In Harry's view, even if Sherlock didn't know who had opened the Chamber, it didn't matter.
Because as long as they knew the creature attacking students was a basilisk, with Dumbledore's knowledge of Hogwarts and the entire magical world, he would surely be able to find the Chamber's location and the true culprit.
But unexpectedly, when Dumbledore asked, Sherlock said a name that Harry never could have imagined.
"Voldemort."
"What?"
Harry's glasses nearly fell off.
Dumbledore's fingers lightly tapped the desk.
"Sherlock, I think you should be well aware that Voldemort was driven away by you all last year. According to the intelligence I have, he's currently hiding in the forests of Albania."
This was the first time since last year that they'd heard news of Voldemort. Harry couldn't help but shudder at the words, but Sherlock remained unmoved.
"The headmaster is quite right, but the Voldemort I'm referring to is another one."
Both Dumbledore and Harry looked at Sherlock in surprise. However, their reasons weren't quite the same.
Harry couldn't help saying. "Sherlock, you mean... there's more than one Voldemort?"
After saying this, he shook his head repeatedly, even he found it absurd!
Unexpectedly, Sherlock chuckled and nodded. "In a certain sense, you could say that."
"Hiss—"
Harry immediately drew in a sharp breath.
Dumbledore sighed deeply, the look behind his half-moon spectacles becoming even more complex. "It seems you've already understood."
"I don't understand."
Sherlock looked intently at Dumbledore.
"You clearly could have told me last time, but you insisted on making me find the answer myself. Is it because Hogwarts headmasters are naturally eccentric and like to arbitrarily increase difficulty? Or is this... a test of my abilities?"
"Sir, Sherlock, what exactly are you talking about?"
Harry looked between Dumbledore and Sherlock in amazement.
The content of their conversation was beyond Harry's understanding.
"It's simple. Tom Riddle, that outstanding student who won the Award for Special Services to the School fifty years ago, is the Dark Lord who terrifies the wizarding world so much that people dare not even speak his name—Voldemort."
A collective gasp echoed throughout the headmaster's office.
This startled Harry. He knew one of those gasps was his own, but the others...
He suddenly realized and looked up at the walls.
Sure enough, he saw all the portraits of previous headmasters turn their heads in unison, looking at Sherlock with shock.
After a moment, Dumbledore spoke. "How did you figure it out?"
"It wasn't difficult, headmaster."
As Sherlock spoke, he drew his wand from his pocket and traced a few strokes in the air, writing out three glowing names.
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Then he waved his wand again, and the fifteen English letters automatically rearranged themselves to form.
I am Lord Voldemort
"It's just a trick of rearranging and recombining letters, even simpler than the Mirror of Erised."
Harry was stunned. He stared blankly at this line of text, and the terrible face that had appeared in his dreams for days consecutively floated in his mind.
Red eyes, no nose, twisted lips, clinging to someone else's back of the head...
Even though he trusted Sherlock unconditionally, he really couldn't connect an academically excellent, handsome student with the murderer of his parents.
The difference between them was simply too great!
Sherlock glanced at the dumbstruck Harry and put away his wand, continuing.
"Of course, this is just one piece of supporting evidence. After all, various materials don't describe much about Voldemort's past.
But you once said you personally brought Voldemort from the orphanage to Hogwarts, and he was sorted into Slytherin, becoming an excellent student in every respect.
As for what you told me last time, that you didn't want to mention the Chamber being opened fifty years ago because of Hagrid, that's not wrong.
There's another reason. you don't want to face the fact that you personally brought the future Dark Lord Voldemort into Hogwarts.
If you had directly told me Riddle's full name last time, I believe I would have come to you much earlier than now."
Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise, only to see him remain silent for a moment before slowly saying.
"Sherlock, you've resolved a doubt in my mind. This is also my greatest regret...
I did suspect Tom back then, but there was no evidence. Ultimately, after a hasty investigation, the Ministry concluded that Rubeus had opened the Chamber."
"That's slander! They had no evidence, what right did they have to convict Hagrid!"
Harry said indignantly. "Sir, after Mrs. Norris was attacked, you and Professor McGonagall both said that without evidence, no matter how many suspicious points there were, you couldn't make such a determination."
"Harry, you're absolutely right. I've always maintained that, unless proven guilty, one is innocent. Unfortunately, the Ministry doesn't see it that way.
Even now, they think they handled a very impressive case. Their reasoning was that after Rubeus was expelled, no more attacks occurred.
I suspected Tom back then, but similarly because there was no evidence... However, now we know."
Parseltongue, the true heir of Slytherin.
"Your approach wasn't wrong. When existing evidence is insufficient to prove someone guilty yet cannot prove them innocent either, they should be presumed innocent."
Sherlock said quietly.
"If there comes a day when someone can be convicted based merely on suspicion and testimony rather than sufficient factual evidence, that would be a great tragedy."
Both Dumbledore and Harry nodded. Unfortunately, the Ministry didn't think this way.
"As the person who reported Hagrid, Tom had all the conditions for the crime. motive, ability, and method.
Heir of Slytherin, understands Parseltongue, advocates blood purity, despises Muggles...
It's conceivable that when he heard Hogwarts might be closed, not wanting to return to the orphanage, he would be eager to find a scapegoat while no longer continuing to attack students.
This way, he could make those idiots at the Ministry believe Hagrid had opened the Chamber.
I have to say, Tom from fifty years ago was more intelligent than the Voldemort we encountered last year.
I'm even starting to suspect whether he became brain-damaged due to some curse from killing too many people."
Hearing Sherlock's mockery, both Dumbledore and the portraits of former headmasters on the walls were speechless.
That was the Dark Lord!
The most powerful dark wizard in history, who had personally killed hundreds of people over the years!
The being who once ruled the wizarding world and whose name people still dare not speak.
Was it really okay for a mere second-year student to despise him like this?
"Fifty years ago, it was indeed Tom who opened the Chamber, but whoever opened it this time isn't necessarily him."
After coming to his senses, Dumbledore shook his head gently. "Last year he did possess Quirrell to enter the school, but after being defeated by you and Harry, he fled.
As I said just now, he's now far away in Albania and couldn't possibly enter the school again."
"Headmaster, how long do you plan to continue testing me?"
Sherlock's tone suddenly became somewhat impatient, which couldn't help but surprise Harry.
From his understanding of Sherlock, only when someone interrupted his train of thought would Sherlock be this rude.
"Do I need to remind you again that Harry almost didn't make it to school this term!"
"You mean... the dark magical object in Lucius's possession still made it into the school?"
"When you connect all the clues together, you'll find the truth is actually quite obvious.
Fifty years ago, Tom, not yet Voldemort opened the Chamber, released the basilisk, and attacked students.
Fifty years later, the Chamber is opened again, the basilisk appears once more, and students are attacked again.
To enable the basilisk to operate successfully, whoever opened the Chamber even deliberately killed the roosters around the school.
Before term started, Malfoy planned to bring a dark magical object left to him by Voldemort into the school.
If this doesn't explain the connection, then we might as well hand this case over to the Ministry. After all, they don't need evidence either, they can just arrest Hagrid again."
"But didn't Dobby say this matter had nothing to do with Voldemort?"
"My dear Harry, that house-elf gave you a hint, before Voldemort was called Voldemort, his name could be spoken freely."
"Ah?"
"Don't be surprised. His hint was indeed somewhat overly clever."
"But when term started, the teachers carefully inspected everyone!"
"This is also easily explained."
Sherlock held up two fingers. "First, the dark magical object Voldemort left to the Malfoy family is no ordinary item, it could evade detection by teachers and instruments.
Second, that dark magical object is in the hands of someone who wasn't inspected."
Hearing this, Harry couldn't help but gasp. "Sherlock, all the students passed inspection. Do you mean some teacher..."
"Is it even necessary to say which one?" Sherlock laughed. "There was only one new teacher this year!"
"Gilderoy Lockhart."
This time, Dumbledore finally spoke the name.
His gaze toward Sherlock became even more complex. "Before Christmas break, you asked me about Gilderoy. So, you'd already thought of it then?"
"I said before that this man's biggest characteristic is contradiction. Enthusiastic about those useless spells he makes up on the spot, very resistant to truly effective magic, when that's actually what really works.
But once you connect him with Voldemort, everything makes sense."
Sherlock looked at Dumbledore. "Before term started, Ron's father fought with Lucius.
Both Hermione and I suspected that Lucius planned to use this opportunity to slip dark magical objects to one of the Weasley children.
I once suspected Ginny, but later her behavior ruled out that possibility.
Instead, Lockhart had the same opportunity, he was also present at the scene when Lucius and Mr. Weasley fought.
In that chaotic situation, it wouldn't have been difficult for Lucius to find a chance to slip that dark magical object to him."
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