Chapter 156: Chamber of Secrets Vacation

The three were silent for a moment. Finally, the Professor handed the bottle of Polyjuice Potion to Zhang Qiu.

"I hope you don't need to use it." He said as such.

"Thank you. Then I might not go to Diagon Alley." Zhang Qiu said politely. "I'd better stay at Hogwarts directly; otherwise, how to sneak in after school starts is also a problem."

"Don't you need anything else?" Harry asked curiously. "For example, a two-way mirror? Or do you need any daily necessities in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I was prepared last time." Zhang Qiu smiled. "Polyjuice Potion was something I just thought of, a hint from the Inspiration Spell."

"That's good." Harry also nodded. "Then we'll go first. Take care?"

"No problem." Zhang Qiu looked very relaxed. She said goodbye to the two, and then skipped away.

After watching the girl leave, the Professor asked as if unintentionally: "Shall we go back now?"

"Wait a minute." Harry felt a bit lost. "If possible, I want to see her movements again."

"No problem. Let's move a little bit and take a look in August." The Professor gave the joystick a light push. The machine trembled slightly and stopped. "You go find her yourself; I won't follow."

Harry drilled out from a cupboard on the first floor of Hogwarts. The school during the summer vacation was empty. He walked alone in the corridor, feeling a bit conspicuous, so he silently put on the Invisibility Cloak.

He walked past the slightly dim stairs. No one turned on the lights during the holiday. Only the afternoon sunlight refracted in, allowing him to see the road under his feet slightly.

In the second-floor bathroom, Myrtle was lurking in the toilet stall. She seemed to only come out to cry when she saw a living person; otherwise, she was just sad alone.

Harry whispered the Parseltongue, and amidst Myrtle's low sobbing, he drilled into the dark tunnel. For some reason, a trace of desolate sadness emerged in his heart for this castle that had experienced vicissitudes, and the ancient prejudice that continued for thousands of years in the castle's secret passage.

Harry walked through the somewhat familiar Chamber of Secrets corridor and came to the stone room at the end. In the dim room, a small orange lamp was unusually conspicuous.

Zhang Qiu laid a huge carpet in the corner of the Chamber of Secrets, and placed a desk, bookshelf, a large bed with bed curtains, a carved wardrobe, and a bright blue fabric sofa. These furniture made Harry feel so familiar, almost a color-swapped version of his own dormitory, and he soon guessed that this was probably moved from Ravenclaw's dormitory and common room.

"Hi, Zhang Qiu." Harry greeted. "I'm here to see you."

"Oh, Harry." Zhang Qiu stood up from the desk. "I have to say that the Inspiration Spell is really too easy to use. I noticed a blind spot that many people might not have noticed."

"What?" Harry was stunned for a moment. He originally thought that Zhang Qiu living alone in the dark Chamber of Secrets would be a bit depressed, but he didn't expect her to still be in high spirits.

"I mean, about the resurrection of the mysterious man." She said confidently. "Don't you think this is too strange? Although everyone feels that it is not too unexpected for a terrible demon to make a comeback after suddenly falling, let's describe it this way: a person who was killed by the Killing Curse and can be awakened by the resurrection spell—in other words, he should have definitely died, but why can he still be resurrected?"

"Uh," Harry didn't turn the corner for a while. "Are you saying the mysterious man died from the Killing Curse? Oh right, I remember his own Killing Curse bounced back..."

"The story of the three brothers clearly tells us that Death does not allow wizards to truly resurrect from the dead. The Resurrection Stone can only summon a gloomy illusion." Zhang Qiu continued. "But it is clear that the mysterious man appearing in front of the world today is not that kind of deceptive thing; he is truly resurrected."

"Indeed." Harry nodded. "Quirrell said he used an ancient ritual. Perhaps it's related to that ritual?"

"I investigated. The role of that ritual is not to resurrect the dead." Zhang Qiu raised the notebook in her hand. "But to reshape the body."

"What?" Harry was a bit surprised. "In other words, the mysterious man actually didn't die?"

"Similar rituals are as numerous as hairs on an ox. The key point is—" Zhang Qiu said, frowning. "You have to find the original wandering soul of the mysterious man first."

"Isn't it your secret spell?" Harry pondered. "If someone used a similar spell..."

"That won't work. My secret spell will automatically fail once the magic power is exhausted, and most other resurrection spells also have a time limit." Zhang Qiu said. "Because the soul of the dead ultimately belongs to the afterlife, they are unwilling to stay in this world for too long."

"Are you trying to say that the mysterious man actually didn't die in that one more than ten years ago, but used some method to avoid death and remained in the world in the form of a ghost?" Harry felt this was a bit unbelievable. "Doesn't this mean that today, more than ten years later, we might still be unable to kill him?"

"Right, this is exactly what I'm worried about." Zhang Qiu said solemnly. "He might have obtained an immortal soul through some special means. Even if we kill him, he can be resurrected again in a place we don't know."

"I see..." Harry pondered. "I will discuss it with the Professor. Perhaps we need to adjust the plan."

"Of course, it's best to be able to crack the secret of his immortality." Zhang Qiu shrugged and sat back at the desk. "But there is no good way for the time being."

"I originally wanted to say," Harry adjusted his tone, trying to make himself sound like he was caring about her. "How do you feel here? Is there anything unsatisfactory?"

"Not at all. If you really treat the secret spell travel as a trip, I think this is the hotel I want." Zhang Qiu said in a relaxed tone. "An extremely spacious guest room, the corpse of the Basilisk highlights my achievements; a perfect buffet restaurant, a cute little waiter brings high-quality Western food; and a multi-functional hall that can do everything, from swimming pools to saunas."

"Alright, I originally thought you would feel lonely." Harry said disappointedly.

"In fact, I enjoy the time alone very much." Zhang Qiu rolled her eyes. "After returning to the country, I was always managed by my master, which was too boring."

"Then what else do you need?" Harry said after deliberation. "I can help you buy it in Diagon Alley."

"Thank you, but no need." Zhang Qiu pointed upstairs. "If you really lack anything, you can also go to the Room of Requirement for zero-dollar shopping."

"Oh?" Harry's impression of the Room of Requirement was still stuck in that huge storage room. "But aren't those all old things left by students of previous years?"

"The Room of Requirement is responsive, Harry." Zhang Qiu said. "Besides the place to hide things, it can also become something else, such as a bedroom or a study. I moved these furniture out like this."

"Then what do you usually eat?" Harry asked. "Is the so-called buffet restaurant the kitchen?"

"Right, house-elves don't care who you are." Zhang Qiu laughed, pulling her collar. "As long as you wear a school uniform, they will take out all the food they can find for you to choose from, and they don't just make British food."

"Then do you also take a bath in the Room of Requirement?" Harry asked. "Can it also become a swimming pool and a sauna?"

"Of course, it can transform into a prefect's bathroom. It seems that for this kind of request, it will prioritize using existing templates." Zhang Qiu nodded. "As for the swimming pool, it will transform according to the shape I imagine, whether it's an indoor standard pool or a beach with simulated sunlight, both are fine."

"Sounds good, I mean your life." Harry found it a bit funny. "You always seem to be able to live well, no matter what the situation is."

"As long as you love life, you can always find a way." Zhang Qiu smiled. "But it will be a bit nervous after school starts. By then, I have to consider avoiding others."

"When I was in the second year, I didn't know there were two Zhang Qius in the school at all. You did quite successfully." Harry echoed with drifting eyes.

"Alright, my suggestion is don't let the Professor wait too long." Zhang Qiu patted his shoulder. "You can come again on Wan Shengjie, and we'll go see the attack scene together."

Harry scratched his head. When he passed through the empty corridor and went down to the Chamber of Secrets, he was still a bit melancholy, worrying that Zhang Qiu was not comfortable here. But when he left, thinking of Zhang Qiu's self-satisfied look, he couldn't help but feel much more relaxed.

Harry only stayed in the Chamber of Secrets for less than half an hour, and he was too embarrassed to let the Professor wait too long for this. After returning to the TARDIS, he hesitated for a moment, but still asked the Professor to take him to that Wan Shengjie day. He wanted to visit Zhang Qiu again before the attack started.

"I'll pick you up the next morning." After Harry went out, the Professor said this, and then drove the TARDIS away directly.

Harry was sure that there was some kind of meaningful smirk on his face, but the third-year him didn't quite know what the Professor was laughing at.

"Then, I have to check the details of the attack with Zhang Qiu to avoid her doing something inconsistent with history." Harry thought while hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, passing through the crowded auditorium, and walking gently upstairs.

When he went down to the Chamber of Secrets again, Harry found that Zhang Qiu had added some fitness equipment here, as well as a swaying, scarred training dummy, and a weapon rack full of knives, guns, swords, and halberds.

"Harry?" Zhang Qiu sat up from the bed. Harry noticed that she was wearing loose pajamas.

"You don't look very well?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Indeed, a person's carefree life is not that carefree." Her tone was a bit low. "It's much more uncomfortable after school starts than during the summer vacation. Sleeping during the day and being active at night makes me very spiritless, and the Invisibility Talisman is almost used up."

"Then I'll leave the Invisibility Cloak with you." Harry said almost without thinking.

"Eh, now I regret it, very regretful." Zhang Qiu said lazily. "If I had known, I would have listened to you." ===== CHAPTER 157 =====