After Harry left the office with the half-burnt diary, silence filled the Headmaster's chamber once more.
From the tall frame near the staircase, Phineas Nigellus Black suddenly burst out laughing."Ha! That expression on Lucius Malfoy's face— worth every century I've been trapped in this frame!"He turned to Roy, smirking. "Splendid work, boy. You handled that pompous peacock better than most pure-blood lords ever could."
Roy chuckled softly. "I only returned the favor of his arrogance, Sir Phineas."
The portrait nodded in amusement. "If only more of my descendants had your backbone."
Roy smiled faintly, then turned to Dumbledore, drawing the gleaming sword from within his enchanted scabbard."I believe this belongs here, Headmaster," he said, handing over the Sword of Gryffindor.
Dumbledore accepted it reverently. The rubies along the hilt shimmered in the candlelight."Thank you, Mr. Valvas. The sword always reveals itself to those who are truly worthy. You've done Hogwarts proud."
Roy bowed slightly. "I was simply there when I was needed."
With that, he left the office quietly, the phoenix's soft cry echoing behind him as dawn painted the castle in gold.
The Calm After the Storm
By the next morning, the entire school was buzzing.News of the Chamber of Secrets being opened— and then closed— spread faster than a fire-whizzing charm.Whispers of the Basilisk, Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter's courage filled every corridor.The suffocating tension that had haunted the students for months finally lifted.
Even the portraits seemed brighter, and laughter returned to the Great Hall.With the fear gone, everyone remembered that final exams were only a few weeks away— and panic of a different kind returned.
Study Season
The library became the heart of Hogwarts once again.Every table was filled with students cramming parchment rolls, revising charms, and muttering spells under their breath.Roy sat at his usual Hufflepuff corner with Hermione, Daphne, Cassandra, Astoria, Cho, and Penelope, quietly revising while passing notes and jokes between stacks of books.
Ron, finally awakened in the hospital wing, rejoined them— full of stories.Only now, his stories sounded grander than life.
"I told you— I stunned the Basilisk right before Lockhart fainted," Ron bragged loudly to a few second-years.Harry winced from across the table, but Roy only sighed, closing his book.
He noticed the change— Ron wasn't the goofy, freckled boy who always joked at meals.There was a coldness to him now, a faint irritation behind his eyes.It was subtle but there.Roy simply leaned back, uninterested. Let him have his stories, he thought. He'll learn soon enough who he really is.
The End of Term
Weeks passed.The final exams came and went, parchment piles higher than the goblets on the Hufflepuff table.When the last quill was laid down, cheers echoed through every house.Students poured out into the courtyards, finally free of tension, terror, and transfiguration.
Even Roy allowed himself a rare smile as he watched his friends laugh beneath the summer sun.
The Fall of Lockhart
A few days later, during breakfast in the Great Hall, the morning owls swooped in— hundreds of wings rustling above.Roy's copy of the Wizarding Weekly landed neatly beside his plate.Across the front page, in bold, flashing ink, was the headline:
"GILDEROY LOCKHART — THE GREAT FRAUD!"Award-winning wizard revealed to have stolen tales of heroism and erased victims' memories!
The hall went silent for a beat— and then burst into shocked laughter.Lockhart, pale and trembling, sat at the staff table clutching his own copy.
"These— these are lies!" he sputtered. "Slander! Vicious rumors!"
But no one believed him.Students giggled behind their hands; professors exchanged knowing glances.Even Snape's lip curled in a faint smirk.
Roy didn't bother to hide his grin.He had, after all, been the one to quietly deliver the truth— through a trusted quill.A few days earlier, he had written to Rita Skeeter, sending her the collected evidence and eyewitness notes.She had replied with a single elegant line:
"Your secret is safe, Mr. Valvas. And your truth— most appreciated."
Now, as Lockhart fumbled to defend himself, Roy merely sipped his pumpkin juice.
Moments later, a group of Aurors from the Ministry marched into the Hall.The chatter died instantly.
"Gilderoy Lockhart," the lead Auror announced, "you are under arrest for memory tampering, fraud, and magical misconduct."
Lockhart went white as chalk."Surely— there must be some mistake!"
But the Aurors took him firmly by the arms.He barely had time to grab his comb before they dragged him out through the Great Hall doors, his shouts echoing faintly down the corridor.
The students erupted into whispers, laughter, and applause.
Roy just watched him go, calm and expressionless.It was justice— quiet, final, and deserved.
As the Great Hall filled again with easy laughter, Hufflepuff's table was alive with chatter.Hermione smiled, sliding a book toward Roy."Another mystery solved, Roy."
He chuckled softly. "For now, Hermione. But Hogwarts always finds ways to keep life… interesting."
And as the enchanted ceiling shimmered with morning light, Roy leaned back in his seat, golden eyes reflecting the calm that finally returned to the castle.
The Chamber of Secrets was closed—and a new chapter in Hogwarts was about to begin.