A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Aaron nodded slightly, but he didn't hold out much hope.

The professors may know more than Lucius, but they may not be clear about the key points, otherwise the secret room would still be there today.

......

The Transformation Classroom.

Professor McGonagall finished explaining the theoretical knowledge in the textbook and looked at the second-year Gryffindor and Slytherin students sitting below.

Behind her were two blackboards, on which were drawn a parrot and a wine glass.

"Listen up, everyone, today we're going to learn how to turn animals into goblets." Professor McGonagall walked up to a parrot. "Like this, one, two, three, dramatic transformation."

A transparent wisp of air shot out from the tip of the wand, and the parrot instantly transformed into a transparent crystal glass, completely devoid of any animal characteristics.

The students below erupted in commotion, their interest piqued by the complexity of the transformation.

"Now it's your turn. Who wants to go first?" Professor McGonagall stepped down from the podium and began searching for a suitable candidate.

After walking around, her gaze lingered on Ron and Aaron, since they were the only ones in the classroom with pets, which made the demonstration easier.

But when she saw the tape wrapped around Ron's wand, her eye twitched involuntarily, and she immediately ruled him out.

"Mr. Gaius, come here!"

One, two, three, a dramatic change in appearance.

"Um..." Aaron hesitated and smiled. "Professor, does this spell work on all animals? What will happen if I fail?"

Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, then saw Abbe dozing on Aaron's desk. She suddenly realized that this was a magical creature with a certain degree of magic resistance, and it would be bad if it reflected the spell back.

"I'll get you another one." Professor McGonagall tapped a cage against the wall with her wand, drawing an owl inside to Aaron's side. "Let's begin!"

Aaron raised an eyebrow and picked up his black wand. "A dramatic change in appearance."

A silver light flashed across the wand, and the owl transformed into a silver goblet, its surface adorned with the Slytherin insignia.

“Excellent!” Professor McGonagall exclaimed. “Slytherin, five points!”

"Anyone else want to try?"

At that moment, Hermione raised her right hand.

“Miss Granger, I guess you’re interested in this as well.”

"No, Professor, I wanted to ask you about something else."

Could you tell us about the locked room mystery?

Hermione looked a little awkward, since her question had nothing to do with Transfiguration.

Moreover, after Halloween, escape rooms become a sensitive topic. It's fine for you to research them privately, but asking about it in class can be a bit awkward.

As expected, Professor McGonagall's expression changed slightly, clearly indicating that she was not keen to answer the question.

But the sudden silence of the classroom and the curious gazes around her eventually softened her heart.

“Alright!” Professor McGonagall began to pace slowly around the classroom. “As everyone knows, Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest wizards of the time: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.”

Three of the founders got along well, but the third did not.

Salazar Slytherin wanted Hogwarts to be more selective in its student admissions, believing that magical education should be limited to magical families, that is, pure-blood wizards.

Unable to change the minds of the other three, he decided to leave the school.

According to legend, Slytherin created a secret room in this castle, which became known as the Chamber of Secrets.

However, he sealed the secret chamber shortly before leaving, waiting for his true successor to return to the school. Only this successor could open the chamber and release the terrifying things within.

This will purify the school and rid it of those whom Slytherin deems unworthy to learn magic.

"Professor, do you know what's in the secret room?" Aaron asked, raising his hand.

"It is said that only the heir of Slytherin can control what lives in the Chamber of Secrets, and some say that a monster lives there."

"Of course, the school staff searched countless times, but no one found the secret room."

After class, the students left the classroom in twos and threes.

Aaron looked at the notebook on his desk and sighed with some regret, "What a hassle! But I've still gained something."

He listened carefully to every word Professor McGonagall said and wrote it down word for word.

Admittedly, she knew slightly more clues, but they were too numerous and complex to be easily sorted out.

"Aaron, what are you looking at?" Draco asked, leaning closer. He looked surprised after seeing the contents of the notebook. "Why are you writing this down?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little interested in escape rooms."

"A locked room? That doesn't seem to have anything to do with you!"

"No."

“Then let’s not look for it. It would be bad if we got hurt by the monsters in the secret chamber,” Draco advised. “According to legend, it’s the Muggle-born wizards who suffer. We pure-blood wizards are still quite safe.”

"I didn't intend to provoke that monster; I was simply interested in Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets."

A secret base built by a high-ranking mage, which Hogwarts has searched for for so many years without finding, is shrouded in mystery.

Hearing this, Draco became somewhat interested.

The secret base of the Archmage is definitely not home to just one monster; it might even contain Slytherin's treasures.

But soon he couldn't help but shudder. Even if there were magical items or magical books, they were not something Malfoy could covet.

Malfoys would only have a chance to compete for those items if the Slytherin heir died and those items became ownerless.

"I can tell you're scared just by looking at you," Aaron teased. "But I guess it's understandable!"

Draco gave an awkward laugh, without denying it.

"So what clues do you have now?"

"It's a complete mess; we can only unravel it slowly."

"Go eat first! I'll think about it by myself."

After Draco left, Aaron was the only one left in the classroom.

He picked up a piece of chalk, walked to the front of the classroom, and wrote down all the clues he knew on the blackboard.

First, Draco knew the true events that had happened: the Chamber of Secrets had been opened once fifty years ago; the person who opened it was expelled; and a Muggle-born wizard died.

Secondly, there's the Chamber of Secrets legend that Professor McGonagall knew: only the heir of Slytherin can open the Chamber; there's a monster inside; and the monster will wipe out all Muggle-born wizards.

Finally, he knew the following: the petrified cat; Harry Potter's ability to hear sounds others couldn't; and the crime scene being filled with water stains.

Looking at these clues, Aaron's lips curled up slightly. His intuition clearly told him that the location of the secret room was among these clues, but it would take some time to find it.

However, we must take precautions before searching for the secret room; we must be wary of that monster!

Just as Aaron was thinking this, the system's voice rang in his mind again.

[Defeat the monster in the secret chamber:]

The reward for completing the task is 1000 magic points; there is no penalty for failure. Do you accept this offer?

Aaron: ......

This is what really stirs things up!

"I accept. Fortune favors the bold. At worst, I'll just try what it's like to give up halfway."

Chapter 157 Returning to the Crime Scene, Even the Female Ghost...

Aaron looked at the clues outlined on the blackboard, pondered for a while, and then wrote down a few questions and his incomplete guesses in his notebook.

First, what is the monster's identity?

It may be some kind of magical creature with an extremely long lifespan and a very powerful ability to petrify, and it has a close relationship with Harry Potter.

Second, who is Slytherin's successor?

It could be a first-year student, or it could be someone who was expelled from school fifty years ago.

Second, where is the secret room located?

It is still unknown, but considering the water stains at the crime scene, it may be near a water source.

A moment later, Aaron closed his notebook and erased all the clues on the blackboard.

"This is all we can find so far. There might be some omissions we haven't discovered yet," Aaron muttered to himself, then walked out of the classroom.

He planned to go to the crime scene to take a look. Although Filch might have cleaned it up, there might still be some clues left.

Arriving at the corridor, Aaron couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling utterly speechless.

"I must admit, the three of you are truly... a pleasant surprise!"

"Aaron, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"What are you doing here again?" Aaron asked back.

“Let’s find clues,” Hermione replied. “There are already quite a few people at school who consider Harry the heir to the Chamber of Secrets, and we don’t want him to suffer an injustice.”

“It’s not just Harry.” Ron hesitated for a moment, “It’s also you. I found out at breakfast today that some Gryffindors suspect you are the heir to the Chamber of Secrets.”

Aaron: ......

"What does this have to do with me? I've been framed."

“But you were here that night too, weren’t you?” Hermione offered a rather hurtful reason. “However, far fewer people doubt you than Harry, which is a silver lining.”

Aaron's lips twitched, and his heart sank lower and lower.

Previously it was just for system tasks, but now there's another requirement: to prove one's innocence.

Sensing the inexplicable bad luck emanating from Aaron, Hermione asked with some concern, "Are you alright? These are just rumors."

"It's nothing," Aaron waved his hand. "I'm not that fragile, I just feel a little frustrated."

"You arrived first, do you have any clues?"

"We..." Hermione was about to speak when Harry and Ron turned their faces away together, one frowning slightly and the other shaking his head slightly, but they meant the same thing: don't tell him yet.

"We haven't found anything yet."