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Chapter 256: What a Naughty Boy!
Chapter 256: What a Naughty Boy!
"Serves him right! Who told him to try and use the Obliviate on you!" Hermione had no sympathy for Lockhart, instead glaring at him angrily.
Dumbledore nodded noncommittally, acknowledging her words. He knew Lockhart well enough to believe that this was something he would do.
Ivan then briefly recounted his struggle with Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, and placed the damaged Diary and Ravenclaw's Diadem on the desk.
"Professor, Tom Riddle used these items to wreak havoc in the castle!" Ivan explained.
Dumbledore picked up one of the Horcruxes, examining it closely, his long, crooked nose almost touching the charred pages.
After a moment, Dumbledore slowly put down the Diary and looked at Ravenclaw's Diadem, sighing. "Remarkable! I must say, he was probably the most outstanding student Hogwarts has ever had."
He had already understood the secret of Voldemort's escape from death—it was the creation of Horcruxes!
According to Ivan's description, Tom Riddle had completed his first Horcrux in his fifth year, which was why Dumbledore was so surprised.
Thinking about this, Dumbledore paused, his gaze shifting to Ivan.
Compared to Tom Riddle, who had created a Horcrux at sixteen, Ivan, who had defeated him in his second year, was clearly even more remarkable.
Not to mention, according to Ivan's own account, he had obtained a method to fuse Magical Creature bloodlines in Slytherin's laboratory and completed the Blood Melding Ceremony following the steps provided by Slytherin.
If one considered the power Ivan had gained from his bloodline awakening in his first year, he was the first person in the Wizarding World to possess two Magical Creature bloodlines simultaneously.
This achievement far surpassed what Voldemort had accomplished as a student.
"No, Professor, I've always believed you are the most outstanding student Hogwarts has ever had! Everyone in the Wizarding World knows you are the one Voldemort fears the most", Ivan noticed Dumbledore's gaze and quickly humbly replied.
Ivan had revealed his completion of the Bloodline Fusion ceremony to dispel Dumbledore's suspicions.
After all, he still had several more years to spend at the school, and it would be impossible to avoid using Blood Magic entirely. This also explained the rapid increase in his strength.
The method of fusing bloodlines came from Slytherin's laboratory, which was a reasonable source. Moreover, he had completed the fusion under the urging of Tom Riddle, so Dumbledore couldn't blame him.
Hearing Ivan's flattering words, Dumbledore chuckled.
Just as he was about to say something, a fist-sized, hairless "turkey" emerged from Ivan's robes, jumping onto the table and singing a beautiful tune, as if trying to communicate something.
Hermione widened her eyes, looking at the scene with curiosity.
Ivan then said apologetically, "Professor, your Phoenix took a Killing Curse to protect me and turned into this."
A Killing Curse? Hermione was shocked; she hadn't realized that Ivan's battle had been so dangerous.
"Don't worry, Hals, Phoenixes are very Magical Creatures. Death is just a cycle for them, and they will soon recover."
Dumbledore wasn't surprised. He stroked Fawkes, speaking reassuringly, and then placed Fawkes back on the tall, gilded perch.
"Right, and your Wand. Thanks to this, I was finally able to defeat Tom." Ivan also promptly withdrew the elder wood Wand from his sleeve and returned it.
Although the old Wand's ability to enhance magic was very appealing to Ivan, he knew that this Deathly Hallow had already recognized its master, and that master was none other than the most powerful Wizard in the current Wizarding World, Albus Dumbledore!
Since he could not obtain it, Ivan remained very calm, returning the old Wand without the slightest hesitation.
Dumbledore reached out to take it, all the while observing Ivan's expression. Noticing that there was not the slightest trace of reluctance on Ivan's face, he nodded inwardly.
When he had Fawkes hand the old Wand to Ivan, it was not without a testing intention.
As a second-year Wizard, Ivan's power was somewhat out of the ordinary, and his growth was too rapid. This made Dumbledore somewhat uneasy, fearing that he might stray onto the wrong path. The Wizarding World could not afford another Voldemort.
"Professor, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way." Ivan did not know what Dumbledore was thinking, but standing in front of a master of Legilimency always gave him a sense of insecurity.
"Hold on, Hals!" Dumbledore called out to Ivan, who was about to leave. Seeing the puzzled look on Ivan's face, he took out a letter and pushed it towards him.
"The head of the Order of Merlin wrote to me a few days ago, asking me to inform you that the investiture ceremony should be taking place in the next few days!"
Ivan happily put away the letter, feeling that he was about to earn some more Legendary Points. He then left with Hermione.
"What about me? What should I do?" Lockhart looked around the headmaster's office; apart from Dumbledore, he was the only one left.
"Mr. Lockhart, the Ministry's investigators will be here Tomorrow. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will take good care of you until then", Dumbledore said calmly, glancing at him.
Due to Lockhart, Hogwarts had experienced a series of attacks, leaving four lower-year female students in a coma.
His office had been flooded with complaints, and Dumbledore certainly had no reason to protect Lockhart.
Whether Lockhart would be sent to Azkaban or to St. Mungo's for treatment would depend on whether the Ministry could uncover his sordid past.
After casually dismissing Lockhart, Dumbledore looked at the large holes in the two Horcruxes and continued to tap his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
In his experience, there were not many things that could destroy a Horcrux.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the empty office.
"Truly an impressive young Wizard. It's hard to believe he's only in his second year, but it seems he's been deliberately hiding a lot."
"I don't think that Tom Riddle would be so kind as to help him with such a dangerous fusion experiment. There must be something we don't know."
"He's a real troublemaker, isn't he?" A bearded old man in a portrait on the wall chimed in, continuously voicing his opinions.
(End of Chapter)
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