My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Chapter 88 Arrangement and Action

Viktor took a deep breath and, using the most concise and clear language possible, recounted the entire morning's investigation process and conclusions: the warning from the Forbidden Forest Centaur that "shadows climbed the walls," the "cold gaze" perceived by the unicorns, and the scent of "unnatural creations" detected by the wolf pack.

Aragog's harrowing memories of events from fifty years ago.

The giant squid confirmed that "the Guardian left behind by Slytherin is sliding in the pipes."

And the most crucial element—the pair of "huge yellow eyes" that the weeping Myrtle saw before her death.

"Therefore, the reason why Lady Lorice did not die directly but was petrified is likely because she did not look directly into the eyes of the basilisk."

Viktor spoke faster, making clear and logical deductions.

"When Filch found it, it was hanging near the torch holder on the ceiling, its body stiff. I remember there was a large puddle of water on the floor, and Mrs. Lorris most likely saw the basilisk crawling through the ceiling pipe opening or in the shadows through the reflection of the puddle! Indirect sight caused petrification, not instant death."

He paused, looked at Dumbledore, and added another detail that puzzled him.

"Also, Albus, when the giant squid relayed the message, it referred to the basilisk as the Guardian left behind by Slytherin." That title—it's a bit strange. Why would a murderous monster, filled with hatred and used to purge the unworthy, be called a "Guardian"?

The office fell silent again, with only the silver instruments humming more urgently, as if they too were anxious about this terrible conclusion.

Professor McGonagall was completely frozen, her lips pressed into a pale line, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the edge of the table protruding.

A moment later, she turned sharply to Dumbledore, her wand already gripped tightly in her hand, its tip trembling slightly, not from fear, but from extreme anger and a sense of urgency.

"Albus! If it really is the Basilisk—we must act immediately! Evacuate the students? No, that would cause panic, and the Basilisk is in the pipes; leaving the castle might not be safe—"

"But at the very least, immediately seal off all the washrooms, pools, and any places that might be connected to the sewers! Organize professor patrols, equipped with mirrors—or—"

Her mind raced, but the more she spoke, the more she realized the complexity and pervasiveness of the ancient castle's pipe system, and her voice carried a rare, almost desperate urgency.

Dumbledore raised a hand, signaling her to calm down.

The shock and worry on his face had subsided, replaced by an unfathomable calm, but the light in his blue eyes was as sharp as an icicle.

He nodded slowly, his gaze shifting from Victor's face to Professor McGonagall's.

Finally, it landed back on Victor's shoulder on Tom, whose ears were also perked up and whose tail was taut, as if it were ready to fight at any moment.

"Thank you, Victor. A very good and efficient investigation. Your deductions are logical, and all the clues point to the worst, but also the most plausible, possibility—the Basilisk left behind by Salazar Slytherin."

He paused, his voice becoming lower and slower, each word seemingly carrying weight.

"And this confirms my deepest fears. Fifty years ago, the opening of the Chamber of Secrets led to the death of a student. At the time, the Ministry of Magic was eager to close the case, and Rubeus Hagrid was ultimately charged. But I know that the real killer was someone else—Tom Marvolo Riddle, who later became Voldemort."

Professor McGonagall gasped, her face turning even paler.

Viktor's heart sank as well; the appearance of that name cast an even darker shadow over the entire incident.

"Back then, I couldn't find conclusive evidence against Riddle, so I could only keep a close eye on him."

Dumbledore continued, his fingers unconsciously twirling his long, silvery-white beard.

"He cleverly framed Hagrid and his pet spider. Now, the Chamber of Secrets is open again, and the Basilisk has awakened once more—this is no coincidence. I suspect that Riddle, or rather Voldemort, left some kind of contingency plan at Hogwarts, some kind of medium that could influence or control the Chamber of Secrets, and now, that contingency plan has been triggered."

He looked at Viktor: "The guardian you mentioned earlier—that gives me a hypothesis that might be closer to the truth."

"Salazar Slytherin, along with the other three founders, built Hogwarts, and they left behind more than just a castle."

"Those moving staircases, the Room of Requirement, the stone golems scattered throughout the castle, the giant squid guarding the Black Lake, and even the many ancient creatures that coexist with the castle in the Forbidden Forest—in the beginning, they were perhaps all various defenses or tests set up by the four great masters to protect this school."

His gaze became distant, as if piercing through time.

"The Basilisk left behind by Slytherin may not have been intended merely to eliminate the so-called unworthy. It may have been designed as an extreme, last-ditch guardian."

"When Hogwarts faces an insurmountable external invasion or a major internal crisis, it is awakened by the true heir and used as a terrifying biological weapon to defend the castle."

"However, Slytherin's philosophy on 'who deserves protection' differed too greatly from that of the other founders. The conditions for awakening the basilisk and its targets were set too narrowly and darkly, making it a dangerous double-edged sword that may even contradict some of its original intentions."

"Voldemort, as a descendant of Slytherin, discovered it and twisted its purpose, turning it into a tool to realize his pure-blood ideals and create terror."

Victor suddenly realized: "So, the Basilisk itself might actually be part of the Guardian Force, just being misused. And this awakening is most likely due to that contingency plan left behind by Voldemort?"

"Very likely." Dumbledore nodded, his expression grave.

"We must find and eliminate that backup plan, otherwise even if we temporarily deal with the Basilisk, the threat will remain. Voldemort will not leave only one way out."

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall could no longer contain herself; her voice rose with excitement, interrupting Dumbledore's contemplation.

"Even if we're to find Voldemort's backup plan, we must immediately ensure the students' safety! The Basilisk is in the pipes! It could emerge at any moment from any sink, toilet, or even a leak in the wall!"

"We cannot sit here analyzing history and politics while exposing children to imminent death! Hogwarts' sewer system is intricate and has accumulated over thousands of years; we cannot possibly search it all."

"But at least we can place powerful warning spells and alert incantations at all known main pipe entrances, public bathrooms, kitchen drains, and other locations! Do something! Immediately!"

Her chest heaved, her eyes filled with absolute conviction as the vice principal and protector.

Dumbledore showed no displeasure at being interrupted; instead, he looked at her with eyes full of understanding and reassurance.

"Of course, Minerva. You're absolutely right. The safety of the students is always the top priority. Finding Voldemort's backup plan and protecting the students must go hand in hand, and the protective measures must be implemented immediately and as a priority."

He turned to Victor: "Victor, I remember you are quite skilled in alchemy and crafting protective magic items. Right now, we need a piece of equipment that can effectively defend against the direct threat of the basilisk's gaze."

"The basilisk's gaze can kill or petrify; it's essentially a powerful curse magic transmitted through the visual medium. Is it possible to create a special kind of 'anti-curse glasses'?"

"It doesn't need to completely block it, just significantly weaken or distort that direct magical gaze, buying the wearer reaction time or creating conditions for indirect observation?"

Victor immediately understood Dumbledore's intention, and his mind raced.

"Magical items that can directly and completely defend against the basilisk's gaze are extremely difficult to make, requiring extremely precious materials and time."

"But if it's just about selectively filtering, refracting, or dispersing cursed magical rays in a specific wavelength—using thin crystals sensitive to negative energy, combined with micro-engraved arrays of confusion and protection spells to create lenses—that might be feasible."

"Furthermore, to ensure that all students, especially younger students, can wear them at all times and avoid accidents, it would be best to make them in the style of contact lenses," making them difficult to remove or forget.

"Contact lenses?" Dumbledore's eyes lit up slightly.

"That's a great idea, Viktor. It provides basic protection while minimizing disruption to students' daily activities and avoiding the speculation and panic that wearing conspicuous glasses might cause."

"Can you handle this? As for materials, the castle warehouse and my private collection should be able to provide most of them. If you have any special needs, you can contact me anytime."

"No problem, Principal. I will start designing and making samples immediately, and then start mass production as soon as possible."

Tom and the twins can help with some of the delicate pre-processing of magical materials.

Victor agreed without hesitation, and Tom on his shoulder also meowed seriously, puffing out his chest as if he were undertaking a great mission.

Dumbledore then looked at Professor McGonagall, his tone solemn.

"Minerva, please immediately summon the other deans and reliable senior professors and explain the situation—a dark creature that has revealed we have discovered attacking through the eyes is active in the pipes, and we urgently need to strengthen our defenses. There is no need to go into details about Voldemort's backup plan."

"Organize them, lead the prefects and student council members, and immediately conduct a thorough search of all known exits, entrances, and vents within the castle that may be connected to the sewer system. Deploy warning spells such as 'Danger Detection,' 'Abnormal Movement Alarm,' and 'Bright Light Flashing.'"

"Prioritize water pipe connections in public areas, along corridors, and within dormitory buildings. At the same time, notify all students to avoid using secluded shower rooms alone as much as possible in the near future, and to be alert for any unusual pipe noises or water stains."

He glanced at the large, golden-red bird perched on a branch, listening quietly.

"Fox and I will personally examine some of the oldest and deepest pipe nodes to see if we can find more traces of the basilisk's activity, or—the possible location of that 'backup plan'."

Upon hearing that Dumbledore would personally intervene and that there was a concrete and feasible protection plan, Professor McGonagall's tense expression eased slightly, but the sense of urgency in her eyes remained undiminished.

"I'll get on it right away, Albus. I'll have Filch produce the most detailed plumbing diagrams of the castle—though his drawings may not be complete, they're better than nothing."

She turned around swiftly, her robes fluttering, and almost ran out of the principal's office, her high heels clicking rapidly on the spiral staircase.

Only Dumbledore, Victor, and Tom remained in the office.

Dumbledore emerged from behind his desk and stood before Victor, his deep blue eyes fixed on him. "Victor," he said, "there's one more thing. Besides making the protective goggles, we also need to strengthen the students' self-protection awareness and basic skills, especially those in the lower grades."

"I hope you can add some relevant content to the Duel Club and your Magical Creatures Conservation class."

"It doesn't directly mention basilisks, but rather popularizes the characteristics of common black magic or dangerous creatures that work through sight, hearing, or other means, teaching them basic danger avoidance, emergency defense, and help-seeking procedures. Most importantly,"

His tone was unusually serious. He warned them not to easily trust any magical artifacts or unsubstantiated magical advice that claimed to possess sentience, unless they were absolutely certain of the intentions and location of the person controlling them.

Victor immediately understood what this veiled warning might be referring to—a Horcrux that could be disguised as a harmless object to seduce the students.

"I understand, Albus. I will strike a balance, remaining vigilant without causing excessive panic."

"Very good." Dumbledore patted Victor on the shoulder, the force carrying a heavy weight of trust.

"Go ahead, Victor. Time is of the essence. I'm leaving the protective goggles to you and Tom. Contact me immediately if there's any progress."

Victor nodded solemnly, then turned and left with Tom.

He knew that in the days to come, Hogwarts would enter a silent battle to defend itself against time and shadows.

Over the next few days, beneath the seemingly normal teaching order, the atmosphere at Hogwarts quietly became tense.

Professor McGonagall efficiently organized the professors' patrols and magical arrangements. Inconspicuous, shimmering runes or small silver bells appeared at many water pipe corners, at the entrance to the washroom, and near the kitchen drain grate.

Students received a notification that "the plumbing system is undergoing maintenance; please be careful" and were reminded to use the restrooms in groups and to be alert for any unusual activity.

Victor, on the other hand, plunged headlong into his alchemy laboratory, the Ark.

Dumbledore provided several boxes of extremely fine natural crystal flakes, mithril threads, phoenix tail feathers, and other rare materials.

Victor combined ancient runic protective arrays with modern enchantment micro-engraving techniques to design a double-layered composite lens structure.

The inner layer is an extremely pure crystal sheet, etched with tiny rune rings that absorb and scatter curse energy.

The outer layer is a transparent magical film with permanent "slight refraction" and "light confusion" spells attached, ensuring that even if you look directly at the basilisk, your gaze will be deflected and you will not be able to make direct eye contact.

The first batch of samples was quickly produced, and after Dumbledore and Victor themselves conducted rigorous magical tests, it was confirmed that they had a significant weakening and deflecting effect on various cursed gaze spells.

While not completely immune to the Basilisk Gaze, it is enough to significantly reduce the lethal or petrifying effects and give the wearer precious time to close their eyes or turn around.

When George and Fred Weasley arrived at Victor's place as "agreed" to "help deal with the magical creature byproducts"...

What you see is a workbench that sparkles with various magical lights and is filled with precision tools and crystal lenses.

And Professor Victor, with a serious expression, and Tom, wearing a monocle, looking very proper.

"Wow!" George whistled, his eyes shining as he looked at the exquisite magical devices.

"Professor, are we going to switch to making glasses? A new fashion trend at Hogwarts?" Fred grinned.

Viktor didn't laugh; he briefly explained the situation.

The school has discovered the presence of a dark creature that may pose a danger through gaze. Special protective goggles need to be made for all students. The mission is urgent, requires secrecy, and demands extremely high precision and stability in magical operation.

The twins exchanged a glance, their playful expressions instantly replaced by a mixture of excitement, a sense of responsibility, and a solemn feeling of "finally being entrusted with an important task."

"No problem, Professor!"

"We guarantee to complete the task! We're expert craftspeople!"

"Mom says our stitches are better than hers!"

Thus, the Ark every night transformed into a tense yet orderly magic glasses workshop.

Viktor was in charge of the core rune etching and magic membrane enchanting, while the twins, under his strict guidance, carried out processes such as crystal cutting, mithril wire inlay, and frame shaping.

Tom is the Quality Director, responsible for the final Magic Loop inspection and clean packaging.

The twins displayed amazing focus and skill, and worked even harder when they learned that the glasses would eventually be given to all their classmates for free.

Viktor also subtly reinforces safety education in the classroom and during duel club activities.

During the Magical Creatures Protection class, he went on to explain "the special attack methods of certain magical creatures and the principles of dealing with them," emphasizing the importance of observing the environment, maintaining distance, taking cover in time, and reporting to the professor.

At the Duel Club, he added defensive training against "non-contact magical attacks," teaching students how to quickly use Obstacle Charms to create cover, or to use a variant of "Flicker" to create a bright light that would impair their vision.

After a club event, he stayed behind and spoke seriously to the students who had gathered around him.

"Remember, the dangers of the wizarding world don't just come from spells and monsters. Some dark things can disguise themselves as harmless quills, beautiful crowns and other everyday decorations, or even kind advice."

"Always remain vigilant, especially against any magical item that attempts to teach you to think independently, grant you special abilities, or provide secret knowledge. Unless,"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each young face.

"Can you figure out exactly what it is, or can you find its brain, where it is, and who controls it?"

Hermione frowned as if she had just realized something, while Harry and Ron looked completely bewildered.

Meanwhile, Ginny, who was looking at Harry with a pale face, thought of Tom Riddle's diary hidden under her pillow that could talk to her, and a sense of unease rose in her heart.

The days passed by in a flurry of activity, vigilance, and quiet anxiety.

Production of the protective goggles is progressing steadily with the full assistance of the twins and Tom.

The professors' patrols and magical surveillance network are becoming increasingly tight.

Dumbledore and Fawkes appeared and disappeared mysteriously, seemingly conducting some kind of deeper investigation.

The castle still stands, and classes continue as usual, but everyone can sense that the unseen shadow still lingers in the dark, waiting for the next opportunity.