Chapter 58: The Philosopher's Stone (Part 3)
"What happened here? Why are you here?" Just as Hermione was beginning to calm down, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Snape arrived. Upon seeing the fallen troll and the trio, they immediately questioned them.
"It's my fault," Hermione quickly stood up and explained the situation before Harry and Ron could react.
"She's right, I can vouch for that," Daniel added, providing additional details.
"Gryffindor, five points will be deducted," Professor McGonagall immediately punished Hermione. Hogwarts had strict rules, although the Golden Trio seemed to often overlook them.
"But for your bravery, Gryffindor earns ten points," she added, giving five points each to Harry and Ron. Although they had disobeyed orders, they had done so to save Hermione, which aligned with Gryffindor's values of bravery and integrity.
While Hogwarts' points system seemed arbitrary, it wasn't entirely so. Points were important as they determined the House Cup winner at the end of the term. Considering the trouble the Golden Trio got into, it was a good thing they were in Gryffindor, with Dumbledore often adding points for them. Had they been in Slytherin, they would have been isolated long ago.
"We must find out how they got in. This needs thorough investigation," Snape said to Dumbledore after McGonagall sent the trio back.
"No matter what, the students' safety is paramount. Everyone's tired today; let's rest. I will handle the investigation," Dumbledore replied.
After Dumbledore spoke, McGonagall used the Levitation Charm to move the petrified troll away, and Snape and the others left as well. Eventually, Dumbledore left, leaving Daniel alone in the hallway.
"I acted too quickly earlier. I should have let the troll destroy more of the bathroom to possibly expose the Chamber of Secrets," Daniel thought as he stood by one of the sinks.
The Chamber of Secrets was hidden beneath this bathroom. While it could only be opened by a Parselmouth, it was also possible to enter physically by dismantling the bathroom.
Even if Slytherin had enchanted the Chamber, it couldn't withstand physical destruction, similar to how the Ministry of Magic could be unearthed if one dug deep enough under London. Wizards, staying mostly within their own world, usually considered problems from a magical perspective.
"Room," Daniel said, activating his Ope Ope no Mi abilities, and sure enough, he detected a passageway leading underground.
"Never mind, it's too early to act without the diary being here yet," he muttered, leaving the bathroom. Although he hadn't fully connected with the Mirror Dimension of this world, his Ope Ope no Mi abilities could still grant him access to the Chamber. He could split the sink or use spatial manipulation to enter.
He decided against immediate action, partly because the diary hadn't appeared yet and partly because the basilisk was not easy to deal with.
Harry's defeat of the basilisk in the original story seemed straightforward, but in reality, basilisks were formidable magical creatures that required specific conditions for their creation. These conditions were so stringent that basilisk occurrences in wizarding history were rare.
The most dangerous aspect of a basilisk was its eyes; direct eye contact meant instant death. If not for Dumbledore's phoenix blinding the basilisk, Harry might have died in their first encounter.
Therefore, Daniel wouldn't face the basilisk without thorough preparation.
"Six trolls, huh? Quirrell sure is trying hard to get to the Philosopher's Stone," Daniel thought. The trolls in Hogwarts were a diversion by Quirrell to distract the professors while he sought the stone to revive Voldemort.
Unfortunately, Quirrell didn't realize that Dumbledore was aware of his actions, allowing them to nurture Harry as the savior.
Otherwise, the stone would have remained safely in the Gringotts vault; Dumbledore had no need to retrieve it.
"Who would have thought Professor McGonagall was such a Quidditch enthusiast?" Daniel mused, watching Harry with the latest Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Professor McGonagall had bought the expensive broom for Harry, making him the only first-year player in the inter-house Quidditch matches, much to Draco Malfoy's displeasure.
Today was the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Harry, fresh from training, was playing, which annoyed Malfoy, who glared at Harry with burning eyes.
Even so, Malfoy could only watch; Harry was the first first-year player in the history of inter-house Quidditch matches, where players were typically at least third-years.
Midway through the match, Daniel noticed Harry's broom acting erratically, seemingly out of control. He looked towards Quirrell and Snape, both muttering incantations.
Snape's appearance and demeanor were so villainous that anyone unfamiliar with his character would assume he was the antagonist. Hermione, suspecting Snape, sneaked behind him and set his robes on fire with a small Incendio spell. The resulting chaos distracted Quirrell, who had been jinxing Harry's broom.
Regaining control of his broom, Harry displayed his skill by catching the Golden Snitch, securing Gryffindor's victory.
Harry was treated like a hero. Slytherin had long dominated the Quidditch matches, and this victory was Gryffindor's first in nearly twenty years. The last time they won was when Harry's father was on the team.
"Never quite understood the fanaticism of sports fans," Daniel thought. There were significant cultural differences between the East and West. In the West, athletes were the most popular, while academically inclined students were often called nerds.
Athletes also found it easier to attract girls. Ron, for instance, once had a girl who was madly infatuated with him because of his Quidditch skills.
This phenomenon wasn't exclusive to the wizarding world; it was the same in the Muggle world, something Daniel had experienced firsthand. Unlike other bullied nerds, anyone who tried to bully him ended up getting a taste of his retaliation.
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