Upon realizing the possibility, a deep sense of panic surged within Hermione.
"If he really is the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets... then what about Harry..."
She grew increasingly anxious, looking to Nolan for guidance, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "What should we do?"
At the moment, Harry's situation was anything but ideal. The entire school had begun to shift its gaze toward him, with eerie incidents unfolding one after another. Every clue seemed to point in his direction—just without solid proof.
"Don't panic, Hermione. You need to stay calm." Nolan sighed inwardly, then said in a steady and resolute voice, "If we want to figure out what's really going on, we need to understand the cause behind all of this."
"You have to remember, that diary is only showing Harry what it wants him to see. It isn't responsible for what's happening in the school."
His firm and measured words steadied Hermione, helping her regain her composure.
There had to be something else at play—something influencing reality.
Hermione knew she shouldn't get caught up in the diary alone. She had to search for the truth. She had to help Harry.
"Thank you. What should we do first?" she asked, gratitude shining in her gaze.
Listening to Nolan's reasoning felt like a pair of hands peeling away the fog, revealing the approaching dawn.
"Hermione, I don't know what you've thought of, but I can go with you."
It would be too dangerous for her to act alone, and Nolan didn't want to be caught up in any storm of blame if something happened to her after coming to see him.
If things played out as he expected, Hermione would likely uncover critical evidence—provided that nothing prevented her from obtaining it.
Nolan weighed the situation thoughtfully.
"Really?" Hermione's face lit up with excitement as she turned to him, filled with anticipation.
With Nolan's help, she was certain they could accomplish far more.
"Of course." He gave a composed nod.
The moment the words left his lips, Hermione eagerly grabbed Nolan by the wrist, ready to lead him to the library.
However, just as they stepped out of the room, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Ahh! Let go of each other's hands right now!"
Astoria had appeared before them in a hurry, her face a mix of shock and dismay. She squeezed herself between the two, forcefully pushing them apart, then glared at Hermione with barely contained frustration.
"Why are you coming to Nolan instead of going to Harry or Ron?"
The young witch's indignation burned in her voice, like a small but fiercely territorial pup trying to ward off an intruder. Despite the anger, there was a certain helplessness in her reaction.
Hermione looked toward Nolan, slightly taken aback by Astoria's intensity.
He, on the other hand, wore an expression of mild exasperation, his deep eyes looking down at the shorter girl standing before him.
"We have important matters to attend to."
His meaning was crystal clear—he didn't want Astoria interfering right now.
A few days ago, a student had been found petrified. If they didn't act soon, the situation would only spiral further out of control. Panic would spread, and even Nolan himself might not be able to avoid getting caught in the turmoil.
The idea of being toyed with by some unknown force—mocked and rendered powerless—was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
"Then take me with you!" Astoria declared immediately.
She didn't want Nolan and Hermione going anywhere together.
In fact, she didn't want any other girl standing beside Nolan, let alone working with him on something important.
"We're just going to the library to do some research. It'll be a tedious and dull process. Are you sure you want to join us?"
Hermione, hoping to ease the situation, tried to discourage her.
The mention of the library made Astoria hesitate for the first time.
To her, the countless books filled with obscure and complex information were nothing short of a nightmare. She wasn't adept at quickly grasping key details from dense texts, and reading them felt more like a sleep-inducing lullaby.
Although she took her studies seriously, it was only in subjects she had chosen herself.
"I'm coming!" Astoria insisted after a moment, sneaking a glance at Nolan. Seeing that he was looking at her too, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she made up her mind.
So what if it was books? She could handle it.
As they walked toward the library, Astoria couldn't help but ask, "So, what exactly are we looking for?"
She still believed she was a lucky witch—maybe she would be the one to stumble upon the key clue first.
"Strange things have been happening in the school recently, and I suspect they're linked to the Chamber of Secrets, which Salazar Slytherin built a thousand years ago."
"After all, messages have already been written in blood for everyone to see."
"But I also think that the petrifications may not have been caused by a person alone. In my experience, there are creatures and peculiar entities capable of petrifying people... such as a certain snake-haired witch."
Nolan spoke calmly, organizing his thoughts aloud as he went.
To reach the truth, he had to lay everything out and pick apart the most critical clues.
Astoria, however, quickly grew dizzy, her eyes almost swirling from the sheer amount of information.
Hermione, on the other hand, immediately caught onto the key details.
"Maybe we should look into magical creatures capable of petrification, as well as historical records from a thousand years ago about the Chamber of Secrets."
Hearing Hermione's reasoning, Astoria finally started to grasp their objective.
When they arrived at the library, the trio immediately caught Madam Irma Pince's attention.
"Good evening, Madam Pince. We'd like to check out some books," Hermione greeted politely. As a frequent visitor, she was no stranger to the strict librarian.
Madam Pince's stern face softened into a slight smile. "Is there something specific I can help you find?"
Hermione turned back to look at Nolan for guidance.
He didn't respond with any overt signals, so Hermione spoke up. "We'd like to visit the historical section and browse some records."
"We recently covered some interesting historical events in class, and we'd love to delve deeper into them," she added sincerely.
Technically, it wasn't a lie—she really was interested in what had happened back then.
"Perhaps I could direct you to a particular time period?" Madam Pince mused.
"We're just exploring history in general," Nolan interjected smoothly before Hermione could say anything further. "We don't have a specific time frame in mind yet. It'll be much more engaging to browse and discover things ourselves."
His subtle maneuver prevented Hermione from revealing too much.
Right now, the Chamber of Secrets was a taboo topic, and investigating it carried risks. People were on edge—anyone who showed too much interest might be suspected of being Slytherin's heir or of trying to unleash the monster within.
Nolan wasn't about to let them fall under unnecessary scrutiny.