Chapter 110: Whoa, This Young Man!

Chapter 110: Whoa, This Young Man!

In Lockhart's eyes, Tom Riddle in the diary Horcrux was a Dark magical creature.

Yes, Tom displayed the clear characteristics of "non-existence" and "phenomenon" within the scope of Dark magical creatures. He could also be analyzed and targeted from this perspective.

This brought them into Lockhart's area of expertise.

One of the three major fields of Defense Against the Dark Arts: Defense Against Dark Creatures!

As he gradually embarked on his own magical path, Lockhart was no longer satisfied with the level he had achieved by stealing the knowledge of a dozen powerful wizards. He yearned to delve deeper into the field, building upon that foundation.

So, what was the deeper realm of "Defense Against Dark Creatures"?

The answer was: Dark Creature Cultivation.

From this perspective, Rubeus Hagrid was actually a more profound Magizoologist than Newt Scamander and Professor Kettleburn.

Professor Kettleburn's level was "understanding," Newt's level was "rearing," and Hagrid's level was "cultivation."

Of course, the depth of exploration didn't signify superiority or inferiority among them; they were simply cultivating their respective fields at different levels.

Lockhart was merely trying to explore his potentially more specialized talent area.

He was actually quite good at teaching, or rather, he preferred to explore the essence of magic, to understand the principles of how magic operated and how to express them, inspiring others to unleash these magical effects.

Fate was sometimes so peculiar. Perhaps this had a curious connection with his identity as a "writer" and "professor."

Before, at the Crabbe family's Puffskein farm, when werewolves and Dark wizards attacked, he prepared a large number of targeted solutions based on the characteristics of the little golden pups. That's when Lockhart already had ideas in this area.

The "cultivation" of Dark magical creatures differed from that of fantastic beasts because they inherently lacked "biologicality." They didn't experience birth, aging, sickness, or death, had no true gender distinctions, and naturally no concept of reproduction.

But the intriguing aspect of the magical world was that the boundaries between various fields were always blurred.

Lockhart had once discussed the case of house-elves with young wizards, arguing that these magical creatures were beginning to transform towards being fantastic beasts due to their high involvement in "wizarding life" and even "wizarding fairy tale adventures," exhibiting characteristics unique to living beings, such as birth, aging, sickness, death, and reproduction.

During this period of studying the Patronus Charm and its opposite, the "Call of the Wild," he gained a new understanding: the manifestation of the colors of life.

Life, by having colors, became real in the real world, thus acquiring biological nature.

See, it made sense logically.

But how to implement it specifically?

Magical experiments were always dangerous. Lockhart didn't want to mess around with his little golden pups. If something went wrong, it wouldn't be good. Since his transmigration, the reason he had never felt lonely and could so easily experience the wonderful joy of magic was because the companionship of these little partners was so important.

He had come to treat them like family.

So, he would find a test subject.

Tom Riddle!

Hadn't you always yearned to be resurrected? Then I'll give you a hand, help you, this Dark magical creature, transform into a natural being, and help you radiate the unique colors of life.

Love, maternal love, what a great power, enough to make a pale, gloomy life display the most splendid colors.

Tom!

Let me see your limits!

You can do it!

And so, Lockhart taught Tom until dawn, covering everything from the most fundamental concepts of the Patronus Charm to every small trick in its practical casting, drawing upon extensive references and explaining every detail.

He held nothing back, imparting everything he knew.

Then Lockhart witnessed how astonishingly gifted Tom was, how exceptional his talent.

Tom quickly discovered a problem and raised a question that Lockhart himself couldn't answer: "Professor Lockhart, won't the power of love actually restrict oneself? Exploring that kind of power will only make one lose the ability to move forward, right?"

Lockhart frowned slightly, considering how to answer this question. He hesitated with the quill, taking magic seriously and unwilling to casually spout vague nonsense to his student.

They say parents are not to be far away, and maternal love can sometimes be like that, indeed.

Wait!

No!

He suddenly looked at the very beginning of the line, staring intently at the words "Professor Lockhart," feeling a bit stunned. He quickly wrote in Ginny's tone, "What Professor Lockhart? I'm Ginny—"

Before he finished writing, a line of text quickly appeared below.

"Ginny couldn't possibly explain the Patronus Charm this well. In fact, when I was a student at Hogwarts, no professor could explain magic with such clarity."

"Professor Lockhart, your explanation was too professional, exposing your level as a master of magic. The extremely restrained precision in your description and choice of words, and the genuine love and joy for magic that unconsciously radiated from you—that's not Ginny. I immediately thought of you."

"Did Ginny finally become afraid of my existence and hand me over to you? Is that right?"

"Let me guess, I must now be in the 'Chamber of Secrets' scene that Ginny described earlier, within that marvelous illusion you created?"

Good heavens!

Lockhart exclaimed internally.

He blinked, looking at the confident, flowing handwriting appearing in the diary, and couldn't help but start to understand why all the professors at Hogwarts used to like Tom.

Presumably, everyone would react just like him, unable to help but exclaim—Whoa, this young man!

Lockhart had to admit, if he were Dumbledore, encountering a student like Tom back then, he would truly be unable to resist wanting to teach this student everything he knew.

Just like what the Forest Witch said to him, "I hope you walk further along this magical path," an earnest hope, regardless of past grievances, that this more talented person before him would unleash the beautiful magic he yearned for.

Lockhart was silent for a while, then finally placed the quill on the page again. "Yes, I am Gilderoy Lockhart."

He realized he couldn't be overshadowed by the other party's aura and began to counterattack. "I don't know what kind of entity you are, but from my professional perspective, you possess the characteristics of a Dark magical creature."

Tom was speechless, replying only with a string of ellipses.

"..."

Lockhart continued writing. "Please forgive my intention to attempt to influence you. The moment I saw you, I couldn't help but be excited by the challenge. I have always been exploring the field of Dark magical creatures transforming into natural beings."

He watched this wondrous diary so carefully, stirring with excitement, his eyes filled with the innocent fervor unique to researchers. "I mean, if you're willing, I might be able to help you acquire the unique vitality of life. Perhaps you would like to step out of the book and truly touch and feel this real and beautiful world!"

"Love is a great power; it can make life radiate colors."

"You're right, love is also a restriction, but isn't life just like that? An unbridled wild horse is certainly free, but it also loses direction. We must learn to cage the beast within us and control it, rather than letting it control us, acting recklessly, which will only lead us to a dead end."

"From Dark magical creature to natural being, this is a great adventure. Are you—willing to try?"

Lockhart's writing was filled with ambition and excitement.

It was like a strange uncle luring a child with a lollipop, or a mad scientist asking a monkey in a cage if it wanted to become human, filled with anticipation and determination.

Tom was, of course, willing.

More than willing.

His most urgent desire at the moment was, without a doubt, only one thing: resurrection!

If it weren't for the need to influence Ginny to perfectly align with his life essence, he wouldn't have allowed Ginny to release the Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets to attack students, adding unpredictable complications to his resurrection plan.

He hadn't even been resurrected yet; how could he possibly be obsessed with targeting Muggle-born wizards? That was a political agenda, less important than his resurrection.

He knew his priorities; he wasn't that bored.

And now, how interesting. It was as if someone delivered dry wood and charcoal in winter; Professor Lockhart had actually come to say he hoped to help him resurrect.

He wouldn't doubt the authenticity of this at all.

Because his life journey had always been so smooth. No matter what kind of predicament he found himself in, various benefactors would always jump out enthusiastically to offer him help.

He was used to it.

But love?

Sixteen-year-old Tom was ultimately different from sixty-six-year-old Voldemort. He still hoped to stay in Hogwarts, the place he considered home, after graduation. He hadn't yet been completely driven out of school by Dumbledore, who hated him from the bottom of his heart. He still held a glimmer of hope and acceptance for love.

So sometimes, it really has to be said, Tom and Harry were truly walking on completely different paths.

Harry also considered a place that wasn't his home as home, and he also had a guardian who hated him from the bottom of their heart and treated him like a freak. Fortunately, his uncle, no matter how much he disliked Harry, never kicked him out of the house.

But Tom was truly rejected by Dumbledore, the head of the family.

He had not yet fully unleashed the despair of completely losing his "home," and had never cast what might have been the most powerful magic of his life on this home he deeply loved, cursing it, yet only cursing the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, so reluctantly.

This act was like Harry being kicked out by his uncle Vernon, angrily intending to curse the house, but ultimately only cursing his cousin Dudley to also not stay long in that house, just like him.

Hatred, intense hatred, but its underlying color was love, intense love.

—

"I have actually researched magic concerning 'love.' I don't know if I should believe in the power of 'love,' but I am willing to try—"

Tom finally replied.

Hoo-hoo~

Lockhart chuckled. Well, well, Voldemort even researched the power of love. How novel.

With a strange expression, he casually asked on the diary page, "What kind of magic?"

Tom was silent for a while, then slowly wrote letter by letter on the page—"Bloodline Magic, a magic that explores love, bloodlines, home, loneliness, happiness, betrayal, severance, and the unbreakable!"

"!!!"

.....

For early access to 70 advanced chapters on p@treon

p@treon.com/Chaos_God

Thank you so much for your support and for reading