principle's password

Upon seeing the figure at the classroom door, Harry and the others' hearts skipped a beat. Who was it?

"Hermione, Harry, Ron, why are you three whispering here instead of heading back to the common room?" It was Professor McGonagall's voice.

The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was Professor McGonagall, not Snape. Snape would surely seize the opportunity to deduct points from Gryffindor House and confine them to solitude.

Professor McGonagall maintained her stern demeanour as she addressed the three young wizards outside the classroom. "Professor Frémont mentioned that the assailant was a terrifying creature of dark magic, akin to a basilisk. You all heard it. Why are you still lingering here instead of returning to the common room?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hesitated, unable to articulate their reasons. They deemed it prudent not to divulge the voice Harry had heard to avoid any misunderstanding.

"As of today, Hogwarts students must return to their respective common rooms immediately after nightfall and are forbidden from lingering outside! This is Headmaster Dumbledore's decree," Professor McGonagall declared.

She ushered the three young wizards towards Gryffindor Tower.

Harry felt a slight relief. It seemed Professor McGonagall hadn't caught wind of his initial utterance. How else could he explain his understanding of Parseltongue, one of Salazar Slytherin's notorious abilities? What if Professor McGonagall suspected him of manipulating the basilisk?

Harry dared not dwell on the thought and silently thanked Ron and Hermione for believing in him.

"Um, Professor, are you also heading to the common room?" Hermione cautiously inquired, still blushing from her recent encounter with Professor McGonagall, who had always praised her as a model student.

"I am going to the common room to relay Professor Dumbledore's directive," Professor McGonagall replied.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron exchanged glances and mustered the courage to ask, "Professor, there was information about the Chamber of Secrets left at the site where Mrs. Norris was found. Could you shed some light on what exactly the Chamber of Secrets is? And who might the heir be?"

"That is mere speculation and not to be taken seriously," Professor McGonagall replied curtly.

"But, Professor..." Hermione attempted to press further, but they had reached the eighth floor of Gryffindor Tower, where the entrance to the common room awaited. A portrait hung at the end of the corridor—a depiction of a well-to-do lady adorned in pink attire.

The Fat Lady, guardian of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

"The password," the Fat Lady prompted.

"Playboy," Professor McGonagall replied. The portrait swung open, revealing a circular aperture—the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

The four of them squeezed through the opening and entered the cosy circular chamber furnished with plush armchairs.

The common room was ablaze with light, and Gryffindor students remained awake, engaged in discussions about recent events—the Chamber of Secrets, the heir, and the unfortunate demise of Mrs. Norris.

Unbeknownst to them, Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, was about to address them.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall," greeted the students.

Professor McGonagall relayed Dumbledore's directive, eliciting uproar from the crowd.

"Is this a jest? Professor McGonagall, forbidding us from venturing out at night?" Fred exclaimed.

"I wish it were jest, but it signifies our safety," Professor McGonagall solemnly declared. "Unfortunately, this is Headmaster's decree. For your own protection, we must adhere to it."

The crowd murmured, reluctant to accept this decree, particularly Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and others known for their nocturnal escapades within Hogwarts.

The adventurous spirit inherent to Gryffindor students ran deep.

Ginny was the sole individual in the crowd whose countenance shifted.

"Alright, off to bed with all of you," Professor McGonagall ordered before exiting the common room, leaving the Fat Lady's portrait to swing shut.

******

Meanwhile, Ciaran proceeded to the Hufflepuff common room.

Adjacent to the passageway leading to the house-elf kitchen on the basement level, the Hufflepuff dormitory and common room were located.

Similar to the scene in Gryffindor's common room, numerous students remained awake in the Hufflepuff common room, engrossed in discussions about Mrs. Norris's recent murder on the second floor of the castle.

"Professor Frémont?!" The Hufflepuff students were taken aback, curious as to why Professor Frémont had graced their common room.

Ciaran relayed Headmaster Dumbledore's decree. The reception he received was more subdued compared to Professor McGonagall's encounter. Though surprised, the Hufflepuff students did not voice objections like their Gryffindor counterparts.

"The prefects shall take charge," Ciaran Frémont reiterated.

"Don't worry, Professor Frémont," several older students nodded reassuringly. They were Hufflepuff's prefects.

Ciaran departed from the Hufflepuff common room, retreating to his office to contemplate subsequent strategies.

"It appears unauthorized night time excursions are out of the question. Encountering a basilisk is no trivial matter; one misstep could prove fatal."

…

The following morning, news of Mrs. Norris's demise and the emergence of a basilisk, a dark magical creature, spread rapidly throughout Hogwarts. The cryptic message concerning the Chamber of Secrets and its purported heir had stirred significant interest among the students.

In a remarkably short span, all copies of "Hogwarts: A School History" within the Hogwarts library were borrowed, as students clamored to glean more about the Chamber of Secrets.

Moreover, the latest edition of the "Daily Prophet" featured a sensational headline detailing the events at Hogwarts: "Basilisk Rampage at Hogwarts—Fatalities Reported!"

Numerous parents of Hogwarts students, upon reading the "Daily Prophet," were gripped with worry and apprehension, flooding the school with letters imploring Headmaster Dumbledore to swiftly address the basilisk threat to safeguard their children. Some even hinted at the possibility of retrieving their wards if the situation remained unresolved.

However, there were also parents who expressed unwavering trust in Dumbledore, believing that under his watchful eye, a mere basilisk posed no significant threat.

As Ciaran commenced his first post-Halloween lesson, he was bombarded with a barrage of inquiries from the young wizards.

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