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Waking up, I began to look around, trying to understand: "What happened?" The room is as bright as day. There are only white curtains around, and I am sitting on the bed in simple pajamas. The hair was unpleasantly sticking to my forehead, and, running my hand over it, I wiped off the drops of cold sweat. Was I having a nightmare? But I don't remember anything. And ... Stop, hand?

The right hand was completely intact. To the right of the bed, on the bedside table, lay neatly folded things, on top of which was a wand holster. And the wand itself.

Suddenly, part of the curtain slid to the side, revealing Madame Pomfrey to me. Now I could get a better look at her. A stately woman in her fifties, in a white cap and the form of a mediwitch - a white robe-dress with burgundy sleeves, cuffs, and a collar.

"Are you awake, Mr. Knight?" The Mediwitch looked at me sternly before taking out her wand. "I need to check your condition."

"Hello. Of course, ma'am."

Several spells escaped the tip of her wand, and within seconds Madam Pomfrey nodded to herself.

"Things are good. You fully recovered overnight. There are no fractures, no abrasions, no bruises. Your regeneration is excellent.

"But it's not without potions, right?"

"Certainly. Skele-Gro, healing balms, but for the most part, your regeneration is worth praising, Mr. Knight. The headmaster wanted to talk to you. May I let him know that you've come to your senses?

"Certainly."

Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain back, separating my bed from the outside world again. I quickly began to dress and, within a minute, was ready to greet the guests by pulling the curtain aside.

I did not have to wait long, and after a couple of minutes, the headmaster entered the hospital wing. As always, in his lavender embroidered robes, long gray beard intercepted in the middle by bells. He looked at me warmly and kindly through his half-glasses.

"Mr. Knight," Dumbledore smiled as he stepped closer. "I'm glad you came to your senses so quickly."

"Like me, headmaster."

"May I ask you some details of yesterday's adventure?"

"Which one, headmaster?"

Dumbledore smiled into his beard.

"Professor, you can just call me professor. And the adventure is the rescue of young Ginny Weasley. I have already inquired about what happened from Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. To my regret, their story was short. You just walked up to them, said a couple of phrases, and now you are in the Chamber of Secrets with Professor Lockhart. Let me know how you came to such ambiguous conclusions as to the basilisk's existence and the very location of the Chamber of Secrets.

I told him - why should I hide it. Of course, I did not look directly into the headmaster's eyes, just in case. But no "extra" memories popped up in my head, and in general, thoughts did not jump from place to place. There was not even a hint that someone was trying to influence me.

In the end, I told him our theory, the same as McGonagall, adding only details about Myrtle. I said that I heard that she died fifty years ago. That the Chamber of Secrets was opened at the same time. It would be logical to assume that the secret room entrance was hidden in this toilet, and the snake symbol found on the sink only confirmed this.

"Mister Potter said," the headmaster continued to ask, still calmly standing next to the bed, "that during the battle with the basilisk, he received a blow and lost consciousness. And after a short moment, the basilisk was dead. Did you kill him?"

"Yes, headmaster."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment.

"Well… This is indeed a very brave thing to do, Mr. Knight. How should I reward your service to the school? Maybe a hundred points each for you and Miss Granger?"

"No need" with a slight smile, I shook my head. "Neither she nor I will appreciate it. Still, points are given for academic success and other regulated school activities, and not for killing the rarest relict animals of the fifth hazard class, that for some ridiculous reason living under the school."

"And what should we do then?" the headmaster looked at me with a question and a modest smile.

"I bet that it's not a secret to you that Hermione and I are visiting the Forbidden Section?"

"As well as for you, Mr. Knight, my infrequent visits to watch over such young inquisitive minds."

"Exactly. The next DADA instructor may not be as kind as Lockhart" on this name, neither Dumbledore nor I held back a smirk, looking at each other knowingly. "So, headmaster, could you please help us get, uhh, an annual ticket to the Forbidden Section for the two of us?"

"And you do not suffer from excessive modesty, as I can see, Mr. Knight?" Dumbledore smiled a little more good-naturedly. "Well, I think I have already managed to make sure of your sanity."

His words sounded too ironic.

"As in your friend's sanity. Therefore, as a gratitude, I will help you in this matter."

Dumbledore glanced thoughtfully out the window.

"How fast time flies," he sighed. "It's already dinner time. I see your health allows you to join the rest of the students in the Great Hall."

"Of course, professor. And thanks."

"No problem," answered the headmaster, and we went to the dinner together.