"A fine sword needs no polishing—goblin silver repels dust."
Regulus Black held Godric Gryffindor's sword in his hands, carefully admiring it.
He knew there were two swords in the Headmaster's office: one genuine, one a fake. The real one was hidden in a hole behind Dumbledore's portrait; the replica was displayed in a glass case. Only Dumbledore and Snape knew the truth.
Of course, that also included Regulus Black—who had read the original books.
Once he got hold of the treasure, there was no way he was giving it back. In fact, this was something he had already agreed upon with Dumbledore.
By the lake, a massive column of water shot into the sky, revealing three figures. The trio splashed helplessly in the water, unable to swim. Just then, a golden Snitch appeared above their heads and—plop!—dropped a bundle of black something into the lake.
The Black Lotus Sacred Flame Three-Legged Golden Toad had arrived! Enlarged to massive proportions, the toad lifted the three out of the water, while warm black flames instantly dried their soaked clothes.
"Aha! This is incredibly well thought out!"
Gilderoy Lockhart knew immediately—this was Regulus Black's doing. He had just played dead in the Chamber of Secrets below, and Regulus had already prepared a rescue plan for the lake. The speed of it all was astounding.
Once they were brought to the shore, Harry Potter noticed that Filch and Professor McGonagall were already waiting for them.
"What happened to you three?"
Professor McGonagall questioned them, though it was clear she was waiting for Gilderoy Lockhart to respond.
"Oh! Well, you see, Professor McGonagall…"Gilderoy Lockhart was just about to embellish the night's events—
"Ribbit!"
With a croak, the now-miniature Black Lotus Sacred Flame Three-Legged Golden Toad leapt onto Gilderoy Lockhart's head and settled there firmly. About to hog the credit for himself, Lockhart had no choice but to tell the truth.
"This is…!"
Professor McGonagall had seen the black flame-emitting toad before—one of Regulus Black's pets.
So the reason Harry, Ron, and Hermione were at the lake, along with all the surrounding commotion, now made perfect sense.
"That's what happened. We had an unimaginable adventure in the Chamber of Secrets. So… can we go rest now?"Gilderoy Lockhart kept watching Professor McGonagall's shifting expression. It was obvious that the toad on his head had convinced her to believe what he said.
"You three—come with me to see Dumbledore. Some matters must be cleared up tonight."
Professor McGonagall led the way. Filch brought up the rear, holding a lantern and chuckling darkly, which sent chills down Harry and Ron's spines.
In the Headmaster's office, McGonagall left immediately after bringing them in, leaving the three even more confused.
"Gilderoy, wait a moment. I have a few questions for Harry and Ron."
Dumbledore was already waiting for them. He didn't offer any of his usual odd sweets—clearly, this would be a serious conversation. That alone made the two children extremely nervous.
"You two must understand—within just the past few hours, you've violated dozens of school rules. Enough to warrant expulsion. Yet what you've done also qualifies you to receive the Hogwarts Special Services Award."
Dumbledore wasn't trying to scare them; he simply laid out the situation as it was. Yes, they had broken the rules—but they had also made a great contribution. There wasn't necessarily a right or wrong to the balance of these things.
"Yes, Headmaster! Thank you, Headmaster!"
The two young Gryffindors were overjoyed. Not being expelled—maybe even getting praised—was simply amazing.
"Mr. Weasley, please go to the Owlery and send this letter to the Ministry of Magic. Our gamekeeper should be back by now as well."
Dumbledore handed a letter to Ron. The contents of the letter explained the entire Chamber of Secrets incident and clarified that Hagrid had been wrongly accused. Ron accepted the task and happily left the Headmaster's office.
"Harry! First, I want to thank you—thank you, Harry! You must have shown absolute loyalty in the Chamber, or Fawkes would never have come to you. And secondly, I feel something is troubling you. Am I right, Harry?"
Dumbledore didn't directly question what had happened in the Chamber, even though it was a place beyond his authority as Headmaster to monitor.
However, the very fact that Fawkes had delivered the Sorting Hat meant Harry Potter had encountered serious trouble—and had sworn his loyalty.
But after multiple encounters with Voldemort, Harry Potter had started to realize his strange connection with him.
To make Harry feel that connection, Regulus Black had used a large-scale illusion during the staging of the drama he created for Harry. He had even included fragments of Voldemort's soul—embedding them in his own fake apparition and in the false basilisk. This allowed Harry to tangibly sense the link between himself and Voldemort.
"Yes, I know—you can speak Parseltongue. And why is that? It's because Voldemort could speak Parseltongue too. If I'm not mistaken, Harry, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he left that scar on your forehead. That probably wasn't intentional—but it is the truth."
Dumbledore explained cautiously, trying to gain Harry's trust while concealing things he wasn't yet ready to reveal.
In fact, during his conversation with Regulus Black, Dumbledore had already begun to suspect the truth about the Horcruxes. And Harry Potter...
"So the Sorting Hat was right—I should have been in Slytherin."
As soon as the Sorting Hat was mentioned, Gilderoy Lockhart quickly placed it—now crumpled from being gripped so tightly—on the table.
The battered Sorting Hat was so mistreated it couldn't even speak at the moment, prompting Dumbledore to give Lockhart a long, meaningful look.
Harry remembered what the Sorting Hat had said to him back then—how, the moment it was placed on his head, it suggested Slytherin and assured him he would find great success there.
"You're right, Harry! You do possess some of the qualities Voldemort was proud of—determination, cleverness, and a tendency to bend the rules. But why do you think the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor?"
Dumbledore didn't want Harry to doubt his house. Only a Harry Potter who grew up in Gryffindor could become the savior destined to oppose Voldemort. The other three houses simply weren't suitable—Ravenclaw too withdrawn, Hufflepuff too mild, and Slytherin far too ruthless. Dumbledore had no desire to raise another Voldemort.
"That's because I asked it to."
Harry remembered that clearly. He had wanted to be with his friends, and that desire made him insist on Gryffindor—and he had succeeded.
"Exactly! Harry Potter, exactly! That's what makes you different from Voldemort. What we become is not determined by our abilities, but by our choices. If you want to understand why you belong in Gryffindor, think about why you were able to draw the Sword of Gryffindor. That sword can only be wielded by someone who embodies the spirit of Gryffindor."
Dumbledore felt a pang of sorrow. The Sword of Gryffindor had already been handed over to Regulus Black. He didn't know what the young man—born of Slytherin—wanted with it. Hogwarts had already lost the relics of the other three houses, and now, even Gryffindor's sword was gone.
"Gilderoy, I trust you'll write a thrilling story about this Chamber of Secrets adventure?"
Dumbledore turned to Gilderoy Lockhart. The mention of a new book instantly brightened him up. He seemed to forget his current disheveled state and looked ready to start writing immediately.
"Of course, Dumbledore! I'll make this Chamber of Secrets adventure a masterpiece! I'll turn Hogwarts into a sacred place for every adventure lover out there."
Lockhart began to daydream excitedly. When the book was published, children would be eager to enter Hogwarts in search of adventure. Even adults who had already graduated would regret missing out on so much excitement.
"That's exactly what worries me. Gilderoy, I want your book to be approved by Hogwarts before it's published. There will certainly be many details that need editing."
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09