Chapter 503: Alchemical Toad

The rainy night passed with a pitter-patter sound.

Near lunchtime, Xiang Xien saw Harry and Luo En returning in the Great Hall.

"I thought there was only good news on the weekend... didn't expect to have to help Filch polish the silverware in the trophy room,"

Luo En held a brand-new wand, his face, which should have been happy, was dejected,

"Can't use magic—all hand-polished!"

"I'm willing to trade with you anytime,"

Harry responded listlessly,

"I've practiced plenty of scrubbing and washing chores at the Dursleys'. But replying to Lockhart's admirers... that's like a nightmare..."

As they spoke, Xiang Xien listened quietly as usual.

Consistent with his plan, Harry was about to hear the Basilisk's voice. It was also at this time that he would understand Parseltongue and gradually realize he was a Parselmouth.

"Your new invention?"

Hermione held something like a toad and asked Xiang Xien curiously.

This was an alchemical creation that emitted a metallic luster, wearing a large pair of glasses, like an aviator.

"Hmm."

Xiang Xien responded.

Considering Xiang Xien was that... Hermione felt it wouldn't be surprising whatever he invented; the only thing she was curious about was—what was the function of this little thing?

Xiang Xien took out the plan map, and the Alchemical Toad appeared as a special marker on it.

This marker was the feature that distinguished the plan map from the Marauder's Map.

On the Marauder's Map, the Chamber of Secrets wasn't marked, which was why Jin Ni would suddenly appear and disappear on the map,

so Xiang Xien made an alchemical creation and named it Alchemical Toad.

It could replace living creatures to test the efficacy of the magical refraction mirror; considering the Alchemical Toad might be a "dead object," Xiang Xien also prepared some small beetles inside for backup.

After waiting for Harry to discover his Parselmouth ability, Xiang Xien would be able to enter the Chamber of Secrets by asking him.

Of course, the function of the Alchemical Toad didn't stop there.

It carried many things on its body:

For example, buttons on the plan map used for positioning and sending messages; for example, a paper airplane leading to the Headmaster's office and other places; for example, some biscuits sufficient to create a big commotion.

The Alchemical Toad was the final safeguard in Xiang Xien's plan.

Once things spiraled out of control, all seven Alchemical Toads would trigger the final insurance:

Stall the Basilisk and summon Dumbledore.

As for why there were seven, it was because there were seven paper airplanes in total.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that...

The afternoon passed without notice, and in a blink, it was five minutes to eight.

In the Hope Cottage, Harry dragged his feet out of the warm room, unwillingly, and walked along the third-floor corridor toward Lockhart's office.

He gritted his teeth and knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately, and Lockhart looked at him with a full face of smiles.

And where he didn't notice, a black cat was staying in the shadows of the corner.

"Ah, the little rascal is here! Come in, Harry, come in."

Lockhart said.

The office walls were hung with countless frames of Lockhart, illuminated very brightly by many candles.

Some even had his signature on them, and a large stack of photos was placed on the desk.

"You can write the envelopes!"

Lockhart said to Harry, as if this were a great favor,

"The first one is for Ms. Gladys Gudgeon, God bless her—one of my ardent admirers."

Time passed like a snail crawling. Harry let Lockhart ramble on, only occasionally answering with "Hmm," "Ah," "Yes."

The black cat was trembling its whiskers behind an object.

The candles burned shorter and shorter; suddenly the black cat's ears moved, and he heard a sound—a sound completely different from the crackling of the dying candles or the chatter of the two in the room.

The black cat turned back and saw Harry looking as if he had been startled; a large blob of lilac ink appeared in front of the street name of Veronica Smethley's address on the letter.

"What?"

Harry said loudly.

"I know!"

Lockhart said,

"Six months at the top of the bestseller list! An unprecedented record!"

"No,"

Harry said frantically,

"That voice!"

"Sorry,"

Lockhart asked confusedly,

"What voice?"

"That—that voice said—didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart looked at Harry in great astonishment.

"What are you talking about, Harry? You might be a bit sleepy? God—look at what time it is! We've been here for nearly four hours! I can't believe it—time flies, doesn't it?"

Harry didn't answer. He pricked up his ears to listen for the voice, but it was gone, until he walked out of the office, until someone walked out from the corner.

"You heard it too, Harry?"

A reassuring voice appeared.

"Xiang Xien, why are you—"

Harry asked in surprise, then he said impatiently,

"You heard it too?"

Xiang Xien nodded.

"Oh, my god, then you must know..."

Harry imitated those sounds; he thought he was speaking English, but it was just some "hissing" sounds made as if his tongue were pressing against his chin.

He was immersed in this sound, completely unaware that he was flicking his tongue like a snake.

"How much did you hear?"

Xiang Xien asked.

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

Harry said.

"Hmm, how do you say 'open'?"

Xiang Xien guided him.

"Hiss hiss—"

Harry repeated it doubtfully.

"Okay, I understand, take this."

Xiang Xien noted it down and placed an Alchemical Toad into Harry's hand,

"By the way, Harry, what you just said wasn't English, but more like... Parseltongue."

Only Harry was left in the corridor; he carefully recalled what he had just said, and cold sweat broke out in the blink of an eye.

The second-floor girls' bathroom.

Xiang Xien found that special entrance.

"Hiss hiss (open)—"

He imitated.

The next moment, the faucet emitted a dazzling white light and began to spin rapidly.

Then, the sink moved too. The sink slowly disappeared from view, revealing a very thick pipe that could fit a person inside.

Five Alchemical Toads hopped inside.

The rainy night remained damp and windy.

Xiang Xien waited here, looking at the Basilisk pattern, thinking quietly.

While ensuring Hogwarts was safe, he wanted to complete his plan as much as possible—to subdue rather than kill the Basilisk, and to develop Basilisk biscuits.

It was foreseeable that no professor would agree to his dangerous, whimsical plan.

Killing the Basilisk wasn't too difficult; a rooster biscuit could do it; but subduing the Basilisk, especially under Tang Mu's nose, seemed dangerous enough.

Voldemort, who had split his soul, had become insane, but the seventeen-year-old Tang Mu Riddle was still that gloomy, ambitious Slytherin heir.

"What are you doing?"

When Myrtle curiously opened the threshold, she only saw Xiang Xien touching the round, bright head of the Alchemical Toad.

The magical refraction mirror was feasible, which also meant that the day Xiang Xien faced the Basilisk was right around the corner.

Lu adjusted part of the detailed outline today; dear readers will be able to see two more chapters tomorrow morning. ===== CHAPTER 504 =====