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# Harry
"Do you think I should tell the professors about the voice I heard?"
Harry asked hesitantly when they finally returned to their little potions hideout.
# Harry
"It kept saying it was starving, something about tearing... killing... definitely not good things."
# Ron
"Don't."
Ron replied without hesitation.
# Ron
"Hearing voices that others can't is never a good sign, even in the wizarding world."
# Harry
"But you all believe I can hear something, right?"
Harry pressed on.
## Orli
"Of course, we believe you."
Orli sighed.
# Hermione
"But it's really strange."
Hermione frowned.
# Hermione
"A creature that's been starving for a long time, invisible, and only Harry can hear it?"
# Harry
"Could it be some kind of ghost? Or an invisible person?"
Harry was at a loss too.
The distant sound of the curfew bell interrupted their conversation. They quickly headed back to the tower to sleep.
In the following days, Hermione spent even more time in the library than usual, poring over almost every book she could find, but her efforts yielded nothing.
One night, Orli summoned Dobby, but as soon as he heard that the basilisk had appeared at Hogwarts, he went into a frenzy, trying to punish himself. This nearly woke up the other students in the dormitory. Orli had to order him to stay put and repeatedly emphasized that he must not act rashly, especially if it would endanger Harry.
She rummaged through her trunk and found Hogwarts: A History, but it seemed too early to bring up the Chamber of Secrets. Perhaps she should hint at something about the pipes and the basilisk?
Orli felt as if her mind was a tangled mess, completely unable to sort out her thoughts.
If Dumbledore had already discovered the secret of the diary, could it be that he had deliberately opened the Chamber of Secrets? Wasn't he worried that students might be petrified or even killed because of it? Had she misjudged Dumbledore?
If it wasn't Dumbledore, then perhaps there had been some mishap in the diary's transfer? Who could have opened the Chamber of Secrets? Ginny showed no signs of abnormality, but with hundreds of students at Hogwarts, how was she supposed to find the new victim of the diary?
Various questions swirled in Orli's mind, and her head began to ache. But ultimately, all her questions converged on one point:
Did Dumbledore know that Harry was a Parselmouth?
If he knew, then the basilisk might have been deliberately released as a clue, because he knew Harry could detect the basilisk through Parseltongue and gradually unravel the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets.
If he didn't know, then it was unlikely that the basilisk had been deliberately released to roam the walls, as it would serve no purpose other than increasing the risk to the students.
Feeling the chilly night breeze, Orli gazed toward the Forbidden Forest in the distance.
## Orli
"Maybe I need to find a snake,"
she murmured.
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Three mornings later, Orli led Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
She used the excuse that she had accidentally ruined one of Snape's herbs and needed their help to gather a replacement.
# Hermione
"I don't see why you can't just order a new batch by owl post,"
Hermione said, clearly thinking that entering the Forbidden Forest was a bad idea.
# Ron
"That kind of clover costs fifteen Sickles for just a tiny sprig!"
Ron wrinkled his nose, clearly considering it quite a lot of money.
# Ron
"Besides, doesn't it grow around the edges of the Forbidden Forest? Why spend the money?"
## Orli
"The professor needs it by tonight, and there's no time to order it."
Orli said with a pitiful look.
# Harry
"Alright, show me what it looks like again."
Harry took the parchment with the drawing of the herb from her and studied it carefully.