Chapter 119: Waiting for the Situation to Unfold (Patreon)

"Professor Dumbledore! Professor Dumbledore!"

Wade sprinted up to the teachers' stand, gasping for breath, his face filled with panic.

"S-Something's happened... Someone else has been attacked."

The moment those words left his mouth, the bustling stadium fell silent.

Dozens of eyes turned toward him at once.

"Who? Who was attacked?" Professor McGonagall asked anxiously.

"Hermione. She... she's been Petrified."

McGonagall's pupils trembled.

"Miss Granger..."

"Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said calmly, "please accompany Mr. Morea and take Miss Granger to the Hospital Wing."

Then he turned to McGonagall.

"Minerva, announce that today's match has been canceled. Have all students return to their respective common rooms. The school will explain the situation shortly."

McGonagall immediately nodded. She grabbed a large magical microphone from the commentator's table and hurried into the stadium.

Following Wade's lead, Madam Pomfrey found Hermione lying in the first-floor corridor. Together, they lifted her onto a stretcher and carried her to the Hospital Wing, placing her beside the other victims.

About fifteen minutes later, Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall entered the ward.

Harry and Ron followed closely behind them.

"Mr. Morea," Dumbledore began, "you were the first to discover Miss Granger. Could you explain exactly what happened?"

Wade hesitated, as though wrestling with himself before finally speaking.

"Professor... I ran into Hermione on the fifth floor."

"At that moment, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger. It was like... some savage beast had locked onto me."

"Driven by instinct, I grabbed her and ran. We escaped by jumping out of a fifth-floor window."

"You what?!" Ron blurted out.

"Have you lost your mind? That's the fifth floor! Do you know how high that is?"

"I was wearing a Levitation Cloak."

"And my intuition told me we couldn't escape by taking the normal route. The window was the only way out. If we hadn't jumped... we would've died."

He paused before continuing.

"The facts prove I was right."

"Hermione was perfectly fine before we jumped."

"But after we landed, I discovered she'd already been Petrified."

"If we'd jumped even a second later..."

He glanced at the empty bed nearby.

"...there would've been another patient lying here."

"..."

Ron stared at him in disbelief.

"That's... way too ridiculous to believe."

"Mr. Morea possesses the bloodline of a Seer," Dumbledore explained. "It's not unusual for him to sense danger before it arrives."

He then looked back at Wade.

"Did you happen to see what the monster looked like?"

"No, Professor McGonagall."

"I was too busy running for my life. Looking back would've only slowed me down."

"But I did notice something else."

Wade removed the pair of glasses Hermione was wearing.

"I gave these to her as a Christmas present. They're an alchemical item."

"They were perfectly intact before she was Petrified."

"But afterward..."

"...most of the magical circuits inside them were destroyed."

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a glance.

They immediately thought of Colin Creevey's camera.

"Thank you for noticing that, Mr. Morea."

Turning to Snape, Dumbledore said,

"Professor Snape, please escort Mr. Morea back to the Slytherin common room."

"Come."

Wade silently followed Snape out of the Hospital Wing, already considering his next move.

With Hermione now Petrified, the information about the Basilisk would remain undiscovered for the time being.

That bought him a little more room to maneuver.

Should he wait quietly for events to unfold, allowing Harry Potter to charge ahead while he reaped the benefits from the shadows?

Or should he report everything to Professor Snape now and later shamelessly request the Basilisk's eyes and venom as his reward?

It was a difficult choice.

The first option would let him remain hidden and maximize his profits.

But it also meant Hogwarts students would continue to face danger.

No one could guarantee that Tom Riddle wouldn't manipulate Ginny again and send the Basilisk out to kill.

The second option would eliminate that risk.

However, it would thrust Wade directly into the spotlight.

Every professor and student at Hogwarts would know exactly who Wade Morea was.

That completely contradicted his strategy of developing quietly in the shadows.

And there was no guarantee he'd receive any rewards afterward.

"What a troublesome decision..."

Fortunately...

"I'm a Seer."

Wade sighed softly.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Galleon and tossed it into the air.

The coin spun several times before landing in his palm.

Heads.

At that instant, clarity came to him.

Wait and watch.

But don't allow the situation to spiral beyond control.

"What are you doing?" Snape asked.

"I'm listening to the sound a Galleon makes as it cuts through the air."

"It helps calm my mind."

Snape shot him a look of pure disdain, deciding that such a vulgar hobby wasn't even worth commenting on.

The two of them descended through the dungeon entrance and entered the Slytherin common room.

"Professor, what happened?" Draco asked immediately.

"Hermione Granger was attacked by the monster from the Chamber of Secrets."

"She's now in the Hospital Wing with the other victims."

"I knew it."

"It was only a matter of time before Granger became a target."

"That's enough, Draco," Daphne said disapprovingly.

Snape ignored the exchange and addressed the room.

"I have several new school regulations that every student is required to obey."

"All students must return to their common rooms before six o'clock every evening."

"Teachers will escort students to every class."

"No student may use the bathrooms without a professor present."

"All Quidditch practices and matches have been postponed."

"And no nighttime activities of any kind are permitted."

These rules... are brilliant.

Wade's expression became rather interesting.

With restrictions this strict, even if the Basilisk wanted to attack again, it would struggle to find an opportunity.

If that was the case...

Perhaps leaving Tom Riddle's diary in Ginny Weasley's hands for a little while longer wasn't such a bad idea.

"...Professor," Draco said reluctantly, "surely Slytherin has to follow these rules too?"

He thought the regulations were completely unnecessary.

After all, the victims had all been Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

Perhaps Ravenclaws would be targeted next.

But certainly not Slytherins.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy," Snape replied dryly, "I don't particularly enjoy these rules either."

"But Dumbledore is still the Headmaster."

"For now," Draco said with a smug grin.

"My father told me the Board of Governors is reaching the limit of its patience with Dumbledore."

"With all due respect, Professor, Dumbledore won't remain Headmaster much longer."

"And Professor McGonagall won't either. At best, she'd only be a temporary replacement."

For once, Draco spoke with complete seriousness.

"Professor... why don't you apply for the position yourself?"

"Exactly," Wade chimed in.

"Every time you've applied to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Dumbledore has turned you down."

"And because of that, we've spent the past two years without a proper Defense Against the Dark Arts education."

"First Quirrell."

"Then Lockhart."

"They've both been... difficult to praise."

"But if you were Headmaster, I'm sure our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes wouldn't be handled so carelessly."

"You two..."

Snape's voice remained calm, but the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth was impossible to suppress.

"Dumbledore hasn't retired yet."

"If you decide to run for Headmaster, Professor," Draco said eagerly, "my father will definitely vote for you."

"My mother would as well," Daphne added.

After all, plenty of influential wizarding families had representatives on the Board of Governors.

Snape neither confirmed nor denied it.

Yet the satisfaction on his face became even more obvious.

Being Head of Slytherin House wasn't bad...

But serving as Headmaster of Hogwarts offered an entirely different horizon.

As for Dumbledore...

He was getting old.

He couldn't remain Headmaster forever.

Stepping down a few years earlier might allow him to worry less about school affairs and devote more of his attention to dealing with Lord Voldemort.