"Wait a moment," Audrey said. "Are you saying your secret vault isn't inside this Chamber of Secrets?"
The Slytherin statue made an effort to smile, which was quite difficult.
"Yes, this Chamber of Secrets is just a place for the Basilisk to reside."
"So you raised this Basilisk really just to clear out Muggle-born students from Hogwarts?"
"How could that be?" the Slytherin statue shook its head. "I am not mad. Even if I was reluctant, a student recorded in the Book of Admittance is a Hogwarts student, and thus my student. Why would I kill them?"
"But everyone says you opposed the school admitting Muggle-born witches and wizards, and that you had a falling out with the other three Founders because of it."
The face of the Salazar Slytherin statue struggled to form a smile, but it easily managed a look of melancholy, just as it did now: "I did argue for that, because the lackeys of those Gods were constantly hunting us wizards, and none of us knew if the Muggle-born wizards were spies sent in by those lackeys."
"Couldn't you use Legilimency to screen them?"
"It was useless, child," Slytherin said. "The Church at that time had ways to block Legilimency, and sometimes even Veritaserum wouldn't work."
He looked up. "I prepared this Chamber of Secrets and this Basilisk only to give future generations a means of self-preservation in case Hogwarts was ever invaded by the Church due to an internal spy."
Audrey nodded. "It seems history can indeed be misleading."
"Of course," Slytherin laughed. "They also claim the Basilisk is hatched from a magically incubated egg laid by a seven-year-old cockerel under the rising of Sirius! That notion is too ridiculous! Haha!"
"Huh?" Audrey was stunned. "Wasn't the Basilisk born that way?"
"Of course not!" The Slytherin statue gave a rigid laugh. "That was something vile Herpo the Foul made up to deceive the Church!"
The statue beckoned, and the Basilisk obediently coiled around his arm. Slytherin continued: "Basilisks are the failed results of wizards attempting to fuse with the bloodline of Jörmungandr. In essence, they were once human."
Jörmungandr, the World Serpent? The goblins of Heaven and Earth Bank had already reported back the situation from the Nordic ruins; besides the large number of incomplete goblin corpses, there was a giant coffin containing Angrboda's body. It was well known that Jörmungandr was Angrboda's child.
So…
Well, the Basilisk in front of her was related to that female giant!
"Ah, we've strayed from the topic," Slytherin said. "Why aren't you asking where my secret vault is?"
Audrey twitched her mouth. Frankly, she had zero interest in where the vault was. If not to save Isaline, she wouldn't have made this trip at all.
"So, where exactly is your secret vault?" True to Audrey's 80% acting skill, the question sounded perfectly natural.
"A splendid question!"
Audrey: …
Slytherin replied, "The entrance to my secret vault is on the lowest level of the Slytherin dungeons. You have two magic circuits and can see magical echoes, so you will definitely find the entrance!"
"Is there an opening password or anything?"
"You are the key, child!"
Audrey was fed up with the old wizards' peculiar sense of humor. Something that could be resolved simply had to be complicated with twists and turns! Why couldn't he just send the notes and books to her dormitory? Did she really have to make a personal trip?
Chapter 111: Professor Fig
"Salazar, old ancestor," Audrey offered a parting comment, "Your statue's smile is very stiff and incredibly ugly. Next time we talk, could you please not smile?"
"Ssss… ssss…" [And you! No killing students! Otherwise, I will stew you for snake soup!]
…
…
Last Halloween, Audrey had followed Glenda Chittock through the dungeon corridor once. The winding passage, lined with abandoned storage rooms and cells, told a story of the not-so-peaceful lives of Hogwarts predecessors centuries ago. The cells held rusty, decayed torture devices, suggesting that the "spies" Slytherin spoke of, sent by the Church into Hogwarts, were certainly not few.
"Hello, Professor Fig, good to see you again!" Audrey greeted Professor Fig's portrait as she passed.
"Oh, it's you, child!" Professor Fig chuckled. "This place is not well-regarded by young wizards. Hardly anyone comes here in decades, so what brings you here?"
Audrey laughed. "No one comes here in decades? It's so secluded, I thought it would be a perfect spot for young couples to come for a bit of romance!"
Professor Fig laughed heartily. "It may be quiet, but the atmosphere is simply dreadful! The fact that you could say that tells me you haven't done much dating!"
Audrey curled her lip, thinking, 'You might as well just call me a total tomboy with no sense of romance.'
Audrey looked around, carefully searching for clues of ancient magic echoes. Professor Fig had been here for over a hundred years; how could he not know what she was doing?
"Speaking of which, you are a fifth-year new student, and you can also see ancient magical traces that we cannot…"
"Ah! I know! You are also here to look for Slytherin's secret vault, aren't you?"
If Audrey were meeting Professor Fig for the first time, she would probably lie, but after playing Hogwarts Legacy, she knew this little old man was a very, very good person. But shouldn't Slytherin's secret vault be absolutely confidential? How did this old man know?
"Yes, Professor. I have a compelling reason to find Slytherin's secret vault."
"Ah, ah!" Professor Fig made a noise of realization. "It's over there, child. I've been here for over a hundred years, I found that entrance long ago!"
Following the direction of Professor Fig's finger, Audrey did indeed see an unusual ancient magic echo there.
"But no one can enter Slytherin's secret vault now, no one!" Professor Fig said. "Slytherin incorporated a bloodline verification when he set up this vault. No one without Slytherin's blood can enter the vault…"
"As is well known, the last family line of Slytherin's relatives in Britain, the Gaunt family, is extinct, so…"
Professor Fig's eyes suddenly widened like copper bells, and his mouth fell open like a frog's. He looked like he had just witnessed something incredible!
On the seemingly empty wall, suddenly appeared hundreds of small stone snakes. The little snakes linked head to tail, forming a semi-circular doorway. Inside the doorway, a colorful black light began to flicker, and the specks of starlight closely resembled the Great Hall's ceiling.
The next moment, Audrey was violently tugged by a force and pulled into the doorway.
"This, this… this is unbelievable!" Professor Fig exclaimed. "I never thought there was still a descendant of Slytherin in Britain! I must inform that child!"
---
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]