007 Midnight Revelations

After hastily concluding the meeting, Bryan left Dumbledore's office well past eleven o'clock in the middle of the night. His cheeks were slightly stiff from a prolonged smile, as if the echoes of Dumbledore's laughter lingered even though the Headmaster was no longer in sight.

It seemed almost surreal to Bryan that he had spent over three hours chatting with Dumbledore, yet he still couldn't grasp the purpose behind the Headmaster's summons. Reflecting on their conversation, Bryan realized that Dumbledore hadn't given him an opportunity to present any plans. Instead, their discussion had meandered through various topics, reminiscent of old friends catching up over drinks.

The only tangible outcome was a small half-bottle of whiskey that Dumbledore had generously bestowed upon him. It struck Bryan as unreasonable, as Dumbledore's display of trust seemed incongruous with his typically cautious nature.

The corridor was empty, with portraits of slumbering figures adorning the walls, undisturbed by the flickering torches. During the Christmas holiday, even Filch, the dedicated castle administrator, had left to visit old friends.

The cold wind seeping into the castle through the window gaps still bit at Bryan, but the snow had ceased, allowing the struggling moon to cast feeble light through the thick clouds.

Standing by a window at the corner of the stairs, Bryan gazed into the distance with intrigue. On this starless night, the Forbidden Forest loomed in darkness, obscuring any clear view, and the faint glow emanating from Hagrid's cabin was barely discernible—a solitary light in the encompassing darkness.

"I'm glad you emerged from Dumbledore's office unscathed, Bryan. I had even started contemplating your funeral," Snape's voice sneered, interrupting Bryan's contemplation.

Snape, now donning purple pajamas, leaned against the wall, his gaze fixated on the whiskey bottle in Bryan's hand. "Could it be that Dumbledore's skills in insanity have regressed to the point where he needs Veritaserum to extract confessions about your crimes over the past few years?"

"Your sharp tongue remains unchanged, Professor," Bryan turned to face Snape in the shadows, a smile playing on his lips. "Headmaster Dumbledore didn't employ Veritaserum on me, but it seems he has gleaned what he wanted to know."

...…

Moonlight pierced through the clouds, creating rectangular patches of light on the floor of the school hospital ward. It was well past midnight, and Madam Pomfrey had retired to her small room, leaving the ward devoid of activity.

"Lumos"

Hermione whispered to herself, "The hair on my face is supposed to fade in a few weeks, but I'd rather find a way to shorten that time. Otherwise, how do I explain the sudden appearance of a beard to those who visit me, especially those with divination skills?"

Recollecting her task, Hermione gingerly opened her eyes, careful not to disturb the slumbering ward. Retrieving a copy of "Common Magical Ailments" from under her pillow, she began perusing its pages, a task she had entrusted to Harry in their joint effort to find a solution.

Hermione's feline instincts took over as she sprawled across the bed, her white palms instinctively curling into paws against the book's pages. A slender cat tail slipped out from under the covers, hanging on the bed's edge, as she immersed herself in her research.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps outside the ward caught Hermione's attention. In a moment, she ruled out the possibility of it being Harry or Ron visiting her, or even Madam Pomfrey on her rounds. A sense of alarm gripped Hermione as she realized it might be the assailant responsible for the attacks in the Chamber of Secrets.

In a flurry of motion, Hermione extinguished her wand's light, positioned herself back on the bed, and tightly gripped her wand beneath the quilt.

"Very few things occurring in this school can elude Headmaster Dumbledore's knowledge, Professor. Are you absolutely certain he is unaware?" Hermione recognized Snape's voice—a sinister, deep tone that had always been particularly disdainful of Gryffindor students.

"Headmaster Dumbledore may be accused of many things, but he will not tolerate any conspiracy that endangers the students here," came the reply, tinged with an air of annoyance.

Hermione, with her remarkable memory, knew she had never heard this voice before. However, at least from the conversation, she concluded that the speaker was not the heir of Slytherin.

After a brief hesitation, Hermione cautiously peeked her head out from under the quilt. Thanks to her padded feet, she managed to move silently toward the door.

At Snape's signal, Bryan drew back the curtain and approached swiftly. Standing between two adjacent hospital beds, he focused his gaze on the unfortunate victims—Colin Creevey and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"The grey-haired one is Colin Creevey, and the other is Justin Finch-Fletchley. Both from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, respectively, and both Muggle-born. You possess a sensitivity to magic. Bryan, tell me your observations," Bryan stood between the beds, leaning over with a concentrated expression. Two lavender vortexes seemed to swirl within his eyes as he examined Colin, who reached out his hand to take a picture, and then shifted his attention to the terrified Justin. Bryan would occasionally tap their petrified skin with his fingers, the distinct tapping sound reverberating through the quiet infirmary.

"What did Dumbledore say?" Bryan sat on the bed, his gaze locked onto Colin's eyes as he casually inquired, "He believes it to be highly advanced dark magic, beyond the abilities of young wizards. Additionally, he confided in Minerva that he lacks the means to directly reverse the powerful petrification spell," Snape replied.

"I have my reservations about the latter," Bryan pursed his lips and then pointed to Colin's eyes. "It's not black magic, but rather a curse—a manifestation of abnormal magical power that freezes the flow of magic within their bodies, resulting in petrification."

"Minerva, Flitwick, and Sprout have all hinted at something similar," Snape grumbled, appearing annoyed. "I have indeed noticed the eagerness of those children in the courtyard to showcase their abilities. Unlike you, they prefer not to conceal their strengths. Unfortunately, they lack the necessary skills."

"That bottle of aged Fire-whiskey in the Headmaster's collection is quite remarkable," Bryan stood up, attempting to steady himself, but his head spun, nearly causing him to stumble. He grasped the bedpost, rubbing his temples, as various thoughts raced through his mind. Snape's cryptic complaint triggered a recollection of his former self, ever vigilant against all potential threats. Bryan smiled and remarked, "Professor, you seem to be heading in the wrong direction. As I mentioned, their petrification is the result of abnormal magical powers. It suggests that this magic is less likely to originate from wizards, and more akin to... For instance, the magical energy flowing through the blood and nerves of a dragon. It is vastly different from the style of wizardry."

Behind the hidden door, Hermione's yellow eyes widened with excitement, her paws clenched in anticipation.

Bryan glanced toward the adjacent ward with a bemused expression. In his vision, the magical aura emitted by the young wizard concealed behind the door was as conspicuous as the moon rising in the darkness.

"So, the rumors about Salazar Slytherin leaving a monster in the Chamber of Secrets might not be mere fantasies," Snape's voice once again turned somber. The founder of Slytherin, hailed as one of the four greatest wizards, had always been a source of pride for the academy's graduates. Yet, at this moment, Snape felt more vexed than reverent toward him.

"Considering the current circumstances, it appears to be the most plausible possibility," Bryan reflected, amused by the notion that the underground dark wizards coveting Slytherin's secret treasure likely never anticipated that the great secret left behind would be nothing more than a magical creature.

However, his task was to locate and recover the items within the Chamber of Secrets and deliver them to KaKus Foley. As for what remained within the chamber, it held no relevance for him.

Realizing that he currently lacked the means to immediately reverse the curse, Bryan could not glean any further information from the petrified Colin and Justin. He gently drew the veil back over them, his tone indifferent.

"Actually, what intrigues me more is why the assailant refrained from killing them directly after petrifying them. Could it be that their motive lies in the pleasure derived from instilling fear? Such behavior is characteristic of aberrant entities—"

"Not only you and I are curious about this question, but I suspect Miss Hermione Granger is quite intrigued as well!"

Ouch!

Bryan and Snape were preparing to leave when, suddenly, Snape brandished his wand and swung it toward Hermione's ward. Hermione, who was hiding behind the door, emitted an involuntary shriek, stumbling and rolling out into the open. After a couple of tumbles, she ended up lying at Bryan's feet.

"Oh my, oh my," Bryan murmured, his voice barely audible amidst the profound silence. He gazed mockingly at Snape for a moment, then lowered his head to observe the young wizard lying before him. "When did cat-eared girls become a part of the magical world?!"