Orli never imagined she would find herself stepping into the headmaster's office so frequently this year.
Dumbledore stood by the towering bookshelves, his signature serene smile lighting up his face. On the desk before him lay the tattered Sorting Hat and the silver sword adorned with rubies.
Fawkes, the phoenix, perched gracefully on his shoulder, letting out soft, melodic chirps as if in conversation with the headmaster.
# Dumbledore: "Harry, perhaps you'd care to share how you discovered the Chamber of Secrets and defeated the Basilisk?"
Harry hesitated briefly, then began recounting the events. Starting from the eerie voices he heard in the corridor on Halloween night last year, he spoke for what seemed like a full fifteen minutes. He detailed how they had unearthed information about the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk in the library and how they had sought clues from Moaning Myrtle. During his narration, Dumbledore cast a subtle glance at Orli, giving her a nearly imperceptible nod.
# Dumbledore: "Excellent."
When Harry paused, Dumbledore gently encouraged him to continue.
# Dumbledore: "And how did you uncover the truth about Hagrid's involvement back then?"
Harry pressed on, his voice growing hoarse from the extended narration. He explained how he had received a peculiar diary during Christmas, discovered its anomalies, and communicated with Riddle through it. At one point, they had even suspected Hagrid of being the culprit, but inconsistencies in Riddle's middle name had revealed the truth.
As sunlight flickered across Dumbledore's half-moon glasses, he reached into a drawer and retrieved a black, hardcover diary, placing it on the desk.
# Dumbledore: "Is this the diary you were referring to?"
He opened the cover, revealing the signature "T.M. Riddle" inside.
# Dumbledore: "Apologies, but while you were visiting Hagrid, I retrieved this from your dormitory."
# Harry: "Yes, that's the one."
Harry glanced at the diary with visible disdain.
# Harry: "It was Riddle who opened the Chamber of Secrets back then and framed Hagrid. If he were alive today, he ought to be locked up in Azkaban."
# Dumbledore: "Indeed, Harry. Few are aware of Riddle's other identity."
Dumbledore waved his wand, and the name "Tom Marvolo Riddle" appeared in the air.
# Dumbledore: "Now, try rearranging these letters. What do you see?"
He set aside the letters "I" and "AM" before rearranging the remaining ones.
Ron, who had become adept at word games this term, quickly pieced it together, exclaiming:
# Ron: "I am Lord Vol..."
His face turned ashen.
# Harry: "I am Voldemort."
Harry repeated the words, his eyes wide with shock.
# Dumbledore: "Precisely. Few know that Voldemort's original name was Tom Riddle. Fifty years ago, I had the privilege of teaching him here at Hogwarts. After leaving the school, he vanished, wandering far and wide, delving deeper into the dark arts. He mingled with the most malevolent wizards, enduring countless transformations before reemerging as Voldemort. By then, his appearance had altered so drastically that few could recognize him. Almost no one could connect Voldemort with the brilliant, handsome Head Boy he once was."
Dumbledore's gaze lingered on the diary, as though peering through it into memories of the past.
## Orli: "Shouldn't we destroy it, then?"
Orli asked cautiously.
# Dumbledore: "I still need to study this artifact. But rest assured, I will destroy it when the time is right."
Dumbledore replied.
A wave of regret washed over Orli. The repercussions of altering the storyline were becoming increasingly apparent. With the diary not destroyed as it should have been, what other unforeseen changes might arise?
# Harry: "Professor, there's something else I feel I must confess. Perhaps you already know."
Harry spoke with his head lowered.
# Harry: "I'm a Parselmouth. Could it mean I'm one of Slytherin's heirs?"
# Dumbledore: "Harry, your ability to speak Parseltongue stems from Voldemort, not Slytherin. If I'm not mistaken, the night he gave you that scar, he transferred a part of his power to you. Your Parseltongue ability does not imply any connection to Slytherin."
Dumbledore's voice was calm and reassuring. He picked up the sword from the desk, pointing to the area near the hilt where a name was engraved: Godric Gryffindor.
# Dumbledore: "Only a true Gryffindor could pull this sword from the hat, Harry. This is a fundamental difference between you and Voldemort. The choices we make define our lives far more than the abilities we possess."
For a moment, silence enveloped the office. Ron reached out and patted Harry on the back. They exchanged a glance, and both broke into a smile.
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