Chapter 31: The Room Revealed

The Snake King Basilisk, ended its long life with its own magic eyes. Leo quickly shrinks the Basilisk's corpse and places it in a bottle filled with preservative fluid from his pocket.

"This should do it! All that's left is the secret room and the successor."

For the time being, there was no immediate attack, but one must not be careless. Besides, it's not right to leave Hermione alone for too long, even if she has set up a defensive formation. She might be injured, so it would be best to go to the infirmary just in case.

Returning to Hermione's place and lifting the defensive formation, Hermione hugged him crying.

"Leo...! Leo!! I'm glad... you're alive. I'm really glad..."

Seeing Leo safe and sound, she sighed with relief and sat down exhausted.

"Haha, my legs is tired... But I'm really glad. Are you hurt?"

"Nope, I'm fine. How about you, Hermione? Are you hurt? You must be tired, so let's go to the infirmary."

He lifts Hermione up in what is known as a princess carry.

"Le, Leo!? I'm fine, I can walk if I rest a bit!?"

"Huh? They say haste makes waste, so there's no problem with this, right? Hermione is light and not a burden."

With that, he starts walking while still holding Hermione. Hermione lets him do as he pleases with her face turning bright red.

(I'm embarrassed... Is this what they mean when they say your face is on fire? ...Wait. Why am I embarrassed? I'm just being carried. Huh? Wait a minute... Could it be that I have feelings for Leo?)

For the first time, Hermione Granger became aware of her feelings for Leonard Taylor. The moment she realized it, she could tell that her face was getting much hotter and redder than before. Naturally, Leo noticed her condition and was startled.

"Hermione!? Are you okay? Your face is really red! Could it be some kind of curse... No, that doesn't seem to be the case. Let's hurry to the infirmary."

"I-I'm fine, Leo! I'm fine so don't look at me too much...!"

Upon arriving at the infirmary, which was already past lights out time, he explained the situation and left Hermione in Madame Pomfrey's care. Not knowing the cause of the symptoms, he asked Madame Pomfrey who sighed at Hermione's condition and said to Leo.

"You're more insensitive than I thought. She won't get better if you're around, so please leave for now. There's no need to worry. It's something peculiar to girls of her age."

With a sharp snap, the door was closed and I was expelled. For now, I decided to report to Dumbledore that I had exterminated the Basilisk.

The next day, Hogwarts was wrapped in joy. It's not surprising since the monster of the secret room left by Slytherin, the Basilisk, had been exterminated. The Muggle-borns were relieved, and everyone else was overflowing with joy. Leonard Taylor, the exterminator, was awarded the Hogwarts Special Merit Award, and 100 points were added to Ravenclaw, ensuring the acquisition of the House Cup for two consecutive years.

However, most of the students had forgotten. The Basilisk was gone, but they forgot about the mastermind who controlled it, the heir of Slytherin.

That evening, Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor was taken away to the secret room by the heir. The students were banned from entering and leaving the dormitory, and the teachers were busy dealing with it. Leo was researching various things about the Basilisk he had obtained.

Even when it became night, he continued his investigation without getting tired, but he had to interrupt due to the sound of someone violently knocking on the door of his laboratory. Slightly annoyed, he checked in front of the door and found Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

Without inviting them into his lab, he spoke through the door like a Muggle intercom.

"What do you need? I thought students were prohibited from entering."

"Ginny's been taken away! I want to help her, please cooperate!"

"I really didn't want to rely on you, but you're strong and smart. I thought you might have some information about the secret room."

"If you know something, tell us! If we don't hurry up, Ginny... my sister will be killed!"

"Wait a minute. I'm researching about Basilisk right now. I think I'll understand it soon."

At his words, prioritizing the dead monster Basilisk over Ginny who might be killed soon, both of them were furious.

"What did you say! What are you talking about!? That's enough! We'll figure it out ourselves! Let's go, Harry!"

"Yeah, it was a mistake to rely on Taylor after all. There's no time to spare, let's hurry."

The two ran off into the night at Hogwarts. In his lab, Leo muttered to himself about people who don't listen.

What Leo is researching now is information left in Basilisk's brain. At the request of teachers as well as himself, he was trying to obtain information about the secret room from Basilisk.

A few minutes later, the analysis of brain information is completed. He immediately sends a telepathic message to teachers who are still looking for a secret room and gathers them in staff room.

All teachers gathered in staff room where he explained analysis results.

"From memory left in brain, we found that Basilisk moved through pipes spread all over Hogwarts. There seem to be multiple exits but what we could read is last place it came out from - girls' toilet where Hermione was attacked and Moaning Myrtle is present.

Headmaster, wasn't Myrtle victim 50 years ago?"

"Yes indeed. Myrtle Elizabeth Warren was only victim.

Alright! We've identified entrance to secret room! Let's go rescue kidnapped student. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape will go with me. Remaining teachers please patrol and be vigilant. Leo can you accompany us?"

"Headmaster! No matter how strong he is, he's still a child - a student! I strongly oppose!"

"It's okay Professor McGonagall. I can protect myself at least. And this "eye" might be useful too."

(And I want to see what secret room looks like and who heir is.)

McGonagall reluctantly agreed to accompany him on condition that he would run away if there was any danger at all.

Teachers and Leo arrived at Myrtle's toilet. As Hermione said there was no sign of Myrtle. When they entered ghost Myrtle was frozen in air with face twisted in fear. Probably she saw Basilisk's magic eye. He wanted to investigate what kind of effect this has on ghosts but decided to hurry up for now.

There is small snake sculpture made on washbasin tap which everyone thought is very much like Slytherin.

Heir of Slytherin probably can't open it unless they are Parseltongue but if they know there is entrance here there are other means too.

"Exparso Explosion."

One corner of toilet exploded revealing large hole leading deep underground. There must be secret room where the heir is waiting below this.

"I'll go down first. If it's safe I'll send signal so headmaster and others can follow."

Snape went down first taking lead. Few minutes later Patronus came up hole. Seems like the heir is not there right away.

"Then I'll go next. Professor McGonagall, Leo follow in that order."

One by one they went down and finally Leo entered hole.

(Well well, what does secret room look like. I want to finish this quickly and continue research on Basilisk.)

After Leo went down, two students sneaked into toilet.

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Hermione realizes her feelings of love. Leo is insensitive and useless when it comes to love.

Now Hermione's battle begins!

Basilisk is for now just put in preservative fluid and being analyzed. If it's dissected right away it can't be returned.

I made setting that there are multiple entrances to secret room.

This should prevent Slytherin from being treated as pervert for setting entrance in girls' toilet.

In this novel's setting Basilisk's appearance = preparation for war with Muggles so it would be inconvenient if there was only one entrance so it became like this.