Chapter 255: It's All Tom's Fault for Lying to Me
Chapter 255: It's All Tom's Fault for Lying to Me
"No, you were a liar even back then, got it?" Ivan corrected.
"How could that be? You must be mistaken!" Lockhart shook his head, refusing to believe it.
"You're a liar!" Ivan pointed his Wand at the tiles on the ground, and a red light flashed, followed by an explosion.
"Alright, you're right, I'm a liar!" Lockhart looked at the large crater on the ground, swallowed hard, and reluctantly admitted.
Ivan didn't bother with him anymore and picked up the damaged Diary and the diadem.
Then, Ivan used a Transfiguration spell to create a massive eagle with a wingspan of several meters, preparing to ride it up.
"Chirp chirp chirp~" Fawkes, the phoenix, waddled over on its short legs, its body still featherless, looking like a small turkey ready for the pot.
Fawkes tugged at Ivan's trouser leg, not wanting to be left behind, but when it looked up, it noticed something odd in the young Wizard's gaze.
Riding the eagle, Ivan ascended and flew out through the entrance.
Lockhart, on the other hand, didn't have such a good time. He was clutched in the eagle's talons, screaming in the air, terrified of falling.
"Go back!" Ivan jumped off the eagle's back, turned to look at it, and said.
The eagle nodded in a human-like manner, then flew back into the Chamber of Secrets, waiting for the magic to wear off and transform it back into a stone.
Ivan didn't stay in the Abandoned Girls' Bathroom long and took Lockhart with him to the Headmaster's Office.
On the way, Lockhart kept asking questions non-stop, and Ivan, thoroughly annoyed, warned him that if he said another word, he would never speak again!
The door to the Headmaster's Office was already open.
Ivan activated his Occlumency, thinking about how to explain the situation, and walked in.
As he passed through the half-circular staircase, Ivan saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, wearing a deep blue robe. To his surprise, Hermione was also there.
"Ivan, I'm so glad you're safe!" Hermione's furrowed brow relaxed, and she happily rushed over to hug him.
"Hermione, why are you here?" Ivan was hugged tightly and asked, puzzled.
At that moment, Dumbledore's voice sounded.
"Miss Granger informed me that you were in danger, so I sent Fawkes to find you."
Hermione, who was tightly hugging Ivan, realized that there were other people in the Headmaster's Office, and her pale cheeks turned red. She quickly let go of Ivan.
"Thank you, Hermione", Ivan said gratefully. If Hermione hadn't notified Dumbledore in time, he might not have made it back.
The young witch shook her head, indicating that it was her duty.
Earlier in the corridor, she had seen Ivan looking worried and rushing after Lockhart, and guessed that there was something wrong with Lockhart.
Considering that the attack might be related to the Dark Lord, Hermione was very concerned about Ivan's safety, so she immediately informed Dumbledore, who was in the Great Hall.
Dumbledore quickly determined the general area where the two had disappeared based on the reports from the portraits in the castle.
Hermione chattered to Ivan about what had happened, but suddenly stopped, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar figure entering from the door.
"Professor Lockhart?!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.
"Professor? Are you talking about me?" Lockhart was curiously looking at the portraits in the headmaster's office. After hearing Hermione's words, he was taken aback and pointed at himself in confusion.
Then, as if he had thought of something, Lockhart rushed over frantically and asked, "You must know who I am, right? Tell me quickly!"
"Ivan, what's wrong with Professor Lockhart?" Hermione was startled and quickly hid behind Ivan.
Dumbledore looked at Lockhart thoughtfully, then his blue eyes shifted to Ivan. He interlaced his long fingers slowly and said in a deep voice, "Hals, I think you need to explain this to us."
"Of course, Professor! But the story might be a bit long!" Ivan nodded.
While on the way to the headmaster's office, Ivan had already thought about what to say. He began by recounting how the old Malfoy had sold him the Diary, and every word he spoke was true, except for the part about the System, which he kept hidden.
At the same time, Ivan deliberately mentioned his mother, Alesia, multiple times during his narration and observed Dumbledore's expression.
The centenarian listened quietly, his face barely showing any emotion. Only when Ivan mentioned the Slytherin laboratory did his expression change slightly.
Ivan couldn't fathom the relationship between the two. Alesia had always spoken of Dumbledore with full anger.
Unable to understand, Ivan gave up on probing and recounted the entire story of how he obtained the Horcrux. Then he continued, "During these few months, Tom Riddle taught me a lot of magical knowledge. He even told me about the Chamber of Secrets. I always considered him my best friend."
Ivan put on a look of melancholy, indicating that he had always been a rule-abiding student who had been deceived by the cunning old Malfoy and the evil Tom Riddle.
"You don't need to feel disheartened, Hals!" Dumbledore said gently. "Many dark Wizards are skilled at deception and disguise, and Voldemort is one of the best. Even as a student, he was adept at fooling people. Many adult Wizards were deceived by him."
"Exactly, Ivan. You did manage to see through him, didn't you?" Hermione consoled him.
"Yes, despite his excellent disguise, I noticed something was off. I planned to bring the Diary to you for examination, but it was stolen on the way."
Ivan then explained how Dobby had stolen the Horcrux and lost it, and how Lockhart had picked it up and caused trouble. He also described how he had deduced that Lockhart was the attacker based on various clues.
"So why is Professor Lockhart like this? Did you do something to him?" Hermione asked curiously.
"He was exposed, and he tried to use the Obliviate spell on me. But my protective ring deflected it", Ivan said, not mentioning that he had erased Lockhart's memory. Instead, he altered the story to fit the original timeline.
Is that so? Lockhart looked bewildered but couldn't argue, as he remembered nothing.
(End of Chapter)
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