Chapter 111 Secret Meeting
"Albus, it's not polite to barge into someone's office without their permission."
Cornelius Fudge sat behind his desk, a hypocritical smile returning to his face as he stared intently at Dumbledore.
His tone carried a hint of displeasure and a warning, as if reminding Dumbledore that this was his territory, and he was the master here!
Yet, his heart was filled with apprehension towards Dumbledore. He knew Dumbledore's appearance had completely disrupted his plans, and he had to be cautious in dealing with this old fox, Dumbledore.
Dumbledore heard Fudge's words, his kind smile still on his face. He gently removed his hat, bowing slightly to Fudge, his tone full of apology: "Oh! I'm sorry, Cornelius, my old friend. I was just too concerned about my student to be so rude. I know this is your office, but I must ensure my student won't be harmed in any way. I hope you can understand."
His words were full of sincerity. He knew what Fudgeneeded was not a genuine apology, but a reason to save face. He had to give Fudge enough respect to ensure the conversation could proceed smoothly.
After all, Fudge was the Minister of magic, representing the order of the entire magic world. The respect due to him still had to be given, otherwise, the struggle between him and Fudge would become even more difficult.
Fudge saw Dumbledore's humility, and his expression softened slightly.
He knew Dumbledore was also an old fox, and to lower his stance like this indicated that Dumbledore also highly valued the power Moon possessed. The tension he had felt in his heart eased a little.
He sighed softly, his tone becoming calm but carrying a hint of firmness: "Alright, Albus, I accept your apology, but Mr. White's matter must be decided by him. I believe he shouldn't be swayed by you! He should have the right to choose his own future!"
His words carried a warning, to make Dumbledoreunderstand that what he was doing now was not to oppose Dumbledore, but to win over Moon and seize this powerful force for himself.
Dumbledore heard Fudge's words, and an even kinder smile appeared on his face. He nodded gently.
Fudge had seen through his intentions, but he didn't care. He trusted Moon's choice, and he believed Moon could make the most correct decision.
He turned to Moon, his eyes full of encouragement, his tone very gentle: "Mr. White, what do you choose? Do you want to stay at Hogwarts and continue your studies, or do you want to join the Ministry of Magic and become a powerful Auror? I believe that no matter what choice you make, I will support you!"
Everything he said was to test Moon, to see what choice Moon would ultimately make.
And Moon, looking at the two old foxes who were testing each other, knew that if he followed their rhythm, it would never end!
He didn't answer Dumbledore's question immediately. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, once again activating the Time-Space Power within him. That powerful force instantly enveloped the entire office.
The Time-Space Power he unleashed was more mature; he could perfectly control its intensity. He confined his power to a very small area, so that the powerful energy was limited only to the area where the three of them stood, while everything around them remained calm.
Around the three, silver magic ripples danced like elves, shimmering with dazzling light.
He broke the silence in the office with a calm voice: "Now, there's no one else here. We can talk openly."
His words were filled with confidence and deterrence.
Fudge once again felt the power Moon possessed. His body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with horror. He was completely certain that the power enveloping them was the legendary Time-Space Power.
This Time-Space Power was so powerful, so terrifying.
His gaze towards Moon became even more fervent. He became even more convinced in his heart that everything he had done was correct. As long as he could get Moon's help, he would definitely be able to completely grasp all power in the magic world!
And Dumbledore, seeing Moon so easily envelop the entire office in Time-Space Power, his expression also became slightly solemn.
A hint of worry flashed in his eyes. He could clearly feel that Moon's power seemed to be continuously growing.
But he hadn't expected Moon's growth rate to exceed his expectations, even making him feel a hint of threat.
Would Moon, possessing such immense power, become a second Voldemort!
His heart was filled with doubts, and he began to think about his next plan.
Moon, however, completely ignored their complex inner thoughts. He wanted to use the most direct way to unveil their inner disguises.
His gaze swept over the two, and he said in a calm voice: "Minister Fudge, the reason you target Principal Dumbledore is simply because his prestige has threatened your authority, isn't that right?"
His words carried a hint of sarcasm. He wanted Fudge to understand that everything he did was just self-deception.
Fudge's body trembled violently. He knew Moon had completely seen through his heart. He quickly stood up from his chair and denied it in an urgent tone: "No! No! Mr. White, you've misunderstood. How could I possibly target Principal Dumbledore? He is a great man of our magicworld! Everything I do is for the safety of the magic world!"
His tone was full of panic, trying to conceal his true intentions, but his body completely betrayed him.
His hypocritical disguise seemed so ridiculous to Moon.
Moon smiled slightly and didn't continue to dwell on the issue. He knew that even if he pressed further, Fudgewouldn't admit it.
His gaze became profound, and his tone became more serious as he asked Fudge a question he had been thinking about: "Then, Mr. Fudge, I want to ask you, if one day Principal Dumbledore truly falls, and Voldemort returns, what will you do? Do you have the ability to deal with all of this?"
His words were full of deterrence. He wanted Fudge to understand that what he had to face was not just the internal power struggle of the Ministry of Magic, but a huge crisis that could threaten the entire magic world!
Fudge heard Moon's words, and his face instantly turned pale. His body trembled again. He knew that everything Moon said was not alarmist talk,
but a real fact. The rumors of Voldemort's return had always circulated in the magic world. Those families once destroyed by Voldemort were still recounting Voldemort's terror, and he had always been worried that Voldemortwould truly return.
He shook his head repeatedly, refuting in a panicked tone: "Impossible! This is impossible! Voldemort is dead! He absolutely cannot return! This is just the baseless talk of those Death Eaters! I absolutely won't believe it!"
His words were full of fear. He tried to convince himself that Voldemort had completely disappeared, and everything he worried about was just his own illusion.
Moon looked at Fudge's self-deceiving appearance, and he felt a hint of helplessness. He knew that it was impossible to reason with such a person. He had to use facts to break through Fudge's fragile defense.
He slowly raised his hand, and the powerful Time-Space Power once again gathered in his palm.
With a gentle wave, a scene appeared again in the center of the office.
In the scene, a bald man without a nose was leading a group of Death Eaters in black robes, rushing into the Ministry of Magic's main gate. They wantonly destroyed everything in the Ministry of Magic, and the Aurors, once so proud, were like ants before them, completely without any power to resist.
His tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "Minister Fudge, look, this is the magic world you protect! This is the peace you believe in! Can you stop it?!"
His voice echoed in the office like a clap of thunder, completely shattering the last line of defense in Fudge's heart!
Chapter 112 Fudge's Transformation
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could he still be alive?!"
Cornelius Fudge, looking at the nightmare-like scene, his body trembled violently, his face turned ashen, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing became rapid; his heart seemed to be swallowed by an irresistible fear.
He could clearly feel the terrifying aura displayed in that scene, and he could clearly identify that the black-robed man at the head was the one he feared: Voldemort!
That twisted and ferocious face, even through the screen, still sent shivers down his spine.
His body trembled uncontrollably, and he muttered to himself, "This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Didn't he die already? How could he appear again?!"
His voice was full of fear and despair; he seemed unwilling to believe everything he saw, but he couldn't deceive the fear in his heart!
He seemed to be back to the fear he felt the first time he heard the name Voldemort!
It was a fear etched in his bones, making him unable to extricate himself!
And Dumbledore, looking at the familiar yet strange figure on the screen, his face instantly became incredibly solemn, his brows furrowed tightly, and his blue eyes were filled with worry.
He had also never expected that Voldemort would actually make a comeback!
He had always tried to avoid this from happening, and he had always tried to prevent Voldemort's resurrection, but he seemed to have failed.
His heart was full of self-reproach and uneasiness; the upcoming battle would be much more difficult than imagined, and he had to prepare in advance to deal with everything that was about to happen.
"You… you must be lying to me! You are definitely lying to me!" Fudge suddenly roared, charging at Moon, his face, twisted by fear, became incredibly ferocious, his hands, like eagle claws, wanting to grab Moon's collar.
He seemed to want to get answers from Moon, and he also seemed to want to vent all the fear in his heart on Moon; he was unwilling to accept reality; he wanted to completely deny everything he saw!
However, his body was harshly bounced away by an invisible barrier, falling heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
He pointed a trembling finger at Moon and questioned him with a threatening tone, "Who exactly are you? Why are you telling me these things? What exactly do you want to do? You must be lying to me, right? You must be colluding with Dumbledore, wanting to completely control the Ministry of Magic!"
His voice was full of despair, as if he had completely lost his sanity; he felt that he was facing not a harmless student, but a demon from hell.
Moon looked at Fudge's disheveled appearance, with a hint of pity and helplessness in his eyes; Fudge was just a poor man dominated by fear, and all his actions stemmed from the uneasiness in his heart.
Facing Voldemort, their generation of Wizards all had an indelible fear, and Fudge was already considered good; more people didn't even have the courage to hear the name Voldemort.
He gently shook his head and said in a calm tone, "Minister Fudge, you don't need to be so alarmed; I'm not lying to you; these are just some fragments I saw in the future, and what you fear will eventually happen, and what I want to do is to prevent all of this from happening!"
His words were full of confidence; he wanted Fudge to understand that even when facing a powerful enemy, he would bravely stand up and protect everything he cherished.
"Moreover, Minister, I think the reason you are so eager to win me over is precisely because you guessed the power I use, right? This is just part of my power's abilities."
He directly revealed Fudge's deepest thoughts; he wanted Fudge to understand that he could no longer deceive himself.
Fudge's body trembled violently when he heard Moon's words; he finally woke up from the shock, and he looked at Moon's calm eyes.
His body trembled even more violently; he turned to Dumbledore, seemingly wanting to confirm something.
Moon knew that Fudge had completely believed the fact of Voldemort's resurrection.
He gave Fudge an encouraging smile, and his voice softened a bit: "Don't worry, Mr. Fudge, although Voldemort has returned, you are not alone; you still have Albus, and you still have me, don't you? Since I can foresee the future, then I must also have a way to prevent all of this from happening."
He hoped to establish a cooperative relationship with Fudge, so that he wouldn't cause trouble behind their backs during Voldemort's arrival.
When Fudge heard Moon's words, his body trembled violently, and the flame of hope reignited in his originally despairing eyes.
He quickly ran to Dumbledore, tightly grasped Dumbledore's hand, and pleaded with his voice full of entreaty: "Albus! I… I know I was wrong; I shouldn't have always been prejudiced against you; I shouldn't have listened to those slanders; I… I now know that everything you did was for the future of the magic world! Please, forgive me! I… I am willing to bear all responsibility!"
His tone was full of remorse; he seemed to want to make up for all the mistakes he had made before, and he seemed to want to regain Dumbledore's trust.
He bent down and bowed deeply to Dumbledore,
and said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, Albus, I apologize to you for the foolish mistakes I've made over the years! Please… please accept my apology!"
His tone was full of sincerity; he knew that only by gaining Dumbledore's forgiveness could he gain the ability to continue leading the magic world and have a future.
He seemed to have forgotten all his previous suspicions about Dumbledore, and he also forgot all the power he insisted on; what he was thinking now was just to beg for Dumbledore's forgiveness; as long as he could get Dumbledore's support, even if it meant giving up everything, he would not hesitate.
Dumbledore looked at Fudge, who was crying bitterly in front of him, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.
He gently sighed; he could feel Fudge's fear and despair at this moment,
and he also knew that everything Fudge did was to maintain his own power,
but it didn't matter to him; what he was thinking now was just how to unite the entire magic world to jointly resist the coming crisis.
He needed Fudge's support, and he also needed Moon's power; only by uniting everyone could they defeat Voldemort!
He gently helped Fudge's trembling body up, his tone gentle yet firm: "Cornelius, everything is in the past; I never blamed you; I know that everything you did was to protect this world, and I also believe that you will make the most correct choice."
Chapter 113 The Old Bee Who Loves Sugar
"Headmaster Dumbledore, don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
Moon followed Dumbledore through the bustling streets of London, his sharp silver eyes fixed on the old man walking ahead.
Dumbledore was very strange; he hadn't asked what had happened to him at all.
Dumbledore didn't seem to hear Moon's words; he continued to walk on his own, holding a giant lemon-flavored lollipop, eagerly licking it.
A childish, innocent smile appeared on his face, and his bright blue eyes, like stars, sparkled under the sunlight.
His snow-white beard gently swayed with his movements, like a mischievous old rascal.
He stopped, turned his head, and winked at Moon, his hand holding the giant lollipop waving in front of Moon's eyes, his tone full of boasting and a hint of childishness: "Oh, Moon, do you know? This candy called 'lollipop' is absolutely wonderful; it's enough for me to eat all day!"
His face was full of satisfaction; he seemed to have completely forgotten everything that had just happened at the Ministry of Magic.
Moon looked at Dumbledore's feigned madness, his mouth twitching slightly, feeling utterly helpless.
He also knew that getting the answers he wanted from Dumbledore would probably not be easy.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner frustration, and asked again in a calm tone: "Alright, Headmaster Dumbledore, I'll rephrase the question.
I want to ask you, sixty-five years ago, did you ever hear of a person named Moon White?"
He threw the question back to Dumbledore, wanting to see how Dumbledore would answer and to probe Dumbledore's true thoughts.
Dumbledore stopped when he heard Moon's question, thought seriously for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed.
After a while, he slowly shook his head and said with a hint of apology in his tone: "Sixty-five years ago? My child, time is simply too long, and I have experienced far too many things.
Some things I can no longer remember clearly, but it doesn't matter; I have a habit of preserving memories.
You know, when you live too long, you can't remember many things, so you can only use this method to record those important moments.
Let me go back and check, then I'll give you an answer."
His words carried a hint of helplessness and a touch of vicissitude.
He turned around again and continued walking forward, leaving Moon far behind.
"Don't remember? Extract memories?!" Moon's heart suddenly trembled; he seemed to understand something.
He quickly looked up at Dumbledore's back, his eyes filled with shock, and he murmured to himself: "No wonder... no wonder he acted so unfamiliar with everything about me.
It turns out he had already extracted all memories concerning me!"
In his mind, Dumbledore's office appeared, with its cabinets filled with various bottles and jars; those contained the memories Dumbledore had extracted.
He finally understood why Dumbledore had no influence on him; after all, even if his actions were kept secret, Dumbledore, given his personality, would have inquired about him through Newt.
However, he couldn't understand why Dumbledore would extract all memories about him.
Was he afraid of affecting the future? No, that's not right; what he did was change the past to affect the future.
Dumbledore should have retained his memories to stop him.
After all, in some ways, changing the past to affect the future is more destructive than Voldemort.
He couldn't figure it out.
"Alright, child, we're here."
Dumbledore suddenly stopped, tilted his head towards Moon beside him, and said in a slightly suggestive tone.
Moon looked up.
His gaze passed through the gaps between the tall buildings and landed on the old and dilapidated pub.
He could clearly see the words "Leaky Cauldron" written in ancient script on the pub's sign.
His heart suddenly trembled; he had almost forgotten that school was about to start and he hadn't yet bought his second-year school supplies.
Too many things had happened these past few days; it was all too surreal.
He took a deep breath.
Calming his inner thoughts, he was still a second-year student now; studying was the main theme.
Saving the world and changing the past could wait for now.
His figure slowly entered the Leaky Cauldron, feeling the rich scent of butterbeer and the faint sound of Wizards' conversations.
"I think you'll need this."
Dumbledore suddenly pulled out a piece of parchment from his robes and handed it to Moon, his tone still gentle, and his face still bearing his characteristic smile.
Moon took the parchment and looked down, his gaze falling on the crooked handwriting.
His brows furrowed slightly.
He found that what was written on the parchment was the list of items required for Hogwarts' second year!
It's just that the handwriting was too messy; was the quick-quotes quill broken?
His gaze lingered on a line of text, and his mouth twitched involuntarily.
He asked in a slightly displeased tone: "Are these also necessary?"
He looked up at Dumbledore and pointed his finger at the list, at rows of names—Gilderoy Lockhart.
It was densely filled with the titles of Lockhart's autobiographies.
Dumbledore glanced at Moon, a playful smile on his face, and his tone slightly profound: "Of course, Mr. Lockhart will be the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts classat Hogwarts this year, and these are all his requirements.
I don't think you would refuse, would you?"
His words carried a hint of slyness and teasing, as if he wanted to see how Moon would react.
Moon was silently fuming inside; Dumbledore, that old meddler, was definitely doing this on purpose.
He felt utterly helpless inside; he rolled his eyes at Dumbledore.
The textbooks for students were set by the subject Professor; no one was an exception.
He could only silently accept it in his heart.
Dumbledore patted Moon's shoulder: "Alright, child, I have other matters to attend to.
I believe with your ability, you can complete the task of purchasing school supplies very well on your own."
With that, Dumbledore winked at Moon, then turned and left the Leaky Cauldron.
Chapter 114 Intercepting Notes
Moon came to Diagon Alley alone.
The familiar clamor and the unique scent of various magical items instantly pulled him back into the long-lost Wizarding World.
He took a deep breath, filled with emotion.
It's been a long time, Diagon Alley!
Small flags of various colors fluttered in the breeze, people in all sorts of Wizard robes bustled about, and the air was filled with a mixed scent of cauldrons, quills, and unknown Potions.
He looked down at the booklist in his hand—a stack of books about Gilderoy Lockhart—and frowned.
Thinking of Lockhart's hypocritical smile and his despicable act of stealing others' achievements with the Memory Charm, Moon felt a wave of disgust.
This coward, who only knew how to use the Memory Charm to steal others' experiences to write his own stories, was truly sickening!
He wondered what Dumbledore was thinking, inviting such a person to be the Defense Against the Dark ArtsProfessor. Had Hogwarts run out of teachers?
But since he was here, he would make the best of it.
Moon decided to buy the books first.
He started walking towards Flourish and Blotts.
However, before he even reached the bookstore's entrance, a noisy quarrel reached his ears, drawing his attention.
"That's right, go back to your pigsty!" another voice echoed.
"Hahahaha..." A harsh laugh followed.
Moon frowned and quickened his pace.
He pushed through the crowded people and finally saw the center of the argument.
Draco Malfoy stood not far away, his two bulky cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, swaggering through the crowd.
Standing before his father, Lucius, were the Weasleyfamily and Harry Potter.
Mr. Weasley and Lucius were locked in a heated standoff, both their faces flushed red.
Mr. Weasley shouted angrily, "What did you say, Lucius!" His voice trembled slightly with fury.
Lucius glanced disdainfully at Mr. Weasley, then turned his gaze to Harry, saying in a sarcastic tone, "I never thought the famous Harry Potter would associate with people like you. It truly lowers your status."
His eyes were full of mockery, as if he was deeply disappointed by Harry's choice.
Mr. Weasley trembled with rage, clenching his fists, about to swing at Lucius.
However, Lucius was quicker.
He immediately raised his wand, pointing it at Mr. Weasley, his eyes full of threat.
"Weasley, you'd better think carefully. This is Diagon Alley, not your home. Don't force me to teach you a lesson here," Lucius said coldly.
His voice carried a hint of disdain, as if he didn't care about Mr. Weasley at all.
Then, his gaze fell on the old cauldron in Ginny Weasley's hand.
He picked up a worn-out second-hand book from inside and said mockingly, "Oh, look at this. Weasley, the Ministry of Magic must be very busy lately, always working overtime, eh? But it seems they haven't paid you for it. You're so poor you can only buy your daughter such junk."
He deliberately raised his voice so that everyone around could hear.
He paused, scanning the Weasley family, and continued, "But don't insult the reputation of Wizards. For example, by associating with Muggles." After saying that, he specifically looked at Harry, seemingly implying something.
With that, he put the worn-out second-hand book back into Ginny's cauldron, and while everyone's attention was on his conversation, he secretly slipped a black notebook inside.
His movements were very subtle; if one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice at all.
"I believe we have different understandings on the issue of insulting the reputation of Wizards," Mr. Weasley glared at Lucius, retorting without backing down.
His eyes were full of anger, as if he couldn't wait to fight Lucius immediately.
Moon noticed that Mr. Weasley hadn't detected Lucius's little trick; his attention was completely drawn by Lucius's words.
He glanced at the extra black notebook, his eyes narrowing slightly.
This Lucius is no good; he likes to play dirty.
Moon walked out of the crowd.
He grabbed the black notebook from Ginny's cauldron, a playful smile on his face as he looked at Lucius.
His movements were swift and clean, giving no one a chance to stop him.
"Where did this impolite brat come from? Don't you know it's wrong to take other people's things?" Lucius's face instantly darkened. He stared intently at Moon, his eyes filled with anger and displeasure.
How dare this clueless fellow ruin his plans!
"Is that so? Who said I took it?" Moon playfully looked at the enraged Lucius, whose plan had been thwarted, then turned around and said to Ginny, who was shielding Harry, in a gentle voice, "Miss Weasley, may I buy this notebook from you? I'll offer 100 Galleons."
He deliberately raised his voice, making sure everyone around could hear.
As soon as Moon finished speaking, the surrounding crowd erupted in gasps.
100 Galleons! That was no small sum!
Enough for the Weasley family to live comfortably for a while.
Everyone looked at Moon with shocked eyes, as if they couldn't believe he would be so generous.
Ginny was also stunned. She gaped, looking at Moon with an incredulous expression, as if she couldn't believe her ears.
She had never seen so much money; 100 Galleons was an astronomical figure to her.
Lucius's face grew even uglier.
He hadn't expected someone to jump out and disrupt his plan, and at such an outrageous price.
This infuriated him, but he dared not say anything, lest he arouse others' curiosity about the notebook.
"Sir, are you sure you want to spend 100 Galleons on an ordinary notebook?" Mr. Weasley also looked at Moon with some surprise. He didn't quite understand why someone would be willing to spend so much money on a notebook of little value.
Moon smiled slightly, nodded at Mr. Weasley, and said with a confident tone, "Of course, Mr. Weasley, I'm very sure. I just think this notebook is very valuable."
His words carried a hint of mystery, seeming to suggest that this notebook was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
"In that case, then... then I'll sell it to you."
Mr. Weasley hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to Moon's request.
He knew that 100 Galleons was very important to his family, and he couldn't miss this opportunity.
Ginny also nodded, handing the notebook to Moon. Her face still held a hint of confusion, not knowing when she had brought out the notebook.
Moon took the notebook, smiled slightly at Ginny, then pulled out a money bag from his pocket, counted out 100 shiny Galleons, and handed them to Mr. Weasley.
Mr. Weasley took the Galleons, a grateful smile on his face.
Lucius watched Moon and the Weasley family, his face terribly gloomy. His fists were clenched tightly, but he also realized that Moon was a student, so he gave up, thinking it didn't matter who it was.
"Hmph! Let's go!"
Lucius snorted coldly, glared fiercely at Moon, then left the crowd with Draco.
Moon watched Lucius's retreating back, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into a meaningful smile.
This semester's crisis could be resolved early, and he wondered how strong the Basilisk was.
He turned around, showing a brilliant smile to the Weasleyfamily and Harry: "Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, Ron! Long time no see! And Harry, it's so good to see you!" He greeted them warmly, his tone filled with the joy of reunion.
After speaking, Moon quickly stepped forward and enthusiastically hugged Harry and Ron. He patted Harry's shoulder, a relieved smile on his face.
Harry looked at Moon, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks to you for arriving in time, otherwise our family would have been humiliated by him."
Ron also scratched his head, saying a little awkwardly, "Yeah, Moon, thank you. By the way, where were you this summer? We sent you several letters, but didn't get a reply."
"Some things happened this summer; I was quite busy, so I couldn't reply to your letters in time. I'm really sorry," Moonexplained, a hint of apology on his face.
Hermione also walked over, giving Moon a sweet smile. "Moon, it's so good to see you! You're still amazing; you sent Lucius away with just a few words."
Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley also nodded at Moon, grateful smiles on their faces. "Moon, thank you; you've helped us a great deal," Mr. Weasley said.
"It's nothing, Mr. Weasley. We're all friends, no need to be so polite. I just really needed this notebook," Moon said with a smile.
"By the way, Moon, where are you going? Why don't we go together?" Hermione suggested.
Moon thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm just about to go to Flourish and Blotts to buy some books. Do you want to come along?"
"Oh, we just finished buying ours, but I can help you," Harry said excitedly.
Chapter 115 Buying Books
"Ding! Plot item detected: Tom's notebook. Quest received: Open the Chamber of Secrets. Reward: White Copy Talent x1."
The notification from the infinite talent system rang in his mind.
Do simple quests only reward White Copy Talent?
He wondered if the Basilisk would trigger a quest.
Moon said to Harry and the others, who were about to accompany him back into Flourish and Blotts, "No need, you go buy other things first. I've finished buying everything else. I'll find you after I'm done with the books."
He needed some quiet time alone to properly study the Tom's notebook that Lucius had secretly slipped to Ginny.
"Alright."
"Then we'll go ahead."
"See you later!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione responded one after another. After bidding farewell to Moon, they excitedly headed towards Flourish and Blotts.
Moon watched their retreating figures, took a deep breath, and calmed his inner excitement. He tightly clutched the black notebook in his hand, feeling the evil aura emanating from Voldemort.
"Open the Chamber of Secrets... huh?" Moon's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a meaningful smile.
He had long been interested in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.
The method to open the Chamber of Secrets was simple: in the girls' lavatory on the third floor, one only needed to use Parseltongue to say "Open" to the faucet.
However, before that, he should first buy those nauseating books.
Moon walked into Flourish and Blotts.
As he expected, the bookstore was packed with students and parents buying textbooks for the new term. The air was thick with the scent of paper and ink, as well as the various different smells emanating from the Wizards, making him feel very uncomfortable in the crowded environment.
He frowned and walked directly to the bookshelf displaying Gilderoy Lockhart's books.
Looking at the dazzling array of Lockhart's autobiographies and their gaudy covers, he felt another wave of revulsion.
These books were a waste of paper and ink, an insult to the magic world! They were better off used to prop up a table leg.
He quickly swept all of Lockhart's books from the list into his shopping basket.
"Clatter..."
The sound of a large pile of books falling into the shopping basket immediately attracted many people's attention.
The students and parents looked at Moon with curious eyes, seemingly wondering why he was buying so many books about Lockhart. Was he a loyal fan of Lockhart?
Just then, he suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder.
Moon paused slightly, turned around, and saw a young witch wearing a blue Wizard robe and gold-rimmed glasses standing behind him, with a friendly smile on her face.
Her smile was very sweet, making people feel very approachable.
"Hello, can I help you?" Moon asked, puzzled. He didn't know this witch in front of him and wondered why she had tapped his shoulder.
The witch smiled and said, "Hello, I'm Lily Harper, a staff member at Flourish and Blotts. I saw you buying so many of Lockhart's books, and I wanted to ask if you're a big fan of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart?" Her eyes were full of curiosity, as if she really wanted to know why Moon was so interested in Lockhart.
Moon's lips twitched slightly when he heard Lily's words, thinking: Like Lockhart? That's impossible, never in this lifetime.
If it weren't for completing his studies, he wouldn't buy these nauseating books.
He didn't want to say much to this enthusiastic female shop assistant and simply replied perfunctorily, "It's alright, just what the Professor required." He hoped to end the conversation quickly and leave this crowded bookstore.
Lily nodded, seemingly understanding something. She smiled and said, "I see. However, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart is indeed very charming, and his books are also very exciting. Many people like him very much." She seemed to greatly admire Lockhart.
She suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Oh, by the way, I have good news for you. ProfessorGilderoy Lockhart will be here for a book signing today. Would you like to stay and watch?" Her eyes were full of anticipation, as if she really hoped Moon would stay and witness Lockhart's charm firsthand.
Book signing? Moon was even more speechless when he heard Lily's words. Lockhart, this fame-seeking fellow, really thought he was a big star, even doing a book signing. How hypocritical!
He shook his head and politely declined, "No thanks, I'm not interested in book signings. I have other things to do." He just wanted to finish buying his books quickly and then find a quiet place to study the black notebook.
Seeing Moon's reaction, Lily's face showed a hint of disappointment, but she still smiled and said, "Alright, that's really a shame. If you change your mind, you can always come find me, and I'll arrange a good spot for you." She was still persistent, seemingly trying her best to keep Moon there.
Moon nodded and, carrying his shopping basket, walked towards the checkout counter.
While waiting in line to pay, he inadvertently glanced at a book titled "Advanced Spell Theory" on a nearby bookshelf. His gaze was instantly drawn to this book.
Advanced Spell Theory?
A thought flashed through his mind.
Perhaps he could buy this book to improve his magic skills.
Relying solely on the Time-Space Power was not comprehensive enough; he needed to learn some more advanced spells to gain an advantage in future battles.
He immediately took out one of Lockhart's books from his shopping basket and replaced it with "Advanced Spell Theory."
"Excuse me, could you please swap this book for this one?" Moon asked the cashier as he approached the counter.
The cashier, a tired-looking middle-aged Wizard, looked up at Moon, then at the two books in his hand, and nodded, saying, "Of course." His tone was somewhat mechanical, as if he was used to such things.
He took the books from Moon's hand, placed Lockhart's book back on the shelf, and scanned "Advanced Spell Theory" into the cash register.
"That will be 15 Sickles," the cashier said to Moon, his eyes never leaving the cash register.
Moon took 15 Sickles from his pocket, handed them to the cashier, and then, carrying his shopping basket, left Flourish and Blotts.
Looking at the black-covered Advanced Spell Theory he now held, Moon smiled slightly.
This trip to Diagon Alley had been full of gains! Not only did he get Tom Riddle's diary, but he also got a copy of Advanced Spell Theory for free. It was truly a bargain.
Moon, carrying his shopping basket, walked towards a secluded alley, looking for a quiet place to properly study the black notebook.
Chapter 116 Horcrux Notes
Moon navigated through the bustling crowds of Diagon Alley and turned into a narrow, dim alley.
Tall buildings lined both sides of the alley, blocking most of the sunlight, making it feel particularly cold and damp.
The air was filled with a faint musty smell and some indescribable strange odors, which made one feel very uncomfortable.
Moon, however, didn't care. He carefully observed his surroundings, and only after confirming that no one was following him, did he stop.
He placed his shopping basket on the ground and then pulled out the black notebook from his pocket.
The cover of this notebook had no patterns, just plain black, and when touched, it had a rough texture, as if made from some special leather.
On one side of the notebook, there was a line of words written in barely discernible black ink—"Tom Riddle."
Moon keenly sensed the unsettling evil aura emanating from this notebook.
He took a deep breath and slowly opened the first page of the notebook.
It was completely empty, like a hollowed-out shell, with no content inside.
Moon frowned slightly and continued to flip through.
The entire notebook contained no content, only blank pages, which made him very puzzled.
He then remembered that Harry's notebook was also empty when he first got it.
He recalled that in the original story, Harry communicated with the notebook by writing.
This diary must be a special magic item.
However, he also knew that this diary was Voldemort's, or rather, Tom Riddle's first Horcrux, and it wouldn't be simple.
In the original story, Tom Riddle, through the diary, gradually controlled Ginny Weasley's mind, inducing her to do many crazy things.
Under Tom Riddle's control, Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin, released the Basilisk, and attacked the students in the school... Moon's brows furrowed tighter. He hadn't expected Ginny Weasley to be so easily controlled by Voldemort.
This indicated that this diary definitely possessed extremely powerful magic.
"System, scan this diary," Moon murmured in his mind.
"Ding, starting scan of target: Tom Riddle's diary... Scan complete!"
"Target Name: Tom Riddle's Diary"
"Innate Attributes:"
"Soul Fragment (Horcrux): Contains a trace of Voldemort's soul, capable of influencing others' minds."
"Memory Storage: Can store and recall Voldemort's memories."
"magic Erosion: Can erode others' magic power and convert it into its own power."
Looking at the information displayed on the system panel, Moon's heart tightened.
Indeed, this diary Horcrux was not simple.
No wonder Ginny was so easily controlled; it seemed the power of this diary was truly extraordinary.
He knew that this diary was an extremely dangerous item, and if used carelessly, he might be controlled by Voldemort.
Moon carefully placed the notebook into his expandable pocket, planning to destroy it completely after dealing with the Basilisk.
He didn't want to come into contact with the Horcrux too early. With his current strength, he was fearless in a direct confrontation, but he wasn't sure about the safety of its mental influence.
It was better to be cautious; if he lost control and was tricked by Voldemort, he would regret it immensely.
Moon put away the notebook and walked out of the alley. Diagon Alley had already returned to its usual hustle and bustle. He quickly walked to the entrance of Flourish and Blotts and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting for him there.
"Moon, where did you run off to? We thought something had happened to you," Hermione asked, a little worried.
"Yeah, Moon, we've been waiting for you for ages," Ronechoed.
Harry's face also showed concern; he knew Moon was strong, but he couldn't help but worry.
Seeing their concerned looks, Moon felt a touch of warmth inside. He smiled and said, "I'm fine, I just went to a quieter place to handle some things." He didn't want them to know about the Horcrux too early, as it wouldn't be good for them right now.
"So, have you all bought your textbooks?" Moon changed the subject, asking with a smile.
"Hmm, we've bought them all, except Ron still needs to find a second-hand Potion cauldron," Harry nodded and said.
Ron scratched his head awkwardly and sighed, saying, "Last term, when I was studying with Seamus, I accidentally blew up my cauldron. I need to find a way to buy a second-hand one, and... I can't tell my family about this. I just hope my pocket money is enough." His voice grew softer and softer, seemingly very troubled.
Moon looked at Ron's embarrassed expression and understood that his family was poor, and his pocket money probably wouldn't be enough for a second-hand Potioncauldron.
He thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Coincidentally, I also want to buy a new Potion cauldron. How about we go look together? My old one can be used by Ron."
When Ron heard Moon's words, he was stunned. He widened his eyes, looked at Moon, and was too moved to speak. "Moon, this... how can I accept this?"
"What's there to be embarrassed about? We're all friends," Moon patted Ron's shoulder and said with a smile.
Hermione and Harry also smiled and nodded. They knew Moon was a very generous person, always happy to help others.
"Then let's go buy the Potion cauldron first, and then eat together," Moon said with a smile.
"Okay!" the three said in unison, their faces breaking into happy smiles.
Next, they walked around Diagon Alley together, first going to a shop specializing in Potion ingredients and buying a new Potion cauldron.
Moon gave his old cauldron to Ron. Ron couldn't refuse and gratefully accepted it, thus saving his small stash of money.
Then they went to some other shops and bought some interesting trinkets.
They walked and chatted, sharing the fun things that happened during their summer vacation.
They also went to the Leaky Cauldron and enjoyed delicious butterbeer there.
Time passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was evening.
"Moon, we should head back, or Mrs. Weasley will worry again," Harry said to Moon.
"Hmm, I know. Today was really fun. Let's hang out again next time if we have the chance," Moon said with a smile, knowing that the time for parting would eventually come.
"Okay! Next time we meet, we must have a blast!" Ron said with anticipation, a sincere smile on his face.
"Then we'll be going, Moon. See you at school!" Hermionewaved at Moon, a reluctant smile on her face.
"See you at school!" Moon waved back at the three, watching them leave.
After the three left, Moon didn't immediately return to the inn. Instead, he went to some other shops and bought some things he needed.
He also sent a letter to Head of House to let him know he was safe.
It wasn't until night fell that he returned to the inn where he was staying.
He had a fulfilling and happy day.
Before going to bed, he placed the advanced magic theory book he bought today next to his pillow.
And he reminded himself that he must work hard to study magic knowledge and improve his strength.
Moon lay on his bed, filled with anticipation for his upcoming Hogwarts life.
Chapter 117 Worried Hermione
"Moon? Did you see Harry and them again? I just searched all the compartments and couldn't find them."
Hermione pushed open the compartment door and walked in.
She put her luggage down and then plopped down opposite Moon, a hint of confusion and worry on her face.
Her brown eyes darted around the compartment, as if searching for Harry and Ron.
"They…" Moon closed his copy of Advanced Spell Theoryand sighed softly, looking at Hermione's anxious expression.
Hermione must have been worried about Harry and Ron.
"They… Oh, right, they drove to Hogwarts, don't worry too much." Moon said, trying to sound casual, hoping to calm Hermione's emotions this way.
He knew that before Harry's second year, Lucius Malfoy's plan to open the Chamber of Secrets had been overheard by his House-elf, Dobby. Dobby believed Harry would be targeted and in mortal danger, and had been trying every way to prevent Harry from going to Hogwarts.
Under Dobby's obstruction, Harry and Ron couldn't enter Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. In the end, they had no choice but to drive Ron's father's magic car to chase the Hogwarts Express and head to Hogwarts. Their driving skills were limited, and they crashed into the Whomping Willow. The car was almost totaled by the Whomping Willow, and the scene was very messy.
"Drive? Moon, you know Muggles don't have cars that can go to Hogwarts." Hermione frowned, looking at Moon in confusion. She couldn't understand why Moon would give such an absurd answer.
She also knew that Muggle cars couldn't enter the magicworld.
"A magic car, Ron's father's. Don't worry, although there were some bumps along the way, they will arrive safely." Moon gave Hermione a reassuring look, then picked up Advanced Spell Theory again and continued reading.
He had to make full preparations to fight the Basilisk. Time was running out, and he had to seize the time to learn some more advanced spells.
"Alright…" With Moon's answer, Hermione felt a little relieved and didn't press further about Harry and Ron. It was then that she noticed the book in Moon's hand.
She pointed at Moon's book in surprise and said, "What's that book you have? Advanced Spell Theory? That's a fifth-year textbook!" Her tone was full of surprise; she had never expected Moon to read such a difficult book.
Moon nodded at Hermione, gave her a reassuring look, and continued reading.
His own strength far exceeded that of his peers; basic magic theory could no longer satisfy his needs.
Seeing Moon's serious demeanor, Hermione also encouraged herself, realizing she couldn't compare to Moon. She pulled out her own textbooks and happily began reviewing.
She knew there was a huge gap between herself and Moon, and she could only work harder to catch up with his pace.
The two of them continued reading, and the compartment was silent.
The start-of-term feast proceeded as normal, but Harryand Ron were still nowhere to be seen.
"Moon, will Harry and Ron really come back? It's already so late. I'm worried…"
Hermione sat next to Moon, looking at the lavish food before her, but she was indifferent, only staring at the direction of the main entrance.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her face was full of worry.
She was very concerned about Harry and Ron's safety, afraid they might encounter danger on the way.
"Didn't you notice that Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape all suddenly left?" Moon quickly devoured a mouthful of lamb chop, then turned his head to indicate Hermione to look at the empty seats at the Professors' table.
He knew that what Hermione needed most right now was to calm down and analyze the current situation, rather than worry blindly.
Prompted by Moon, Hermione finally noticed the anomaly at the Professors' table.
She also noticed that Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape had all suddenly left the Great Hall, which made her very confused.
She carefully recalled what had just happened and suddenly thought of something.
"You're right, Moon, it must be that Harry and them were late and got caught by Filch, so Professor McGonagallwent with him." Prompted by Moon, Hermioneremembered Filch's smug smile after he entered, and deduced a relatively reasonable explanation.
She guessed that Harry and Ron were very likely caught by Filch, which was why Professor McGonagall went to handle it.
"They should be back soon, don't worry." Moon comforted her. Knowing the plot well, he wasn't overly worried.
He knew that Harry and Ron would definitely arrive safely. Ron's father's car looked old, but its protective abilities were very strong.
He remembered that when Harry and Ron were surrounded by Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest, it was the car that appeared in time to save them.
Sure enough, after a while, there was a commotion at the entrance of the Great Hall.
Harry and Ron appeared in everyone's sight. They followed Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall.
As soon as Ron sat down, he eagerly began to wolf down his food, while excitedly sharing his thrilling experience of driving and chasing the Hogwarts Express.
His voice was loud enough for everyone in Gryffindor to hear.
Harry sat beside him, shaking his head helplessly, a wry smile on his face. He knew Ron was just like that, always prone to exaggeration.
And Hermione, seeing Harry and Ron appear safe and sound before her, finally broke into a happy smile.
She walked over and gave Harry and Ron a hug, her voice full of reproach and concern: "You two, you really made me worry! You absolutely must not do such dangerous things again!"
Moon casually listened to Ron recount their thrilling journey of driving to catch the Hogwarts Express. He could feel the gazes around them occasionally looking their way, especially from the students of Slytherin, whose eyes were filled with mockery and schadenfreude.
Harry and Ron's behavior had undoubtedly become the laughingstock of the entire school, and it gave the Slytherin students a reason to mock them.
However, he didn't care at all. He knew that Harry and Ron's spirits hadn't been greatly affected; they were still as optimistic and cheerful as ever.
After the feast, Moon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room together.
The common room was already filled with students, sitting in small groups on sofas, chatting and sharing interesting things that happened during their summer holidays. Some students were diligently reviewing their lessons, preparing for the new school year.
"Moon, you're really amazing, to have guessed that we would drive to school." Ron was still very surprised by Moon's foresight.
"It was just a coincidence." Moon smiled. He didn't want to explain his abilities too much; he knew that even if he did, they might not understand.
"Oh, right, Moon, what's the deal with this Advanced Spell Theory book?" Hermione asked curiously, she had always been very puzzled by the book Moon was reading.
Moon held up the book and said with a smile, "I just bought it to read casually and pass the time." He didn't want Hermione to know his true purpose; he knew that once Hermione knew the truth, she would definitely worry about him, and he didn't want his friends to worry about him.
"Just reading casually? This is a fifth-year textbook!" Hermione said in surprise. She thought Moon was simply a genius, able to read such difficult books with such ease.
Harry looked at Moon, his eyes full of admiration. He knew that Moon's strength already far exceeded his own, and he had to work even harder to catch up with Moon's pace.
The four of them sat together, chatting and sharing interesting stories from their summer holidays, and also discussing the courses they would be studying in the new term.
Chapter 118 Conversation Notes
Suddenly, Moon felt the black notebook in his pocket tremble slightly.
His expression subtly changed; he felt that Voldemort's soul fragment was trying to influence his mind.
He quietly pressed his hand against his pocket, steadying himself. He knew he had to resolve this hidden danger as soon as possible, otherwise, he would face a huge crisis.
"You guys chat, I'm heading back to the dormitory," Moonsuddenly stood up and said to the trio.
"What's wrong, Moon? Are you going back so early?" Ronasked, puzzled.
"A bit tired, want to rest early," Moon casually made up an excuse. He knew he had to leave quickly to avoid being influenced by Voldemort's soul fragment.
"Alright, then get some good rest," Hermione said, concerned. She knew Moon was strong and independent, and she trusted him to take care of himself.
Moon nodded to the trio, then hurried out of the Gryffindorcommon room and walked towards his dormitory.
After returning to his dormitory, he took out the black notebook from his pocket.
Moon sat at the desk in his dormitory, looking at the black notebook spread open before him, his eyes filled with vigilance.
The unsettling evil aura emanating from this diary constantly interfered with his mind.
He took a deep breath, calmed his inner turmoil, and then slowly turned to the first page of the notebook.
He picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote his name in the diary—Moon White.
However, there was no reaction; the diary remained blank.
Moon frowned. He knew he couldn't waste any more time; he had to find a way to communicate with the diary as soon as possible to completely resolve this hidden danger.
He closed his eyes again, concentrated his mind, and slowly injected his magic into the diary.
Suddenly, a scene appeared in his mind.
He saw a pale-faced young man standing in a dim room, his face filled with gloom and indifference, his eyes gleaming with ambition and desire.
This young man was Voldemort in his youth—Tom Riddle!
Moon knew he had established a connection with the soul fragment in the diary.
He suppressed his inner excitement and tried to write a line in the diary: "Who are you?"
The quill in his hand, as if guided by an invisible force, automatically wrote a line of text in the diary.
"I am Tom Riddle, once a student at Hogwarts, and the most outstanding student of Slytherin House."
He continued to write in the diary: "Are you the content of the notes? Or a real person? Are there any advanced magicrecords?"
"I am, of course, just the content of the notes, but here are records of all the magic I learned. Do you want to learn? I can help you."
He continued to write: "Really? How can you help me learn?"
"Do not resist, I will bring you into the book. In the book, I can teach you supreme magic, and even the way to eternal life."
He wrote in the diary again: "Eternal life? Supreme power? Really? Can you really give me these?"
A line of excited text appeared in the diary: "Of course! As long as you can help me with a small favor, I can give you everything you want!"
Moon saw this line of text, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.
It seemed Tom Riddle had indeed taken the bait.
Since that was the case, what he needed to do now was to extract Parseltongue from Tom Riddle.
He needed to trick him into teaching him how to open the Chamber of Secrets first, so he could successfully complete the task given by the system.
He wrote in the diary again: "What small favor? How do I know you're not tricking me?"
"I can teach you a magic first. What magic do you want?"
He wrote in the diary again: "Defensive magic, do you have any?"
"Of course, I do. This is Protego… These are the steps. If you can't learn it, you can enter the book, and I will help you."
Moon followed the steps to learn. He didn't expect Voldemort hadn't put too much thought into this; it was just that it was difficult for an average person to learn simply by looking at the steps.
Fortunately, he had just seen many explanations in advanced magic theory. He pulled out his wand and chanted the magic: "Protego!"
A transparent shield, almost invisible to the naked eye, appeared in front of Moon.
It was a success.
However, the specific effect still needed to be tested, but it wasn't suitable in the dormitory, so he would do it later.
He wrote in the diary again: "Thank you. I can help. What do you need me to do?"
A line of seductive text appeared in the diary: "You only need to learn Parseltongue, then go to the third-floor girls' lavatory at Hogwarts and say 'open' to the faucet, and I will teach you even stronger magic!"
"Parseltongue," Moon silently repeated these three words in his mind. This was exactly what he needed. He wanted to use this opportunity to extract the Parseltongue spell from Tom Riddle.
He wrote in the diary again: "How should Parseltongue be spoken? And why do I need to go to the third-floor girls' lavatory to say 'open'?"
A line of tempting text appeared in the diary: "Of course! As long as you sincerely want to help me, I can teach you Parseltongue! This is an ancient magic that only true Slytherin descendants can master! And the reason you need to go there is because my best friend and I had a secret base, a Chamber of Secrets, during my school days. I miss him and want to go see him."
Moon saw this line of text and his heart stirred. Voldemortwas indeed not foolish; he still had some precautions and wasn't telling him the whole truth. The friend Voldemortmentioned was probably the Basilisk.
That was also his goal. Without the Basilisk's fangs, he wouldn't know where to find tools to destroy Horcruxes.
He remembered Dumbledore was also harmed when destroying Horcruxes, while Harry was fine using the Basilisk's fangs. To be safe, Basilisk fangs were the optimal choice.
He wrote in the diary again: "I will prove my sincerity to you. I will open the Chamber of Secrets!"
A line of expectant text appeared in the diary: "Very good! I knew you were a clever person! Now I will tell you the spell to open the Chamber of Secrets. You must remember it well…"
Moon looked at the ancient text gradually appearing in the diary, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. He knew he was one step closer to success.
Next, he had to learn Parseltongue, complete the task given by the system, and open the Chamber of Secrets.
As for the Basilisk, he was still confident he could kill it.
Chapter 119 Peach Gold Girl
The next day, after the feast, Moon did not return to the Gryffindor common room as usual.
Instead, he quietly left the Great Hall, avoiding the bustling crowds, and walked directly towards the girls' lavatory on the third floor.
He knew he had to complete the task issued by the system as soon as possible, open the Chamber of Secrets, to receive rewards and enhance his strength.
He did not tell Dumbledore about his plan.
The reason was simple: if he told Dumbledore, given Dumbledore's personality, he would certainly not let Moonopen the Chamber of Secrets easily, and then the system task would not be completed.
"Wuwuwu~"
Moon arrived at the entrance of the girls' lavatory on the third floor, carefully pushed the door open, and walked inside.
He could clearly hear the sound of a girl crying from inside, a desolate sound, as if recounting endless sorrow.
He walked into the lavatory, looked around, and found a ghost girl with glasses and twin pigtails, sitting on one of the toilets, silently sobbing.
Her body was somewhat transparent, emitting a faint blue glow.
Moon knew that she was Myrtle, the girl who had unfortunately died the last time the Chamber of Secretswas opened.
"Hello, Myrtle." Moon friendly extended his hand and greeted the ghost girl.
His tone was very gentle; he knew Myrtle was a relatively sensitive and melancholic girl, and he didn't want to scare her.
Myrtle, who was crying, stopped sobbing when she heard Moon's voice, and curiously looked up at Moon.
Her eyes were full of doubt and vigilance.
"Who are you? How do you know me? Why are you here?!" Myrtle asked in a tearful voice.
She couldn't remember ever knowing this boy in front of her, nor did she know why he would come to this eerie lavatory.
"My name is Moon White, and I'm here to help you get revenge." Moon knew Myrtle's nature wasn't bad, just a bit melancholic.
He politely introduced himself and directly answered Myrtle's question, hoping to gain her trust this way.
Otherwise, if she interfered, it could easily attract others.
"Help me get revenge?" Myrtle stopped crying when she heard Moon wanted to help her get revenge, and fell into thought.
She said with a hint of confusion, "I don't even know how I died.
I just remember being here, feeling sad, and hearing a boy's voice outside.
They were talking in some strange language, and I opened the door to tell him to go away, and then I was gone."
She seemed to be trying hard to recall everything that happened before her death, but could only remember some vague fragments.
"Also, I only remember seeing a pair of really big yellow eyes in that sink at the end." The ghost Myrtle flew into the air, pointing at one of the white sinks with a trembling hand.
She seemed filled with fear of those yellow eyes.
After speaking, Myrtle ignored Moon, her body slowly floated up, then flew towards the wall, disappearing from Moon's sight.
Moon looked in the direction Myrtle disappeared, feeling a hint of helplessness.
He knew that Myrtle's death had caused her immense pain, and all he could do now was help her get revenge and punish the true culprit.
He also remembered that Myrtle's death led to Hagridbeing wrongly accused and expelled.
Now, by dealing with the Basilisk, he could also clear Hagrid's name, which was killing two birds with one stone.
He refocused his gaze on the sink.
He walked to the sink and carefully examined each faucet along the sink, one by one.
He knew that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was hidden in one of the faucets.
Soon, his gaze stopped on one faucet.
On that faucet, an exquisite snake-shaped pattern was carved, its eyes glinting with an eerie green light.
"This is it," Moon murmured to himself, his eyes filled with excitement.
He knew he had finally found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.
He took a deep breath, concentrated his mind, and then spoke the Parseltongue he had learned from Tom Riddle to the snake-shaped faucet: "Hiss, ah, sss ~"
His voice echoed in the empty lavatory, full of mystery and ancient aura.
However, to his surprise, the snake-shaped faucet had no reaction, still standing there silently, as if it had heard nothing.
Moon's brows furrowed.
Was there something wrong with his Parseltongue? Or was this method simply unworkable?
He spoke Parseltongue to the faucet again, but still, there was no reaction.
It seemed Tom Riddle hadn't fully trusted him, and what he had taught him was likely a fake Parseltongue.
"I need to get to the bottom of this," Moon muttered to himself.
He hadn't expected the plan to open the Chamber of Secrets to be so difficult.
Moon pulled out the black notebook, turned to the last page, dipped his quill in ink, and wrote: "Tom Riddle, the Parseltongue you taught me is fake! I can't open the Chamber of Secrets at all!"
He put down the quill, waiting for Tom Riddle's response.
Not long after, text appeared in the diary, the handwriting filled with confusion and surprise: "How is that possible? The Parseltongue I taught you is absolutely real! How could you not be able to open the Chamber of Secrets?"
Moon saw the words, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
He knew Tom Riddle must be anxious now, and he must be eager to know why Moon couldn't open the Chamber of Secrets.
He wrote again in the diary: "Perhaps my talent isn't enough to use Parseltongue, or what you taught isn't real at all, and you're just a charlatan seeking fame."
A line of angry text appeared in the diary: "Impossible! The Parseltongue I taught is absolutely real! You must not have grasped its essence.
I'll give you another chance; this time I'll teach you a more accurate spell, guaranteed to open the Chamber of Secrets!"
Moon looked at the words, still full of disbelief.
Tom Riddle must be lying; with his talent, how could he not learn it?
He must not have given him the real Parseltongue, just fobbed him off.
He picked up the quill again and wrote in the diary: "Alright, give me another chance.
I hope this time, you don't disappoint me."
A line of expectant text appeared in the diary: "This time, you must remember every word I say.
This is the most authentic Parseltongue, passed down through generations of the Slytherin family!
As long as you do as I say, you will surely be able to open the door to the Chamber of Secrets."
Next, Tom Riddle began to describe the Parseltongue spell and its usage in detail in the diary, using various ancient texts.
Moon diligently studied the Parseltongue taught by Tom Riddle.
Chapter 120 Unexpected Weakness
"Hiss-ah-sa~"
"Hiss-ah-sa~"
"Hiss-ah-sa~"
"Hiss-ah-sa~"
...Moon stood in the girls' lavatory on the third floor, practicing Parseltongue over and over again to the snake-shaped faucet. He had memorized every syllable Tom Riddle had taught him, diligently mimicking a snake's hiss, trying to open the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the snake-shaped faucet remained motionless, like a lifeless statue.
"What's going on? Am I doing it wrong?" Moon felt a little confused. He spoke Parseltongue to the faucet again, but still got no reaction.
"Could it be that the Parseltongue Tom Riddle taught me is fake?" A bad premonition arose in Moon's heart. He knew that Voldemort's soul fragment would never easily help him; he must be trying to use him to achieve his own goals.
Thinking of this, Moon immediately returned to his dormitory. He picked up the black notebook and wrote in it: "Tom Riddle, the Parseltongue you taught me is fake! I can't open the Chamber of Secrets at all!"
He put down his quill, waiting for Tom Riddle's reply.
However, to his surprise, there was no reaction in the diary.
Moon wrote in the diary again: "Come out!"
Still no response.
"Speak to me, why is it still not working?"
The diary remained blank.
"Where are you?"
Still no text appeared in the diary.
"Don't pretend you're not there, I know you're still here." Moon wrote again. He knew that Tom Riddle had definitely not left; he must be observing his every move from inside the diary.
"You have the ability to teach magic, but not Parseltongue?" Moon wrote impatiently. He knew he had to use some method to force Tom Riddle to appear.
He waited for a long time before a line of text slowly appeared in the diary, with a hint of helplessness and grievance in its tone: "I… I…"
Tom Riddle in the diary felt polluted. He had never seen such a narcissistic person, who blamed him for not teaching seriously when it was clearly his own inability to learn.
He felt completely enraged by Moon. He, the mighty Voldemort, was actually being mocked by a second-year little Wizard – it was an utter humiliation!
Moon looked at the stammering text in the diary, the corner of his mouth curving slightly into a playful smile.
It seemed Tom Riddle finally couldn't hold back.
Just then, an ethereal voice suddenly sounded behind Moon.
"Hi, are you speaking Parseltongue?"
Moon spun around abruptly and saw a little girl dressed very unusually, wearing a necklace made of butterbeer corks, with messy, pale blonde hair reaching her waist. She was looking at him curiously with wide eyes.
Her silver-gray eyes were full of innocence, as if they could see through everything.
Moon was startled. He quickly recognized the little girl in front of him; she was Luna Lovegood, an independent little fairy who didn't care what others thought, did things her own way, and always stuck to her beliefs and ideas.
"You are… Luna?" Moon asked, a little surprised. He hadn't expected Luna to appear here, and to have heard him speaking Parseltongue.
"Yes, do you know me?" Luna looked at Moon curiously, speaking in her unique ethereal voice, then glanced at the diary at Moon's feet, seemingly very curious about its presence.
"Yes, my name is Moon White. I saw you at the Welcoming Feast; you were sorted into Ravenclaw." Moon smiled slightly, not mentioning that he had read the original story, only recounting the Sorting Ceremony at the Welcoming Feast.
"Hello, my name is Luna Lovegood. You mispronounced the Parseltongue just now. It's not 'sī', it's 'shī'." Luna walked to the diary and, looking at the detailed, idiot-proof Parseltongue tutorial displayed on it, immediately found the pronunciation Moon had gotten wrong.
Her silver-gray eyes seemed to see through the essence of everything; she instantly spotted Moon's mistake.
"Sī?" Moon looked at Luna in confusion, then down at the annotated syllable in the diary. He pronounced it again: "Sī."
"Shī!" Luna looked up at Moon, puzzled, and corrected him again. Her tone was still very calm, seemingly unfazed by Moon's error.
"Sī?" Moon tried pronouncing it again, but he still couldn't produce the correct syllable.
"Shī!" Luna corrected him again, her tone still so peaceful, her gaze still so innocent.
"Sī?"
"Shī!"
"Sī?"
"Shī!"
..."Sī???"
"Shī!!!!!!" Luna finally couldn't help but raise her voice. She seemed a little helpless with Moon's accent too. She didn't understand why Moon always couldn't produce the correct syllable.
"Sī?????"
"I think you're not suited for Parseltongue, Moon." Luna, who had always been very stable emotionally, finally chose to give up on correcting Moon's accent problem.
She looked at Moon, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness, as if she had given up on treatment.
"Ah? Is it really my problem?" Moon was very surprised to hear Luna's words. He knew Luna wouldn't lie; she was a very straightforward person who spoke her mind.
"Yes, the tutorial in this notebook is very simple. I think a Troll could learn it if it could speak." Luna blinked her innocent big eyes, looking at Moon, unable to understand why Moon's accent just couldn't be corrected.
She felt she had explained it very clearly, but Moon still seemed unable to understand.
"Uh? Troll?" Moon's face darkened when he heard Luna's explanation, and he felt deeply disheartened.
He had always thought he was a quick learner, but he hadn't expected to be defeated by an accent. He felt his self-esteem had been severely bruised.
He couldn't help but start to doubt himself. Was he really not suited to learning Parseltongue?
Moon looked at Luna's clear eyes, a mix of emotions in his heart.
His learning ability had always been strong; he learned all kinds of magic quickly, but he hadn't expected to be stumped by a small accent. This made him feel somewhat frustrated.
"I… can I really not learn it?" Moon couldn't help but ask again, wanting a definitive answer from Luna.
Luna looked at Moon seriously and said in a calm voice: "Perhaps you are just not suited for Parseltongue, but you definitely have other talents. You can try other magic."
She hoped to comfort Moon and prevent him from feeling discouraged.
"Perhaps." Moon sighed helplessly. He knew Luna was right; he shouldn't get fixated on one thing. He had many other things to do, and he couldn't let a small accent problem derail his plans.
He refocused his gaze on the black notebook. He knew he had to resolve the problem with this diary as soon as possible to avoid being influenced by Voldemort's soul fragment.
"By the way, Luna, why are you here?" Moon asked curiously, wanting to know why Luna was in this eerie and terrifying lavatory.
Luna pointed to the very dirty-looking wall next to the sink and said: "I feel there are peculiar creatures here, their souls are lingering, and I want to help them." Her tone was very calm, as if she was talking about something very ordinary.
"Peculiar creatures? Souls?" Moon looked at the wall but saw nothing. He knew that what Luna was talking about must be something he couldn't perceive.
"Can you see them?" Moon asked again, wanting to know what Luna's eyes could see.
"Yes, they are very pitiful. Their souls are trapped here and cannot leave." Luna pointed at the wall, speaking with a sympathetic tone.
Moon didn't press further. He knew that what Luna saw was beyond his comprehension, and he didn't want to shatter Luna's illusions.