A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 67: Midnight Conversation

Draco Malfoy sat uneasily on the couch.

Felix Harp sat across from him, first summoning a cup of hot cocoa for him. "Sweets can make one feel happy," he said, his blue eyes gentle. Then, he waved his wand, causing a black notebook to float and land on the small table between them.

"Thud."

Malfoy couldn't help but shudder.

"It seems your experiences have been quite extraordinary. Would you be willing to share?" Felix asked encouragingly.

"The diary... Professor," Malfoy began, his voice hoarse. "I must request forgiveness... I think I inadvertently made a mistake."

Felix's pale blue eyes fixed on him. "Go on."

"It's... it's Potter and his lot!" Malfoy's breathing grew hurried. "A few weeks ago, I found them breaking the rules, more than once! So, I followed them secretly and discovered they were in Moaning Myrtle's territory, the girls' bathroom!"

"Moaning Myrtle's territory..." Felix repeated his words.

"Exactly, Professor." Felix's reaction gave Malfoy confidence; his nose slightly reddened. "They must be plotting something! Potter and his gang always do this, repeatedly violating school rules without facing any consequences..."

It was clear he held deep resentment for this and kept ranting about Potter.

"Everyone must be accountable for their actions," Felix agreed.

"Yes, Professor Harp, you're so fair... in my opinion, few see through his façade. Potter is reckless and arrogant, always with that Weasley by his side, like a pair of—"

"Mr. Malfoy," Felix interrupted, "let's return to our previous topic."

"Of course, Professor. Potter spotted me, and I fled in a panic. When I went back later, they had already erased all traces, but I found this..." His gaze landed on the black notebook.

"What is it?"

"A diary, a very ominous dark magic item!" Malfoy said quickly, his expression a mix of disgust and fear.

"At first, I thought it was left by Potter and his gang, perhaps someone's diary. But I found out it belonged to a person named Tom Riddle, a former Slytherin student. I could converse with him through it, and he taught me many things..."

Tom Riddle, this name... Felix's gaze became deep.

"So, you concealed its existence? I believe the professors have emphasized not to trust things that keep their minds hidden."

Malfoy lowered his head, his platinum blond hair easily visible to Felix.

"Then what, Malfoy? According to your account, it started well, but something changed. Sometimes, I find myself in strange places, and when I try to think, I subconsciously forget about it... and my robes, my bag, and even my collar were inexplicably covered in feathers. I never touched those things!"

"Later today, I found myself in a remote corridor on the fourth floor of the castle. When I realized this, I saw Potter fleeing from beside me."

"I believe," Malfoy's voice dropped, as if his previous words were a preparation for this moment, "this is a trap set for me..."

A quiet atmosphere enveloped the office.

Felix idly played with his wand, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, he leaned down and picked up the diary with his empty hand.

He briefly flipped through it; except for the first page, which bore the inked name "Tom Riddle," the rest of the pages were blank.

Turning to the back cover, the name of a newspaper vendor from Vauxhall Road in London was printed there.

"Mr. Malfoy," Felix said, "are you suggesting that all of this was done by Potter and his friends?"

"There's a possibility, Professor..." he said slowly.

"Then what is their purpose in doing this? Have you ever considered another possibility, like a connection between this diary and the recent Chamber of Secrets attack?"

Draco Malfoy's already pale cheeks grew even whiter. He stammered as Professor Felix Harp, with his light blue eyes, looked at him. It felt as though Felix had seen through his scheming thoughts.

Subconsciously, he believed the diary was connected to the Chamber.

He wanted to entrust the object to a reliable person's hands, but didn't want to invite trouble—Merlin knew what he might have unconsciously done. This was something he couldn't let his father know about. So, he deliberately avoided Professor Snape, who he trusted more but had closer ties to his family.

As for whether it had something to do with Potter, he couldn't be sure. However, causing a bit of trouble for Potter wasn't abnormal, was it?

"Professor... I'm not sure. I have no memory of that." He said slyly.

"Regardless—" Felix glanced at him. "You've made a wise choice. Fifty points to Slytherin. This is the most I can do. Perhaps we should go together to see Headmaster Dumbledore..."

"No, that's not necessary, Professor." Malfoy hurriedly said, standing up. "I have only one request—can you keep this confidential?"

"Confidential?"

"I mean, until we uncover the truth, it's better not to mention my involvement, and don't tell my family. It would affect the reputation of the Malfoy family."

Felix looked at him. "Agreed," he said.

"Thank you, Professor. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

With Felix's permission, he left quickly.

In the office, Felix quietly looked at the diary, his fingers tapping the armrest of the chair.

"Tap, tap."

His perspective changed. In this black and white world, a more concentrated and profound darkness lay before him. He examined it closely, but apart from darkness itself, he found nothing.

Felix went to his desk, pondered for a moment, and then took out a quill. He let a drop of ink fall onto the diary.

A blot appeared on the page.

He waited in silence, but nothing happened.

Felix: "..." Is my approach wrong, or did Malfoy not explain clearly?

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the open page of the diary—

"Reveal secrets!"

"Reveal immediately!"

"Trace magic!"

"Feedback status!"

After a series of attempts, the diary didn't respond at all. It lay quietly there, undisturbed.

Felix: "..."

What's wrong with this thing? Or did Malfoy not explain it properly?

Even he couldn't figure it out in a moment.

Did sixteen or seventeen-year-old Voldemort have this capability? If it were in the realm of Dark Magic, he dared not make hasty judgments, but magical creation...

Why would he surpass me?

Felix sank into deep thought, his fingers continuously tapping the desk. The quiet office filled with the sound of "tap, tap."

After an unknown amount of time, he finally stopped.

Felix's light blue eyes became particularly bright. He thought of a possibility, a possibility that made him tremble all over—

Voldemort was the heir of Slytherin who opened the Chamber, and there was a high likelihood that he was a descendant of that person. That's why Voldemort, during his time at Hogwarts, used Parseltongue to open the Chamber.

What could be inside the Chamber?

Would it merely be a millennia-old snake creature?

That would be a terrible waste. But if viewed from a different angle, perhaps it was guarding something.

For example, the top-secret research materials of Salazar Slytherin?

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