On the first night back at school, Moriarty was lying in bed.
"DiDi~ Mission released: Bring the snake home. The host must open the Chamber of Secrets before June 1st and bring the Basilisk back to Slytherin Castle!
Reward: 5000 points. Mission failure: The host will be obliterated!"
Moriarty sat up abruptly, all traces of sleep vanishing. The system had chosen this exact moment to release the mission—June 1st marked the beginning of Hogwarts' exams, meaning he had only five months to complete it!
Aside from the ultimate task, this was the most difficult mission Moriarty had faced, but the rewards were equally generous.
"Bring the snake home..." Moriarty closed his eyes, contemplating how to transport a twenty-foot-long Basilisk back to the castle.
"A Space Magic Array!" Moriarty recalled the method he and Lockhart had used to enter Slytherin Castle. Undoubtedly, among the magic he currently knew, only the Space Magic Array was capable of ultra-long-distance teleportation.
"If I'm going to construct a Space Magic Array, I can't do it alone." Moriarty got out of bed, sat at his desk, and began writing: "I need help. I need materials..."
The sound of scribbling filled the dormitory as Moriarty penned five letters. He handed one of them to Ingo, the fairy, addressed to Poseidon.
"Make sure it reaches the castle before tonight." Moriarty instructed. Only his personal Snowy Owl could ensure its timely arrival.
Examining the remaining four letters, Moriarty sighed and resolved to send them using the school's owl service.
At dawn, Moriarty rose and made his way to the West Tower, where the school's owlery was located at the topmost floor.
On the spiral staircase leading to the top, Moriarty encountered an unexpected figure—Professor Randy Cullen, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
The two passed each other in silence, but due to the narrowness of the stairs, Moriarty distinctly caught a whiff of blood.
If only I could see the letter Professor Randy was sending...
Moriarty mused as he sent his own letters.
The four owls hooted softly, seemingly puzzled as to why a student was sending letters to other students within the school.
Leaving the West Tower, Moriarty proceeded to the Room of Requirement. The Christmas present he had given Tonks was a Quickdraw Wand, designed to automatically snap into a wizard's hand—a perfect tool for Auror combat.
After an hour of dueling practice with Tonks, Moriarty arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast.
A large flock of owls swooped in. Jericho, Marcus, and Tonks each received a letter. Upon reading them, their expressions changed slightly. Without finishing their meals, they hurriedly left.
Poseidon sent Moriarty two packages containing rare materials and Salazar Slytherin's research notes on the Space Magic Array, just as Ingo had been instructed.
Moriarty stored the packages in his system space, leisurely finished his breakfast, and then departed. He navigated a dimly lit corridor, passing by a wall with flickering inscriptions, before arriving at the second-floor girls' bathroom.
Three figures were already waiting for him.
As soon as Tonks saw Moriarty, she asked, "What's so urgent that you couldn't tell me in the Room of Requirement? Why here of all places?"
"Nymph," Moriarty patted her hand with a smile. "I have my reasons."
Tonks glanced around, frowning. "I don't understand why you picked this place. Fine, I admit it's secluded, but no girl in her right mind would willingly come here. There's a crying ghost."
"Ghosts don't bother me, and the location is irrelevant," Jericho interjected. "But why a girls' bathroom? If the letter hadn't been signed by Moriarty, I'd have thought some pervert was luring me here!"
Marcus remained silent, standing near the door like a sentry. He had a feeling his test was about to begin.
Moriarty led them inside and examined the sinks until he found a small serpent carved onto the side of a brass faucet. Lifting his Slytherin staff, he tapped it once.
The dragon head atop the staff emitted a brilliant white glow and began spinning rapidly.
Then, the sink started to shift. Moriarty watched as it slowly receded, revealing a wide, dark tunnel large enough for a person to slide into.
Jericho, Marcus, and Tonks gasped.
"Now you understand why I chose this bathroom." Moriarty gestured towards the gaping hole. "This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
The trio cautiously stepped forward, peering into the abyss.
"It's pitch black. I can't see a thing." Tonks wrinkled her nose. "And the smell is awful."
"Are we actually going down there?" Jericho grinned. "Exploring the hidden treasures left by Salazar Slytherin?"
Marcus scoffed. "After seeing the wealth in Slytherin Castle, I doubt Salazar left any real treasure at Hogwarts."
"Ravenclaw once said that knowledge is the greatest treasure," Tonks countered. "Perhaps Salazar left behind magical secrets instead of gold."
"Enough speculation." Moriarty's tone grew serious. "There's a Basilisk in the Chamber."
Before anyone could respond, a toilet erupted in a geyser of water, and a ghostly figure shot out.
"Oh, how dreadful! How terrifying!" wailed the ghost. "Myrtle heard it all! A little Dark Lord, gathering his minions to unleash the Basilisk! Or perhaps he means to feed you all to it! Oh, the horror! But now everyone will like Myrtle for bringing them this news!"
"Crying Myrtle," Moriarty explained. "She was a Ravenclaw student, killed by the Basilisk fifty years ago."
Then, turning to the ghost, he said coldly, "Myrtle, we had an agreement. Do not interfere, or I will ensure you're expelled from this castle forever."
"Oh!" Myrtle gasped dramatically. "You know about Peeves' deal? You can't do that! Oh, Merlin's beard, Myrtle is going to be exorcised! No one likes poor, crying Myrtle!"
Jericho and Tonks exchanged bewildered looks. Moriarty simply tapped his wand, casting a soundproof charm over the group. The world fell blissfully silent.
Tonks turned to Moriarty. "Aren't you worried she'll tell on us?"
"She won't," Moriarty replied. "And I have no intention of doing what she claims."
He suspected the ghosts had a pact with Peeves regarding him, which meant they wouldn't actively hinder his plans.
"Marcus, you're coming with me." Moriarty's voice was firm.
Marcus swallowed hard, his face tense. But after a deep breath, he nodded. "Understood, sir."
"What about us?" Tonks asked.
"You and Jericho will remain here," Moriarty said, retrieving two packages from his system space and placing them on the floor. "These are for you. Open them. From now on, you have three months to study this magic circle with me. By June, I will construct the Space Magic Array inside the Chamber."
Tonks unwrapped her package, revealing a thick tome. She flipped to the first page, her brow furrowing.
Jericho, meanwhile, examined the rare materials. "Mystic vines, glowing marrow, blood demon hide... What kind of fossilized bug is this? And—Merlin's beard, is this a mummy's rear end?!"
Moriarty smirked. He had carefully chosen Tonks and Jericho for this task—one was clever and diligent, while the other had boundless energy.
Originally, he had considered Lilith, but she was engaged in her own endeavors.
As for Marcus...
Moriarty met Marcus's gaze, silently urging him forward.
"This is my test, isn't it?" Marcus took a steadying breath. "Facing the Basilisk..."
He clenched his fists. "Alright, sir. I'll do it. I CAN do it!"
With a deep roar, Marcus hurled himself into the pipe's abyss.