The wrinkled witch's face immediately became expressionless, as if looking at a glowing cockroach waving its antennae at her. But inwardly she felt relieved.
Taking this opportunity to get away from this strange child, she slithered away like she was sliding on the ground. When passing the "glowing cockroach", she maliciously stuck out her long tongue, cackling as she watched Lockhart jump in fright.
"That... that was dangerous! If I hadn't acted in time! You would have been kidnapped!"
Gilderoy Lockhart bounded over in two quick steps, grabbing Ethan's shoulder. Looking like he wanted to hide behind Ethan, he glanced back with lingering fear. Seeing no one following, Lockhart finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Damn, what kind of hellish place was this...?
From the beginning, Lockhart had no intention of actually helping the client complete their job. The great Gilderoy Lockhart wouldn't do such thankless work! Lockhart had already hired several disreputable wizards.
Soon, he'd have them pretend to kidnap Ethan, then he'd heroically jump out and drive them away! Then, a Daily Prophet reporter who would "coincidentally" pass by would capture this heroic moment with their camera.
Haha! Lockhart could already imagine how the newspaper would describe him! "New Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Saves Student Who Lost His Way! Former Troublemaker Reforms and Vows to Forever Follow the Great Gilderoy Lockhart!"
"What are you laughing about, Mr. Lockhart? We should go complete the commission."
"Snap!"
Ethan's voice suddenly shattered Lockhart's beautiful fantasy.
"Oh... oh, right! Let's go solve the commission. Let me put an end to the dark evil of Knockturn Alley!"
Saying this, Lockhart grabbed Ethan, about to lead him toward where his hired thugs were waiting.
However, just then: "You're going the wrong way, Mr. Lockhart. The client gave the trading location as over there. Didn't you receive their reply letter?"
A gentle voice spoke up. A hand as cold and clammy as a corpse suddenly gripped Lockhart's arm.
Lockhart shuddered violently. Turning his head, he met Ethan's curved cobalt-blue eyes. Though smiling, there wasn't a trace of warmth to be felt. It was like being watched by a deep-sea predator... cold and piercing.
The client's reply letter? He received hundreds of fan letters a day... who had time to deal with that stuff! Besides, he hadn't come here with the intention of solving the commission anyway.
Lockhart looked up toward the direction Ethan was pointing. That was the depths of Knockturn Alley. In the dirty, dim, narrow alleys, wizards in tattered robes cast greedy, dark gazes at them like hyenas. Those withered, ugly faces looked extremely dangerous at first glance.
Lockhart stammered: "Ahem, no... the commission location changed, it's at..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ethan suddenly turned around, enthusiastically grabbing a passing wizard and smiling: "Excuse me, do you know where the Scabby Toad Tavern is?"
Lockhart stared in horror. The dark wizard stared in confusion.
Were targets this cooperative nowadays?
The dark wizard was stunned for a moment, carefully examining Ethan's attire before grinning: "Oh, of course I know, child. Come, follow us."
Lockhart retreated in terror: "No! Thank... thank you for your kindness, but we're not going..."
"Bang!"
Lockhart bumped into a "wall". Looking back, he discovered that somehow, they were already surrounded by a dense crowd of wizards.
"Come on, don't be shy." The tall wizard with a scar across his face said in a rough, sinister voice, clearly pleased.
"No, no... AHHHHH!"
Meanwhile, the Daily Prophet reporter who had been arranged to wait there looked at this scene in confusion.
"Huh? Did the plan change? Why are they going that way... whatever, I'll follow and take a look. Maybe there's an even bigger story."
The reporter pulled down his hat brim, carefully protecting his bulky camera as he followed from a distance.
At the Scabby Toad Tavern, Ethan and Lockhart were pushed into a hidden room deep within the establishment.
"Bang!" The door slammed shut heavily behind them.
Immediately, several gazes fell upon Ethan and Lockhart. Ethan squinted, adapting to the dim lighting in the room.
The narrow room contained several mirrors reflecting weak candlelight, barely illuminating the outlines of objects. On the round table, a pentagram was drawn in red liquid. At the centre sat an old black notebook, its pages visibly yellowed.
"Fools actually came looking for us. Perfect... we need new sacrifices..." A sharp voice rang out from under a hood.
Ethan felt Lockhart beside him trembling even more violently.
"I... I can give you money! I have lots and lots of money! Just let me go!" Lockhart screamed, his golden hair dishevelled, eyes terrified... not a trace of his previous peacock-like appearance remained.
Ethan said earnestly: "Mr. Lockhart, what are you saying? We should uphold justice and fight evil criminals."
At these words, the room fell silent. Then the dark wizards burst into laughter!
"Hahahaha! About to die and still talking about fighting evil? Truly a newborn calf that doesn't fear tigers! Hilarious!"
Lockhart looked at Ethan in disbelief, screaming internally: Does this brat have mental problems?! What "troublemaker"... he's just a naive, stupid little kid!
Dark wizard: "Don't worry. We'll take both your money and your souls."
"No... mmph!" Lockhart was about to say something when a spell sealed his mouth.
In the pentagram, the black notebook opened by itself. Turning to yellowed pages, a line of text appeared.
Hmm? This vague familiarity made Ethan furrow his brow. He closed his left eye. In its place, an eyeball opened from the low ceiling above everyone's heads. Rolling around to look at the diary, he saw it read:
Kill them... I need more souls... When my power grows, I will reward you.
Could it be... Tom Riddle's diary?!
Ethan's eyes widened slightly as he spoke: "How did you get this notebook?"
"Shut up!" A dark wizard shrieked, shooting a vicious spell at Ethan.
A black doorway flashed by as Ethan pretended to grunt in pain.
"Hmph, we stole this from some fool... he thought it was just a useless ordinary diary, but we immediately saw it was extraordinary!"
Stolen? Hmm... probably "allowed to be stolen", Ethan thought.
He remembered this diary originally belonged to the Malfoy family. But they probably didn't know the diary's importance... that it was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Voldemort would never tell others about his secrets of life and death.
In the original story, to frame the Weasley family during a raid for contraband, he'd mixed the diary in with textbooks and given it to Ginny. Nearly letting his own house-elf become MVP and "save" Harry Potter to death.
Unexpectedly, with his interference this time, the Malfoy family had actively discarded this diary. A teachable youth... Ethan nodded approvingly.
He immediately wanted to acquire that diary! Such an evil and dangerous thing naturally couldn't fall into bad hands! Let him bear this responsibility and shoulder this burden!
Paper that could contain souls and interact was excellent research material.
Ethan's eyes lit up with righteous small flames. A brilliant inspiration formed in his mind.
"Waibiba bujili guala..." The dark wizards chanted strange incantations in unison.
Lockhart's body trembled violently as he clutched his head in pain, wailing: "No, no... please! I can give you money... AHHH!"
Lockhart suddenly arched his back, opening his mouth wide, his features frozen like a mask, his eyes staring fearfully and vacantly upward. A wisp of pale blue mist drifted from his mouth.
The chanting grew louder, full of excited anticipation for good things to come. It was happening! The powerful and mysterious lord was about to be born from the ancient diary...
"BANG!"
A loud crash... the mirrors in the room suddenly shattered in unison! Flying mirror shards, like sharp daggers, instantly turned the dark wizards into pincushions!
"AHHH!" The chanting was abruptly cut off as the dark wizards screamed and rolled about in agony!
"Whoosh!" The candles went out, plunging the room into darkness.
"What... what's happening?!"
"My eyes! AHHH I can't see!"
"Lu-Lumos!"
Points of white light appeared. In the wand light, a pale face was illuminated.
"?!" Terror instantly gripped their hearts, making them hold their breath and stare stupidly at that figure.
The black-haired boy who was supposed to be a sacrifice had somehow silently appeared standing on the table. Hunched over with his head tilted, smiling at them through gaps in his scattered black hair.
He spoke: "Need sacrifices... more sacrifices... dark, delicious souls..."
His voice was ethereal and cold, like wind blowing through a graveyard at night. The power of the Erised Curse flowed out with his words, weaving a great net that clouded the wizards' minds.
Their eyes became vacant and hollow, just like Lockhart's had been moments before.
Yes... yes, a presence had descended, possessing this brat...
Their mouths moved, repeating: "Sacrifices... sacrifices... Master needs sacrifices... We... are the best sacrifices!"
The dark wizards slowly turned their heads, their gazes falling on their "companions". Pop... they pulled out the glass shards embedded in their bodies and raised them high...
Pop pop, pop pop!
Ethan watched this harmonious and loving scene before him, raising the corners of his mouth. How wonderful... another day of promoting world peace. I'm so kind...
The diary, splattered with unidentifiable red liquid, had gone completely silent. Not to mention Lockhart beside him.
With the spell's effects gone, he cowered in the corner, watching the scene before him in extreme terror, his body twitching unnaturally. Just watching was mental torture.
Mer-Merlin... had he come to hell? What was happening... that Ethan... was that Ethan really possessed by something?!
"No, no... Merlin, save me..." At this moment, Lockhart deeply regretted this commission. It far exceeded his expectations and his capacity to endure.
Trembling, Lockhart raised his wand toward himself.
Meanwhile, outside the room, the burly man Jamie stood guard at the door, listening to the commotion inside with a pleased grin. They'd easily caught two fat sheep today... what luck. When he went in later, he'd have to make sure they gave him a good cut of the profits.