"But I want to know more about what happened in the meantime." Dumbledore looked at the basilisk next to Kyle.

As if sensing some kind of fatal threat, the basilisk bared its long fangs and instinctively wanted to open its eyes...

Kyle raised his hand, swung it in a circle and slapped it on the head.

You, a basilisk, opened your eyes in front of Dumbledore. You really don't want to live anymore, right?

“Bang!”

The sound is very crisp.

In an instant, everyone present widened their eyes, Flitwick screamed in fright, and Professor Sprout covered his mouth.

Then they all raised their wands, fearing that the basilisk would swallow Kyle in the next second.

Even Dumbledore had a strangely shaped wand in his hand.

However, instead of getting furious, the basilisk became much calmer, closed its mouth and lay down again.

"Don't worry, Professor." Kyle smiled and said, "It's my... pet now. It won't hurt anyone anymore."

The Chamber of Secrets fell into silence. Even the knowledgeable professor found it difficult to comprehend what had just happened... It felt like seeing the Niffler jump up and slap the dragon, with the impact no less than that of the young Voldemort.

After an unknown amount of time, Snape finally spoke: "Am I to understand that... you want to take the school's property for yourself?"

He put the wand back into his arms and said as a matter of course: "This is Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. This basilisk should be the monster. Since it is Slytherin's legacy, it naturally belongs to... the school."

"No, it's mine." Kyle shook his head, "Mr. Salazar Slytherin gave it to me."

“…”

"Headmaster, I think we'd better go to the school hospital as soon as possible." Snape said in a long voice: "Pomfrey should be able to cure his brain."

Dumbledore just looked at Kyle.

"It seems that what you have experienced is more colorful than we imagined."

"It is indeed very memorable, Professor," Kyle smiled.

"Wait, Professor Dumbledore..." Snape frowned and said, "You didn't believe his lies, did you?"

"In fact, I completely believe it, Severus." Dumbledore walked to the statue, squatted down, carefully picked up the time converter, and looked at it carefully in his hand.

It was completely broken, the color had become dull, and there were cracks everywhere. It could be crushed with the slightest force.

"I think this is the true legacy of Slytherin..."

Dumbledore said in a trembling voice, "This is the earliest time converter, also called a time-traveling device. It is not bound by time, and it allows the user to communicate with someone in the past or future like an old friend."

Dumbledore's voice became quieter as he spoke, and he unconsciously clenched his hands...

“Crack!”

Like a crushed baked potato chip, the time-turner broke in half, with smaller pieces falling to the ground through the fingers.

Dumbledore quickly wrapped his hands with a magic similar to the Bubblehead Charm, and without caring about his image, he picked up all the fallen fragments.

Even the dust on the ground was put into a bag by him.

"If you don't need to go to the hospital wing..." Dumbledore looked up. "Kyle, could you have a cup of tea with me?"

"Of course, Professor, I'd love to." Kyle said, "But can you give me two more pork chops? I haven't eaten for almost a day."

"Even three copies is no problem." Dumbledore smiled.

When everyone left the secret room, it was already daybreak, and the morning sun shone through the window onto the corridor of the castle.

When they arrived at the principal's office, Fawkes was already waiting there, standing precariously on the basilisk's head, his body heaving violently.

Even though the basilisk obeyed Kyle's orders and did not resist, it was still not an easy task for Fox to Apparate with it.

But there was no way. Dumbledore couldn't let it roam across the castle at will, nor did he feel comfortable letting it stay in the Chamber of Secrets.

Kyle walked into the principal's office and placed the remains of Riddle's diary on the table.

"During the holidays, I got this diary..."

Kyle omitted some of the details, only saying that he heard some strange noises at the beginning of the school year and accidentally found the secret room.

Kyle told them everything, including how he suddenly went back a few months ago and saw the four giants of Hogwarts...

Obviously, the professors were more interested in this paragraph.

"Incredible." Professor McGonagall covered her mouth. "So you really met Godric Gryffindor?"

"Yes, a very reliable person, and very friendly." Kyle said, "But his personality is a bit erratic and not very stable. The other three seem to be annoyed by him."

Professor McGonagall's face froze and she stopped talking.

"That's amazing..." Dumbledore said softly. He looked at the professors around him, "Everyone should be up by now. May I ask you to go and announce the good news?

Besides, what happened deserves a party to celebrate, and someone in the kitchen needs to be notified."

"No problem." The professors walked towards the door.

Only Snape hesitated.

He had been staring at the basilisk lurking in the corner since just now, and his eyes looked as if he wanted to take it directly back to his private storage room.

"Principal, I insist that the basilisk is the property of the school."

Snape said, "And even if he did see Salazar Slytherin, such a dangerous creature cannot be handed over to a third-year student. Don't forget the attacks that happened before."

"I will give you a satisfactory answer, Severus," said Dumbledore.

"I hope so." Snape also left.

"I suddenly find that this place is a little small..." Dumbledore said thoughtfully after the door was closed.

"Leave it to me, professor." Kyle quickly put down the fried pork chops in his hand, took out the box, and stuffed the basilisk into it.

"This is much more spacious." Dumbledore smiled, "But remember to leave the box behind when you leave."

"Okay." Kyle nodded reluctantly.

"Professor Snape is right. I can't let a basilisk appear in the castle, even if it is safe, but..."

Dumbledore blinked. "I will give it to Newt when the school is over. This is the best solution."

"You are so thoughtful, Headmaster." Kyle put the box on the table decisively. "I believe Mr. Scamander can take good care of the basilisk!"

"That's what I think."

Dumbledore pushed a piece of custard tart to Kyle, "Try this, I think it's very good."

Kyle cut a piece and put it in his mouth... and then never looked at it again.

Too sweet, are all the candies in the kitchen picked up? Ten minutes later, Kyle finished the last bit of pumpkin juice and looked up at Dumbledore, who had remained silent.

"There is one more thing, Professor...that was also left to me by Mr. Salazar Slytherin."

"Yes, you are right, I almost forgot."

Dumbledore seemed to have just remembered something. He removed the plate and then took out the time-turner he had picked up from the Chamber of Secrets and placed it on the table.

"I have a request, Kyle." He whispered, "Can you... let me keep it for me?"

"But it's broken, Professor," Kyle said. "It was smashed to pieces after its magic ran out. It can't be put back together."

"It can be fixed." Dumbledore murmured, "I know many alchemy masters, including Nico. They must have a way."

"But Professor Dumbledore, we can't change what has happened."

Kyle said intentionally or unintentionally: "And Mr. Godric Gryffindor once warned me never to touch time."

"I just want to fix it."

For the first time, Kyle saw evasion in Dumbledore's eyes, and the identities of the two seemed to have exchanged with each other at this moment.

…

(End of this chapter)