The Witcher: The Journey to Transcendence from Marvel.

Chapter 38: Trip to the Secret Chamber
Dumbledore's actions were swift and decisive.

He walked through the corridor of the castle and came to the girls' bathroom on the second floor. The light was dim and the air was filled with a faint smell of dampness.

His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, scanning every inch of the space, not missing any details. Soon, he caught sight of the Slytherin emblem under a faucet.

However, the challenge ahead is how to open the hidden chamber.

Dumbledore may be the only wizard in the history of magic who mastered the language of snakes by self-study without relying on bloodline.

However, his mastery of snake language may be limited to being able to understand it but not speak it.

After several attempts, the entrance to the secret room remained closed.

Wes observed for a while and made a bold suggestion: use the Imperius Curse to control Tom and force him to use Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets.

This suggestion caused Dumbledore to ponder for a moment.

But soon, he shook his head and rejected the proposal.

He had deeper considerations in mind. He wanted to invite officials from the Ministry of Magic to witness the killing of the basilisk. He hoped to clear Hagrid's name in this way.

But Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, was a man known for his caution, or rather, his cowardice.

It was not difficult for Dumbledore to foresee that once he knew that Voldemort had created the Horcrux and was gradually regaining his power, the Minister would most likely make some decisions that would displease everyone.

It is better not to let others know about Voldemort's imminent return, so as not to cause unnecessary panic.

Although Dumbledore is old, his mind is still very flexible and his thinking is quick.

He quickly found a recording device and recorded Tom's Parseltongue voice.

After everything was ready, Dumbledore sat at his desk and carefully wrote two letters, which he sent to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Susan Bones respectively.

The letter details the discovery of a basilisk at Hogwarts and the murders that occurred decades earlier.

At this time, Fudge almost always granted Dumbledore's requests.

The two communicated frequently through letters, and they finally set a date for a weekend half a month later.

On the appointed weekend, Cornelius Fudge arrived at Hogwarts with a Ministry of Magic official and Amelia Susan Bones.

As soon as Fudge saw Dumbledore, he couldn't wait to open his arms and give Dumbledore a big hug.

His face was filled with smiles, and that smile never stopped.

He acted extremely close to Dumbledore, holding Dumbledore's hand tightly, and did not let go even when greeting Lucius.

As for Weiss, he was too young to attract Fudge's attention.

Wes didn't mind this, as he was too lazy to deal with politicians like Fudge.

Amelia looked like a very serious person, with no unnecessary expression on her face.

According to Dumbledore, she was one of the few officials in the Ministry of Magic who actually got things done.

"Albus, you scared me." Fudge clutched his chest exaggeratedly, with a hint of exaggerated surprise in his voice. "How could a horrible creature like a basilisk appear in Hogwarts?"

"Fudge..." Dumbledore began.

"Call me Cornelius. Our friendship..."

Fudge quickly interrupted Dumbledore, a friendly smile on his face.

"Okay, Cornelius..."

Dumbledore patiently told Slytherin the details about the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk, and Hagrid's wrongful accusation.

"Hmm...so that's how it is..."

"Oh...Merlin's beard..."

Fudge seemed to be listening very carefully, sighing from time to time. After listening, Fudge turned to his deputy Umbridge and asked: "Dolores, will solving this matter improve my approval rating?"

Umbridge had an overly sweet smile on her face, as sticky as syrup. She was short, but had a big mouth and slightly protruding eyes, which gave people a sense of disharmony.

She was wearing bright pink, from her hat to her hairpins. Her poor appearance and inappropriate outfit made her look like a big, incongruous pink toad.

She spoke in a sweet girlish voice that made people feel uncomfortable.

"For eliminating the basilisk and keeping the students safe, I expect your office will be cluttered with letters of commendation, Minister."

Umbridge's voice was full of flattery.

Ms. Bones glanced at Umbridge with disdain, then closed her eyes, obviously not wanting to see Umbridge's disgusting look again.

A smile broke out on Fudge's face, a smile that was brilliant and genuine.

"That's great!" Fudge said excitedly.

All Fudge cared about was his approval rating and he didn't care about the safety of his students. As for Hagrid's innocence, he thought it was a waste of his time.

Fortunately, there is Ms. Bones, who is known for her fairness.

"If the case back then was committed by the basilisk, then it proves that Rubeus Hagrid was wrongly accused, and the Ministry of Magic will clear Mr. Hagrid's name."

Ms. Bones' voice was firm and powerful.

"Yes, Bones is right." Fudge agreed quickly.

As long as he could keep his position as minister and win Dumbledore's favor, Fudge was very happy to do this, which would kill two birds with one stone.

However, when he heard that he had to go to the Chamber of Secrets to face the basilisk, the Minister of Magic backed off again.

"Umbridge will represent me. She is my assistant."

Fudge did not hesitate to push dangerous things onto his subordinates.

Umbridge's smile faltered slightly, her fingers clenching around her purse until her knuckles turned white.

But she quickly adjusted her expression and showed her signature sweet smile again.

Umbridge was an ambitious person who was willing to take any opportunity to climb the social ladder, even if it meant taking some risks.

Weiss was a little impressed by this woman.

Dumbledore just wanted someone from the Ministry of Magic to serve as a witness, it didn't matter who it was.

After explaining some precautions, Dumbledore led everyone to the bathroom.

He took out his recording device and played the recording.

With the sound of "hissing",

The mechanism was activated, and the sink slowly moved away, revealing a passage leading downwards.

Dumbledore's wand emitted a soft light, and he jumped down first without hesitation.

Seeing this, Lucius did the same and followed closely behind.

Next came Umbridge, who had a hint of nervousness on her face but still bravely jumped down.

Ms. Bones wanted to go down last, but Weiss held out his hand and said, "Ladies first."

Ms. Bones did not refuse Weiss's gentlemanly gesture, and after a slight nod, she also jumped down.

The four of them had an unimpeded journey and arrived at Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.

(End of this chapter)