## Chapter 382: Were the Suspicions Correct?
It wasn't just Boggarts; the students were unfamiliar with most other magical creatures too.
The prototypes for these Magic Golems were actually very weak, small monsters that Hogwarts students were supposed to learn how to deal with in their second year.
However, because of Lockhart, the students wasted half a year putting on plays. Then, when Professor Abigail took over, she simply assumed everyone had already learned it and didn't focus on that knowledge.
Indeed, students had read about them in books, and professors had mentioned some in class, but that was entirely different from being able to handle real danger.
Almost everyone initially struggled, screaming repeatedly, which made Professor McGonagall's expression quite grim.
But after a few minutes, the combat abilities honed during the Maze Challenge, and the quick thinking developed from being "beaten into shape" by Professor Abigail, finally began to show.
Soon after, some clever students figured out how to regroup with friends. Once they gathered in groups of two or three, they finally managed to defeat the first monster.
Professor Snape also hurried over at this time, still carrying a strong scent of Potions.
He stood silently behind the other professors, and his eyes immediately landed on the Streaming Mirror, where Draco Malfoy was seen striking a Red Cap with a Disarming Charm. His movements were swift and decisive, and the Spell was highly successful.
Professor Snape curled his lip into a satisfied smile, then looked left and right, deliberately using a strained tone to say, "Hmm, Malfoy's Spell isn't bad. How are the Ravenclaw students performing?"
Everyone: "..."
Professor McGonagall lowered her head and exchanged a glance with Professor Flitwick. Both suppressed their laughter and said, "Yes, indeed... their performance is getting better and better."
Their attitude was a bit odd, but Snape simply assumed they disapproved of his boasting and paid them no mind, just watching silently with his arms crossed.
In truth, compared to Ravenclaw, the Slytherin students were indeed performing better at this point, and their battles ended more quickly.
Finally, the last Magic Golem was defeated, but the students in the arena didn't realize this. They remained highly vigilant; even a slight movement of the curtains would make them jump with alarm.
Suddenly, all the surrounding curtains drew up, and the many students saw their classmates nearby, as well as the professors at the front of the classroom.
Seeing their own Head of House there, the Ravenclaws greeted Professor Flitwick warmly, and he smiled and nodded.
The Slytherins, however, were different. When they saw Professor Snape, their faces collectively paled as they desperately tried to recall all their embarrassing performances from earlier.
The painful memory of Slytherin's poor performance in the Maze, and their Head of House's harsh scolding and the piles of extra homework, were still fresh in their minds.
Strangely, this time Professor Snape's gaze towards them was gentle, and he even uncharacteristically showed a faint smile.
The "little snakes" immediately grew even more flustered.
Only Draco Malfoy's eyes ceaselessly scanned the classroom, even looking up at the ceiling, as if he suspected his parents were hiding there.
"Wade!"
Professor Abigail nodded at Wade. Wade enlarged a Streaming Mirror until it completely covered the blackboard. With a wave of his hand, images began to appear on its surface.
Professor Abigail ignored the three Heads of House beside her and began to comment on the students' performances one by one.
"Boot, how to deal with a Kappa? You clearly saw them in the corridor, so why was your first reaction to run when you encountered one?"
"Goldstein, Red Caps will ambush passersby with clubs on dark nights, but driving them away only requires a simple Spell..."
"Hinkypunks appear fragile and harmless; the most important thing is not to be deceived by them, Parkinson. Did you mistake a Hinkypunk for your companion? Why were you so unwary?"
"Malfoy—"
Professor Abigail was about to criticize Draco Malfoy for fleeing several times when scared by a Boggart, but then she remembered that she had never taught the "Riddikulus" Spell before. She swallowed her words.
"Hmm... using a Disarming Charm to temporarily repel a Red Cap is a good idea, but the subsequent attack didn't follow through..."
Malfoy's tense expression eased slightly. By now, he had also realized that the "parents" he had seen earlier were all Boggarts.
He wasn't a Mudblood, his mother wasn't dead, and everything was still as he was accustomed to.
This made Malfoy feel a sense of relief; even being criticized by the professor, he was quite relaxed.
Pansy, by his side, however, saw Professor Snape's face growing darker and darker, and she lowered her head even further.
...
Wade's edited video was taken by Professor McGonagall, and some time later, the school began the renovation work on the Chamber of Secrets for the Basilisk.
For Wizards, this was much easier than Muggles building a house.
It didn't matter if the pipes were too narrow; the Undetectable Extension Charm could easily widen them several times over.
Building materials were transported to the underground Chamber of Secrets using the Levitation Charm, and specialists from the Ministry of Magic designed the various pipe routes.
The construction work was entirely entrusted to the students, with sixth and fourth years being the main force. Fifth and seventh years occasionally participated as they needed to prepare for exams.
Students below third year were also very enthusiastic about participating. For them, it was much more interesting than attending classes and writing essays.
However, most junior students' magical abilities only caused trouble and weren't much help. Even first-year students, when transporting materials on brooms, had to worry about crashing into walls.
But the school didn't exclude these students. Professor Sprout led the students in transplanting a batch of relatively safe plants into the Chamber, as well as making magical torches, setting up simple decorations, and so on.
Interestingly, tasks were never assigned to students from a single house; instead, every house participated. As a result, arguments would occasionally break out during the work.
There were also several more serious injury incidents in the Chamber. Madam Pomfrey was furious, but Dumbledore didn't separate the students because of it.
"Don't you see, Poppy?" Dumbledore said, "Compared to when the Maze Challenge first started, students are getting injured much less frequently now."
"But the severity of the injuries is worse!" Madam Pomfrey said sternly.
"That's because their magical abilities are stronger than before."
Dumbledore smiled with a complex expression. "I used to think that fostering competition between the houses was better for student growth, but they taught me that cooperation actually works even better."
Madam Pomfrey paused, then asked, "—They?"
Dumbledore didn't offer any further explanation.
Sometimes he would participate in the Chamber of Secrets' modifications, occasionally seeing Wade guiding Colin Creevey and Rolf Scamander as they filmed these precious moments.
Both were photography enthusiasts with extensive shooting experience, so Wade entrusted them with two Master Mirrors to operate.
However, Colin constantly aimed his camera at Harry Potter, and Rolf often unconsciously blended into the Ravenclaw group, leading Wade to correct them several times.
At times, Dumbledore would see Abigail discussing the renovation plans with designers from the Ministry of Magic. She wanted the Chamber to be able to mimic various environments—jungles, grasslands, deserts, cities, and countryside.
The designers shook their heads vigorously, indicating it was impossible—the Ministry of Magic had approved limited expansion space, so how could such complex environments be created?
So Abigail settled for a compromise, only requesting that the environment be sufficiently complex, offer ample opportunities for evasion or ambush, and include various traps.
After rejecting one outrageous suggestion, the designers found this new suggestion much easier to manage, and the two happily reached a consensus.
Abigail poured a tremendous amount of effort into the Chamber's renovation. She was the only professor who would rush over whenever she had free time, ensuring every detail was perfect.
Of course, the things she said often made nearby students turn pale, imagining how they would defend themselves if they encountered such a sudden attack.
Abigail also requested the addition of more dangerous Magic Golems here—Vampires, Werewolves, Horned Serpents, Quintapeds, Acromantulas, Inferi, and so on.
This time, Wade's production speed was much slower; it generally took about a week to complete one.
And it was also Abigail's suggestion that all students participate in this construction, with different houses mixed up, especially ensuring that most groups had at least one Slytherin.
"I know most students dislike Slytherins, and those little brats certainly have cunning personalities, with a good number of them also mastering Dark Magic."
"But Professor Dumbledore, haven't you noticed? While students are being bullied by Slytherins, they are also subtly bullying Slytherins; they are ostracized by Slytherins because the other houses are also ostracizing Slytherins."
Professor Abigail said earnestly, "And you, Professor Dumbledore, your attitude is absolutely one of the most important reasons for this."
"For a school of only a few hundred people, a quarter of the students are always alienated, treating everyone else as enemies rather than companions. What a huge flaw that is for Hogwarts!"
"If a student is treated as a Death Eater in training, subjected to inexplicable dislike and blame, simply because the Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin, then perhaps his only path in the future will be to truly become someone like a Death Eater."
"Is this what you wish to see, Professor Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore was speechless.
He couldn't say how much effort he had put into this—because he genuinely disliked Slytherins too.
Because of Voldemort, and because of their promotion and longing for Pure-bloods, and also because most Death Eaters did indeed come from Slytherin.
Ultimately, Dumbledore acquiesced to Abigail leading this endeavor and fully supported her decisions.
Bleeding and conflict were inevitable, but he did see students universally beginning to try to understand and tolerate each other.
Privately, Dumbledore said to Wade, "Sometimes I even doubt my own judgment—were our suspicions about Professor Abigail correct? She appears upright and dutiful."
Wade simply replied, "The Vampire Magic Golem is ready. I made it very strong."
One update tonight.
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