Harry spoke.
"What exactly is an 'Heir of Slytherin' in the first place?"
Hermione and Ron asked, bewildered, "Harry, you said it yourself. The heir is a descendant of the Gaunt family, who carry Slytherin's blood."
After a moment's thought, Harry continued, "Yes, that's what I thought… but is there a rule that says the 'heir' must be a 'descendant' of Slytherin?"
Heir and descendant. The two words were similar, yet different, and Ron and Hermione paused.
"If we've searched this much and found no clues, I don't think we can assume the Heir of Slytherin is from the Gaunt family. Don't all the records say the family was wiped out?"
Ron frowned. "So, Harry, are you saying there's no way to know who the Heir of Slytherin is?"
"No, I'm saying it's not that important."
"What do you mean?"
"In the end, no matter who the heir is, their methods are limited. The important thing is the Basilisk."
Harry's logic was simple.
The current situation was caused by the Heir of Slytherin opening the Chamber of Secrets. And according to Hermione's deduction, the creature inside the Chamber was a Basilisk, which the heir was using to carry out the attacks.
If that was the case, then the one actually committing the acts was the Basilisk. Therefore, only the Basilisk mattered. Who cared who the Heir of Slytherin was?
Hermione nodded, but still asked hesitantly, "Harry, you're not wrong, but what are you suggesting we do?"
Harry nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's simple. We have to capture the Basilisk."
"...."
"...."
"...What did you say?"
After hearing Harry's words, the other two stood frozen for a long moment, their minds struggling to process the meaning. Even when the message finally registered in their brains, they couldn't bring themselves to accept it.
Ron summed up their feelings in a single question.
"Harry, are you out of your mind?"
Unfortunately, Harry was perfectly sane. Though from the others' perspective, it looked as if he had sanely gone mad.
Harry crossed his arms and said confidently, "No matter how I think about it, capturing the Basilisk is the only way to solve this situation."
Hermione pressed a hand to her head. "Alright, Harry. Let's say you're right about everything. Let's even put aside whether we, as mere second-years and not professors, can even catch a Basilisk. But why *capture* it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why capture that terrifying monster instead of just dealing with it? You do realize that's much harder, don't you?"
Harry shook his head with a solemn expression. "Hermione, that should be obvious."
"…What's obvious?"
"A thousand years, Hermione. That poor Basilisk has been brainwashed by Slytherin and forced to live under Hogwarts for a thousand years. How could we kill such a poor child? As wizards who know what love is, we can't do that."
"But, I…"
Hermione found herself unable to argue as Harry instantly reframed it as an ethical dilemma.
Of course, our dear Ron, who didn't bother with such rational thinking, was different.
"Feel sorry for a monster like that?! Harry, you're not Hagrid! Snap out of it!"
Even Harry couldn't help but flinch at the mention of Hagrid.
He finally conceded a step. "Alright, let's decide whether to capture it or kill it later. But we all agree that we have to target the Basilisk, right?"
"…Fine, Harry. So, do you have a plan? We're talking about a Basilisk here."
Harry looked at Hermione. "Hermione, how big is a Basilisk?"
"Um, I think it said large specimens can reach up to ten meters in length."
"Then, Hermione, how do you think a snake that big could move around Hogwarts without anyone noticing?"
Hermione thought for a moment, then answered hesitantly, "If I'm right… the only way a snake that large could get around is through the pipes."
Harry nodded. "That's the only way I can see it, too. Which means the Basilisk has made its nest somewhere connected to the plumbing."
Ron, who was struggling to follow the conversation, asked with a frown, "Wait, why the pipes? Aren't there other ways? Like a secret passage that only appears with magic, or something like that?"
Hermione shook her head. "If you think about it, there have always been puddles of water found at the scene of the attacks. It's almost certain that it's related to water."
Harry said, "Alright, let's think. The Heir of Slytherin is controlling the Basilisk somehow, and the Basilisk is attacking people through the pipes. So, what can we do?"
Ron replied with a blank expression, "I don't know. Follow the pipes to where the Basilisk is?"
"That's not a bad idea, but we don't know how long it would take to find it. There's a simpler way."
"What's that?"
Harry crossed his arms, nodded, and looked at Hermione. "We lure the Basilisk out. It'll be very dangerous."
Hermione asked with a nervous expression, "But Harry, why are you looking at me?"
"Well, Hermione, I need the help of the greatest wizard you know."
"Professor Dumbledore?"
"No, someone else."
"…Ah."
***
After Defence Against the Dark Arts class.
Professor Lockhart, who had been preparing only mundane lessons lately because his newfound talent for prophetic dreams wasn't working, couldn't hide the wide smile that spread across his face at the sight of the three students who had come to see him.
"My goodness, look who it is! If it isn't Harry and his friends!"
Lockhart's smile, which was even wider than usual to better display his gleaming white teeth, stretched from ear to ear as his mind raced, trying to figure out why they had come to him.
*Could they have been genuinely impressed by my class? If so, this would be a great opportunity to take a picture with Harry Potter and leak it anonymously to the papers!*
Why anonymously, you ask? Because these sorts of things excite people the most when they seem like a glimpse into a celebrity's private life. It was a simple courtesy to protect people's fantasies.
The headline… yes. 'Young Hero Inspired by Lockhart' would be perfect.
Of course, he could spin a more sensational story, but that kind of sensationalism tends to be poisonous in the long run. In this case, showing people that he had built a good relationship with Harry was the safest choice…
Lockhart's mind, which had been wandering through a field of delusions, snapped back to reality when he heard Harry's next words.
"…so, we need your advice, Professor."
"Hmm? Oh, my apologies, Harry. A person of my stature is always processing dozens of things at once, and sometimes, I become a little oblivious to my surroundings. Could you say that again?"
Having delivered a long and flowery excuse for not paying attention, Lockhart was met with Harry, who seemed to be suppressing a laugh, continuing his story.
"Professor, we've found something that could make us very famous, and we wanted to ask an expert in this field like you what we should do."
An opportunity to become very famous!
Naturally, this made Lockhart's eyes light up.
For Lockhart, who lived and died by his fame, this was more important than life itself!
…Of course, that was just an expression. Lockhart wasn't brave enough to risk his life for anything. If he were, he would have been in Gryffindor.
As if his unique self-preservation radar had gone off, Lockhart, who would normally have jumped at the chance without a second thought, took a step back and asked, "Harry, seeking fame is… a very joyous thing. A delightful thing, indeed. But you mustn't pour your whole life into it. You're still young, Harry! If you chase fame too aggressively, you're liable to be seen as an eyesore."
Words one would never believe came from Lockhart's mouth. Of course, he couldn't completely hide his true nature, adding one more sentence at the end.
"…So, Harry, why don't you explain what this is all about?"
Harry nodded with an expression that said, *I knew it.* Then he began. "Actually, we heard a rumor that there's a very secret treasure hidden in Hogwarts."
"A treasure, you say?"
"Yes. A treasure so incredible that finding it would bring immense fame."
*Gulp.* Lockhart's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
Of course, Lockhart was no child. He couldn't deny that he was momentarily tempted by the word "treasure," but he wasn't so careless as to fall for a single sentence from an unverified source.
Lockhart put on a benevolent smile and looked at Harry with pity. "Oh, Harry. If you knew how many fake treasures there are in the world, you'd be absolutely astonished. I don't know where you heard this news, but-"
This was where a little—just a little—nudge was needed.
For example…
*'Imperio.'*
A slight movement of the wand grasped in his pocket, and a movement of his lips that was almost completely silent.
That was all that was needed to make Lockhart show enthusiasm for Harry's proposal.
"-it is quite an interesting piece of information. So, Harry, why don't you tell me in detail what needs to be done?"
"Well, you see, during a time when all the students are in class and it's quiet, if we follow the pipes with our eyes covered…"
Lockhart's heart pounded at the thought of the new deed that would enhance his fame.
***
"-and so, Professor Lockhart agreed to help us."
"That's right! How could I possibly miss out on something so important?"
Seeing Lockhart's deeply satisfied smile, the dumbfounded Ron and Hermione managed to clap their hands in applause.
Of course, even in her dazed state, Hermione was applauding with great enthusiasm.
Ron grabbed Harry and whispered, "Harry, what did you do to get that hopeless man to agree to help catch a Basilisk?"
Hermione snorted in response. "Honestly, Ron, how many times do I have to tell you? Professor Lockhart is an amazing wizard!"
The fact that even as she said this, her eyes held a trace of anxiety and trembling was a testament to Lockhart's credibility.
Harry answered simply, "I told him we were going to find a treasure, and he happily agreed."
By Harry's standards, a Basilisk was a treasure, so it wasn't exactly a lie. Probably.
***