"Huh?!" Harry was startled, his heart jolting with recognition.
He instinctively felt a powerful sense of familiarity wash over him like a wave. He desperately wanted to look more carefully at that mysterious figure below.
However, immediately after, swirling dust and crumbling stone walls blocked Harry's vision completely. In the phoenix's urgent cry, the magnificent bird carried him rapidly through the vast underground passages, flying toward the surface at tremendous speed.
The encounter left only a deep, troubling memory burnt into Harry's mind. That enigmatic [Mr Lamp] somehow seemed even more formidable and prestigious than Voldemort himself. Truly an unfathomably dangerous person who must have been lurking in the shadows of the wizarding world for decades.
The "Saviour", Harry Potter, felt the crushing weight of responsibility settle on his young shoulders.
Meanwhile, Ethan watched Harry's form disappear completely from view before immediately releasing a long, exhausted breath of relief.
He collapsed backward onto the debris-covered ground, stretching his limbs fully as his carefully composed features relaxed into genuine weariness. The theatrical mask had finally been discarded.
"Feel like my entire body's been completely drained..." Ethan murmured with bone-deep fatigue.
He barely managed to raise his wand with trembling fingers, casting a protective barrier to deflect the falling stones raining down from above.
At this moment, Ethan resembled nothing more than a cheerful, sunny young wizard who had finally claimed victory after countless trials and tribulations. No one observing him now would ever connect this exhausted boy with the mysterious and terrifying [Mr Lamp].
Ethan gazed up at the falling streams of magical fire, his cobalt-blue eyes reflecting the flickering crimson light. He couldn't suppress a sigh of genuine appreciation:
"So beautiful... this is the true wonder of magic made manifest..."
Nearby, the ancient basilisk watched its thousand-year-old lair collapse and crumble to absolute nothing in mere moments. The serpent fell into contemplative silence.
Always felt like if Salazar Slytherin could witness this scene, he'd be furious enough to rise from his grave and throttle someone.
[Congratulations!]
[You have fulfilled the conditions to open Salazar Slytherin's true Chamber of Secrets!]
[Requirement: Put Hogwarts in a genuine life-or-death crisis.]
[Hidden Chamber has opened]
[Please welcome this precious gift spanning a thousand years.]
Ethan's breathing stopped entirely as the implications hit him. He instinctively turned toward the basilisk, only to discover the ancient creature was also regarding him with an expression of dawning understanding.
"Hiss..." Ah, so this moment has finally arrived.
The basilisk felt the magic that had slumbered within its massive body for a millennium slowly stirring to wakefulness. The enchantment had been dormant all this time, probably because no previous heir had been quite supernatural enough to actually detonate the entire school.
In its orange-yellow vertical pupils, Ethan's face was reflected clearly. Though weary from his exertions, the boy still radiated an inner light of triumph. As if his desire for artistic expression, for knowledge, for exploring the unknown was truly endless and unquenchable.
Those cobalt-blue eyes remained clear and brilliant, burning with such fervent passion. It really made the ancient serpent's scales stand on end with recognition.
The sight involuntarily brought back memories of travelling and seeking knowledge alongside its original master and the other three founders in ages long past.
If it was this remarkable human child, indeed, he was worthy of receiving Salazar Slytherin's most precious secret treasure!
Under Ethan's focused, anticipatory gaze, the basilisk slowly closed its deadly eyes with ceremonial gravity. Its massive body arched high into the air, then its dark green scales began hardening and shifting to pristine white.
Finally, the living creature actually transformed into an immensely tall, pure white door that seemed to reach toward the heavens! Like a towering mountain of marble, it stood majestically before the amazed young wizard!
"Magnificent." Ethan breathed, staring at the incredible transformation.
Even he, who had witnessed countless magical impossibilities, couldn't help but pause in wonder at this display.
Bitter, bone-chilling air began seeping from that closed, pure white door, creating visible streams of vapour. When the arctic air contacted the Chamber's residual scorching heat, it immediately produced clouds of white mist that swirled hypnotically.
This is Salazar Slytherin's true Chamber of Secrets.
Ethan held his breath, feeling his heart pound with anticipation and excitement! He quickly downed an entire bottle of Pepperup Potion to restore his strength, then tentatively reached out to touch the mysterious door.
"Hiss!" So incredibly cold!
Like pressing your tongue to an iron railing in the depths of winter, Ethan immediately felt his palm stick fast to the door's surface with magical frost.
"Rumble..." The door began opening with ponderous, ancient authority.
An even more bone-chilling cold poured forth from the gap, like the profound silence of eternal winter invading his very skull.
When Ethan managed to withdraw his hand, he left behind strips of skin frozen to the door's surface. But he completely ignored the sharp pain, too curious and eager to explore what lay beyond.
When crossing the threshold, he felt his mouth seal shut and heal like scar tissue, rendering him unable to speak a single word.
Then, in the encompassing silence, Ethan beheld those shadowy white souls drifting through the space. They used hollow black voids to observe him with ancient intelligence, silently wailing as they approached this rare living visitor.
Really quite lively, Ethan thought with genuine appreciation, nodding politely to the spectral beings in greeting.
He felt a spark of artistic inspiration ignite in his mind. In the future, he should definitely be able to create a new masterpiece based on this ethereal encounter.
Then, as if guided by invisible forces, Ethan's casual glance noticed a crudely carved character etched into one of the ancient bricks. It was written in archaic runic script, the symbol meaning "gift".
Following some inexplicable instinct, Ethan carefully lifted this particular brick. His eyes blazed with delight as he indeed discovered hidden treasure beneath!
One item was a plump, bright red fruit that resembled a perfect apple, emanating such a rich, mouth-watering fragrance that Ethan's stomach growled just from catching the scent.
The other was a gleaming silver key, about palm-sized but covered with densely packed, incredibly complex spell inscriptions that resembled tiny insect legs. Ethan felt dizzy and overwhelmed just from attempting to read the intricate magical text.
[You have reached a hidden location of great significance!]
[Pure white door where the dead eternally wander]
[You obtained Salazar Slytherin's personal gift!]
[Red Apple: Consuming this magical fruit will restore all magical power and greatly invigorate the spirit, a sweet comfort item of legendary potency.]
[Silver Key: Key to fly through the past, transports you back to distant times to explore lost ancient magic]
[You received Salazar Slytherin's final counsel!]
["Successor, continue forward until you reach the door of advancement, transcend mortality, and join the ranks of the extraordinary!"]
[Mortal → Knower pathway opened!]
[Ordinary mortals can never discover the path of advancement in their entire lifetime.]
[Now this sacred path unfolds slowly beneath your feet.]
[Only, grave danger accompanies it as well.]
Blue text materialised before his enhanced vision like words written in starlight.
A dazzling golden light suddenly blazed forth from the depths of that swirling white mist! Then burst outward with an inhuman roar that seemed to shake the foundations of reality!
"ROAR!" The sound was like rumbling thunder combined with massive war drums pounding directly against his eardrums!
Ethan's heart instinctively hammered from this incredibly mighty roar of pure power! It was difficult to imagine what kind of beast beyond mortal comprehension lurked in those misty depths, in the higher reaches of this hidden sanctuary!
[Painting Level 3, final advancement condition unlocked!]
[Cross the danger, advance from mortal to Knower!]
Thump thump! Thump thump! Ethan's eyes blazed with brilliant determination!
Instinctive tension about the approaching danger mixed intoxicatingly with his desperate desire for magical advancement. The combination made his blood boil with anticipation, and his eardrums throb and ring with excitement!
Must advance! Must improve my artistic abilities to their ultimate potential!
"Indeed, my current level of art still isn't sufficient," Ethan realised with growing resolve. "How can I bring even greater shock and wonder to this world?"
Little Hogwarts is just the beginning of my grand design.
Strength, I need more magical strength! I must battle through whatever roaring beast awaits and advance to the higher-level Knower status!
Ethan licked his lips with eager impatience, looking down at the precious gifts left behind by Salazar Slytherin, one of Hogwarts' legendary four founders.
That complex, ancient silver key practically hummed with mystical power.
Perhaps I can discover methods to increase my strength through its magic.
The expedition had opened both the advancement channel and yielded invaluable relics. This dangerous trip had been absolutely worth the tremendous risks!
"Ah, calculating the time, everything should be proceeding perfectly." Ethan suddenly refocused his attention, looking toward the door and allowing his lips to curve in anticipation:
"Since I've already obtained these precious relics, I can command the great serpent to release Hogwarts from its belly..."
[Mr Lamp], who only made the newspapers once several months ago, has probably faded completely from everyone's memory.
I wonder, after reappearing so dramatically, having swallowed Hogwarts whole and detonated this thousand-year-old famous school, what kind of shock it will bring to the entire wizarding world.
If Dumbledore truly understood just how outstanding his student had become, he'd probably faint from overwhelming emotion.
"Hehe... hehehehe..." Ethan stepped back through the doorway, his expression transforming into that sunny, innocent smile that had charmed so many professors and fellow students.