Harry Lies

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Filch appeared relieved upon hearing Dumbledore's reassurance and hastened to carry his cat away from the table, avoiding any further scrutiny from Snape. Distressed by Mrs. Norris's condition, Filch looked to Dumbledore, who signaled for him to leave the office and attend to Mrs. Norris.

With Filch gone, the professors redirected their attention to the three young wizards. Snape, standing in the shadows with his arms crossed, scrutinized their faces intently, attempting to discern the truth.

"Please have a seat," Dumbledore instructed, conjuring three chairs that floated in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The trio sat uneasily.

"I need you to tell me everything about today," Dumbledore requested, fixing his gaze on Harry.

The three wizards began recounting the events of the day, covering everything until they reached a standstill after Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party. Harry then firmly stated that he attended the party and wanted to return to the auditorium for Halloween dinner when they came across the scene.

"But Mr. Potter, you must know that this corridor isn't the direct route to the auditorium, correct?" Snape interjected slowly, his eyes still locked onto Harry's, as if attempting to extract the truth from his mind.

"We just wanted to grab a bite and a drink, so we took a long detour," Harry immediately regretted his words, realizing the absurdity of mentioning eating when ghosts didn't consume food.

Snape's face twisted into a mocking smile. "Yes, after attending a ghost party, one must surely feel quite full and in need of proper digestion."

Snape then turned to Dumbledore, stating, "These students are lying, concealing something. I believe they should be confined until they are willing to tell the truth."

"It's out of the question!" Professor McGonagall defended her students. "They haven't violated any school rules, and the cat wasn't their fault. There's no reason for confinement!"

Dumbledore raised his hand, silencing Professor McGonagall. He deeply studied Harry before finally saying, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, you may leave now."

The three young wizards hesitated briefly, then leaped from their chairs as if granted clemency, swiftly exiting the office.

"But Professor Dumbledore, they're hiding something important," Snape protested as he watched the trio depart.

"I have my considerations, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted Snape, preventing further discussion.

"Can someone explain the matter of the secret room to me?" Ethan interjected, attempting to extract any secret information from the professors.

Flitwick explained the Chamber of Secrets to Ethan, detailing how Slytherin had hidden it within Hogwarts, rumored to contain a monster that only the true Slytherin heir could unleash.

After Flitwick finished, Dumbledore spoke again: "In the coming days, please thoroughly search every corner of the castle to see if anything comes to light." Dumbledore made the final remarks, dismissing everyone.

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room, they were surprised to find that they were under suspicion. However, the appearance of hundreds of ghosts served as an alibi for Harry.

The trio began discussing their predicament in a hushed corner of the common room. Hermione argued for revealing Harry's Parseltongue ability to Dumbledore immediately, while Harry and Ron believed they had already dispelled Slytherin's suspicion and saw no need to expose Harry's unique skill.

The three young wizards were engaged in a heated argument, and suddenly, Hermione ceased the debate and suggested in a hushed tone, "Maybe we can seek Professor Ethan's help."

Ron's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Being unexpectedly skilled in boxing, he often received praise and bonus points from Professor Ethan

in the wizard's close combat class, leading him to hold a favorable opinion of the new professor.

Agreeing with Hermione's plan, Ron felt hopeful. Harry, however, was somewhat hesitant. Ever since learning that Voldemort was also a Parseltongue, Harry feared that others would discover his similar ability.

Hermione persuaded Harry that Professor Ethan was an experienced witcher who specialized in dealing with monsters that posed a threat to people. Seeking Professor Ethan's assistance was appropriate.

Reluctantly, Harry agreed to the new plan under the advice of his friends.

In a sudden realization, Ron dashed into his room. It didn't take long for him to retrieve a large bag containing the three hundred gold Galleon compensation that the Weasley family had recently collected for Ethan. Ron suggested using the repayment as a reason to approach Professor Ethan together.

At that moment, Ethan sat in his office, happily perusing a book of jokes about the British Ministry of Magic confiscated from the Weasleys. One particular joke tickled his funny bone, eliciting a hearty laugh.

The joke centered around Cornelius Fudge's upcoming visit to the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic. The Bulgarian Ministry had commissioned a renowned painter to create a large oil painting titled "Cornelius Fudge in Bulgaria" as a gift, under a bit of coercion. Upon completion, officials from the Bulgarian Ministry were astonished: the painting depicted a man and a woman lying together on a luxurious bed, with the scenery outside the window resembling London's Big Ben.

Angry, the official demanded an explanation. The painter confidently replied, "Lady of Cornelius Fudge."

"And the man?" the official pressed.

"Stringer, Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic."

"But where is Cornelius Fudge?"

"Conveniently, Cornelius Fudge is in Bulgaria," quipped the painter.

Having enjoyed the joke, Ethan chuckled and leaned back in his chair. At that moment, a knock echoed on the door. Ethan swiftly stashed the collection of jokes in a drawer, adopted a serious expression, and welcomed the visitor into the room.

It turned out to be Harry, Ron, and Hermione who entered after pushing the door open. The three young wizards looked around curiously, having just heard laughter from inside.

Ron eagerly handed a large bag of Golden Galleons to Ethan. Since receiving the Golden Galleons via owl from his family, Ron had been grappling with how to present them to Ethan. Accompanying Harry provided the solution to this matter.

Ethan graciously accepted the compensation with a smile, recognizing the financial demands of building armor and publishing a magazine.

He then warmly invited the three young wizards to sit down and, to their surprise, presented a pile of seemingly delicious cockroach-shaped candies for them to try.

Harry and Ron hesitated, wary of the candy's resemblance to cockroaches. Hermione, however, thanked Ethan, picked up one of the candies, and nonchalantly tossed it into her mouth, disregarding its unsavory appearance. To their astonishment, Hermione found the cockroach-shaped candy to be unexpectedly delicious.

Ron and Harry, unaware of the candy's true nature, stared at Hermione as she continued to chew with an expression of enjoyment, treating the candy as a delectable treat. They looked at her as though she were a creature from another world.