allendalepharm Chapter 274 Like a New Life
Chapter 274 Like a New Life
Chapter 274 Like a New Life
This adventure was somewhat bewildering for the young wizards.
They can feel the thrill of adventure itself, but it's difficult for them to grasp the deeper meaning.
Fortunately, they have Professor Lockhart.
Lockhart always patiently taught them everything he had learned without reservation, eagerly hoping they would grow up as soon as possible.
Wizards grow at an extremely fast pace; sometimes, just one experience can be the difference between an ordinary wizard and a magical master.
After the adventure comes the usual discussion session in duel clubs.
Then Professor Lockhart shared his own perspective, hoping to inspire the students.
Especially Draco and Ron, those two kids seem to have given up the power of the Patronus Charm, which is not a good thing.
"Vitality is a very general term. It is vigorous, so it is full of the tension of life; it is resilient, so it is also resolute..."
"To use what I taught you before, it has two sides: 'social' and 'self-will'..."
Returning from the river of time, they arrived outside the stone house, where the young wizards gathered around the professor, discussing something.
Lockhart looked at the students and said, “I strongly disagree with the idea that learning dark magic will turn you into a dark wizard. Only when your heart turns to darkness and destruction can you become a dark wizard. You can’t say that you want to learn dark magic and then completely give up the Patronus Charm.”
"That means you are giving up the vitality and perseverance of your life. You are giving up your life. The so-called strength and the terrifying power of black magic that you show at that time are nothing more than the blooming of life before death."
"..."
The young wizards' lessons continued.
Professors Ketterburn and Lupin were also listening attentively.
They can learn so much too; learning magic is essentially a journey of life.
Magic is always the ultimate romance in the fairy tales of wizarding life.
In Professor Lockhart's eyes, this romance is so real and so close to life, rather than simply mysterious, ominous, and bizarre.
Professor McGonagall was also listening in.
She rarely attended Professor Lockhart's classes, as she was too busy.
At this moment, she could more or less understand why Professor Dumbledore had been so tolerant of Lockhart's past actions, and she could also understand why Dumbledore was willing to let Lockhart organize a student organization at the school.
This is not easy; Dumbledore was wary of Tom doing this back then.
Now, the answer is very obvious.
Tom longs to use the power of the magical school to build an army.
Lockhart, however, longs to train a group of magic masters, magic masters with their own ideologies and their own independent will!
"The world will be a better place because of Gilderoy Lockhart!"—Dumbledore once said to Professor McGonagall.
This wonder doesn't just stem from the potential of these young wizards' future.
It also originates from those travelers who originally embarked on a journey through the mist.
Professor McGonagall could see from afar how serious Lupin and Kettleburn were, and could feel how vibrant their lives were.
Perhaps, this is the essence of life.
These two people, who usually seem to have lost themselves and their lives, also seem to be bursting with a strong life force.
very nice.
Professor McGonagall's face was full of smiles.
……
Old Deng had a sour face.
His expression was as if someone had run into his house and built a latrine in his yard.
Oh, it's not just a thought, it really happened.
That was the stone house before me, now exuding a thick aura of gloom, desolation, death, and misfortune; it looked so familiar.
This is clearly Azkaban!
This stone house, at this moment, is exactly the same as that terrible Azkaban.
The intense aura of dark magic evoked a deep-seated aversion in people.
This is definitely not because there is a Dementor in the stone house. Even if a Dementor stays in a place for a long time, it will not completely change the properties of that place. After it leaves, the flowers will still bloom and the earth will still be full of life.
But not here; it has completely changed.
Or, to put it another way, based on the experience just now, it has completely become a part of that Dementor, a part of two sides of the same coin, filled with the magical power of self-imposed confinement.
"What are your plans to do with it?"
Lockhart didn't give the students a long lecture. After explaining the key points, he let the children go back and think about it slowly. Seeing Dumbledore staring at the stone house, he walked over and asked.
Dumbledore didn't speak, but simply raised the Elder Wand in his hand, and wisps of silver smoke billowed from the tip of the wand.
This is the power of the Guardian Angel's Spell, originating from the heart, from the life force brought about by his long life activities, profound and deep.
Everyone knows that the Patronus Charm can ward off Dementors, but no one has explored to the deepest level, touching upon the concept of 'life', like Lockhart has.
Dumbledore had never considered this aspect before.
But he knows now.
They naturally knew how to completely destroy such a "little Azkaban".
But he eventually gave up.
He put away his wand, turned to Lockhart with a puzzled look, and asked, "Do you think it would be suitable to use to imprison Tom?"
Lockhart blinked, then shrugged. "Don't ask me. You should decide this yourself."
Dumbledore always had a lot to consider.
Lockhart's thoughts were simple; his mind was completely absorbed in Transfiguration, and he couldn't be bothered to think about Voldemort, the future of wizards, war, or similar topics.
It doesn't matter.
The process of Muggles becoming Dementors, which Dumbledore witnessed or even participated in from the perspective of time, may have been just an interesting anecdote for him, but for Lockhart, it was a clear grasp of the key to Muggles becoming magical beings.
That is vitality, or to put it more clearly, the rhythm of the soul.
Then, in the magical life, one can see the magical bloodline of a certain wizard or a certain magical creature.
That's the principle, but how to actually do it is a very, very complicated matter that requires further research.
Lockhart had a vague idea: perhaps it was time to peel away those messy foreign memories from his mind.
Then you become your purest self.
Dumbledore couldn't get any answers from Lockhart. He could tell that Lockhart was saying one thing but meaning another, and seemed to be lost in thought. He shook his head and began to ponder on his own.
In the end, he made his decision.
He turned and looked up at the top of the tallest spire in the Hogwarts castle complex, where there was a window of the headmaster's office. A fiery figure flew out and was rapidly approaching him.
With a clear cry, the phoenix appeared before us.
Dumbledore reached out and took the small birdcage from its paw, then drew his Elder Wand and gently tapped the birdcage.
The birdcage rapidly expanded, growing to a full four meters tall, similar in size to the doorless stone room in the stone house before them, which was specifically used to confine Dementors.
Inside the cage, Voldemort was watching him coldly.
"Dumbledore, you can't kill me. You will eventually see in despair that I will escape danger and once again rise to the top of the world!"
His voice was hoarse, like that of a vicious and cold snake—deep, dark, and malevolent.
Dumbledore simply looked at him calmly, sighed, and said, "Tom, don't you realize where you went wrong?"
"Wrong?" Voldemort laughed. "No, I'm not wrong. I just lost. It's that simple."
He strode forward a few steps, almost touching the edge of the iron cage, and coldly stared at Dumbledore outside. "And you, Dumbledore, you've never failed, have you? So you've never reflected on what mistakes you've made."
Hopeless.
Dumbledore looked at this student, who should have been his proudest, with great regret.
"You'll see it soon, you'll feel it soon, hehehe..."
Voldemort's laughter was mesmerizing, even childlike in its playfulness, brimming with schadenfreude. "Who do you think your Order of the Phoenix are to you? Followers? Worshippers? You'll find that without me, they don't need you either!"
"I don't need you anymore, understand, Dumbledore!"
"I'm watching, Dumbledore, watching your Order of the Phoenix crumble, watching them suddenly turn against you. I hope you'll go to Azkaban and see my Death Eaters!"
"Then think about this question—Albus, don't you know where you went wrong?"
Dumbledore looked at him calmly, even with a smile on his face, and said gently, "Tom, everyone should have their own thoughts. No one should belong to anyone else; everyone should be themselves."
"Is that so?" Voldemort disagreed with this view. "They'll never understand their lives. They need an answer, they need a belief. The Death Eaters' answer and belief is me. And you will never be the answer for the Order of the Phoenix."
"If I die, they'll still be Death Eaters; if you die, the Order of the Phoenix will cease to exist!"
Dumbledore sighed. Voldemort was always engrossed in his own world and wouldn't listen to anyone else. There was no point in communicating with him anymore.
With a wave of his wand, a gale howled, and a mist billowed out from the Forbidden Forest, covering the birdcage and the stone house beside it. Sunlight could be vaguely seen shining through the mist, creating reflections like mirrors.
When the fog cleared, the birdcage had disappeared, and only Voldemort's maniacal laughter could be faintly heard from inside the stone house.
Dumbledore turned to look at everyone.
Professor McGonagall, Professor Lockhart, Professor Lupin, Professor Kettleburn.
He instructed, "From now on, tell the children not to come near here."
Professor McGonagall nodded with a serious expression.
Lockhart, however, was amused and joked from the side, "I'm afraid the more we forbid it, the more they'll want to come and see."
At this point, Dumbledore was clearly getting a little flustered. "Yes, so Gilderoy, you need to keep a close eye on these kids, especially Harry."
It has to be said that almost all the outstanding young wizards currently enrolled at Hogwarts are in Lockhart's Duel Club, and those who usually enjoy night outings, breaking the rules, and adventures are also the same people.
Lockhart nodded seriously. "Okay."
Although he still doubted whether Old Dumbledore had really imprisoned Voldemort in this "Little Azkaban"?
Who knows?
Perhaps Dumbledore had other intentions and plans behind this arrangement, but Lockhart didn't bother to think about it.
A top-tier wizard like Deng Xiaoping, who was over a hundred years old and still so energetic, having spent almost his entire life in politics, simply couldn't guess what the other party was thinking, unless he was willing to let others know.
As the group was still talking, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the corner.
This drew everyone's attention.
It's Mondodo, the house-elf from Hogwarts.
Dumbledore looked very excited, pattering along with his short legs, his big ears flapping as he ran up to her, shouting, "Dumbledore, Dumbledore, Professor Snape did it!"
Dumbledore was taken aback, and looked down at it with some confusion. "What succeeded?"
"He cured the Longbottoms!" Mondo shouted excitedly.
"!!!" Everyone was shocked.
"Let's go see!" Dumbledore was clearly excited. He drew his wand and was about to Apparate over when he suddenly saw Lockhart looking on expectantly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Giddyro, you come with me too."
With the permission and guidance of the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, the group quickly made their way to Grimmauld Place in London.
Yes, 11 Grimmauld Place, London.
A place belonging to Muggle houses.
Upon arrival, Lockhart appeared directly at the entrance. He looked towards Building 12 next door, only to find that he could only see Building 13.
Sirius's house has now been magically hidden.
Without Dumbledore, the confidant, to provide the exact address, Lockhart would have no way to enter, and even knowing the address, he wouldn't know how to get in.
Magic can be just that wonderful sometimes.
Lockhart had no idea how strange and eerie it must have felt for the Death Eaters over the past decade or so when they saw Harry Potter's picture and home address in the newspapers, went to Harry's uncle's house, and even to the primary school Harry attended, only to find nothing. It was as if they were living in a completely different world from everyone else on Earth.
Perhaps it's just like how he feels right now.
He looked back and forth between buildings number 11 and 13, and clicked his tongue in amazement.
It is these wonderful little details that come together to create the magical charm of the magical world.
He likes it.
Soon, the door opened.
The house-elf, Lemon, opened it.
As everyone hurried inside, they immediately heard Neville, the boy, wailing and crying like a pig being slaughtered, overjoyed.
Neville's father chuckled and gently rubbed Neville's head, his expression full of affection.
Neville's mother hugged the father and son tightly.
They've finally returned to normal!
As they approached, Kingsley, who was standing guard by the door, gave Dumbledore a strange look and gestured towards the corner of the corridor.
"What's wrong?" Dumbledore asked, not quite understanding.
Kingsley chuckled, his usually serious face now displaying a comical, animated expression. "Sirius brought Snape there, wanting to thank him but unable to say it, you know how it is."
Suddenly, everyone seemed to be losing their composure.
Dumbledore coughed. "Let's save him some face. Let's go inside and celebrate the Longbottoms."
It was too late when he spoke, because Lupin and Lockhart had already run in that direction.
Old Deng didn't stop them, and simply led Professor McGonagall into the room.
"Severus, how did you do that?" Lockhart rushed over excitedly and saw Snape and Sirius Black leaning against the corridor wall on either side of him, their eyes bloodshot and their heads bowed in silence.
His arrival broke the strangely quiet atmosphere.
Lupin could see the two people in the corner secretly letting out a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face as well.
"Wolfsbane, as I've said before, may be the key to the treatment."
Snape spoke of his decisive plan with great pride, "From now on, the damage from the Crucifixion Curse will never be incurable!"
"Awesome!" Lockhart gave a thumbs up in admiration.
"I think I should thank you." Snape looked at Lockhart, but seemed to be speaking to Sirius and Lupin beside him, saying, "You taught me how to redeem myself, how to bear my sins and my mission!"
When he talked about these things, an unprecedented sense of ease appeared on his face.
It's like living in a dark cave for a long time, feeling like you're going to rot there forever, only to be rescued one day, stepping out to look up at the sunlight in the sky, feeling the free and relaxed breeze on your face, and bursting out with a vibrant vitality from the inside out.
Like being reborn!
So beautiful.
……
(End of this chapter)