Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 73 Denial

Thea walked slowly back to her dormitory, recalling the fact that the three professors had all looked at her at the same time.

That cold, scrutinizing gaze is enough to drive a person crazy!

If I hadn't stayed in the lobby the whole time, there might have been more than three people left behind by now.

Dear professors, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't open the secret room.

The little snakes stepped into the lounge, but instead of immediately returning to their dormitories, they all stayed in the lounge, waiting for someone to arrive.

Undoubtedly, the best spots near the fireplace were all occupied by the prefectural eccentrics, while the other young wizards found suitable seats without expressing any dissatisfaction.

As soon as Thea walked in, she saw everyone scattered around the center according to the class leaders' seats. She raised an eyebrow and then naturally headed towards the center area.

As a prefect, Farnay was clearly at the center of power in Slytherin.

After seeing Thea sit up straight, he gave her a barely perceptible questioning look. Only after receiving Thea's negative response did he clear his throat and signal everyone to quiet down.

"Alright, everyone, let's talk now. Does anyone know anything about the locked room incident?"

As soon as Fane finished speaking, Thea felt countless gazes, both overt and covert, directed at her.

Thea wasn't surprised. Seeing that no young wizard spoke, Thea sighed inwardly, then stood up and faced the crowd, saying:

"I know you all have questions, but let me explain: I didn't open the secret room. I've been staying in the main hall all night, so you all know I didn't have time to open it."

Seeing the dimming of everyone's eyes, Thea was about to sit down when Fane gave her a look of disappointment.

How could the heir to Slytherin be a Gryffindor?

Fane paused for a moment, then continued, "Thea, do you know anything else about the secret room?"

Thea: "..."

Thea was genuinely surprised that even the prefect didn't know about the secret room, and the other person's gaze left Thea somewhat puzzled.

Thea carefully considered her words and said, "The Chamber of Secrets is an underground building constructed by Salazar Slytherin in the Middle Ages under the Hogwarts grotto. His original intention was to build a secret building that belonged to him alone, but with Slytherin's departure, the Chamber of Secrets gradually disappeared from people's memory."

The above information is from "Hogwarts: A Glimpse into School History," which you can borrow from the library if you're interested.

Thea casually shared the news about the secret room.

But the young wizards below were not calm. "Is there some kind of monster locked in the Chamber of Secrets? Why did that cat turn into that?" Draco asked anxiously.

"Well... I'm not entirely sure either, but one thing is certain: the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. I have a feeling that something big might happen at Hogwarts soon."

Thea first said she didn't know the answer to Draco's question, then reminded him, "Everyone should be careful lately and try not to be alone. This time it was a cat that was attacked, but no one can be sure that next time it won't be a little wizard who gets attacked."

Everyone understood the warning in Thea's words and nodded hurriedly to indicate that they understood.

Fane sat on the sofa, watching the girl act so confidently in front of everyone, and his doubts grew stronger.

Is Thea really not the heir to Slytherin? She seems to know a lot of things.

The brief meeting ended quickly. The young wizards either went straight to their dormitories to report the events of the night to their families, or they gathered in small groups and went into the private rooms on one side of the lounge to discuss the secret room with their friends.

Thea and Draco exchanged glances before entering a private room located at the far end.

"I think the monster in the secret room must have come out to eliminate those... Muggle-born wizards!"

As soon as he entered the private room, Draco couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.

“But that’s hundreds of years since the Middle Ages! What kind of monster could live for hundreds of years? Let alone still have the strength to kill people!” Daphne questioned.

“You never know. What if the creature inside is special? There are many magical creatures in the wizarding world. Or maybe it’s not even a living thing?” Zabini also offered his conjecture.

"...Thea, why aren't you saying anything?" Theodore asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm? I'm just a little curious, what kind of person would Slytherin be?"

The Slytherin Code has one hundred rules, each specifying what kind of person we should be, but not a single word mentions discrimination against Muggles…

“But Slytherin has always been about pure-blood supremacy, hasn’t it?” Pansy had been listening attentively to their conversation, but Thea’s words puzzled her.

"...Is it right just because it has always been this way? If truth is measured by time, then why do we need to learn these modern inventions and their mystique?"

As Thea finished speaking, the entire private room fell completely silent.

Seeing the undisguised shock in everyone's eyes, Thea rubbed her forehead helplessly and said, "Sorry, I'm not feeling well today. Just pretend I didn't say anything. I'm going back to my dorm now."

“Thea…” Daphne was somewhat apprehensive.

"I'm fine," Thea reassured her, then turned and left.

"Zabini, what do you think?" Draco asked bluntly.

Zabini feigned ignorance, asking, "What do you mean, 'how do you see it'? Did Thea say anything?"

"Zabini! Be serious!" Daphne said angrily.

"Fine, fine, I'm really scared of you," Zabini muttered, then said seriously, "So what do you want me to say? That Thea was born rebellious? That she's a pure-blooded traitor?"

"Zabini!" Draco exploded upon hearing the word "pure-blood traitor," shouting loudly.

Zabini remained unperturbed by the yelling, his face still bearing that indifferent expression. "Didn't she say she'd never said anything? Just do as she says, right? Are you really going to write back?"

"Of course not!" they all said in unison.

“That solves it, doesn’t it?” Zabini shrugged.

"However, we should still be careful about how we treat Muggle and half-blood wizards in the future! I have a feeling that this time it wasn't just a whim."

Before leaving the house, Zabini, unusually, put away his nonchalant expression and adopted a serious one.

They had known each other since childhood, and now that they were all in the same boat, they naturally nodded in agreement.