The air instantly turned cold and sharp. Selene's hand tightened on her pistol as she watched Kai Adler carefully, every muscle tense.
Though she wasn't lying, she had no way to prove her words true.
The boy was young—yet hyper-vigilant, alert to every nuance of magic around them.
Desperately, she sifted through the memories she had drawn from the Werewolf's blood—the source of her information as a high-level Bloodborn Vampire.
Flickering images flashed in her mind like a broken kaleidoscope.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed her head—as if something had forcibly broken in from outside.
"Hm… ah!" she gasped, clutching her temples and lowering her gaze in surprise.
Kai looked apologetic. "Sorry, I'm still learning this spell."
The faint flame dancing on his fingertip extinguished.
"But I believe you."
Selene's ice-blue eyes widened in disbelief.
Wizards were truly mysterious.
Kai stood, placing the teacup into a leather satchel at his side.
"I have other matters to attend to. I'll take my leave."
He smoothed the creases from his coat and began walking into the shadowed trees.
Selene stared blankly. He was simply leaving?
"Oh, right," the young man called back over his shoulder. "Tell your Dark Creatures this: Hogwarts is not theirs to do as they please just because Dumbledore is absent."
As Kai's figure melted into the darkness, Selene's pupils shimmered with conflicted thoughts.
His name was Kai Adler.
Without a doubt, he was the most impressive human she had encountered in a thousand years.
After one last glance toward the forest path Kai had vanished down, she flicked her short hair and slipped silently into the shadows herself.
The Forbidden Forest fell quiet once more.
Only three werewolf corpses and a fallen ancient tree marked the violent scene.
The forest would consume all in time—transforming death into life.
Only the land knew four young wizards were silently fighting to keep Hogwarts alive.
Though one among them acted mostly from personal grudge.
Kai continued searching for another entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, while the trio—Hermione, Harry, and Ron—rushed to the fifth-floor girls' bathroom.
Moaning Myrtle had told them the monster which killed her had emerged from the sink, and Harry had spotted a carved snake pattern on the faucet.
The sink opening left the three speechless.
Hermione nervously pursed her lips—only she knew what hid within.
A Basilisk. A serpent over ten meters long.
She wondered how Kai and the professors expected Harry to kill such a beast.
Kai had shrugged earlier. "If you want to ask, ask Dumbledore."
The fearless Harry and clueless Ron exchanged glances. True Gryffindors—facing a bottomless abyss, they didn't hesitate, eyes shut tight, and jumped.
Hermione cursed silently but followed.
Luckily, the descent was a winding pipe. They slid down gently to the place Kai had first arrived.
"Is this the Chamber of Secrets? Where's the monster?" Ron spat, disgusted at animal remains strewn on the floor.
Harry, calm as ever, nodded. "This is the entrance. The Chamber lies inside."
He inhaled deeply, cast Lumos, and moved forward cautiously.
Along the way, a shed snake skin startled them.
Hermione took this chance to "deduce" the monster, citing what she had read in books—since Harry and Ron had never ventured to the library.
Harry's eyes flickered with inner conflict, but he steadied himself.
He looked seriously at Hermione and Ron.
"We're here. Hagrid's been taken. Hogwarts might close. Kai is still in the infirmary. We must find the mastermind."
Ron nodded with determination, following Harry.
Hermione shook her head helplessly. Boys…
As Harry hissed in Parseltongue and opened the final door, the three stepped inside the dark Chamber.
Their wands out, they advanced carefully.
Harry's sharp eyes spotted a figure lying in the distance—golden hair slicked back unmistakably.
"Malfoy?" Harry gasped.
Had Kai not said the Heir of Slytherin wasn't Malfoy? Then why was he here?
Harry hurried to check. Despite dislike, he was a schoolmate, and kindness wouldn't allow him to ignore the other's state.
Malfoy's breath was faint but steady—still alive, though silent as sleep.
"He's barely hanging on."
Suddenly, a tall, handsome stranger emerged from the shadows, his English accent crisp and refined.
All three raised their wands.
Harry demanded, "Who are you?"
The man smiled arrogantly. "Me? Call me Tom Riddle."
Harry's heart skipped.
"You're Voldemort?"
"Oh? Seems that idiot Hagrid still can't keep secrets."
"Yes, I am Voldemort."
He spread his arms as if commanding the room.
"How is that possible?" Ron shrieked. "Weren't you dead?"
"Dead?" Voldemort sneered. "No one defeats me. Not even the famous Harry Potter."
His snake-like eyes locked onto Harry. Harry's hand trembled, but he gripped his wand tighter.
"That diary," Hermione whispered, remembering Kai's discovery. She scanned the floor until she spotted the corner of the diary peeking from under Malfoy's body.
She grabbed it.
"Harry, don't be afraid. Even if he is Voldemort, he's been dead for fifty years. The one before you is just a memory."
"Clever girl," Riddle smiled at Hermione. Their gazes locked. She frowned.
"That's right," he said, turning back to Harry. "I am a preserved memory trapped in this diary for half a century."
"So Malfoy opened the Chamber of Secrets?"
"He?" Riddle scoffed. "He's a tool. His weakness feeds my strength."
"I controlled him through the diary to attack Filch's cat, those students, even your friend here."
Now the perfect mastermind was revealing himself.
Hermione's frown deepened.
"So, you're the Heir of Slytherin?" Harry stepped back, wand raised.
"Of course." Riddle's eyes glittered.
"Besides me, the greatest wizard in history, who else could be Heir of the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in history!" Harry shot back, unafraid.
"I drove him out of Hogwarts with only this memory of mine."
Harry's anger blazed. Dumbledore held a sacred place in his heart—the man who had given him his freedom.
He cast Stupefy! immediately.
The spell was casually deflected by a flick of Riddle's sleeve.
"Is that what Dumbledore taught you?"
Humiliated, Harry clenched his jaw.
"He will return," Harry said fiercely, "as long as people believe in him!"
His unwavering determination burned bright even before the infamous Dark Lord.
Riddle stared deep into Harry's eyes, a smile flickering only he could see.
Dumbledore's judgment of people was uncanny.