After bringing Tin back to his dormitory, Maurise carefully placed the rigid feline onto a plush armchair and sank into deep thought.
In all honesty, he was still struggling to comprehend the attacker's true motive. Why petrify two harmless cats, string them up by their tails, and paint such a cryptic, dramatic message on the wall? Was the goal merely to incite mass panic and terror throughout the school?
If that were the case, would it not have been infinitely more effective and terrifying to petrify two actual students?
Maurise rubbed his temples, a dull headache beginning to throb behind his eyes. In any case, his immediate priority was reviving Tin. As a direct victim of the attack, his familiar almost certainly possessed crucial information regarding the assailant.
Over the next few days, the attack became the sole topic of conversation. The entire student body was completely consumed by frantic rumors and rampant speculation.
Whenever Maurise entered the Ravenclaw common room, his housemates frequently approached him to offer their sincere condolences. Kyle even went out of his way to buy him a box of sweets to cheer him up.
Maurise was genuinely touched by the gesture. Unfortunately, the sweets turned out to be Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and given his notoriously terrible luck, the very first one he ate tasted strongly of earwax.
Meanwhile, Argus Filch's behavior had taken a massive dive off the deep end. The caretaker paced the corridor where the attack occurred dozens of times a day, scrubbing furiously at the blood-red message that refused to fade. He had grown significantly more paranoid and vicious than usual. He stalked the halls, glaring venomously at every passing student, desperately looking for any minor excuse to assign brutal detentions.
The only exception to his wrath was Maurise.
Perhaps recognizing a shared grief over their petrified companions, Filch never shouted at him or sought to make his life miserable. On the contrary, the old caretaker occasionally attempted to offer Maurise a commiserating smile. Given Filch's naturally repulsive features, the result was deeply unsettling.
A little over a week slipped quietly by. It was now mid-November.
On a Thursday afternoon, as Maurise was heading back to Ravenclaw Tower after lunch, he spotted three familiar figures loitering suspiciously near the base of the grand staircase.
It was Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The classic golden trio.
Without altering his pace, Maurise walked directly toward them. His approach immediately caught their attention.
"Maurise!" Harry whispered urgently, casting a quick, paranoid glance around the empty corridor to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "Regarding the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir... we have uncovered some incredibly vital information."
Maurise nodded subtly. "Not here. Let us find somewhere quiet."
They quickly relocated to a secluded, shadowy alcove formed by two protruding stone pillars on a deserted corridor. Maurise stopped, turned to face them, and crossed his arms. "Alright. What useful information did you manage to find?"
"We managed to convince Professor Binns to tell us about it during History of Magic," Hermione explained, speaking rapidly. "According to Hogwarts legend, Salazar Slytherin had a massive falling out with the other three founders. Before he left the school, he secretly constructed a hidden chamber somewhere within the castle. The legend claims he sealed a terrible monster inside, and only his true Heir would possess the power to open the Chamber and unleash the beast to purge the school of all those who are 'unworthy' of studying magic. The message written on the wall was definitely referring to this Chamber."
"Did Professor Binns specify exactly what kind of monster is locked inside?" Maurise asked.
All three simultaneously shook their heads.
"Professor Binns insisted the entire story was nothing but a ridiculous myth invented to scare students," Ron added. "But considering what happened to Mrs. Norris and Tin Can, we believe the Chamber is absolutely real."
Maurise nodded thoughtfully. He was heavily inclined to agree. The unknown entity that had petrified the two cats was almost certainly this legendary monster.
"Furthermore," Hermione leaned in closer, dropping her voice even lower, "we strongly suspect that Draco Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin."
Maurise paused, staring at them blankly. "...Are you being serious right now?"
"It has to be him!" Ron insisted, his face entirely serious. "He is constantly tossing the word 'Mudblood' around! His entire family is made up of fanatical Slytherin purebloods. He could easily be a direct descendant."
Seeing Maurise's deeply skeptical expression, Hermione quickly chimed in to defend their theory. "Of course, it is only a working hypothesis for now. We are planning to interrogate Malfoy personally to confirm it. We are going to brew Polyjuice Potion and disguise ourselves as his friends."
Maurise raised an eyebrow. "Polyjuice Potion? It is an incredibly complex brew. Do you require my assistance? I could easily prepare a batch for you."
Harry opened his mouth to eagerly accept the offer, but Hermione instantly cut him off.
"There is absolutely no need to trouble yourself, Maurise," Hermione said. She straightened her posture, lifting her chin with a touch of defensive pride. "I am perfectly capable of brewing advanced potions. Professor Snape has never once managed to find a flaw in my practical technique."
Harry winced slightly, picking up on the fierce, competitive stubbornness lacing her words.
"Very well," Maurise nodded, entirely unoffended. "If you run into any complications or require assistance, do not hesitate to find me."
---
Returning to his dormitory, Maurise spent a few quiet moments contemplating the Chamber of Secrets.
It appeared this was the overarching narrative for Harry Potter's second year. Unfortunately, Maurise was currently operating with zero concrete information. He had no idea where the Chamber was hidden, what the monster actually was, or the true identity of the Heir.
He decided to table the mystery for now. His most pressing concern was still reviving Tin.
Maurise's gaze shifted to a slightly oversized brass cauldron resting on the floor near his bed. A faint, milky-white magical aura pulsed gently around the rim, giving the mundane object a distinctly profound, mystical appearance.
This was his newly forged magical artifact, specifically designed to cure his familiar: The Purifying Cauldron.
After more than a week of relentless, sleepless research into the Book of the Magi, Maurise had finally completed the artifact early that morning. Exactly seventeen complex "Purification" runes were meticulously engraved into the cauldron's exterior walls, radiating a potent, stable magical frequency.
It was time to test his work. Success or failure hinged entirely on this attempt.
"Aguamenti!"
Maurise aimed his wand directly into the cauldron, filling it to the brim with clear, fresh water.
The milky-white aura immediately reacted, seemingly resonating with the pure water, causing the surface to ripple gently.
Without any hesitation, Maurise picked up the rigid, board-stiff body of his cat and unceremoniously dumped it straight into the water. He cast a quick Fire-Making Spell underneath the brass bottom and began to brew his soup.
Ah, no. He began the medical treatment.
As bizarre as it looked, there was no need for concern. This was exactly how the Purifying Cauldron was designed to function.
As the flames steadily heated the brass, the water inside began to warm. Soon, it reached a rolling boil, bubbling and gurgling vigorously around the petrified feline.
Once the water was completely boiling, Maurise reached into his pocket and tossed a generous handful of Gap Energy Crystals directly into the pot.
A sharp, ear-piercing crack echoed through the room. The water inside the cauldron churned violently, glowing with a blinding intensity.
Then, a massive flash of pure white light erupted.
BOOM!
The cauldron violently expelled its contents. Tin shot out of the boiling water like a furry cannonball, slamming heavily into the heavy oak door of the dormitory. The cat slid down the wood, hit the floor with a dull thud, rolled twice, and lay completely motionless face-down on the rug.
Maurise hurried over, his heart skipping a beat.
Suddenly, Tin's hind leg twitched. The cat shakily pushed itself up into a wobbly sitting position and violently shook its head side to side, looking utterly and completely bewildered.
"Meow?" (Who am I?)
"Meow-oo?" (Where am I?)
Seeing the movement, a massive wave of relief washed over Maurise. He eagerly scooped the confused cat into his arms. "Welcome back, buddy."
Tin blinked rapidly, his cloudy eyes slowly regaining their usual focus.
Maurise immediately set the cat down and demanded to know exactly what had happened right before the petrification.
Tin began to meow frantically. To illustrate his point, the cat flattened its limbs against its sides and began violently wriggling across the carpet like an oversized, furry maggot.
"A snake? An incredibly massive snake?" Maurise asked, easily interpreting his familiar's charades.
Tin immediately stopped wriggling and nodded vigorously.
On the night of the Halloween feast, he and Mrs. Norris had been out on a routine patrol of the lower corridors. They had suddenly encountered a truly gargantuan snake. Before Tin could even react, he had instantly lost consciousness.
Maurise gently stroked the cat's head, his mind racing.
A massive snake. It seemed he now knew exactly what kind of monster was hiding inside the Chamber of Secrets.