incidents within the school, with the culprits still at large. Mrs. Fawley of Topsham writes: 'My child lives in constant fear at school, dreading for their life. The professors seem powerless, completely ineffective! I have no choice but to bring my child home for Christmas.'"

"Interviewing this concerned parent with an agitated heart, I found the situation to be even graver than I imagined. Attacks are not a recent occurrence, as they began over a month ago. Back then, the victim was a cat, but the information was meticulously sealed!"

"To mitigate the consequences and avoid external scrutiny and criticism, the headmaster didn't hesitate to concoct an outlandish falsehood, attributing all these incidents to the fabled Chamber of Secrets within Hogwarts."

"Ironically, he employed a similar tactic over fifty years ago, when he was still the Transfiguration professor. During that time, a hapless Ravenclaw witch lost her life. Although Hogwarts apprehended a suspect, Dumbledore's influence over then-headmaster Armando Dippet led to the matter being swept under the rug, and the suspect was merely expelled."

"As I pen this piece, it's been two weeks since the second student attack, yet the outside world remains oblivious, and the assailant still roams free. We can't help but be concerned—is the once-invincible Dumbledore truly showing his age?"

"I shall pursue this story and present the truth to all. In our next issue, we will delve into the work of this headmaster, revealing a more authentic image of Dumbledore."

The main text concluded at this point, but at the bottom of the page, a small line of text previewed the content of the next issue: "Dumbledore has always been willing to hire controversial instructors, like this year's Gilderoy Lockhart and Felix Harp. But are these two individuals truly suitable? Stay tuned for more (Informants welcome, contact: Rita Skeeter, Chief Editor of 'The Daily Prophet,' author of twelve bestsellers, record holder for bestseller appearances)."

"How can she speak of Dumbledore like this?" Harry exclaimed in anger. "And the Chamber of Secrets, we saw it with our own eyes. How could it be a lie?"

"You can't trust a single word from Rita Skeeter," Ron chimed in with a perceptive nod. "A few years back, she had a major public feud with Lockhart in the papers. Mum can't stand her."

"We've got this woman's measure now," Hermione added with a sarcastic tone.

Ron picked up the newspaper. "Did you notice, she's planning a series of articles? The next one's about Professor Lockhart and Professor Harp. How do you think she'll spin them?"

Hermione sighed. "If she's painted Dumbledore as a schemer, I can only imagine what she'll do to these two professors."

"I don't care about Lockhart; he's nothing but a charade. What do you think, would Professor Harp storm into the 'Daily Prophet' headquarters and hit that woman with a Bat Bogey Hex?"

"Ron! That's illegal, the professor wouldn't do something like that!"

The trio discussed the matter at length, but their conclusions were rather grim.

Harry pointed at a line in the newspaper. "She mentioned that they caught a suspect fifty years ago. Who do you think she's referring to?"

"Oh, come on, Harry, you can't believe a word that woman says?"

"I certainly don't, but—" Harry's gaze settled on Hermione.

Her face went pale rapidly. "Fifty years ago, expelled... could the suspect she's talking about be Hagrid?"

Ron licked his lips uneasily.

Harry spoke swiftly, "I believe in Dumbledore; Hagrid can't be the culprit! But if he's been named a suspect, he must know something!"

The three of them prepared to brave the snow and head to Hagrid's hut. Just as they exited the castle, they ran into a massive figure—Hagrid himself, his face covered in snow, his thick beard encrusted with ice, and a dead chicken clutched in his hand.

"Hagrid, oh—" Harry bumped directly into him.

"Watch it! Little ones," Hagrid grumbled, his voice rough and hoarse. He waved the limp chicken, causing a few feathers to float in the air with his movements...

Later that evening.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just returned from the abandoned classroom beneath the castle, where the progress on the Polyjuice Potion had gone smoothly.

Harry had the magical scroll given to him by Professor Harp, and he was translating the Parseltongue language word by word. In the echoing emptiness of the abandoned classroom, the eerie, sinister voice could occasionally be heard, sending shivers down Ron's drowsy spine. In his half-awake state, he could see a witch brewing a potion akin to mud and a wizard hissing like a snake.

Earlier that afternoon, they had finally heard firsthand about the Chamber of Secrets from Hagrid.

Now, they were huddled together in a corner of the common room.

"Almost everything lines up!" Hermione suddenly said.

"What?"

"The monster in the Chamber! Wait for it—" Hermione seemed to be deep in thought, and she hurried back to their dormitory, returning with a piece of parchment.

The three of them leaned in, examining the words written on it—a terrifying magical creature named the "Basilisk."

Once Harry and Ron had finished reading the material, Hermione began to connect the dots, sharing the clues she had gathered over the past few days. "The Basilisk can remain dormant for long periods, its gaze is lethal, it's the mortal enemy of spiders, and it's repelled by the crowing of a rooster... What do you guys think?"

"So, the monster in the Chamber is the Basilisk?" Ron asked excitedly.

"No doubt about it!" Harry exclaimed, pounding the table.

The information they had received from Hagrid revolved around two key points: his chickens dying under mysterious circumstances and his history of raising Acromantula spiders, creatures known to dread the monster within the Chamber, yet Hagrid hadn't disclosed a single word.

"It all matches up!" Hermione confirmed. "But there's still one major problem—the Basilisk's gaze doesn't petrify people. I initially overlooked this, but now, the circumstantial evidence is quite substantial." Hermione spoke with meticulous care. "Perhaps I should consult Professor Harp to see if there's a way to mitigate the Basilisk's gaze..."

She gave her head a frustrated thump. "It's strange, I feel like something is right in front of us, but I just can't see it..."

Harry suddenly swallowed hard. "Hermione, I think I've figured it out."

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