Chapter 151 Old Dumbledore's warning?
"Dylan, did you hear? Malfoy and his cronies are bullying people again."
After dinner, Neville walked beside Dylan.
—Lately, he had been following Dylan almost everywhere.
As long as Dylan didn't say he needed to do something alone, Neville would tag along wherever Dylan went.
"Which house this time?"
Since Dumbledore was temporarily ousted from the school by old Malfoy, Malfoy's behavior had become even more flamboyant.
He was practically brazen.
But in the end, he was just a spoiled kid who had been led astray; no matter how bad he got, it wasn't truly severe.
Even what Neville called "bullying" basically amounted to cornering someone and saying harsh words.
For example—
"Hey, Hufflepuff! Hard work won't make up for your mediocrity! And you're all going to be expelled soon anyway!"
Or—
"You Ravenclaw, do you think you're impressive just because you're a bit clever? Don't block the way! Watch out for the monster eating you!"
The most serious might be—
"A bunch of fools who only rely on brute courage! Next Quidditch match, you Slytherins will make you pee your pants!"
This level of "bullying," in Dylan's eyes, was like children playing house; he didn't even bother with it.
The verbal attacks weren't even half as potent as Professor Snape's; they sounded almost pleasant.
—Of course, even Professor Snape's verbal attacks were completely unremarkable to him.
So, Malfoy's performance was very much like a clumsy honor student trying to learn how to bully other students.
—In terms of academics, Malfoy's grades were indeed quite good.
That was the truth.
"It was a Hufflepuff student who accidentally brushed against his robes while turning a corner, and Malfoy just latched onto him and bullied him for a good while," Neville smacked his lips.
"Oh, did Malfoy do anything else? Like, did he use any spells? Or jinxes?" Dylan asked casually.
Neville thought for a moment and shook his head: "Not that I heard. I only heard that the Hufflepuff student was even cursed until he cried by Malfoy!"
Dylan sighed.
Kids these days have such low emotional resilience.
He thought of the truly serious bullying that happened in schools in his previous life.
Dylan shook his head slightly.
"I'll go read when we get back to the dorm. You can stay in the dorm or do your own thing. Anyway, I'll be in my trunk, just call me if anything happens."
Neville nodded repeatedly: "I'll stay in the dorm, I won't go anywhere!"
Professor Sprout hadn't even asked Neville to help in the greenhouses lately.
The entire school's atmosphere had become quite tense.
After every class, if Dylan didn't have other plans, Neville would follow him directly back to the dorm.
It wasn't just Neville; most students were doing the same.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick even demanded that students not wander around Hogwarts idly. As long as they weren't in class, they should stay quietly in their dorms.
And after Dumbledore was taken away by an order, Dylan's after-school tutoring was also affected.
Except for Professor Snape, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick significantly postponed his after-school tutoring.
This meant he hadn't had much time lately to verify some of his ideas with the two professors.
Or rather, the two professors didn't have time to listen to him talk about magical topics.
Dylan hadn't expected that young Tom's mischief, while getting rid of old Dumbledore (which didn't affect Dylan seeking guidance from Dumbledore), would now prevent him from getting private lessons with Professor McGonagall and others. This annoyed him a bit.
However, Dylan was usually busy as a bee anyway. Cutting down on conversation time with the professors actually freed up more time for reading.
So, Dylan wasn't actually significantly affected, but still...
"When it's time for Kled to make his appearance, I'll definitely let that little Tom experience what it feels like to have his butt handed to him!"
Just as he returned to the dorm, Neville went out to use the restroom. Harry and Ron, who had already returned, came over.
"Dylan, we have something we want to ask you," Harry whispered.
"What is it?" Dylan looked up.
"Divination! We hope you can divine something for us. Harry and I are planning to go to the Forbidden Forest to do something," Ron said quickly.
"Oh? You're going to the Forbidden Forest? What do you want me to divine?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"It's... it's, will we encounter any danger? Or, will we be successful this time?" Harry's brows furrowed.
Dylan blinked, his eyes unfocused.
Speaking of the Forbidden Forest...
Although old Dumbledore had been "transferred," he hadn't actually gone to the Ministry of Magic.
The order merely suspended Dumbledore's duties, but it didn't specify what he should do next.
So, although old Dumbledore wasn't in Hogwarts right now, he was staying in the Forbidden Forest.
And even better, since he no longer had to manage the school's mundane affairs, he was even more idle!
At this moment, old Dumbledore might even be practicing his skills on some evil magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest.
Learning magic in his office with past headmasters, and practicing magic firsthand in the Forbidden Forest.
Tsk tsk~
This was going to make the wizard considered the strongest in magical history polish his skills to even greater perfection!
"Lucius, that fool, thought he was restricting old Dumbledore. Little did he know he was forcing future wizards to stop saying 'Merlin's beard!' and start saying 'Old Dumbledore's beard!'"
Dylan hadn't gone near the Forbidden Forest since Hagrid was taken away.
He didn't want old Dumbledore to discover any trace of him in the Forbidden Forest.
—Neither Norbert nor his dealings with the unicorns.
These were things Dylan didn't want old Dumbledore to know.
As for what old Dumbledore would be doing in the Forbidden Forest during this time, or if he would practice on magical creatures, that was none of Dylan's business.
"Dylan, did you divine anything?"
Harry and Ron looked at Dylan, whose eyes were blank and unfocused, thinking he was already divining.
But after waiting for a long time, Dylan showed no reaction, and both their expressions became tense.
What did Dylan mean by this?
Were they going to encounter something terrifying on their trip?
Dylan wiped the corner of his mouth, blinked his eyelashes, snapped back to reality, then chuckled.
"Don't worry, you won't encounter anything dangerous this time—except you'll need to watch out for spiders."
"Spiders?"
Harry and Ron breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they heard the first part of Dylan's statement.
However, the latter part made their little hearts leap into their throats again.
"You mean..." Harry began.
Dylan nodded: "That's right, the Acromantulas that Hagrid raised—oh no, that have been continuously breeding in the Forbidden Forest."
Upon hearing this, Ron's face went pale.
Just looking at an Acromantula was enough to scare someone to death!
They were actually going to encounter them on their trip to the Forbidden Forest?
Oh, dear heavens!
He wouldn't be eaten alive by those terrifying spiders, would he?!
Harry saw Ron's terrified expression, pursed his lips, swallowed, and then said, "How about I go alone? You stay in the dorm, Ron."
"No way! We agreed to go together! I won't let you face those evil, disgusting, long-legged monsters by yourself!"
Although Ron was worried about tonight's expedition, he had no intention of not going with Harry.
How could a Gryffindor abandon his friend out of fear?
Seeing Ron looking as if he were about to make a noble sacrifice, Dylan smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, I predict you won't encounter any real danger—except you'll need to watch out for spiders."
Not only could their bodies yield Obsidian Flowers for him, but their venom and some organs could also serve as magical materials. He could use them himself or exchange them for galleons.
How was that not adorable?
They were absolutely adorable!
"Good heavens, Dylan, what are you talking about?" Ron looked at Dylan in shock.
It was the first time he felt Dylan was a little... terrifying?
What kind of person could describe Acromantulas as "adorable"?
He must be mad!
Dylan shrugged: "Alright, I'm busy. You two head out tonight. Remember not to mention my name in the Forbidden Forest."
"Why?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Does your name summon those spiders?" Ron's face was chalk-white, his mouth turned down, his expression quite amusing.
"Who knows."
Dylan gave Ron a deep look, until the latter was almost on the verge of tears, then he opened his trunk and climbed inside.
"See you tomorrow~ I hope to hear good news from you~"
After Dylan left, Ron felt as if his very spirit had been drained by Dylan.
"Harry..." he said weakly.
Harry scratched his head: "I think Dylan was just scaring you. You know, everyone loves to scare you."
Ron buried his head in his pillow: "This is really going to scare me to death!"
Dylan worked until late into the night before emerging from his trunk.
His parents had sent him another sum of money these past two days.
Not a huge amount, just a few hundred thousand pounds.
Dylan hadn't had much time to exchange the money at Gringotts.
But he still had some galleons. Dylan used a portion to expand the space in his trunk and another portion to unlock new functions, further enhancing its capabilities.
When he came out, he couldn't see Harry and Ron, so they must have left.
He didn't bother with the two of them. He had just transformed into a Norwegian Ridgeback and flown for a while, expending quite a bit of energy.
He also practiced spells for a bit and picked some Obsidian Flowers, researching the Obsidian Restorative Draught.
Both his physical and mental energy were somewhat depleted.
After casting a Scouring Charm on himself, Dylan climbed into bed and immediately fell asleep.
Lately, as the space in his magical trunk gradually expanded, although there weren't many creatures inside, there were a few.
Coal and Norbert were having a great time playing inside every day, without a care in the world, so Dylan no longer took Coal out to sleep with him.
He just let them play freely in the space.
When he woke up, Harry and Ron were already back.
They probably hadn't slept all night. Seeing Dylan wake up, their spirits perked up.
Ron sat up from his wet pillow, looking tearfully at Dylan, though his voice was kept very low.
"Dylan, yesterday I almost died out there, becoming food for those spiders!"
Harry hadn't slept either. He leaned against the headboard, sighing: "Yesterday we met at least two hundred Acromantulas—"
"It was hundreds! And they were all fifteen feet tall!" Ron raised his voice slightly. "And as soon as they saw me, it was like I'd killed their whole family! They all went crazy, trying to eat me!"
However, Neville and Seamus were still asleep, so Ron, despite wanting to vent, still controlled his voice.
Dylan glanced at his soaked pillow, a slight curl to his lip.
Was he crying from fear?
Smacking his lips, Dylan spoke softly, as if coaxing a child: "Perhaps... you just look appetizing?"
Ron: "..."
Dylan cast a Silencing Charm on Neville and Seamus's headboards, ensuring their conversation wouldn't wake them, then continued: "Alright, you're fine now, aren't you? I told you, you'd come back safely."
Harry nodded: "Dylan's right. Although the process was a bit thrilling, the result is good. We weren't eaten by spiders, and we weren't injured."
"Who said that?" Ron, after Dylan used the spell, finally dared to raise his voice a bit. "Now, just hearing the word 'spider' makes me shiver. My mind has definitely suffered serious trauma!"
He certainly had a way with words.
Dylan chuckled: "I know a way to fix mental trauma. Want to try it?"
Ron paused, perked up slightly, his eyes holding a hint of expectation as he looked at Dylan.
But then he immediately realized Dylan's mischievous expression, sensing he wouldn't suggest anything good, and quickly waved his hands.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll just adapt. I'm sure I'll be fine after adapting."
Ron sniffled, then rubbed his slightly red and swollen eyes, and lay back down.
Dylan had the words ready on his tongue, but he hadn't expected Ron to get smart and refuse to listen.
Seeing him like this, Dylan couldn't continue, and regrettably swallowed his words.
Shrugging, Dylan asked: "Did you get any useful information yesterday, taking such a big risk?"
Harry nodded. Before he could speak, Ron's voice piped up again.
"Of course! Hagrid's—"
Mid-sentence, Ron's nostril suddenly shot out a stream of snot. His eyes bulged, and he quickly reached out to catch it, then frantically grabbed for tissues.
"Hagrid's? Isn't that an insult?"
Dylan blinked, tapped his wand, cleaned Ron's snot, and then used a Vanishing Spell to make the yellow goo disappear.
"Of course not!" Ron clutched his nose, his pale face flushing red with embarrassment.
Harry had to hold it in for a good while before he burst out laughing.
He looked at Dylan with admiration, completely clueless how Dylan could remain so composed after Ron's recent display.
"Cough, cough! What Ron meant to say is, the Acromantula Hagrid raised, its name is Aragog, and it told us that Hagrid was not the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago!"
Harry said solemnly: "Fifty years ago, the person who died was a girl. Ron and I suspect that girl might be Moaning Myrtle from the second-floor girls' bathroom!"
"Bold speculation. Go and verify it then," Dylan nodded. "Anything else?"
Harry paused, then subtly looked at Dylan, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Aragog also said that the reason those Acromantulas went so wild when they saw us was because someone had been hunting them constantly in the Forbidden Forest recently."
"This made many Acromantulas very angry when they saw humans."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged, only slightly surprised: "Someone was hunting Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest? That's illegal!"
Seeing Dylan's normal expression, Harry paused again: "It wasn't you, was it, Dylan? Aragog said that person also mastered the Unforgivable Curses quite skillfully!"
Ron wasn't crying anymore. His head was on the pillow, eyes fixed on Dylan.
Dylan looked genuinely surprised: "Why would you think that? I'm so busy normally, where would I find the time to do such a thing? And how could I possibly master the Unforgivable Curses?"
Harry pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment, then still said: "Professor Dumbledore called me to his office before. He told me you might be very dangerous, and to watch out for you."
Dylan narrowed his eyes: "Why would Headmaster Dumbledore say that?"
Harry opened his mouth: "I don't know, maybe it's because you learn magic too fast?"
Dylan stared at Harry for a while, making the latter visibly uncomfortable, then suddenly smiled: "Thank you for telling me this, but I have to tell you, I'm not dangerous at all. The Headmaster is probably afraid that if you annoy me, I might slap you half to death."
"Besides, the idea that the person hunting Acromantulas uses Unforgivable Curses is a problem in itself. Where would I learn Unforgivable Curses? They're not in the Restricted Section, and those evil spells wouldn't be recorded in ancient texts."
Dylan's words were ambiguous; he neither said he hadn't mastered the Unforgivable Curses nor that he wasn't the one hunting the Acromantulas.
What he said was simply a statement of fact.
However, to Harry, he interpreted it as Dylan explaining that he couldn't be the one who mastered the Unforgivable Curses and hunted Acromantulas.
And Harry also agreed with Dylan's reasoning.
Yes, Professor Dumbledore had told him that the Unforgivable Curses were terrifying magic, and those who mastered them must have twisted minds.
Yet, looking at Dylan...
—Though his words could be quite sharp sometimes.
But that didn't equate to a twisted mind, did it?
Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
"I knew it couldn't be you. But then, who could it be? Someone is using Unforgivable Curses in the Forbidden Forest, hunting creatures, and right next to Hogwarts!"
Ron spoke then: "I told you, it must be the Heir of Slytherin! They've already unleashed the monster and attacked Hermione; it's normal for such an evil person to know Unforgivable Curses!"
Harry nodded: "That's probably it. But we can't tell Professor Dumbledore this news. Maybe we should tell Professor McGonagall?"
Dylan, however, shook his head: "Headmaster Dumbledore is probably in the Forbidden Forest right now. I don't think that person will make another move, or rather, they won't continue to target Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest."
"So, you two should focus on figuring out how to catch the Heir in Hogwarts."
Harry gently nodded again.
Dylan got up, bid them farewell, and left the dormitory.
Harry watched Dylan's retreating back, then lay back down in bed, tightening his grip on something he held, and then tucked it under his pillow again.
After leaving.
Dylan walked towards the Owlery, his eyes almost squinted into slits.
Was old Dumbledore starting to have doubts about him?
Was it because of Quirrell, suspecting he mastered dark magic and was the one who attacked Voldemort and Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest?
Or was he suspecting him of being the Heir of Slytherin?
Or perhaps suspecting his "alt" identity?
Dylan walked unhurriedly, his mind pondering what exactly old Dumbledore suspected him of.
To actually tell Harry to be wary of him?
"Or, did old Dumbledore intentionally tell Harry this, knowing that with Harry's personality, these words wouldn't stay bottled up for long, so he wanted to use Harry to convey them to me?"
Dylan stroked his chin, arrived at the Owlery, and fed Luna some gourmet meat strips.
After teasing her for a bit, Dylan finally went to the Great Hall to eat his breakfast.
"Last time I looked into the Mirror of Erised, my desires seemed quite simple, and I wasn't afraid of old Dumbledore seeing anything in them."
Scooping spoonfuls of creamy seafood soup into his mouth, Dylan mused to himself.
"It seems I'll have to visit old Dumbledore's office again next time. I heard Professor Snape say that old Dumbledore put that mirror back in his own office."
Once he showed his face to old Dumbledore and looked into the Mirror of Erised, old Dumbledore, seeing no peculiar desires, would naturally be reassured.
—Dylan didn't want old Dumbledore to keep an eye on him.
"By the way, is Quirrell dead now? Voldemort was parasitically attached to him; they were one. When Voldemort left, logically, Quirrell shouldn't have remained alive."
Through his mastery of parasitic possession spells, although Dylan hadn't tried the specific act of parasitic possession, he understood a lot about it.
Especially Voldemort's type of parasitism, which was even more brutal and dark than his own spells.
It practically forced its way in, disregarding the host's life or death.
Thus, even if the two merged, when the parasite eventually withdrew, it would inevitably drain most of the host's vitality.
So, even if old Dumbledore and the others eventually took Quirrell away, he shouldn't be alive by now.
Therefore, Dylan wasn't afraid that someone would find out about him through Quirrell. So why did old Dumbledore use Harry's mouth to hint at him?
What did he know?
Dylan frowned slightly.
"I wonder if Lily's magic would backfire if I used a spell on Harry?" Dylan's eyes shifted slightly.
.....
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