"Do you know Lockhart has gone missing?" Dumbledore's gaze rested on Dylan.
"Missing? In what way?" Dylan countered.
"Ron was ambushed, and later I saw a black-robed figure calling himself Karthus. He barely did anything, just stood there, yet he made the Basilisk tremble with fear\!"
Harry spoke up at this point to explain for Dylan.
"And, most importantly, that person actually used an Unforgivable Curse on the diary\! That kind of power was truly evil. I swear, even the dark aura emanating from Tom was far less intense\!"
"But strangely, that person's spell light was white, very pure, yet also evil."
Dumbledore opened his mouth, but Harry interrupted what he was about to say. He then chuckled and nodded, "I wasn't aware of what happened last night. It was this morning that Vera sent me a message, inviting me back to Hogwarts. Only then did I learn that such a thing had happened at the school."
"Karthus?" Dylan was somewhat surprised. "What's he doing at Hogwarts?"
"Dylan, you know Karthus too?" Harry was taken aback.
How did Dylan seem to know everything?
"Yeah, I happened to see it when Sister Vera was posting a wanted poster at Uncle Frosco's ice cream parlor." He looked up at Vera.
Vera nodded, her auburn hair catching the light, showing hints of a golden sheen. Stray strands fell across her brow, but they couldn't hide the coolness in her eyes.
"Oh, I see," Harry nodded blankly.
"Do you know anything more about him?" Dumbledore asked.
Dylan shook his head. "I just heard Sister Vera say that this person is very dangerous, and if I encounter him, I'd better run quickly."
Vera's lips curled into a smile. "Maybe you won't be able to run at all, but it's always good to try."
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm quite surprised Karthus would come to the school. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy was right after all; the school really should increase its security level, otherwise many students will be directly facing evils they shouldn't have to."
At this point, Dumbledore paused and looked up. "What were we talking about in the first place?"
"Lockhart, Headmaster, you were asking where he went," Dylan said. "So, what happened to him?"
"Let Harry tell it. I called you here because I also wanted you to help listen to Harry's adventure."
Dumbledore looked at Harry. "After all, he and Mr. Weasley are too impulsive; they need a steady young wizard like you to keep them grounded."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Harry's face. "Actually, it wasn't much. Ron and I just overheard the professors discussing something, and to save Ginny, we went to find Lockhart for help."
"Who knew he wasn't the hero everyone thought he was? Instead, he's just a nasty bloke who only knows how to use a Memory Charm on others\!"
"Wow, that's quite unexpected," Dylan said with a straight face.
"Right? I didn't expect it either," Harry wrinkled his nose and continued, "Later, he snatched Ron's wand and tried to attack me, but the spell backfired – you know, Ron's wand is broken."
Dylan nodded.
"Then, the path was blocked by stones, so I went to find Ginny and told Ron to move the stones. But later, that Karthus appeared, took Tom and the Basilisk. When I went back, I found Ron knocked out."
Harry looked worried. "After I took him and Ginny to the Hospital Wing, I told the professors about it. As for where Lockhart went, Ron doesn't know either."
"Perhaps he knew he was useless and ran away beforehand?" Dylan suggested.
"That's actually quite possible\!" Harry suddenly perked up. "When Ron and I went to his office to find him, he was just about to bolt\!"
"By the way, why did you go to Lockhart for help instead of Professor McGonagall and the others? With professors around, that Basilisk wouldn't have stood much of a chance, would it?" Dylan asked.
"Ah? Well..." Harry stammered, "I don't know. At the time, I just felt like I should go to Lockhart. Professor McGonagall and the others also said to let Lockhart go to the Chamber of Secrets to save people first."
Dylan's lips twitched slightly. "Since you overheard it, you and Ron must have heard it in the teachers' lounge. Didn't you hear what we said afterwards? The professors only said that to get Lockhart out of the way beforehand, didn't they?"
The embarrassment on Harry's face deepened. He raised a hand and scratched his head. "Well, the situation was too urgent, I didn't think that much."
Dylan clicked his tongue.
Vera took over the conversation. "Judging by the situation, Karthus doesn't seem to be in league with You-Know-Who. I suspect he might be aiming to become the next Dark Lord himself\!"
Dumbledore was intrigued. "Oh? Why do you say that?"
Vera's expression was serious. "The Ministry of Magic has been receiving more and more reports recently. It wasn't obvious at first, but now, quite a few wizards seem to be supporting Karthus, who calls himself the Fool, to take over from Voldemort and become the new Dark Lord."
Dylan turned his head to look at her. "Sister Vera, have the people you arrested last time been released?"
Vera nodded. "Most of them have been released. They were under Karthus's Imperius Curse at the time – I really don't know how he managed to use the Imperius Curse on so many people simultaneously."
Vera's tone was serious, and then she sighed softly.
"So, apart from a few individuals who genuinely want to become followers of the Fool and even threatened to cause trouble everywhere once they got out, whom we can continue to detain, as for the others, I can't legally keep them locked up in the Ministry forever."
"That sounds like a lot of hard work," Dylan said with concern.
"No, it's not really hard work, just my job," Vera shook her head. "I searched the Chamber of Secrets last night and confirmed that there's no danger there anymore."
"I informed the Ministry of the situation here early this morning, and Headmaster Dumbledore's reinstatement order is already on its way back. I took the liberty of inviting the Headmaster back ahead of time."
Dylan couldn't help but feel a little surprised when he heard this.
Vera seemed to wield quite a bit of power.
Even though the matter was over, logically speaking, Dumbledore would have to wait for the Board of Governors' appointment before he could officially resume his position. Yet, she had taken a step ahead, bypassing this process and directly calling Dumbledore back. This little girl…
Dylan thought, perhaps—
Cedric didn't even need saving?
After all, Vera gave him the impression that she could get promoted and a raise at any time, going from an Auror to the Head of the Auror Office, and then to the Minister of Magic. With these connections, did he still need to save Cedric and then try to contact his father?
Absolutely unnecessary\!
"It's also thanks to you, otherwise this old bone of mine would have been sunbathing outside for who knows how long," Dumbledore said with a smile.
He didn't sense any hint of lying from Dylan.
Having failed to get anything out of Dylan, he had no choice but to give up.
Malfoy would be here soon.
He had heard that both father and son Malfoy had clashed with Dylan.
It was best not to let them meet.
The latest chapters can be found on [移除了无效网址]\!
"In that case, Dylan, why don't you..."
But before he could finish speaking, Lucius pushed the door open with a sullen face.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you know the password? I don't recall having had the chance to tell you."
"Gryffindor. Such a foolish password. I would have known without asking."
Lucius glanced at the people in the room, his gaze suddenly locking onto Dylan.
He narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly, "What's this brat doing here?"
Vera looked at him, frowning slightly with displeasure. "He's Harry's friend and a top student at Hogwarts. Perhaps he knows something about the Chamber of Secrets, so I asked the Headmaster to call him over."
Lucius cast a cold glance at Vera, pausing for a moment. "Look who it is, a subordinate of the Head of the Auror Office. Do you think you have the right to interrupt here?"
Vera's frown deepened, but remembering the instructions her superior had given her before she came, she ultimately said nothing.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Rufus is also an experienced and capable wizard. As the Head of the Auror Office, he has resolved many problems caused by dark wizards. Perhaps Vera will soon inherit his mantle."
"Dream on\!" Lucius scoffed. "Even if it's just a mere Head of the Auror Office, it's not a position a little girl like her can handle\!"
His gaze swept across Harry, a sharp glint in his eyes.
Facing this idiot, Dylan rolled his eyes.
"Malfoy—"
"What did you call me?" Lucius immediately glared. "Impolite brat\!"
Startled by his sudden shout, Dylan remained calm. "What? I said, Malfoy's father, you shouldn't always be so prejudiced against everyone."
"Remember Slytherin's Code of Conduct, Rule Thirty-Nine? Respect those who love us, protect those we love. Your behavior isn't what a gentleman should do."
Lucius: ?
"So, you think I would love you, or this blonde girl, or that you would love me?" Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"Pfft\!"
Harry couldn't help but snicker.
Lucius glared at him again.
Dylan shrugged. "You are indeed a very eloquent gentleman."
Lucius: ???
He felt a vein throbbing on his forehead, ready to burst at any moment.
He took a deep breath.
He knew it\! Being summoned so early could never be good\!
"Dylan, don't speak to an elder like that," Dumbledore said, bursting into unrestrained laughter. "Hahahaha hahahahaha\!"
Dylan looked innocently at Dumbledore.
Laughing so loudly, do you really think your words have any persuasive power?
Lucius clenched his fists, endured for a moment, then slowly relaxed, maintaining his noble persona.
"Hmph, a new Dark Lord is rising, Dumbledore. I heard he even appeared in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets last night, and you, you didn't notice anything."
"Yes—yes, at that time, I was still locked out of Hogwarts because of the reinstatement order you brought."
Dumbledore nodded repeatedly, directly cutting Lucius off.
(End of this chapter)