In a hurry, Hermione rushed out of the Gryffindor tower, silently praying that Lin Yue was okay.

"She just forgot to let me know she's safe, she just forgot to let me know she's safe..."

Hermione kept repeating to herself as she quickly dashed through the corridors into the main part of Hogwarts Castle.

As soon as she entered the main castle, the immobile moving staircase caught her attention. Unable to resist, she stepped forward, staring in astonishment at the staircase that was completely still.

She had never heard of the moving staircases in Hogwarts ever stopping.

Drip. A drop of warm liquid fell onto Hermione's face. She looked up to wipe it away, and when she looked down, she was shocked to see a smear of blood on her fingertips.

"No, no, no, it can't be."

She looked up and saw Ron's younger sister, Ginny, supporting another person as they quickly ascended.

The person she helped was Lin Yue. Hermione's eyesight was quite good, so she immediately noticed Lin Yue's abnormal drooping right arm and the blood dripping from her right leg.

"Damn it." Hermione slapped her forehead hard; it was all her fault. If it weren't for bringing her back, Lin Yue wouldn’t have been injured!

There was no time to think about anything else. Hermione took off running upstairs. Just as she was about to reach the corridor where Lin Yue had been fighting the Basilisk, a rustling sound caught her attention.

It was too close now; there was no time to run away. Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Hermione quickly recalled what Lin Yue had said earlier.

Indirect eye contact with a Basilisk could cause petrification. After Lin Yue revealed that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a Basilisk, Hermione had actually taken some time to research and understand this creature.

Direct eye contact with a Basilisk would be fatal; on the contrary, indirect eye contact would only result in petrification.

Hermione took a deep breath, and the image of Lin Yue, who had just been bleeding and slowly rising into the air, flashed before her eyes.

I have to see her again, Hermione trembled as she took out a small mirror from her pocket.

Lin Yue, I'm sorry... It seems I can't come to see you and hug you right after you got hurt.

Hermione slowly opened the small mirror and turned it to face the corridor in front of her.

A pair of large yellow eyes instantly came into her view, and her body gradually stiffened, as if her consciousness and body had been severed.

Hermione's mind was still clear, but her body had already turned into a statue.

The basilisk that quickly swam over looked at the petrified Hermione and flicked its tongue, then swam away without a care in the world.

It showed no intention of causing any further harm.

At the same time, Harry and Ron walked out of their dormitory with the homework they had just finished and entered the Gryffindor common room.

The two boys stared at the empty common room for a moment, "Is Hermione still not back?"

Ron looked at Harry in confusion, "It's already been past curfew for a little while."

Harry shook his head, equally puzzled, "I don't know, but since Hermione said she would come back to check our homework, she will definitely return. How about we just sit here and wait?"

As he spoke, he pointed to a sofa not far away. Ron nodded in agreement, and the two of them sat down on the sofa together.

Just as they settled onto the sofa, Harry noticed a piece of clothing beside him and frowned.

This piece of clothing... it looks so familiar. Out of politeness, Harry didn't pick it up to look at it directly but examined it carefully from a distance.

"Ron! Isn't this the knitted jacket that Hermione was wearing tonight?"

"What?"

Hearing Harry's question, Ron turned to look. He scrutinized the piece of clothing for a moment.

Hesitating, he nodded, "It seems... it really is that jacket."

"But if Hermione's jacket is here, where did she go?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Ron glanced at Harry as he spoke, and Hermione was always the most meticulous and comprehensive among the three of them. There was absolutely no way that someone had left and forgotten their clothes here. Unless something had happened that made her so urgent that she couldn't even think carefully. The only thing that could make Hermione feel that urgent would be...

"Lin Yue!" ×2

The two boys exclaimed in unison, and the next moment they jumped up and rushed out of the Gryffindor common room. The curfew didn't matter anymore; Hermione was their friend, and Lin Yue was also their friend. No one could be in trouble.

If they were mistaken and neither Hermione nor Lin Yue was in trouble, that would be the best outcome. But if they were right, they wanted to hurry over.

Meanwhile, the trio of Cho Chang, who also rushed out of the Ravenclaw tower into the main body of Hogwarts Castle, saw Lin Yue being supported by Ginny as she continued to rise. They naturally noticed the injuries on Lin Yue and the blood dripping down. They quickly turned down the corridor, dashed up the moving stairs, and rushed upward.

Lin Yue was injured like this, and with Ginny supporting her, their obvious destination was the principal's office.

So they went straight to the principal's office.

Lin Yue was being helped by Ginny, with blood continuously flowing from her right arm and right leg.

The pain did not cause any change in her expression; in fact, she acted as if the injuries on her body didn't hurt at all.

However, her complexion was still difficult to hide, pale from the significant blood loss from her right leg and right arm, a physiological reaction that was unavoidable.

Moreover, her wand had been knocked away by the basilisk, and she wasn't very skilled with the blood-replenishing spell, unable to perform it without a wand, so she had no way to stop the bleeding herself.

As they landed in front of the stone beast at the principal's office, Ginny helped Lin Yue Walk over.

Lin Yue looked up at the stone beast with a pale face, her voice slightly weak yet still calm as water, "Cockroach pile."

The stone beast stepped aside, and Lin Yue was supported by Ginny as she walked up the spiral staircase. When they reached the door of the principal's office, she raised her hand and knocked.

"Principal Dumbledore, Ginny and I have something we would like to ask for your help with."

Dumbledore, who had just changed into his starry robe pajamas, paused for a moment before waving his hand to open the wooden door of the principal's office.

"Of course, children, please come in..."

Halfway through his sentence, Dumbledore choked on his words as he saw Lin Yue, supported by Ginny, whose right side of her clothing was almost soaked in blood.

This child had just left not long ago, how could she be injured like this?

Hurrying forward, Dumbledore took Lin Yue from Ginny's hands.

"Child, you must go to the hospital wing."

Without needing to ask what had happened or how Lin Yue was injured, the most important thing now was to get his student, his child, to the hospital wing for treatment.

Dumbledore was certain about this, without a doubt.

"Principal Dumbledore, the situation is quite urgent. The time it takes for me to get to the hospital wing could lead to unforeseen accidents."

Lin Yue turned to look at Ginny and spoke in a completely emotionless voice.

From the best outcome perspective, it would be quickest to resolve the matter in the principal's office.

There is more space outside, with more uncontrollable factors, and discussing the matter there would only prolong things unnecessarily.

However, it was clear that Principal Dumbledore had no intention of considering Lin Yue's suggestion.

"I'm still here, Miss Lin Yue." Principal Dumbledore drew his wand, emanating an aura that made one instinctively want to trust and rely on him.

He waved his wand, making Lin Yue float comfortably and securely, while also casting a healing spell on her.

Principal Dumbledore gently took Ginny by the arm and led the two students out of the principal's office.

"I'm still here, so you don't have to worry about the outcome, whether good or bad. No matter what happens, I will be here, right?"

Principal Dumbledore smiled at Lin Yue and Ginny, "As long as I am the principal, the students of Hogwarts will always be the most important presence in this castle."

"Your safety is the most important thing, good children."

Lin Yue paused for a second as she listened to Professor Dumbledore's words. Dumbledore said that his own safety was the most important thing, and Professor McGonagall also mentioned that her healthy and happy growth was the priority.

But there are clearly things that are more important than those— the bigger picture, the overall development of the place, the overall development of humanity. Shouldn't individuals unconditionally consider the bigger picture? Shouldn't they contribute to reflect their value?

After just a second of thought, Lin Yue cleared these chaotic ideas from her mind and prepared to quickly recount what had just happened. "Ginny, I’m afraid what I’m about to say cannot hide your presence, is that okay?"

Ginny, who was being embraced by Dumbledore, spoke without hesitation, "That's fine, Lin Yue. This is all my fault; I shouldn't be avoiding it."

Lin Yue, floating in the air, turned her head and looked at Ginny, seriously saying, "This is not your fault."

After saying that, she looked at Dumbledore. "Voldemort has found a way to open the Chamber of Secrets. He possessed Ginny and used her to open the Chamber."

Dumbledore's pupils constricted sharply as he listened to Lin Yue's words. Possessing Ginny?

Thinking back to what he had heard from Harry at the end of last year about Voldemort's condition... he had a bad suspicion in his heart.

"Based on my observations, Ginny's facial expressions and micro-expressions at that time were completely different from her normal state, and they were over ninety percent similar to what I had seen before on Quirrell's head."

"Therefore, I can confirm that Ginny was possessed by Voldemort."

Lin Yue spoke expressionlessly about her analysis process, and now when Dumbledore's pupils dilated, it did not escape her notice. This reaction could very likely prove that Dumbledore was aware of or had thought about the way Voldemort possessed others. It seemed that the books she had read were still not enough, Lin Yue concluded to herself.

Ginevra, who was embraced by Dumbledore, struggled to suppress her urge to cry and looked up at him, nodding her head. "Lin Yue is right; at that time, I was completely unaware, as if another person was controlling my body."

"It was the same on Halloween night, and then Mrs. Norris was petrified."

"I'm sorry... Dumbledore," Ginevra's voice carried a hint of tears, "I was too foolish, I was too cowardly, I harmed Mrs. Norris, and I also caused Lin Yue to get hurt. You should expel me; I shouldn't continue to stay at Hogwarts."

Principal Dumbledore walked briskly, but his speech remained extremely calm and gentle.

"You don't need to speak of yourself that way, Miss Weasley; you will not be punished."

"Many wizards older and more experienced than you have been deceived by Voldemort."

"Just like those pure-blood families, their heads are certainly clever enough, yet they were also fooled by Voldemort into believing he was pure-blood."

Principal Dumbledore smiled and winked at Ginny.

Lin Yue, floating, turned to Ginny, "My injury is not your fault; it is my own lack of skill that prevented me from protecting you while fighting the basilisk. It is my foolishness..."

At this point, Lin Yue instinctively wanted to continue blaming herself, but she remembered how Hermione had covered her mouth at this moment earlier.

She stopped but added, "It is my fault, not yours."

Be strict with oneself and lenient with others; when problems arise, regardless of the situation, first reflect on oneself and find the cause within.

Do not look to others to shift the blame; this is a basic principle, Lin Yue was certain in her mind.

"Alright, you are all good kids; none of you are at fault in this matter."

"Miss Weasley is undoubtedly a victim, and Miss Lin Yue is undoubtedly someone who bravely helps her classmates. I think after you recover a bit, I will award you some house points."

Principal Dumbledore looked kindly at Lin Yue and then turned his gaze forward.

"Ah, it seems your friends are also worried about you."

Lin Yue struggled to lift her head and look ahead, "Senior Qiu Zhang, Senior Marietta, Senior Penelope, I'm really sorry to have troubled you all to come here."

"Silly girl, what are you saying?" Qiu Zhang quickly ran forward to check Lin Yue's injuries, stopping her from being polite.

"You're hurt so badly." Marietta also rushed over, frowning in pain as she looked at Lin Yue's injuries.

Penelope reached out to help Lin Yue tidy her hair, "It must hurt a lot."

"It doesn't hurt," Lin Yue shook her head with a pale expression, "I'm used to it, and it's my own lack of skill that caused the injury."

Penelope, concerned, took Lin Yue's hand and was about to look up and ask Professor Dumbledore what exactly happened to Lin Yue and why she was injured.

Harry and Ron came running from a distance, shouting as they approached.

"Professor Dumbledore, Hermione... Hermione has been petrified, she's in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey said the situation is a bit special and needs you to come over."

Hermione has been petrified.

Those four short words exploded in Lin Yue's mind, one by one, her heart tightening instantly. There was no spark in her eyes, and her face showed no change.

However, Penelope felt Lin Yue's grip on her hand suddenly tighten.