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Jane Yu found herself waking up in the hospital wing once again.
The first sight that greeted her was Dumbledore and Snape standing gravely by her bedside, resembling a pair of stern guardians.
The scene transported her back to her first year when she had gotten drunk in the forbidden corridor.
She blinked at them before turning her head left, where she found her primary witness, Harry, still unconscious; to her right lay her second witness, Lockhart, his robes still stained with "blood."
Neither had stirred yet - a testament to the perfection of her stunning spell.
At her bedside rested the mangled diary, alongside Fawkes, now reduced to a hatchling - the phoenix chick was frantically flapping its wings, attempting to attack the diary with its soft yellow beak as if settling an ancient vendetta. The memory-wiped basilisk lay coiled contentedly nearby, salivating at the sight of Fawkes. Two wands - hers and Lockhart's - were placed meticulously beside them.
All evidence and witnesses were assembled perfectly.
When Snape noticed that Jane's first response upon waking was to survey her surroundings without a hint of contrition, his expression darkened to obsidian as he launched into his characteristic sardonic commentary:
"Well, well... our illustrious Miss Yu has demonstrated remarkable bravery, hasn't she?"
"Leading a fellow student into the Chamber of Secrets - even Godric Gryffindor himself would have to bow in admiration."
"Perhaps we should rename the Sword of Gryffindor in someone else's honor."
Buoyed by thoughts of the bright future ahead, Jane found even Snape's venom somehow charming.
Dumbledore stood twirling his long white beard with one hand while carefully examining the diary with two fingers of the other.
After Snape had finished spewing his venom for nearly half an hour, Dumbledore finally spoke gravely:
"Miss Yu, is there anything you'd like to tell us?"
At this, Jane immediately perked up.
She knew every word she spoke would become evidence for the record!
Yet she maintained a deliberately unrepentant expression:
"Very well, I confess... I was behind everything. I controlled the snake to open the Chamber, released the basilisk, intending to fulfill the great Salazar Slytherin's wishes."
Dumbledore and Snape exchanged glances. The old headmaster continued questioning before Snape could explode:
"Could you explain why Professor Lockhart was found in the third-floor corridor?"
Jane shrugged with feigned nonchalance:
"He had some leverage over me and tried to blackmail me, so I stunned him and took his wand."
Dumbledore faltered, clearly not expecting Jane to confess so readily:
"And Harry? Why did you take him into the Chamber?"
Without missing a beat, Jane continued spinning her tale:
"I forced Harry to enter the Chamber. He's a Parselmouth, and I didn't want another heir stealing my thunder - so I planned to have the basilisk kill him."
She was confessing to everything - surely they'd have to expel her now!
Both Dumbledore and Snape stared at her as if she were a troll.
Snape's face contorted as if he wanted to crack open her skull to check whether it contained flobberworms or knotgrass.
Dumbledore peered at her sharply over his crooked nose:
"I'll accept your explanation for now... but what about this diary found in the Chamber?"
Jane remained perfectly calm. After all, the diary was damaged beyond recognition now.
"It contained my plans after opening the Chamber."
As long as she insisted she did everything, she would be considered the Heir of Slytherin!
Seeing Jane spinning wild tales, Dumbledore knew he wouldn't get anything more and reluctantly gestured for her to return to her dormitory.
This was in the bag!
Jane marched back to her dormitory with her head held high.
Now, she just had to wait for Dumbledore's verdict, and everything would fall into place!
...
In Snape's office.
Dumbledore felt a shiver run through him.
He pulled up an armchair and sat down, lighting the nearby fireplace.
His fingers drummed on the desk, feeling something was missing.
"I don't keep any of those sickeningly sweet candies or honey tea here, only lethal potions," Snape said coldly, sitting down across from him.
Caught out, Dumbledore raised his hands in surrender:
"Severus, when you reach my age, you'll understand the pleasures of life..."
"Honestly, using the dungeons as an office isn't the best choice - it's rather cold, isn't it?"
Snape's mouth tightened into a straight line, smoothing out his frown lines as he replied coldly:
"I doubt you'll find any complaints about the environment from any Slytherin, whether head of house or student."
Dumbledore listened quietly and nodded:
"Indeed, being shaped by one's environment, or changing it... that's what makes people so hard to understand..."
Snape immediately caught his implied meaning and furrowed his brow:
"Who are you referring to? Yu Jane?"
Dumbledore first nodded, then shook his head:
"Not just her... In fact, there are many people... whose thoughts I cannot fully comprehend."
"But let's discuss her situation... I imagine she's doing quite well in Slytherin now."
Snape countered:
"Are you suggesting she's using the title of Heir of Slytherin to build a following in Slytherin?"
"Is that what you meant by 'being shaped by and changing the environment'? I cannot agree with your baseless speculation."
He glared at the renowned wizard before him, finding it absurd.
"Then how would you explain it, Severus? I can't think of any reason why she would claim this identity."
"We both know she didn't do those things... She's been investigating the Chamber all along, and successfully."
Snape fell silent. Though he had been observing Jane's every move, he too couldn't explain the reasoning behind it.
But Dumbledore stood up and offered a second theory:
"Or perhaps she's covering for the real heir... She found them and decided to serve them."
Snape looked at him in shock. Though he didn't want to admit it, this theory made sense.
Dumbledore continued, his tone almost certain:
"I lean toward the second possibility... because there was a third person in the Chamber, though no one knows who."
"I examined the last spells cast by both wands - Jane's cast Expelliarmus, while the other... cast the Killing Curse."
"A terrible battle took place there, and that person... even killed Fawkes, forcing its rebirth."
At the mention of the Killing Curse, Snape's body trembled almost imperceptibly, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"Knock knock knock"
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Snape opened it to find Professor McGonagall standing there with a first-year Gryffindor student.
It was Ginny Weasley.
Her face was deathly pale, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, her lips trembling - she looked utterly terrified.
"Pardon the interruption, Albus, Severus," Professor McGonagall said, her expression urgent and serious.
"This child has some important information to report."