strokinit Chapter 216 The Mastermind Behind the Attack
Chapter 216 The Mastermind Behind the Attack
Chapter 216 The Mastermind Behind the Attack
The secret room was an incredibly spacious rectangular hall, comparable in size to the chapel in the castle.
Rows of colossal stone pillars, requiring several people to encircle them, stand like a silent, imposing guard of giants, stretching straight from the entrance to the horizon.
These stone pillars are entwined with lifelike stone snakes, their scales clearly defined and the texture of their muscles clearly visible. The snakes spiral upwards along the pillars, their cold stone eyes seemingly looking down at the uninvited guests below.
These serpentine shadows tangled together until they finally disappeared into the towering, pitch-black dome above, which seemed to swallow up light, as if they had entered another lair.
Beneath my feet was a smooth, mirror-like black marble floor, empty except for a thin layer of water that was almost imperceptible yet omnipresent.
This film of water made the hard ground resemble a dark mirror, clearly reflecting the menacing stone serpent pillars above, the distant darkness, and Lynch's own figure.
At the very end of all this, far away, one can see a Slytherin statue, larger than all the stone pillars, silently overlooking the entire space.
His weathered, stone-carved face, with its serpentine beard and flowing folds of a wide robe, exuded an inhuman, chilling majesty.
The statue's eyes seem to be two bottomless black holes, as if a part of the founder's soul still lingers here, coldly watching the visitors who will intrude here a thousand years later through these stone eyes.
Lynch took a step and stepped into the darkness covered by a thin layer of water.
With each step, the soft sound of the soles of the shoes hitting the water was amplified infinitely in the vast, deathly silence.
Ripples spread outwards in concentric circles from his landing point.
The ripples disturbed the mirror-like surface of the ground, causing the giant, intertwined stone serpent pillars reflected above to twist and shatter.
The hollow echoes created by each step collided and overlapped between the stone pillars and the towering dome, lingering for a long time.
The sound didn't seem to come from his feet, but rather from all directions, as if the secret room had begun to breathe slowly and deeply after he stepped in.
As he walked forward with firm steps, the view at the edge of his vision gradually became clearer.
At the base of that towering Slytherin statue, two blurry figures emerged from the dim light, like actors standing center stage.
They were in completely different states: one was standing, looking up at the statue; the other was slumped on the ground, his body limp against the cold base, seemingly completely incapacitated.
Hearing Lin Qi's footsteps, the person standing turned around.
"Ah, Professor Lynch!" His voice echoed in the empty, enclosed room, his cheerful tone brimming with undisguised smugness.
He spread his arms wide, his face displaying the smugness of someone showing off a precious treasure. "I've been waiting for you. Welcome to my—I mean, Salazar-Slytherin's Chamber!"
"Good evening, Professor Lockhart," Lynch said in a steady voice. "It seems you've finally found a way to make a name for yourself in history."
Lockhart's eyes widened with excitement: "You understand, don't you? All of this—all the attacks, all the panic—was the prelude to this moment!"
He began to explain his "grand plan" at length, his voice trembling with excitement: "Imagine tomorrow's Daily Prophet's front page: Hogwarts is threatened by a millennium-old mystery, and everyone is helpless. Then, Gilderoy Lockhart not only solves the secret of the Chamber of Secrets, but also saves Harry Potter from imminent danger!"
Lockhart waved his free hand, as if he could already see the glorious scene in his mind: "I meticulously planned the Justin-Finlie attack to create panic and make everyone believe that the Slytherin heir has returned!"
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow.
Although Lockhart had previously been the prime suspect in his mind, he still felt a sense of absurdity when that face, with a smug expression, opened its arms to him in this gloomy place.
Perhaps it was because the image of Gilderoy Lockhart as a "professional conman" and "idiot" was so deeply ingrained in his mind that the label of "dangerous conspirator" seemed somewhat incongruous to him.
After responding to Lockhart, Lynch turned his gaze to the slumped figure beside the statue's base.
Harry lowered his head, his black hair obscuring his forehead, and leaned limply against the cold rock.
Even as Lynch's footsteps echoed in the empty, secret room, and even as Lockhart loudly proclaimed his welcome, the figure remained motionless.
"Harry?" Lynch's voice echoed among the stone pillars.
He waited a moment, watching Harry's hands fall limply, those hands that once held the flying broom now lying helplessly on the black marble floor.
Lynch called out again, "Harry?" This time his voice was a little louder, making it exceptionally clear in the silence.
Harry's shoulders remained still, and his head did not lift.
Lockhart chimed in cheerfully, “Oh, I’m afraid Mr. Potter can’t hear you right now, Professor Lynch.” His wand twirled lightly between his fingers. “His thoughts are wandering elsewhere. To a more—peaceful place.”
Lynch slowly turned his head, shifting his gaze from Harry to Lockhart's face.
His dark eyes fell on the wand in Lockhart's hand, then swept over Harry's unresponsive figure.
“Impressive, Professor Lockhart,” Lynch said, his tone inquisitive. “I’ve seen a lot of magic, including what’s called forbidden, lost magic. But Harry’s current state, and that strange petrification effect on Justin Finley earlier—I’ve never seen anything like it in any context or documented.”
He took a step forward, his shoes making a slight squelching sound on the water.
"I remember at the beginning of this school year, you couldn't even handle a bunch of Cornish elves, which ruined your reputation. You even went so far as to exchange secrets for my alchemical artifacts to salvage your reputation."
"But now, you can cast unusual and powerful spells—Harry's current condition, the unusual petrification charm on Justin Finchley," Lynch's eyes narrowed slightly, "and even manipulate Professor Flitwick's mind. Tell me, why is there such a huge difference in the abilities you've displayed before and after?"
"Ah, you've finally hit the nail on the head, Professor Lynch!" His eyes sparkled with pride.
Lockhart said in a measured tone, “It’s not a difference, my dear Professor Lynch.”
"5
"This is focus."
"1
"Why should I waste my real talent in the classroom, in those mundane daily routines, performing tricks like flashing lights or making feathers float? That would be an insult to my talent!"