Hogwarts: My name is the Unforgivable Curse...

Chapter 129, Page 128: The Dagger Revealed!

Avada was instantly wide awake, jolted awake, and then practically dragged Summers to the Great Hall...

"What's going on?"

Snape is actually going to announce the existence of the Basilisk? But didn't he already know about it? Why is he only announcing it now?

"With the involvement of the school board and the Ministry of Magic, plus his unbreakable oath, this action must have been commissioned by the school board... Why? What time is it now? Besides Christmas next week, is there anything special?"

"He summoned so many people from the outside world not just to announce the Basilisk news, but probably to announce some major measures..."

"The announcement of the basilisk news will definitely cause panic. How will he handle it? And how will he deal with the basilisk?"

……

By the time Avada crossed the entrance to the auditorium, most of the students had already filled the four long tables, and all the professors in the faculty seats were seated, except for the chair in the very center, which remained empty. Next to the faculty seats, another row of chairs had been added, where eight board members sat, along with a middle-aged man in a magnificent purple robe, who was somewhat overweight, and was currently whispering amongst themselves with the board members.

"That's Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic."

After Avada was seated at the long table in Hufflepuff, Cedric pointed at the purple-robed man beside him and whispered, "He hasn't visited Hogwarts except on the day he took office. His sudden appearance here must mean something important..."

"Hogwarts was inexplicably invaded by an extremely dangerous magical creature of XXXXX level, and it even attacked a large number of students. Isn't this a big deal?" Avada couldn't help but look at it from the side.

"He didn't come during the last coma incident either... By the way, do you still think the killer is a basilisk monster?"

Cedric looked at him questioningly: "While your guess is indeed reasonable, the facts are undeniable—even the students who weren't wearing glasses were only petrified but not killed, the rooster's crowing had no effect, and the attack was clearly targeted… It doesn't seem like a magical creature at all, does it?"

"Harry heard snakes humming a few times, but he didn't stop any attacks, did he? Thinking about it now, he probably just heard ordinary snakes, which are quite common at Hogwarts..."

"Alright, there's no point in arguing about this now."

Avada sighed helplessly, "Anyway, the truth will come out soon, let's hear what Snape has to say first."

"Yes, that makes sense."

Cedric nodded, noticing the unusual look in Avada's expression, and said nothing more.

Time ticked by. Finally, a figure in a long, flowing black robe emerged from the side door and strode toward the principal's seat. His robes and sleeves billowed in the wind, making him appear like a rapidly advancing black mist or a giant bat with outstretched wings.

Severus Snape took his seat in the Headmaster's chair, his dark, sharp eyes slowly scanning every face in the Great Hall. Then he stood up, raised his hand, and as if by magic, silenced the entire Great Hall, leaving only his deep voice—

"Sleeping Dragon, Do Not Disturb".

His voice was low, but clear enough for everyone in the quiet hall to hear clearly: "This is the motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"This statement is meant to warn people not to cross the line and not to do things that seem harmless but are actually extremely dangerous and will lead to very serious consequences."

"But unfortunately, in this school, some people have violated this ancient and noble principle, which has affected many innocent people and caused an irreparable disaster."

"And this is the root cause of the recent student petrification incident that you are all wondering about."

"What?!"

As soon as Snape finished speaking, the students below erupted in a commotion—from his words, almost everyone immediately concluded that it was indeed a deliberate attack. They discussed heatedly while glancing around to see which chairs were missing; or warily looking left and right, fearing that the cornered attacker might be right beside them…

Snape stood like a statue, letting the commotion below gradually subside under his gaze, before continuing, "And the one who started this, you've all heard his name..."

He paused for a moment, then slowly uttered a name that astonished everyone—

"Albus Dumbledore."

"I think you've all heard of it to some extent,"

Before another uproar could erupt, Snape raised his voice just in time, silencing the nascent commotion: "Hogwarts Castle is not a completely inanimate object; it has its own will. It chooses its own headmaster, seeks out children with magical talent, selects its champions in the Triwizard Tournament through the Goblet of Fire, and many other things that you may not have noticed but are very important."

"However, the will of the castle, which originally protected everyone and kept the school running, has been angered in the past period of time—by Albus Dumbledore's absurd actions."

Snape's voice rose, no longer as lifeless as before, but with a distinct hint of anger: "Albus Dumbledore, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, his duty is to protect the students, maintain order in the classroom, and create the safest haven for those fledglings whose wings are not yet fully grown... Yet he has committed an unforgivable crime, even more serious than the coma that led him to his removal from the headmaster's position—"

"He openly stirred up long-simmering social conflicts on campus, in his capacity as principal, and even attempted to deliberately ignite them!"

"He wanted to turn what should have been a peaceful school into the center of a vortex, a stage for him to showcase his talents and realize his so-called grand plans, without ever considering the enormous impact this would have on the students!"

"Just imagine, when schools, once isolated from the outside world, become the focus of the entire society, when students have no connection other than bloodline conflicts... what a terrifying future that would be!!"

Snape stopped his impassioned speech, clutching his chest and panting heavily, looking as if he were about to burst from his rage. The students in the Great Hall were momentarily stunned, unable to process the shocking news, and were still processing Snape's words...

"Although he is no longer the headmaster, the will of Hogwarts Castle is still enraged by his barbaric acts."

His breathing finally eased a little, and his tone returned to calm: "Hogwarts was originally established to protect wizards from the hostility of Muggles. But after the castle's will was awakened by Dumbledore's folly, in order to fulfill its inherent duty and to make amends for Dumbledore's mistakes, it chose to take drastic measures..."

"It started actively attacking Muggle-born students in the school."

"Dumbledore has stirred up trouble, and the conflict between Muggle-born students and wizarding students is bound to escalate. In order to fulfill its duty and protect wizards from the malice of Muggles, the will of Hogwarts Castle has decided to expel all Muggle-born students. And those who have been petrified are a warning issued by the will of the castle."

"That's why the petrification magic was so powerful that all the professors were helpless against it—because it originated from the power of the castle itself."

"In order to ensure the normal operation of the school and for the safety of all students, including Muggle-born students, I, Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts, regretfully announce..."

Snape's Adam's apple bobbed, and to everyone's disbelief, he produced a parchment bearing the Headmaster's seal, projected it onto the screen, and loudly read aloud its brief contents:

"All Muggle-born students of Hogwarts are to pack all their personal belongings, leave the school during this Christmas holiday, and never return."

Before the words were even finished, an incredibly violent and surging wave engulfed everything in the auditorium...

(End of this chapter)