HP: The Dropout Who Saved the World

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As the sandalwood burned out, the party drew to a close.

Jane received the highest honors, with every ghost rushing to greet her and asking if she'd consider settling in their territory after graduation.

Nearly Headless Nick wiped his eyes as he escorted Jane to the door, expressing profound gratitude:

"I'm so moved, my friend! You've been such a great help... if you ever need anything, just ask!"

...

As Jane climbed the stairs back to ground level, she found Professor Snape waiting at the top.

His eyebrows were tightly knitted, arms crossed over his chest, black robes cascading down the steps as his gloomy gaze peered down his hooked nose at her:

"I assume you're aware that today is the Halloween feast, where you should have been sitting quietly in the Great Hall."

"Not buzzing around the castle like a headless fly."

Caught off guard by this sarcastic rebuke, Jane felt bewildered.

"Follow me."

Snape whirled his robes and led her upstairs.

At the third-floor staircase, he suddenly stopped.

"If Dumbledore asks where you've been, answer truthfully— are you a troll?"

Jane couldn't stop in time and crashed into his back, making him stumble.

But she was no longer paying attention to what Snape was saying, because she saw the glaring, blood-red writing on the wall:

[THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED]

[ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE]

Mrs. Norris lay rigid on the ground, her eyes wide and staring.

Dumbledore stood before the wall, his expression grave. Filch knelt on the ground, his bony hands stroking his cat, weeping bitterly.

When they saw Jane, Filch screamed, turning his tear-stained, blotchy face toward her:

"You! You killed my cat! I'll kill you!"

What kind of murder scene was this?

Jane drew in a sharp breath.

Wait, shouldn't this be where the protagonist shows up to save the day?

She looked around but couldn't find the Golden Trio anywhere.

Their absence meant this couldn't be a crucial dangerous plot point.

She relaxed.

Those dormant thoughts immediately sprang to life.

Perhaps she could take the blame, let the real culprit frame her, and successfully get expelled!

She immediately broke into a smile.

Dumbledore came before her, his usually gentle eyes full of suspicion.

"Where were you during the feast, Miss Yu?"

She considered for a moment, thinking it would be too obvious for the culprit to confess immediately.

So she answered truthfully:

"I was at the deathday party, as you know, I'm on good terms with the ghosts."

But her few seconds of hesitation made her appear more suspicious. Filch screamed:

"Lies! Nonsense! Every student was present except you—no one else had the opportunity—"

"If I may," Snape said coldly from the shadows, "Although the Great Hall doors were closed, perhaps some students slipped out?"

Filch grew even more furious, his face turning purple:

"I was standing right outside! No one! No one left!"

"She must be punished—my cat's been killed—"

Dumbledore gave Jane a searching look.

"Without evidence, one is innocent, Filch."

He crouched down, examining the petrified cat closely, touching its fur with his fingers.

"She's not dead, merely petrified. Mandrakes will restore her, we just need to wait for them to mature."

Filch finally quieted down, and everyone fell silent.

"You may go, Miss Yu," Dumbledore said to Jane.

No one noticed the student crouching in the corner, their camera lens glinting slightly.

...

Photos of Jane standing with the professors before the blood-red writing spread everywhere.

Almost every student had a copy, all discussing Mrs. Norris's petrification.

Every copy of "Hogwarts: A History" had been checked out from the library as students tried to find information about the Chamber, and more importantly, who the Heir might be.

Due to that photograph, Jane naturally became the prime suspect.

Various rumors about her spread like wildfire.

"I'd say the professors must have discovered something to keep Jane behind—"

"The version I heard was that Jane petrified the cat and was caught red-handed by the professors."

In the Gryffindor common room, rumors flew wild.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione heard these rumors and were furious. Hermione even had a huge argument with her roommates.

"Impossible, Jane's such a kind person, how could she hurt a cat?"

"We need to help her—how can the professors be so presumptuous?"

Hermione's mind racing, she entered History of Magic class and began questioning Professor Binns about the Chamber's story.

"...Slytherin sealed the Chamber, and only his heir can open it, releasing the horror within to purge the school of those unworthy to study magic..."

Professor Binns was quite annoyed, believing these legends meaningless.

"Let's stop discussing these matters that ignore facts in favor of rumors!"

But an outcry arose from below:

"Then Jane must be the heir! She's from Slytherin!"

"She released the monster, killed Mrs. Norris, and wants to kill Muggle-born students!"

Hearing Jane's name, Professor Binns angrily stopped organizing his notes and said severely:

"Preposterous! Absolute nonsense! Slytherin had no Eastern bloodline, and the Chamber doesn't exist!"

"Two points from Gryffindor, stop slandering Miss Yu!"

What happened in History of Magic class spread throughout the school, deepening suspicions about Jane.

"It's been over a thousand years, who knows if Slytherin's descendants might have gone East?"

"She wants that monster to kill us Muggle-born students!"

The young wizards trembled as they recalled Jane's shocking spells and grades from the previous year.

When students from the other three houses encountered Jane in the corridors, some purebloods would bow to her, while half-bloods or Muggle-borns would turn and run as if they'd seen a ghost.

But Slytherin house was particularly turbulent.

The pureblood snakes reversed their cold attitude from the start of term and extended olive branches again.

Jane had no doubt their parents were behind this.

Even Pansy and Millicent, who deeply hated her, had to deliver gifts with sour expressions.

Meanwhile, previously friendly half-blood students now showed fear, though still stuttering greetings due to her intimidating presence and concerns for their safety.

Daphne, as Jane's roommate, seized the advantage of proximity to carefully probe what Jane planned to do next and whether she needed help.

She expressed 100% support for all of Jane's actions.

She was quite proud now, holding her head high when encountering Pansy and Millicent.

Being roommate to the Heir—the Greengrasses were about to rise again!

She was incredibly grateful for her decision to change rooms back then.

I'm such a genius! she thought to herself.