Hogwarts: My name is the Unforgivable Curse...

Chapter 126 Conspiracy

Late at night, in the Slytherin Headmaster's office.

The fireplace was burning brightly, bringing a little light and warmth to the dark and damp room, and a touch of comfort amidst the eerie atmosphere.

In stark contrast to this relaxed demeanor, Severus Snape sat in an ornate leather armchair by the fireplace, yet his entire posture was far from relaxed. He leaned forward, staring intently at the fireplace, making one worry that he might fall into the flames at any moment…

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace shot upwards without warning, and the sudden burst of light made Snape squint. When he opened his eyes again and regained his vision, he saw a blurry face emerging from the firelight, staring at him silently, as if waiting for him to speak first.

"Some students have already realized that there is a basilisk."

Snape's tone was tense, his whole being like a talking piece of rotten wood: "And the news is spreading rapidly. I think it won't be long before the sound of those rooster-clucking badges echoes through every corridor, just like when those roosters in the paintings were still around."

"Thank you for the information, Severus."

The illusory face spoke in a deep voice: "Can you confirm whether the information about the Basilisk was leaked by Dumbledore, or by one of his followers?"

"No trace of Dumbledore has been found. According to my intelligence, he should be enjoying a disheartened vacation in France."

Snape shook his head. "As for the other professors, I doubt they even knew about the Basilisk. When Dumbledore insisted on including those chickens in the painting, quite a few professors complained to him... Are you really sure Dumbledore knew about the Basilisk from the beginning? How did he manage that?"

"To be honest, we can't be completely sure about this either."

The illusory face seemed to shake its head: "After all, apart from those strange chickens, he didn't take any other measures against the basilisk. And given that old madman's crazy personality, it's not surprising that he would do something like this for no reason..."

"However, according to 'Master,' Dumbledore has certainly confirmed the existence of the Basilisk, and the reason why things are going so smoothly now is because of the previous coma incident which was used to confuse the public."

"Master's wisdom is truly unfathomable." Snape's voice couldn't help but carry a hint of awe.

"That's natural."

The illusory voice carried a hint of amusement: "Only the master could still manipulate Dumbledore so easily, even after losing his power... Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the help of his loyal servants, wouldn't you say, Severus?"

"It's my pleasure."

Snape lowered his gaze.

"Heh... Let's get back to the main topic, Severus. Is there anything else you want to report regarding the spread of news about the Basilisk?"

"have."

Snape's gaze turned serious: "Our plan has encountered a serious setback—the irrefutable evidence of the Basilisk's existence has been preserved: the ghost who was killed by the Basilisk. She saw the Basilisk's eyes before she died, and her testimony has greatly increased the credibility of the Basilisk's existence. Even many professors have begun to take this rumor seriously."

"...I will convey this to my master."

The illusory face remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "However, I also heard from my daughter that there's a 'Snake-speaker' at school who can directly sense the presence of the Basilisk, which is also a major reason why the Basilisk was exposed?"

"You mean Harry Potter? I think that's nonsense."

Snape scoffed dismissively. "That boy is just like his father, arrogant and attention-seeking. He probably heard the word 'Parsley' from somewhere and started bragging about it everywhere... Does he even deserve the same talent as Master?"

"That's true. How could the talent inherent in the Slytherin bloodline appear elsewhere so easily?"

The illusory face nodded: "As for the news of the basilisk spreading, you don't need to worry about it. Just continue with the original plan."

"Continue with the original plan?"

Snape frowned. "Do you know what a basilisk means to a corridor filled with the clucking of chickens? Do you want me to die from the backlash of my oath?"

"No, no, no, Severus, trust your master..."

The illusory face spoke mysteriously in a low voice, "The master had long anticipated any situation that might threaten the plan, and naturally took precautions... Do you remember that after the investigation team dealt with the 'Evil Witch Birds,' they specifically inspected and completely sealed off that old pipeline?"

"At that moment, a servant, under his master's orders, found the basilisk in the water pipe and took certain precautions to protect it, including its eyes and ears—the basilisk's hearing organs had been enchanted to filter out the rooster's crow."

"Of course, he also took your advice into consideration when dealing with it, adding a transparent shield to the basilisk's eyes. This prevents the basilisk's eyes from being targeted by spells like the Eye Disease Curse, and also prevents it from killing people directly, reducing your burden..."

"..."

After a long silence, Snape sighed from the bottom of his heart, "Master is brilliant."

"That way, it won't be long before those students realize that the rooster's crowing can't stop the so-called basilisk monster at all, and then they'll start to doubt the veracity of the news. Then you, the principal, will release the news, and the plan will be half complete... By the way, may you enter the principal's office now?"

"Not yet."

Snape shook his head: "Even if I knew the password, the Headmaster's office refused me entry... The will of Hogwarts Castle has not recognized me."

"The will of the castle, ah..."

The illusory face scoffed: "It doesn't matter, as long as you stay in the principal's position, that's fine. In the face of the magical society, the will of the board of directors is countless times more effective than the so-called will of the castle."

"I understand. But I'm still a little worried about Dumbledore. I don't believe he would really just abandon everything and go on vacation..."

"That's not something you should be thinking about. All you need to do now is cooperate with your master's actions at Hogwarts."

The illusory face said, "Dumbledore's whereabouts are difficult to track for the time being, but as long as that person is protected, no matter how hard he runs, it will be in vain..."

Who exactly is "that person"?

Snape frowned, a hint of suppressed anger simmering in his eyes. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Parkinson. This is the umpteenth time you've mentioned 'that person' to me. Do you really enjoy testing me? Isn't an unbreakable oath enough to prove my loyalty?!"

"Either tell me who he is, or don't bring this up in front of me again; it's upsetting me!"

"Oh, calm down, Severus..."

Robert Parkinson's illusory figure seemed to soften slightly: "No one doubts your loyalty. But that person's identity is a closely guarded secret by the master. Even I and several other board members only know his name, but we can't contact him or know where he is... Let's just say he's the biggest contributor to the master's comeback. Our plan has come this far thanks not only to the master's wisdom but also almost entirely to the information he provided..."

"Very well, that's enough for you, Severus. Continue with your task, and we will surely witness our master's glory return..."

Parkinson's voice grew increasingly faint and ethereal, like the flickering flame in the fireplace. Eventually, even the last glimmer of light vanished in the underground office, leaving only the faint moonlight reflected from the lakebed illuminating half of Snape's face, making him appear exceptionally somber.

(End of this chapter)