Edward stood somewhat dazed in his own room, then finally let himself fall onto the bed. Right now, he felt a wave of drowsiness washing over him. After all, moments earlier he had still been attending a farewell ceremony with his companions in the other world. Yet the very moment the clock struck midnight, he was abruptly pulled back into this world—something he found rather amusing.
However, when he recalled his life in that alternate world, Edward's expression inevitably became strange. That world had felt incredibly real—so real that it would not be an exaggeration to say it was a genuine world in its own right. The only real problem was that his starting point in that world had been less than ideal—one could even call it downright unlucky.
But afterward, things did improve rapidly. He experienced all kinds of surprising encounters. Even if he randomly leapt into a mountain ravine, he would somehow stumble into a new adventure. All he could say was that this was the kind of treatment only the protagonist of a story ever received. Though, of course, even then some problems still existed.
"Hiss… this thing really shouldn't be used too often." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. The two-and-a-half years of memories felt far too vivid, and the duration itself had been long enough to overwhelm him. Now, he suddenly understood why they did not allow him to live through an entire lifetime in that world. Just two and a half years already felt mentally taxing—if he had lived a whole life in there, he would probably come back half-insane.
Fortunately, the whole process operated on random selection. Edward felt that unless his luck suddenly exploded in some extreme way, he wouldn't run into a similar situation again anytime soon. With that thought, he simply decided to get some proper sleep first, using the rest to slowly organize the tangled memories in his mind.
After waking from his nap, Edward did feel lighter. Although some lingering issues still remained, they were no longer unbearable. And the sensation of personally experiencing magic had been genuinely amazing. The only real drawback was that the protagonist's magical abilities could not be used in this world, and the memories themselves were far too unique.
Still, the experience gave Edward new inspiration for how he might adapt the plot of Hogwarts.
"Maybe I should start by writing a simple article to test the waters?"
Edward suddenly had a whimsical idea. After all, Harry Potter originally began as a novel before it was adapted into films, which later gave it even greater worldwide fame.
Words like muggles even became mainstream slang, with a surprising number of people—especially online—using them.
Not to mention the even more famous phrase "Yer a wizard, Harry."
But after some thought, Edward gave up on the idea. Instead, he planned to write out the full plot of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets first, then film everything together. That would make the later editing work much easier. More importantly, parts of the castle still needed renovation, and the Chamber of Secrets scenes required specific structural preparations as well, so filming both installments consecutively was the most practical option.
Thus, this time Edward also needed to finish writing the full storyline of Chamber of Secrets, allowing him to better control various aspects during production.
During the summer holidays, Harry is visited by the house-elf Dobby at the Dursley residence. Dobby warns him that returning to Hogwarts will expose him to deadly danger, and even resorts to using magic to sabotage the Dursleys' dinner party. As a result, Harry is locked in his room on the second floor—leaving him furious and confused. He cannot understand who this suddenly appearing house-elf is or why he insists on doing this.
To Harry, Hogwarts is the only place he truly looks forward to—where he could experience freedom and genuine life. Yet Dobby remains adamantly concerned for Harry's safety, preventing him from leaving. Fortunately, Ron arrives in a modified flying car to rescue him. The two break through the magical barrier and head back to school together.
However, because they missed the train and Ron did not protect the car properly, their flying car incident gets photographed. This eventually becomes the reason Ron receives a Howler from his parents.
Meanwhile, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is replaced by a well-known celebrity. Hermione greatly admires the man—Gilderoy Lockhart—believing him to be an exceptionally outstanding teacher. He possesses many honors and has published numerous books, earning himself a reputation as a highly remarkable wizard.
Harry, however, feels little affection for Lockhart.
Once classes begin, Harry becomes even more suspicious of Lockhart's actual ability. His lessons are often chaotic, and he merely recites text from his own books without any personal insight. During their first class, he even has the students read one of his publications. Later, when Harry gets injured in a Quidditch match, Lockhart, despite the injury being easily treatable, manages to make it much worse—forcing Harry into the infirmary. This incident makes it obvious to all the students that Lockhart is all show and no substance.
At the same time, many strange things begin happening. Blood-red writing appears on the wall of a Hogwarts corridor:
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware."
Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, is found petrified. Traces of snake-shed slime remain at the scene. Harry keeps hearing ominous hissing voices in the walls, yet no one else can detect them. Panic spreads across the school. And because Harry is always nearby whenever the incidents occur, rumors begin to circulate about him.
Professor McGonagall later explains the legend of the Chamber of Secrets to the students—how Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders, built a hidden chamber containing a monster meant to purge all students of impure blood. Fifty years ago, the Chamber had once been opened, resulting in a student's death. Hagrid had been blamed and expelled for keeping the giant spider Aragog.
Then, Harry inadvertently demonstrates his ability to speak Parseltongue, a trait he shares with the Dark Lord. Rumors spread that Harry might be Slytherin's heir. Even Hermione and Ron begin feeling uneasy. Meanwhile, Ginny Weasley grows increasingly pale and exhausted, though few notice her condition.
When another student is found petrified, the situation reaches a climax. Panic soars, parents protest, and even Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, comes to Hogwarts to inquire into the matter.
Hermione, through research in the library, deduces that the creature in the Chamber is a basilisk—its gaze causes instant death, while indirect viewing results in petrification. Before she herself is petrified, she leaves behind a crucial clue.
Harry and Ron follow a trail of spiders deep into the Forbidden Forest, reaching Hagrid's old acquaintance, Aragog. There, they learn that the true culprit fifty years ago was someone else, likely the Dark Lord himself. Through the magical memory stored within Tom Riddle's diary, Harry witnesses how young Riddle framed Hagrid, and discovers that the name "Tom Marvolo Riddle" can be rearranged to spell "I am Lord Voldemort."
Here, however, Edward encountered a minor issue. This part would be awkward to adapt, since the story is in English but the Pokémon world uses its own unique script. Fortunately, it could be modified later.
Ginny, controlled by Riddle's lingering consciousness, is dragged into the Chamber. Harry and Ron find the entrance through Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. In the underground chamber filled with serpent carvings, Lockhart—who had fallen with them—attempts to attack Harry with a Memory Charm. Lockhart's fame had always been built on stolen achievements; he was extremely skilled in Memory Charms, which allowed him to erase others and claim their stories as his own.
Harry uses Parseltongue to open the Chamber. He confronts the basilisk, repeatedly forced to evade its lethal attacks.
Finally, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, brings him the Sorting Hat, from which Harry draws the Sword of Gryffindor. With the basilisk's eyes already gouged out by Fawkes, Harry pierces its skull. Though he is poisoned by a basilisk fang, he uses that same fang to destroy the diary, annihilating the fragment of Voldemort's soul. Fawkes then heals Harry with phoenix tears. The incident ends in triumph—but Voldemort's threat still lingers.
Afterward, Harry cleverly exploits Lucius Malfoy's arrogance. He hides the diary in an old sock and hands it back to Malfoy, who angrily throws the sock aside. Dobby catches it and is thus given clothing—fulfilling the condition for a house-elf's freedom.
A house-elf can only be freed when its master bestows clothing. Malfoy's action inadvertently fulfilled that requirement, allowing Dobby to obtain his long-awaited freedom. It was an extremely rare event.
Dobby, newly freed and deeply grateful, vowed to serve Harry in the future—planting seeds for what was to come.
After finishing the full plot of the second book, Edward left his room. It was time to check on the progress of his castle. This castle was essential—it would serve as the filming site for Hogwarts.
When Edward arrived, the castle towered over the center of the lake like a solitary island, surrounded by fog. The lake surface was dark, which Edward found quite fitting—Hogwarts was bordered by the Black Lake after all. Night had fallen, and moonlight glimmered off the castle's spires with a faint blue sheen.
The castle's stone walls bore the marks of age, covered in climbing vines woven with history. The towering spires pierced the sky, seemingly reaching for the stars. At the top, Edward had built an astronomy classroom—capable of hosting many kinds of scenes. In truth, the entire castle held various classrooms and facilities. Edward was genuinely constructing a full Hogwarts, though the cost was far from cheap.
"Boss, what brings you here this late?"
Zoroark looked at Edward in surprise. Edward raised an eyebrow—why was Zoroark still here at this hour?
"I came to inspect the place. Everything inside has been set up already. Would the boss like to take a look?"
Zoroark sensed Edward's question and extended the invitation. Edward accepted—he wanted to see how it all turned out.
When they reached the castle, its grand entrance doors were tightly shut, carved with intricate magical runes and a sleeping dragon. Beneath it lay the Hogwarts motto.
As they pushed the doors open, the lighting inside flickered. On each side of the doorway stood two solemn stone statues—lifelike in every detail, from the folds in their stone garments to the flowing stone hair. Both held swords, showcasing the craftsmanship of ancient stonemasons.
Edward pondered. These could serve as a defensive mechanism in the future, though they still felt too weak—one or two spells would take them down. He wondered if he should enhance their enchantments.
As they stepped inside, the heavy doors slowly closed on their own, echoing throughout the hall. Edward glanced back.
"They close automatically too?"
"This door is way too heavy, so it has to be like this," Zoroark explained. At first, it had also been confused, but now it even acted like a tour guide. Edward nodded. With a few tweaks, this could easily be presented as magic.
He considered giving the door a decorative guardian statue that appeared to close it—though it would still be controlled mechanically. But wouldn't that look more mysterious?
They reached the Great Hall. Several long tables were arranged down the center, parchment sheets covering them. The faint scent of candle wax drifted in the air. Flames crackled in the fireplace, casting flickering shadows. The place was silent except for the fire and occasional distant cries of unknown Pokémon—creating a subtly eerie atmosphere.
But that was simply because the place was empty. Once filming for Harry Potter began, it would naturally become livelier, dispelling the uncanny stillness.
A long staircase spiraled upward deep into the castle. Edward felt satisfied—the height and length perfectly captured the grandeur of Hogwarts' corridors.
"Hang some screens on the walls. Make them look old and frame them like paintings. Then play moving images inside."
Edward instructed Zoroark. These living portraits were iconic elements of Hogwarts. Each step should also be polished smooth.
"Understood, boss," Zoroark noted, continuing upward with Edward. The higher they climbed, the thicker the aura of "magic" seemed. Intricate carvings along the walls almost felt alive. The required craftsmanship had been extremely high—enough to make Edward's heart ache financially—but seeing the result, he felt it was worth it. You get what you pay for, after all.
At the topmost corridor, cold wind blew through the parapets, sending a chill down their spines. The gentle lapping of the lake could be heard in the distance. Then they noticed a massive shadow cast across the floor.
"What is that?"
Edward couldn't help blurting out. Looking up, he saw a gigantic tentacle—like something from a Loch Ness monster—so realistic it carried a faint smell of sea salt.
"Boss, that was a bonus gift from the master craftsman. It's just for decoration. The fishy smell comes from the materials he used."
Zoroark grinned. The first time it saw the thing, it had nearly jumped out of its fur as well.
(End of Chapter)