"Dumbledore, don't think for a second you can weasel your way out of this! You put Hogwarts in danger! That's a fact!"
Lucius Malfoy's face was like thunder.
"And the Aurors don't have the authority to just stroll you back into Hogwarts! Mark my words, when I get back, I'll be writing a rather strongly worded letter to the Ministry about these reckless Aurors. They need to be severely punished!"
Dumbledore's expression remained serene. "As far as I'm aware, Vella is the Head Auror the Ministry sent for this. She certainly has the right to do what she believes is best for Hogwarts."
"But the School Governors have already suspended you! What gives an Auror the right to act like this?"
Lucius's eyes widened in disbelief. "Last night, every single one of the other eleven School Governors contacted me."
"Owls were practically beating down my door, letters piling up like snow – Arthur Weasley's daughter was attacked in Hogwarts, and the whispers about a murder in Hogwarts are spreading like wildfire!"
"They all believe you're past it, Dumbledore, no longer fit to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts. And what's more, they've nominated me to take your place! If I were here, none of this would have happened to Hogwarts in the first place!"
Lucius's voice was sharp and cutting.
Dumbledore listened, nodding slightly. "And what then, Lucius?"
Lucius paused, his eyelid twitching almost imperceptibly. "And then! I hope you finally understand that you're too old for this!"
Dumbledore nodded again, a twinkle in his eye. "Is that all?"
Lucius: (ﾟДﾟ)!
"Honestly, such a tasteless remark! You should do the decent thing and resign as Headmaster of Hogwarts!"
Suddenly, Dylan noticed another figure lurking near the doorway, peeking furtively into the room.
Dylan glanced over and saw it was a house-elf.
Hearing Lucius's furious tone, it seemed too timid to come in.
"Is that so?" Dumbledore chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "This morning, I also received letters from the School Governors. They seem to think I should be asked to return."
"Curiously, Lucius, several of the Governors seem to believe you threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to my removal."
Lucius's face twitched, his already pale complexion turning even more ghostly white.
—He looked like a bloodless corpse.
Only his eyes seemed to burn with incandescent rage.
—But he still chose to sidestep Dumbledore's point.
"What? How could you possibly do such a thing?" Vella exclaimed, looking utterly shocked.
"This is none of your concern, Auror, and besides, what evidence do you have to make such an accusation?" Lucius snarled, glaring at Vella. "Someone with Muggle blood, how dare you question my loyalty to this school?"
Dylan interjected smoothly, "Now, now, Mummy-man, you've got it all wrong."
"What? What did you just call me?!" Lucius whipped his head around, his eyes blazing.
"Oh, er... well, your face is as white as a mummy, so I just—"
Dylan blinked with exaggerated innocence.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have said that? Was it a bit rude?"
"Don't you dare act all innocent and wide-eyed with me! It's sickening!" Lucius hissed, his voice low and menacing.
Dumbledore's brow furrowed for the first time, a hint of disapproval in his eyes. "Lucius, really, how can you speak to a student like that..."
"Sir, if I've offended you, I do apologize. It's just that you remind me a lot of my old dog back home. He's very friendly and easy to get along with, not at all standoffish."
Dumbledore gave a slight start, leaning back in his chair with an utterly incredulous expression as he looked at Dylan.
—He had heard from Severus that this little fellow's tongue was sharper than a Bezoar.
But he hadn't quite grasped just how artfully Dylan could twist his words...
"You insolent little brat!"
Lucius's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Just look at him!
He couldn't keep up the pretense any longer!
That revolting, childish facade had finally crumbled!
That wretched Mudblood!
Watching Lucius's chest heave up and down, Dylan tilted his head with feigned curiosity.
"Oh my, sir, what's that on your nose? Is that an ant's leg sticking out?"
Lucius glared, immediately reaching into his robes for a small mirror. He checked left and right, but there was nothing there.
"Oh dear, my apologies. It seems I was mistaken. But you always give me this impression of being terribly clever and yet somehow missing the obvious. For a moment, I thought there were ants crawling on your nose."
"Ha!"
Lucius let out a forced, humourless laugh, clearly seething with rage.
Was there any logical connection between those two statements?
This Mudblood was just insulting him for the sheer pleasure of it!
The house-elf by the door, who had been hovering hesitantly, wanting to come in but too afraid, stood frozen in shock upon hearing Dylan's words.
Vella was equally astonished that Dylan, this seemingly polite younger student, possessed such a sharp and venomous tongue.
His words might not seem overtly offensive, but when they landed in your ears, they were enough to send your blood pressure through the roof.
As for Harry, he stood to the side, trying to stifle his laughter behind his hand.
Dylan didn't usually resort to insults, but when he did open his mouth, he had the knack of infuriating people beyond belief!
Even Malfoy usually gave Dylan a wide berth these days. Was his father now going to follow in his son's footsteps?
"You seem awfully upset, sir. Quite scary, really. Like a monster. Tell me, when you're all alone, do you walk on all fours?"
Lucius took a deep, shuddering breath, his gaze dark and his smile icy as he fought to control his fury.
This foolish Mudblood was deliberately trying to provoke him!
It was just like that time in Flourish and Blotts!
But he wouldn't lower himself to the level of trading insults with a Mudblood!
Let him rant and rave all he liked!
Lucius looked at Dylan with utter disdain before turning his attention back to Dumbledore.
"Surely, he doesn't need to be privy to what I'm about to say next?"
Dumbledore seemed to snap out of a brief reverie, clicking his tongue softly and raising a knowing eyebrow. "Indeed, Lucius. I have already questioned Dylan thoroughly, and I'm afraid he knows nothing about the Chamber of Secrets."
Then, he turned his kind gaze towards Dylan. "Off you go now, my boy. Tell everyone not to fret, the trouble has been dealt with."
Dylan nodded slightly, his gaze flicking over the Elder Wand clutched in Dumbledore's hand.
The Elder Wand, eh? He idly wondered what sort of materials were inside if he decided to snap it.
"Oh, and Dylan," Dumbledore added, "perhaps you could pop back later this evening for a chat?"
Dylan paused in his steps. "Yes, Headmaster."
Vella nodded curtly at Dylan.
Dylan gave a slight nod in return and exited the office.
As he stepped out, he finally saw the full form of Dobby.
Dobby shrunk back, looking at Dylan with a mixture of fear and a touch of awe.
Dylan offered the little house-elf a friendly smile.
"If you ever fancy a change of scenery, Dobby, come find me. Anyone who's giving you a hard time, I'll give them a right telling-off – or even hex them if necessary."
Dobby looked rather bewildered and didn't reply.
"Don't even think about trying to poach my servant!"
A voice boomed from inside the office.
Dylan simply waved his hand dismissively. "See you later."
Leaving the Headmaster's office, Dylan made his way back to the Gryffindor common room.
Ginny and the others were still in the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep a close eye on them.
Hermione, however, had already made a full recovery.
Dylan spotted her immediately, chatting with Neville.
"Hey, Dylan!"
Seeing Hermione, Dylan nodded warmly. "It's brilliant to see you back to your old self."
Hermione leaned closer and asked, "I heard you were called to Professor Dumbledore's office. Was Harry there too?"
Dylan nodded slightly. "Yeah, they probably needed to discuss something about the Headmaster's situation, so I came back."
A flicker of worry crossed Hermione's face. "I really hope Professor Dumbledore stays our Headmaster."
Dylan chuckled reassuringly. "Don't worry, he will. Are you feeling any lingering effects?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not at all, thankfully. Though Professor Snape's restorative potion was absolutely dreadful. One of the others who woke up with me actually chundered right there and then."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Did they happen to chuck in front of Professor Snape?"
Hermione bit back a laugh, her lips twitching. "They did."
Dylan chuckled. "Well, that must have been a rather amusing sight."
Hermione's canine teeth flashed briefly as she grinned. "Professor Snape just turned on his heel and stalked off, looking absolutely furious. Though, strangely, I didn't think it tasted that bad."
Dylan clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Perhaps the potion you drank was one I brewed."
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "That explains it! No wonder Professor Snape looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon!"
"Well, I'm just glad you're alright. Harry and Ron were really worried about you. What about Ginny? Is she doing okay?"
Neville walked over to join them. "She's fine. The Weasley twins have gone to keep an eye on her."
"They've gone to 'keep an eye' on Ginny?" Dylan raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I have a feeling Ginny will get even less rest now."
"Madam Pomfrey's not letting them anywhere near Ginny, so it should be fine," Hermione reassured him.
"Fair enough." Dylan shrugged. "Hang on a bit, Harry should be back soon. I'm going to head back to the dorm for now."
Hermione nodded.
Neville was about to follow Dylan when Dylan said, "I'm going back to hit the books. You can do whatever you like – maybe revise? Judging by how things are, I reckon the end-of-year exams will be called off for sure."
"Oh! Right! I almost forgot about that!" Neville practically jumped up. "I need to go back to the dorm to study too!"
Hermione stood there, her expression a little stiff. "Right, the end-of-year exams... um, Dylan, have you guys learned anything new recently?"
Neville piped up quickly, "Loads! And it all feels really tricky to learn."
Hermione: (oェ｀o)...
"Hearing everyone talk, I must have been petrified for ages, right? Next thing I know, it's practically end-of-year exams."
"Don't worry too much. I imagine the professors will have some alternative arrangements for those of you who were, well, temporarily indisposed. After all, you've missed a fair bit."
Dylan gestured for Hermione to relax.
However, Hermione looked even more disheartened after hearing this.
"You should wait for Harry to come back. He's been doing quite a bit of revision lately. If you want to catch up on everything you've missed, revising with him would be a good idea." Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just nodded slightly.
She had been hoping to ask Dylan if he would help her revise.
His words had effectively closed that avenue.
Resigned, she had no choice but to gather her textbooks from the past few weeks and try to go through them herself first.
Dylan then headed back to the dorm with Neville.
After a quick greeting, Dylan climbed into his trunk.
Nothing had stirred last night, and although the old Headmaster had called him over today, judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem to truly suspect him of anything.
Dylan planned to use this time to delve into the secrets of little Riddle's diary.
Come to think of it – who in their right mind even keeps a diary?
This little Riddle must have scribbled down far too many dark and dangerous thoughts in his diary, worried they might fall into the wrong hands, so he went and turned it into one of his Horcruxes, didn't he?
After tossing some food to Norbert and Coal, Dylan headed straight for the little house at the edge of the forest.
—One of the biggest perks of this self-sustaining ecosystem was that any creature Dylan put in always had a variety of prey to hunt.
The latest and most complete novels are first published on 69shu.吧!
However, perhaps because Norbert and Coal were his pets, or perhaps because the pet space considered anything Dylan put in as their food supply, there weren't any creatures specifically for them to hunt.
Of course, the smaller creatures in the forest were perfectly capable of being hunted by them.
But with Dylan providing regular meals, they didn't bother with the local wildlife.
"When I get a moment, I need to pop back to Diagon Alley, sign the paperwork for my place, exchange some more Galleons, and expand this space. Otherwise, if I decide to bring the basilisk in here, it'll be far too cramped, and larger creatures simply won't be able to thrive."
Before entering the house, Dylan had already changed into his usual attire, his face completely hidden beneath a black hooded cloak and mask.
He approached the diary.
The diary lay discarded in a corner piled high with random odds and ends.
Perhaps because it had been on the receiving end of a few of Dylan's Avada Kedavras, the life force the diary had originally siphoned from Ginny had not only returned to her, but even its connection to Ginny had been severed by Dylan.
Lying there now, Dylan could even sense a palpable feeling of weakness emanating from the diary itself.
A cold smile curled the corner of Dylan's lips, and with a sharp flick of his wand,
In an instant, a blinding flash of light erupted.
The roof above Dylan's head cracked open with a deafening roar, revealing a gaping skylight that led out into the open air.
At the same moment, a piercing shriek echoed from the nearby forest.
Moments later, several small creatures, caught in a sudden gust of wind, tumbled and flew into the house, flapping their wings frantically in mid-air.
Dylan tapped his wand lightly, and instantly, thin ribbons of silvery light began to snake out from the creatures' bodies, slowly drawn towards and then absorbed into the diary.
As the life force flowed in, the diary's weakened state gradually faded – the paper and cover felt noticeably firmer.
Dylan could clearly sense that the diary had absorbed a significant amount of life force.
However, it still lay there quietly, completely still.
Dylan snorted coldly, his voice laced with icy menace, low and dangerously oppressive. "What's this then? Now that you're a Horcrux and can't be killed by a simple Killing Curse, have you developed a fondness for being on the receiving end of Avada Kedavra?"
"If that's the case, I don't mind obliging a few more times until you learn some manners."
As his words sliced through the air, the diary visibly shuddered.
"You're a truly wicked piece of work. Just what in Merlin's name are you?"
The next moment, a blurry, indistinct outline slowly began to drift out of the diary.
Gradually, as more life force was drawn in, the outline became clearer.
First, a head appeared. The meticulously styled blond hair gradually became distinct, strand by strand. A high, aristocratic nose and a pair of questioning eyes also materialized.
Then came the rest of the figure. A crisp, black set of robes, initially ethereal and translucent, gradually solidified with the illusory body, swaying slightly as if caught in a gentle breeze.
Resentment twisted Tom's features. "I don't recall anyone like you ever existing in the wizarding world."
Dylan looked at Tom, who was now floating awkwardly in the corner like a naughty child being made to stand in the naughty corner, and a cold chuckle escaped his lips.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Carthas, the Fool of the World, the Guide of the Dead. I heard the echoes of the scorned and thus, I found you."
"A rather... inelegant fellow, wouldn't you agree?"
Hearing Dylan's words, Tom froze instantly, his expression hardening into one of pure disbelief.
"Me? Do you even know who I am? Do you have any idea of the power I possess? What gives you the audacity to judge my elegance?"
"Quite the confident one, aren't you?"
Tom gritted his teeth inwardly. While seemingly engaging in conversation with Dylan, he was actually buying time, subtly trying to assess his surroundings.
However, this bloke's words were infuriating beyond belief!
"I am Voldemort! My power is more than enough to justify my confidence!"
"Your confidence comes from your stupidity."
Dylan scoffed derisively. "A candle flickering its last, yet too afraid to embrace the sweet release of death. Voldemort? You honestly think you can cheat death?"
He took deliberate step after step, closing the distance between himself and Tom.
The sound of his slightly heeled boots clicking against the wooden floor was particularly loud in the small house, each step like a heavy hammer blow against Tom's fragile composure.
"Don't even bother trying to sense your surroundings. This is my world now. You've fallen into my clutches, and there's absolutely no escape."
Tom's expression shifted from anger to unease. "You can sense my magic?"
Dylan let out a series of low, menacing chuckles. "I told you, this is my world of death. With just a flick of those snake-like eyes of yours, I know exactly what you're trying to do."
He subtly pointed the tip of his wand, concealed beneath his sleeve.
"Ah!"
Tom instantly cried out in agony, his spectral form flickering violently.
—The mental power he had instinctively reached out with was instantly and utterly crushed by an unseen force!
This was the pet space ability – Space Control – that Dylan had unlocked at the considerable cost of ten thousand Galleons!
And apparently, this ability even had subsequent levels, two and three...
It was clear this ability wouldn't be satisfied until it had drained every last Knut from Dylan's pockets.
But even the level one Space Control was enough for Dylan to detect any mental power fluctuations happening right under his nose.
"What sort of curse is this...?"
Tom's once handsome face was now contorted in agony, turning an even more deathly shade of white.
That single, brutal attack had felt as though, had he not been anchored to this world by his Horcrux, his very soul would have been ripped to shreds!
"Foolish mortal, do you still believe you have time to haggle with death?"
Dylan raised his wand, and the diary slowly levitated into the air.
"What do you want?!" For the first time, genuine terror flickered in Tom's eyes.
The person before him… even with his considerable intellect still intact, he couldn't seem to find any weakness, any chink in the armor of this self-proclaimed Fool, that would allow him to escape this place!
He felt a terrifying sense of things spiraling out of his control!
He didn't even dare try to reach out to the basilisk.
But all his attempts to speak, to exert his will, seemed utterly useless, as if his voice couldn't even penetrate the walls of this small house.
And the person standing before him held the power of life and death over him!
"No, no, this isn't right! Calm down! How could I possibly be afraid? I am Voldemort! This person can't possibly destroy a Horcrux. I am immortal!"
The young Voldemort, while still possessing almost all of his considerable intellect, had a soul at this time that was dangerously arrogant, fiercely ambitious, and ruthlessly cunning, yet also prone to impulsive actions born of that very arrogance.
For example, fifty years ago, when he was still a student at Hogwarts, his reckless exploration of the Chamber of Secrets and subsequent release of the basilisk was a prime example of this.
It was only thanks to a convenient scapegoat back then that he hadn't been caught out. Whether he would have managed to rise to the heights of power he later achieved was still a matter of speculation.
"Don't struggle, Tom. I am merely inscribing your name into my little black book. Rest assured, your song of life won't end here. You are about to become my most fascinating experiment."
What could be more intimately intertwined with death than a Horcrux?
Dylan gently flicked his wand back, and the diary floated to rest in front of him.
"When the moon is at its thinnest, I can first fashion an improved magical spectrum using bronze probes soaked in Acromantula venom. Then, I'll need to acquire some Inferi, preferably a werewolf or a vampire if possible. At that point, I'll be able to explore the fundamental resonance points between Horcrux energy and dark magical creatures."
"But before all that, I can certainly use Tom here to experiment with the penetrability of mental contamination."
"Furthermore, if I can somehow acquire a giant and use a basilisk fang to destroy a portion of the diary, taking the remaining pages, I might have a chance to break through the consciousness grafting experiment."
These were all research avenues Dylan was incredibly eager to pursue.
Especially that last one.
Dylan could test the limits of Tom's consciousness in controlling composite creatures, and he could also observe whether creatures grafted from the diary could develop entirely new personalities.
These experiments would significantly advance Dylan's research and help him achieve the plans he had long been formulating in his mind.
—The mass production of pseudo-Horcruxes!
—The reverse Horcrux project!
—Conceptual parasitic transfiguration!
However, even the initial stages of such forbidden research were incredibly challenging.
Dylan had a vast amount of preparation to undertake.
At present, everything was still in its very early stages.
"Let's start with the simplest things first."
Such as...
First, use the diary to complete a mastery task for an Unforgivable Curse!
——————
[Spell to Master]: Avada Kedavra (Killing Curse)
[Spell Trait to Unlock]: Corridor of the Dead
[Mastery Task Activated]: In your presence, death is absolutely fair! Please cast the Killing Curse on the target 444 times. You will unlock this spell trait and complete the spell mastery!
——————
Dylan didn't feel any particular difficulty upon seeing this spell mastery task.
Because regarding the Avada Kedavra, he had already unlocked a special trait – Sky-Burning Intent!
When Dylan used the Killing Curse, he could fully utilize this trait to instantly conjure a four-second-long domain of utter destruction.
Essentially, casting Avada Kedavra once was now equivalent to casting it twice.
Therefore, the required 444 casts would be directly halved.
No time like the present.
"Pain is the developer of the soul, dear Tom."
Dylan's voice, altered by a voice-changing charm, sounded like rusty gears grinding, sometimes smooth and magnetic, sometimes rough and hoarse.
He raised his wand, and the scales on his mask seemed to shimmer with a sickly, unnatural light.
"Avada Kedavra!"
In an instant, an overwhelmingly evil power erupted.
Yet, the light that burst forth from the tip of his wand was as pure and radiant as the first light of dawn.
However, while this light appeared holy and pure at first glance, a closer look revealed an underlying current of dark malevolence.
The two opposing auras of holiness and evil intertwined seamlessly, creating a disturbingly harmonious effect.
Tom's sinister smile faltered, his expression becoming blank with confusion. "Just what curse are you even using...?"
(End of this chapter)