A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

"One, two, three—go!" Lockhart shouted quickly.

"The dragon emerges from its cave!" Malfoy shouted, and his wand exploded, a cloud of black smoke quickly transforming into a long black snake.

The black snake slammed onto the floor with a thud, its body slithering as it moved closer to Harry.

The young wizards who were pressed against the stage screamed and backed away, making room for them.

Felix glanced at it and then lost interest; it was just a simple little curse. Snape lazily drew his wand. "Don't move, Potter," he said, pleased by Potter's expression. His bad mood, which had been dampened by Felix's words, miraculously improved.

Lockhart saw an opportunity and felt he had to do something to salvage the situation. So he stepped forward and shouted, "Let me handle this! I'll take care of this!" But then he noticed Harry's eyes were filled with even more terror.

Lockhart's spellcasting meant trouble—a rudimentary understanding Harry had formed in just a few months, as evidenced by the bones that had been removed from his Quidditch match.

Sure enough, Lockhart unleashed a powerful spell that struck the black snake, causing a loud "bang" throughout the hall. Instead of disappearing, the black snake rapidly expanded, transforming into a giant python.

Moreover, the python seemed to be on steroids, becoming extremely agitated. It raised its head, bared its fangs, and assumed an attacking posture.

Felix and Snape raised their wands at the same time, but the next second, a chilling sound came, a hissing sound like that of a snake, but even more terrifying and frightening, making one's hair stand on end.

The two of them turned their heads at the same time to look at the little wizard who was speaking a strange language—Harry Potter.

The black snake convulsed, twisting its body as if it were having a seizure, looking increasingly ferocious. But it quickly collapsed to the ground, smashing a large crater in the floor and nearly taking Justin, who was standing in front of it, with it.

Although Harry was still confused about what was going on, he knew that he had stopped the black snake's attack, so he gave Justin a bright smile.

However, he soon realized that something was wrong, and the auditorium suddenly fell silent.

Everyone looked at him strangely. Justin trembled and shouted, "What trick are you playing!" He ran out of the auditorium like a startled rabbit.

Snape stepped forward and transformed the limp black snake back into a wisp of black smoke. His eyes also became extremely deep, containing too much for Harry to comprehend.

The crowd began to whisper and point at him—this was definitely not a good thing, and Harry felt a chill run down his spine.

Just then, he noticed someone tugging at the back of his clothes.

“Let’s go,” Ron whispered, “hurry up—”

"But why—"

"Don't ask anymore, Harry, let's go."

Ron and Hermione practically dragged Harry out of the Great Hall.

The crowd automatically parted to both sides, and as they walked out of the auditorium, a murmur of discussion erupted behind them.

Felix stood still, recent events flashing through his mind.

Snake-like voice...

Harry Potter speaks Parsley.

Things that had been incomprehensible before suddenly became clear one by one. Hermione's several moments of hesitation, asking him about the babbling that other wizards couldn't hear, and her special interest in snake-like magical creatures after the attack...

Chapter 50 I Want to Learn Parsley Speech

The three walked out of the auditorium and followed a stone path in front of the door to an open space.

It was past nine o'clock at night, and it was completely dark.

"What's going on? Why are you all acting so strangely?" Harry broke free from their arms and asked angrily.

Ron glanced at him. "Harry, you've been exposed."

“What—” Harry suddenly choked, a huge fear gripping his insides. “You mean, Parsley?”

“We heard you speaking to that big black snake just now, in another language.”

Ron's words sent his heart sinking. He desperately tried to justify himself, "But I did it to save Justin's life! If I hadn't told the snake not to attack him—"

"Was that what you meant back then?" Ron interrupted him.

"Of course! You were there too..."

"Dude, the way you're talking is kind of scary... like you're giving it orders, urging it to keep attacking or something."

Hermione said sadly, "Harry, I think... the reason might be that Parseltongue sounds really evil. Your voice was a hoarse hissing sound with a terrifying echo, which sounded really creepy."

"Professor Hyp said that Slytherin was seen as a dark wizard by others because he used his Parseltongue talent to control snakes and make them serve him without any scruples."

Meanwhile, Felix approached Dumbledore later that day, and the two talked for a long time.

“Felix… I’m surprised by your keen observation. I’ll inform the castle’s portrait painters and professors to keep working for a while longer. By the Christmas holidays, most of the young wizards will have gone home, and the castle will be much emptier. We can then launch a full-scale search…”

"Dumbledore, have you considered the Parsleyan issue?"

"Yes, perhaps Parsleyanism is the key to unlocking the secret chamber, but I think you'll find a way, Felix?"

"Of course. However, regarding the fighting club..."

Dumbledore remained noncommittal. "If Professor Lockhart doesn't object, I have no problem with it."

Will Lockhart object? The Duel Club is already his.

Felix stood up with satisfaction, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped. "Excuse me for speaking frankly, Headmaster Dumbledore, haven't you considered telling Harry Potter directly? He and his friends have been investigating the clues to the Chamber of Secrets all along."

Dumbledore fell silent. "I'm not sure yet, Felix. Harry's Parsleyan reminds me of something, and I have to figure it out..."

……

That night, Harry tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He watched through the gaps in the curtains as snowflakes drifted past the castle windows, feeling utterly lost.

He recalled the advice the Sorting Hat had given him.

“I belong to Gryffindor,” he emphasized to himself.

Harry initially thought this day would be the second most difficult day of his school year (the first being the day Ron received Mrs. Weasley's yelling letter), but he realized he was wrong. The next morning, the news spread throughout Hogwarts, and everyone looked at him strangely.

It was as if, at any moment, he would suddenly open his mouth full of fangs and bite their heads off.

Harry spent most of the afternoon hiding in the abandoned underground classroom, watching Hermione brew Polyjuice Potion with Ron.

Harry watched Hermione toss bunches of sedge into the cauldron, and then he suddenly remembered something. "Hermione, you said Professor McGonagall wanted to see you yesterday. What was it about?"

Ron looked up and stopped dozing off.

Hermione's expression immediately brightened, and she excitedly announced, "My paper has finally been published!"

Harry had almost forgotten about it. He had been looking forward to it, but more than three months had passed, and the paper had completely disappeared from his mind.

“It’s really strange that it took so long to publish this,” Ron said.

"That's because I spent more than two months just revising the paper, not to mention the review time. Yesterday they sent me a manuscript acceptance letter, a copy of the Daily Prophet, and a sample copy of 'Who Decides Ancient Runes'—given to me by Professor McGonagall."

The little witch was in a good mood. She poked some leeches directly into the bottom of the pot and stirred it continuously.

"Why are there two newspapers?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"The main text of the paper was published in the magazine 'Who Decides Ancient Runes,' but the Daily Prophet also reported on it," Hermione said, squinting her eyes. She was quite pleased with this.

She carefully kept the copy of "The Daily Prophet" and "Who Decides the Ancient Magic Script" and planned to bring them home during the summer vacation.

Friday is finally over, and the weekend is here.

On Saturday morning, the trio hid in a corner of the common room. Harry was getting increasingly agitated. He felt that everyone who passed by him would give him a sidelong glance, and even their voices would suddenly drop.

But the attitude of the young Gryffindor wizards was really not bad. Harry could clear a corridor by walking out now, and his deterrent power was comparable to that of Mr. Filch, the castle caretaker.

Because his cat had been petrified, this gentleman had recently adopted a different strategy than usual—hiding in the shadows and waiting for the forbidden little wizards to come to him.

Using his familiarity with the castle, he caught three couples who had violated the rules by secretly dating, striking fear into the hearts of the young wizards at Hogwarts.

Around noon, Professor McGonagall came to collect a list of students who would be staying on campus for Christmas, something she does every year during the second week of December.

The three of them found Malfoy's name on the list, and they all chose to stay at the school.

After Professor McGonagall left, Harry and Ron played Wizard's Chess out of boredom, sighing from time to time.

Just as Hermione was about to say something, an owl flew in and landed on her shoulder.

Hermione opened the letter on the owl's leg; it was a note.

“It’s a letter from Professor Hyp.” She glanced up at Harry and Ron, her tone somewhat strange. “He’s inviting Harry to come to his office with me tonight, saying it’s something important.”

Harry was dumbfounded.

7 PM.

The three headed towards the office of ancient runes, when Ron suddenly asked somewhat uneasily, "Can I go too? I mean, Professor Hyp is looking for Harry..."

"You've asked three times already. Professor Hyp mentioned you, saying he'd be very happy if you were interested," Hermione said impatiently.

The three people stood at the door. She knocked on the door and then pushed it open to enter.

Professor Hep was leaning over the table reading a book, a rare, sarcastic smile on his face.

Such an expression is quite rare. Hermione quickly glanced at the book title, "Armando Dippet: Master or Idiot?", by Rita Skeeter.

The little witch found a copy of the Daily Prophet next to the table. Dumbledore's picture was on the front page, and the headline was "Dumbledore's Big Mistake".

Her curiosity was immediately piqued, but Professor Hyp pressed the book down on top of the newspaper.

Hermione: "..."

"Good evening, Professor Hyp," Harry greeted him awkwardly.

"Come, you three, please sit down."

Felix sat on a sofa, facing three young wizards.

"Professor, what do you need me for?" Harry asked nervously, "Don't mention Parsley, don't mention Parsley."

"Potter, you're a Parseltongue."

Harry: "..."

“Professor, I swear, it was definitely not me who opened the Chamber of Secrets. There’s another Parseltongue in the castle, and he’s the real heir to Slytherin!” Harry shouted excitedly, almost revealing the Polyjuice Potion and the Malfoys.

“Calm down,” Felix said, summoning three glasses of orange juice with his wand. “Nobody said you opened the secret room.”

"Then come find me—"

Harry was a little confused, but Professor Hyp across from him gestured to the orange juice floating in front of him, so he picked up the glass and took a sip.

Hermione and Ron also took small sips.

"My purpose in contacting you is simple: I want to learn your snake accent."