Chapter 163: Reward: Dementor's Kiss!
"I can't believe the Headmaster actually canceled the exams!"
The feast lasted until almost three or four in the morning, and most of the younger wizards were starting to feel the effects of staying up late.
So, while many still chose to remain in the Great Hall, some students had already returned to their dorms.
Since there was no curfew, students were allowed to move freely within their dorms or hallways, as long as they didn't enter explicitly forbidden areas.
Dylan wanted to go back and rest. Besides Seamus, who still wanted to chat with Dean and enjoy the rare lively atmosphere, the others, including Harry and Ron, returned with Dylan.
As soon as Neville got back to the dorm, he eagerly flopped onto his bed.
Hearing his words, Dylan chuckled.
"While academic exams can be waived, the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams and the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test won't be canceled just because this term's academic exams were."
Neville sighed, "You've got a point. The O.W.L.s will truly test our actual abilities."
Dylan shrugged again, "But either way, at least we don't have exams this time."
Neville nodded once more, "You're right!"
Ron looked at Neville, who seemed to be Dylan's echo, and smacked his lips. "Dylan, Ginny seems a bit down about this, but I heard Fred and George say she was really happy to see you."
Harry, too, sat on his bed. "Ginny still seems to be avoiding me."
Ron nodded, "She must be embarrassed. Even though there wasn't any real danger this time, she must feel guilty for getting us, and even all of Hogwarts, involved."
Harry and Neville fell silent.
Dylan tidied his belongings, cast a Scouring Charm on himself, and then lay down on his bed.
"Actually, looking on the bright side, with this experience, Ginny will clearly become more composed and cautious in the future. Since no real harm was done this time, and future harm can be avoided, it's actually a good thing."
Neville immediately nodded, "Dylan's right about that too."
Ron rubbed his forehead. "Dylan, your mindset is amazing. No wonder last summer at my house, even though you were the one who accidentally broke the bowl, you could still shamelessly blame it on me without batting an eyelid."
Dylan replied calmly, "I didn't say anything back then. Mrs. Weasley was the one who insisted you were the culprit. What could I do?"
Ron pouted, "Then why didn't you explain for me at the time?"
Dylan tilted his head. "I wanted to explain, but you explained too much. Every time you said something, Mrs. Weasley would immediately scold you, so I couldn't get a word in."
He pulled his blanket up higher and chuckled, "Besides, didn't I restore the bowl later? And you can't really blame me; you just left that bowl on the edge of the table, and the path was so narrow."
"So—you know."
Ron made a face and crawled into bed. "I don't know, not at all!"
After pulling up his covers, Ron paused, then continued, "But… I'm surprised the Headmaster gave us extra points this time."
Harry took off his robes, wearing his undershirt, and walked to his bed. "Professor Dumbledore meant that the details of this incident couldn't be revealed publicly because the crisis might not be truly over, so for now, this is all he could do."
Ron was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I felt like I just blacked out. Do you think the person who attacked me was Karlsars?"
Harry pulled back his covers and got into bed. "It must have been, after all, I only saw him alone at the time."
Ron was somewhat puzzled. "Then why did that person only take the Basilisk and the diary? He didn't take us, and he only knocked me out. He didn't even lay a hand on you, Harry, or Ginny?"
Neville looked at Dylan. "Perhaps he was afraid of staying in the school for too long, which might alert the other professors and lead to him being trapped in the Chamber?"
Dylan was already lying flat. He turned his head and, seeing Neville looking at him, casually said, "Maybe he's just interested in Voldemort and the Basilisk and wants to capture them for research?"
"Wouldn't that be even more terrifying? Live research... that's truly scary!" Neville shivered, then a look of confusion appeared on his face. "But—I feel like that kind of behavior sounds a bit familiar."
Ron, too, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, daring to capture the Dark Lord for research? And he even took the Basilisk that Slytherin himself created. Such audacity—did he study in Gryffindor before?"
Harry hadn't spoken until then, but upon hearing that, he couldn't help but interject, "That's right! Was he a former Hogwarts student? Did he just show up this time simply to help Hogwarts resolve the trouble caused by Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets and his heir?"
Ron shook his head. "I don't know. We've talked about that possibility before, but who knows what his real purpose is?"
Harry nodded slightly. "True, after all, he calls himself 'the Fool of Death.' It doesn't sound like a good name."
Ron agreed, "Exactly, a guy who glorifies death and uses Unforgivable Curses so skillfully—how could he be good? I think he didn't attack us probably just out of consideration for the professors in the school. Let's not think of him as a good person."
Dylan glanced at the two of them, his eyelid twitching.
▼_▼ Hold it in! Hold it in for now!
"Dylan, what's wrong? Why does your face look like it's twitching?"
Dylan chuckled, "Nothing, Harry. I'm just thinking about all the experiments I'll have to do tomorrow morning, and it's giving me a headache."
Harry nodded. "Oh, I see. Dylan, you really need to take care of yourself. Studying is important, but your health is important too."
Then, he quickly added, "I need to practice my spells as much as possible from now on. Otherwise, if I face a situation like that again, I won't even have the power to protect myself."
Recalling how he had been in the Chamber of Secrets, looking at Karlsars, who was covered in eyes, and who, with just a glance, had paralyzed him and called himself 'the Fool,' Harry felt a sense of urgency.
This time, the person hadn't attacked him.
But what about next time?
If that guy really took the Basilisk and Tom's diary, as Dylan said, for experiments, and if he researched something from them, would he consider capturing and experimenting on Harry, the one who could kill the Dark Lord?
To achieve that goal, the other party might stop at nothing!
Like threatening him by taking his closest people!
—Though if it were his aunt and uncle, he wouldn't mind if they were taken.
But Harry was afraid that person would take the Weasleys, Dylan, or the professors!
He had to become strong to face all of this!
Harry secretly made up his mind to study harder from now on. Even if he couldn't surpass Dylan, he had to at least keep up with Hermione!
"And Hermione hasn't studied for half a year. If I catch up, maybe I can even surpass her!"
Harry muttered to himself, his mind beginning to wander into daydreams.
Ron took a deep breath. "Even though we've only been in school for two years, we've encountered so much. I need to work harder too. Otherwise, if Ginny faces danger again, and I, as her brother, can't do anything! That would be too disheartening!"
As Ron finished speaking, he subtly glanced in Dylan's direction and whispered, "Besides, today Ginny only called Dylan 'brother'—she's never called me that before!"
Dylan's mouth twitched.
Ginny was willing to call him "brother" because during the summer, he would always bring her something delicious or fun.
Even with magic, he would guide Ginny whenever he had time.
Now, look at those little rascals from the Weasley family.
All day long, they were either flying around on his broom or messing around with gnomes in the backyard.
They never paid attention to their sister.
—So why should she call them so affectionately?
However, it was good that Ron had this awareness.
Dylan, of course, wouldn't discourage him. Instead, he praised him, "I believe you can become the rising sun, shattering the darkness—Go for it!!"
Ron grinned thankfully, "Thanks! With your words, I feel confident!"
Harry was a little regretful. "Hagrid still hasn't been released. Otherwise, I think he would have had a lot of fun at this party!"
Ron hummed in agreement. "Even that Filch guy was happy. It's a real shame Hagrid wasn't here!"
Dylan turned over, no longer participating in their conversation. Soon after, the dormitory gradually quieted down.
Dylan wasn't asleep; instead, he began to check his system panel.
It seemed that because old Dumbledore had announced that there would be no exams this school year, the system had prematurely triggered the end-of-year summary achievements.
But before that, he planned to claim his other achievements.
[Achievement]:Tom Riddle's Torment
[Description]: The Face of Pain is unleashed! Who dares to compete?
[Unlock Requirement]: Make Tom Riddle experience extreme pain and torment.
[Achievement Reward]: Level 1 Dementor's Kiss (Wizard Version)
The moment he saw this reward, Dylan stopped scrolling through his achievements.
"Dementor's Kiss??"
Dylan looked bewildered.
"I can learn the Dementor's Kiss? And in what state am I supposed to use this ability?"
Regarding the Dementor's Kiss, one must first mention Dementors.
These creatures feed on human happiness and good memories. Just being near them causes feelings of depression and despair.
Merely their presence can force someone to relive their most painful past memories, plunging them into despair.
These creatures are currently controlled by the Ministry of Magic and act as the guardians of Azkaban.
However... they obey whoever feeds them.
—A violent person will submit to someone more violent than themselves.
The Ministry of Magic might only be using the Patronus Charm and Azkaban prisoners to control the Dementors.
Voldemort, however, could subjugate Dementors with various dark spells while also making them promises.
Once he ruled the world, all Muggles could become food for these Dementors.
—Most importantly, Voldemort had no good memories for Dementors to drain.
A person kissed by a Dementor has all their good memories and their soul drawn out. This doesn't mean the victim dies directly; instead, they become a soulless automaton, devoid of self-awareness or memory.
—As long as your brain and heart are still working, you can live without a soul.
But it's just existing, like an empty shell.
Dylan wasn't entirely sure whether Dementors directly digested souls, causing them to be completely annihilated—meaning, obliterated.
Or did Dementors store those souls within themselves?
Dylan pondered for a moment, then, without looking at other achievements, he extracted this reward first.
"To use its ability, a Dementor pulls back its hood and presses its jaw to the victim's mouth. How am I supposed to use this ability? Do I really have to kiss someone mouth-to-mouth?"
Dylan suddenly felt a chill.
After extracting the reward, his vision blurred for a moment, and he found himself in a strange, desolate land of death.
He was slowly walking across a marshy ground, accompanied by a few Dementors.
Dylan looked left and right.
He saw that these Dementors were about three meters tall, floating around him, draped in black cloaks with their faces hidden by black hoods. Their bodies were grayish, somewhat resembling sludge soaked in water.
Dylan observed these Dementors for a moment.
They had scabbed hands and seemed like ethereal figures, their bodies decaying, without facial features.
The indistinct faces revealed beneath their hoods had thin, gray-scabbed skin covering hollow eye sockets where eyes should have been.
They had mouths, but they were just shapeless, gaping holes, sucking in air and emitting a gurgling, dying sound.
Dylan walked alongside these terrifying creatures, slowly making his way across the marshy ground filled with the scent of decay.
—These Dementors seemed to be his subordinates, following closely by his side.
The surrounding mist was thick, and muddy water occasionally splashed, dampening his clothes.
As Dylan looked straight ahead, he saw a figure stumbling and fleeing.
It was a beautiful woman, her white dress already stained with mud.
She ran, constantly turning her head in terror to look at the Dementors closing in behind her.
Beneath her feet, large splashes of water and mud erupted.
Dylan followed leisurely until the woman, in her desperate flight, tripped over her left foot and fell face-first into the mud.
Classic, truly classic.
Dylan slowly walked over to the woman, looking down at her disheveled, pale form.
He knelt down, extended his left hand, and clasped the woman's chin, forcing her to look up.
Dylan saw the fear in her eyes, tears mingling with mud as they streamed down her cheeks.
Dylan brought his right index and middle fingers together, lightly touched his own lips, then slowly moved them towards the woman's mouth.
In an instant, a faint, almost imperceptible soul force began to be drawn from the woman's body.
Her beautiful memories transformed into sustenance, making his mental energy more abundant. A look of intoxication involuntarily appeared on his face as he fully enjoyed the influx of this power.
"Ah!" the woman shrieked in pain.
Halfway through absorbing, Dylan seemed to feel it wasn't enough.
He leaned down gently, his face slowly nearing the woman.
The woman's eyes widened in terror, her face filled with resistance, but she was utterly unable to break free from Dylan's grasp.
Dylan's lips were almost touching the woman's soft, pink lips.
—Time to drain!
As the woman's soul force was continuously absorbed by Dylan, the expression on her face became increasingly tormented.
Finally, amidst the woman's desperate cries, all her beautiful memories and soul were swallowed by Dylan—leaving her with only endless grief and suffering.
Dylan stood up, licked his lips, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.
—As if he had just enjoyed a sumptuous feast.
Afterward, he continued deeper into the marsh with the surrounding Dementors, searching for his next victim.
Slowly opening his eyes, Dylan felt a few strange abilities and pieces of knowledge added to his mind.
"I... I've really become a Dementor?"
Dylan's expression was complex.
He thought of his spell—Eye of Cthulhu.
An ability that could even strike fear into Dementors.
Now, he also possessed the Dementor's Kiss.
—Wasn't this simply more Dementor-like than a Dementor itself?
"Given this, do I even need to spend time trying to master the Patronus Charm?"
Dylan's progress with the Patronus Charm was still not smooth.
Compared to the speed at which he learned Legilimency, Sectumsempra, or even Occlumency...
The Patronus Charm was like a curved bone with a tough, thin layer of sinew attached to its surface. No matter how hard Dylan tried to bite down, he couldn't break through its defenses and gnaw off the meat.
Dylan even wondered if it was because he had mastered too many dark spells that he couldn't truly learn and master the Patronus Charm.
But if Umbridge, who enjoyed tormenting others daily, could learn it, why couldn't he?
"Perhaps I should try tormenting Tom more often to see if that can become my happy memory?"
Dylan frowned slightly.
However, when he used dark magic on others, it was simply to complete his spell mastery quests.
Or to achieve other goals; as long as he accomplished his objectives, that was enough.
He wasn't like Umbridge, who found a twisted pleasure in tormenting others.
Perhaps he felt a little thrill—but it was clearly not enough to become his happy memory.
Dylan let out a silent sigh. "Taking everything too lightly isn't always a good thing."
Dylan scanned his system panel.
[Name]: Dylan Hawkwood
[Magic]: Fiendfyre, Cheering Charm, Confundus Charm, Obliviate, Soul Speak, Spirit Expulsion, Misty Shadow Flight, Return of the Dead, Flock of Birds, Sectumsempra, Legilimency, Crucio, Soul Stealing, Corpse Resuscitation, Parasitic Possession, Rotten Bloom, Knots, Bat-Bogey Hex, Eye of Cthulhu, Avada Kedavra, Giggles, Occlumency, Mnemnosyne's Veil—
[Traits]: Rapid Meditation, Eye of End Snake, Dementor's Kiss (Level 1 Wizard Version), Pet Ability Dominance, Underworld Mantis Intimidation, Spell Chain ×50—
[Items]: Shadow Ring, Authority Wand, Pet Space Suitcase—
[Money]: 9021 Galleons—
[Pets]: Soot (Shadow), Norberta (Norwegian Ridgeback)
For Dylan, Dementor's Kiss, like Eye of Finality, was listed under the Traits section.
Clearly, the system didn't recognize it as a spell.
Dylan could understand that.
Looking at the string of abilities on the panel, Dylan's lips curled into a slight smile.
"With just one spell from this panel, I could become someone like Lockhart. With so many spells, multiple traits, and even spells refined with different characteristics..."
Dylan was content. "What can little Voldy do against me?"
Of course, recalling Voldemort's vast skill library, the magic Dylan currently knew was still somewhat limited.
The difference was that the spells displayed in the first half of his panel were mostly max-level.
While Voldemort knew many spells, many were dark spells he had researched himself, and their proficiency wasn't very high.
Only powerful and exceptional spells were mastered more thoroughly by Voldemort.
"No, I'm celebrating too early. Not to mention anything else, even if little Voldy's most proficient spells are dark magic, his skill library is much more abundant than mine. And that's not even counting old Dumbledore."
In fact, Dumbledore, besides white magic, might even have a mastery of some dark spells comparable to Voldemort's.
"Looks like I still need to practice."
Dylan thought of Tom in the diary, and a smile touched his lips again.
"This little Riddle is quite rational now. I'll have him teach me some spells. Even if he tries to trick me, he'd better consider my affinity for dark magic. Even if he gave me a flawed technique, I could still make it work."
Dylan reined in his thoughts slightly and then looked at the achievement rewards he hadn't claimed yet.
[Achievement]: A Relatively Perfect Second Year
[Description]: Another school year ends. Your house hasn't won the House Cup yet, but it's already a foregone conclusion.
[Unlock Requirement]: Subjects recognized by professors, Gryffindor wins the House Cup.
[Achievement Reward]: Logic Thinking +5, Magic Strength +5, Mental Strength +5
[Achievement]: Seemingly First in Grade
[Description]: Although there was no assessment, your strong competitor Hermione hasn't studied for so long. Even if there were exams, you, who studies tirelessly every day, would definitely outperform her.
[Unlock Requirement]: Maintain the top position at the end of the school term.
[Achievement Reward]: Random Voldemort Ability +1
Two rather ordinary abilities.
Dylan's face, however, darkened.
"No exams, and my rewards really got worse!"
He sighed deeply again.
Dylan had no other choice.
At least he could still get a reward, but the problem was...
Voldemort's skill pool was too deep.
If he drew randomly, he might not get anything useful, or he might just get junk!
Dylan thought about it. Anyway, more skills never hurt.
It was a free spell, after all.
"It'd be hilarious if it was something I already knew."
Dylan extracted the reward.
The next moment, the scene before his eyes changed again.
Dylan saw a group of masked Death Eaters. He raised his hand and cast several marks onto these ugly individuals.
—And then it ended.
[Message]: Congratulations! You have obtained a max-level spell—Noxsignum (Dark Mark)!
Looking at the system's notification, Dylan's eyelid twitched again.
He had considered that pulling useful spells from Voldemort's vast skill library wouldn't be easy.
But he never expected to draw such a useless spell!
In fact, the Corpse Resuscitation spell he initially mastered was, to some extent, equivalent to the Dark Mark.
However, the ability of Corpse Resuscitation wasn't just to release a skull-shaped Dark Mark high into the sky.
It also had a certain deterrent effect on other soul entities.
But this Dark Mark was genuinely just a marking spell cast on others.
"Fine, I'll just consider it a tracking spell."
Dylan consoled himself.
Actually, this spell was quite useful for tracking.
Especially when trying to pursue someone.
If he could cast a spell on them, he could track them for hundreds of miles.
—Provided he could land the spell.
And Dylan sensed it slightly.
Hundreds of miles might be a bit far.
Beyond ten kilometers, the spell would essentially automatically deactivate.
Dylan rubbed his temples.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's still a spell, and it's max-level. I can completely use this skill to extrapolate and expand my knowledge; at least the knowledge itself is mine!"
After brainwashing himself for a while, Dylan finally felt a bit better.
Lying on the bed, Dylan shifted his thoughts from his upcoming experiments to the situation Hogwarts would face next year.
"Speaking of which, Sirius Black should escape next school year, and then Dementors will be sent by the Ministry of Magic to patrol around Hogwarts."
At this thought, Dylan suddenly became excited.
"Although I've mastered the Dementor's Kiss, it's only a Level 1 Wizard Version. Does this mean I might be able to transform into a Dementor later?"
"Also, when I use this Dementor's Kiss ability, whether it's the efficiency and speed of absorbing others' good memories and souls, or the negative, oppressive emotions I emit when using the ability, they are all far inferior to a real Dementor."
"So, do I have a chance to capture a Dementor for research?"
Dylan didn't think he couldn't capture a Dementor.
Dementors are essentially evil and dark magical creatures. They don't have true physical bodies, and while they can't be directly called souls, they are clearly a kind of ethereal entity.
Given this, the spells Dylan had mastered—Soul Speak, Spirit Expulsion, Return of the Dead, Soul Stealing, Eye of Cthulhu...
Might all be able to affect, or even harm, Dementors.
Dylan couldn't be sure about other spells.
But when he mastered Eye of Cthulhu, the illusion clearly showed that Dementors didn't dare to approach him.
Dylan believed this spell could definitely counteract Dementors.
At that time, even if he hadn't mastered the Patronus Charm, as long as he had spells that could affect Dementors, Dylan was confident he could capture them.
"However, to prevent these strange things from causing too much trouble in my space, after catching them, perhaps I should torment them for several days and nights with Eye of Cthulhu, just like I continuously cast hundreds of spells on Tom."
By then, these Dementors would inevitably fear him.
And with fear, controlling these strange creatures would undoubtedly be much easier.
"I can note that down for later."
Dylan smacked his lips.
Dementors could consume souls.
And Karlsars was a eulogist of death.
So, Dementors obeying Karlsars and becoming the grim reaper's envoys...
That should be a very reasonable thing, right?
Dylan nodded to himself.
"There shouldn't be anything more correct than this."
Dylan also thought, "And when the Quidditch World Cup comes around, and those Death Eaters emerge, shouldn't I capture a few to use as test subjects?"
Lockhart alone wasn't enough.
At that time, to prevent these Death Eaters from causing destruction in his pet space, he couldn't just hit them with a few Unforgivable Curses and kill them outright if he wanted them as test subjects.
So, necessary supervision would be absolutely essential.
—Dementors were already used to being jailers anyway.
After becoming his envoys, they could continue their previous work.
Wouldn't that be their old profession?
Then, Dylan could use Dementors to monitor those Death Eaters for him.
Furthermore, as Dylan's need for test subjects grew, whether he captured Death Eaters or dark wizards, they would all need supervision.
—Wizards weren't as obedient as spiders and cockroaches.
Using Dementors as overseers would be perfectly suitable.
It could even be called perfect!
"By third year, I'll also be able to apply for a Time-Turner. That's another big weapon."
Hermione used a Time-Turner to go back in time with Harry and rescue Buckbeak.
Dylan really wanted to study how this thing worked.
Dylan pushed the thoughts out of his mind.
Outside the window, a sliver of dawn was already breaking.
"Can't stay up any longer. But it's fine, old Dumbledore approved that all students don't need to attend classes tomorrow morning. And apparently, the afternoon is entirely Magical History."
He could still catch up on sleep!
....
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