"Cough, cough, cough!"
Aiden, who had just shoved the last half of the spoon into his mouth, froze as a strange voice echoed in his mind.
His eyes widened, and in that moment of surprise, he choked on the greasy sausage.
Is this... my golden finger arriving?
He thought excitedly.
Cedric watched him carefully, his intuition telling him that something unusual might have happened to Aiden — something he couldn't quite explain.
It made him worry.
"Are you okay?" Cedric asked.
Taking the tissue Cedric handed him, Aiden wiped his mouth and replied with a grin, "Don't worry, Cedric. What could possibly happen to me?"
He casually patted Cedric on the shoulder, just like always.
Cedric, seeing that familiar gesture, felt relieved, and Aiden let out a quiet sigh of relief himself.
After all, he wasn't the original Aiden. He had the same memories, yes, but he wasn't the same person deep down.
Now, time to check out his golden finger.
After finishing the sausage, Aiden's eyes fell upon the floating system panel — invisible to everyone but him.
[Live Broadcast Q&A System]
[Host: Aiden]
[Current Status: Not Activated]
[Items: None]
It was simple, concise — it looked like an ordinary panel, but Aiden knew this was the thing that would change his destiny.
His golden finger.
"Phew…"
Taking a deep breath, Aiden tried to calm himself and think rationally.
But the more he looked at the glowing panel hovering in mid-air, the more his excitement bubbled up.
He couldn't help but giggle like an idiot.
Then his eyes caught the three words flashing on the panel: [Not Activated].
"System, what does this mean?" Aiden asked silently in his mind.
[Specific conditions not met. The Q&A session cannot be initiated.]
That cold, mechanical voice sounded strangely familiar to him.
"Then how can I meet the activation conditions?"
[Requires specific personnel to be present before activation.]
"Who are the specific personnel?" Aiden pressed.
He refused to believe he'd finally gotten a golden finger, only to be unable to use it.
Before the system could answer, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.
"Aiden, we should go," Cedric said, breaking his concentration.
Aiden blinked.
The food on the table was gone, and Professor Dumbledore had apparently finished his announcement — which Aiden had completely missed while lost in his thoughts.
"Right… let's go," Aiden said softly, nodding to Cedric.
His bright eyes shimmered with excitement — he couldn't wait to get back to the Hufflepuff common room and explore his new system.
But as he looked at the pumpkin lanterns overhead and the Halloween decorations on the walls, a faint sense of unease crossed his mind.
Did I forget something...?
He shrugged. Whatever it was, it couldn't be more important than his system.
He stood and walked alongside Cedric, joining the other Hufflepuff students heading toward their common room.
The Hufflepuff common room was located near the Hogwarts kitchens.
To reach it, they had to go up to the second floor, enter through the doors on either side of the stairs, and then head down again.
"Maybe I'll grab a midnight snack in the kitchen later," Aiden thought. Excellent idea.
But when they reached the second floor, Aiden noticed something strange — a crowd of young wizards was gathered ahead.
He and Cedric exchanged puzzled glances, then pushed through to the front.
As soon as Aiden saw the three figures standing there — and the familiar cat lying stiffly on the ground — a chill ran down his spine.
Wait... this scene... I've seen this before.
And then it hit him.
No wonder it felt familiar — this was the moment the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time.
The air went cold.
The hallway fell silent as everyone stared at the hanging cat.
Gone was the earlier laughter and noise — replaced by fear and shock.
All eyes turned toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who stood frozen under everyone's suspicious gaze.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware. You'll be next, Mudbloods," drawled Draco Malfoy, reading the bloody words scrawled across the wall.
He then turned with a sneer toward Hermione.
Aiden, hidden among the Hufflepuffs, touched his nose thoughtfully.
Right… my original body's parents were Muggles, just like Hermione's.
That reminder wasn't comforting.
"What are you doing here? Move aside!" someone barked.
"Potter? What are you—" Aiden began, but the crowd pushed forward.
Argus Filch stormed into view, eyes bulging in disbelief when he saw Harry Potter surrounded — and then his gaze lifted to his cat.
His expression twisted from surprise to raw horror.
"Potter… you… you killed my cat!" Filch shouted, voice shaking with fury.
"I'm going to kill you! I'll kill you!"
He lunged forward, grabbing Harry by the collar—
"Filch, don't be rash," came a deep, steady voice.
The room stilled.
That calm, commanding tone could only belong to Professor Dumbledore.
He stepped forward, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and the others following close behind.
The gathered students instinctively parted, giving way to their teachers.
Dumbledore's eyes moved from the terrified Harry to the petrified Mrs. Norris, hanging stiffly from the torch bracket.
Then his gaze fell upon the bloody writing.
For just an instant, a flicker of shock crossed his face.
"Everyone return to your dormitories immediately," Dumbledore ordered, his voice low but firm. "Do not come out."
Aiden barely heard him.
His eyes were fixed on his system panel — now gleaming with new words.