In the blink of an eye, Halloween arrived.
The Castle was decorated everywhere with flying bat models and grinning jack-o'-lanterns. The air was thick with the sweet scent of candy and the faint aroma of pumpkin pie.
Over the past few days, Lynn had continued his routine—eating, drinking, attending classes, and conducting research as usual. His face showed not the slightest hint of urgency over losing a dangerous item.
For the first two days, William, Edgar, and Ollie were frantic, circling Lynn and questioning him incessantly.
"Lynn, that sinister diary is gone. Aren't you even a little worried it'll cause trouble?" Their voices were full of concern.
At the time, Lynn was busy modifying a fishing rod and replied without looking up, "What can I do? I've searched everywhere I could and even used Summoning Charms.
Of all things to steal, that thief chose a sinister diary. I can only say... that thief has unique taste, or perhaps they were destined for this calamity?"
The three were stunned. Thinking it over, his logic seemed sound.
Lynn had found the item, and now it was stolen. Their frantic worrying was useless. Could they really launch a school-wide search for a plain-looking notebook?
So, they gradually put the matter out of their minds...
On Halloween night, the Hufflepuff dormitory was filled with an aroma vastly different from the Great Hall.
Inside the Undetectable Extension trunk—
Before Lynn sat a ceramic cauldron meticulously fired by Alchemy Golems, currently perched over a hearth fire.
Inside the cauldron, a golden, glistening chicken soup simmered, bubbling with steam. The rich aroma, mixed with the unique fragrance of bamboo fungus, filled the entire dormitory.
William, Edgar, and Ollie sat around a small table nearby, their eyes practically glued to the cauldron, their throats bobbing as they unconsciously swallowed their saliva.
They hadn't gone to the Halloween feast in the Great Hall, choosing instead to have a private meal in the dorm and enjoy a Chinese feast prepared by Lynn himself.
"Lynn, this chicken soup has been stewing for nearly two hours. Isn't it ready yet?" Edgar craned his neck to look at the cauldron for the nth time.
Lynn, who was at a nearby stove wielding a spatula to stir-fry garlic broccoli, didn't turn around as he calmly replied:
"No rush, no rush. The timing isn't right yet. Strictly speaking, it's seventeen minutes short of two hours. Haste makes waste—you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry, and you certainly can't eat bamboo fungus chicken soup. Be patient, Edgar."
"Fine..." Edgar forced himself to turn away, following the "out of sight, out of mind" principle. He sat at the table and pulled out some parchment to start his homework.
William and Ollie also tried to shift their attention away from the food, but with little success.
Time trickled by amidst the enticing aromas.
Besides the main dish of bamboo chicken soup, Lynn had also finished making bright red braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and a refreshing chilled cucumber salad.
As each dish was finished, Lynn placed it into a nearby preservation box.
Finally, after two hours of simmering, Lynn lifted the lid of the ceramic cauldron. A wave of savory heat rushed out. The chicken soup was a perfect golden yellow, and the bamboo fungus had soaked up the broth, looking plump and inviting.
"Ahahaha~ The chicken soup is here!"
"Let's eat!"
At his command, the three immediately gathered around, abandoning all etiquette as they began to feast greedily.
The delicious chicken soup warmed their stomachs. The tender chicken, the crisp bamboo fungus, the flavorful braised ribs—every dish drew praise from Edgar and the others. Ollie couldn't help but go back for a second bowl of rice.
After the feast, Edgar slumped in his chair, patting his slightly bulging stomach with satisfaction. "Burp~ I'm done. I can't eat another bite, really."
William also leaned back. "Me too. I feel like it's a struggle just to move."
Ollie didn't speak, simply nodding in agreement.
Lynn stood up with a smile, stretched his limbs, and invited the three: "I'm going out for a walk to help my digestion. The Castle should be quite lively tonight. Want to come along?"
Edgar and the others refused almost in unison, their heads shaking like rattles.
"Not going, not going!"
"When you're full, you should be lying down!"
"Walking for digestion? That's the ultimate disrespect to fine food!"
Lynn shrugged, not forcing them. He left the dormitory and stepped into the somewhat empty corridors of the Castle.
Compared to the bustle of the Great Hall, the corridors were significantly quieter.
Lynn strolled slowly, enjoying the pleasant tranquility after a full meal.
However, that tranquility was soon shattered.
Thump! Thump-thump!
A dull sound, like a heavy object being dragged or striking against stone, drifted faintly from above.
Lynn's footsteps came to a sudden halt. He looked up warily. The sound seemed to be coming from a corridor upstairs, or perhaps from inside the walls or pipes?
Thump... thump-thump... The tapping didn't stop, but it was indeed growing more distant.
Lynn held his breath and concentrated, trying to catch more information.
"Hiss~~... hiss... (...don't want to... go to work...)"
Lynn shook his head, thinking he was so full he was having auditory hallucinations.
What was that? Did I just hear... a snake saying... it doesn't want to go to work?!
Lynn ranted wildly in his mind:
Merlin's school swimsuit! Has the wizarding world become this competitive? Even snakes have to clock in for work?! Has employment pressure spread to the magical creature realm?!
Just as Lynn was trying to make sense of this bizarre auditory information—
"My cat!!"
A shrill scream suddenly erupted from not far upstairs, instantly shattering the silence of the corridor!
Lynn immediately recognized the owner of the voice—it was the caretaker, Argus Filch. His cat? Madam Norris? Dead?!
Lynn didn't hesitate anymore. Deciding to see what the commotion was about, he immediately jogged toward the source of the sound.
When he arrived at the scene, a small, scattered crowd of students had already gathered, drawn by the noise.
Their faces were filled with terror and curiosity. They whispered among themselves, pointing at the wall.
Lynn squeezed to the front of the crowd. The scene before him made his pupils contract sharply:
The first thing that caught his eye were two lines of massive words written in blood on the wall:
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE.
The words radiated unmasked malice.
And not far from the bloody message, Madam Norris was hanging stiffly from a torch bracket on the wall!
Her eyes were wide and bulging, as if she had seen something terrifying.
Filch was kneeling before Madam Norris, wailing loudly.
The commotion in the corridor and Filch's heart-wrenching cries had clearly caused quite a stir.
Before long, footsteps approached. Led by Dumbledore, a large group including Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Flitwick hurried to the scene.
The professors' faces were solemn and grave, especially Professor McGonagall, whose lips were pressed white.
Dumbledore's eyes quickly swept over the scene, his gaze lingering for a moment on the striking blood-red words and the suspended cat.
"Don't worry, Argus. Calm down and look closely at Madam Norris."
Filch looked where Dumbledore pointed.
"She is not dead; she has merely been Petrified. Believe me, Madam Pomfrey knows how to brew a Mandrake Restorative Draught. Madam Norris will be restored then."
Filch's emotions stabilized slightly, but he still glared venomously at the surrounding students, as if certain the culprit was among them.
After soothing Filch, Dumbledore turned to face the growing crowd of whispering students.
"Everyone return to your respective common rooms immediately. Prefects are responsible for a head count to ensure no one remains behind.
Until further notice, no one is to wander the Castle at will."
The order was concise and clear.
The professors began dispersing the crowd. Professor McGonagall loudly directed the Gryffindor students, while Snape's eyes scanned the crowd. Wherever he looked, students ducked their heads and quickened their pace.
Lynn watched the scene and curled his lip helplessly.
Well, the show's over, and my digestion walk is ruined...
The next day, rumors of a Slytherin Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts spread like wildfire.
The rumors said that Salazar Slytherin had left a secret chamber before departing Hogwarts, waiting for his heir to return so the chamber could be reopened and the school purged.
These rumors left everyone in the Castle panicked, fearing they might be the next target.
---
Happy Reading. Be sure to leave a review!!!
Visit my Patreon for early access to 20+ chapters!!!
P@treon: mrfanfiction140