pertwk Chapter 206 Informing Dumbledore
Chapter 206 Informing Dumbledore
Chapter 206 Informing Dumbledore
Lynch and Dumbledore walked side by side through the Forbidden Forest as dusk deepened. The last rays of the setting sun struggled to penetrate the layers of foliage, casting dappled, ever-shifting patches of light across the trees. The thick, soft humus beneath their feet was almost silent, broken only occasionally by the crisp snapping of a broken twig.
They were heading towards the entrance to the secret chamber located inside the Forbidden Forest that Lynch had discovered.
Lynch did not suggest using Apparition.
The idea didn't even linger in his mind.
Apparating someone is an extremely private act, tantamount to completely entrusting one's own safety to another, so it requires a high degree of trust between the two parties—something that he and Dumbledore clearly did not possess.
During the journey, the conversation between the two naturally turned to Dumbledore's recent actions.
"Regarding the progress of the search for those specific items," Dumbledore said calmly, his gaze sweeping over a cluster of faintly glowing mushrooms, "I'm following the trail of Tom Riddle's life. I must say, some discoveries—are quite intriguing."
"Oh? What exactly were the discoveries?" Lynch showed appropriate interest.
Dumbledore shook his head slightly, his gaze behind his half-moon spectacles deep and unwavering: "Please forgive an old man's necessary caution until we have more definitive confirmation and have ruled out other possibilities. We can discuss this further when I am more certain."
Lin Qi nodded knowingly and didn't ask any further questions.
The task of finding Voldemort's Horcruxes was assigned to Dumbledore; this was their division of labor. All I could do for now was to quietly accumulate power at Hogwarts.
Before long, they arrived at the base of a hill covered with thick vines and moss, where the terrain was slightly sunken and made it particularly secluded.
Lin Qi stopped and reached out to push aside the vines that hung down like natural curtains, revealing a deep, narrow opening behind the cave, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
"This is it." Lin Qi said, bending down first and nimbly slipping inside, his figure instantly swallowed by the darkness.
Dumbledore paused briefly, his sharp blue eyes quickly scanning the surroundings before bending down and following him inside.
A soft yet stable sphere of light rose silently from Lynch's fingertip, hovering not far in front of the two of them as if drawn by invisible threads, dispelling the approaching darkness and illuminating the rough, uneven stone steps that stretched downwards beneath their feet.
The air was filled with the scent of earth, damp stones, and something ancient.
"Is this the only path to that place?" Dumbledore's voice echoed faintly in the narrow passage as he walked, observing the natural patterns on the rock walls.
"This is a path that doesn't require a specific password," Lynch corrected meaningfully.
When they finally stepped into the enormous cavern, formed by the mighty forces of nature, even Dumbledore couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. Countless stalactites hung from the towering ceiling, echoing the stalagmites on the ground, and the walls bore the marks of countless ages. At the far end of the cavern, a stone door carved with a colossal coiled serpent, radiating powerful, ancient magical energy, stood silently, like an eternal guardian.
"A marvelous creation, the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin—" Dumbledore murmured, his azure gaze sweeping over the details of the serpentine carvings on the stone door before settling on the tightly closed door.
Dumbledore placed his hand on the stone door, quietly sensing the powerful magic contained within: "So, the monster—the basilisk—is inside?"
Lynch did not answer immediately.
He strolled to a seemingly ordinary patch of gravel in front of the stone gate, and precisely placed his foot on the Galleon he had previously placed there.
A faint magical feedback traveled up his feet, confirming once again that no magical creatures or wizards had set foot here since his last exploration.
"It should be inside, but I haven't gone in to confirm yet." Lynch withdrew his foot and turned to Dumbledore. "According to Ginny Weasley's description after she regained consciousness, opening this door requires Parseltongue and saying a specific password. Therefore, I haven't personally verified the specific situation inside, including the exact state of the Basilisk."
At this point, Lynch's usual gentle smile faded, and his expression became serious: "Headmaster Dumbledore, after this matter is completely resolved, I would like to borrow this Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk inside for a period of time."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow with interest: "Oh? Why?"
"A very specific and crucial study of magic."
"Regarding which aspect?"
Lynch said, "I will reveal the specific effects and research purpose of this magic when the time is right. At that time, you will naturally know everything. I can only assure you that it is definitely not dark magic."
Dumbledore stared at Lynch for a moment, a thoughtful glint in his blue eyes that seemed to see right through people.
Finally, he slowly nodded: "I will forbid anyone from approaching this place until you finish your research."
"Thank you for your trust and understanding." Lin Qi nodded slightly, his tone sincere.
If Dumbledore was still outside the school searching for the Horcruxes when he entered the Chamber of Secrets, then there would be no need to specifically inform him.
But now that the other party had returned to Hogwarts, Lynch felt it was still necessary to inform this ally before his sudden disappearance touched a nerve.
After a few more moments, Dumbledore reluctantly turned his gaze away from the door of the Chamber of Secrets, and they prepared to return the way they came.
Before leaving, Lin Qi casually waved his hand, and an invisible, water-like magical ripple spread out from him, gently sweeping across the entire cave and erasing their footprints.
Seeing Lynch's meticulous cleaning, Dumbledore couldn't help but ask curiously, his tone inquisitive: "So cautious—do you think the mastermind behind the diary who released the basilisk would personally return here, back to the boundaries of Hogwarts?"
Lynch paused slightly, turned his head, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the layers of tree trunks, precisely landing on Hogwarts Castle on the distant hillside.
His voice was deep and certain: "I think he probably never really left Hogwarts."
This judgment is not based on mere conjecture.
Since the diary mysteriously disappeared from where Ginny had hidden it, two main theories gradually formed in Lynch's mind.
One possibility is that there was indeed an external mastermind who manipulated Ginny's mind through the diary and secretly moved it before she arrived. But if that's the case, then the range of suspects who could freely enter and leave the Gryffindor girls' dormitory and have the opportunity to take the diary is very small, almost certainly limited to a few female students, making the investigation relatively straightforward.
But deep down, Lynch was more inclined toward a more troublesome and darker possibility. Recalling Ginny's description of the diary that could "talk" to people, a thought gradually became clear—the diary itself might be "alive," possessing a certain degree of autonomy and the ability to act, and it was it that chose to hide and escape.
Would a dark magic artifact with such characteristics and a close connection to Voldemort, if it were "alive," really leave Hogwarts, a place imbued with powerful ancient magic and the place where its "master" once rose to power, so easily?
Lin Qi felt that the probability was extremely low.