Chapter 133: This Road of No Return, I'll Walk It With You

After Hermione hurriedly left, Harry and Ron also headed quickly towards the Quidditch pitch. 

There was less than an hour until the match started. Irina and Ron made their way to the spectator stands, while Harry joined the other Gryffindor Quidditch team members amidst thunderous cheers as they walked onto the field.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team's Keeper and Captain, Oliver Wood, took to the air, circling the goal posts for warm-ups.

On the other side, the Hufflepuff Quidditch team players also walked onto the grassy area, dressed in pale yellow robes. They huddled together, making the most of the last few minutes to discuss strategies. 

In the middle of the two teams, Madam Hooch had already brought out the balls, ready to start the match.

But just as Harry was about to mount his broomstick, Professor McGonagall came hurrying across the field from a distance, carrying a large purple megaphone.

"The match has been canceled!" Professor McGonagall announced loudly to the crowded stands. "All students must return to their House common rooms immediately, where your Head of House will give you more information. Please leave the grounds as quickly as possible!"

In the stands, hearing Professor McGonagall's words, Irina's heart sank like a huge stone dropping into water.

Hermione was in trouble!

This thought crossed Irina's mind. But she was puzzled - Hermione had gone to the library with the other young wizards, so why would she be attacked? Did she separate from the group for some reason?

Full of confusion, Irina and Ron walked over towards Professor McGonagall.

At that moment, McGonagall was speaking to Harry. Seeing Irina and Ron approach, she turned her head towards them. "Potter, I think it's best you come with me...very well, perhaps you two better come along too, Weasley and Lowell."

Professor McGonagall's words confirmed what Irina had feared.

Feeling uneasy, Irina followed McGonagall back into the castle and to the hospital wing.

"You will be shocked," said Professor McGonagall, in an unnaturally gentle voice. "There has been another attack...and not a single victim this time."

To Irina's shock, she saw that apart from the petrified Hermione lying on a bed, there were two more petrified Ravenclaw girls!

So this is how it's being dealt with!

As long as all the witnesses are eliminated, the basilisk can go completely undetected!

Petrify Hermione and everyone with her, and the basilisk's secret stays hidden!

You clever bastard, Tom!

Irina inwardly cursed. Her best friend being petrified by the basilisk was hard to accept.

Not only that, after Hermione's petrification, a stream of bad news followed one after another.

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, came to Hogwarts and ordered Hagrid, who was suspected of opening the Chamber fifty years ago, to be sent to Azkaban.

Although before Hagrid was taken away, Irina had given him an alchemical bead made by Lynn that could provide some resistance against Dementors, Irina could still imagine that even with the bead, being imprisoned in Azkaban surrounded by Dementors would be sheer torment for Hagrid.

Not only that, even the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore, was ordered suspended and driven out of the castle.

Of course, with Dumbledore's abilities, he could not actually be driven away. He only left the castle because he hoped to maintain that ridiculous order.

"Hagrid is my friend. I cannot simply watch him be imprisoned in Azkaban for so long," Irina said sadly to Lynn in the Room of Requirement.

Lynn and Hagrid could only be considered acquaintances who had met a few times. Though they had seen each other several times, their relationship didn't go beyond being ordinary friends.

But it was different for Irina. She often visited Hagrid's hut with Harry and the others, and had developed a rather good friendship with Hagrid. As his friend, she did not want to see Hagrid suffer such a terrible injustice.

Irina's beautiful face seemed slightly contorted as she inwardly struggled.

Finally, she stood up and said seriously, "Lynn, I want to kill the basilisk ahead of schedule and end this year's events."

Lynn did not immediately respond to her words. Instead, he rested his chin on his hands, staring intently into her ice-blue, beautiful eyes. "But are you prepared? I mean, are you ready to become the butterfly stirring up everything completely?"

Irina nodded without hesitation and said softly, "I think, since we've come here and gained the foresight of being transmigrators, we should guide everything in a better direction instead of letting the tragedy repeat itself. What happened to Hermione woke me up. Lynn, I don't want to remain inactive anymore."

Lynn also stood up. Leaning on the table with both hands, his dark red eyes fixed on Irina. "Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back. Since you've chosen this road of no return, then I'll walk it with you. After all, we're fellow transmigrators, two bugs on the same rope, sharing honor and disgrace together."

Lynn sat back down and said flatly, "To kill the basilisk, there are two things we must do. First, steal the Sorting Hat from the Headmaster's office, as it contains the Sword of Gryffindor which can penetrate the basilisk's defenses. Second, get Harry to speak the Parseltongue phrases to open the Chamber's entrance."

Irina nodded and asked solemnly, "What can I do?"

"I'll handle stealing the Sorting Hat," Lynn replied. "As Harry's close friend, you need to get him to speak the phrases 'open' and 'speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four' in Parseltongue. Use the two-way mirror's recording function to capture it."

Irina wrote down the two phrases and nodded in agreement.

Lynn continued, "Tomorrow is Monday. I'll go to the Headmaster's office while the professors are teaching class. You find a private place to get the Parseltongue recording from Harry. If all goes well, we may enter the Chamber tomorrow night under the cover of darkness."

Irina nodded vigorously to show she understood.

What they were about to do would completely shatter the original storyline. Even though they had made thorough preparations, they still felt a heavy weight leaving the Room of Requirement.

(end of chapter)