Chapter 131: The Stolen Soul
Lockhart did not confront Corban for an important reason: he knew the true enemy was Voldemort!
If he dealt with Corban today, another Corban would appear tomorrow. With Voldemort's current influence over pure-blood families and even broader communities, he could easily find powerful wizards willing to die for him.
And most importantly, Dumbledore had warned Lockhart that Corban might just be bait thrown out by Tom, waiting for them to take the hook.
The real-world game of chess isn't about killing one enemy today and another tomorrow, and then having all your enemies miraculously disappear through persistence.
Doing so might even lead to a disastrous outcome: whitewashing Voldemort, making you, the one opposing Voldemort, the true Dark Lord.
There's no such thing as a completely airtight secret. Killing one person after another will eventually become public knowledge, leading to universal condemnation.
No one can guarantee that they will always be incredibly powerful every single moment, even until death. What about their family? Their descendants? Friends? Career? If even one aspect isn't as powerful, it's easy to face backlash.
Humans are, after all, social animals. Is it better to be like Dumbledore, revered wherever he goes, or to be like Voldemort, feared by all but forced to live in the shadows? This requires careful consideration.
Such calculations were clearly too stifling.
Lockhart wasn't willing. It wasn't satisfying at all. What was the point of living then? Might as well just go on a killing spree.
Dumbledore merely smiled, chewing on a Cockroach Cluster, and said, "You must become a 'hero,' a hero who defeats the Dark Lord!"
A hero in the context of a fairy tale.
Just like the Werewolf attack at the Ministry of Magic last time, Lockhart emerged as a hero, gaining significant benefits:
Fame, a smooth appointment to the Ministry of Magic, booming book sales, more fans, and greater influence.
And Corban, on the other hand, began to be seen as an enemy of humanity, transforming into a Werewolf.
Next, Lockhart didn't even need to act. The journalist Rita Skeeter excitedly picked up her quill and charged, and it was even expected that more people would take action.
To be honest, that process was quite satisfying.
So, what next? How should he proceed?
He still didn't have a clear idea. He wasn't Dumbledore yet, lacking the old artist's composure and easy mastery. This required more wisdom from life.
Lockhart was not afraid. He heard the call to adventure, and excitedly stepped into it, eagerly awaiting the challenge that would bring him glory.
He even began to feel somewhat exhilarated.
Ultimately, Voldemort was still too distant for him. Corban was just right, making his blood boil, making him restless, filling him with fervor.
Corban, my wand is thirsty.
Lockhart retracted his wand.
He glanced at Vincent Crabbe, who lay before him like a corpse, and scoffed.
Harry Potter, standing beside him with a tense expression, quickly asked, "Professor, is he really dead?"
Harry was practically dying of anxiety, yet Professor Lockhart still had the leisure to instruct him, smiling as he gestured for Harry to draw his wand, and began teaching him how to examine a wizard's state, even giving him a mini magic lesson.
"This is a fundamental yet highly practical diagnostic charm from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. It's said to have been invented by a witch-nurse during the Muggle First World War, and it's called the 'Listen Closely Charm'."
He guided Harry on how to cast the spell, explaining its principles in more detail based on his own understanding.
"The wand is the most important medium; it helps the wizard communicate with the world, including nature and other living beings. Of course, if you feel the magical state more precisely when casting, you'll realize that your magic has transformed into that original, chaotic state from childhood, touching the spirituality of the world."
"Specifically for this spell, its purpose is to let our magic perceive the rhythm of life, to listen to the sound of life."
Honestly, Harry was in no mood to learn right now, but seeing Professor Lockhart's encouraging gaze and expectant gesture for him to try, he finally settled down and attempted to cast the spell.
The spell felt very, very strange.
He felt as if a cold hand forcefully pinched his ear, yanking it outwards.
Harry instinctively expected pain, having too many experiences of being pulled by his aunt and uncle.
But there was no pain.
Instead, he had a bizarre sensation of his ear being stretched into an extremely peculiar shape, like Play-Doh, stretching longer and longer, eventually fitting into his wand, then extending along the wand's slender channel, finally emerging from the wand tip like a flower.
And it even bounced once.
"Try it," Lockhart continued to encourage.
Harry swallowed. To be honest, this spell felt so peculiar, as if his entire body was twisted and deformed.
He tried placing the wand against Crabbe's chest, carefully listening for any possible sound.
"Hear anything?" Professor Lockhart asked.
Harry shook his head, then nodded. "It's a bit like when I used to put a bottle to my ear as a child, only hearing a hollow 'woo-woo' sound."
"Accurate!" Lockhart gave a thumbs-up. "A very precise judgment, it is indeed a hollow sound. Harry, you have a great talent for perception. Now, please tell me, what does this mean?"
Harry didn't understand, but he tried to think, asking uncertainly, "Does it mean his body has no soul?"
Snap!
Lockhart snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"
He smiled at Harry. "We've already been informed by Ministry officials that this was caused by a Dark creature. So, Mr. Potter, as co-author of Where Are Dark Creatures?, please tell me, what Dark creature can cause such an effect?"
"Hint!" The professor narrowed Harry's scope of thought. "Common Dark creatures."
Harry quickly had an answer. After all, this was information they had diligently compiled, and many details within it were frequently debated and discussed in the Duel Club. He knew it all too well.
"Dementors!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, then his face turned pale, looking somewhat horrified at the professor. "A—a Dementor's Kiss?"
The "Dementor's Kiss" was the highest penalty at Azkaban prison, under the Ministry of Magic. A wizard whose soul was sucked out by a Dementor would be left with an empty body, appearing as if dead.
The effect was similar to the "Sleeping Beauty" in fairy tales.
Although normally a wizard's body would still maintain some activity, they could basically be buried.
"Yes," Lockhart confirmed his guess, stroking his chin as he looked at Crabbe. "A more sophisticated technique using Dementors. His soul doesn't seem to have been sucked out, but rather completely stripped away."
Seeing Harry's confused expression, he reminded him of the key knowledge point: "The characteristic of Dark magic creatures' magic corroding a wizard's mind!"
Harry understood. He was sharp enough that, upon receiving the hint, he immediately observed the detailed muscles on Crabbe's face, the state of his fingers and toes, and finally felt Crabbe's back to confirm if any tendons or bones were taut.
Dark magic power brings damage from extreme negative emotions. When this damage completely harms the soul, the victim will show clear signs of Dark magic corrosion, or physical characteristics that indicate a wizard's negative emotions have reached an extreme.
"The Dementor's Kiss is extremely fast, but there is actually a process of soul extraction, during which a wizard can still resist, though few manage it."
"Crabbe's current situation, however, is more like someone used the power of Dementors to directly strip his entire soul away."
As for why they would go to such lengths to frame Lockhart by "killing" Crabbe, the greatest possibility was that the plotter was after the Crabbe family's precious fortune.
In Europe, many formerly glorious ancient pure-blood families had fallen into decline, like the Gaunt family, who ended up living in a tiny, dilapidated shack.
But even so, the Gaunt family still possessed many treasures, including Slytherin's locket.
The Crabbe family, on the other hand, had always been prominent, with a history in Europe that predated the Malfoys. When they showed signs of decline later on, they very cleverly chose to align themselves with the Malfoys, preserving their family's glory. No one knew how many valuable items were hidden within their family.
Like the "Book of Bloodlines" slab Lockhart had casually touched then, such things could truly change many people's lives.
"Crabbe can still be saved," Lockhart concluded. After all, not every wizard in this world could precisely extract the information they needed from a wizard's memory as he could.
If they had that ability, the Ministry of Magic in various countries wouldn't need the Wizengamot courts.
"But who took Crabbe's soul?" Harry's brow furrowed tightly.
Lockhart shrugged and looked at another corner of the room. "Draco, tell us, who could it be?"
"Draco?" Harry tightly gripped his wand, vigilantly looking around. He had clearly confirmed that only he and the professor were in the room, and he had closed the doors and windows after entering.
He didn't trust Malfoy one bit and believed that scoundrel would surely report the professor's presence to the Aurors.
He carefully surveyed his surroundings, but suddenly saw a figure quickly materialize in the left corner of the wall, having hidden there under an Invisibility Cloak.
It wasn't just Malfoy; Goyle was there too.
At this moment, both of them under the Invisibility Cloak had tears streaming down their faces.
"What are you doing here!" Harry pointed his wand at them defensively.
"We've been here the whole time!" Draco yanked off the Invisibility Cloak, throwing it onto Goyle, secretly wiping his tears. He strode to Harry, looking at him coldly. "Don't act like you care about Crabbe; you've always wished he'd die!"
"I wish him ill luck, but I don't wish him dead!" Harry's expression was resolute, arguing the difference.
Just as the two were about to argue, they suddenly felt a warm large hand cover their heads.
Lockhart suppressed them both with one hand. "Children, now is not the time to argue."
He looked at Draco. "Do you have an answer, Draco? Who attacked Crabbe?"
Draco shook his head. "I didn't see anyone, but Professor, I listened to your analysis just now and have some guesses."
Lockhart nodded in satisfaction, gesturing for him to elaborate.
"Dementors can only be controlled by the Ministry of Magic, and generally only Aurors have access to them," Draco's line of thought was very clear. "Also, you said the other party used more advanced methods, so it must be a wizard who has accessed and studied Dementors. I suspect the person must come from a pure-blood family with a long history."
Lockhart smiled faintly. "Not enough, after all, in the British Ministry of Magic's Auror Office, you'll hardly find any Muggle-born wizards; they are all from pure-blood families or pure-blood half-bloods."
Harry was stunned for a moment. He had always strongly opposed Draco's rhetoric of blood superiority, but he never expected an entity like the Ministry of Magic to be like that too?
How could that be?
He clearly didn't realize that the Potter family was also an ancient pure-blood family.
"I can't guess who it is," Draco looked very distressed. In fact, his own Malfoy family also possessed some Dementor-controlling techniques, and this knowledge made him realize that this clue couldn't clearly point to anyone.
But this was enough for Harry. He furiously looked at the professor. "It's clearly the Aurors pulling strings, and now they're crying wolf and framing you!"
Lockhart spread his hands somewhat helplessly. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly turned to look out the window.
In the sky, a magical carriage pulled by four Thestrals was descending, approaching Hogwarts Castle.
"Children, I have to go."
Lockhart had his own adventure to experience, and these two young wizards also had their own adventures to embark on.
He looked at Harry Potter, the new generation's symbol promoted by the "Pro-Muggle Faction," and Draco Malfoy, the heir of the Malfoy family with the most influence in the "Pure-Blood Supremacy Faction," feeling somewhat expectant of what these two students, whom he had diligently taught, might do.
What they did might not change anything, but as long as they tried to do something, it meant his efforts weren't in vain.
Harry was somewhat anxious, quickly calling out, "Professor, what should I do?"
Lockhart said with a smile, "Follow the voice of your heart~"
Follow the voice of his heart?
Harry seemed to understand something, clenching his fists. "Professor, I'll tell everyone what I found, and I'll bring people to rescue you!"
"Brainless brute!" Draco sneered. "Are you planning to lead people to attack the Ministry of Magic? Sav—ior?"
Harry looked at him coldly. "I knew you didn't want to save the professor!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "This world isn't just about fighting, you idiotic Ha—rry—Potter!"
He smugly explained what he considered a useful method. "I will bring enough students to protest to the Ministry of Magic and file a complaint with the Wizengamot regarding the Auror Office's abuse of power and malicious framing!"
He hoped to gain the professor's approval.
But Draco and Harry suddenly realized that Professor Lockhart had disappeared at some point.
Yes, even though the windows were tightly shut and the door was locked, Professor Lockhart had quietly vanished from the office, as if he had never been there.
....
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