Snape gazed at Dudley, his profound eyes revealing a trace of shock.
He had just been completely suppressed by Dudley; without even the thought of resistance, his heart was filled with fear and awe.
The classroom was dead silent, no one daring to breathe.
Whether it was Dudley's sudden confrontation or Snape's dark and ugly expression, everything seemed to herald the approach of a storm.
Hermione's and Ron's faces were very pale as they nervously watched Snape.
At this moment, even if Snape directly drew his wand and cursed Dudley, they would not be surprised.
Harry swallowed and gripped his wand tightly. If Snape really attacked Dudley, he would have to step forward and help.
After all, Dudley had confronted Snape for his sake.
"What are you looking at? Are your potions finished brewing?" Snape said coldly to everyone.
The students in the classroom quickly lowered their heads and began frantically grabbing potion ingredients, stirring randomly. In any case, they needed to find something to keep themselves busy and appear occupied.
Everyone could see that Snape was suppressing his anger and was in a state where he would scold anyone he caught.
Dudley also stopped talking and began brewing potions with Harry.
He had just completed his advancement and could not control the extraordinary characteristics in his body very well. Combined with those strange whispers making him irritated, when Snape provoked him at this moment, it directly made him enter a somewhat berserk state.
However, fortunately, he had not lost his rationality and truly unleashed the Judge's extraordinary abilities on Snape.
But even so, the qualitative transformation of the Judge's authority was enough to make Snape suffer.
"He actually did not retaliate against us. That is truly incredible," Harry said in a low voice.
In that situation just now, he had felt like Dudley was about to fight with Snape.
"Because what I said was the truth!" Dudley said while cutting toad eyes.
Snape openly mocking Harry as the one who opened the Chamber in class was really too excessive.
"Thank you for defending me," Harry said quietly.
"He was targeting both of us. I definitely had to stand up and refute him," Dudley replied.
Snape was truly the epitome of contradiction.
He would worry about Harry but also target him.
In situations where Harry's life was in danger, he would step forward to help without hesitation. But if Harry was not in mortal danger, he would show extreme disgust toward Harry.
Throughout the entire class, Snape said nothing more.
The students brewing potions below also tried their best not to make any sound, afraid of disturbing Snape and getting punished by him.
Finally, they endured until class ended.
This time, not only did Gryffindor students quickly flee the classroom, but even Slytherin students ran very fast.
Malfoy was the last to leave the classroom. You could tell he wanted to say a few words to Snape, but seeing Snape's terrifyingly dark expression, he wisely shut his mouth and left.
"Dudley, you were really brave just now, daring to speak to Snape like that," Ron gave Dudley a thumbs up. Even with ten times the courage, he would not dare do such a thing.
"That is because Dudley has confidence. Professor Snape does not dare do anything to Dudley," Hermione said.
"I dare say you cannot find a second person in the entire school who would dare talk to Professor Snape like that. Even if there were, they could not bear the consequences afterward."
"I was somewhat impulsive just now, but forget it. It is what it is," Dudley said indifferently.
The group walked together to the entrance of the Great Hall and saw the notice posted there.
"Professor McGonagall has already announced the basilisk matter. No wonder..." Seeing this notice, Dudley suddenly understood.
Earlier, he had felt the extraordinary characteristics in his body suddenly accelerate in digestion. In just a few breaths, he had successfully digested extraordinary characteristics that might have taken a month to digest.
Now it seemed this acceleration in digestion speed was closely related to Professor McGonagall announcing the basilisk information.
As an Interrogator who considered Hogwarts his territory, Dudley's investigation of the basilisk and announcement of the information to protect many people in the castle and spare them from disaster was excellent role-playing of the Interrogator, which caused his extraordinary characteristics to accelerate in digestion.
As his binding with Hogwarts deepened, this situation would probably continue to intensify.
"Dumbledore asked me to protect Hogwarts, and now I feel like I have trapped myself," Dudley thought somewhat helplessly.
However, he did not reject this situation either. After all, it was mutually beneficial. He protected Hogwarts, and Hogwarts helped him digest extraordinary characteristics. This was very reasonable.
Dudley's group's arrival drew attention from surrounding students.
But when these people saw Dudley and Harry, they did not show grateful expressions, but rather appeared somewhat panicked and afraid.
The Chamber contained a basilisk, and Harry was currently the only confirmed Parselmouth. Everyone knew this information, making it difficult not to connect the two.
"Let us go," Harry glanced at the surrounding people's gazes and felt very uncomfortable.
The group did not linger and quickly turned to leave.
"Dudley," a dreamy voice called softly from behind.
Dudley turned around and saw it was Luna, her pale eyes focused on him with that characteristic distant yet intent gaze.
"I believe you," Luna said in her dreamy way. "People say things when they don't understand, you know. They're like Wrackspurts, really - they just drift about making everything fuzzy."
"Thank you, Luna," Dudley smiled slightly.
"It's wonderful what you've discovered," Luna said dreamily. "The truth always floats to the surface eventually, like Plimpies in a pond. I expect the basilisk is feeling rather exposed now that people know what to look for."
"Yes, it will not be long," Dudley nodded.
After saying goodbye to Luna, the group returned to Gryffindor's common room.
The originally somewhat noisy common room immediately became much quieter. Everyone noticed Dudley's group's arrival and involuntarily stopped talking.
"Dudley, you are back. Everyone is saying..." Neville looked at the four with some hesitation.
"Do not listen to them. We all believe you," Seamus interrupted Neville.
"That is right, we believe you," Neville immediately followed up.
"Thank you," Harry smiled. At least his friends' belief made him feel not so bad.
Dudley walked toward a soft armchair by the window.
"You are the supreme Emperor."
"The embodiment of order, the manifestation of chaos, the source of all rules."
"You are order, and also disorder."
Layered voices came, echoing in the depths of Dudley's mind.
Dudley's expression shifted as he said to Harry and the others, "I am going to the washroom!"
Then he hurried away.