068 Clues

068 Clues

Sharing secrets is the most direct way to get closer to each other. After listening to Professor Watson reveal his hidden past, Harry felt a surge of mixed emotions. He looked at Hermione hesitantly, wondering if he should confide in her as well. But Hermione, who sensed his inner turmoil, gave him an encouraging and curious look.

"Why, do you have something to share with me?"

Bryan got up from his cozy armchair and walked over to the fireplace, where a copper kettle was whistling on the shelf. He poured himself a cup of steaming tea and added a dash of milk and sugar. The aroma of the tea filled the air, creating a soothing atmosphere. When he returned to his seat, Hermione and Harry had clearly reached some kind of agreement. They exchanged a meaningful glance and nodded at each other.

"Professor Watson, do you think hearing voices that others can't hear is a good talent?" Harry asked tentatively, biting his lower lip.

Looking at Harry's nervous face, Bryan knew that he had successfully gained their trust and friendship during this period of time. He was about to reap the rewards of his efforts, but he hid his excitement behind a cloud of smoke from his pipe. He replied very gently, "It depends on the situation, Potter, I can't make an accurate judgment with just a simple sentence. You have to tell me more about these voices."

A suffocating silence fell suddenly, as if the air had frozen. Hermione kept her mouth shut, not wanting to interrupt Harry's thoughts. Harry had an uneasy expression, as if he was wrestling with a dilemma. He fidgeted with his glasses and ran his fingers through his messy black hair.

Professor Watson was a professor he liked very much, but he also knew that the other party's main purpose of entering Hogwarts was not to teach. It was Professor Watson's job to investigate the Chamber of Secrets incident. If possible, Harry hoped to give him some help. Of course, the premise was not to involve himself or Dobby and Hagrid.

In the best case scenario, he hoped that Professor Watson would find the secret chamber or the monster inside it, and then the whole thing would be resolved peacefully, without anyone being blamed or punished.

"—that's the case," Harry said carefully, choosing his words with caution, trying to convince Professor Watson that he knew only a little bit.

"When I entered your office for the first time, you asked me why we came to the third floor after attending the Nick's Death Day party on Halloween last year. In fact, it was because I heard a weird voice, this voice first appeared in Professor Lockhart's office."

In the next ten minutes, Harry explained the origin and nature of the strange voice, and how it seemed to be related to the attacks on the students. He omitted some details that might implicate himself or others, such as Dobby's warning or Hagrid's expulsion. After listening to all this, Bryan's face was expressionless. He leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"What do you think made that voice?" he asked calmly.

"Are you sure that you are the only one who heard that voice, Mr. Potter?" Bryan did not rush to express his opinion, but reconfirmed with a serious tone.

"That's true, Professor Watson—" Hermione nodded cautiously, "Harry, Ron and I were always together at those times, but apart from Harry, neither Ron nor I noticed anything unusual."

"I was standing right here at that time—"

Harry still remembered vividly what had happened that night more than four months ago. He quickly brought Hermione and Professor Watson to the middle of the corridor, pointing to the wall, he said, "That voice came out of the wall, then moved up along the ceiling, and finally led us to the third floor!" His voice echoed in the empty space, making him shiver slightly.

Bryan lit up his wand, and his eyes followed Harry's guidance on the surface of the wall. After examining it for a while, he nodded and said, "It seems that we need to open up this wall to have a closer look." He sounded curious and eager.

"Open up the wall?!"

Hermione gasped with disbelief. She looked at Bryan with astonishment and concern. She wondered if he was serious or joking. She knew that opening up a wall in Hogwarts was not an easy task. It might trigger some magical defenses or alarms.

"Of course, Miss Granger, otherwise how would we find out how the snake was able to swim inside the wall—" Bryan said in a casual tone, and he raised his wand effortlessly. After making a few gestures in the air, accompanied by a few flashes of light, the hard wall was easily cut open like soft cheese.

And when the things behind the wall were exposed to the air, all their doubts were answered.

It was a pipe! Behind the rock wall, moldy pipes emitted a disgusting stench. If they listened carefully, they could hear the sound of running water. The pipe was thick enough for a person to crawl inside. It was covered with slime and dirt, and there were some scratches and dents on its surface.

"I always thought the wall was solid." Harry muttered, stunned. He felt a wave of nausea as he looked at the pipe. He wondered how a snake could live in such a filthy place.

"The problem is now clear!"

Hermione turned pale, "I can't imagine how thick and long a snake can be to fit in such a large pipe!" She clutched her chest, feeling a surge of fear. She remembered the petrified students and the message on the wall. She realized that they were dealing with a very dangerous creature.

"There are still many problems to be solved, Miss Granger," Bryan squinted his eyes. He jumped onto the broken wall and carefully examined the thick pipe. After a while, he placed his wand in his palm and said, "Homenum Lumispedio!" A bright beam of light shot out from his wand and entered the pipe. It moved along the pipe, illuminating its interior.

Bryan smiled and said, "This is a spell that can detect any traces of human or animal activity in a certain area. It can show us where the snake came from and where it went." He gestured for Harry and Hermione to join him.

Author's Note: 'Homenum Lumispedio!' is a combination of a fan-made spell and the canon's 'homenum revelio' spell that allows the caster to track the movement and location of both people and animals.

/FicFrenzy