Chapter 70 A Different Lockhart

Boom boom boom

Harry and Ron stood in front of Lockhart's office door, looked at each other, and then Harry reached out and knocked on the office door.

Soon, a please come in came from inside.

The two turned the door handle and opened the door.

In the office, Lockhart was sitting leisurely behind his desk, flipping through a thick book. Harry glanced at it subconsciously. It was Lockhart's autobiography - I Can Be Magical.

Oh...Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, he said, looking at Harry and Ron, what's the matter with coming to see me so late?

Yes, Professor. We have something to tell you, said Harry, and we thought it might be of some help to you.

Of course! Of course... come on, sit down and talk slowly. Lockhart stood up, pulled Harry and Ron to the seats next to him, and continued after they were both seated firmly, Go ahead , I'm listening!

It's like this...

Harry told the information he and Ron got from the note and the corresponding speculations, and Ron added a few sentences from time to time. Although the narrative process is somewhat messy, at least one key point is not missing.

When they finished talking, Lockhart nodded.

That's a good reasoning. Who would have thought that the secret room would be hidden in a girl's bathroom that had been in disrepair for a long time! Lockhart smiled as usual, but that smile seemed a little stiff.

Yeah! That's unbelievable, but I'm more concerned about my sister! Ron said impulsively.

Ah, indeed! That incident—it's really unfortunate. Lockhart said, I think saving people is the most important thing, and you just brought good news!

Go now? Ron looked a little excited.

Yes, of course! Go now! Lockhart nodded decisively.

I'll go too! Ron said immediately.

It can be said that when encountering something related to his sister, everyone in the Weasley family looked desperate. To be honest, there is a big difference between the current Ron and his usual timid temper.

But Lockhart shook his head.

No, I don't think I can put students at risk, that's my job, he said righteously.

Harry on the side looked at Lockhart again and again, always feeling that he was different from his previous image.

Professor Lockhart, Harry said suddenly, I think we have to go, Ginny has been taken, and neither Ron nor I can settle down to wait here.

Oh—— Lockhart showed a embarrassed expression, hesitated for a while, but finally agreed.

You can go, but you must be careful, he said. Remember, close your eyes if there is any movement, and leave the basilisk to me.

After speaking, Lockhart took Harry and Ron and hurried to Myrtle's bathroom.

They went down the nearest staircase, through the dim corridor where the writing flashed on the wall, and came to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Lockhart took the lead and walked in the front, and pushed open the bathroom door without hesitation.

Moaning Myrtle is sitting on the tank of one of the innermost toilet bowls.

Oh, it's you, she sobbed, seeing Harry behind Lockhart, what do you want this time?

Want to ask how you died, said Harry.

Myrtle's whole demeanor changed at once. It seemed that no one had ever asked her such a question that she was honored.

Ouch, that was horrible, she relished. It happened here. I died in this toilet. I remember it very well. At that time, Olive Hornbe laughed at me for wearing glasses like four eyes. dog,

I hid here. I locked the door and cried inside, when suddenly I heard someone come in...they said something funny, I think it must be another language!

But what annoyed me the most was when I heard a boy's voice talking work! So I opened the door and told him to go off and go to my boys bathroom and—

Myrtle puffed out her chest in self-importance, her face beaming. I'm dead.

How did you die? Harry asked.

I don't know, said Myrtle mysteriously, in a low voice. I just remember seeing a pair of terribly large yellow eyes. My whole body seemed to be grabbed, and then I floated away...

She looked at Harry dazedly.

And then I came back. You know, I was all about trying to get Olive Hornby out. Oh—she regretted laughing at me about my glasses very much.

Where the hell did you see those yellow eyes? Harry asked.

It's almost there, said Myrtle, pointing vaguely to the sink in front of her. Harry and Ron hurried over.

Lockhart also walked over and looked at it carefully.

That sink looks ordinary. They checked it inside and out, up and down, and they didn't let go of the water pipes below.

Then Harry saw it—a tiny snake carved into the side of a brass dragon's head.

This faucet never comes out, Myrtle said happily when Harry tried to unscrew the faucet.

Harry, Lockhart said suddenly, try talking to it, in Parseltongue.

Yeah, Harry, try it! Ron followed suit.

But— Harry tried desperately to recall past experiences, but this kind of thing doesn't come from memory.

Before, he could only speak Parseltongue when faced with a real snake.

Harry stared intently at the little carved snake, trying to imagine it as a real snake.

Open it, he said.

He looked up at Ron and Lockhart, but Ron shook his head.

No, you're speaking human language, he said.

Harry turned his head to look at the snake again, forcing himself to believe it was alive. If he shook his head a few times, Harry thought, the flickering candlelight would make the snake look as if it was moving.

Open. He couldn't help shaking his head and said.

That wasn't what Ron and Lockhart heard, however - a strange hiss came from his mouth.

Lockhart kept staring at Harry's mouth, wondering what he was thinking.

Immediately, the dragon hair emitted a dazzling white light and began to spin rapidly. Then, the sink moved.

They watched the pool slowly disappear from view, revealing a water pipe so thick that it was more than enough for one person to get in.

Harry heard Ron gasp.

I think, Lockhart said softly, also looking at the entrance of the water pipe, it does look dangerous, you'd better not go in.

Harry pursed his lips and raised his head abruptly, already making up his mind on what to do.

I'm going down, he said firmly.

He couldn't help it, now that they had found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, since there was still a small, faint, remote hope that Ginny might still be alive.

I'm going too, said Ron.

There was a moment of silence in the small bathroom.

Okay, okay... At least, I'll go down and take a look first, and it won't be too late for you to come down after I say 'it's all right'.

As Lockhart said so, he jumped decisively and slid down the pipe.

After a while, Harry and Ron heard a very faint voice shouting from below. If they hadn't been listening carefully, they might not have heard it.

Harry and Ron nodded to each other before jumping in, too.

Naturally, this slide will not be pleasant, at least not those facilities in the playground that can generally bring laughter to children.

Inside, it feels like rushing down a dark, sticky, endless slide. They could see that there were many other pipes branching out in all directions, but none were as thick as this one.

Their pipe twists and turns, twists and turns, and the slope is very steep all the way down.

Harry knew he had slipped deep, deep under the school floor, even deeper than the dungeons. He could hear Ron following him, making a slight thud around the bend.

Then, just when Harry was starting to worry about what was to come, the slope of the pipe gradually became much gentler. After a while, he emerged from the mouth of the pipe and fell to the wet ground with a plop.

It was a dark stone tunnel, big enough for a man to stand in.

Closer to Harry, Lockhart was standing there with his wand in hand, but he wasn't all filthy and muddy like him.

Harry stood aside, and after a while, Ron came out of the pipe with a whoosh.

Clean up.

After Ron stood up too, Lockhart cast an Unscaling Charm on each of them. Immediately, all the stains on Harry and Ron disappeared.

Oh, thank you, Professor. The two couldn't help thanking each other.

We must be miles below the school. Harry then looked around, his voice echoing in the dark tunnel.

Probably down to the bottom of the lake, said Ron. He narrowed his eyes and surveyed the dark, slimy walls around him.

Then, all three of them turned their eyes to the dark ahead.

Fluorescent flickering!

Lockhart raised his wand and whispered something, and the wand glowed again.

Come on, he said to Harry and Ron.

The three people's shoes clattered loudly on the wet ground.

It was too dark in the tunnel, and even though Lockhart's wand glowing spell was quite bright, it could only light up a section of the road. Their shadows are reflected on the wet stone wall, changing and twisting constantly with the uneven surface of the stone wall, which looks quite strange.

Remember? Lockhart lowered his voice, Although this seems a bit long-winded, I must say it again... once you hear something, close your eyes immediately!

Harry and Ron responded immediately, indicating that they heard it.