"Hahahaha!"
Clear laughter echoed through the Chamber of Secrets.
Kai Adler stood with a helpless expression as Hermione leaned against his shoulder, trembling with laughter.
"Is it really that funny?" he asked, one hand gently resting on her waist to keep her from doubling over.
"'Soon, the Dark Lord Voldemort will return to the world!'—Pfft, hahahahaha!" Hermione lowered her voice, imitating Kai's earlier theatrics. But halfway through the line, she broke down into laughter again.
"Haha, I'm going to die laughing…"
Kai rubbed his chin. "I thought my acting was pretty convincing…"
"To be fair," Hermione said between giggles, "your acting was really good. At least Harry and Ron were scared stiff. But I know you too well."
She had known in advance that Kai was unharmed, and no matter how fearsome his disguise, she could see traces of his real self in every movement and expression. His subtle glances at her, the little signals—none of it escaped her notice.
And when he slipped her those secret cues, it had been an unspoken confession: it's me.
Finally regaining her composure, Hermione grasped both his shoulders, her bright, mischievous eyes scanning his face before reaching up to tug gently at his cheeks.
"How did you turn into Tom Riddle? Did you use Polyjuice Potion?"
Polyjuice Potion was a complex brew, requiring part of the target's body—like a hair or fingernail—to transform completely into their likeness for an hour. Voice, body, everything.
Kai wrinkled his nose. "Please. I'd never drink something that disgusting."
He gently removed her hands from his shoulders, holding them in his own. Her fingers were soft—delicate. He found the sensation dangerously addictive.
Hermione, completely focused on his answer, hadn't even noticed.
"The old man taught me a body-transfiguration spell. I can change into anyone I've seen. He once used it to impersonate the German Minister for Magic for half a year."
As he spoke, his body shifted before her eyes. In a moment, he had become Tom Riddle again—tall, pale, dark-haired, and cold-eyed.
His voice even dropped into a deeper register.
"Change back!" Hermione scolded, wrinkling her nose. "Why would you take that form again? He's creepy."
Kai returned to his original self in an instant. "Didn't sound like you minded it earlier—you were laughing pretty hard."
Hermione's shoulders shook again, trying to suppress another fit of laughter. "It's just… when I think about how intense and terrifying you looked, and then remember it was all fake… and that scream at the end—oh Merlin, it was so dramatic—hahahaha!"
She collapsed against his chest again, breathless.
Kai pouted. "If it weren't for Dumbledore's orders, I wouldn't have humiliated myself down here acting out a one-man play."
That made Hermione pause. A thought struck her.
"Wait… this trial was clearly meant for Harry—to face the Basilisk and prove himself. But why have you appear as Voldemort?"
"Because," Kai tilted his head slightly, "the Chamber needed a true antagonist. Harry needed an enemy to raise the stakes."
Lockhart was long gone. Dumbledore wouldn't dare frame Draco, not when it was clear the boy had no idea what the black notebook actually was.
And besides—Draco had already been dealt with.
The pale boy had been lying unconscious on the floor not because of the diary's curse, but because Kai had placed him under a spell of illusion—flooding his mind with eerie, terrifying visions through reverse Legilimency.
It was harmless… mostly.
The only side effect was that Draco would likely suffer nightmares for a while.
He should count himself lucky. Had the Basilisk actually killed someone, it wouldn't have ended with a few sleepless nights. The Malfoy family line might've ended in that chamber.
With Draco out of the way and the diary needing to be destroyed, a stand-in for Voldemort had been required.
Thus, Dumbledore had enlisted Kai.
Everything he said and did during the confrontation had been scripted for a purpose: to implant in Harry's mind a dire warning.
That Voldemort would stop at nothing—and that Harry had to face him.
Each encounter forged Harry's courage, built his strength, and taught him that even the darkest fear could be cut down.
Hermione nodded, deeply thoughtful. "Professor Dumbledore really puts his heart into preparing Harry."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Sure, he puts in the planning. I'm the one who has to babysit."
Hermione gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "So… the Basilisk's slow movements at the end, and how it didn't even thrash or cry out when Harry stabbed it—that was your doing too?"
"Of course." Kai shrugged. "A Basilisk's scales are magically resistant. It took a lot of my power to dampen its reflexes. Otherwise, one swipe from its tail could've crushed all of you."
Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste. Kai noticed and quickly changed the subject.
"But your spellwork—that was impressive. The timing and power behind that Binding Curse were nearly flawless. If your opponent had been a grown wizard instead of a magical beast, they'd have been caught."
"Really?" Hermione's eyes sparkled with pride.
"Of course." Kai patted his chest. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
She just stared.
Kai paused, remembering—he had, in fact, lied twice that day alone.
And she had caught both.
He cleared his throat, awkward.
"Hmph!" Hermione huffed—but her heels lifted just a little, betraying her mood.
Kai leaned in slightly. "Besides, the fact you saw through my disguise not once but twice just proves how smart, sharp, and absolutely adorable you are."
"And in the Forbidden Forest, you were already casting compound spells. I needed a year of advanced study to manage that. You've barely been learning for a year, and already you're ahead of fifth-years."
Kai continued, his words tumbling out as Hermione turned her back.
She eventually spun around and tapped his chest with the back of her hand. "Alright, stop bragging. You're not embarrassed saying it, but I'm embarrassed listening."
Despite her words, the smile tugging at her lips said otherwise.
Kai hesitated, then asked softly, "You're not mad at me anymore, are you?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was never really mad."
She exhaled. "I'm still just a second-year. Even if I'm ahead of my peers, I know there are things—things between you and the Headmaster—that are beyond me."
Her gaze softened. "But I can tell you're doing all this to protect me."
She stepped closer, voice low but confident.
"But I will catch up to you, Kai Adler."
"You'd better wait for me."
Looking at her—bright, resolute, impossibly brave—Kai felt warmth rise in his chest.
Sweet. Soft.
Like marshmallows and starlight.
He smiled.
"I'll wait for you," he said gently. "From the beginning to the end… I'll wait."