allendalepharm Chapter 335 Draco, you'll keep this a secret for me, won't you?
Chapter 335 Draco, you'll keep this a secret for me, won't you?
Chapter 335 Draco, you'll keep this a secret for me, won't you?
"Ron, this isn't your fault!" Harry clutched his still-painful head, gritting his teeth as he struggled to sit up, whispering words of comfort.
Ron tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that looked more like a grimace.
His face was paler than anyone else's, and he looked utterly powerless.
However, after only a few exchanges, all three members of the adventure team suffered damage at the soul level, but they also gained considerable benefits.
Harry's head throbbed as if it were about to split in two, but he also began to realize that a fragment of Voldemort's soul was lurking within him, and the breakthrough point was the lightning bolt scar on his head.
Draco felt as if countless knives were stabbing and twisting his entire body, threatening to shatter him. Yet, he also realized the crucial secret of Voldemort's constitution and mastered a spell invented by Voldemort himself.
Ron, on the other hand, suffered a severe emotional trauma.
He only received ridicule.
It was full of mockery of his terrible life.
Even though he has already tried so hard, no one knows how desperately he works behind the scenes.
In his first year, he was amazed by Hermione's Levitation Charm in Charms class, but by the beginning of his second year, he could easily use the Levitation Charm to manipulate tree branches to strike the scar mechanism of the Willow of Hearts.
In their first year, they were at a slight disadvantage when confronting the evil Draco trio of Slytherin, but by the beginning of their second year, he was able to successfully cast the Slug Curse.
All of this was accomplished while he was holding his brother Charlie's worn-out, hairy wand—a wand that was completely out of character for him.
When Professor Lockhart highly praised his efforts and courage, and personally took him to Ollivander's wand shop to buy a wand that was exactly his and fit him perfectly, no one could imagine how crazy he would work.
He always wanted to prove himself.
He even invented the Hakimi language, which became the most powerful cornerstone of the Hakimi project.
However, life seemed to be playing tricks on him all along. No matter how hard he tried, the label of "you're terrible" was always stuck on his head.
He delved so deeply into his own soul, reconciled with his own mediocrity, that he finally succeeded in unleashing the Guardian Deity of the Body, only to have everything vanish under the mockery of fate.
He so desperately wanted to be a good person, a kind and upright person, and then two Muggles died under his wand—that's an indisputable fact.
"Someone like me—"
"What else can it be made into?"
Ron murmured in anguish.
"You idiot!" Draco yelled through his pain. The Cruciatus Curse was far more terrifying than he had imagined, and it was double the damage. It was already quite an achievement that he hadn't passed out.
He was completely drained of strength, and could only shout angrily, "Can't you see? Voldemort's specialty is creating damage to the soul, breaking down the enemy's defenses, and then corrupting them with dark power!"
Draco was almost in tears. "Use your troll brain! Don't you realize Voldemort is corrupting your soul right now?"
Is that right?
Is my current confusion due to the corruption of Voldemort's dark power?
"Ron, listen to me!" Harry struggled to get up, but the intense pain in his brain made it impossible for him to do so. He fell heavily to the ground and could only pant and patiently persuade Ron, who was still able to move in the group.
He knew that this was an invisible game, that Tom Riddle was constantly influencing him and Ron, and that all they had to do was fight back!
His gaze was so sincere. "Professor Lockhart said that there has never been a standard for judging right and wrong that can be called truth in this world, but for us as individuals, this standard has always existed."
"Ask your own heart, the standard of right and wrong has always been there!" Harry's tone was full of determination. "On the basis of this right and wrong, build your own inner world, so that your will can be expressed, and your actions can be in perfect harmony with your heart, and move forward with unwavering courage."
This is the most basic content of the "fairy tale theory," and Harry is well aware of the immense power contained within this simple truth.
"Is right and wrong in our own hearts?" Ron looked down at his hands.
"Yes!" Harry gasped, clutching his head, his voice growing weaker. "Ron, my friend, you know it wasn't your fault at all that you killed those two Muggles!"
That's very strange.
Harry found it hard to describe Ron's strange state at that moment; it was a restless desire, a hesitation to break free from worldly constraints, a burgeoning will that was not quite firm.
So strange.
Harry felt that Ron was starting to seem a little unfamiliar, but he didn't speculate too much, assuming that it must be Tom's doing.
"Just stick to your own perception of right and wrong, right?" Ron swallowed, as if asking Harry, or perhaps asking himself.
"Yes! You idiot, hesitation only leads to defeat!" Draco was furious. "Look, that guy is recovering!"
Ron looked at Voldemort with some horror.
Voldemort, in his wheelchair, was struggling to reach his wand that had fallen to the ground. He looked so weak, yet so determined to retrieve it.
"Attack him!" Draco roared. "Quickly!"
Ron swallowed hard, then realized something and looked at Tom's grandfather, the only surviving member of the Riddle family, his gaze somewhat unfocused. "But I might hurt that Muggle, or even you!"
"Then die!" Draco's gaze turned icy. "If the target is that Muggle, then let that Muggle die! If the target is me, then let me die! Then, no one else can die in his place, and you can take the opportunity to kill him!"
Do you understand? Without unwavering courage and the fierce determination to forget all gains and losses, you can't achieve anything!
"You know this is the right thing to do!" Harry chimed in. "If we don't, we'll all die here!"
Then-
Go do it.
Ron seemed to have completely broken through the barriers in his heart, silently chanting, "As long as I know it's right, as long as I know it's for justice," and quickly waved his wand while chanting a spell.
"Extremely painful!"
He'd wanted to do this for a long time!
This magic was so alluring to him that he had no idea why he was so determined to try it.
but--
To save their companions, to defeat the demon!
Even if it leads to the killing of more Muggles, then blame all the sins on me!
Even if it hurts my comrades, then blame everything on me!
Even so—
The soul has fallen!
Then pin all the blame on me!
In the instant he cast the spell, Ron's heart was filled with bewilderment and confusion, filled with tears and wails, howling, "I will not reconcile with my weakness, I will not reconcile with my mediocrity, I will not reconcile with my wretchedness, I—"
"That's it!"
He might even be a dark wizard in his subconscious.
Even if he's terrible, mediocre, weak, even if he's a dark wizard—
also can not!
No, that's not allowed either!
You're denying me as a person!
Denying my life!
The Cruciatus Curse's magical effects are invisible, but when Ron cast it, it released a strange magical plasma.
The thick, surging magical plasma was like his turbulent and complex inner world, hesitant about the future and the world, yet steadfast in the present and in himself.
Isn't life always full of contradictions? Isn't life always a struggle of self-doubt?
It doesn't matter anymore.
Ron just stared blankly at the magical plasma, watching it leap and dance up and down in the air, moving forward, and then crashing heavily into Tom in his wheelchair, sending him flying and slamming against the wall, howling in pain.
The wailing sound traveled along the feedback from the magical plasma, rushing towards his brain, stimulating and releasing large amounts of dopamine.
It turns out that sadism can indeed bring pleasure.
but--
Ron didn't like this kind of pleasure; he even instinctively disliked it.
He laughed.
His heart was filled with joy.
So, he wasn't a dark wizard after all!
It turns out he didn't want to hurt others!
turn out to be--
All he craved was control over his own life, and the feeling of "control".
The Crucifixion is a form of control over another person's state. His subconscious subconscious provides him with an answer, but he doesn't like or like this answer.
Because it is not true "control".
"ha"
Overwhelmed with joy, he could no longer contain himself and burst out laughing. The Crucifixion Charm maintained by his wand emitted a burst of intense magical light as Harry and Draco stared in disbelief. The plasma even expanded and formed a huge arc in mid-air.
At one end of the arc is Ron, ecstatic.
At the other end of the arc was Tom wailing.
not enough!
not enough!
This magic could not satisfy his desire for "control".
He dispelled the spell, letting Tom slide softly down the wall to the ground, while he looked down at the wand, pondering what kind of magic would suit him better.
Draco, who was standing nearby, suddenly burst into laughter, shouting, "Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Bonus points! Bonus points! Weasley, our king! Hahahaha~"
Harry swallowed hard, looking at Ron with a bewildered expression, and couldn't help but say, "Ron, sometimes you can be quite frightening—"
A wry exclamation, a startled reaction that defies his usual persona—
All of this could no longer disturb Ron in the slightest.
He was so focused on the magic in his hands that he moved it again, as if he were not casting a spell, but revealing his inner self, walking into the vast night to touch and explore everything in the future.
He already had a vague idea of the answer.
When he so desperately craves recognition from others, all his emotional perceptions will involuntarily focus on all his bad moments, and then he will fall into pointless anxiety and discouragement.
He doesn't actually need anyone's approval.
All he's ever needed is his own approval!
"I don't need applause."
Ron muttered, "I just need to stand there—"
As if struck by inspiration, he gently waved his magic, his technique clumsy yet full of ease and determination.
It was as if a heavy mountain had been lifted from his shoulders, yet his chest was filled with a deep, heavy feeling.
"Mountain mist hangs in the forest, a hundred beasts howl—quickly bring them before me!"
This kind of spell, which is similar to folk slang, has an unknown origin. It is even unclear whether it is a curse, a transformation spell, or a funny prank.
But it doesn't matter, he doesn't mind.
This spell is the "Crazy Zoo Spell" that everyone discussed in the Duel Club sharing session.
In an instant, a green light burst forth from the tip of his wand, rapidly spreading outwards.
Draco, who was closest to Harry, widened his eyes as if he wanted to yell, but in an instant, he twisted into a weasel. Then Harry turned into a stag.
Then there's Tom, who fell against the wall and turned into a venomous snake.
Finally, Tom's grandfather turned into a wrinkled dog.
Light surged, and even the maids and gardeners who had fainted further away began to transform into small animals.
Within the green light, only Ron stood there, wand in hand; all the others had transformed into animals, animals devoid of magic!
Yes!
Ron sensed it!
This is what it feels like to be in control!
Looking at everything before him, he was suddenly filled with a sense of satisfaction. Everything before him gave him the feeling that he could do whatever he wanted, but he also held fast to his inner morality and did not do evil.
Yes, that's the feeling.
How wonderful!
From never striving for perfection to unleash the "Guardian Spell," to no longer pursuing good and evil but only caring about one's inner peace and no longer feeling lost and confused...
Take control of your life —
He felt as if he had quietly embarked on his own magical path.
Even if he doesn't yet know what's best for him.
But that must be related to "control"!
Ron then tried another direction of "control," which belonged to the realm of dueling magic and was the most basic spell that Professor Lockhart had carefully taught them.
"Disappearing like smoke and clouds, ascending to heaven!"
The venomous snake that Shu Tom had transformed into was suddenly flung into the sky.
It struggled to twitch its tail in mid-air, but was powerless to change anything.
With a thud, the venomous snake crashed heavily back to the ground. Under the micro-management of Ron's Levitation Spell, the snake's head slammed into a protruding rock on the ground.
Bang!
With a loud bang, accompanied by the teeth-grinding sound of bones shattering, the venomous snake struggled and convulsed for a moment before collapsing completely to the ground.
"Did it work?"
Ron suddenly realized something and quickly looked at Tom's grandfather, whose wrinkled dog, transformed by magic, was now running in terror into a corner.
"Very good!"
Ron shouted with delight and quickly cast a spell to dispel the "Crazy Zoo" spell. He then ran over to help Draco and Harry up.
"He's really dead?" Draco's expression was full of strangeness. "Just like that, he's dead?"
This is the Dark Lord!
He died just like that?
He found it hard to believe, feeling that everything had gone mad.
Harry shook his head, then exclaimed in surprise, "My head's okay? He—he's really dead?"
"Ron!" Harry looked at Ron in surprise. "You killed the Dark Lord!"
Even if it was just the Dark Lord in his younger days!
Even though the Dark Lord has already created the first Horcrux and will not actually die, such a victory is still an extraordinary achievement!
Ron fell silent, stroking his wand as he looked at Draco, who was still lying on the ground, ravaged by the Cruciatus Curse. His voice was low and somber as he asked, "Draco, will you keep this a secret?"
Harry was clearly startled, swallowed hard, and suddenly realized that Ron had just cast the Unforgivable Curse.
He certainly wouldn't betray his friend and reveal this, but the wicked Malfoy might be a different story.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Hey, buddy, we're teammates in an adventure team!"
is it?
Ron remained silent.
An awkward silence fell over the room. He hesitated for a moment, then helped Draco up with Harry.
Just then, a clapping sound came from under the small tree next to us.
The three of them quickly turned around and saw Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed with delight, then looked at Professor Snape and Professor Lockhart behind him, calling out happily, "You're finally here! We just arrived!"
"I see it!" Snape walked over, staring intently at the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead, then turned to Draco, waving his wand to heal him, and finally looked deeply at Ron.
Actually, they had arrived quite some time ago.
Snape and Sirius were eager to help the children, but Lockhart persuaded them to observe the children's actions, saying it was their adventure.
Well, this is a rare opportunity.
So they stood aside, within Lockhart's "World Island," watching their performance and discussing their situation.
Lockhart was particularly impressed with Ron, who was full of surprise and admiration for him.
From Lockhart's analysis of Ron's condition, Snape vaguely sensed that the young wizard before him was beginning to follow in his footsteps.
They seem to be very good at dark magic, but they are actually not suited to be dark wizards at all.
They were all lost in life, craving the approval of others, but ultimately gained nothing. So they sought a breakthrough in their lives, starting to reject others and focusing more on their inner world.
The path to perfection is the simplest.
Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Harry, and even Voldemort were all such people; their magical paths were so pure.
For people like them, who are more complex and less pure, the path of life and the path of magic are destined to be full of adventure.
Perhaps Lockhart is right.
A pure soul like Harry doesn't need the call of adventure; he'll embark on adventures on his own. Whether or not there's a so-called "fairytale adventure" theory makes little difference to people like him.
But for people like Snape and Ron, the key is to find a way to combine the "path of life" with the "path of magic," turning it into a series of fairytale adventures, and then bravely stepping into them. Only then will magic choose them and blossom in their lives.
This is a difficult road.
It is also the right path.
Everyone knows how to choose; the only thing needed is the courage to step into it.
This courage always faces numerous challenges.
Snape sighed deeply, gazed intently at Ron, and said meaningfully, "You must have enough courage to face everything, and remain steadfast!"
Ron didn't know why Professor Snape suddenly said that to him.
But he soon found out.
Professor Snape walked toward Tom Riddle's corpse on the ground, gently waved his wand, and with a twisting twitch, the corpse transformed into an old man with white hair, none other than Tom's grandfather.
"I will make you watch them die!"
Tom's malicious and wicked words were now raging wildly in Ron's mind.
Ron looked in disbelief at the wrinkled dog that Tom's grandfather had turned into, which had returned to human form and was lying unconscious on the ground after the "Crazy Zoo Curse" was lifted, and was now a tree branch.
"No"
He murmured, feeling a churning in his stomach. He couldn't help but look at Tom's grandfather's shattered head, and then, unable to hold back any longer, he lunged into a corner and vomited against the rockery in the courtyard.
Harry and Draco stared at each other in horror; they almost thought they had succeeded!
"Where is Voldemort?" Harry couldn't help but exclaim.
Sirius Black raised his wand and tapped a leaf on a nearby tree. With a loud bang, the leaf crashed to the ground, transformed into Tom's likeness, and staggered, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"While Ron turned him into a snake and flung him into the air, he secretly performed a Polymorph and a Transmutation Charm!"
Powerful, and unparalleled in its magical prowess.
Such outstanding individuals, when faced with tremendous setbacks, can cunningly and calmly disengage from the battle, coldly refusing to let their emotions control them as they seek opportunities.
It has to be said that even Voldemort, who was only in fifth grade and still a student, was already powerful enough to make Snape and Sirius feel troubled.
They had to accept the fact that Tom might already be stronger than them by this time!
But ganging up on him? Well, Tom wouldn't stand a chance.
It's strong, but not strong enough to inspire despair.
Especially in her current weakened state.
Tom had clearly sensed the strength of the three adult wizards who had arrived from Sirius's effortless use of Restoration. (Restoration is one of the five branches of Transfiguration.)
After making a quick judgment, he immediately decided to leave without even having time to search for his wand in the ruins. He glared at everyone resentfully and flew away quickly into the distance.
Flight!
He invented an incredibly powerful flight technique! (It's about 3800 kilometers per hour, and it starts from zero frames.)
The speed was so fast that people couldn't react, and the image of the figure in place still lingered in everyone's retinas.
But Lockhart knows Tom all too well.
He had cast a spell on this place long ago.
A spell given to him by Voldemort.
"World Islands!"
Yes, it wasn't just him, Snape, and Sirius who cast the spell under the tree; he just cast it on the entire Riddle House.
The effect is absolutely amazing!
No matter how Tom flies, he can't get out of here.
By the time the others realized what was happening, Tom had already escaped. They cried out in alarm and prepared to give chase, only to find Tom had returned, rushing into the ruins and shouting a spell, "Wand, come!"
Magical power surged.
His figure fell to the ground like dust. Tom Riddle gripped his wand tightly, staring intently at the people around him, finally fixing his gaze on Lockhart. "Giddro Lockhart? The one I remember? The new master of magic?"
Lockhart simply smiled at him. "Yes, we don't belong to this point in time, so I need you to forget this experience. Knowing too much can have terrible consequences for the future."
Tom's gaze was icy, filled with pride and mockery. "Modify my memories? Ha! Don't even think about it!"
Then he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his body floated up, and silver threads of memory emerged from his body, wriggling in mid-air like long nematodes.
Modifying Tom's memories was something Lockhart was quite adept at.
It must be said that, with the help of his student Tom, Lockhart's understanding of the Oblivion Charm has reached a level far beyond what he remembered when he first transmigrated.
He gently waved his wand, skillfully extracting a segment of memory, causing it to swirl in mid-air into a ball of silver liquid, eventually coalescing into a silver gem-like memory stone.
This is food prepared for my family, the "Winged Demons".
The unique memories imbued with the magic of time will surely delight the Winged Demon.
"Done!"
Lockhart smiled and dispelled the Oblivion Charm and the World Island Charm, letting the unconscious Tom float behind him. He nodded to Snape and Sirius, "I'll leave this to you. I'll go deal with Tom's uncle. According to the established history, his memories will also need to be altered."
"Gidero!"
Sirius hesitated for a moment, then called out to him, "Although the Oblivion Charm you just cast looked strange, and seemed quite powerful, I have to remind you—"
He carefully chose his words, "You know, historically this dark wizard had his memories altered by Voldemort, yet he successfully deceived all the experts in the Ministry of Magic skilled in detecting memories, as well as Dumbledore. Are you sure you can succeed?"
Lockhart did not answer.
He simply gave a mysterious smile, then gracefully turned and walked toward the gates of Riddle Mansion.
Snape, standing to the side, wore a strange expression; he clearly knew something. The scene of Lockhart casting the Oblivion Curse when dealing with Amycus, the Death Eater lurking in Hogwarts, was so powerful that even Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and he themselves felt the instinctive resistance of their human souls being violated.
That's the problem.
Lockhart's spellcasting this time appeared much easier and more skillful, so much so that Snape, if not watching closely, wouldn't even know that Tom's memories had been altered by Lockhart.
This is no longer the frightening level it once was!
Rather, it was a level he couldn't understand or sense at all, filled with mystery and unease.
Snape even wondered with a strange expression if the reason why all the bigwigs of the Ministry of Magic in history, as well as Dumbledore, found any clues about Voldemort's evil deeds in the head of Voldemort's uncle Morfin Gaunt was because Lockhart traveled through time and came here to personally help complete this task.
Um--
The paradox of time.
He shook his head, too lazy to bother with them, and simply turned to look deeply at Ron, who had barely recovered a little after Harry's persuasion, and said, "You can come to my office when we get back, and maybe I can teach you something."
Ron was stunned.
Yes, I teach you, just as Gilderoy said, I teach you, and then I find the answers I seek in your own wisdom. Teaching is, in itself, a mutually beneficial exchange.
Snape simply patted him on the shoulder, said nothing more, drew his wand, and stepped forward to cast a restoration charm on Riddle House, which had been mostly destroyed by magic.
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