A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

On Christmas Eve, the hustle and bustle subsided into silence, and the night enveloped Hogwarts Castle like a curtain.

In the ancient magic office, Felix habitually opened his diary and began to converse with the young Dark Lord inside.

For the past two days, he had been trying to steer the conversation toward Salazar Slytherin, but the topic had been steered away from him.

Tonight, Felix decides to take a different approach; he needs to carefully set a trap so that the young Dark Lord will walk right into it.

Therefore, he reread many psychology books.

"Something quite sensational happened today," Felix wrote.

"What is it?" the diary asked with great interest. He had been quite troubled lately because after each exchange, the shrewd professor would lock him up, which completely deprived him of any information about the outside world.

"The attack on the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin has been reported, and people are talking about it. Some have suggested dissolving Slytherin House and stripping Salazar Slytherin of all his honors."

Felix felt like a giant spider, meticulously weaving its web.

A string of illegible, flamboyant handwriting immediately appeared in the diary: "Ridiculous remarks, utterly absurd! Who is it? Is it Dumbledore? He has always been prejudiced against wizards from Slytherin."

Felix smirked and wrote with a wicked grin, "Not him, but a woman named Rita Skeeter, who is known for making up rumors about people."

The name "Rita Skeeter" flashed across the diary, looking messy and menacing—he seemed determined to memorize the name.

In his diary, young Tom Riddle was indeed furious. He couldn't help but wonder if the wizarding world had become so corrupt.

After a long pause, the diary finally pressed on, "And then? The Ministry of Magic certainly won't agree to such an absurd proposal!"

"Of course not, but this matter has sparked a great deal of discussion at Hogwarts, and many young wizards have a very negative opinion of Salazar Slytherin."

The diary couldn't help but write, "Salazar Slytherin was the greatest of the Four! Yet later generations only superficially judged him based on his appearance and desperately tried to smear him!"

Felix thought of the enormous face in the secret room: an old, monkey-like face with a sparse, long beard that stretched almost to the hem of his robe.

Keep in mind that it was sculpted by Slytherin himself, so there's a possibility that he embellished it.

He could hardly imagine what a real Slytherin would be like, especially since he was always surrounded by snakes with long tongues flicking out.

Felix said, relatively "objectively," "That speaks volumes. You see, people always tend to reject things they don't understand, like Slytherin's Parsley."

"I couldn't agree more, Felix Heap, your view is quite insightful," the diary praised.

Felix humbly explained, "I've seen some of Ravenclaw's manuscripts, and even from just a few words, I can imagine that magnificent era." He wrote with emotion, "Four of the most talented wizards, male and female, came together to usher in a new era for the wizarding world."

The diary echoed his sentiment, "That is indeed a history worth remembering." His tone softened once more.

But then, Felix commented, seemingly casually, "I just don't understand why Salazar Slytherin suddenly fell out with the other three. Was it really a difference in ideology? You know, pure-blood ideology wasn't popular back then."

"And he also secretly built a secret chamber, leaving behind terrifying monsters within. I think—" Felix wrote word for word, "that he is destroying his own life's work, which is typical of a dark wizard."

In his diary, Tom Riddle couldn't help but retort, "Perhaps his secret chamber wasn't meant to purge Muggle wizards."

"Otherwise, Tom? I must remind you, much of Slytherin's research was bloody and cruel, which affected his character."

Tom Riddle continued his rebuttal: "But he also unveiled the truth for those who came after him. Look at his subjects of study: goblins, giants, dwarves, centaurs... His research was enough to elevate the wizarding community to a supreme position! And all at a negligible cost."

"Tom, are you his crazy admirer?" Felix wrote.

"No, of course not... It's just a partial agreement with his ideas. Wizards and humanoids are different concepts, right?" The diary tried its best to make its tone more objective. "Besides, any judgment that is out of context is hypocritical and foolish. The moral standards of wizards in that era were completely different from those now."

“You make a good point,” Felix wrote. “However, as far as I know, these precious magical materials have not survived, so whether they are truly ‘great’ remains to be seen.”

"That was indeed the 'greatest' achievement." In his diary, the young Dark Lord was clearly intoxicated, and he tried to persuade Felix.

"How did you know?" Felix asked with a confident smile.

"I'm just guessing..."

"Don't lie to me, Tom! Your knowledge of Salazar Slytherin far exceeds my expectations, and your attitude towards him is far too protective." Felix began to close the net. "This makes me wonder if you were the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets? You are the true heir to Slytherin!"

He wrote word by word, his force seemingly tearing through the paper. "I need an explanation, or I will have no choice but to hand you over to Dumbledore."

In his diary, Tom Riddle was extremely nervous; he hated the feeling of being "seen through."

After a long silence, a line appeared on the diary page: "Is that what you think? Do you think I lied to you? I thought—we had built a solid friendship."

Felix wrote calmly, "That's why I gave you a chance to explain."

From the Dark Lord's perspective, as long as he doesn't reveal the truth about the Horcruxes, everything is negotiable.

The diary replied quickly and hastily: "Of course not me. I'm Muggle-born, remember? I have absolutely no relation to Salazar Slytherin."

Felix remained silent, offering no reply, but applying pressure little by little.

Tom Riddle in his diary couldn't hold back any longer and wrote again: "But... I must admit, I did have some adventures while I was at school, and yes, I gained some advanced magical knowledge."

"Is it Salazar Slytherin's?" Felix asked, holding his breath.

"—I guess so," the diary replied briefly.

"Tell me, Tom, where did you put it?"

The diary remained silent, and the young Dark Lord was deeply conflicted. He wanted to refuse, but the professor was too perceptive. He was cornered; if he denied it, he would surely be seen as the murderer who opened the secret room—even though he was.

He increasingly hated his powerlessness and desperately wanted to escape this predicament, which drove his pride to the brink of madness.

But he quickly replied in a polite and calm tone, "That was fifty years ago, when I discovered a rather magical room on the eighth floor of the castle..."