Chapter 120:
Displaying the Basilisk's Corpse
When Aisen and the others stood once more on the damp floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the basin covering the pipe passage automatically slid back into its original place.
Seeing Lockhart covered in mud, slime, and mottled bloodstains, Professor McGonagall immediately cast a Scouring Charm on him. She then instructed Harry and Ron to take him to the Hospital Wing.
As for Professor Snape, he was arranged to display the Basilisk's corpse in the Great Hall, intending to spread the news that the monster of the Chamber of Secrets had been killed.
After making these simple arrangements, Professor McGonagall left. Aisen guessed she was probably going to inform Dumbledore. As for Aisen himself, he quietly went to the Hogwarts Library, adopting a posture of having 'deeply hidden his achievements and fame.'
However, to Aisen's surprise, Hermione followed him all the way to the Hogwarts Library as well.
"Is something wrong?" Aisen asked, conjuring a mirror from a playing card and finding nothing amiss with himself, as Hermione sat beside him, grinning foolishly at him.
"Professor—" Hermione reined in her smile and leaned close to Aisen, whispering, "You killed the Basilisk, didn't you?"
"How could that be—" Aisen shook his head. "You saw it, Lockhart defeated the Basilisk by casting a powerful magic!"
"But Professor Lockhart was already unconscious then!" Hermione was not so easily fooled.
"Hmm—" Aisen's face showed hesitation, then he beckoned to Hermione.
Hermione's eyes lit up, and she leaned her ear close to Aisen. A faint fragrance drifted into Aisen's nose, but he had no other thoughts at the moment, only solemnly stating, "There's a special talent in the Wizarding Worldcalled 'killing in dreams.' Historically, there was a Wizardnamed Cao Cao who had this talent. I think Professor Lockhart also possesses this talent, which is why he could cast powerful Charms even while unconscious!"
"Is that really true?" Hermione looked suspicious, clearly not entirely believing Aisen's explanation.
"I'm not sure, I only know that Cao Cao was apparently an Asian Wizard, very famous in history, who almost unified a country." Aisen shook his head earnestly.
"Alright, I understand!" Hermione looked at Aisen with an expression that said, 'I'll believe you when pigs fly.'
"Oh, right, when you go back, inform Harry and Ron to get a good night's rest tonight; the dueling club's practical training class is suspended for one day!" Aisen smiled slightly, then as if remembering something, he directly instructed.
"Okay, by the way, Professor, you won't need this anymore, right?" Hermione nodded, then lifted her head, looking at Aisen while holding a recording device.
"Earlier in the Chamber of Secrets, when Lockhart was dealing with the Basilisk, why didn't you take this out?" Aisen's voice sounded a little weak as he spoke.
"I forgot—" A hint of embarrassment appeared on Hermione's small face.
"Uh, alright! This really isn't needed anymore. You can take it apart and study it yourself. I think it might be helpful for learning Alchemy." Looking at the crowing recording device in Hermione's hand and hearing her answer, Aisen felt that Harry and the others must have forgotten about it too.
Actually, this thing was originally intended to deal with the Basilisk, but since Lockhart put on a great show of directly confronting the Basilisk, and with several Professors blocking the way, it made sense that the Trioforgot to take out and use the crowing recording device.
That night, the twenty-foot Basilisk corpse lay silently opposite the entrance to the Great Hall in the Great Hall.
Every Young Wizard passing through the Great Hallcould see this enormous and terrifying monster. Although the Basilisk had been killed, the Young Wizards still found it very frightening.
"It's too terrifying, how could Hogwarts have such a huge snake?"
"I'm sure that must be the terrifying monster from Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets!"
"So, the legend of the Chamber of Secrets is true?"
"Didn't you notice? The monster of the Chamber of Secrets has been killed, does this mean the attacks won't happen again?"
The Young Wizards coming and going whispered among themselves, and the news quickly spread throughout Hogwarts.
Aisen, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Flitwick were standing beside the Basilisk's corpse. Professor Flitwick saw the Basilisk for the first time, and although its head had been severed, it still caused him to exclaim in awe.
"From its size, it must have lived for at least a thousand years!" Professor Flitwick said.
Aisen stopped in front of the Basilisk's head. The Basilisk's head was stained with black blood, looking extremely hideous. However, Aisen didn't pay attention to anything else; instead, he touched its two lightbulb-sized eyeballs with his finger.
To be honest, Aisen was very interested in the Basilisk's deadly gaze ability. Of course, this was also the most dreaded aspect of this monster, apart from its venomous fangs.
Of course, for Aisen, he had many ways to avoid direct eye contact with the Basilisk. Whether he wore magically enchanted sunglasses himself, or directly used Transfiguration to give the Basilisk a large pair of sunglasses to wear, he was confident he could deal with the Basilisk without harm.
However, what made Aisen curious was whether, if he directly met the Basilisk's gaze, he could directly immunize himself to its gaze with his immense magic. Would he be gazed to death, or petrified, or simply immune?
After all, Aisen was confident that he could already withstand several Charms like Expelliarmus and Stupefy. While analyzing his own strength, Aisen directly used his finger to trace the Basilisk's eye sockets, removing the two eyeballs.
Clearly, as materials from the Basilisk, Aisen was most interested in these two eyeballs. From the current situation, after the Basilisk's death, its eyeballs lost their ability to gaze to death.
But Aisen still wanted to collect them, to study them later and see if he could discover anything. Professor Snape, standing beside him, was making similar movements.
However, perhaps because he was the Potion ClassProfessor, he accepted all parts of the Basilisk: its blood, scales, and venom, without refusal.
"Filius, we should publicize this well, to let the outside world see that we have resolved the trouble of the Chamber of Secrets, so that it can prove Hagrid is innocent, and Headmaster Dumbledore will also return." Professor McGonagall naturally knew why Hagrid was taken away and why Dumbledore was dismissed.
"You're right, Minerva, once the news of the Basilisk being dealt with spreads, Cornelius will have no reason to detain Hagrid. Headmaster Dumbledore's troubles will naturally disappear." Professor Flitwick seemed to strongly agree with this approach.
After collecting the materials, a satisfied smile appeared on Aisen's face. Unlike the materials Professor Snapeneeded, Aisen not only obtained the Basilisk's eyeballs but also cut off its two venomous fangs.
From the current situation, the Basilisk's fangs have extremely strong damaging capabilities, able to directly destroy Horcruxes. If a person is stabbed by a Basilisk's fang, only the tears of Dumbledore's pet, Fawkes, can cure them.
Therefore, by collecting the Basilisk's fangs, Aisen hoped that one day he could research more powerful healing items, or extract the venom to refine highly toxic items.
Since the killing of the Basilisk was to be publicized, the Professors did not intend to hide its corpse but displayed it directly in the Great Hall.
Of course, to prevent Young Wizards from getting too close to the Basilisk's corpse and suffering accidents, the Professors also cast some protective magic, isolating it.
When Aisen returned to his office, he found that the time had already reached nine o'clock in the evening.
After the third attack occurred, Hogwarts had already implemented a curfew, especially after Hagrid and Dumbledore left the school, Young Wizards needed to strictly follow Hogwarts' rules.
Therefore, at this time, Hogwarts Castle was very quiet. But since the terrifying monster, the Basilisk, in the Chamber of Secrets had been dealt with, and its corpse was displayed in the Great Hall, it would likely not be long before Hogwarts would return to its lively scene.
Sitting behind his desk, Aisen leaned back in his chair, still thinking about the Chamber of Secrets.
Slytherin built that Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts Castle, and leaving the Basilisk there should not have been as simple as just eliminating students who were not qualified to learn magic.
He had previously thought that although Slytherin had different ideals from the other three founders, he shouldn't have been so ruthless towards Muggle-born students.
So, Slytherin's purpose in building the Chamber of Secrets and leaving the Basilisk might have been to guard some treasures he left behind? Some guesses emerged in Aisen's mind.
Chapter 121: Cornelius Fudge and Rita Skeeter
With this speculation, Professor Aisen activated his observation ability. His God's Perspective immediately locked onto the location of the Chamber of Secrets. His gaze swept back and forth across the tunnel and inside the Chamber of Secrets, but he didn't find anything useful.
The spacious Chamber of Secrets room remained unchanged, just as it was before he entered. The stone pillars along both sides of the passage, coiled with large snakes, showed some cracks from being hit by the Basilisk.
The statue of Slytherin, leaning against the wall, still stood there quietly. Professor Aisen knew this statue could be opened with the Parseltongue command, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."
But he clearly didn't need to. With a thought, ProfessorAisen's gaze penetrated the statue and entered an empty space. However, to Professor Aisen's dismay, it was completely empty inside.
After a while, even after a thorough search, ProfessorAisen still didn't find the slightest clue.
"It seems Voldemort must have thoroughly looted Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets," Professor Aisenmurmured, giving up on continuing to search for the so-called "treasure" of the Chamber of Secrets.
The next day, the entire Hogwarts became lively. Just as Professor Aisen expected, the Little Wizards' discussions about the Basilisk were even more boisterous than the day before.
During meals and breaks between classes, the Little Wizards would always pass through the Entrance Hall, point and gesture at the massive Basilisk corpse, and then discuss how much the Savior Harry and his friends contributed to the killing of the Basilisk.
Soon, Harry found that the Little Wizards who had previously avoided him were now rushing forward to greet him. The praise for the Savior grew louder and louder.
All of this stemmed from everything Professor Lockharthad boasted about in class.
That's right, after spending a night in the hospital wing, Professor Lockhart hadn't fully recovered, but in order to show off his glorious experiences to the Little Wizards, he insisted on dragging his injured body to teach them.
In class, everyone noticed that Professor Lockhart was different from before. Previously, Professor Lockhartwould only read large sections from books and have the Little Wizards act out the roles.
But the Little Wizards found that Professor Lockhart had become even more confident. Especially when recounting how he had bravely and fiercely fought and killed the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, he was radiant and exceptionally energetic.
This greatly surprised the unaware Little Wizards, and some girls even looked at Professor Lockhart with infatuated eyes.
To make his experience sound more real, Professor Lockhart didn't forget the Trio. Before telling the story of his great battle with the Basilisk, Professor Lockhart gave a detailed account of how Harry Potter, under his guidance, found and opened the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets using Parseltongue.
Therefore, when people learned that Professor Lockharthad single-handedly killed the Basilisk and solved the problem of the Chamber of Secrets, while admiring Professor Lockhart, they also gave Harry a thumbs-up.
This legendary experience made people forget the fact that Harry had previously been a suspect.
"Hi, Potter, well done!"
"Nice job, Potter, congratulations on helping Professor Lockhart find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!"
"Ha, Potter, you sure are lucky!"
Little Wizards continuously passed by Harry, offering compliments. Of course, some Slytherin students also openly mocked Harry.
"Oh, Potter, you silly baby, it's truly astonishing that you found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, you must think you're great..." This was Peeves's voice.
When Professor Aisen saw Harry in the Great Hall, he noticed that many Gryffindor students were gathered around him. Neville and Seamus looked at Harryexcitedly, and Fred and George kept exclaiming, "Great Harry Potter, let's cheer together!"
But clearly, Harry couldn't handle this atmosphere, so he buried his face in his plate, wishing he could be swallowed by the food.
"Professor Aisen, did Harry really open the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?" Seeing Professor Aisenapproach the table, Seamus asked enthusiastically.
This sentence immediately caught everyone's attention. Fred and George, Neville and Dean all looked at Professor Aisen. Even Harry, who had buried his face, looked up.
"That's right, it was Harry who found and opened the Chamber of Secrets using Parseltongue. If it weren't for Harry, the Professors wouldn't have been able to deal with the Basilisk!" Professor Aisen winked at Harry and said with a smile.
"By the way, Professor, we all saw the Basilisk corpse displayed in the Entrance Hall. Can you tell us how Professor Lockhart dealt with the Basilisk?" Fred pulled up a chair and sat beside Professor Aisen.
Everyone immediately became interested and looked at Professor Aisen curiously.
"The situation at the time was like this: when Professor Lockhart and I, along with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, were about to enter the Chamber of Secrets together, Professor Lockhart said he wanted to deal with the Basilisk alone to show off his glorious moment..." Professor Aisen's eyes darted around as he described the situation.
"When the Basilisk charged at Professor Lockhart, Professor Lockhart remained calm in the face of danger. He first cast a Shield Charm on himself, then did a sliding tackle, getting to the side of the Basilisk. Although he dodged the attack, he suffered a minor injury. Immediately after, Professor Lockhart cast a powerful Severing Charm and directly cut off the Basilisk's head..."
"Just like that, Lockhart solved the problem of the Chamber of Secrets and killed the Basilisk!"
When Professor Aisen finished speaking, everyone looked at him in confusion. Especially Harry and Hermione, whose confused faces showed even more peculiar expressions.
"This seems a bit different from what Professor Lockhartsaid in class," George offered his opinion. The Little Wizards nearby nodded in agreement.
"Of course it's a bit different. After all, Professor Lockhartnarrated from the perspective of fighting the Basiliskhead-on, while I'm speaking from the perspective of an observer," Professor Aisen's expression was very calm, showing no trace of misleading others.
"I see!" The Little Wizards immediately showed expressions of sudden understanding.
"Oh, right, where's Ron? I haven't seen him here!" Professor Aisen looked at Harry. His gaze shifted, and he had already spotted Ron's figure in Hagrid's Hut.
"He's going to feed Hagrid's pet something so Fangdoesn't starve!" Harry swallowed a piece of bread and told him Ron's whereabouts.
With a thought from Professor Aisen, in his God's Perspective, he could see Ron sitting on a chair, holding the husky puppy in his arms and constantly playing with it, a silly grin on his face. It seemed the husky puppy he gave Hagrid was very popular.
After eating, the Little Wizards all went to class. However, Professor Aisen saw a few figures outside the Entrance Hall.
Entering the Entrance Hall and looking outside, he could see Professor McGonagall from afar, wearing a green velvet Witch's robe paired with a matching Witch's hat, walking towards Professor Aisen.
Behind her followed three people. One was short and stout, sturdy, with messy gray hair and a face full of wrinkles that made him look somewhat old. His clothes were a strange mix: a pinstriped suit, a bright red tie, a long black cloak, and purple pointed boots. He held a dark green bowler hat under his arm.
He had a smile on his face and was saying something to Professor McGonagall.
The other person was a woman with blonde hair, dressed very elegantly, wearing jeweled glasses, carrying a crocodile skin handbag, and wearing a green robe.
Following behind the woman was a Chubby man, who held an old-fashioned camera in his hand and looked particularly disheveled.
"Professor Aisen, this is the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this is Rita Skeeter, a reporter from The Daily Prophet, and the photographer Bozo. They've come to see the Basilisk's corpse!" Upon arriving at the Entrance Hall, Professor McGonagall introduced the individuals to Professor Aisen.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, I am the Astronomy Professor, Eisen Turner!" Professor Aisen smiled and nodded at the three of them, then stepped aside.
"Hello, Professor Aisen!" Fudge also smiled and greeted Professor Aisen. For a first meeting, Fudge's demeanor completely hid the fact that he was actually an idiot.
"Wow, Professor Aisen, you're so young to be a Professorat Hogwarts, do you have any secrets?" Rita pulled out a notebook from her crocodile skin handbag and took out a green quill pen. The quill pen kept twitching, already eager to start.
Chapter 122: Lockhart Accepts an Interview
Regarding Rita Skeeter, although Aisen was meeting her for the first time, he was very clear about her tricks. Her quill was a sentient Quick-Quotes Quill, not only skilled at twisting people's words but also at adding embellishments.
If Aisen said something very simple and normal, what Rita Skeeter's quill recorded would basically turn into unrealistic sentences.
Therefore, when faced with the other party's malicious questioning, although Aisen still wore a smile, he had no intention of answering at all. Instead, he turned and gestured with his hand, "This is the Basilisk's corpse, please look, the Chamber of Secrets problem has been resolved by the school."
"Oh, I see it!" Fudge stepped forward and circled the Basilisk's corpse, saying in astonishment, "Is this the terrifying monster from the legend of the Chamber of Secrets?"
"That's right, Cornelius, the school's attacks were all done by the Basilisk, this has nothing to do with Hagrid!" Professor McGonagall looked at Fudge with a serious face.
"Okay, yes, yes, I was under a lot of pressure too. Now that it can be proven that Hagrid has nothing to do with the attacks, he will be back soon." Fudge nodded, seemingly understanding Professor McGonagall's meaning.
"And Dumbledore—" Professor McGonagall said, pausing.
"Yes, Dumbledore is certainly still the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I believe the school board will definitely make the right decision." Fudge's tone was somewhat light.
"Hmph—" Rita seemed very dissatisfied with not getting Aisen's answer. After a cold snort, she focused her attention on the Basilisk's massive corpse.
Rita gestured to the man behind her, and then Aisen saw Bozo taking pictures of the Basilisk's corpse. It seemed that Hogwarts being able to get rid of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was a newsworthy event.
"Professor Aisen, may I ask, who killed the Basilisk?" After circling the Basilisk's corpse, Rita came before Aisenand asked.
"Miss Skeeter, I think you must know him." Aisen's eyes lit up, and he immediately had an idea, "He is the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts—Gilderoy Lockhart, I think you must want to know something from him!"
Aisen suddenly thought, since Rita liked to spread rumors and fabricate stories, and Lockhart happened to be able to fabricate some experiences onto himself, wouldn't the two of them working together be a match made in heaven?
So, when the other party asked who killed the Basilisk, Aisen directly brought out Lockhart. After all, Lockhartalso quite enjoyed the identity of being the hero who killed the Basilisk. Now that there was an interview opportunity with The Daily Prophet, Lockhart shouldn't miss it.
"Gilderoy Lockhart, I know him, he's a bestselling author just like me!" As if she had discovered a big piece of news, Rita said, her eyes lighting up.
"I can call him over, I'm sure he'd be happy to accept your interview!" Aisen's lips curved slightly, proposing a condition that Rita couldn't refuse.
"Oh—that's really great, I think as the Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts, you must have something you want to tell me, maybe I can do a special interview with you, how about arranging it after Lockhart?" Rita's eyes shone, and then she stared blankly at Aisen, as if trying to dig out some news scoop from him.
"I'll go find Professor Lockhart!" Aisen's expression froze slightly, and after leaving a sentence, he turned and left.
As soon as God's Perspective was activated, Lockhart's figure sitting on the office sofa appeared in Aisen's mind. At the corner of the corridor, seeing that there was no one around, Aisen's mind moved, and he directly flashed and disappeared, arriving at the entrance of Lockhart's office.
"Professor Lockhart?" Aisen knocked on the door and then walked in. He saw Lockhart sprawled on the sofa, occasionally brushing his hand over his chest, seemingly not fully recovered from his physical injuries.
"Professor Aisen, is there something you need?" Seeing Aisen enter, Lockhart endured the discomfort and stood up, then revealed his signature smile.
"Yes, the Minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, has come to Hogwarts, and with him is Miss Skeeter, a reporter from The Daily Prophet. You know, they need to confirm that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets—the Basilisk—has been dealt with."
Miss Skeeter wants to interview the person who killed the Basilisk, and I told her that the Basilisk was killed by Professor Lockhart, so, would you like to go to the entrance hall to accept her interview? I think this matter will definitely make the front page of The Daily Prophet!' Aisen smiled, briefly explaining the situation.
"Really, that's absolutely wonderful!" Lockhart's smile grew wider, "I mean, the fact that I killed the Basiliskmust be reported, so that the outside world knows that the trouble at Hogwarts has been resolved by me, and the Little Wizards are completely safe! This is a very important matter!"
"Of course, I completely agree with your point of view!" Aisen shrugged his shoulders.
By the time Aisen and Lockhart arrived at the entrance hall, ten minutes had already passed.
Lockhart, who came out of the office, had changed into a magnificent purple robe, and his golden hair was meticulously styled.
Upon seeing the man with the camera lingering before the Basilisk's corpse, Lockhart's eyes lit up, and he went directly to Rita, smiling and taking the initiative: "Hello, Miss Skeeter, I am Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the League of Defensive Curses, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming Smile Award—but I don't dwell on that, I didn't rely on it to deal with the Basilisk!"
Without waiting for Rita to say anything, Lockhart turned to look at Fudge, bowed gracefully, and said with a brilliant smile, "Minister Fudge, it is an honor to see you here!"
"Mr. Lockhart, hello, I have read your works, and I must admit, your adventures are extraordinary!" Fudge was slightly taken aback at first, but then he shook hands with Lockhart with a full smile.
"Oh no, I merely did what I should have done, Minister, I couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to poor people in trouble. Just like the attacks that happened at Hogwarts, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, if the Basilisk wasn't dealt with, the school's students would be in danger." Lockhart waved his hand modestly, but the smile on his face indicated his mood.
"You truly are a responsible adventurer!" Fudge said with emotion upon seeing Lockhart's modest demeanor.
Lockhart was about to say something more, but Professor McGonagall had already walked over, "Minister Fudge, I think it's better to let Lockhart explain how he dealt with the Basilisk." She waved her wand, removing the protective magic around the Basilisk.
"That's right, Lockhart, tell us, how did you discover the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, and how did you find it and deal with it!" Rita opened her notebook, picked up her Quick-Quotes Quill, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at Lockhart.
"Oh, yes, Lockhart, tell us about it!" Fudge looked at Lockhart, still wanting more.
"Of course, you know there were three attacks at Hogwarts, but I quickly found the Basilisk through some clues, it was hidden in the pipes of Hogwarts, undiscovered for over a thousand years..." Lockhartpointed at the Basilisk's corpse while smiling at Fudge.
From time to time, Lockhart would also strike a pose and look at the photographer Bozo, it seemed he truly enjoyed being watched.
"Professor Lockhart? You mean, three attacks happened at Hogwarts, and after Dumbledore was removed, you found the Basilisk through some clues?" Rita looked at Lockhart with a smile, asking nonchalantly.
"That's right, you know Hogwarts has undergone several renovations, and the internal pipes are dense and complex, no one could figure out their full layout. I only found the Basilisk after finding some clues!" Lockhartsmiled as he looked at Rita, seeing her Quick-Quotes Quill constantly recording his words on the paper, his smile suddenly grew wider.
"So, will you write about your experience dealing with the Basilisk in your new book?" Rita seemed to be deliberately leading Lockhart's words.
"Of course, this was a fantastic experience, I absolutely must write it into my new book, so everyone can see how I dealt with the Basilisk!" Lockhart said impatiently, his spirits exceptionally high.
However, Aisen on the side looked at the two with a strange expression.
Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill kept writing, and although Lockhart didn't know what it was writing, Aisen saw it clearly through God's Perspective.
"...Gilderoy Lockhart, an ambitious Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts, he found the Basiliskhidden in Hogwarts, undiscovered for a thousand years, but he didn't tell others, instead waiting until Hagrid was taken to Azkaban and Dumbledore was removed before announcing that he had found the Basilisk...
We have reason to believe that the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, who has only been in the position for a year, is aiming for the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You know, by solving the problem that has plagued Hogwarts for a thousand years, Lockhart's reputation has already surpassed Dumbledore's, this is truly a terrible scheme..."
Terrifying! After seeing how Rita's quill transformed Lockhart's words, these four words immediately popped into Aisen's mind.
Chapter 123 Hagrid Returns
Of course, although Aisen was somewhat wary of Rita's pen, he wasn't afraid of her. After all, Aisen had long known that she was an illegal Animagus, and with this leverage, Aisen didn't have to worry about her slandering him in the newspaper.
After a while, Rita put away her Quick-Quotes Quill and placed it, along with her notebook, into the crocodile-skin handbag she was holding. She then made a suggestion to Fudge: "Minister Fudge, I think we need to take a group photo in front of the Basilisk for tomorrow's front page!"
"Oh, of course, no problem!" Fudge smiled slightly and stood in front of the Basilisk's huge head.
"This—" Lockhart hadn't expected his photo not to be on the front page, and his expression immediately stiffened. However, he knew that the Minister for Magic's status was not something he could contend with, so he didn't object.
The few people present stood in a row. Lockhart was placed next to Fudge, in the center, which pleased Lockhart greatly.
Professor McGonagall stood next to Lockhart, while Ritastood on Fudge's other side.
Of course, Aisen had no interest in being on the front page news the next day, so he declined to join the photo.
The click of the shutter sounded, and the photo instantly froze on the few people. With the gigantic Basilisk as a backdrop, this group photo would indeed easily attract attention as the front page.
"Goodbye, Professor McGonagall, believe me, Hagrid will be back very soon!" Fudge made a promise to Professor McGonagall before leaving. Clearly, Hagrid's injustice was about to be cleared.
"Hey, Professor Aisen, thank you for calling me down for the interview, but I think you should be in the photo with me, standing right next to me, I guarantee you'll be famous tomorrow!" Lockhart came up to Aisen and gave him a hug.
"That's a major event like solving the Basilisk!" Aisensubtly broke free and retreated to the side, then continued, "I'm an Astronomy Professor, and there are many things I haven't experienced yet. I mean, my experience isn't as rich as yours, it's not yet time for me to be famous!"
"Alright, Professor Aisen, you're right!" Lockhart paused, then said with a smile, "Believe me, Professor Aisen, you will definitely be as famous as me in the future!"
"Heh heh, you're right!" Aisen said with a fake smile, perfunctorily.
…
Evening, inside the Room of Requirement.
"Expelliarmus—" A red light shot out from Hermione's wand, hitting Harry, who was holding his wand, first, sending Harry's wand and him flying.
"Cough, cough—" Harry got up from the ground, covering his chest and coughing a few times, his face looking somewhat unwell.
"Excellent, Hermione's mastery of the Expelliarmus is already very proficient. Harry, and Ron, you still need to practice more!" Watching Hermione raise her head and look at him proudly, Aisen smiled and nodded at Hermione, then encouraged Harry and Ron.
"Expelliarmus—"
"Expelliarmus—"
For a time, Harry and Ron began to duel. In terms of using the Expelliarmus, Harry, though not as proficient as Hermione, was considerably better than Ron.
Thus, Aisen witnessed a scene of Harry completely dominating Ron. However, Ron didn't give up, casting spells with all his might every time, and occasionally even successfully casting Expelliarmus to cancel out Harry's spells.
It could be seen that although Ron's skill was the weakest among the Trio, as the number of times he practiced casting spells increased, he gradually mastered the Expelliarmus.
"Professor Aisen, I heard Hagrid is coming back soon?" Hermione came up to Aisen, her voice revealing joy.
"Yes, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge visited Hogwarts today. He saw the solved Basilisk corpse and knew that Hogwarts' trouble had nothing to do with Hagrid, so if there are no surprises, Hagrid should be back tomorrow." Aisen nodded and conjured a drink, handing it over.
"That's really great, we all know Hagrid isn't the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets, Fudge taking Hagrid away was a mistake!" Hermione took a sip of the drink, her voice still revealing a hint of indignation.
"Lucius has always had a big problem with Dumbledorebeing the Principal of Hogwarts. When the school experiences an attack, it's normal for him to unite with other school board members to put pressure on the Ministry of Magic." Aisen smiled, his tone not fluctuating much.
"I know, Draco's father used to be a Death Eater, Lord Voldemort's subordinate. He always used his family background and wealth as weapons to threaten other school board members into obeying his orders." Hermionesaid, a look of disgust on her face.
"Oh!" Aisen was slightly surprised, not expecting Hermione to have the leisure to investigate Lucius Malfoy's identity. However, Aisen did not press further.
"What about Professor Dumbledore?" Seeing Aisen's surprised expression, Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly, and she immediately changed the subject.
"Dumbledore, ah—" Aisen immediately fell into thought.
Since Hogwarts' troubles had been resolved, the reason for Dumbledore's dismissal no longer existed. In other words, Dumbledore would resume his position as Principal of Hogwarts in the coming period.
As for Lucius continuing to find fault with Dumbledore, Aisen felt this wouldn't cause Dumbledore any trouble. After all, Aisen had once told Dumbledore his speculation that the diary Horcrux was secretly given by Lucius to a Young Wizard to bring into Hogwarts.
Such a "handle" alone was enough to make Luciushesitate to act.
As for Dumbledore returning to Hogwarts and resuming his position as Principal, Aisen felt this was beyond doubt. However, even if Dumbledore resumed his position as Principal, he probably wouldn't stay at the school all the time.
It should be known that Aisen not only gave one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes to Dumbledore but also "inadvertently" suggested the possibility of Lord Voldemort creating six Horcruxes.
Although such an obvious hint couldn't make Dumbledore certain that there were six Horcruxes, it also shouldn't take him several years to find clues about the Horcruxes, unlike in the original story.
Of course, no matter what, Aisen was very confident about one thing: with his "guidance," Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes definitely wouldn't take as long to be found by Dumbledore as they did in the original story.
But now there was a problem: Aisen was unsure whether Dumbledore had already concluded that Harry was one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. After all, from the current situation, Dumbledore knew that Harry's scar would hurt badly when he was in close proximity to Lord Voldemort. Additionally, Dumbledore also knew that Harry could speak Parseltongue.
These two points alone could actually lead Dumbledoreto confirm a connection between Harry and Lord Voldemort, but to make him believe Harry was one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, Aisen felt he still had to wait for the right moment.
"Professor Dumbledore will soon return to continue as Principal!" Aisen collected his thoughts and gave an answer that relieved Hermione.
The next day, after finishing their morning classes, the Trio arrived at Hagrid's Hut.
Harry went up and knocked on the door. When the door opened, a familiar figure appeared before the Trio: the returned Hagrid.
"Hagrid, are you alright!" After Hagrid let them into the house, Harry eagerly asked, looking Hagrid up and down as he spoke.
"Oh, it's nothing much, luckily I was only in Azkaban for a day!" Hagrid moved around to show off his body, winking at them.
Seeing that Hagrid was in good spirits and nothing seemed amiss, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"By the way, Hagrid, it was Ai—Professor Lockhart. He solved the monster in the Chamber of Secrets—a giant Basilisk! That cleared your name." Hermione paused mid-sentence, looked at Harry and Ron, and then continued.
"That's right!" Ron took the grilled sausage Hagridhanded him, took a big bite, and chimed in.
"Yes, I already know, but is Lockhart really that—um, I mean, that amazing?" Hagrid looked at the Trio with a strange expression, unfolding a copy of The Daily Prophet and handing it to Harry.
Hermione and Ron crowded around Harry, and when they saw the front-page article in The Daily Prophet, they both looked bewildered. The article was written by Rita Skeeter, and its title was "Gilderoy Lockhart: Hero Who Solved the Basilisk or Premeditated Schemer?"
The article's content was what Aisen had seen earlier. It initially described Lockhart's heroic act of single-handedly solving the Basilisk, calling him a hero who saved Hogwarts.
But later, the tone of the content shifted, "exposing" Lockhart's ambition, saying that he had actually deliberately waited for three attacks to occur at the school and for Dumbledore to be dismissed before solving the Basilisk, with the goal of obtaining the position of Principal of Hogwarts.
Chapter 124: Spoiler
After reading this article, the Trio looked at each other for a moment.
"That must be Rita Skeeter making things up. You know she loves fabricating stories the most!" Ron said first after swallowing his food, expressing his opinion.
"But what's written there makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?" Hermione's eyes darted around, bringing up an irrefutable point. "Professor Lockhart always said in class that he had already solved the Chamber of Secretsmatter. He said that after the first attack happened. If he hadn't been planning it for a long time, why would he keep saying that?"
"Yes, exactly!" Harry looked at Hermione in confusion, then seemed to understand her strategy, quickly nodded, and took over Hermione's words, saying, "Lockhart said he could solve the monster in the Chamber of Secretsalone, but he waited until Professor Dumbledore was suspended before taking action, which shows he had been planning it for a long time!"
"Really? I don't think that's possible!" Hagrid showed a look of suspicion. "He's just a fraud, how could he have the ability to solve a Basilisk!"
"It seems the clue to the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets was found by Professor Aisen, right!" Ronpointed to the section in the article that described Lockhart finding the clue to the Chamber of Secretsentrance, his face showing a conflicted expression.
"Maybe it's a bit exaggerated in the article, but you know how Lockhart is, he loves to show off everywhere, so it's not strange for him to take some credit for ProfessorAisen!" Harry explained.
"That's true, he's always boasting about his adventures in his books, and he even made us act out roles from the books in class!" Ron showed a look of sudden realization.
Just as the Trio were welcoming Hagrid back, on the other side, Aisen once again came to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Professor Dumbledore, welcome back to Hogwarts! Everyone is looking forward to your return!" Aisen sat on the chair and looked at the white-haired old man opposite him, unable to help but sigh.
Honestly, Professor Dumbledore is like a stabilizing force for Hogwarts; with him around, everyone believes Hogwarts is safe.
However, Professor Dumbledore is already too old. Born in 1881, he is now over 110 years old. Even with the help of Aisen's healing bracelet, he wasn't crippled by Marvolo Gaunt's ring curse, but he probably doesn't have many years left to live.
After all, Professor Dumbledore doesn't have the Philosopher's Stone to brew an Immortality potion to extend his life. Of course, for Professor Dumbledore, Death is just another great adventure.
However, when thinking about this, one thing made Aisenfeel very confused: does Death exist in this world? In 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard,' is the Death encountered by the 'Three Brothers' really a legendary deity?
If Death truly exists, why are there no records of it in the Wizarding World? The only mention of the word Death is in a storybook. But if there is no Death, where did the Deathly Hallows come from?
Of course, in his previous life, Aisen had seen a theory online that Professor Dumbledore was actually Death, or an incarnation of Death.
Just as the story says, the eldest of the Three Brothers asked Death for a powerful wand. The second brother got the Resurrection Stone from Death. The third brother was very clever and got the invisibility cloak to avoid Death following him.
As a result, the eldest brother was killed by the powerful wand he asked for, and the second brother committed suicide after resurrecting a woman. Only the third brother, when his lifespan was nearing its end, took off the invisibility cloak and gave it to his son, then greeted Death like an old friend and left the world with Death.
Interestingly, the theory Aisen read suggested that Voldemort represented the eldest of the Three Brothers, constantly pursuing greater power, the second brother was Snape, who always wanted to resurrect Lily and died because of it. Harry was considered the third brother; he was brave and not afraid of Death.
When Professor Dumbledore gave the invisibility cloakto Harry, he said it was his father's Relics.
Furthermore, when Harry was hit by the Killing Curse, he saw Professor Dumbledore (the incarnation of Death) at King's Cross Station.
Of course, this theory is indeed a bit far-fetched, at least Aisen cannot confirm its truth for now. Therefore, when facing Professor Dumbledore, Aisen only needed to do his job properly.
"Thank you, Professor Aisen, I heard about solving the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets." Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Fortunately, you found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and killed the Basilisk, otherwise, Hagrid would still be locked up in Azkaban!"
"Uh, that's too much praise. I just found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets; Harry opened it with his Parseltongue talent, and Professor Lockhart killed the Basilisk!" Aisen's mouth curved up, and he continued in a flat tone.
"No, Severus has already told me, and I trust his judgment!" Professor Dumbledore shook his head, then winked at Aisen. "Besides, we all know how good Gilderoy is, don't we?"
Alright, it seems there's no way to hide it from Professor Dumbledore. After a slight pause, Aisen nodded and said no more.
"By the way, how is Harry? He also went into the Chamber of Secrets with you. Can he control the Basilisk?" Professor Dumbledore's expression slightly sobered, and he continued to ask Aisen.
"Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Lockhart, and I were all there at the time, so Harry didn't have a chance to interact with the Basilisk." Aisenshrugged. "But I think, since Harry has the talent for Parseltongue, he should be able to control the Basilisk!"
"Professor Aisen!" Professor Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then looked solemnly at Aisen. "During this time, I have been investigating Tom Riddle's past and found that he is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin."
"The Gaunt's family is a descendant of Slytherin. I think it's an easy conclusion to draw that Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin," Aisen said calmly, though his expression became serious.
"Exactly, but Harry Potter's ancestors are not Slytherin," Professor Dumbledore looked at Aisen and continued. "Tom inherited the Parseltongue talent from Salazar, so where did Harry's Parseltongue talent come from? I've reviewed the past information and found that the only time Tom had contact with Harry was that night!"
"The night Voldemort suffered a setback in front of Harry?" Aisen's heart stirred, and he understood Professor Dumbledore's meaning.
"Yes, only that night could they have a connection," Professor Dumbledore nodded.
"By the way, there's something I think you need to know." Aisen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly spoke. "You remember last year when Voldemort possessed Professor Quirrell to steal the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts, right?"
"Yes, Quirinus was a very excellent Professor. After graduating from Ravenclaw, he served as the Professor of Dark Arts, and later went to the primeval forests of Albania to gain firsthand practical experience. I think Tommust have possessed him at that time," Professor Dumbledore said after a slight pause.
"After Voldemort possessed Professor Quirrell, Harryonce told me something: during that time, he had nightmares every night, dreaming that his parents disappeared in a green light, and there was also a strange laugh." Aisen's tone was quite flat.
Hearing Aisen's words, Professor Dumbledore's expression became even more serious: "You mean—"
"When Voldemort is in close proximity to Harry, their connection becomes stronger. This close proximity stimulation makes Harry recall what happened that night, such as that green light, and that laugh—" Aisen nodded.
"Avada Kedavra, and Tom!" Professor Dumbledoresolemnly stated the conclusion.
"Exactly, I think you should know what happened that night!" Aisen nodded and continued to remind him.
"Tom killed James and Lily. Before Lily died, she sacrificed her life to place a protection charm on Harry. That spell caused Tom's attack to leave a scar on Harry's forehead, but his attack was blocked and rebounded. This destroyed his body, but due to the existence of Horcrux, the rebounded attack did not completely kill him. His fragmented soul wandered in the primeval forests of Albania until he met Quirinus." As Professor Dumbledorespoke, his brow furrowed tightly as if he had thought of something.
"Last time I remember you said that the method of making a Horcrux is very evil; it requires splitting one's soul," Aisen said, showing a speculative expression. "So, when Voldemort attacked Harry with the Killing Curse, and it was blocked by the protection charm on him and rebounded onto himself, destroying his body.
Is it possible that Voldemort's soul was also torn apart in that attack, and one piece escaped to Albania, while another piece splashed onto the only survivor at the time, Harry—"
"Tom accidentally made Harry into a Horcrux, and that soul fragment created a connection between them and also allowed Harry to inherit the Parseltongue talent from Tom?" Professor Dumbledore stood up and took over Aisen's words, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and the Magic in his body surged, making Aisen feel a pressure.
"Although this is speculation, it is the most reasonable deduction. I don't know the specific method for making a Horcrux, nor do I know if a person can be made into a Horcrux, but the connection between Harry and Voldemort does exist!" Aisen pretended to have a serious expression, but his heart was not greatly disturbed.
"Perhaps this is the truth of the matter, but it is too astonishing!" Professor Dumbledore paced back and forth in his office.
After a moment, Professor Dumbledore looked at Aisen: "Professor Aisen, I would like to ask you to keep this conclusion a secret and not tell anyone else for now."
"Of course, no problem, but, can't I tell Harry either?" Aisen nodded, then asked in return.
"No—I think he isn't ready to accept all of this yet!" Professor Dumbledore gave Aisen a deep look.
Chapter 125: A Solution?
"So, to completely kill Voldemort, you need to destroy all the horcruxes he made." Aisen was silent for a moment, then nodded and continued.
"That's right, but if that's the case, it means Harry will also--" Dumbledore opened his mouth, seemingly unable to bear saying the answer.
"Means Harry has to be killed?" Aisen frowned slightly. "But that's too cruel! Is there any other way? I mean, Professor Dumbledore, you are the greatest Witch of this era. Do you think there is a magic that can extract the fragment of Voldemort's soul that splashed onto Harry!"
This way, the problem with him can be solved without causing harm to Harry?"
"A very constructive idea!" Dumbledore's eyes lit up, but then darkened again. "But magic involving souls is very profound and very complex, especially in Harry's situation. If he is really Voldemort's Horcrux, then his situation will be very bad!"
"No, I don't think so!" Aisen shook his head, looked at Dumbledore, whose gaze was on him, and continued, "I am a Muggle-born Witch. After I came into contact with magic, whether it was at the beginning or now, the only feeling magic gives me is incredible!"
"Incredible magic?" Dumbledore became thoughtful.
"That's right, in my opinion, magic itself is an incredible miracle. Since someone can refine a Philosopher's Stonethat can turn stone into gold and grant Immortality, someone can create a Horcrux that makes people immortal, and someone can invent a Charm for instantaneous movement, then what else is impossible?" Aisen still showed a look of amazement on his face when he said this.
"So, what do you mean?" Dumbledore looked at Aisen.
"I don't know the method for making horcruxes, but I think it wasn't invented by Voldemort himself, right!" Aisensmiled slightly and raised a key point.
"That's right, the method for making horcruxes is recorded in some very profound Black magic books. Tom just discovered the method for making horcruxes." Seeing the smile on Aisen's face, Dumbledore seemed to be infected and sat back in his chair.
"If that's the case, I dare say that some Dark Wizards in history have made horcruxes! Although there are no records of this in the Wizarding World, I think the Witch who invented horcruxes must have made horcruxes." Aisen said with certainty, his tone unusually firm.
"Despicable Herpo? But in the current Wizarding World, except for Nicolas Flamel, there are no records of any Witch who has lived forever!" Dumbledore nodded.
"This shows that Harry being accidentally made into a Horcrux by Voldemort is actually not something to worry about!" Aisen's smile grew wider. "I mean, even if Harry is not killed, he will die of old age sooner or later. A hundred years? Or two hundred years? Voldemort will still die then!"
"But in that case, all other horcruxes need to be destroyed. And you have to make sure he doesn't resurrect and make new horcruxes!" Dumbledore said, frowning again.
"That's right, as long as Voldemort's escaped remnant soul is still wandering in the primeval forest of Albania, finding and destroying the other horcruxes is only a matter of time!" Aisen said, his expression becoming slightly more serious again. "But the question is, will Voldemort's remnant soul still escape to the primeval forest of Albania? Will he escape to other places?"
"No, I know Tom. Since he was brought out of the primeval forest of Albania by Quirinus, it means he is very familiar with that place. He will definitely go there again!" Dumbledore shook his head.
"If that's the case, then Professor Dumbledore, you must do something!" Aisen breathed a sigh of relief internally, then continued.
"Oh? What is it?" Dumbledore looked at Aisen curiously.
"Use your reputation in the Wizarding World to publicize Harry's identity as the Savior, tell everyone that Voldemort has been completely killed and can never return!" Aisen's mouth twitched, and he spread his hands.
"If you say that, it will make everyone lower their guard, and if Tom returns, the consequences will be very serious!" Dumbledore frowned tightly, feeling that Aisen's method had problems.
"I know, but don't forget, after Voldemort's downfall, although some of his Death Eaters have betrayed him, there are still some loyalists who are hoping that Voldemort can return!" Aisen revealed a meaningful tone.
"You mean, you want me to come forward and publicize the news of Tom's complete death, just to make those loyal guys believe that Tom will not come back?" Dumbledore's brows relaxed, seemingly understanding Aisen's meaning.
"That's right, although the fallen Dark Wizard has failed, he may still come back, which gives those loyalists a glimmer of hope. If you publicize that Voldemort has been completely killed, then the thoughts of those loyalists may change!" Aisen's face showed a smile. "Once the thoughts of those loyalists change, they won't waste their efforts searching everywhere for Voldemort's remnant soul, which might still be alive."
"But that doesn't guarantee that no one will go to the primeval forest of Albania, right? Just like Quirinus!" Dumbledore obviously saw the loophole in this.
"Yes, but I think you can also publicize that there are terrifying monsters in the primeval forest of Albania, or that it has been cursed to death, or that magic has been cast to make it a forbidden area!" Aisen proposed another suggestion.
"A very surprising idea, but it has the possibility of being implemented!" Dumbledore looked at Aisen through his half-moon glasses and said slowly, "However, if the problem with Harry is not resolved, I am not sure how long this method can delay!"
"So we have to find Voldemort's other horcruxes as soon as possible and destroy them all, and the research on soul magic cannot stop, so that it is possible to extract the fragment of Voldemort's soul from Harry's body!" Aisenreached out and pressed his temples, feeling that the solution he proposed seemed a bit outrageous.
"Very reasonable, I think I do need to do this! But on Harry's side--" Dumbledore nodded, then hesitated again.
"On Harry's side, I think it's not too late to tell him when the magic research has results!" Aisen suggested.
"I mean, Harry knows that Tom hasn't been completely killed--" Dumbledore glanced at Aisen.
"Okay, I'll tell Harry!" Aisen suddenly realized.
...
When Aisen left Dumbledore's office, an hour had passed. Returning to his office, Aisen turned the chair into a recliner, lay on it, and closed his eyes.
Aisen wasn't sleeping, just thinking about everything he had said in front of Dumbledore earlier.
This time, Aisen knew he had done something big. He not only revealed that Harry was a Horcrux through a reasonable (nonsense) method, but also proposed a perfect (outrageous) solution!
However, if Aisen's calculations were correct, he believed that this solution should be fine.
For example, find an opportunity next time to tell Dumbledore that he had gained a lot from reading his "Alchemy Insights" and then made an enhanced version of the sneakoscope.
Then he accidentally discovered that Ron's pet Scabberswas Peter Pettigrew. This way, with Dumbledore's intervention, Peter Pettigrew would be locked up in Azkaban even if he didn't die.
If Peter Pettigrew is locked up in Azkaban, Voldemort can forget about resurrecting for the time being. If Dumbledore really has a way to fabricate or turn the primeval forest of Albania into a forbidden area, then perhaps the time of Voldemort's return may be indefinitely delayed.
Maybe, by the time Harry Potter dies of old age, Voldemort's remnant soul will still be wandering in the primeval forest of Albania. Of course, maybe it won't take that long, and the fragment of Voldemort's soul on Harrywill be resolved by the magic Dumbledore researches.
At that time, after all of Voldemort's horcruxes are destroyed, can his remnant soul continue to wander in the primeval forest of Albania? Maybe, without the ability of the Horcrux to protect it, his remnant soul will be completely annihilated. Even if he can continue to survive by possessing animals, it should be easy to solve, just burn the primeval forest of Albania with Fiendfyre.
However, Aisen was not sure whether Dumbledore could create magic to solve the fragment of Voldemort's soul in Harry's body. After all, in the original work, Dumbledorealso knew the fact that Harry was a Horcrux, but he could only let Harry go to his death.
But to say that there is no way to create such magic, Aisen felt it was a bit unlikely. After all, the magic in this world is very subjective, and if it can't be created, it itself is not very reasonable.
Chapter 126: Lockhart the Conspirator?
After a long sigh, Aisen shook his head and opened his eyes, temporarily clearing his mind of the complex thoughts.
Since so much had already changed, he would just see how things developed; anyway, he was confident that as time went on, he would become less and less afraid of Lord Voldemort.
During dinner in the Great Hall that evening, Aisennoticed many Young Wizards discussing Professor Lockhart's heroic feat of taking on the Basilisk solo, but some Young Wizards looked indignant, clearly disliking him.
"Professor Lockhart is amazing, he dealt with such a huge Basilisk all by himself!"
"Who knows if Lockhart did it on purpose? Didn't you see the newspaper? It said this was Lockhart's conspiracy!"
"Exactly! If Lockhart could deal with the Basilisk, why did he wait for several attacks to happen before acting? He must want to be the Principal of Hogwarts, just like the newspaper said!"
Hearing the Young Wizards' whispers, Aisen was a bit puzzled, but then he remembered Rita's interview with Lockhart and understood.
"How is it? Hagrid is back, right?" Aisen sat down directly beside Hermione and asked.
"That's right, luckily the Basilisk was dealt with, so Hagrid was only imprisoned in Azkaban for one day." Harry's face lit up with a smile when he heard Aisen's question.
"Yes, I heard Azkaban is guarded by Dementors, it's terrifying!" Hermione's face showed a look of lingering fear.
"Since Lockhart dealt with the Basilisk, why are so many people still saying Lockhart—" Aisen appropriately showed a puzzled expression, pointing to the surrounding Young Wizards.
"It's all that woman, Rita Skeeter. Her article in The Daily Prophet said Professor Lockhart is a conspirator. It really infuriated him!" Ron's face showed a strange expression.
Looking at Ron's fluctuating expression, Aisen found it a bit amusing. In the past, Ron detested Lockhart the most, but ever since Lockhart "showed off" in front of him, Ron's attitude towards Lockhart wasn't so bad anymore.
Hearing Ron say that Rita was causing trouble in The Daily Prophet, Aisen had a look of having expected it all along. It seemed the sentences he had seen Rita fabricate earlier had already been published and spread.
It was just that Lockhart's true colors hadn't been completely exposed yet. He wondered if his fans would argue with Rita!
"This is simply too exciting, I never thought this was all Lockhart's conspiracy!" Fred muttered softly.
"Exactly, Lockhart must have been planning this for a long time. I was thinking of throwing a dungbomb at his head, good thing I didn't act!" George's face showed a look of lingering fear.
"But this is too insidious, isn't it? Look at his performance at the Duelling Club, he couldn't even cast Expelliarmus!" Fred looked incredulous.
"That's why they say this is Lockhart's conspiracy. He deliberately acted arrogant at school, making everyone believe he was a show-off, and then was defeated by Snape at the Duelling Club meeting, unable to cast Expelliarmus.
This way, no one would believe an arrogant person would be willing to lose face, so everyone thought he was truly a fraud with no ability." George revealed an expression of having seen through everything.
"Then, after three attacks, once Hagrid was caught and sent to Azkaban, and Dumbledore was suspended, Lockhart found the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secretsand dealt with it alone to secure the position of Principal!" Fred nodded.
Hearing the conversation of the Weasley Twins, Aisensuppressed his laughter and shoved a piece of steak into his mouth. He had to admit, the two brothers' deductions were truly "reasonable"!
"Professor Aisen, do you really think Professor Lockhartis a conspirator?" Hermione looked at Aisen, her brows slightly furrowed, as if trying to see Lockhart's true nature.
At Hermione's words, several Gryffindor students looked at Aisen.
"I think, while Professor Lockhart might not be a qualified Professor of Dark Arts, he wouldn't be an insidious and cunning conspirator either!" Aisen hesitated slightly, then slowly stated his opinion.
As for what kind of person Lockhart truly was, or if he possessed real ability, Aisen didn't particularly care. After all, their interactions were minimal.
"If that's the case, then doesn't that mean what's written in the newspaper is false?" Fred looked at Aisen in surprise.
"Hmm—Rita Skeeter, the reporter for The Daily Prophet, her interview style usually has some exaggerations!" Aisen nodded.
"No wonder Professor Lockhart didn't look well today!" George and Fred exchanged glances and muttered softly.
...
That night, in the Room of Requirement, Hermione was dueling Harry and Ron.
Since Hermione was the most proficient at Expelliarmus, at Aisen's suggestion, Harry and Ron began to team up against Hermione.
"Expelliarmus—"
"Expelliarmus—"
Harry and Ron stared at Hermione, simultaneously casting Expelliarmus.
"Expelliarmus—"
Hermione quickly cast Expelliarmus to nullify Harry's Charm, while her feet kept moving, her body turning sideways to move a short distance and evade Ron's attack.
It was clear that after many days of practical training, the Trio's progress had been immense. Hermione had perfectly mastered the Expelliarmus Charm, and even Harry and Ron had successfully mastered it.
Red lights shot from the tips of their wands, either dodged or countered with Expelliarmus when aimed at each other.
Regardless of their individual skill, the rhythm of their footwork during attacks, in Aisen's opinion, already showed a hint of real combat.
If the Trio were to duel other Young Wizards, Aisen was confident they could determine the winner in a short amount of time.
'It seems it's time to teach them the Shield Charm, a defensive Charm. After all, if Wizards are to engage in real combat, they can't just attack without defending, right?' As Aisen watched the Trio's back-and-forth movements in the arena, this thought flashed through his mind.
More than twenty minutes later, at Aisen's signal, the Triostopped.
As they came down from the center of the arena, all of them were panting. It seemed the high-intensity practical training had truly exhausted them.
Perhaps some might ask, can casting spells with a wand still make one tired? Yes, if it were simply waving a wand, then less than half an hour of training would indeed not be tiring.
But the Trio's practical combat not only involved casting Charms but also jumping and dodging the opponent's Charm attacks. This made nearly half an hour of high-intensity training particularly energy-consuming.
After all, the Trio were only thirteen years old now, so of course they would feel tired.
"The practical training during this period has been very good; you have mastered Expelliarmus. However, Expelliarmus is a Charm for attacking enemies. Next, I will teach you a defensive Charm—the Shield Charm!" Watching the Trio gradually regain their breath, Aisennodded with satisfaction.
"Really?" Hermione's eyes lit up, and her face showed delight. Similarly, Harry and Ron next to her also looked at Aisen with pleasant surprise.
"Indeed, the Shield Charm is a very powerful defensive Charm. Many adult Wizards, and even some Ministry of Magic employees, cannot cast this Charm." Aisen smiled and nodded, "This is a Charm that can protect your own safety. It creates a magical shield that can deflect or repel objects or other Charms."
"Can Expelliarmus also be repelled?" Ron's eyes lit up, and he asked impatiently.
"Yes, the Shield Charm can indeed deflect or repel Expelliarmus." Aisen's smile faded slightly, and seeing the joy on the Trio's faces, he couldn't help but pour some cold water on them, "But there are still some situations to be aware of. If the difference in strength between Wizards is too great, then the Shield Charm might not be able to defend against Expelliarmus.
For example, if you cast the Shield Charm, and I or Dumbledore cast Expelliarmus at you. Believe me, the Shield Charm you cast might be directly broken through!"
"Understood, Professor!" After hearing Aisen's words, the Trio all nodded.
"Of course, you also need to note one thing: although the Shield Charm can defend against most Charms, some advanced Dark Arts cannot be defended against." Aisennodded slightly, continuing to mention some precautions.
"Avada Kedavra?" Hermione spoke an Unforgivable Curse.
"Exactly, the Shield Charm cannot block the Killing Curse, you must remember this!" Aisen showed a look of approval towards Hermione, "So don't think that just because you've learned the Shield Charm, you can relax in the upcoming practical training."
Chapter 127: Ron and Harry's Astonishing Discovery (Part 1)
Seeing the Trio nod solemnly, Aisen knew they had taken his words to heart. This made Aisen very pleased.
As for how to counter the Killing Curse, Aisen felt that for now, he could train them in dodging Charms. Later, he could also train their Transfiguration abilities, allowing them to transform into physical objects to block the Killing Curse.
There was no other way; it seemed the Killing Cursecould only be dodged or blocked by a physical barrier.
"Alright, that's enough combat training for today!" After a slight pause, Aisen waved to the Trio. "Oh, there's one more thing I need to tell you!"
Then, Aisen told the Trio that in the coming period, Headmaster Dumbledore might publicize that Voldemort had been completely killed and could never return.
"But, Professor Aisen, we all know Voldemort isn't completely dead, right? Professor Dumbledore told me that. Why is he doing this?" Harry looked at Aisen in surprise after hearing his words.
"Yes, Professor Aisen, Dumbledore is the greatest Witch of our time. If he says Voldemort won't return, everyone will believe him. Wouldn't it be too dangerous if Voldemort really returned?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"You all know about Voldemort possessing Professor Quirrell last year!" Aisen changed the subject and looked at Harry.
"Yes, at the time we thought Snape was going to steal the Philosopher's Stone for Voldemort, but it turned out to be Voldemort possessing Professor Quirrell." Harry showed a hint of embarrassment as he said this.
"Professor Quirrell went to the primeval forests of Albania to gain some practical experience in Defense Against the Dark Arts. There, Professor Quirrellencountered Voldemort's lingering soul—" Aisen paused in his speech. "After Voldemort's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone by possessing Professor Quirrellfailed, his lingering soul likely returned to the primeval forests of Albania."
"So that's it—" Harry showed a look of realization, but then looked at Aisen with confusion. "But what does that have to do with publicizing that Voldemort has been completely killed?"
Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.
"Do you know?" Aisen changed the subject, his expression becoming serious. "Actually, since Voldemort's downfall, many of his Death Eaters were imprisoned in Azkaban, but many others escaped the Ministry of Magic's punishment by claiming to be under the Imperius Curse."
"I know, Draco's father is like that!" Ron swallowed and spoke first.
"Some Death Eaters are no longer loyal to Voldemort, but some are still his loyal followers. If these people knew that Voldemort's lingering soul is still wandering in the primeval forests of Albania, they would definitely try to resurrect Voldemort—" Aisen gave the Trio a meaningful look.
"So Professor Dumbledore thinks that publicizing the news that Voldemort has been completely killed is to make those Death Eaters who are still loyal to Voldemort give up their search for Voldemort's lingering soul?" Hermione couldn't help but exclaim.
"Voldemort wasn't completely killed, but resurrection is a very difficult thing. Without the help of Death Eaters, Voldemort can't resurrect himself!" Aisen nodded. "If this method of publicizing that Voldemort is completely dead makes the Death Eaters give up searching for Voldemort, then Voldemort won't be able to resurrect and return!"
"So the Professor means we shouldn't go around saying that Voldemort isn't dead?" Harry finally reacted.
"That's right, you just need to know that Voldemort isn't completely dead, but absolutely don't go around talking about it everywhere!" Aisen nodded, clearly meaning this.
After leaving the Room of Requirement, the Trio returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.
The next day, the atmosphere throughout Hogwartsbecame lively. A significant number of Little Wizardsbegan to believe that Professor Lockhart was not a schemer, but had been slandered by Rita Skeeter.
Perhaps because Rita and Lockhart were both very famous people, or perhaps because rivals are enemies, their respective fans also began to argue with each other on the newspapers from afar.
This led to a polarization of attitudes towards Lockhartamong the Little Wizards at Hogwarts. Some Little Wizards, or rather Lockhart's fans, believed that Lockhartsingle-handedly defeated the Basilisk and was a hero of Hogwarts, definitely not a schemer aiming to seize the Headmaster's position.
Another group of Witches, however, believed that Professor Lockhart had no ability to defeat the Basilisk at all, and that several Professors must have defeated the Basilisk together, but Lockhart had turned the incident into his own experience.
But the Trio had no time to express their opinions on this matter. Early in the morning, after breakfast, Hermionerushed to start reviewing her coursework.
There were only three weeks left until the second-year final exams, which was already a dangerous amount of time for a top student.
As for Harry and Ron, they received a note from Professor McGonagall during breakfast, stating that they were to go to Professor Lockhart's office for detention at eight o'clock that evening.
At once, Harry and Ron were no longer interested in discussing Lockhart's war of words with Rita with others.
After a day of Transfiguration, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Harry and Ron asked Hermione to inform Professor Aisen to suspend the dueling group's combat training for a day, and then went to Lockhart's office.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Harry and Ron knocked on the door of Lockhart's office on time.
"Is there something?" Lockhart looked sickly; although his physical injuries had healed, he seemed to have suffered a severe mental blow.
"We're here for detention!" The two stammered, but Harry finally stated the purpose.
"Oh, yes, you two little rascals!" Lockhart's mood worsened when he thought of the two pointing their wands at him and forcing him to the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets in the second-floor girls' bathroom.
"Come on, let me think about how to punish you so that you will sincerely repent and appreciate the greatness and generosity of Gilderoy Lockhart!" After dragging the two into his office, Lockhart rambled on, praising himself.
Harry and Ron stared at Lockhart, dumbfounded, feeling a sense of horror.
"Ah! I've got it!" Lockhart completely ignored Harry and Ron's attitude, directly pulled out a thick stack of envelopes from a cabinet next to his desk, and placed them in front of the two.
"These are—" Harry and Ron looked at the thick stack of letters in front of them, bewildered, and exchanged glances, feeling a sense of foreboding.
"Haha, these are all letters of support from my fanatical fans. Now, you need to copy them all!" Lockhart swept away his previous slump and became energetic.
Harry opened an envelope, and the letter inside read: Dear Gilderoy, I am your loyal reader Lisa. I fall asleep holding your book every night. I absolutely believe you are not a schemer, you are a great adventurer...
Ron stared blankly at the envelope in his hand, the content of the letter was: Dear Gilderoy, I am your loyal reader Abilard, please don't let that shameless woman Rita Skeeter affect your good mood. I will stand behind you my whole life, you are simply too charming...
Ugh—
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and nearly threw up their dinner.
"Hurry up and start copying, this is your punishment for attacking your Professor—" Lockhart yawned from behind his desk, then looked at the two and continued, "Even though you've seen how I dealt with the Basiliskalone, I still want you and my readers to feel my greatness!"
The two had no right to refuse. Helplessly, they could only force themselves to start copying mindlessly.
"Rita Skeeter, that damned woman, she only knows how to slander the great Gilderoy... I must let you know how huge my readership is..." Lockhart spread out a piece of parchment, dipped his quill in ink, and wrote something on it, muttering as he wrote. It seemed he was quite angered by Rita's article.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, not speaking, just quietly copying.
Snore—puff—
The sound of snoring started at some point. Harry and Ron looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it was already midnight without them noticing.
Looking at Lockhart snoring in his chair, the two exchanged bewildered glances.
Chapter 128: Harry and Ron's Astonishing Discovery (Part 2)
"Are you done copying?" Ron whispered to Harry next to him, glancing at the sleeping Professor Lockhart.
"No, I've copied less than half!" After hearing Ron, Harryflipped through the thick stack of parchment in front of him and smiled bitterly.
"How about we stop here for today? Look, Professor Lockhart is already tired!" Ron offered a very constructive suggestion.
Harry thought for a moment, nodded, and then, mustering courage with Ron, woke up Professor Lockhart and requested to leave.
"Ah—" Professor Lockhart yawned, glanced at the time, and waved his hand at the two of them, "Is it that late? Go ahead, put the envelopes in the cabinet, and come back tomorrow to continue your punishment!"
Harry and Ron's faces froze. After exchanging glances, they reluctantly picked up the envelopes and stuffed them into the cabinet next to the desk. They knew very well that these envelopes were taken out by Professor Lockhart from this very cabinet.
Opening the cabinet revealed several drawers. Harry and Ron exchanged glances, opened them one by one, and stuffed the envelopes they held into the larger drawers.
Just as Ron was about to close the drawer, several rolls of parchment in one drawer caught Harry's attention. The rolls of parchment were rolled up and folded together, and a line of text visible on the outside made him interrupt Ron's action.
"Look—" Harry pointed at the text on the parchment.
"Record of Breaking Up with a Banshee – That Ugly, Harelipped Witch!" Ron looked in the direction Harry was pointing and saw a line of text on the folded parchment.
"'Break Up with a Banshee' is one of Professor Lockhart's textbooks!" Ron said softly.
Harry reached out and flipped through the parchment. A line of text appeared before them: That Witch who drove away the Valen Banshee, I can hardly believe she was hare-lipped, that was truly ugly. But thankfully, she has forgotten all about it!
Seeing this line of text, Harry and Ron's hearts suddenly beat faster. They had a feeling they had discovered something significant.
"What are you two dawdling about?" Professor Lockhart's voice came over.
"Oh, almost done!" Harry replied, giving Ron a look, and then pulled out all the rolls of parchment and put them into his storage ring.
"Professor—we're leaving now!" Harry and Ron slammed the cabinet shut and, without waiting for Professor Lockhart's reaction, hurried away.
They didn't speak the whole way. Perhaps it was the first time they had secretly taken something from a Professor's office. Harry's face was a little pale after coming out, and his heart was pounding, but he forced himself to calm down and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room with Ron.
It was midnight, and the Gryffindor Common Room was already empty. The two of them sat down in front of the fireplace, took out the parchment they had just taken, and examined it carefully in the firelight.
Unfolding the folded parchment, one page was revealed, and its content also greatly surprised them. It read: Record of Wandering with Werewolves – That Old and Ugly Armenian Witch.
Continuing to flip through, the contents inside felt equally familiar to Harry and Ron. It first praised the wonderful experience of the old Armenian Witch who helped a village get rid of the Werewolf menace, and then mocked her for being old and ugly, saying she wouldn't attract attention even if she appeared in the newspaper.
"Content from the textbook 'Wandering with Werewolves'!" Ron glanced at Harry.
Following this, they continued to look through the stack of parchment and found records of parts of 'Traveling with Ghouls', 'Walking with Trolls', and other contents.
But the more they read, the more shocked and bewildered they became.
After reading through several times, they found that the content recorded on these parchments was almost identical to the content in the textbooks. The only difference was that the protagonist of the events was not Professor Lockhart. The records on the parchment were clearly written from a third-person perspective.
"Those aren't Professor Lockhart's adventures!" Harrylooked at Ron, a surprised expression suddenly appearing on his face.
"You mean, Professor Lockhart's books, those experiences are fake?" Hearing Harry's conclusion, Ron was equally surprised.
"No, those adventures belong to other people. Professor Lockhart stole these experiences and claimed them as his own, turned them into his own experiences, and then wrote them into books!" Harry's voice grew slightly louder. Then Harry seemed to remember something and showed a look of sudden realization, "No wonder Professor Lockhart's lessons were just him reading large excerpts from the books. He's just a fraud who doesn't know anything!"
"But, didn't he defeat the Basilisk? You saw it!" Ronlooked hesitant, as if to refute Harry's statement.
"Do you really believe Professor Lockhart defeated the Basilisk? I'm sure you saw it, Professor Lockhart was unconscious at the time!" Harry said, couldn't help but curl his lip.
"Uh—" Hearing Harry's words, Ron's face froze, but then he immediately came up with another reason: "But if those were other people's experiences, why didn't anyone go after Professor Lockhart after he wrote them into books and sold so many? I mean, why didn't anyone expose the truth in the newspaper!"
"Look here—" Harry's expression froze, then as if remembering something, he picked up the nearby parchment, opened one of the pages, and pointed to it, looking at Ron.
"Thankfully, she has forgotten all about it!" Ron read out the line of text.
"See? Professor Lockhart must have used some method to make those people forget those experiences." Harry's tone carried a hint of excitement.
"Obliviate!" Ron couldn't help but swallow and blurted out an answer.
"Obliviate?" Harry asked back.
"Yes, Obliviate can make them forget the things they experienced." Ron picked up the parchment, looked at it several times, glanced around, and said softly.
For a moment, they looked at each other. Neither had expected that a simple detention would lead them to discover a shocking truth: Professor Lockhart was truly a fraud!
"So what do we do? Tell a Professor?" After a while, Roncouldn't help but speak up.
"Do you think Dumbledore knows Professor Lockhart's true nature?" The surprise on Harry's face had subsided. Seeing Ron's suspicious look, he continued, "Remember? Hagrid once said that Professor Lockhart was Dumbledore's only choice for the Professor of Dark Arts!"
"You mean, Dumbledore knew Professor Lockhart's true nature from the start?" Ron was startled, his voice significantly louder.
"I don't know, but you're right, maybe we can tell Professor Aisen about this!" Harry shrugged, then put away the parchment.
Afterward, the two returned to their dormitory and fell asleep.
The next day at noon, after finishing their Transfiguration Class, Harry and Ron found Aisen who had just come out of the Library. Seeing that they needed something, Aisenfollowed Harry and Ron to an empty classroom.
"What is it? Do you need something?" Seeing their secretive appearance, Aisen looked curious. At this time, the Chamber of Secrets problem had been resolved, so they should be fine.
"Professor, look at this—" Harry and Ron exchanged glances, then took out several folded pages of parchment and placed them in front of Aisen.
"What is this?" Aisen looked at Harry questioningly.
"Professor, we were in detention with Professor Lockhartlast night!" Harry said somewhat awkwardly.
"I know, Professor McGonagall mentioned it! That's why I decided to wait until your detention is over before starting the practical training for the dueling club!" Aisen nodded, signaling Harry to continue.
"We found these in the cabinet in Professor Lockhart's office." Harry pointed to the parchment in front of him. Ron next to him showed an expectant look.
"You two are really bold, daring to steal from a Professor's office!" Aisen looked at them meaningfully, causing them to lower their heads in shame.
"Geminio—" Aisen took out his wand and pointed. The folded parchment immediately turned into two copies. Aisen waved his wand again, and the parchment Harryhad taken out quickly transformed into a mosquito and flew out.
With God's Perspective activated, the mosquito transformed from the parchment quickly flew through the corridor, then arrived at Professor Lockhart's office, drilled into the cabinet drawer, and transformed back to its original form.
"Professor, what was that?" Harry watched Aisen's actions in surprise, and Ron also looked envious.
"I sent that parchment back to Professor Lockhart's office to avoid unnecessary trouble!" Aisen gave them a deep look, then picked up the parchment and began to read it.