Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 306: Stealing the Gryffindor Sword?
The corridor was dimly lit.

Sheen's image isn't exactly great either.

His robe was torn by small pebbles, and some dust kicked up by falling stones also clung to his body.

Under the moonlight, only the Gryffindor sword gleamed silver, with traces of blood still clinging to its blade.

He looked somewhat tired.

Master-level material transformation is not difficult for him, but in actual combat, he needs to shorten his casting time as much as possible and enhance the casting effect.

Keep in mind that he had just used terrain transformations with a diameter of ten meters and a depth of two meters multiple times in a short period of time.

They were not far off from those ancient wizards who excelled in dueling techniques.

Not to mention the soul transformation that has been maintained—the owl and the Bowtruckle seem to be in perfect harmony with Sheen, but in reality, they consume a lot of Sheen's energy to command them.

The price of finishing the battle in ten minutes was that stamina was quickly exhausted.

Now, he is covered in dust (most of which actually comes from climbing pipes with a sword in his mouth).

Fortunately, the result was not far from the plan; the basilisk was lured to sleep by a combination of physical and magical means.

He gripped the snake's fangs, his footsteps making a soft rustling sound in the corridor.

They soon arrived at the door of the principal's office.

And there, Harry and his two companions were staring intently at him.

"Sheen, this is..."

Harry had never seen anything make Sheen so "embarrassed," even when he faced the professor's challenges last school year, he handled them with ease.

His robes were now torn, and his hair was covered in dust.

The sword, the Gryffindor sword, was stained with green blood.

Did he succeed or fail?

Ron's own voice was trembling.

The cause and outcome of the matter are no longer shrouded in mystery.

They knew perfectly well what the young wizard was going to face.

The book says that it's a 15-meter-long basilisk monster, and just the way it's coiled up can randomly scare two young wizards unconscious.

"Sheen!"

Hermione had already run up.

Harry and Ron were left looking at each other, unsure of what to do, and followed after them.

Good evening, Hermione, Harry, Ron.

Sheen silently sheathed the Gryffindor sword. It seemed to be absorbing the basilisk's blood and venom, so Sheen didn't immediately put it back in its sheath, but left it outside to observe.

"Good evening... No, I'm not good at all!"

Hermione nervously scanned him, as if checking to make sure he wasn't missing any limbs, before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

“Sheen, you…”

Harry's words caught in his throat; he paused for a moment before asking,
"Basilisk, I mean, is it a basilisk? Is it dead?"

Sheen shook his head.

"You really want to deal with the basilisk alone! Good heavens!"

Hermione gasped in surprise, then quickly covered her mouth.

"Hogwarts has a basilisk...it's not dead...Hogwarts has a basilisk...it's not dead—"

Ron repeated his own words in a daze.

He swallowed hard, cautiously observing his surroundings, the moonlit walls, and the empty corridor.

It was as if a giant serpent monster would soon leap out and swallow them whole, bones and all.

Sheen didn't pay much attention to the three people's reactions. He was already very tired, and after putting the Gryffindor sword back, he should go and rest.

Harry, Harry, and his two companions were all keen observers. After noticing the young wizard's dim eyes, they swallowed all their doubts and watched him walk into the headmaster's office.

"Sheen...why are you carrying the Gryffindor sword?"

Ron suddenly spoke up; the green bloodstains on the Gryffindor sword were too conspicuous.

However... having faced the Basilisk head-on and at least struck it with a sword, Ron now firmly supports Sheen, the Ravenclaw, in pulling out the Gryffindor sword.

"...The basilisk's skin is covered with scales that can deflect spells," Hermione said, pulling out the book from the library.

The three of them remained silent for a short while.

Harry took the book and read it carefully, word by word:

[The Parseltongue can put the basilisk into a deep sleep, thus preventing it from growing further and putting it into a state similar to suspended animation...]

"We need to do something."

Harry suddenly said,
"Although I don't know where the basilisk came from, I'm sure someone wanted to use it to cause trouble, which is why Sheen risked his life to deal with it."

Now he has failed, and we still don't know who this person is. Remember? Professor Quirrell was once bewitched by Voldemort..."

You mean Lockhart?

Ron suddenly realized why the guy seemed like a fool; it was probably a special kind of disguise.

No wonder Sheen remained silent.

Because Voldemort's minions have reappeared at Hogwarts!

"Then, then, we..."

Hermione was filled with doubt and surprise.

"We need to tell the principal."

"Don't be silly, Hermione."

Ron said weakly,

"It would be better to tell Snape, remember? When Professor Quirrell was targeting Harry, it was Snape who was watching him."

Hermione fell silent, a horrifying array of thoughts flashing through her mind.

Meanwhile, in the principal's office...

The dirty, wrinkled Sorting Hat twitched slightly in the falling moonlight—it was being lifted up.

Sheen examined it, trying to find an angle to insert the Gryffindor sword.

"No, no, I can't do that in a short time. Stay away from me, little wizard."

The Sorting Hat's faint but anxious voice echoed in Sheen's heart.

Sheen remained silent.

He believed that the Sorting Hat and the Gryffindor sword were one, since they were both part of Gryffindor's legacy.

Could it be that he's going to steal the Gryffindor sword?

“You did a good job, son. Just put it on the table.”

Just then, a kind and gentle voice rang out, and Sheen turned his head to see Headmaster Dumbledore's white beard shining in the moonlight.

"I have to say, you've broken over a hundred school rules—"

Sheen didn't react for a moment.

Basilisk, the Chamber of Secrets, Voldemort...

His mind was filled with a great deal of important information, but he forgot that he was still a student at Hogwarts.

"Oh, how interesting! You solved the puzzle all by yourself, and even bravely fought that snake in the middle of the night, and now you're troubled by the rules..."

Dumbledore laughed so hard his beard trembled.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, child. I often think you’re on a special path.”

But forgive an old man's curiosity.

What good does it do to force yourself to defeat a dangerous basilisk?

"Dumbledore asked gently."

It seems he wanted to ask more than just that.

“I know the basilisk has awakened, and I need to do what I can before something bad happens.”

Sheen's voice was always calm.

At Hogwarts, many things cannot be hidden from Headmaster Dumbledore.

(End of this chapter)