Rustling, scraping. Walls, floor, and ceiling warped and writhed. On solid bricks, cold and sticky black scales grew. They slowly twisted, enclosing everyone present, as if suddenly cast into a living black tide. Bodies and vision shifted and warped with the heaving waves.
The figures in the paintings vanished in an instant. And this was only a glimpse of the creature's tail! Impossible to imagine how enormous its full body must be!
"Ah... ah..." The Round Table Council members gripping Harry uttered meaningless sounds, instinctively letting go. What... what is this?! The monster from the Chamber? Why did the monster suddenly appear... and why them?! Was it really Harry?!
"N... No!" One member trembled but couldn't tear their gaze away. "I'm the best student at Hogwarts; you can't do this t..."
But. Clearly, the "Chamber monster" wasn't checking grades. Cracks opened from the massive inky scales. Then, pairs of golden eyes blinked open. Like trickling rivers, they slid with the serpent body's movement.
Brilliant light... radiant, overwhelming. Pierced skulls stabbed into the cerebral cortex. Illuminated all winding folds, banishing darkness, banishing all thought.
Thump, thump. One by one, they knelt, tears streaming down their faces. Yet their mouths curled up uncontrollably. Gazing at the all-encompassing radiance, as if they were the monster's most devoted followers.
Informer Marietta Edgecombe's face was streaked with tears. She muttered nonstop, her eyes full of terror and regret. When she tattled, all she thought about was the reward she'd get. But hadn't expected retribution to come so fast.
"Sorry, sorry... I shouldn't have informed... sorry. Hehe... praise the radiance... praise the radiance... hehe..."
The radiance was merciless. Mercy could only be found in darkness.
No one could say how much time had slipped away before a hair-raising, spine-chilling scream pierced the silence. The glowing eyes finally shut, the radiant light dimmed, and the black scales dissolved into the walls as the air's gentle ripples returned to normal.
Darkness moved aside from Harry's sight. He blinked, shocked and terrified, and saw several statues kneeling! Just earlier, the arrogant Ravenclaw students were trying to drag him to the headmaster's office. Now, after facing judgement, all had collapsed in supplication!
True, almost physical terror showed on their faces. Ron, Hermione, and Cho Chang were lying unconscious on the floor.
Harry trembled: "Wh... what just happened..."
"It's the Chamber opening again, Harry." A calm, clear voice spoke from behind.
Harry whipped around and saw Ethan had exited the Forbidden Forest just after them! With Luna at his side. It was Ethan who had just covered Harry's eyes from behind... saving him.
Ethan withdrew his hand, cobalt-blue eyes coolly scanning the kneeling figures. A hint of evil shimmered in his hand... his serpent-body painting faded away.
Ethan smirked with amusement. You brought this on yourselves. Justice's radiance will judge all evil. How exactly? Don't ask.
Then, a clamour of footsteps approached, echoing closer and closer. Suddenly it felt like the whole school was assembled. Countless figures surrounded them in an instant.
"Someone's been attacked again! It's those Ravenclaw club kids!" "Merlin's dentures! Didn't they always go on about being so great...? How come they got flattened too?" "Pfft, typical... just flashy, all talk." "Look! Ethan's fine; Morning Star Club's still tougher, huh..." "But why is it Harry, again..."
Just then, a professor's voice rang out. "Make way! Make way... Oh! Merlin!"
Professor McGonagall saw all the kneeling and unconscious bodies. Clutching her chest, she nearly had a heart attack. If Headmaster Dumbledore weren't here, she'd think Hogwarts had been invaded by a Dark Lord!
[Your artwork has widely spread the gospel of the 'Lamp'!]
[Given evil-doers their deserved punishment!]
[Breaking Out of Shell progress +8%]
Ethan nodded in agreement. He was confident when they'd awaken, their minds would be perfectly upright! After all, they'd been bathed in radiance.
Just... Ethan glanced at fainted Ron and Hermione. Cho Chang was knocked out by him; Ron and Hermione were hit by Luna's pair of Stupefys. He hadn't heard Luna's incantation... she hadn't used a silent cast, just said it very quickly and quietly.
Ethan looked at Luna twirling her wand. Seeing his gaze, she turned and gave a small smile. Very impressive spell control. Quick casting with calm, not emotion.
Ethan smiled back, nodding: Well done, little moon.
Ethan and the group were called into the headmaster's office for tea. Inside. Dumbledore looked at a nervous Harry, at Ethan poking his wand at the phoenix alongside Luna. He felt overwhelmed.
"Mr. Vincent." Dumbledore suddenly spoke. Behind his half-moon spectacles, he fixed his gaze on Ethan, who turned to look. He asked the same question he'd asked another student fifty years ago: "Do you have anything... you want to tell me?"
"?!" Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise. Did the headmaster think Ethan was involved? On the contrary... Ethan had saved them! Anyone with sense wouldn't rescue and attack at the same time... Wait.
Harry suddenly went quiet. Rescuing and hurting at the same time. That's... that's the true nature of "torment"!
Harry dared not think further. Scared his inner foundation would collapse.
Meanwhile. Ethan gazed at Dumbledore, feeling his thoughts and memories being scanned. Sadly. All Dumbledore saw was pure art.
After a few seconds, Ethan spoke slowly: "I do."
Dumbledore was startled. He'd expected Ethan would echo the reply of the student from fifty years ago, who became the Dark Lord. But instead...
Ethan lifted his gaze, eyes shining with brilliance. Voice tight with excitement: "You finally want to discuss great art with me? Or, I do have some ideas about Hogwarts' construction and development to share. First: an epic roller-coaster classroom plan. To get to class, students should first be chased by three-headed dogs, chopped at by eighteen axe bearers, then sprayed by faucets..."
Dumbledore: "..." Watching Ethan speak with assurance, Dumbledore's expression faded to blankness. Not even as good as the answer from fifty years ago.
"Enough, you all go rest for now." Dumbledore asked nothing. Because asking was useless. Whatever should remain unknown, remained unknown. How on earth did this child evade Legilimency...? Dumbledore truly wanted to learn art now.
Ethan felt a bit disappointed but, considering the elderly's need for sleep, bowed politely: "Let's talk next time."
Dumbledore: ...headache.
As he watched Ethan leave, Dumbledore spoke: "At this rate, Hogwarts might have to close its doors."
Ethan glanced back. In his peripheral vision, he saw Harry's shocked disbelief. He met Dumbledore's gaze, saying with certainty: "It won't."
Before Hogwarts closes, he'll have already wrecked it himself.
Dumbledore felt relieved. He nodded, letting them leave. Although it's possible Ethan was behind the Chamber events. But Ethan being the real mastermind was kind of impossible. Whatever the truth, with Ethan's assurance, Dumbledore finally felt a bit relaxed.
"Ethan really couldn't stir up any major trouble, after all..." See, to this day, not a single student has died. Though, admittedly, the number of attacked victims has hit a Hogwarts record.