Chapter 120: The Diary
Chapter 120: The Diary
Draco Malfoy's face turned red with anger, but he was speechless. With his past antics, no one believed that this was an accident.
"A poor and sour family can only come up with such petty tricks!"
Malfoy snorted coldly and waved for his son to follow as they quickly left.
"You shouldn't bother with him, Arthur. That guy is despicable..." Hagrid said as he helped Mr. Weasley smooth out his robes.
Ginny Weasley, who had tripped, quickly gathered the scattered books, among which was a set given to her by Harry—an entire collection published by Gilderoy Lockhart, with prices so exorbitant that even emptying the Weasley family's vault wouldn't be enough to afford a single book.
The Weasley brothers and Harry helped her collect the books, and soon they had gathered them all. Then, a strange hand reached out to offer Ginny the last of her old textbooks, asking, "Is this the last one?"
"I think so... Thank you," Ginny replied, taking the book and feeling a bit sad that she could only afford such old things.
She suddenly realized that the voice was unfamiliar, and when she looked up, she saw a boy she didn't recognize.
"You are..."
"Victoire?" Harry said happily. "Are you here to buy books too?"
"Yes," Victoire answered naturally. "I heard it's Gilderoy Lockhart's new book release today, and I'm quite curious about this adventurer."
"What adventurer?" Ron scoffed. "He's just a peacock full of hot air!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Hermione immediately refuted. "Have you even read his books? Gilderoy Lockhart often ventures into uninhabited places and deals with the most dangerous creatures!"
Ron's mouth hung open as he stared at Hermione, who resembled her mother so much that he felt like he was looking at a dancing dragon.
"Wake up, Hermione. Can't you tell just by looking at him? He's obviously just a pretty boy!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief.
His words earned him angry glares from the many Lockhart fans around them. If he weren't a child, he would have been mobbed by now.
Hermione was also angry. "Don't slander him! Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart is a very brave man! He can even defeat a werewolf single-handedly!"
At the mention of "werewolf," Harry's expression became a little unnatural. He quickly changed the subject. "All right, let's not argue about this. Victoire, have you bought all the books you wanted?"
"Yes, I'm heading back now," Victoire waved. "See you at school."
...
Steven left after sending Victoire home. As Victoire opened the door, she found the house empty, which wasn't surprising as she knew the Greys were organizing their employees to work overtime to complete an urgent order.
Upon returning to her room, Victoire took out a pen box and tapped it lightly with her wand.
This level of application wouldn't trigger the Ministry of Magic's monitoring of trace spells.
The pen box unfolded layer by layer and then transformed into a suitcase.
Victoire opened it, and at the bottom were several boxes of various sizes, only one of which contained something.
She opened a flat box and took out a black notebook.
This was an old diary; the name on the faded cover was dated fifty years ago. On the first page was a blurred name:
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
The same name also appeared on the diary floating above her eyes.
Victoire picked up a pen and wrote a line:
"It is not our abilities that shape the world's progress, but how we choose to use them."
The words on the paper flickered and were then absorbed, disappearing without a trace.
New words then appeared on the page:
【It's been a long time since I've met someone who shares my thoughts. I guess you must be a talented young wizard.】
The words flashed and vanished, only to be replaced by a new line:
【But people like us often don't receive understanding and recognition. I used to be very lonely. Are you the same?】
"Sorry, but I have no intention of having a heart-to-heart with you."
Without hesitation, Vic shoved the diary back into the box.
As soon as the lid was closed, the magical text chains began to move, coiling around it in a vine-like pattern before finally settling into place.
He placed the diary as far away from the crown as possible.
Even though both Horcruxes were securely locked away in the box, shielded from magic, Vic still felt a sense of urgency.
—I need to figure out a way to deal with the Horcruxes… at least one of them…
He didn't want them influencing each other and creating some sort of magical resonance that would allow them to escape their confinement.
…
At 6 p.m., the Grey couple finally returned, carrying two boxes of pizza from a nearby restaurant.
"Rush orders are a pain. If it weren't for a long-time client, I wouldn't have agreed to this overtime fee," Ferdinand said as he loosened his tie. "Vic, you must have waited a long time. Why didn't you watch some TV?"
"I read a book. I bought new textbooks in Diagon Alley today."
Vic helped his mother take off her coat and hung it on the rack.
Ferdinand placed a briefcase on the table and said, "This is what you wanted… Vic, use it well and don't bring danger upon yourself."
"I understand, Dad," Vic said.
"What is it?" Fiona asked curiously. "I asked your father about it on the way, but he wouldn't tell me."
Vic smiled and said, "It's magic materials required by the school. There are things like fly eyes or toad eggs. Do you want to see?"
He pretended to open the box, and Fiona immediately jumped behind her husband, closing her eyes and exclaiming,
"No, no, don't open it! If I see it, I'll have nightmares!"
Ferdinand rapped his son's head lightly, and Vic grinned mischievously.
After dinner, Vic returned to his room and opened the briefcase.
The small case was stuffed with personal resumes, each containing basic information such as photos, names, personalities, and family members. There was also a transparent specimen collection bag clipped to the resumes, containing three or four strands of hair.
These were the "magic materials" that Ferdinand had helped him collect, mostly from prisoners in jail. Some of them looked extremely dangerous just from their appearances, while others seemed harmless.
There were also some from barbershops or hospitals, with photos of men, women, the elderly, and children.
Collecting hair was easy, but collecting information about the hair's owner was difficult, especially without hiring someone else to do this critical task.
It had taken Ferdinand a long time to gather so much, bit by bit. As for the Polyjuice Potion, Vic had already brewed a large pot during the previous semester.
After using the Polyjuice Potion, even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to tell the difference, and Barty Crouch had proven that a long time ago.
(End of Chapter)
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