Chapter 549: Warm Winter Hearth

"Chamber of Secrets?"

Minerva Marcus Marcus Maige's expression turned somewhat unpleasant upon suddenly hearing the term.

"Yes, Professor."

In front of Professor Marcus Marcus Maige, Jia Siting felt as if he had shrunk a size.

"Tell me."

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige looked at him with a gaze Jia Siting couldn't quite understand, one that seemed to have been made with great determination.

On the desk, the small silver cat ornament was illuminated by the hearth fire. Jia Siting inexplicably remembered that in the cottage, Jia Siting often baked soft desserts or heated cups of honey tea by the fireplace.

"Hogwarts does indeed have a Chamber of Secrets, with the entrance in the lavatory. There is indeed a Basilisk in the Chamber, about fifty feet long, whose gaze can kill, but after multiple refractions, it lost its power..."

When it came to explaining, Jia Siting gradually became fluent,

"The whole beginning stemmed from Tang Mu Riddle's diary; in the Restricted Section, I learned that this was very likely a Horcrux..."

Jia Siting roughly explained the problem of Riddle's diary and the framing from decades ago; as for the battle in the Chamber, he skipped over it.

"Why do you know so clearly?"

Minerva Marcus Marcus Maige's voice trembled noticeably; she didn't ask for more news about the Chamber, the Basilisk, or Riddle's diary. Jia Siting saw the firelight shatter into sparks in her gentle eyes.

"I... participated in some of it."

Jia Siting said.

"Dumbledore must be mad to let you participate in such dangerous things..."

Although she had expected it, Professor Marcus Marcus Maige still took a long time before saying it in a hoarse voice.

Regarding Professor Marcus Marcus Maige's words, Jia Siting lowered his head slightly; in fact, Headmaster Dumbledore probably didn't know at the beginning.

"You did well, child."

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh.

How could she express her relief and worry, or perhaps this is the price every person who loves someone must bear.

It was a warm winter; the hearth fire burned fiercely, and wisps of rain and snow melted as soon as they touched the window.

Minerva Marcus Marcus Maige sat in a chair with soft cushions, listening to the young wizard tell those dramatic stories.

From discovering Jin Ni's abnormality, to encountering Moaning Myrtle by chance, and investigating the truth from fifty years ago...

The story of the Chamber of Secrets—how young Tang Mu once framed Hagrid, and now attempted to use the Chamber again, only to be destroyed by Harry—was slowly depicted around the hearth.

It wasn't hard to hear that the young wizard had almost single-handedly managed the destruction of Tang Mu's Horcrux.

"And the Basilisk, how did you solve it?"

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige said slowly; she was already able to bear the young wizard doing those dangerous things.

Like making a magical refraction mirror and daring to go to the Chamber, or investigating the entrance at the risk of being discovered by Riddle, etc...

Nothing could stir ripples in her peaceful and firm heart anymore.

Jia Siting was silent; although he tried his best to avoid it, he still couldn't get around it.

"I defeated it."

Jia Siting said in a low voice.

He felt himself shrink another size.

"Jia Siting Green!"

Minerva Marcus Marcus Maige couldn't help but stand up and slam the table,

"That was a Basilisk! You child—"

She was anxious and angry,

"Tell me in detail!"

Outside the window, as if even the owls knew something bad was happening here, they flapped their wings and bypassed this window, flying toward the boundless night.

"You said that the Wei Silai family are all excellent wizards.

Voldemort was gradually destroying Jin Ni's soul, and he could command the Basilisk to launch attacks at any time...

Before tragedy struck, before everything became irreversible, I had to do my part."

Jia Siting raised his head and said.

His green eyes were without a ripple, like a vast ocean.

Minerva Marcus Marcus Maige's figure dimmed; her lips pressed into a tight arc, staring at the young wizard, unable to say a word.

"How did you defeat the Basilisk..."

She asked, seemingly hoping that a certain Headmaster's figure had appeared in the process, so she would know that this behavior had a safeguard and wasn't as dangerous as she imagined.

"I used some Transfiguration and the Sword of Gryffindor... in fact, there was no one else..."

This night, Jia Siting felt particularly difficult to endure.

Lies didn't have much effect; in reports or from the mouths of Harry and others, the professor could clearly know what he had done.

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige didn't move; she felt the world spinning.

In the Chamber, alone, without any support, a second-year young wizard, just carrying some insignificant magic;

Just carrying heavy responsibility and indescribable courage; it was enough to support him in facing the Basilisk and defeating it...

What happened in the process, and how many accidents could have occurred,

This was impossible to know.

And it was unsettling.

She closed her eyes, and the Sorting Hat's unhesitating praise appeared in her mind:

"You have shown astonishing bravery."

In fact, even though Jia Siting had shown powerful Transfiguration magic strength at the start of the school year, in Professor Marcus Marcus Maige's eyes, he was still a "second-year young wizard."

Therefore, the professor could accept his magical ability to change the landscape of the Forbidden Forest, but could not accept that he could already face a Basilisk.

So after curfew arrived, Jia Siting followed the professor out of the Transfiguration office; the professor didn't ask him for more details, as if she didn't want to hear them.

"Go get a good night's sleep, child."

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige said gently.

She gradually had more imperceptible smiles.

At least, this child was willing to tell her, right?

The truth, when spoken by different people, is always different.

Jia Siting finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at the light flashing and vanishing on the Empty Talisman, and walked silently toward the Ravenclaw tower along the snoring portraits.

And in the Gryffindor tower, today was not very peaceful.

As soon as Professor Marcus Marcus Maige came in, she called Harry and Luo En to her front; now, she had calmed down a bit.

"About the Chamber of Secrets. I know everything now; you did well, Harry, and Luo En. Do you have anything you want to add?"

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige had the ability to make young wizards orderly as soon as she spoke; Harry and Luo En, who had been called over for no reason, were originally terrified.

They thought their violation of a hundred school rules had been discovered by Professor Marcus Marcus Maige, but now, it seemed Headmaster Dumbledore had explained their heroic behavior to her.

"Of course! Professor!"

Luo En was quite excited; mentioning this, he could go on and on,

"It happened like this, on the first day, we found Jia Siting...

His robes were torn, his hair was stained with dust, and he was carrying a blood-stained sword—if Headmaster Dumbledore told you, that was the legendary Sword of Gryffindor.

At first, we didn't know what he had done; later we found out, Professor... every night, he was fighting the Basilisk..."

"Luo En..."

Harry saw Professor Marcus Marcus Maige's expression change again and again, and quickly poked Luo En with his hand. ===== CHAPTER 550 =====