Stranger Danger.

Loki couldn't help it.

He immediately picked up the Topaz pendulum and the Ring of Harvest to perform the first of many divinations.

"The writing on the wall was part of a prank."

"The writing on the wall was part of a prank."

"The writing on the wall was part of a prank."

…

"The writing on the wall was part of a prank."

Opening his eyes slowly Loki found the result was as he had expected it to be.

The pendulum was swinging counterclockwise and at a rapid pace too.

'So it isn't a prank.'

'Then who was it?'

Dropping the pendulum on the table, Loki closed his eyes and let his astral body float through the spirit world to perform Dream divination.

"Who painted the writing on the wall?"

"Who painted the writing on the wall?"

"Who painted the writing on the wall?"

…

"Who painted the writing on the wall?"

Loki soon received a revelation in the form of a vision but as soon as the grey fog surrounding the vision parted Loki instinctively felt something wrong and broke the vision by forcing himself to wake up.

"What was that? A trap?" Loki mumbled with sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Something that would harm me simply by knowing the information?"

"A high sequence entity that can imbue corruption into me?"

"Is it someone like you-know-who from last year? Is the new opponent a person from the Abyss Pathway too?"

Loki picked up his pendulum and immediately performed another divination, "It is safe to divine about the culprit behind the matter regarding the Chamber of Secrets."

"It is safe to divine about the culprit behind the matter regarding the Chamber of Secrets."

"It is safe to divine about the culprit behind the matter regarding the Chamber of Secrets."

…

"It is safe to divine about the culprit behind the matter regarding the Chamber of Secrets."

Having performed the required steps, Loki opened his eyes and found the pendulum swinging rapidly in the counterclockwise direction.

"So that was a trap…?"

"Either the culprit is a member of the Abyss Pathway or has an item that can replicate the effect of one."

"It is likely the latter since the professors and the Headmaster would most likely notice any high sequence members but it is still possible."

"...unless it's like last year and there's some sort of story to help our lord and saviour, Harry Potter gain fame?"

'What is 'Adam' trying to do with him anyway?'

With his preliminary investigation done, Loki headed back to his room where he spent time speaking to Elane and helping the Niffler digest his potion a little before falling asleep while listening to the Niffler's poems.

He'd already advanced a few days ago, and now Loki was left worrying about something else.

'I need to find a way to help Sunny digest his potion faster too.'

'Maybe this 'new event' can become such an opportunity for both me and Sunny?'

Loki got up a little late the next morning and made his way to the great hall already populated with students.

'Let's see which one of you has lost a pint of blood.' Loki thought as he rubbed his thumb with his index finger and entered spirit vision.

'No one seems particularly sick at a glance.' Loki noticed.

'Well, I shouldn't be surprised. Given that the opponent has an item that is imitating the powers of a mid or high-sequence member of the abyss pathway, they could very well have made arrangements to heal themselves back to top shape.'

Either way, Loki spent the rest of the time in the great hall scouring students and took note of any student who was particularly sick so that he could keep track of him or her later and make sure that they were not related to the chamber of secrets incident.

The day passed by as Loki worked through the classes with a breeze since he was already very ahead of everyone and used his time in the classes to only go further ahead, occasionally along with Hermione.

Once they reached class 2-21 Loki and Daphne looked at Hermione curiously waiting for her to share any gossip material.

"Why are the two of you looking at me like that!?" Hermione said indignantly dropping the pages she was holding on to the table and folding her hands on her hips.

"Well duh, because you know about it!?"

"Know what!? It's not like I was told anything new."

"But didn't the Headmaster take you along with him?" Loki countered.

"*sigh* fine, this is all I know.", Hermione said and Loki looked at her with a pleased expression while Daphne perked her ears up.

"Headmaster Dumbledore said Miss Norris wasn't dead."

"Huh? But she went all stiff and rigid last I remember." Loki mumbled loud enough for all three to hear, he knew she wasn't dead but wanted to keep the conversation going.

Hermione nodded and then said, "Yes she was, but Headmaster Dumbledore said she was petrified."

"Petrified? So is she alright now?"

"No, it'll take a potion made from fully-grown mandrakes to cure her, but luckily Professor Sprout is growing some and Professor Snape knows how to make the potion."

Loki and Daphne simultaneously let out a sigh that they didn't realise they were holding. But both their thoughts matched, 'It's 'Him', he's doing something again. No way Professor Sprout only recently started to grow Mandrakes.'

"At least there's a way out of it, so we're not at risk of death.", Loki said and the two girls nodded.

There was a soft silence for a while and then Loki spoke, "Why don't we do an article on the Chamber of Secrets on the next edition? I'm sure the Ghosts know about the chamber of secrets if it has been opened before."

"Yeah! Why didn't I think of that!?" Hermione slapped her forehead.

"Cause you don't think!" Loki joked before he casually said, "Alright, Mione, you talk to Nick, Daphne you talk to the Bloody Baron, I'll talk to the Grey Lady and Fat Friar."

"Don't go to the Grey Lady.", Hermione warned.

"Huh? Why? Did you leave a bad impression on her?" Loki asked politely.

"No, it's not like that. She's just closed off and rude. She barely talked to me and even that was just to tell me that she was finding me annoying only to float away through a wall."

"Pffttt~!" Loki covered his laughter while Daphne looked away, but she was laughing too if her quivering shoulders and red ears were anything to go by.

"I'll remember.", Loki said and quickly slipped away without warning so that he wouldn't have to face Hermione's wrath, leaving Daphne to face her alone.

As Loki walked out of the classroom his thoughts wandered.

'So the person is also capable of petrifying targets?'

'Which pathway is that ability from?'

'Is there even such an ability? I don't remember…'

'Perhaps the death pathway?'

'But death…'

'Isn't the death pathway governed by the Same God as the Darkness pathway?'

'Can I perform a ritual to ask for a response to this question?'

'I'll look at it once I have some free time.'

'Until then I should work on using the gossip about the chamber of secrets to sell more papers.'

'...maybe I can portray Malfoy as the 'heir' who opened the chamber?'

'He'd probably like all the attention though…'

'Maybe an article with Harry as the heir? Nah. Mione wouldn't let that fly…'

'Myself?'

'Interesting question. I could act as the heir and swindle everyone?'

'I wonder…'

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