"Hahaha! I escaped! I finally escaped!"
If anyone had been present, they would've been stunned.
Because right now, a black diary was floating mid-air in the corridor—laughing maniacally as it opened and closed on its own.
Tom was elated. He'd suffered long enough under Blake's control—endured every humiliation and torture. And while it hurt, he'd also gained something from it.
Over time, slowly but surely, he'd built up enough strength. Finally, Blake's seal, flimsy as it was, could no longer hold him.
If the diary could cry, it would be sobbing tears of joy right now.
Two months ago, Blake had grown overconfident and stopped casting Obliviate spells on the diary—maybe it had become too troublesome. Since then, his caution had waned.
Today was the breakthrough. Blake had left his schoolbag on a bench in the corridor, distracted while chatting with his girlfriends. And Tom—Tom's diary—was in that very bag.
Now, fully charged, Tom burst free from the bag and flew down the corridor.
Previously, he couldn't have done this. He'd been helpless—forced to rely on tricking students into carrying him around. But now, thanks to Blake's own negligence, he could move freely.
Still, this freedom was limited. Flying required energy. Tom needed a host, a carrier, to sustain himself.
And Hogwarts was filled with emotionally fragile students—ideal targets. Tom searched as he drifted through the corridor.
But oddly, not a single student appeared.
His strength waned. Panic set in.
Then, he spotted someone—slumped against the corridor wall.
A wizard.
A professor.
Even better, a professor who looked emotionally shattered. That was perfect. Professors could leave the castle and take the diary far away from Blake. Normally, professors might pose a threat—but this one?
This one was broken.
Tom surged forward.
Lockhart sat on the ground, his eyes vacant, full of despair.
He whispered, "Impossible... Why did he betray me?"
Smack!
Something struck Lockhart's head. Dazed, he looked down.
A black diary.
Without thinking, he picked it up.
In that instant, a wisp of soul rushed out of the diary and into his head.
Lockhart screamed.
"Come in," Dumbledore said, setting aside his quill as Blake entered his office.
"You're finally done?" the Headmaster asked, smiling.
"Pretty much," Blake nodded.
Dumbledore had been monitoring the Lockhart situation for weeks—watching him fall from fame to infamy. Of course, he'd known this wasn't just bad luck. From the moment Blake started plotting, Dumbledore had understood his goal. He just hadn't expected the plan to succeed so quickly.
Blake got straight to the point. "I'm here for two reasons."
"Let's hear them."
"The first is about the Longbottoms' treatment."
Dumbledore stood up immediately. "You've found a way?"
Blake nodded. "Yes. I've been researching fragmented souls every night. I even experimented with the diary."
Dumbledore blinked. He'd suspected as much, but hearing Blake admit it so casually still surprised him.
"I needed a soul thick and broken enough to serve as a test subject. The diary's remnant fits perfectly," Blake said coldly. "And frankly, I feel no guilt experimenting on that thing."
Dumbledore nodded. He wasn't a naïve man. When he gave Blake the diary, it was because he trusted him to keep it contained. If that Horcrux could help heal the Longbottoms, he had no objections. After all, the diary was a piece of Voldemort's soul—it was destined to be destroyed anyway.
"So... have you found a method?" he asked, hopeful.
"Thankfully, yes," Blake said, smiling.
Dumbledore grinned and clenched his fist in joy. "When can you treat them?"
"Anytime."
"Wonderful! I'll inform Augusta Longbottom right away. She and Neville will be thrilled."
As Dumbledore prepared to write the letter, he asked casually, "Now that you've completed your experiment, what do you plan to do with the diary? I suggest destroying it as soon as possible."
"I want to," Blake replied, "but... the diary is missing."
Dumbledore nearly snapped his quill. "What?!"
"That's the second reason I'm here," Blake said, rubbing his temples.
Dumbledore was stunned. The diary was dangerous—if it fell into a student's hands...
"How did you lose it?" he asked, trying to stay calm.
"I let it go on purpose," Blake admitted.
"Huh?"
"If I'm not wrong, right about now the diary is convincing Lockhart to open the Chamber of Secrets."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "You're using it to frame Lockhart?"
"I'm not framing anyone," Blake replied, shrugging. "The diary can't do anything on its own. If Lockhart resists its temptations, he's fine. But if he listens to it... then we catch him red-handed."
"You're saying the diary only works on those who completely trust it," Dumbledore summarized.
"Exactly. If Lockhart refuses to help it, nothing happens. But if he agrees..." Blake spread his arms. "Then it proves he intended to harm Hogwarts. If the Basilisk were still around, people could've died. But now, we have a safe setup—and a perfect trap."
Dumbledore studied him in silence. "That's why you didn't tell Lockhart about eliminating the Basilisk..."
"You figured it out," Blake nodded. "We want him punished. But despite having multiple victims willing to testify, the Ministry won't act. They don't want the scandal. They won't even give him Veritaserum."
"So you made him infamous, then gave him the diary, and let him incriminate himself," Dumbledore said slowly.
"I didn't force him to open the Chamber," Blake reminded him. "If he resists, he walks free. But if he opens it... we catch him with the diary as physical evidence."
Dumbledore sighed. "This isn't exactly an honorable tactic."
"Why should we use honorable means against dishonorable people?" Blake replied.
The response left Dumbledore speechless. It reminded him too much of Grindelwald—clever, calculating, morally flexible.
But he couldn't deny it. Blake hadn't falsely accused Lockhart. If anything, he'd left him a path to redemption. If Lockhart truly wanted to change, he could've ignored the diary.
But Dumbledore knew he wouldn't.
Lockhart, broken and desperate, would reach for anything. The diary's promises were a lifeline to a drowning man.
Dumbledore exhaled deeply. "Let's go to the Chamber of Secrets."
"No rush," Blake said. "Let's observe for now. Who knows—maybe Lockhart will resist."
Dumbledore gave him a long look. He didn't believe that for a second.
Still, with the Basilisk gone, there was no real danger.
"Very well," he said. "Let's go."
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