101: Chapter 101 Speculation about the Heir

Three days after Madam Norris was petrified, the corridors of Hogwarts began to judge Slytherin.

"Don't go to the second floor, Filch is still guarding that cat."

"What's the use of guarding a cat? The Heir wouldn't write their name on their face."

"Slytherin is here, keep it down."

Draco stopped at the stairs, his face tight.

Allen walked past him, clutching his Potion Class textbook.

"Let's go."

Draco followed, gritting his teeth: "They're watching us, they're practically rolling up our sleeves to look for snakes."

Zabini switched his books to his outer side to block some of the gazes.

"Convenient suspicion is the most popular kind."

Pansy hugged her books tighter.

"The Chamber of Secrets was left by Slytherin in the first place, who else would they suspect if not us?"

Nott closed his small notebook.

"Don't let Hufflepuff hear you say that."

Near a niche ahead, Flint was chatting excitedly with some upperclassmen.

"My father said long ago that Hogwarts would eventually need to clear out those students who shouldn't be here."

Adrian Pucey added: "Some people on the Board of Governors think so too, it's just that no one dared to say it before."

Draco looked at Allen.

"Did you hear that?"

"I heard it."

"Are you not going to do anything?"

"Let them talk."

Nott glanced at Flint.

"The more they talk, the easier it is for the Professors to target them."

Zabini nudged Draco's arm.

"And the easier it is to make others think that Slytherin really knows who the Heir is."

Draco looked away.

"I won't be the scapegoat for them."

Allen pushed open the door to the Potion Class classroom.

"So shut up."

In Potion Class, Gryffindor and Slytherin watched each other across their cauldrons; the lingering taste of the blood-red writing still stuck in everyone's throats.

Ron pushed his cauldron to the edge of the table and stared at Draco.

"Malfoy, your house is quite happy today."

Draco looked up.

"Weasley, is there not enough food for breakfast at your house, so you've come to pick a fight with me?"

Harry pressed down on Ron's sleeve.

"Leave him alone."

Snape walked between the two rows of tables, his black robes sweeping across the floor.

"Mr. Potter, if your attention remains on Mr. Malfoy's face, I will have both of you stay behind to clean the cauldrons."

Harry looked down.

"Yes, Professor."

Snape stopped at Allen's table, looking at the properly colored potion.

"Mr. Potter, your potion today is disappointingly normal."

Allen put down his stirring rod.

"I can brew it poorly if you like."

A half-laugh leaked out in the classroom, only to be swallowed back by the steam.

Snape looked at him for a moment.

"Save that sense of humor for your final grades."

"I'll keep that in mind."

After class, students blocked the doorway, the topic still revolving around the Chamber of Secrets.

A Ravenclaw whispered to their companion.

"Does the Heir have to be able to speak Parseltongue?"

"Salazar could, it's written in the legends."

"Then wouldn't there only be one person who can speak Parseltongue?"

Harry stopped in his tracks, and Hermione immediately pulled him back.

"Let's go."

Ron was suppressing his anger.

"What do they mean by that?"

Hermione hugged her books tight.

"The meaning is already obvious enough, so don't you be the one to say it out loud for them."

Beside the Library, Hermione shoved an old book into Harry's hands.

"Salazar broke with the other three founders because of student bloodlines. Legend says he built a Chamber of Secrets in the Castle that only the true Heir can open, and a monster is hidden inside."

Harry's expression darkened.

"The words on the wall are real?"

"At least someone is acting according to the legend."

Ron looked in the direction where the Slytherins had left.

"Malfoy knows about this."

Hermione closed the book.

"His name is Malfoy, his father is on the Board of Governors. He might not have done it, but he probably knows more than we do."

Harry said in a low voice: "We have to ask him."

Ron glared at him.

"You're planning to just walk up and ask, 'Hi, Malfoy, are you the Heir?'"

Hermione stuffed the book back into her bag.

"Not ask directly, we need to find a way to make him slip up."

On the other side of the bookshelf, Nott closed his thin volume and turned to leave.

That afternoon, Allen sat two bookshelves away, flipping through a history of pipes, just able to hear the trio's voices.

Ron said: "Are you sure it's Malfoy?"

Hermione answered quickly.

"Not sure, that's why we need to investigate."

Harry said: "He didn't look surprised when he saw the blood-red writing that day."

"He packed up faster than Flint in front of the Professors, which means he knows what shouldn't be said."

Harry was silent for a moment.

"Allen knows too."

Ron continued: "Of course he knows, he only ever says half of what he means."

Hermione stopped turning the page.

"Allen has been reminding us to avoid danger."

Ron was unconvinced.

"What's the difference between reminding us and just walking away?"

Harry said in a low voice: "At least he told us to keep an eye on the people around us."

Hermione looked toward the door.

"That's why Ginny is even more suspicious."

Allen's fingertip stopped next to a diagram of the pipe structure.

Letting the trio focus on Malfoy was safer than letting them focus on Ginny.

Nott walked to the table and placed a book in front of Allen.

"Borrowing this for you."

Allen saw the corner of a note tucked in the book but didn't take it out.

"How many points?"

"Three. Granger found the connection between the Chamber of Secrets and Salazar, linking the monster and the Heir."

"What's the second point?"

"They suspect Draco."

Allen looked up, watching Draco in the distance, who was fighting over a piece of parchment with Pansy.

"Good."

Nott's eyebrows twitched.

"You're not going to correct them?"

"Why correct them?"

"If they keep their eyes on Draco, they'll force him to slip up."

"He won't reveal anything real."

"What if he talks nonsense?"

Allen flattened the page of the book.

"I'll make sure he knows the price of talking nonsense."

Nott turned a page.

"Third, Ginny Weasley has missed her morning classes for three consecutive days, citing illness."

Allen's fingers stopped.

"Who gave the excuse?"

"Percy. Professor McGonagall knows, but Madam Pomfrey hasn't seen her."

"What about Hermione?"

"She went to the door of Gryffindor Tower and was stopped by Ron. Ginny refuses to see her."

"Is the diary still with her?"

"No one has seen her leave it in her bag."

Zabini sat down carrying two books.

"My mother wrote to me. The Board of Governors has started discussing safety responsibilities, and Lucius Malfoy's name has been mentioned three times."

Nott asked: "Why mention him?"

"Some say Dumbledore can't manage the school, others say the Board of Governors should intervene. The words sound clean, but the meaning is dirty."

Allen scanned the note and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Lucius isn't waiting for a cat; he's waiting for panic."

Zabini asked: "Will the next one fall on a student?"

Allen closed the history of pipes.

"If Tom wants to prove the Chamber of Secrets is open, a cat isn't enough."

Nott's quill stopped on the paper.

"Can Ginny hold up?"

"Even if she can't, she'll be pushed along."

Zabini looked toward the Gryffindor direction.

"Those three are still suspecting Draco."

"Let them suspect."

Nott asked: "Do we need to give Draco a heads-up?"

"Yes, have him come over himself. Don't make it look like we're waiting."

A few minutes later, Draco walked over, his face gloomy.

"Potter, I heard Granger is investigating me."

Allen pushed his book aside.

"You only just found out?"

Draco pulled out a chair.

"By what right?"

Nott said: "By the right of you being a Malfoy, by the right of the stupid things you said last year, and by the right of your father being on the Board of Governors."

Draco looked at him.

"Nott, you could be a little less sharp with your words."

Zabini chimed in.

"That was already polite enough."

Draco slammed his book onto the table.

"So they think I'm the Heir?"

Allen looked at him.

"This is a good thing for you."

Draco froze.

"You call this a good thing?"

"If they're focused on you, they won't be looking at the person who actually opened the door."

Draco's expression changed.

"You mean the little girl from the Weasley Family?"

Allen didn't acknowledge the name.

"From now on, whoever asks you about the Chamber of Secrets, just say you don't know."

"But I really don't know."

"Don't add anything, don't show off, don't mention your father."

"What if they provoke me?"

"Laugh at them for being stupid, then walk away."

Draco stared at him.

"That doesn't sound like me."

Zabini leaned back in his chair.

"That's why you need to practice."

Nott handed him a quill.

"Write it out once: You don't know who the Heir is, your father didn't tell you anything about the Chamber of Secrets, you've only heard the legends."

Draco took the pen, his face looking terrible.

"I feel like I'm being interrogated by you."

Allen glanced at him.

"If you don't practice, it'll look even worse when you're actually interrogated."

Draco lowered his head to write, the nib scratching across the parchment.

In the distance, Ron nudged Harry.

"Look, what is Malfoy saying to Allen?"

Hermione looked up.

"Don't stare too long."

Harry asked: "Do you think they know we suspect him?"

"Maybe they know, or maybe they're letting us see on purpose."

Ron threw his quill back onto the table.

"Then should we keep investigating him?"

Hermione pushed the old book toward them.

"Investigate. If we can't get anything out of Malfoy, we'll investigate from the history of Slytherin and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

Harry added in a low voice.

"And Ginny."

Hermione nodded.

"I'll go ask her again tonight."

On the other side of the bookshelf, Draco handed over the parchment.

"Potter, I'm done writing."

Allen only took one look.

"Cross out the last sentence."

Draco read it to himself.

"My father wouldn't tell me even if he knew. Why can't I say that?"

"People will remember the first half of the sentence."

Nott pushed the ink bottle over.

"Cross it out."

Draco gritted his teeth and crossed it out.

"Satisfied?"

Allen returned the paper to him.

"Memorize it."

Draco stuffed the parchment into his book.

"You'd better make sure they don't find out it's me."

Allen started to walk out.

"They've already found out it's you."

Zabini patted his book.

"Congratulations, you are now the wrong answer."

Nott followed behind Allen, only speaking when they reached the Library entrance.

"Should we keep recording the time for Ginny?"

"Record her missed classes, record where she's been. Don't get close to her, don't touch her bag."

"What if Hermione goes to find her tonight?"

"Let her go."

Nott looked toward the stairs.

"She'll push Ginny into a corner."

Allen looked toward the second floor, the water stains had been cleaned, but students were still taking detours.

"Only someone pushed into a corner will reveal what they are hiding."

"Then we wait?"

Allen tucked the note into the book pages.

"Waiting for Tom to need a second piece of evidence."