[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-learning-panel":3,"chapter-hogwarts-learning-panel-hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-300":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hogwarts Learning Panel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2250538,4210,"Chapter 300: Alchemical Toad","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-300",300,"\u003Cp>The rainy night passed with a steady patter of drops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near lunchtime, Xiang Xiang Xien saw Harry and Ron return in the Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought the weekend would bring only good news… I didn’t expect I’d have to help Filch polish the trophies in the display case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron held a brand-new wand, his face grim despite what should have been a cause for joy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No magic—just scrubbing by hand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d gladly swap with you anytime,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry replied listlessly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve done plenty of scrubbing and cleaning at the Dursleys’. But replying to Lockhart’s fans… that’s bound to be a nightmare…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, Xiang Xiang Xien listened quietly, as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consistent with his plan, Harry would soon hear the basilisk’s voice. At that moment, he would understand Parseltongue and gradually realize he was a Parselmouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your new invention?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione held up a toad-like object and asked Xiang Xiang Xien curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a metallic alchemical creation, wearing oversized spectacles like an aviator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering Xiang Xiang Xien was that… Hermione found nothing surprising about his inventions; her only curiosity was—what did this little thing do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien pulled out the plan map, and the Alchemical Toad was marked with a distinctive symbol on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This marking was what distinguished the plan map from the Marauder’s Map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Marauder’s Map, the Chamber of Secrets was not marked, which was why Ginny had suddenly appeared and vanished on it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so Xiang Xiang Xien created an alchemical device and named it the Alchemical Toad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could replace living beings to test the efficacy of the magical refracting mirror; since the Alchemical Toad might be “inanimate,” Xiang Xiang Xien had also prepared some small beetles as backups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Harry discovered his Parselmouth ability, Xiang Xiang Xien could question him to gain entry to the Chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Alchemical Toad’s purpose extended beyond that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried many things:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>such as the buttons used on the plan map for positioning and sending messages; a paper airplane leading to the Headmaster’s office and other locations; some cookies capable of creating a major disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alchemical Toad was Xiang Xiang Xien’s final safeguard in his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should things spiral out of control, all seven Alchemical Toads would activate their final protocol:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>delay the basilisk, summon Dumbledore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why seven? Because there were seven paper airplanes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hopefully, they’d never reach that point…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The afternoon slipped away unnoticed, and before long it was five minutes to eight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Hut on the Grounds, Harry dragged his feet reluctantly out of the warm room and walked down the third-floor corridor toward Lockhart’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth and knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened immediately; Lockhart beamed at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unnoticed by him, a black cat lingered in the shadowed corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, the little rascal’s arrived! Come in, Harry, come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The office walls were hung with countless framed portraits of Lockhart, brightly lit by many candles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even bore his autograph; a large stack of photographs sat on the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can write the envelopes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart told Harry, as if this were a great favor,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First one to Mrs. Gladys Gudgeon—God bless her—my fervent admirer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time crawled like a snail. Harry let Lockhart prattle on, responding only occasionally with “Mm,” “Ah,” “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cat trembled its whiskers behind an object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The candles burned shorter and shorter; suddenly, the black cat’s ears twitched—he heard a sound, unlike the crackling of dying candles or the two men’s chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cat turned its head and saw Harry startle; a large smudge of lavender ink had appeared before the street name on Veronica Smethwick’s address.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six months straight at number one on the bestseller list! An unprecedented record!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry said frantically,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That sound!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart asked, confused,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What sound?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That—that sound—it said—didn’t you hear it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart stared at Harry in utter astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about, Harry? You must be tired—good heavens, look at the time! We’ve been here nearly four hours! I can’t believe it—time flies, doesn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry didn’t answer. He strained his ears for the sound, but it was gone—until someone stepped out from the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You heard it too, Harry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A reassuring voice spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiang Xiang Xien, how did you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry asked in surprise, then rushed on,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You heard it too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my God, then you must know…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry mimicked the sounds; he thought he was speaking English, but all that came out were hissing noises like a tongue pressing against the chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was lost in the sound, unaware he was flicking his tongue like a serpent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much did you hear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, how do you say ‘open’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien prompted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry repeated uncertainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, I understand. Take this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien noted it down and placed an Alchemical Toad in Harry’s hand,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Harry, what you just said wasn’t English—it was more like… Parseltongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor was empty now; Harry carefully recalled what he had just said, and sweat broke out instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls’ bathroom on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien found the hidden entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss (open)—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mimicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the faucet emitted a brilliant white light and began spinning rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the sink moved; it slowly vanished from view, revealing a thick pipe large enough for a person to crawl through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five Alchemical Toads hopped eagerly inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rainy night remained damp and windy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Xiang Xien waited there, staring at the basilisk’s symbol, thinking quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To ensure Hogwarts’ safety, he must complete his plan—subdue the basilisk, not kill it, and develop basilisk cookies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was foreseeable that no professor would approve his dangerous, outlandish plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing the basilisk wasn’t too difficult—a rooster cookie could do it; but subduing it, especially under Tom’s watch, was perilous enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul-split Voldemort had gone mad, but seventeen-year-old Tom Riddle remained the brooding, ambitious Heir of Slytherin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moaning Myrtle opened the threshold curiously, only to see Xiang Xiang Xien stroking the round, glossy head of an Alchemical Toad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magical refracting mirror was viable—meaning Xiang Xiang Xien’s confrontation with the basilisk was imminent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu adjusted some minor outlines today; readers will see two chapters when they wake up tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>",1063,"2026-06-19T10:00:41.888Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1474a7f82b2a11a35484801a84ffa4fda77388f26ab5c8052248fd928dce8c2e","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-301","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-299",526,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-learning-panel-cover.jpg"]