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Chapter 62: Stories about secret rooms

He was quite dissatisfied with Salazar Slytherin's little tricks and couldn't help but tease, "I never imagined Salazar would be this kind of person, placing a hidden chamber entrance in the girls' lavatory; and that Voldemort isn't much different, managing to find the entrance in the girls' lavatory!"

In fact, even though Dracula was a close friend of Slytherin, he didn't know the exact location of the hidden chamber.

Initially, the chamber's entrance wasn't located in the lavatory. At the beginning of its construction, Slytherin and his descendants could access the chamber through a concealed trapdoor and a series of magically protected passages, avoiding the risk of being accused of perversion by entering the girls' lavatory.

However, by the 18th century, with the increase in students and water usage, Hogwarts' plumbing system had become increasingly complex.

In the 18th century, one headmaster of Hogwarts planned to build a girls' lavatory near the chamber's entrance, which is now the half-abandoned lavatory where Moaning Myrtle is.

Due to the construction of this lavatory, the concealment of the chamber was threatened.

At that time, there was a student at Hogwarts named Corvinus Gaunt, a distinguished direct descendant of Slytherin, who was very familiar with the chamber's location. Through his modifications, the entrance to the chamber was secretly protected and connected through a pipe to the location of the brass faucet in the girls' lavatory.

Thus, the entrance to the hidden chamber that Dracula and Dumbledore saw was formed.

"There has always been a legend about the hidden chamber at Hogwarts; it seems it might be true," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "According to the legend, this hidden chamber was built by Salazar Slytherin before he left the school, and only he and his successors could open it."

"The legend says that the chamber is home to a terrifying monster that only Slytherin and his successors can control. When it is unleashed at Hogwarts, it will 'purify the school,' eliminating all those whom Slytherin deems unworthy of learning magic."

"Nonsense," Dracula scoffed. "With Salazar's proud nature, no matter how much he quarreled with Godric and the others, he wouldn't turn his hand against innocent students. Even if he did leave a monster, it was probably just a legacy for his descendants."

"Uncle Dracula, do you mean that Slytherin didn't leave the monster as an act of revenge?" Myrtle leaned forward, asking curiously. "I always thought that after the conflict with my mother and the other two heads, he built the hidden chamber in a fit of anger to eliminate the specially admitted Muggle-born wizards."

"From what I know about Salazar, I would be more inclined to believe he built the hidden chamber to protect Hogwarts," Dracula said, pursing his lips as he looked at Myrtle. "You should know Salazar's ideology, right, Myrtle?"

Myrtle nodded.

"Slytherin believed that admitting Muggle-born wizards would expose Hogwarts and endanger the castle," she said.

"Hmm, so it's more likely that, holding this belief, he built a hidden chamber before leaving," Dracula explained slowly. "He left a powerful monster in the chamber to protect Hogwarts from external threats and released it when necessary. This explanation seems to align better with his nature."

After listening to Dracula, Dumbledore wiped his eyes with a touch of emotion.

"What a touching story! A great founder, even when falling out with friends, doesn't forget to protect their shared legacy," he said emotionally. "It seems the magical world has greatly misunderstood Slytherin's character!"

Seeing Dumbledore's emotional response, Dracula hesitated, reluctant to interrupt his feelings.

"Er, Dumbledore, let's hold back the emotions for a moment and hear me out..." he nudged Dumbledore's arm, "Actually... the magical world doesn't really have such a big misunderstanding about him."

Dumbledore looked at him in confusion.

"Salazar wasn't as noble as you think," Dracula said, after some hesitation, speaking quietly to him. "His hidden chamber is definitely like the rumors say, only his successor can open it."

"In that case, it's likely that Salazar intended for his successor to use the monster's power to turn the tide in times of external invasion, thus making his Slytherin House naturally overshadow the other three houses..."

Dumbledore's expression froze.

The emotional impact was somewhat diminished, and the strong feeling of inspiration had vanished.

"Forget it, as long as Slytherin didn't intend to harm Hogwarts students, that's already quite good..." Dumbledore silently rephrased his thoughts.

"As far as I know, Salazar had no creativity; he liked to use Parseltongue for passwords and thought it was very secure," Dracula said with interest as he turned the non-functioning faucet. He accidentally unscrewed it. "If the chamber was left for his successor, the entrance should be opened with Parseltongue."

"That makes sense. Tom Riddle, being a descendant of Slytherin, would naturally speak Parseltongue," Dumbledore said with a knowing look. "Tom's mother was from the Gaunt family, so he has half of the Gaunt family's blood."

"No wonder," Dracula said, casually tossing the removed faucet on the ground, sighing. "Slytherin probably didn't expect his heir to misuse what he left behind to do bad things..."

At this moment, Moaning Myrtle finally emerged from the toilet.

She had been secretly observing Dracula and Dumbledore for a while, and seeing them discussing a faucet, her curiosity got the better of her, and she floated over to them.

"I died right around here!" She looked at the sink area, suddenly displaying a proud expression, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh? Do you remember how you died?" Dracula leaned back against the sink, asking with interest.

"Oh, it was so terrifying!" she said with relish, showing no sign of fear. "It happened right here; I remember it very clearly. Someone was mocking me for wearing glasses, calling me a four-eyed dog, and I came here to cry, then suddenly heard someone coming in."

"But what annoyed me was, it was a boy who came in, speaking some ridiculous, incomprehensible words at the sink. So I ran over to scold him to go away, to his own boys' lavatory, and then—" Moaning Myrtle puffed up her chest proudly, her face glowing, "—then I died!"

"If I remember correctly, what you've described is similar to what you told Headmaster Dipet about fifty years ago, Myrtle," Dumbledore said gently. "What we want to know is specifically how you died. Or rather, what method did the boy use to kill you?"

"Actually, I don't know exactly how I died," Myrtle said mysteriously, leaning closer to Dracula. "I just remember seeing a pair of huge, terrifying yellow eyes, my whole body seemed to be grabbed, and then I floated away..."

Then Myrtle became excited again, her face full of joy. "Actually, dying wasn't so bad; I came back as a ghost. I haven't even settled scores with Olive Hornby yet! Oh, she certainly regrets mocking my glasses back then!"

Dumbledore nodded.

"According to Myrtle, it seems Tom didn't personally kill her. So the guess that there's a monster behind this faucet is likely correct. And that monster is probably under Tom's control," he said.

Then, Dumbledore turned to Dracula. "Can you open this entrance, Professor Dracula?"

"Of course!"

Dracula eagerly flexed his wrist and raised his hand towards the faucet.

A deeply dark sphere of light appeared in his palm. The sphere, like a black hole absorbing everything, continuously gathered the surrounding magical energy, its aura growing increasingly powerful and terrifying.

Dumbledore initially thought Dracula intended to use Hogwarts' deeds and landlord privileges to open the Slytherin's entrance mechanism. But upon seeing the terrifying aura of the black hole, he instantly realized.

"You mean opening the entrance... is by forcibly blasting it open with magic?!" Dumbledore's eye twitched, and he quickly stepped in front of Dracula. "Professor Dracula, don't be reckless, stop your magic at once!"

"How else are we supposed to get in without blasting it open? I don't speak Salazar's Parseltongue."

Dracula's wine-red eyes seemed to be glowing as he eagerly looked at the faucet, refusing to stop.

"You'll ruin the castle's magical system, Dracula!" Dumbledore's expression darkened, even drawing his wand. "There's no need to gamble with Hogwarts' safety for a weak Voldemort!"

Saying this, he raised his wand towards Dracula.