Chapter 129: The Weasley Family's Stains
The countdown ended.
Ron launched the first attack.
"Diffindo!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Two spells, one white and one red, collided in the air and exploded.
"Incendio!"
Blazing flames appeared at Ron's wand tip, sweeping towards Harry.
Ron now had only one thought: if he could defeat Harryon the stage, would all the cheers turn to him?
"Finite Incantatem!"
Harry frowned, looking at Ron, not understanding why he was so aggressive the moment he entered the arena.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
From within the flames, a grayish-white spell came towards him. Left with no choice, Harry could only duck down to avoid it.
"Expelliarmus!"
Harry was not without temper either; being pressed by Ron, he also began to actively attack, wanting to end the battle as quickly as possible.
The sudden turn of events flustered Ron. He had learned a lot during this time, but he hadn't experienced much real combat; in previous matches, he had knocked down opponents with just a few spells. Compared to Harry, who was a natural combatant, the difference was quite significant.
"Flipendo!"
The spell was successfully cast, but it was too late. The burst of two magical forces directly pushed Ron back several steps before he managed to regain his footing.
His hair and face were also singed black by the magical explosion.
The young Wizards of Gryffindor erupted in another round of cheers.
After all, if they didn't applaud and cheer for Harry, would they do so for Ron?
Although Ron had performed well recently, reaching the quarterfinals and adding a lot of prestige to Gryffindor.
But Harry was the savior, and as a fellow quarterfinalist, he had already gained immense popularity even before entering school. Many Wizarding families were very grateful to him, and many Muggle-born young Wizards also admired Harry. These two points were particularly prominent in Gryffindor.
Furthermore, Harry was also a member of the Quidditchteam and was the biggest contributor to their last victory over the Slytherin team.
No matter how you compared them, Harry was more popular.
"They usually seem to get along so well; I didn't expect them to fight so fiercely."
Terry looked at the two on the stage with interest.
"Holy crap!"
Suddenly, Terry yelled loudly and stood up immediately.
Just now, they were only fighting fiercely, showing no mercy, but now it was aiming for a fatal blow.
Quite a few surrounding young Wizards also shouted or stood up, especially those from Gryffindor, who, after a moment of silence, erupted in a tremendous uproar.
They simply couldn't believe their eyes. What had Rondone?
This was already the biggest incident in the Duelling Tournament so far. Ethan had only caused someone to lose control of their bladder and bowels, but Ron had killed Harry, and it was a battle between two good friends from the same house.
Harry was now lying on the stage, his face pale, a large hole torn in his chest, and the flowing blood stained the ground red.
Ethan had also seen the scene just now: Ron, after narrowly dodging Harry's Expelliarmus, waved his wand, and a crossbow bolt, with only a faint dark glow, was flung out, directly piercing Harry, who hadn't had time to react.
He hadn't expected Ron to choose such a spell.
Darklight Crossbow Bolt!
Ethan also knew this spell; it was in the Dark Arts book "Most Venomous Sorcery."
Its lethality isn't strong among Dark Arts, and the damage it causes can be treated with healing spells; it's a relatively common Dark Arts spell.
But its practicality is quite good; it condenses quickly, is relatively secretive, and once cast, its firing speed is even faster.
For those with slightly poorer perception, it's generally very difficult to see the Darklight Crossbow Bolt after it's fired. It's usually used for sneak attacks and can be considered a deadly blow for an unprepared Wizard.
"No… This isn't… I didn't mean for this to happen~!"
Looking at Harry, who lay in a pool of blood, his wandhaving rolled to the side, Ron immediately panicked.
He immediately knelt beside Harry, reaching out his hand to try and stop the bleeding, but with such a large hole torn open, how could he possibly stop it with his hand? Instead, Ron's Wizard robes were stained crimson.
Witnessing this unfold right before his eyes, Lockhartwas utterly stunned, approaching somewhat at a loss. If Harry Potter died here, the consequences would be absolutely enormous.
The Duelling Tournament, having progressed this far, wouldn't be called off, would it?
He recalled the Triwizard Tournament, an international European event, which was suspended due to its extreme danger and multiple fatalities.
Thinking of this, Lockhart turned his head in a panic to look at Dumbledore.
He saw that Dumbledore was no longer in the teachers' seats. When he turned his head back, Dumbledore, Snape, and Madam Pomfrey had already arrived on the dueling stage, accompanied by a large flying phoenix.
Ethan and others also rushed towards the dueling stage. Snape's face was so grim it could drip water. He strode forward and directly pulled Ron away, making him fall to the ground.
Then he drew his wand and pointed its tip at Harry's chest wound. Under the effect of a healing spell, Harry's bleeding was visibly decreasing.
Madam Pomfrey also took out two Potions from her portable medicine kit and handed them to Snape.
Taking the Potions, Snape poured one onto the wound and the other into Harry's mouth, assisting him with a spell to drink it.
In just a moment, the medicine had taken effect. Harry's wound had completely stopped bleeding, and new flesh was already growing over the injury.
Standing aside, Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Harry was fine. If his heart had been pierced, nothing would have helped.
They had set up a teacher's section at the scene precisely to prevent accidents, and they hadn't expected the accident to involve Harry.
Firstly, they hadn't expected Ron to use this Dark Artsspell, and by the time they wanted to stop him, it was already too late; this spell moved much faster than ordinary spells.
The protection on the dueling stage wasn't aimed at the young Wizards on it, but primarily to prevent spells from leaking out and causing accidental injury. For the young Wizards inside, there was no protective effect.
Having done all this, Snape suddenly turned and glared at Ron. If the situation hadn't been inappropriate, Snapewould have wanted to kill him.
The young Wizards present also gathered around, each looking at Ron with some surprise, as if they were seeing him for the first time.
The Weasley family were all Gryffindors and staunch anti-Lord Voldemort supporters; they had never used Dark Arts.
But Ron's current behavior didn't seem like a Gryffindor, nor like a Weasley.
If it had been a Slytherin who beat someone half to death, everyone would have just gasped and then gone about their business; wasn't that just how they were?
Ravenclaw's actions would also be acceptable, but for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor to use Dark Arts and almost kill a classmate, that didn't align with their usual perception.
"I need to take Harry to the infirmary. He'll need some rest."
Madam Pomfrey ignored the atmosphere in the room. After using a spell to lift Harry, she headed towards the infirmary.
This was Harry's second visit to the infirmary this school year, the poor child.
"I didn't mean to, really!" Ron trembled, his face filled with fear as he looked at everyone. "I never thought it would turn out like this. I thought he would dodge it. I…"
Ron didn't know what had happened. He just wanted to win, to defeat Harry and reclaim his own honor, and then, in a moment of heated impulse, he used the spell.
It wasn't until Harry fell into a pool of blood that his mind cleared.
"You thought?"
"He'd dodge it?"
"Did you consider the consequences of killing someone?"
"Just a little further, and Harry would have been dead by your hand!"
Snape's eyes were fixed on Ron, his malice completely undisguised in his tone.
"I said, I didn't mean to kill anyone, and I didn't want to hurt Harry. I didn't!"
Ron shouted back at Snape, somewhat distraught.
"Didn't mean to kill him? Then why is Harry going to the infirmary?"
"Who taught you Dark Arts, Weasley?"
Originally, Ron, as such a bad friend, was of no help to Harry. Now he had severely injured Harry and was also hiding Dark Arts.
Snape certainly didn't want such an unstable element around Ron.
Even Professor McGonagall, who had rushed over, had trembling lips at this moment, clearly having no intention of speaking up for Ron.
"I learned it myself from a book."
Ron's eyes darted away; he absolutely couldn't tell anyone about the diary.
"Where did you get your book from?"
Without using Legilimency, Snape knew he was lying.
"I found it at home."
Ron said, bracing himself.
Saying it was from the library definitely wouldn't work, as borrowing books there was recorded. If he said he snuck in to read it, Snape wouldn't let him off either.
"So, the famous Weasley family also hides Dark Artsbooks and gives them to their children. It seems you're not as honest as I imagined. Perhaps you should have gone to Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. Or is there another possibility? Do you have some purpose in going to Gryffindor?"
Snape sneered at Ron, his expression full of disdain.
Upon hearing this, the Gryffindors also distanced themselves from the Weasley Wizards, looking at them with suspicion.
Percy and the others found it hard to defend themselves. While their family had many books, they had never seen any Dark Arts books.
It was impossible for Ron to have learned Dark Arts at home; they were certain of this. But now, no one was listening to their explanations.
"Alright, Severus, I think Ron needs to go cool down."
"Gilderoy, I believe there's still a match today."
Dumbledore couldn't let Snape continue, or Ron would be ruined, and the other young Wizards in the Weasleyfamily would also be greatly affected.
He could only let the match continue and then issue a statement later to mitigate the subsequent impact of this incident.
"You're the Principal, you make the rules. However, Weasley severely injured a classmate. I don't think this should be easily brushed aside, or the Slytherin students won't mind using this as an example."
Snape gave Dumbledore a cold look, dropped a threatening remark, and then stepped down from the stage.
"Minerva, Ron is in your hands. I trust you can handle it."
Dumbledore sighed, looking at Professor McGonagallbeside him.
Of course, Dumbledore understood Snape's meaning. If he couldn't give him a satisfactory explanation, then in the future, if Slytherin students treated other classmates in such a way, he would only say a few perfunctory words.
His relationship with Snape was merely a cooperation, and he manipulated him by relying on Harry. Since it concerned Harry, Dumbledore didn't dare to provoke Snape too much, or he really might follow through on his threats.
At the end of last year, Snape had already had a falling out with him.
"Ron, come down first."
Professor McGonagall looked at Ron with a complex expression and led him away.
The last time such a serious incident occurred was with Ethan.
However, Ethan was the provoked party, and although his actions were ruthless and sent someone to the infirmary, they weren't life-threatening. Ron, on the other hand, nearly killed Harry; without immediate treatment, Harrywould have bled to death in a few minutes.
"Alright, the match continues. Everyone, please return to your seats."
Once both protagonists had left the field, Lockhartimmediately jumped out. He had just thought the match was canceled, so he was surprised that Dumbledore still allowed it to continue.
But now, everyone's attention was clearly not on the match. They were all discussing Ron and the Weasleyfamily.
Percy gathered his younger siblings, his face extremely grim.
He was supposed to graduate as Head Boy and then join the Ministry of Magic.
But with this incident, who in Gryffindor would still choose him?
His long-term plan was directly disrupted, making him extremely agitated.
Moreover, the Weasley family's reputation had worsened significantly because of Ron, which was also very unfavorable for his future work at the Ministry of Magic.
Thank you to the big shot'Submarine on the Reef' for the monthly pass! Thank you, big shot!
Chapter 130: The Plan Against Ron
After dinner, nearly half of the Hogwarts students walked towards the outdoor grounds.
The betting for the first and second years from earlier in the day was now being settled.
Ethan, Penelope, and Cassandra also followed the crowd outside. Cassandra had participated as well.
She had bet on herself, only three thousand Galleons, which was her pocket money. At 1:1.5 odds, she would net a profit of fifteen hundred Galleons.
"Ethan, can you believe we really didn't learn Dark Arts?"
Midway, Fred and George walked over, looking somewhat dejected. They had been explaining all afternoon, but to no avail.
Aside from a few close friends, no one believed them.
The person who revealed this was Ron, their brother, which essentially confirmed it.
"Of course, your interests aren't in that area at all. If it were Percy who learned Dark Arts, I might believe it a little."
Fred and George rarely put effort into things they weren't interested in, and Dark Arts, which purely enhanced strength but didn't help with their pranks, wasn't something they valued much.
Conversely, Percy was much more ambitious and a true'study addict'.
"It's good that you believe us. We explained it so many times this afternoon, but hardly anyone believed us."
George sighed. Usually, everyone would greet them with smiles, but now they were all keeping their distance.
He and Fred were fine, and Percy would probably adjust himself, but their sister Ginny would likely be isolated since she was only in her first year.
As for Ron, truthfully, they all wanted to disown him from the Weasley family; no one messes with their family like that.
"Actually, knowing Dark Arts is no big deal. I know some, and quite a lot at that."
Ethan said nonchalantly, not afraid of the surrounding Wizards hearing him.
Slytherin and Ravenclaw didn't reject Dark Arts, and there were certainly Hufflepuff students who knew Dark Arts, but they generally wouldn't pick fights or show it off.
For example, Draco's Ulong Escapes, the small venomous snake summoned, was Dark Arts. This shows that Dark Arts is really no big deal.
Ethan believed there were Gryffindors who knew Dark Arts; the sorting hat didn't rely on that alone, it was just very well hidden.
Just like Dumbledore, no one would believe he didn't know Dark Arts during his school days.
"That's true, but you know Gryffindor is very against Dark Arts. No one wants to become the next Harry."
"It'll be fine in a while. Last year, they were still suspecting Harry was the Heir of Slytherin and opened the Chamber of Secrets, but look, hardly anyone mentions it this year."
Ethan comforted them. As long as Ron didn't continue to cause trouble and Harry didn't pursue the matter, it would probably be forgotten soon. However, Ron's popularity was likely completely ruined, not that he had much to begin with.
"I hope so!"
Fred and George had no other better solution; they couldn't prove their innocence anyway.
"By the way, how is Ron?"
Ethan hoped Ron could withstand the pressure and not hand over the diary. Students wouldn't see much, but Professors would definitely notice some clues, and in Dumbledore's hands, it would be completely exposed.
"After Professor McGonagall took him away, we haven't seen him."
The Weasley siblings had looked for Ron after the match ended, but he had remained with Professor McGonagalland hadn't come out, not even for dinner.
"Alright, after we collect our Galleons, let's all go to your Gryffindor common room and wait for Ron. He's definitely coming back tonight; he can't sleep in Professor McGonagall's office. Even if there's some punishment, he should be back later."
"This matter must be resolved quickly. We need to find out where Ron learned Dark Arts and cut it off at the source."
"Otherwise, no one can guarantee that Ron won't learn more Dark Arts or use Dark Arts to harm others again. If there's a next time, the Weasley family will likely be labeled with Dark Arts."
Ethan felt he couldn't wait any longer; he had to get his hands on the diary first. Otherwise, if Ron didn't expose it today, it would be discovered by someone eventually.
"You're right, we really need to interrogate Ron about where he learned Dark Arts. We went to find Ron this afternoon to find out, but unfortunately, we didn't find him."
"You come with us later, and call Percy and Ginny too."
Fred and George strongly agreed with Ethan's suggestion. They had originally planned to look for Rontomorrow, but after hearing Ethan, they realized it was better sooner than later.
Even if they couldn't clear their names this time, they couldn't afford to be splashed with mud again. They absolutely needed to know how Ron learned it.
They had thought Ron had improved and gotten rid of his bad habits after causing trouble at the start of the year, but they hadn't expected him to be even worse than before!
At least back then, Ron only messed things up for himself; now he was dragging the whole family down with him.
"Ginny is still young, so let's leave her out of it. Let her rest early. Knowing this won't help her, and it's better to solve the problem quickly."
"Alright, we'll go directly to the Gryffindor common room. Percy usually checks it before going to bed at night, so we can tell him then."
It didn't really matter whether Ginny came or not. They might even need to use some minor tricks on Ron to get him to tell the truth, and it wouldn't be convenient for Ginny to see that.
Thinking about how Ron was willing to throw the entire Weasley family under the bus to cover it up today, even if they interrogated him, it would probably be very difficult to pry his mouth open.
"Percy still checks the common room at night?"
Ethan looked at Fred and George, somewhat surprised. What was there to check?
"He mainly warns those still in the common room not to go out at night or break the rules, or he'll report them to Professor McGonagall."
The Twin shrugged, somewhat disdainfully. What's a Gryffindor if you don't sneak out at night?
Very well, that's very Percy. Ethan remembered in the original story, Percy even deducted Gryffindor house points because Harry cast a spell in the corridor.
As they chatted, they arrived at the betting payout location. It was currently crowded with people inside and out.
"Excuse me!"
Ethan directly led them, pushing through the crowd towards the inside.
"You... please, you first, you first!"
A Slytherin, pulled aside by Ethan, was about to curse his opponent's ancestors.
He was only used to cutting in line, not being cut in front of by others.
This was completely intolerable!
But upon seeing it was Ethan, his expression immediately changed. He really couldn't afford to offend him.
Just a while ago in the arena, a poor soul from his house was beaten to the point of incontinence, and Ethan received no punishment. If he had cursed out loud, he might very well experience an 'electrotherapy' session.
He didn't want to die a social death.
Those in front who heard the commotion and saw Ethan coming also moved aside, leaving a direct path to the very front.
Following the path, Ethan arrived in front of Ludo and a few young Wizards he had temporarily hired.
Penelope directly took out her proof and handed it to Ludo. It had a magical anti-counterfeiting mark.
Ludo, who was already looking miserable, now looked even more so.
He couldn't earn this much even if he worked at the Ministry of Magic for three years without eating or drinking. Giving it away like this now was truly unwilling.
Then it was Cassandra, and another fifteen hundred Galleons were given out, making his heart bleed.
"Adrian, after we met at the Ministry of Magic last time, I've been wanting to talk to you. Do you have time?"
Seeing Ethan about to leave, Ludo immediately called out from behind.
Although Lockhart advised him not to approach Ethan, Ludo still couldn't bear to let go of such a large profit.
"Just say what you want!"
Ethan didn't give him any face. He wasn't his fan anyway, and as for the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, it was the department with the least real power.
"Let's talk over there!"
Ludo didn't care about Ethan's attitude, smiling and gesturing as he walked towards an empty corner.
"Do you want to make money?"
Ludo went straight to the point. Everything else was fleeting; only Galleons would truly stay with you.
"What kind of opportunity? You know I'm not short on money right now."
Ludo was cursing inwardly. You're not short on money, yet you came to take my five thousand Galleons. But he could only keep smiling.
"You saw how popular today's betting was. As long as you go a little easy during the final, I'll give you half of the entire second-year's earnings."
Ludo originally wanted to say thirty percent, but then he was afraid Ethan wouldn't agree, so he offered half.
As for Lockhart, he could just give him a little something. The second-year betting pool was already gone, and he hadn't participated in this round.
Even if he didn't give Lockhart anything, he would still profit.
After all, based on today's results, the second-year pool on the day of the final would be a pure loss.
"I don't lack this money. Let's forget about the cooperation. I'm still very much looking forward to winning the House Cup this year."
Ethan immediately refused. Not to mention the impact fixing the match would have on him later, he would also lose out on potential achievements, which Ethan was unwilling to accept.
As for Galleons, he had plenty for now. When he needed more, wasn't there a vault in Diagon Alley?
He could just go and withdraw it.
"You want the House Cup? Just ask Lockhart to give you points, wait a minute…"
Ethan ignored him, leaving without looking back.
After using Legilimency on Ludo just now, he had a clear understanding of their plan, such as the unannounced finals where all seven grades would compete on the same day.
The two of them had found several chess pieces to participate in this Wizard Tournament.
The second-years had already been eliminated by Hermione, and he didn't know how many of the remaining six would make it to the finals.
Also, starting from the next round, bets would not be allowed to exceed three thousand Galleons. This was undoubtedly aimed at him.
He didn't know how much they could earn, but if it was a lot, Ethan wouldn't mind being a mantis stalking a cicada.
Arriving at the main entrance of Hogwarts, Fred and George were already waiting there.
Similar to Ravenclaw, the Gryffindor common room was on the eighth floor of Gryffindor Tower, corresponding to the lion overlooking the land.
"Pig snout!"
Seeing Ethan there, the Fat Lady didn't interfere and immediately opened the door to the common room.
As the three of them entered, the once lively common room instantly emptied, with only a few people remaining.
"Ethan, welcome to our Gryffindor common room."
Lee Jordan, the Black Wizard, greeted Ethan warmly.
He was one of the few who believed Fred and George.
Chapter 131: The Threat of Death from Snape
It was just past nine in the evening.
In the Gryffindor common room, only Ethan and three others remained.
Lee Jordan and a few other Quidditch team members had also been sent back by the Twin.
"Ethan, actually, you can go back first."
Percy still didn't really want Ethan to get involved; this was his family matter.
"Are you sure you can handle Ron? If he doesn't want to talk, what can you do?"
Ethan wasn't going to humor Percy. A Prefect seemed to have a lot of authority, but in reality, he could only manage trivial matters. Moreover, Ethan was from Ravenclaw, so Percy couldn't even manage a small matter with him.
"Do you have a way to make Ron tell the truth?"
Percy frowned, looking at Ethan. He didn't understand why Ethan wanted to get involved; it wouldn't benefit him!
Actually, in his heart, he still held some resentment towards Ethan. He had sent a love letter to Penelope, but Penelope didn't choose him; instead, she found Ethan, a notorious SP, who was also a few years younger than Penelope.
But Percy didn't dare to show it or openly quarrel with Penelope. This would be a scandal, fighting over a Muggle, which would be bad for his future development.
As for Ethan, he had already beaten five Slytherins by then, so Percy couldn't provoke him either. This displeasure could only be hidden in his heart.
He originally thought he had forgotten, but sitting together today brought it all back.
"If you need it, I can provide you with Veritaserum. Do you want it?"
Veritaserum: once consumed, one would answer whatever was asked. As long as nothing was placed in the mouth beforehand to counteract the potion's effects, the answers would be truthful.
However, Veritaserum was a forbidden substance and not allowed to be abused.
Drinking this stuff had an impact on the brain and mind.
"No, I won't use that on Ron."
Percy refused without hesitation. After all, they were family.
"If not Veritaserum, I remember Ron is afraid of spiders. There are Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest; we could throw him into a spider's nest…"
"Alright, you two, stop talking. Be quiet and wait for Ron."
Fred frowned and directly interrupted them. He also couldn't understand why Percy was acting crazy when Ethan was here to help.
Aside from anything else, Ethan at least spoke better than Percy.
As for Percy, besides spouting grand principles, he couldn't do anything. These things had long gone in one ear and out the other; they were useless.
Ethan hadn't intended to say anything either; Percy was just a passerby to him.
And Percy also reacted, not daring to say anything more. He had truly been impulsive just now, and offending Ethan would bring no good.
After waiting for about ten more minutes, with a "creak," the Gryffindor common room door opened.
Ron, with his head bowed low and exuding a low-pressure aura, walked in from outside, not even looking where he was going, heading straight for the path to the dormitories.
"Ron!"
Upon hearing the voice, Ron's body visibly stiffened, and he turned his head with difficulty.
After turning his head to see Percy, Fred, and George, Ron just wanted to run.
In Professor McGonagall's office, he had realized what a huge mess he had made, causing considerable trouble for his brothers and sister, who were also in Gryffindor.
As for Ethan, he ignored him, as he hadn't caused trouble for him.
"You sit down first; we have questions for you!"
George and Fred directly flanked Ron, bringing him back and pressing him onto the sofa, then sitting beside him.
"Ron, tell us the truth, where did you learn your Dark Arts?"
Percy impatiently stood in front of Ron and asked.
He only wanted to minimize the impact of this matter.
He alone knew how much effort he had put into obtaining twelve O.W.L.s; he absolutely could not let Ron affect his future.
Ron lowered his head, not daring to look at Percy. He was unwilling to mention the diary. Professor McGonagall had also asked about it, but Ron had resisted, which was why he had only now been released.
Moreover, for the rest of this school year, he would have detention every school night in Professor McGonagall's office, and on Saturdays and Sundays, he would help Professor Sprout fertilize the magical plants.
"You're not willing to talk, are you!"
"Do you know how much this matter affects us? I've already sent a letter to Mum telling her about this. You know her attitude towards Harry. Just wait for the Howler tomorrow morning!"
Ron visibly trembled. His mother's attitude towards Harrywas even better than towards him. Forget the Howler; returning home for the summer would be the beginning of a disaster.
But he couldn't say it!
If he said it, the diary would be gone.
Ron had realized early on that this diary might be related to Dark Arts artifacts. After all, sometimes he would lose a bit of memory, and he would get tired more easily. Ronknew what this meant.
Only evil Dark Arts artifacts could cause such effects.
But by then, Ron had already come to regard the diary as his friend. He would tell it any worries he had, and the diary would comfort him, give him advice, teach him how to become stronger, and even help him with his homework.
As long as he told it the content of his homework, it would display it in the diary, and then he just had to copy it.
The two were friends who talked about everything and provided help. Ron didn't want to lose it.
Even if it caused him some minor side effects, what did that count for compared to the help it gave him?
As for hurting Harry today, Ron knew it was still his fault; he couldn't control himself.
This Dark Arts was also because he wanted to learn stronger magic, wanted to surpass Ethan, and wanted to return the humiliation to Malfoy. This diary had taught him Dark Arts.
Fred and George exchanged glances over Ron's head. Sure enough, Ron wouldn't confess so easily.
And Percy's words still had no effect whatsoever.
So the two of them looked at Ethan. They also weren't confident they could persuade Ron.
Ethan returned a knowing look but remained seated on the sofa with no intention of moving.
"Ron, you should know the relationship between Professor Snape and Harry, right?"
If Harry could tell him about Snape and his mother, there was no reason he wouldn't tell Ron; their relationship was even closer.
The Twin and Percy were confused, their minds full of questions.
Snape and Harry were related?
But now was clearly not the time to ask; dealing with Ron's matter was more urgent.
"I know!"
Although Ron didn't know why Ethan brought up Snape, he still nodded honestly.
He had been truly terrified by Snape that afternoon; he had never seen him make such an expression, thinking he was going to kill him.
Of course, he knew about the entanglement between Snape and Harry, and they had discussed it often.
And they unanimously believed that Snape hadn't married yet because he still liked Harry's mother.
Snape's performance today further confirmed this; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so proactive.
"It's good that you know. If it were just you, Harry, and Snape today, do you think Snape would kill you?"
Please give flowers.
"Although Snape let you go for Dumbledore's sake, is he willing?"
"Your excuse this afternoon, besides deceiving clueless classmates, who else could it fool? Did any of the Professors believe it?"
"Snape won't let such a danger remain by Harry's side. You'll have to face him sooner or later, perhaps this summer, after all, Dumbledore can't protect you forever. Guess whether Snape will use Veritaserum, Imperio, or Legilimency on you, and what he'll do to you afterward. I think you all know Snape's identity."
Ron knew that neither his family nor Professor McGonagall would truly harm him; as long as he accepted the punishment, the matter would be over, so he was willing to endure it.
But Snape was different. While Ron detested Snape, he was also very afraid of him.
In his mind, Snape was a Death Eater who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even after knowing the relationship between Harry and Snape.
What Ethan said could really happen. Snape had wanted to kill him that afternoon.
"Oh, and you'll lose Harry as a friend, and you'll be isolated by the entire Gryffindor House. You should know how they look at you in the common room."
Ron was extremely insecure when he first entered school. Befriending Harry was also because Harry was the savior, and being by his side would gain him more attention. After such a long time, they indeed developed a friendship.
This was also Ron's only friend in all of Hogwarts; others couldn't stand Ron's personality.
"I'll tell you, I learned it from a diary."
Ron finally made his choice. Harry breaking off their friendship, Gryffindor classmates isolating him, his parents, brothers, and sister all looking down on him, and facing Snape's life threat—could he endure this?
He absolutely couldn't!
"What diary?"
Percy quickly asked.
"Tom Riddle's diary. I found it in an old book. One time, I wrote something in it and found that it could reply to me, so we started talking. We've been communicating all this time."
Since he had decided to speak, Ron had nothing more to hide.
"Who is Tom Riddle?"
Fred looked at Ron and asked, "A diary could make Ronchange so much?"
"I know; his name is in the Trophy Room. He once received an award for Special Services to the School."
Percy had paid attention to these things. He had looked into the information of these award recipients to see if he could place a trophy with his name in there.
However, Percy couldn't find any information about TomRiddle's deeds after graduation, as if he had disappeared after graduating.
"Now, take us to find the diary!"
"Something that could teach you must be a Dark Artsartifact. If we give it to Dumbledore, it might prove our innocence."
Percy was already impatient. As for what happened to Tom Riddle later and how he disappeared, he couldn't care less about that now.
"It's under my suitcase. I'll take you there."
Ron gave up resisting and led the way.
Ethan had already planned it: he would say he needed to take the notebook to Dumbledore, as he was the only one who had been to the Principal's office. The Twin and Roncouldn't refuse, and as for Percy, Ethan simply wouldn't heed his opinion.
Then he would first go to the Room of Requirement to extract the soul and store it separately, then use Fiendfyreto burn most of the diary, creating the illusion that the Horcrux was destroyed, and finally hand it over to Dumbledore.
Chapter 132: Nibelungen
Bang!
Percy pushed open the dormitory door with force.
The three people who were chatting on a bed were startled. When they saw Percy leading the way, followed by Ron, Fred, and George, fear flashed in the eyes of two of them, and they quickly got up and retreated. The other Fat Man could only follow them.
Just now, a few people were gathered together discussing whether to go find Professor McGonagall and have Ronmove out of this dormitory. After all, Ron had even hit Harry, so would he show mercy to them?
It was just that Neville disagreed with this, and was still arguing with the two. Just as the discussion was heated, Percy burst in with people. Besides Ethan, everyone behind him was a Weasley.
They didn't know if they had heard their conversation just now. If they had, it would be troublesome.
Looking at Percy's expression, it was clear that he had come with ill intentions, and the possibility of them having heard was quite high.
This was Ethan's first time entering a Gryffindordormitory. He had been to the common room before, but never the dormitory, so he immediately began to look around.
This was a standard five-person room. The space was the same as Ravenclaw's dormitory, just with one more bed, meaning the activity space was a bit smaller.
The decoration was a bit inferior to Ravenclaw's, with the overall color being predominantly red.
Besides Neville and Seamus, two acquaintances, there was also a black boy, Dean Thomas, who was also Harry's roommate. "Weasley, I'm telling you, don't mess around, this is in the dormitory."
Dean Thomas looked at the approaching people and swallowed, but still feigned calmness.
"Thomas, we're not here for you, just to get something."
Percy's face darkened. He knew they had been misunderstood.
This showed how deeply the Weasley family had been affected by Ron's words.
Ethan watched all of this from behind, knowing that it was caused by preconceived notions.
Ron's previous impression on everyone was that of a magic idiot. His grades in both Charms Class and Transfiguration Class were terrible. Then suddenly one day he became amazing, and even used Dark Arts to almost kill his best friend.
What kind of impression do you think everyone would have of him?
"Ron, take out the diary!"
Percy didn't want to explain anymore. Let them misunderstand!
Anyway, he had seen enough today. Only after clarification could all of this change.
Hearing Percy's words, Ron nodded silently and walked directly to his bed, opening a box filled with clothes and other items.
From it, he took out a small, thin diary with a black cover.
"This is it!"
With that, Ron raised the diary in his hand.
Suddenly, Ron's expression changed, and his wand in his hand swung down fiercely at Percy and the others.
"Thunderbolt Explosion!"
Orange-red flames covered half of the dormitory, and continuous explosions came from within.
Ethan pulled his hands, bringing the Twin to his side, and a blue barrier rose in front of Ethan.
No matter how fierce the explosion, it could not break through the barrier in the slightest.
"Ethan, Percy is!"
George stared blankly at the scene before him, somewhat at a loss, truly not expecting Ron to pull off such a stunt.
"Believe he can protect himself!"
Ethan hadn't expected this either, but it seemed likely that Little Tom had possessed him and was controlling Ron.
It was probably when Ron picked up the diary that Little Tom noticed it, which is why this happened.
The explosions continued. More than half of the dormitory was already in ruins. It was fortunate that Hogwarts Castle was rich in magic, and many buildings had some defensive effects. Otherwise, this floor would probably have been blown through, and Ethan and the others would have fallen downstairs.
The Thunderbolt Explosion spell is quite powerful. The flames it unleashes can cause anything they touch to explode, whether it's houses, the ground, or people. Whatever it hits, it explodes.
Peter Pettigrew used this to blow up an entire street, plus twelve Muggles.
Fred was also suspected to have been killed by this spell.
Such a loud commotion naturally couldn't be concealed from the other dormitories. Many young Wizards opened their dormitory doors and peered into the hallway.
"Everyone, leave here! Don't stay in the dormitory!"
"Lee, go find Professor McGonagall, quickly!"
Fred and George immediately shouted to the surroundings.
Percy and Ron's three roommates were caught in it, and they didn't know what state they were in. They couldn't let more people be affected.
"I'll go now!"
Lee Jordan didn't ask for the reason and immediately ran outside. Professors generally didn't live in the dormitories; their offices had their own resting spaces behind them.
The others, seeing this, dared not linger and ran out one after another.
It was only then that the explosions gradually subsided.
The entire dormitory was in ruins, charred black with debris scattered everywhere.
Percy lay on the ground, his life unknown, his body charred black, not moving at all.
Neville and the other two, hiding in the corner of the wall behind, were mostly unharmed, but they were also terrified.
"Percy, how are you?"
George said, about to rush over to check on Percy's condition, but Fred pulled him back.
"You're not Ron, am I right?"
"Tom Riddle's soul!"
Ron couldn't have launched such an attack on Percy, and Ron had clearly agreed to take out the diary. He wouldn't suddenly change his mind now. Only if the person standing in front of them wasn't Ron could this be explained clearly.
Since it wasn't Ron, George definitely couldn't go forward. He wouldn't hold back.
Percy was blown up like that, could George, with weaker strength, fare any better?
"To correct you, I am not Tom Riddle's soul, but a fragment of his memory."
Tom Riddle was not in a hurry to leave, mainly because Ethan's strength could not be broken through in a short time, as could be seen from his Shield Charm.
What was that long explosion spell for just now?
Wasn't it to break through their Shield Charm, blow them to death, and then he could leave calmly?
Unfortunately, it only blew up Percy's Shield Charm. For Ethan's Shield Charm, it clearly couldn't be shaken.
He truly lived up to Ron's description of a genius who made Slytherin gasp for breath, much stronger than himself in his second year.
To leave, he could only seek another opportunity.
And Fred, though somewhat surprised that this was only a memory, didn't want to bother with so much.
"I don't care if you're a memory or a soul, get out of Ron's body quickly."
Ron, controlled by Little Tom, looked at everyone contemptuously.
"Ron said I am his best friend, and now he wants to hand me over, so isn't it fitting that he and I are inseparable?"
"And you, Fred Weasley and George Weasley, Ron often complained to me about you two, constantly playing pranks on him, having money but unwilling to give your brother a single bit, requiring him to be a test subject to receive your tiny bit of grace. You are simply not fit to be his brothers."
"And Ethan Adrien, Ron learned Dark Arts from me, and a large part of the reason is because of you. Who told you to be too dazzling, overshadowing his brilliance? As a friend, you are also unqualified..."
"Is that all you can say?"
Ethan looked coldly at Little Tom and slowly said, not knowing what good it would do for him to say these things.
It had no effect on him, but Fred and George's emotions were a bit volatile.
As for the three in the corner, they were huddled together, trembling, not daring to make a sound.
Seeing Ethan say this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Little Tom's face. His verbal tactics had no effect. As long as he could make Ethan reveal a flaw, he could escape through the window. As for being on the eighth floor, would that affect him?
"Then I have another identity, do you want to know?"
Little Tom's wand drew a few strokes in the air, writing three shimmering names:
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Then Little Tom waved his wand again, and these letters automatically rearranged themselves, becoming:
I am Lord Voldemort
"Do you see?"
"Tom Riddle was just my name when I was studying. Lord Voldemort is my past, present, and future."
Although saying this was a bit unfair to the main soul, Little Tom couldn't care less. If the main soul discovered his special nature, he would probably be restricted, or even have his intelligence erased.
"Then Ron told you that when Lord Voldemort returned last year, it was Harry and I who faced him. We used Harry to defeat him, so who are you, this memory fragment, trying to scare here? Professor Dumbledoreshould be here soon."
Ethan glanced at Percy. Percy was still breathing. If he had died, Hogwarts Castle might have detected it.
"In that case, Thunderbolt Explosion!"
In the panicked gaze of Fred, George, and the others, the orange-red flames were not aimed at them, but at the wall behind with windows.
And before the flames had extinguished and the explosions had ended, Little Tom rushed over and jumped directly out of the gap.
In mid-air, Little Tom, who had cast a Slowing Charm and a Levitation Charm on himself, was heading towards the Forbidden Forest.
As long as he could escape Hogwarts, he would be free as a bird in the vast ocean and sky.
"I'll go after him!"
With that, Ethan also followed closely, taking a running jump.
"Ethan, wait a minute..."
Fred shouted loudly from behind. Given Ron's behavior just now, and knowing his true identity.
They didn't believe Ethan could defeat Lord Voldemort, even if it was just a memory, because Lord Voldemort had left too painful a scar on the Great Britain Wizarding World.
Ethan didn't pay attention to the commotion behind him.
Just as he jumped off the Gryffindor tower, a crow with a wingspan of over ten meters circled and came to Ethan's feet.
Another use of Crow Storm, not summoning a flock of crows, but a single, oversized crow capable of carrying people in flight.
Little Tom naturally noticed this commotion.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A dark green light rapidly struck Ethan from a strange and tricky angle, but unfortunately, it exploded midway.
It was like a green firework.
For this firework, Ethan also sacrificed a small crow.
"Nibelungen!"
Black and white halos spread from Ethan's feet, and in the blink of an eye, they enveloped Little Tom, who was still fleeing towards the Forbidden Forest.
This was something Ethan had tinkered with himself, based on the Mirror magic in the Ravenclaw Chamber of Secrets and some things recorded in the book "Nibelungen" given by Lucius.
The final success was a few days ago, after taking the Magic Blood.
[Thanks to big shot YWZJ135790 for the monthly pass, thank you big shot!].
Chapter 133: Being a Dog or Eating Dog Shit?
"Where is this?"
Little Tom, who was still escaping to the Forbidden Forest, froze.
The Forbidden Forest was indeed ahead, and the Hogwarts towers were behind. Everything was unchanged, but it had lost its color.
And it was utterly silent; no sound came from around.
With the crow's assistance, Ethan looked down at Little Tom from above.
"Welcome to my world!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Bang!
Green fireworks exploded again.
"Why bother with these useless efforts? Come down and let's talk, how about it?"
Once trapped, as long as Ethan was still inside, this space would exist and it would be impossible to leave; Apparition could only move within it but not escape.
Little Tom looked at Ethan with cold eyes, and a wisp of orange Fiendfyre emerged from the tip of his wand.
"I told you, but you wouldn't listen; you had to suffer a bit!"
"Mjölnir!"
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a hammer shimmering with endless lightning abruptly appeared above Little Tom's head and smashed down forcefully!
The sudden change forced Little Tom to abandon using the Fiendfyre Curse to break through this unknown magicthat was trapping him.
"Protego!"
Crack!
As soon as the two met, the blue barrier was shattered.
At the critical moment, Little Tom transformed into a wisp of black smoke, but he still couldn't escape being smashed to the ground by the thunder hammer.
Since he knew this variant Flying Charm, why didn't he use it just now?
Doesn't this thing run faster?
"Are you trying to kill Ron?"
Looking up, Little Tom, lying on the ground, flickering with electricity and showing some scorched signs, looked at Ethan stubbornly.
That strike just now was definitely meant to be fatal; Little Tom was certain of this.
Had he not used this incomplete magic, transforming himself into smoke to disperse a large amount of the damage, he would probably have been smashed to death, or at least fallen to his death, leaving only his soul floating out.
"What do you think!"
Ethan did not answer directly but approached Little Tomstep by step.
He only used about a third of his strength just now!
If Ron had died, it would have been his bad luck; Ethan couldn't handle him well while he was floating in the air, and it would have caused some damage anyway, so it was better to be direct.
Facing Ethan's relentless advance, Little Tom's expression kept changing; it seemed Ron, as a tool, had reached the end of his usefulness.
Immediately, a somewhat transparent soul detached from Ron's body, transforming into a wisp of black smoke while carrying the notebook, and fled outwards.
Ethan didn't bother with Little Tom who was running away; he couldn't escape anyway.
He came to Ron's side; Ron was now somewhat scorched by the electricity, and his aura was extremely weak. He had already taken a heavy blow, and then Little Tom, after leaving his body, fiercely absorbed a large amount of his life force. It was truly a miracle he hadn't died.
Ethan slapped him twice, and after confirming he truly couldn't wake up, he stood up with satisfaction.
"Gungnir!"
A lightning spear condensed in Ethan's hand, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a flash of electricity and disappeared.
"Ah!"
A shrill scream came from afar.
If they were outside and Ethan couldn't see the target or sense their magic, Gungnir naturally wouldn't hit anyone.
But inside Nibelungen, everyone's position was within Ethan's perception; as long as the magic flew far enough, Ethan could hit any target.
Unfortunately, Ethan's refinement of it wasn't complete enough; otherwise, with a single thought, Ethan could appear anywhere in Nibelungen.
Arriving at the source of the scream, Little Tom was now lying on the ground, his figure even more transparent than before, as if he could dissipate at any moment.
"You wouldn't be Dumbledore, transformed by Polyjuice Potion, would you?!"
With no hope of escape, Little Tom only wanted to clarify this matter.
From the moment they met, the magic Ethan used was not something a second-year Wizard could use. There couldn't be anyone more talented than himself in this world; this must be Dumbledore, that old man, in disguise. He was just playing a trick on himself.
Losing to Dumbledore wasn't shameful.
"You think a lot, but unfortunately, no!"
Saying that, Ethan directly took the diary from Little Tom's arms.
This was Little Tom's true body; even though he had just possessed Ron, his true body was still the diary.
It didn't matter if this external Little Tom died; as long as the diary remained, absorbing enough life force and magic, this appearance could be reformed.
This was also why Ethan could use Gungnir without worry; as long as the diary wasn't hit, even a headshot wouldn't cause much damage to the Horcrux.
Using the Spirit Expulsion Curse, Ethan began to pull out the soul that Little Tom had imprinted inside.
"What are you doing?"
Little Tom looked at Ethan's actions with a face full of pain, but at this moment, he had completely lost the ability to resist and could only watch Ethan.
"Separating you from the diary, and then taking you in as a dog. Do you have any objections?"
Ethan glanced at Little Tom, continuing his actions.
"If you want me to be a dog, you might as well destroy me."
Little Tom, with a twisted face, looked at Ethan venomously.
He was a direct descendant of Slytherin, the second Dark Lord; how could he be driven to be someone's dog? He would rather die than be a dog.
After glancing at Little Tom, Ethan increased the magical pull, and suddenly, something similar to the soul fragment in ravenclaws diadem was pulled out by Ethan.
Equally ugly and shriveled.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle, so this is your true face!"
"No, this isn't me!"
The somewhat ethereal Little Tom on the ground looked at the ugly thing floating in the air, feeling somewhat broken.
The current Little Tom's thoughts were still from his school days; he wasn't the later Lord Voldemort who didn't care about his appearance.
Ethan didn't listen to his nonsense and immediately used the Spirit Expulsion Curse to forcibly merge the two of them, no matter how much Little Tom resisted, it was useless.
"Can we talk now?"
Ethan looked at this ugly thing; after merging with Little Tom, its intelligence returned.
The two were originally one; it was just that after thought was born, Little Tom's image was formed from a bit of soul, magic, and life force. Now Ethan was just making him return.
"Even if you blast me apart with that lightning just now, I still won't be your dog."
"Is that so? That's not up to you."
Ethan, with disdain, placed his hand on Little Tom's bald head. A wisp of gray magic emerged from Ethan's arm, beginning to coil clockwise, wrapping all the way from Ethan's arm down to Little Tom's feet.
The ritual was complete. Now, with just a thought and a surge of magic, Ethan could blast Little Tom's soul into fragments, and also use magic to burn his soul, making him suffer immensely.
"You should know what that contract just now represents."
"Two choices: First, be my dog, and I'll help you resurrect, get rid of this ugly appearance, have your own body, and be completely separated from the main soul."
"Second, if you don't want to be a dog, go eat dog shit. You know I can control your spirit body, give you some life force to maintain a semi-physical state, make you search for dog shit all over the streets, and after eating dog shit, you'll endure the pain of soul burning."
"Choose for yourself, be a dog or eat dog shit?"
After speaking, Ethan looked at Little Tom coldly. "I, Ethan, am still very humane, aren't I? I've given you a choice."
"Be a dog!"
"Louder, what did you say?"
"Be a dog! I'll be your dog!"
Little Tom screamed, somewhat broken. Who was the Dark Lord after all?
Even he, at most, would grant death to the opponent; he simply didn't have such malicious thoughts as Ethan.
But unfortunately, he couldn't even die now.
"Remember, you're going to be my dog. And a dog must have the awareness of being a dog."
Ethan looked at Tom, who was curled up on the ground, wishing he could just die, and said indifferently.
He might want to die now, but once he truly lived again, Ethan believed he wouldn't want to die anymore.
As for whether he hated him or not, it didn't matter; with the soul contract, he could control his life and death.
Moreover, Ethan was stronger than him, so he could only obediently do things below. Could he still resist?
"Understood!"
Little Tom yelled hoarsely, afraid Ethan would say he couldn't hear him again.
"I wonder if this will be of any use to you?"
Saying that, Ethan took out a silver goblet from his pocket, the container that sealed the soul fragment from ravenclaws diadem.
He opened it and released another strange thing, just like Little Tom.
Both were soul fragments, both were split off by Lord Voldemort. If they met, and one of them developed sentience, he wondered if they could devour and merge.
Ethan had read many novels before where someone transmigrated into a cultivation world, and having developed sentience earlier, they would devour their Twins.
"I can devour him to strengthen my soul, and I can gain his memories, which would be beneficial to me."
Little Tom was the earliest Horcrux made, which meant his memories only went up to his school days. He knew nothing of what happened later, let alone magic and experience. What he knew now was told to him by Ron.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
He had originally planned to save it for a deal with Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort, but increasing Little Tom's strength was also good. This was the second Horcrux, made a few years after graduation, so it had some use.
There wasn't much on either of them that Ethan valued. As for Dumbledore, only the Phoenix and the GryffindorSword caught his eye, but would Dumbledore use them for a trade?
Little Tom then violently sucked in an ugly thing similar to himself, and his entire body swelled several times over.
Now, Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes were directly reduced by one.
"You stay in here for now. When the time is right, I will resurrect you."
Saying that, Ethan controlled him and put him into the silver goblet, sealing him. He still had to face Dumbledorelater.
Picking up the diary, since the extremely ugly infant-shaped soul, which was the core of the Horcrux, had just been pulled out, there was no longer any connection between the two.
A wisp of Fiendfyre ignited from Ethan's fingertip, directly burning through the middle of the diary. In a moment, it was pierced through, and the fire continued to spread until only a third remained, at which point Ethan extinguished it.
The soul fragment had just left, still carrying a hint of evil and decay. This thing was perfect to give to Dumbledore.
Anyway, when Little Tom was resurrected, he would lose his function as a Horcrux and exist as a separate, living person.
This was the same as destroying a Horcrux.
Chapter 134: Hogwarts Special Contribution Award
Pulling Ron with one hand and holding the burned diary with the other, and lingering for a while longer, Ethan finally deactivated Nibelungen.
Glancing at the quiet Gryffindor Tower ahead, Ethan once again used magic to summon a crow, which directly carried Ethan and Ron, flying in through the gap Little Tom had blasted open.
At this moment, Harry's dormitory and the corridor outside were empty. Ethan could only place Ron on the floor.
For a moment, he didn't know where the Professors had moved everyone, so he could only pull out his wizard mailbox to send messages to Fred and George, not knowing if they had time to read them.
However, looking at Ron, who was already in bad shape, the only thing Ethan could do was cast a healing spell on him, but the effect wasn't significant, as it was for external injuries.
Ron had been hit by Mjölnir and fallen from a high altitude. Although Little Tom's magic had protected him somewhat, it was clear that his bones and internal organs were injured, and a wave of his life force had been absorbed.
Ethan could only make his condition slightly better.
True healing still required Potions, but Ethan didn't have the habit of carrying healing Potions with him.
Before long, the cover of the wizard mailbox Ethan had placed beside him glowed with a faint blue light, indicating that someone had sent him a message.
Ethan looked through it; it was from Hermione, asking how he was, where he was, that Dumbledore and Professor Snape had gone out to look for him, and about their current situation.
One message after another.
Ethan patiently read them all. She said they went to look for him, but he hadn't encountered Snape or Dumbledore!
It seemed they couldn't find him after he had deployed Nibelungen. Given this, Dumbledore and Snape had most likely gone to the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione knew these messages, which Fred and Georgemust have told her.
Ethan replied to all these questions, also informing them that Ron's condition was not good.
After exchanging a few words, Ethan put away his wizard mailbox and, using a Levitation Charm, took Ron and hurried towards the Hufflepuff common room, where they were all gathered and protected by Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall.
Moreover, Professor McGonagall had used Transfiguration to create many sleeping bags, placing them in the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories for them to rest there at night.
Just as they descended the Gryffindor Tower, a rush of hurried footsteps echoed from a distance.
Professor McGonagall arrived with Fred, George, and Hermione.
"Ethan, are you alright?!"
Hermione ran over as soon as she saw Ethan, scrutinizing him from head to toe; if Professor McGonagall hadn't been there, she would have even tried to check him herself.
At Professor McGonagall's reminder, Fred only told outsiders that Ron was controlled by a Dark Arts artifact, which was to prevent panic; besides him and George, only Ethan, who was pursuing, and the unlucky one in the infirmary knew the details.
As long as Fred and George didn't speak, others wouldn't know the truth.
But due to Ethan's relationship with Hermione, Fred still chose to tell Hermione the truth.
"I'm fine, it's just Ron's condition isn't too good~"
"He was controlled to fight me, suffered no small injuries, and also lost some life force."
Ethan pointed to Ron behind him.
"Ethan, thank you so much this time."
Fred's eyes were a little red; so much had happened in one night, Percy had been sent to the infirmary for treatment, and now Ron was like this too.
"I couldn't just watch Ron be taken away, could I?!"
Ethan wasn't embarrassed at all; even if he hadn't intervened, Ron's situation wouldn't have been good, and it might even have been worse.
Besides, the diary wasn't something Ethan had given to Ron.
"Take Ron to the infirmary first."
After a brief examination of Ron's injuries, Professor McGonagall quickly made a decision.
"How are Neville and the others?"
Ethan quietly asked Hermione from the side.
He remembered that the Blasting Curse had affected those three unlucky ones, and he wondered what their situation was now.
"Nothing serious, they were just thrown by the explosion and fell a few times, suffering some minor external injuries and fright; they're all in the infirmary now."
Professor McGonagall's voice came from ahead.
When she received Lee Jordan's message, she was stunned.
She immediately used a Patronus Charm to deliver the message, while she herself rushed over, but by the time she arrived, Ethan had already given chase, leaving behind only Fred, George, and a ground full of injured students.
"In the future, if anything happens, communicate with a Professor first; you are Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor."
"Thank you for saving Ron and the other students, Ravenclaw will be awarded fifty points."
"You can send a message to Filius now; he's still very worried about you in the Ravenclaw dormitory."
Professors also used wizard mailboxes and had even set up a group chat; after Professor McGonagall delivered the message with a Patronus Charm, she used the wizard mailbox for contact, which was more convenient and faster, though mail alerts were not very noticeable.
"Understood."
Subsequently, Ethan used his wizard mailbox to send messages to Professor Flitwick, his roommates, as well as Cassandra and Penelope.
Bang!
Bang!
"Poppy!"
"Coming!"
Hearing Professor McGonagall's voice, Madam Pomfreyhurried over.
She looked at Ron and, without a word, took him inside.
"Ethan, what happened to that diary?"
Hearing Fred's words, Professor McGonagall also turned her head.
"Only this much is left."
Saying that, Ethan pulled out the remains of the diary.
Professor McGonagall took it immediately and quickly examined it; it concerned Lord Voldemort, so there was no room for even a little carelessness.
She hadn't asked at first, thinking Ethan had let him escape.
Suddenly, amid a flash of fire, Dumbledore and Snapewere brought over by a Phoenix.
They hadn't found any clues in the Forbidden Forest; Hagrid and the Centaur had only seen a few green spells exploding in mid-air, and Dumbledore had wanted to ask about the situation inside the school, only discovering Professor McGonagall's message after taking out his wizard mailbox.
And finally, he rushed back with the Phoenix.
After exchanging words with Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore turned to Ethan: "Ethan, you did very well today; I think I should award you a Hogwarts Special Contribution Award, at this year's House Cup ceremony."
"Thank you, Principal!"
The House Cup was probably secure now; if a HogwartsSpecial Contribution Award was given, how could they not add points?
Professor McGonagall had just added fifty points, and there were still points from the Duelling Tournament to come; even if Snape were shameless, he wouldn't be able to catch up.
"I would like to understand the sequence of events, if possible."
After observing the diary's remains for a while, Dumbledore then continued to speak to Ethan.
He already had some suspicions about Lord Voldemort's current state, and now it could be confirmed.
"Certainly!"
Ethan was prepared for the conversation.
Dumbledore then led Ethan and Snape to a corner.
"Ethan, can you tell me what happened after you pursued him?"
Dumbledore already understood the preceding events, but he couldn't comprehend how Ethan and that Horcruxhad evaded his senses, and what had happened during that time.
"I opened the Chamber of Secrets of Ravenclaw, and there I learned some uncommon magic, one of which was to pull people into a confined space. To prevent him from escaping, I used this magic."
"During the subsequent battle, I used lightning to force him out of Ron's body; he was afraid of electricity. Finally, I realized this thing was similar to a soul, not easily killed, and only succeeded after burning the diary with Fiendfyre."
The more detailed the explanation, the more errors there would be, so Ethan simply gave a brief overview, leaving the rest for Dumbledore to imagine.
"...You opened the Chamber of Secrets of Ravenclaw. I hope you will study the knowledge gained from it well. If there's nothing else to add, I'll have Professor McGonagall send you back to your dormitory to rest."
"There's nothing else to add."
Ethan shook his head, not saying much more.
As for the Fiendfyre Curse, Snape and Dumbledore did not question it.
Both were Dark Arts, but Ron directed it at his own people, while Ethan directed it at an enemy.
After watching Ethan leave, Snape then said to Dumbledore: "What he just said still concealed something."
"That's not important; at least he destroyed this diary, which cannot be faked."
Dumbledore picked up the remains of the diary; it was too badly burned. Besides confirming it was a Horcrux, nothing else could be discerned.
As for what Ethan concealed, Dumbledore surmised it was some secrets from the Ravenclaw Chamber of Secrets, which Ethan was simply unwilling to tell others, hence the concealment.
"It's related to Lord Voldemort, so what is this diary? Don't tell me you don't know."
Snape stared intently at Dumbledore; this old man always liked to keep things from him. If he could beat him, he would definitely force him to drink Veritaserum.
"A Horcrux, an extremely evil Dark Arts; dividing one's soul to create Horcruxes means that as long as the Horcrux is not destroyed, Lord Voldemort, as the creator, will never truly die." Today, Dumbledore did not conceal it from Snape; many subsequent plans required him to execute, so it was necessary to tell him this information.
"How many Horcruxes does Lord Voldemort have?"
Snape frowned, also realizing the seriousness of the problem.
If Lord Voldemort hid his Horcruxes well, would he never truly die?
If so, then the prophecy concerning Harry would be false.
"I don't know; this is the first Horcrux to be discovered."
Dumbledore shook his head; he truly didn't know.
However, he did have some clues.
"Then why was Lord Voldemort's Horcrux at the Weasley home? Are the Weasley connected to Lord Voldemort?"
Thinking from another perspective, if he had created a Horcrux, he would definitely place it in a safe location.
Unless the Weasley were Lord Voldemort's loyal followers, only then would it be possible for them to safeguard his Horcrux.
Combined with Ron's words on the stage, Snape felt it was increasingly probable.
Ron had found the hidden Horcrux at home and brought it to Hogwarts, where he learned Dark Arts from it, which led to everything being exposed.
"Not the Weasley, but Malfoy!"
"A House-elf told me this."
After Harry's attack on the Quidditch Pitch last time, Dumbledore had found Dobby.
But he didn't know that the great conspiracy against Harry, as described by Dobby, would be Lord Voldemort's Horcrux; if he had known earlier, he wouldn't have let it continue.
Chapter 135: Duelling Tournament Concludes
Time came to the end of May, and today was the final of the Duelling Tournament.
The events that occurred in the Gryffindor dormitory a while ago were still occasionally brought up.
Dumbledore had also explained in the Great Hall that Ron was bewitched by a Dark Arts artifact and that it had nothing to do with the Weasley.
Now, except for Ron, who was still unpopular, the other Weasley were doing much better.
The school year was almost over, and just like last year, this period was the peak sales season for Baffling Brain Elixir.
Although it was already being widely sold outside, and small workshops had started mass production, Ethan did not stop his three roommates' output, considering it as pocket money for them.
Gene's participation in the Quidditch school team this semester meant he had much less time to contribute, and Terry also became lax; most of the production at Hogwarts was brewed by Michael, as he was the most diligent.
Anyway, with the external production keeping up, there was no worry about not meeting demand; if they ran out of stock, they would just have someone send more over.
After breakfast, Ethan, Penelope, and others arrived at the venue, which was already bustling with activity.
Not only Hogwarts students, but also a considerable number of parents had come.
Although he hadn't used Legilimency to read Lockhart's and Ludo's minds during this period, he knew they were behind this.
Naturally, only Wizards could come to Hogwarts; Muggleparents couldn't, and Wizards could participate in their gambling with Galleons.
Ethan even saw Ludo's signboard, announcing today's increased betting limit of five thousand Galleons per person, an increase of two thousand from the original.
This was enough to cover most situations; besides a few wealthy pure-blood families, who could put five thousand Galleons on a bet at once?
"Do you want me to lend you another two thousand Galleons?"
As early as the day Ethan fleeced Lockhart, he had lent Penelope, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Luna three thousand Galleons each, with the understanding that they only needed to return the Principal after the competition.
Whatever they earned was their own; Ethan didn't want a single Knut.
It wasn't that Ethan was stingy or reluctant to give money, but rather that they would likely not accept it if given, as it was different from a gift.
"No need, we've earned enough two thousand Galleons during this time."
Penelope said confidently.
They had participated in the daily matches during this period.
On the day of the third and fourth-year matches, they would bet on Cho Chang; for fifth and sixth years, it was Penelope, and for seventh years, it depended on their judgment.
If it was their own match that day, they would have others place bets for them.
Although Penelope and a few others were also popular contenders, their odds could never be lower than Ethan's.
This also allowed them to earn a lot; at least Penelopeand Hermione would no longer need to exchange Pounds for Galleons at Gringotts in the future.
Upon reaching Ludo, Ethan bet five thousand Galleons on Penelope to win; his own odds were set too low, and five thousand Galleons wouldn't earn much, making it like a mere trifle.
"Ethan, long time no see, how have you been lately?"
Just as he emerged from the crowd, he saw Luciusapproaching.
He was dressed the same as before, but he looked a lot more haggard.
"Not bad, I made a little money here."
"Do you have time? Shall we go outside and talk?"
"Sure!"
Lucius had contributed quite a few Galleons, and he might need him again later, so it wouldn't be good to offend him.
As for what Dumbledore thought about him getting close to pure-blood families, that was up to Dumbledore's imagination.
"What happened when Ron was controlled a while ago? Was it really the notebook?"
The day after the incident, Dumbledore explained the situation to the school board, though he didn't mention Lord Voldemort's Horcrux.
There was such a large hole blown in the GryffindorTower, and several students were injured, so it couldn't be covered up.
After hearing this news, Lucius panicked and hadn't been able to rest well since.
Ethan was a witness at the time, and he also knew that he was the one who gave the diary to Ron, so he must have seen its true nature.
It was fine if Ethan knew, but if Dumbledore knew, it would really be troublesome, and he didn't know if Ethan had told Dumbledore.
Don't look at how glorious he was on the outside now; once anything related to Lord Voldemort's Horcrux was exposed, his family would definitely be raided. Those pure-blood families harmed by Lord Voldemort would not let go of such a good opportunity.
Ethan also knew what he wanted to ask.
"When the diary controlled Ron, it revealed its identity: Lord Voldemort's memories from his student days, TomMarvolo Riddle, the letters rearranged spell 'I am Lord Voldemort.' Several people knew this news."
"Dumbledore naturally knew as well, and most likely thought you orchestrated all of this. Harry encountered a House-elf during the summer holiday, who repeatedly tried to stop him from coming to Hogwarts, saying there was a conspiracy against him. It should be from your family."
"Operating so brazenly at Hogwarts, how likely do you think it is that you could avoid being caught by Dumbledore once discovered?"
After listening, Lucius fell silent.
Dobby had indeed been acting strangely lately, sometimes disappearing and being nowhere to be found, which had never happened before. And he seemed a bit guilty when facing him, as if he had done something wrong.
"Mr. Malfoy, since you know, I'll leave first. I still have my match soon."
"Hmm, this is the gift I brought this time, a Chimera's venom sac. I hope it can be useful to you."
Lucius, regaining his composure, pulled out a glass jar from his pocket. Inside was a purple sac-like object, with some purple liquid at the bottom of the glass bottle.
After parting ways, Ethan carefully put away the glass bottle. As expected of a prominent family, they were generous.
This was the essence of a Chimera. It wasn't sold on the market, and it was hard to find even in the black market. This thing was simply too dangerous and extremely difficult to deal with.
If it were to leak here, it might poison all the young Wizards present.
According to Ravenclaw's records, Dark Wizards of that era used to mix Chimera venom with plague to create super viruses, and some used it to refine poisons, slaughtering more than twenty Muggle villages overnight.
However, it seemed to have little use for Ethan; it could only be considered a nice collectible.
Heading to the contestants' tent, everyone except Ethan had arrived.
This was a special setup for today; previously, contestants would only go to the arena from the audience stands when their names were called.
Soon, the first match began.
Luna was against a young male Wizard from Slytherin, a half-blood, the one Lockhart chose to use for cheating.
According to Ethan's observations, the equipment Lockhart lent out was usually borrowed by one person, four or five pieces used in rotation, but high-grade items like fire escape and Fire God Opens the Way were not lent out.
But even with Lockhart's Alchemy equipment, only three made it to the finals: one from first year, one from third year, and one from fifth year.
Lockhart could buy Alchemy tools from Ethan, and pure-blood families wouldn't lack such things.
It was no problem for them to write a letter back home to borrow something. Conversely, the skill level of those who could cooperate with Lockhart was self-evident.
Even if Lockhart could manipulate who the opponents were in the matches, the skill level difference would narrow down in the later stages.
Within a few minutes, Ethan heard the news of Luna's victory.
Then it was Ethan's match against Cassandra.
Not many people bet on this match today, mainly due to the odds. If the odds were just a bit higher, it would definitely have the widest participation.
When the match began, Ethan treated it as a test of Cassandra's Fiendfyre Curse level.
Two identical orange-red flames rose, but in terms of scale and speed, Cassandra still couldn't compare to Ethan.
Of course, Ethan didn't add anything else this time; it was purely the Fiendfyre Curse.
Facing Cassandra's attacking shapeshifting flames of Chimera, Dragon, and Phoenix, Ethan's side was just pure Fiendfyre. However, under Ethan's control, the flames surged like waves, one higher than the other, preventing Cassandra's attacks from advancing an inch.
Dumbledore also personally came out to stabilize the arena's defenses. He couldn't guarantee that a sudden outburst wouldn't spread Fiendfyre throughout the entire venue.
And the young Wizards below were already stunned, mouths agape. "Are you sure we're really attending the same school?"
Many confused spectators looked at Professor Flitwick, wanting to know if he had given Ethan and Cassandraspecial tutoring, otherwise, why hadn't they learned this?
This was clearly not a Fire Charm, but a more advanced spell.
The parents gathered together discussed the Worre Family. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that they were about to rise. With this Fiendfyre alone, let alone Ethan's level, many of them couldn't even control it as stably as Cassandra!
As Ethan's sea of fire pressed closer, Cassandra had little space left, all of it occupied by Ethan's Fiendfyre. Unexpectedly, when she tried to use Fiendfyre to attack, it was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, unable to create any ripples.
Ethan only withdrew his Fiendfyre when it was about two meters from Cassandra.
Cassandra then conceded.
Next, in the third-year match, Cho Chang chose to use a necklace with a Shield Charm cast on it, since her opponent used such items first.
And the victory, without a doubt, was taken by Cho Chang.
After all, Cho Chang had stronger raw power. Although she couldn't break the opponent's Shield Charm in a short time, in a battle of attrition, Cho Chang clearly had the upper hand.
In the fourth year, Cedric won, using Transfiguration to trick the opposing Slytherin Wizard. No one expected the usually honest Hufflepuff to play such tricks.
In the fifth year, the one chosen by Lockhart and his group won; this person was from Gryffindor House.
In the sixth year, Penelope won with an overwhelming advantage. She was already talented, but lacked family backing, which had previously caused her strength to be neither high nor low.
Now, after Ethan's Make up, and combined with her natural inclination to strive, her strength had far surpassed her peers.
Percy could have been Penelope's opponent in this match, but due to being too severely injured that day, he recuperated for over a week before returning to school normally. All other injuries from the explosion were healed, leaving only many scars, but his right hand was missing three fingers, completely shattered and beyond recovery, causing him to withdraw from the competition.
After all, he couldn't hold his wand steadily, and his spellcasting issues were quite severe. Afterwards, he could only practice casting with his left hand, otherwise, his life would be like this.
The seventh-year champion was a male student council president from Slytherin.
At this point, all seven-year matches were concluded.
Ravenclaw became the biggest winner, securing four-year championships, which meant four hundred points.
The other three Houses each gained one hundred points.