Hogwarts: A Chinese-Style Professor

Chapter 23 Li Wei's Reflection and Test
“Me?” Li Wei shook his head. “No, I learned to speak with a snake-like accent later in life.”

This was something that should have been taken for granted, but to Hermione and the others it sounded like gibberish.

"Study the day after tomorrow? But... I can't even understand what's being taught, what am I supposed to do?"

"It's just a matter of putting in more hard work. Anyway, these things are irrelevant to what we need to do now."

Li Wei offered a brief explanation, steer the conversation back on track.

"Potter was indeed a Parseltongue speaker, and the voice he heard was very likely that of a Basilisk."

Upon hearing Li Wei's conclusion, the three students' vague suspicions were completely confirmed, and they immediately became anxious.

"What should we do! There's a basilisk wandering around inside the castle? This is too dangerous!"

They looked at Levi, hoping he would make a favorable decision immediately, especially Hermione.

At this moment, her face was filled with admiration and composure, as if she had already decided that Li Wei would handle this matter properly.

Unfortunately, this hope was dashed the next moment.

"Nothing to do, just tell Dumbledore to leave everything to him."

Li Wei stood up, quickly wrote a letter with a mechanical quill, and summoned Barton.

"Barton, deliver the letter to Owl's Hut."

"If it's delivering a message, Patton can do that—"

“No, let the owl deliver it.” Levi shook his head slightly at Barton and whispered in his ear, “Our identities are still sensitive, you don’t need to remind Dumbledore—there’s a little elf in the castle who can come and go as he pleases right now.”

Besides, you might not even be able to find him.

"Yes."

Barton bent down, turned and left.

The two assistants heard Levi's plan but made no reaction, which Harry and the others found somewhat puzzling.

“Professor—aren’t you going to tell Dumbledore about this yourself? I mean, it would be great to tell Dumbledore, but what if he doesn’t see the letter?”
What if the basilisk kills someone during this time?

"Will not."

Li Wei's voice was so calm that Hermione and the others found it somewhat indifferent.

Disappointment and incomprehension overwhelmed Harry. He thought of the unproductive Professor Quirrell—the man who was later proven to be Voldemort's henchman—and a surge of anxiety welled up inside him.

"Harry——"

Ron sensed his good friend's thoughts and subtly tugged at Harry's arm, indicating that they should discuss it further later.

He also began to feel that something was off about the professor.

"No, I want to tell you!"

Harry pulled Ron's hand away, took another step forward, and stared directly at Levi.

"How can you guarantee that nothing will go wrong? Since you were the one who told Hermione about the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk, it means you know better than anyone how dangerous the Basilisk is, right?"

Now that we know the basilisk is lurking in the castle, waiting to kill, we should act immediately! Your shirking responsibility is irresponsible!

"Harry! Stop talking!"

Hermione's face turned ashen. She grabbed Harry's clothes and pulled him back forcefully, believing that Professor Levi had his reasons for doing so.

"Oh!"

The sound of hands slamming against a wooden table suddenly rang out.

Harry turned his head and saw that the woman who had made him dizzy with beauty was now leaning on the table, staring at him with murderous eyes.

Just looking into her eyes made Harry feel like he couldn't breathe.

"if--"

She strode toward Harry, her eyes sharp and her steps swift.

"—Your meager intellect prevents you from fully understanding what the professor is saying. At the very least, you should learn to ask questions calmly, understand?" Her demeanor was so striking, and her aura so powerful, like a triumphant female general returning from a ball, that she stunned Harry and the other two.

"I—you—I—"

Harry hesitated, trying to say something, but was ashamed to realize that his voice was trembling.

"Alright, Jia Meier, turn off the magic, don't scare the children."

Li Wei pinched the bridge of his nose and took the opportunity to reflect on himself.

Although he remembered that no one died in the original story about the basilisk, others thought otherwise, and he felt he had been too calm.

Moreover, although it was not his wish, he had officially become involved in the plot.

What should have been a long event lasting a semester has been brought to the forefront far too early, and whether the subsequent developments will follow the same path as in the book remains to be seen.

No—rather than this, it's a great opportunity to verify that while the basilisk is dangerous, it's not fatal if proper countermeasures are taken.

Thinking of this, Li Wei's eyes flickered, and he spoke up at the opportune moment, following up on Jia Meier's words:

"Your name is Harry, right?"

"Yes—yes—I'm sorry, Professor, I just don't quite understand."

Harry appeared very guilty.

Because he genuinely felt he had misunderstood Li Wei.

"Listen—it's not that simple."

Levi leaned closer to the three of them and put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

He decided to see just how far these three were capable.

"The basilisk was left in the Chamber of Secrets by Slytherin a thousand years ago, but Hogwarts has never suffered any mishap because of it. What do you think that means?"

"Does this mean it's locked up and has no way to get out?"

Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Perhaps it was just sleeping before, like a normal snake hibernating, but now it has woken up."

Ron hadn't recovered from the pressure Camille had put on him, but his mouth moved before his brain could.

"Well, you can interpret it either way—this basilisk may have awakened from its slumber, or it may have escaped from its place of imprisonment—"

He guided the three of them patiently and persuasively.

"So, do you think it's more likely that this happened naturally, or that someone was sabotaging it?"

"Professor! You mean!"

Hermione was the first to think of a possibility, her eyes widening in horror as she looked at Levi.

"What do you mean? What do you mean, Hermione? What are you thinking?"

Ron looked at her anxiously, and Harry also stopped thinking and looked at Hermione at the same time.

Hermione glanced at the two of them and said patiently:
"Do you remember the legend of the Chamber of Secrets? Slytherin said that his true successor would open the Chamber of Secrets and kill all those whose blood was not pure."

There must be a key figure involved; he's the one who awakened the basilisk and opened the secret chamber! He intends to use it to kill all half-breed and Muggle-born wizards!

"good."

Li Wei confirmed Hermione's guess.

"Moreover, I believe this is an extremely evil practice—no matter who it is, I will not allow them to retain such outdated ideas, much less allow them to wantonly plunder the lives of others."

"So, Professor, you want to find this person?"

Hermione's face lit up with excitement, while Harry and Ron felt their blood boiling—they sensed they were involved in something dangerous and significant.

Although I may be a little scared, isn't Professor Li Wei here?
They can trust him!

(End of this chapter)