"I'm not too sure about that. After all, his brain doesn't usually work all that well," Dylan said with a shrug.
Professor McGonagall's eyelid twitched. "We can't confirm if this rumor is true yet—I mean, the part about Lockhart planning to kill someone."
Dylan nodded. "Yeah, maybe he just wanted to stir up some gossip."
From what he could recall, Lockhart didn't have any specific connection to little Tom Riddle. Nor did he remember Lockhart spreading word to the outside world about a murder happening at Hogwarts. This twist was a bit unexpected, to say the least.
"Lockhart's a pretty decent test subject, though. It'd be a shame if he messes things up again and gets himself into trouble. Finding another guinea pig with just the right amount of skill—not too much, not too little—would be a real hassle," Dylan mused.
He stood up. "I think we should wrap up today's tutoring session here, Professor. Maybe you could go check with Professor Flitwick about what he thinks?"
McGonagall frowned. "He's already made his stance clear in his letter—told me to stay on guard. Right now, no one can say for sure if Lockhart's the one spreading this rumor."
Dylan nodded again. "True. So why not keep an eye on Lockhart for now? Maybe even tail him a bit?"
McGonagall rose to her feet. "I think I'll go have a word with Flitwick first."
Just as Dylan was about to say goodbye and leave to start making some early preparations, a dark shadow suddenly whooshed past the window, carried by a gust of wind.
*Bang!*
A scarlet Howler slammed into the closed window, squeezed through the gap, and started spinning wildly around the room. Professor Flitwick's shrill voice screeched from it.
"McGonagall! Big trouble! Get over here quick!"
The Howler's mouth gaped wide, its piercing voice practically rattling the walls and making the magic books on the shelves tremble.
"And bring Dylan! Snape wants him there too. I think he means don't let Dylan head back to the dorms alone. Okay, okay, I'm done—just hurry!"
With that, the Howler finally stopped its frantic shouting, drifting slowly down to land on the desk, lifeless.
McGonagall's face paled slightly. "Something's happened?!"
Dylan's lips twitched as he processed the Howler's message.
"So, Professor, what now…?"
"Let's go! To the staff room!" McGonagall barked, striding out of the office with her usual no-nonsense energy.
Dylan hurried to keep up.
When they reached the staff room, a tense crowd had already gathered. The atmosphere was heavy—nearly every teacher was present.
Professor Snape stood off to the side in his black robes—not the one Dylan had given him, but an older, slightly worn set. His face was dark and brooding, as if he'd deliberately distanced himself from the others.
As Dylan stepped inside, Snape's cold gaze flicked toward him. They'd only parted ways a short while ago, and now here they were again. Dylan gave him a small nod.
Meanwhile, Professor Sprout sat in a chair, nervously twisting the hem of her robes, her brows furrowed into tight little knots.
Professor Flitwick, small and sprightly, paced back and forth, muttering under his breath and occasionally wiping his forehead, though there wasn't a drop of sweat to be seen.
The other professors turned their eyes toward the deputy headmistress as she entered.
"McGonagall! You're finally here!" Flitwick stopped pacing and waved her over urgently.
"What's going on?" she demanded.
"A student's been taken! The Slytherin Heir snatched her and dragged her into the Chamber of Secrets!" Flitwick blurted.
"Where'd you hear this?" McGonagall shot him a sharp look.
"The Heir left another message! I saw it when I passed by!" Flitwick tried to keep his voice low, but it trembled anyway. "It said—'Her bones will remain in the Chamber forever!'"
"What? Whose bones?!" McGonagall fixed him with a steely stare.
"It's Weasley… that little girl, Ginny," Madam Hooch said, gripping the back of a chair for support, her body slumping slightly.
"What?!" McGonagall's eyes widened, her brows shooting up. "The Heir dared to kidnap one of *my* students?!"
Dylan caught the way McGonagall clenched her fist at the thought of the sweet little Weasley girl.
"This situation's getting critical. We need to suspend exams and send all the students home tomorrow morning!" McGonagall took a deep breath, the lines around her eyes deepening.
Dylan blinked. Looked like his early preparations were out the window. Tonight, Harry and the others would probably spring into action.
"The real question is, what's Lockhart up to? Spreading word of a murder at the school—did old Malfoy bribe him or something?" Dylan wondered to himself.
Sure, Lockhart wasn't much of a threat. Even if he wanted to cause trouble, he didn't have the chops to make any real waves. But as the saying goes, a clever villain's schemes can't hold a candle to a fool's random stroke of genius. Even if Dylan didn't take most of Lockhart's antics seriously, there was no telling when the guy might stumble into some bizarre new idea.
"Maybe Hogwarts really should shut down. Dumbledore used to say—" McGonagall sighed, but before she could finish, the staff room door burst open again.
*Bang!*
Lockhart swaggered in, sporting a grin so smug it practically begged for a slap.
"Well, hello there, friends! Everyone's gathered here—hope I didn't miss anything exciting!" he chirped in that insufferable tone.
Dylan's eye twitched, a spark of irritation flaring up. He gripped the wand in his sleeve, resisting the urge to hit Lockhart with an Avada Kedavra right then and there.
Glancing at Snape by the wall, Dylan noticed the man's hand tense as Lockhart's garish robes brushed against his own.
Dylan looked away silently.
The staff room's atmosphere turned icy, every pair of eyes locking onto Lockhart at the door. Flitwick and McGonagall narrowed their gazes, staring him down.
But before anyone else could speak, Snape stepped away from the wall, straightening up. His eyes glinted coldly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Well, look who's here—the savior come to solve all our problems," Snape said, stepping up beside Lockhart and subtly blocking McGonagall and Dylan.
"What?" Lockhart blinked, caught off guard.
"I know you must be eager to help. No need to worry—we're entrusting you with rescuing the kidnapped student from the Chamber," Snape continued smoothly.
"What?!" Lockhart's eyes bulged.
"Gryffindor—though I can't stand them—losing a student reflects badly on Slytherin's reputation too," Snape drawled.
Slytherin has a reputation? Dylan shot him a sideways glance.
Snape tilted his head slightly, meeting Dylan's eyes briefly before Dylan looked away again.
"So, we'll leave it to you to head into the Chamber and save her. You've always wanted a chance to show off your brilliance, haven't you? Here's your moment," Snape said, his voice low and laced with menace.
Dylan smirked inwardly. *A perfect chance to watch an idiot flail, huh?*
Lockhart froze, not quite flailing yet. He stood stiff as a board, like he'd been petrified by the basilisk, his grin turning awkwardly rigid—almost like Nearly Headless Nick after a bad day.
"Yeah, just yesterday at dinner, I heard you say you already knew where the Chamber was. You've got this in the bag!" Sprout chimed in.
"Oh, right! I remember now—you said you were absolutely certain you could handle whatever's in there. It's all up to you now," Flitwick added, giving Lockhart a sly side-eye.
"The attacks keep happening, and Hagrid's not the Heir who opened the Chamber. Didn't you say you were disappointed you never got to face off with Hagrid's monster? Well, here's your shot," McGonagall said, staring at Lockhart like she was trying to peel back his mask.
Lockhart, meanwhile, looked utterly lost. His lips quivered as he stammered, "D-did I say that? I don't… I don't think I remember…"
"Oh, I remember perfectly, *Great Wizard Gilderoy*," Snape sneered. "The school's a mess right now. If Dumbledore had put you in charge from the start, I'm sure you'd have handled it beautifully—hah."
McGonagall nodded. "Exactly. As deputy headmistress, I'm assigning this to you in Dumbledore's place. Tonight, you'll go into the Chamber alone, rescue Ginny Weasley, and ideally deal with that monster while you're at it."
"Finally, something to suit your tastes, Lockhart. I'm thrilled for you," Snape added, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Lockhart leaned against the wall for support, his earlier swagger gone. He glanced around at the other teachers, but all he got back were looks of admiration—eyes full of trust.
He desperately wished someone would step in and take the job off his hands, but no such luck.
After a long silence, Lockhart stumbled toward the door, his steps shaky. "I—I'd be delighted to take this on. After all, I've got the skills for it—haha! Just, uh, give me a sec. I'll head to my office to prep and be right back."
He flung open the door and bolted out, moving a lot faster than when he'd come in.
"Good riddance to that nuisance," McGonagall muttered, turning back.
She'd never seriously planned to leave Ginny's rescue to that clown. Waiting for Lockhart to save her? Ginny's bones would be dust by then!
"Right now! All professors, get moving! Patrol the halls and make sure no students are lingering!" McGonagall snapped into action.
"Every head of house, inform your students that the Hogwarts Express will take them home tomorrow morning!"
"This time, whether we resolve the Chamber situation or not, we can't let another student come to harm!"
The professors sprang up, ready to act. As Hogwarts staff, they might be rattled by the crisis, but with the school teetering on the edge, it was up to them to hold it together.
"Dylan, come with me. I'll take you back to the dorms," McGonagall said, grabbing his hand.
Dylan didn't pull away. He nodded, his gaze casually drifting to the corner of the room.
Harry and Ron flinched, startled.
Only after Dylan and McGonagall left did they let out a relieved breath.
Once the last professor shut the staff room door behind them, the room fell silent. The candles on the wall flickered faintly.
In the dim corner, two heads slowly emerged.
"Harry, why do I feel like Dylan saw us?" Ron whispered.
"No way. This is the Invisibility Cloak—none of the professors can see through it!" Harry shook his head.
"Let's just move fast. That jerk kidnapped my sister!" Ron stepped out.
Harry nodded, clutching the cloak without stowing it away just yet.
"Yeah, let's go. Whether Lockhart's the useless git Dylan says he is or not, he's heading to the Chamber. We should tell him what we know!"
---
Meanwhile, McGonagall escorted Dylan back to the Gryffindor common room, shooing any stray students they passed back to their dorms.
At the common room entrance, McGonagall explained the situation to everyone, sparking an instant uproar—especially when they learned Ginny was the one taken. The Weasley boys were beside themselves.
She could only offer them a few words of comfort before changing the Fat Lady's password and leaving.
Dylan headed toward his dorm, but the Weasley twins pushed through the crowd toward him.
"Hey, Dylan! Is Ginny gonna be okay? Can your divination tell us anything?" Fred asked, his voice tight with worry.
"Please don't give us bad news!" George added, his face crumpled.
Dylan paused. "So… should I say something or not?"
Fred followed him into the dorm, waving off his brother's comment. "Ignore him, Dylan. Whatever you've seen, just tell us!"
George nodded eagerly. "Yeah, exactly!"
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Relax. The professors are going to try rescuing Ginny tonight. I think she'll be fine."
The twins visibly relaxed at the reassurance, even though they had no way to know if Dylan was right.
"Alright, tomorrow they're sending us all home. Look on the bright side—no exams!" Dylan said, clapping the nearest Weasley on the shoulder.
He wasn't always sure which was Fred and which was George.
"Merlin's beard, I'd rather take the exams!" one of them groaned.
(End of Chapter)