"Hoare, my child." Dumbledore chuckled, pointing to Hoare's wrist where a golden bracelet gleamed.

  Snape and Dumbledore kly what it was.

  Naturally, this was one of the reasons Snape had stayed until now.

  "Could you introduce her to me?" Dumbledore recalled Hoare's name for the Basilisk, which was a female name.

  Hoare lifted his wrist and shook it gently. Helena was sleeping soundly, even bubbles f at her nose.

  She couldn't eveend to be awake; a thousand years for nothing, Hoare thought, c his head.

  "This is Helena," Hoare introduced to the others.

  "We found her in the Chamber of Secrets beh the Slytherin bathroom."

  Dumbledore was aware of this. He exged a gh Shen spoke, "We noticed signs of Basilisk activity back then, but we couldn't find her."

  "Did you take her away?"

  Hoare nodded. Wasn't it obvious? Otherwise, how would she be on his wrist?

  Dumbledore tinued, "So, what is she guarding?"

  Hoare paused slightly, and Dumbledore immediately noticed, firming his suspis.

  If Slytherin's fouruly created a living space for the Basilisk, it should have been in the Forbidden Forest above ground.

  There, tless other creatures lived, a much better envirohan a dark, damp underground.

  "She's waiting for her master."

  It wasn't Hoare who said this, but Snape.

  Hoare raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, but not too much. After all, Snape was a double agent.

  This wasn't something one could guess; Hoare had only deduced it after seeing the magic array in the Chamber.

  "Oh? Why do you say that, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, feigning curiosity.

  Snape g Hoare's wrist and replied, "Just a guess."

  Hoare...

  The Weasley couple...

  Dumbledore wasn't surprised, as he had guessed the same. He even sulted the S Hat left by Gryffindor for this theory.

  "Without an obsession, she wouldn't stay at Hogwarts. The passage is open; she could leave anytime, but she hasn't," Snape expined. "Magical creatures are more loyal aional than we imagine, even going against their instincts for a promise."

  Snape looked up at Hoare, "You o improve your Care of Magical Creatures css."

  Hoare scratched his head.

  The creatures shown in that css were just too ugly; he had no i in learning about them.

  However, he poked the sleeping Helena on his wrist with a finger, surprised by this side of her.

  But it was strange.

  Such a loyal Basilisk left her master's post just because of something he said, and she hadn't urged him since.

  She could have hidden somewhere, waiting for Hoare's news.

  But no.

  Helena liked to coil arouail on Hoare's wrist, pretending to be a golden bracelet, following him everywhere, occasionally sneaking into Gryffindor's dormitory to find Ron.

  Even though Ron initially turned pale with fright, he now calmly cuddled Helena beside his pillow.

  Hoare had specuted that the Weasley bloodline was exceptionally pure.

  But Helena showed no special rea wheing other Weasleys, which puzzled Hoare, overturning his previous guess.

  Hoare's as were something he was used to, but they shocked Molly and Arthur, turning their faces pale.

  That was a Basilisk that could petrify with a gnce!

  "Helena really likes us," Hoare expined, seeing how tehey were.

  "Us?" Molly was quick to catch the key point.

  Hoare nodded, "And Ron. Helena often sneaks through the secret passages to Gryffindor to py with Ron."

  Hearing this, not only Molly and Arthur turned green, but Snape did too.

  A Slytherin Basilisk liking a Gryffindor Weasley!?

  The thought was terrifying.

  "Helena says we have the st of her master," Hoare dropped another bombshell, leaving everyounned.

  Merlin's beard! What kind of horror story was this?

  The Weasleys had always been Gryffindors!

  Having Gryffindor blood was not surprising, but being Slytherin's desdants seemed impossible.

  Molly and Arthur frowned, recalling their family tapestry, finding it quite ordinary.

  The couple exged looks, deg to go home immediately after this to check their family tree.

  "Hahahahahahahahaha—"

  Suddenly, ughter filled the room. The Weasley couple looked over to see Dumbledhing untrolbly.

  "Hogwarts, one big family, hahaha, why should you care—"

  Dumbledore felt he had never been so happy.

  He couldn't wait to share this with Tom, before Tom perished.

  Due to Hoare's earlier bombshell, the Weasley couple, faces pale, wao rush home to check their family tree.

  The versation eemporarily.

  "Hoare, leave the diary to me, don't worry." Dumbledore pced the bed diary on his desk, holding the half-bottle of Basilisk venom Hoare had given him.

  One drop would pletely destroy the diary.

  Produced by Helena, Hoare was fident.

  Hoare o rest; he had three csses tomorrow, plus a teag assistant session.

  If he didn't sleep, he'd have to drink an energy potion again in the m. Though improved, it still tasted terrible, worse than hot Ameri coffee.

  Dumbledore dismissed everyoanding alone in the Headmaster's office.

  "Albus, do you suspect that child?" A voice echoed in the empty office.

  Oher side of the wall, hung with portraits of past headmasters.

  Dumbledore shook his head, "Hoare is a good child, better than I imagined." He was already good, and knowing he was a Weasley made Dumbledore even more satisfied.

  Capable, talented, and protective of his family.

  Family, such a beautiful existence.

  With family, Hoare Weasley wouldn't go astray.

  Dumbledore smiled slightly.

  "However, I always feel this child knows a lot—" His fingers brushed the diary on the desk, his fiips sparking with starlight, "like the issue with this diary."

  Dumbledore ihe diary with a trace of life force, rejuvenating it.

  "Tom—" Dumbledore called.

  The diary opened automatically, and lines of elegant golden script appeared on the bnk pages.

  The speed was astonishing, almost leaping off the page.

  Though the words were insults.

  "What have you doo yourself?"

  Dumbledore didn't expect a response from Diary Tom; he was merely talking to himself.

  His gaze drifted to a white frame on the desk.

  0Niffler0