Kapitel 109: An unexpected meeting! Part-2
{Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts}
{25th Sep 1991}
{3rd Person POV}
"How much do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes maintaining eye contact with Rigel. Even though he couldn't use surface-level legilemency, that didn't mean he couldn't read the kid in front of him. The slight tightening of his brows, even though Dumbledore could see that Rigel was trying his best to keep a neutral facade, gave it away.
"What's the Chamber of Secrets?" Rigel asked, his face set neutral even though he was feeling slightly anxious now. If the conversation had been about his infiltration, the PolyJuice Potion, or even Peter Pettigrew, he could easily navigate that since he had all the right reasons.
But the Chamber of Secrets was an entirely different issue, putting aside the fact that the elusive diary was somewhere in the castle and how Dumbledore had come to the conclusion that he knew something about it.
'Or is it because I'm a known Parselmouth, and he wants to enter the chamber?'
It was possible that Dumbledore just wanted to deal with the monster Slytherin supposedly left behind by Slytherin. But did he want the old wizard involved with the Diary business? On the one hand, it would make his work a lot easier. If Dumbledore could deal with the Basilisk, the most prevalent danger to him would be dealt with.
Rigel was just reluctant to give it all up. Not only was the old Basilisk worth a lot of money, but he also didn't want to give up the sanctuary of the Chamber. After dealing with the Basilisk, it would be a strategic resource he could use and maybe even explore. In canon, Harry never explored the Chamber in its entirety. There were countless speculations in the fandom that something must have been hidden in the Chamber, something that the snake was protecting. Still, he didn't have foreknowledge because of Harry's own trauma related to the chamber.
'If I give access to Dumbledore, not only would I be losing money but also a possible opportunity. Even if it was a slim possibility, I can't ignore it...' Rigel thought.
...
Albus stared at the young Black. He was so similar to his father now that he was staring at him. The same face and high cheekbones, dark orbs, and slightly sunken eyes, likely from overstudying. He had heard from Severus that the young Rigel was good at magical arts, both with wanded magic and politically as well. He already had a core group and had some form of influence over the council as well.
Though the reason for those transactions was a little predatory, he couldn't interfere in them. He hadn't shown any inclination against the Muggleborn until now, and according to Madam Pince, he had been seen multiple times interacting with Hermione Granger.
...
The two stared at each other for a bit before Dumbledore decided to take a step back. instead of going the confrontational route, he decided on a peaceful way, "The Chamber of Secrets is a hidden room that the founder of your house left behind in Hogwarts. It is an old room lost to time, and generations of researchers have failed to try and find it. It isn't a hoax as proof of its existence does exist."
"If so many researchers couldn't find it, why are you asking me if I know about it?" Rigel asked, puzzled. Albus could see through the innocent facade that the boy was putting up, and after thinking about it for a second, he decided to cut straight through it.
"Because you already visited the entrance once..." Albus spoke. He noticed the slight shift in Rigel's posture. He was defensive, but not defensive enough for Albus to back away. He saw a chance, so he decided to go for it: "...I have to take precautions when dealing with the chamber. And I'm not accusing you of anything, but there are several magical ways of tracking anyone who enters an area of interest."
...
'But how? I'm pretty sure there were no portraits around, likely the reason for that bathroom being the entrance to the Chamber. But even then, I'm pretty sure I didn't touch the wards woven around the chamber Dumbledore likely had set up. Unless the whole Bathroom is warded with the headmaster being able to track anyone who enters the bathroom because he has access to all of Hogwarts wards...'
Rigel couldn't pinpoint how Dumbledore knew, but now he can't continue with the innocent act. He could act against Dumbledore directly, but the Headmaster probably won't go against him for it. But having the favor of one of the most political superhouses couldn't be ignored.
'And that leads to negotiations...' Rigel continued. He leaned back into the chair and looked at Dumbledore; he still didn't have the perfect picture of Dumbledore's character, so this was also an opportunity.
"You want to deal with the Basilisk?" Rigel said suddenly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Dumbledore. He was expecting a reaction to the sudden information, but the old man was a lot more composed at the sudden information that was thrown at him.
"So it is a Basilisk... I always speculated but was never able to confirm..." Dumbledore hummed as he leaned back. Albus was surprised at Rigel's sudden change in tune. He didn't have a read on Rigel, and dealing with an unknown was a lot harder when he couldn't cheat. But he also had decades of experience in politics, so he had an easier time with Rigel's sudden amateurish probe.
Throwing sudden information was good, but only when it was something your opposition had never considered. Now that both of them were locked in this sudden probing contest, he had to deal with it a lot more carefully. Albus looked at Rigel's relaxed, leaned-back posture as the younger wizard continued.
"Yup, the King of the serpants. What else would be the Slytherin's monster." Rigel shrugged. The loss did sting as he let go of some of the information without any gain. But it also made the negotiation more official. And now that they were both on the table, it was time to set the minimum demands.
"There is no chance I could allow anyone not from the Slytherin bloodline access to the Chamber. Even if Slytherin was a lunatic and wanted to kill the Muggleborns, that is something I can not be a part of..." Rigel leaned forward, his back straight as he looked into Dumbledore's eyes.
'As long as Dumbledore agrees, there is no harm in working with him provisionally. Not only does he have a lot of power and knowledge, but I'm also not the sacrificial lamb he's preparing... Potter might have to deal with that burden on his own.'
...
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AN- 47+ Chapters on P.atreon!
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