Bab 48: Chapter 48: Is Professor Forester a Harbinger of Misfortune?

"I believe the attacker is a Basilisk," Sherlock Forester, the current Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, stated with a serious expression.

"But isn't a Basilisk's primary ability to instantly kill those who lock eyes with it, rather than simply petrifying them?" This left Professor McGonagall with an expression of puzzlement, her brows furrowed in thought.

Further elaborating on his theory, Sherlock gestured towards the charred camera that Headmaster Dumbledore held in his grasp. "Not one of the affected students happened to look directly into its eyes. Both of them saw it indirectly. Colin viewed it through his camera and Justin caught a glimpse of its image reflected on the pool of water beneath his feet."

Dumbledore's gaze settled on Sherlock, warmth and admiration shining in the depths of his twinkling eyes.

"Now that you mention it, the floor was indeed flooded where Justin was found, your attention to detail is truly astounding, Sherlock," he praised. "I'm left with wonder as to why they ever thought you unsuited for the combat department when you first joined the Aurors."

In his hands, he lightly weighed the ruined camera, speaking through hushed whispers, "It is likely that a Basilisk is indeed the tormentor behind the attacks. However, the pressing issue does not lie in identifying the attacker, but instead in revealing the one who unleashed it..."

His voice lowered to a nearly inaudible murmur, his words vanishing before they reached the ears of Sherlock and Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore merely shook his head in frustration.

"If it in fact is a Basilisk, then countering it should prove to be quite straightforward. A rooster's crow is fatal to it. I believe Hagrid maintains a flock of chickens— they could act as a line of defense." However, the issue was not as simple as it seemed.

The chickens that Hagrid had been taking care of were mysteriously murdered overnight, hinting that the one who had unchained the Basilisk had set their plans very deliberately. Due to Sherlock's timely warning, however, Dumbledore and the rest of the professors were now alert and prepared.

A rooster is not be an extraordinary magical entity and can be procured without much difficulty. Knowing the nature of the threat is far preferable than facing an unknown enemy, providing the Hogwarts staff with a fraction of an upper hand.

However, this information couldn't be extended to the students for the sake of maintaining their peace of mind. As a result, feelings of uneasiness began to blanket the student body. Fear was palpable amongst the youngsters, their terror increasing due to the mystery shrouding the attacker.

The young wizards from Muggle families were gripped with fear, dread gnawing at them with every passing day. Even Neville, who was naturally averse to confrontations due to being pure-blood, was visibly paler. The terror mirrored in his eyes was impossible to miss.

"Why are you so afraid, Neville?" Ron attempted to comfort Neville in the Gryffindor common room after observing his anxious demeanor. "You're a pure-blood wizard, aren't you? The monster from the chamber won't target you."

His words of support didn't seem to have much effect, and Neville, looking dejected, excused himself from the common room, most likely to retreat into the comforting silence of the library.

"He's always been a little bit skittish. Maybe it's best if we just leave him to his books for now," Harry suggested, too swamped with his own worries to deeply ponder over Neville's unusual conduct.

"Colin only got wished good luck from Professor Forester yesterday, and he's been attacked today! Surely, this can't be a mere coincidence," Hermione piped in, sounding quite alarmed.

"Yes, but we've covered this before, haven't we? Forester isn't a possible suspect, you said that yourselves. He's a half-blood and the heir of Slytherin would have to be from a pure bloodline, right?" Harry questioned.

"That's debatable," Ron countered earnestly. "I've said before that the number of remaining pure-blood families is quite limited. If intermarriage with Muggles hadn't taken place, our family would've faced extinction by now. The descendants of Slytherin may not even remember their roots due to widespread intermingling. In addition, no existing pure-blood families have staked claim to Slytherin's lineage."

With Ron's bold assertion, the previous information which once had cleared Forester from all speculations was now being questioned. Hermione's features reflected her surprise as she realized Forester's suspicion level was as high as Malfoy's based on current evidence.

Stammering slightly in her surprising revelation, she argued. "But I just can't accept it. If Professor Forester is indeed the heir, and if he truly despises wizards of Muggle heritage, then why would he consistently respond to my questions so diligently? He may be brusque, even detached, but we're all aware that he's essentially a decent man. He even got into a scuffle in Diagon Alley just to support Mr. Weasley against Malfoy's father."

Hermione's passionate defense of Forester altered Harry and Ron's perceptions. The initial displeasure they had held for Forester due to his aloof exterior was wavering. As they interacted more with him, they started to realize Sherlock wasn't remotely as indifferent as he initially seemed.

The true Forester was courteous and poised, never resorting to insults or ridicule when dealing with less academically astute students. His lectures were peppered with humor, making the Defense Against The Dark Arts subject matter interesting.

He had even a fun sparring partner ex nihilo to assist in his teaching. After nearly half a semester of studying under him, they'd developed an appreciation for him, making it hard to believe he might be the ruthless offender threatening the safety of the school.

An extended silence broke when Harry suddenly voiced his query, "What if—do you suppose—Professor Forester isn't truly the one behind all this and he merely has an unfortunate tendency to make ill-omened comments?"

Harry's unexpected proposition left Hermione and Ron speechless.

"Look, Harry, we don't want to believe Professor Forester is behind this either, but we can't just dismiss his suspicions with ungrounded speculations. That would be reckless," Hermione objected earnestly.

"I'm not just conjecturing—I'm serious!" Harry interjected earnestly. In detail, he started to lay out the basis of his theory to Hermione and a confused Ron.

"Ron, do you recall our eventful arrival on the first day of school via a flying car, which ended with us colliding with the Whomping Willow? Can you remember what we discussed with Professor Forester when we were on our way back to the Gryffindor common room after receiving treatment from Madam Pomfrey?"

After a moment of heavy consideration, Ron nodded. "Of course, I remember that day. That damned tree seemed to have lost its mind, nearly maiming us."

"But after our treatment from Madam Pomfrey, we bumped into Professor Forester on our way back. Can you recall his exact words?", Harry repeated his question.

"He told us... he hoped he wouldn't have to excuse us from his first class due to injuries." Ron clearly remembered this interaction as he and Harry had been devising a plan to feign illness in order to avoid their first class, a ruse that Forester had quickly discerned.

"No, not that," Harry shook his head. "After seeing us, he said, 'I had hoped you two would land without issue.'"

Ron and Hermione were both taken aback.

"So, now we're claiming casual musings as confessions of guilt? It's plausible that Professor Forester merely made an offhand remark at the time, and our subsequent injuries were mere coincidence."