The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 372 The Apprentice Thief of Life: Harry

Everyone in the audience was awestruck by the magnificent and spectacular scene before them.

But the world of magic is not just about dazzling and bizarre things; strange and mysterious events also occur on the field.

And this kind of eerie magical power happened to Harry.

In fact, many wizards present could sense the dark power surging within Harry. Some experienced wizards could even vaguely discern the nature of this power, which seemed very close to the Imperius Curse, one of the three unforgivable curses.

So everyone was discussing whether Voldemort was trying to use the Imperius Curse to control Harry, and whether Dumbledore was trying to stop this terrible conspiracy of manipulation.

Only Dumbledore saw it so clearly—it was Harry Potter casting the Imperius Curse!

Old Deng was shocked.

Harry?

Soul-stealing curse?

Harry!

Soul-Stealing Curse!

No, it's not just the Imperius Curse!

Harry's method of casting the Imperius Curse was so familiar that Dumbledore immediately thought of Gilderoy Lockhart, who was little known as another "life thief".

Dumbledore sensed in Harry's spellcasting techniques a core element of the Oblivion Charm, encompassing the Patronus Charm and Blood Magic.

The framework of magical concepts includes Horcrux magic, Voldemort's Killing Curse techniques, Anima protection, and more.

Gellert once discussed with him the possibility that Lockhart, who was teaching these young wizards in the Duel Club, might one of them become a dark wizard.

Dumbledore believed at the time that the most likely candidate was Draco Malfoy.

Then it could be Ron Weasley.

One is a child who is highly receptive to dark magic, proud of purebloods, and full of ambition for family glory; the other is a child whose past life was filled with suppression, whose only solace was betrayal.

Old Deng never imagined it would be Harry.

He stared at the grown-up savior, "Harry Potter!"

Oh~

But upon closer reflection, Guardian Angel spells, bloodline magic, Horcruxes, Killing Curses—

Based on Lockhart's fairy tale concept of "magic is life, and life is magic," it seems that these magical elements have long been inextricably linked to Harry.

Unbeknownst to him, Harry had quietly embarked on his own magical path, his own unique life journey.

Harry is a Gryffindor good guy in the truest sense.

It means to always be kind to the world, and to everyone—yes, everyone.

Then don't treat your enemies as human beings.

Dumbledore was actually that kind of person, which is why he understood Harry. No matter how much Harry tried to learn Gilderoy Lockhart's "Life Thief" techniques, Harry would never use the Imperius Curse to harm anyone.

Except for Voldemort.

Because they didn't treat Voldemort as a human being.

Yes, that's quite politically correct.

So when the audience began to sense the power of the Imperius Curse, they loudly denounced the Dark Lord's wickedness, how could he do such a thing to a child—

Dumbledore suddenly understood Tom's anger, which made him almost burst out laughing.

The scene unfolding before my eyes is so wondrous.

The hurt seen by countless viewers caused Tom to "gradually begin to revert to Voldemort," which was a shift and correction of his "self in this world."

The same thing was happening in Harry's mind—"Tom" was resisting his (Dumbledore's) power and trying to return, through the Voldemort soul fragment within Harry, which was essentially a trend of "Tom" moving towards Voldemort.

Magic and reality overlap and intertwine at such a wondrous angle.

This is where the fun begins.

Voldemort's soul fragments had already partially merged with Harry's, even giving Harry some of Voldemort's magical bloodline, manifesting as Parsley's voice.

Thus, a certain overlap and intermingling occurred between Harry and Voldemort, and Tom.

Harry seized the opportunity and cast the Imperius Curse on the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Of course, given Dumbledore's understanding of Harry, even with Professor Lockhart's meticulous guidance, it would be difficult for him to achieve such exquisite control over magic.

Something magical is at work here.

Professor Trelawney's prophecy —

Sirius Black cast an ominous spell on Voldemort —

Harry's unique intuitive talent —

Oh, and there's also the thing Draco Malfoy shared at the Duel Club meeting about discovering that Voldemort has a tendency to be "backlashed."

Everything was quietly taking effect under the wondrous influence of fate.

Dumbledore suddenly felt a direct connection to Professor Lockhart's words—"Enter the romance of a fairytale adventure, and magic will naturally blossom."

So he suddenly felt a lot of anticipation.

I'm looking forward to something wonderful happening.

There definitely will be, right?

If Gilderoy Lockhart's theory of fairy tales is correct.

suddenly!

Dumbledore felt an extremely unique and wonderful power.

He felt as if he had stepped into a sunny afternoon, as if he were lying in a garden full of swaying daisies, peacefully closing his eyes for a nap amidst the fragrance of sweet cream, a chubby cat curled up on his belly, purring softly—

How wonderful!

He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Then he turned his gaze to Ron Weasley, who was casting the spell.

The Anima Guardian, a spell invented by Professor Lockhart, was actually mastered by some of his students—such a profound magic.

But Dumbledore soon realized that it seemed to make perfect sense, that Ron's state of mind, Ron's magic, and Ron's life were so perfectly aligned with this magic.

Voldemort was also stunned.

He felt the immense power of his mind in disbelief as he looked at the guardian spirit that Ron had unleashed.

This is----

Horcrux?

Yes, when that damned Gilderoy invented this magic, he had a hard time seeing its true nature. But with Ron, a much weaker little wizard, all the subtle changes in the magic's operation were clearly displayed before his eyes.

Horcrux!

That damn Gilderoy even incorporated the Horcrux concept into it!

Such extraordinary talent is truly enviable!

Voldemort quickly figured out the logic behind Gilderoy's invention of this magic. Indeed, few wizards could invent such wondrous and bizarre magic as Gilderoy, yet it was full of logic and supported by a clear magical philosophy.

To paraphrase that damned Gilderoy, if spirituality is the "me" in the world, a manifestation of my current state in the world, then we take it out of the soul, place it before us, and put it in the real world—

How should we place it?

Voldemort once had a clear answer—that is to put it in a vessel, and a legendary one at that, to create a Horcrux that would grant eternal life.

But he now knows that this was a wrong approach.

That damned Gilderoy had obviously pondered this question as well, offering a romantic yet paradoxical answer—to put it back in his heart.

Once you settle your mind, it will find peace.

Settle your mind, see yourself clearly, and understand your true nature.

Then you see your own heart, you see your own life, you see everything about yourself.

Voldemort was truly jealous. The methods Gilderoy used were not beyond his comprehension. This was clearly the same method he used to create Horcruxes, use the Killing Curse to kill lives, and unleash the full power of life.

Giddenro brought everything together and made it look so romantic.

An anchor and powerful expression of myself in this world, a vibrant blossoming of life, a unique and dynamic soul vessel that changes with the state of my life.

Ultimately, it all boils down to this: magic is life, and life is magic. The magic you unleash is your life.

Voldemort was completely absorbed in watching it.

He seemed to sense Gilderoy smiling as he explained the truth of the magic: there is no eternal life, only eternal spirit.

This is not the path he wants!

This still deeply moved him!

The shocked Voldemort was clearly unaware that something strange was happening—well, something very strange to Dumbledore, to put it.

Harry seemed to be inspired by Ron's spellcasting and began to cast the Heart of the Fellowship Charm as well.

"Anima, protect us!"

The power of the spirit gathers, manifests, and surges.

However, due to Harry's current extremely strange state, spiritual power has actually blossomed within Voldemort's body.

For a moment, Dumbledore clearly heard two heartbeats and two thoughts coming from Harry's body.

Tom's voice.

His voice was full of curses and jealousy directed at Gilderoy Lockhart.

Harry had quietly established a connection that even Tom hadn't noticed, unilaterally sharing Voldemort's vision, physical sensations, and thoughts.

It's important to know that Voldemort was an absolute master of Legilimency and Occlumency. It was already a miracle that he didn't invade Harry's mind; it's unexpected that he was invaded instead.

What Dumbledore found even more amazing was—

Through this unique connection, Harry caused the Voldemort soul fragment attached to the lightning bolt scar to believe that Harry was Tom, accelerating the already occurring disintegration and fusion.

This technique—

Dumbledore's expression turned strange.

A thief of life?

What does Gilderoy Lockhart teach children?

He couldn't help but look at Tom, who was still in shock from the magic of the Heart of the Fellowship, with a sense of pity, and felt even more that Tom had no future.

He had previously worried that Tom would use this method to invade Harry's mind and manipulate Harry's reckless and arrogant personality. He also had to confirm with Professor Lockhart that the Duel Club had a special instruction in the Occlumency spell.

The result wasn't particularly good; Voldemort's spellcasting power, once he regained his sanity, was still beyond Harry's ability to contend with, which led to today's unexpected incident.

Oh~

Now~

Harry accurately grasped Voldemort's current spellcasting state against Dumbledore, as easily as if he could sense himself casting the spell.

Harry was able to respond easily, since Voldemort used the fragments of soul in Harry's head to cast spells.

"Get out of my head!"

Harry waved his wand in annoyance.

Boom~

Dumbledore suddenly felt the power he had used to fight Voldemort suddenly lose its resistance, and it swept Voldemort away completely.

"Dumbledore!"

Voldemort's angry voice faded quickly into the distance, "I will return, I swear, I will return to the center of the world, I—"

""

I couldn't hear the rest of the time.

Because Voldemort had completely rolled out of Harry's head.

Even at this moment, Dumbledore was still able to clearly see everything Voldemort was seeing and thinking through Harry's mind via Legilimency.

Old Deng looked at Harry with a strange expression. "Kid, are you alright?"

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore, I feel unwell. I feel like there's a strange voice in my head, and it's affecting me."

"You can talk to Professor Lockhart, he has a solution."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Nobody knows more about this than him."

He had once used Legilimency on Lockhart, and that time he was utterly shocked; a dozen voices roared and screamed inside Professor Lockhart's head. (Chapter 64)

Indeed, Professor Lockhart acted as if nothing was wrong the whole time, which Dumbledore greatly admired.

"Alright, let's get back to reality."

Dumbledore smiled and gestured to the real-world scene outside King's Cross Station, which had somehow become his and Harry's home.

"You've been attacked, and everyone is very worried about you."

"I also need to deal with this terrible turn of events as soon as possible and mitigate its impact in all aspects."

When Harry woke up, he felt even more unwell.

He could clearly feel that he was lying on the ground, he could clearly see Ron, Hermione, Neville, Cedric and the others surrounding him, and he could clearly hear their voices of concern for him.

Yet at the same time, he felt as if he were standing in Professor Lockhart's small building in Hogsmeade, coldly looking out the window towards the New Age Basin, and could hear the Death Eater Bella's suppressed anger as she reported the situation beside him.

-

Two completely opposite thoughts were even swirling in my mind at the same time.

He felt so uncomfortable that he wanted to vomit.

"Harry!" Ron shook his shoulders. "What's wrong with you? Can you even talk?"

What I want to say!

But you kept shaking me!

I'm even more confused!

Harry was so upset he almost cried.

Just then, a tall and handsome figure squeezed through the crowd, his wide wizard robes shimmering with a mystical silver light in the sunlight, and a perfect smile on his face.

"It's Professor Lockhart!"

"Professor Lockhart is here!"

The little wizards cheered.

Lockhart smiled and reassured everyone, then knelt down and examined Harry's eyes. He smiled confidently and said, "It's a small problem, I can handle it."

He drew his wand and gently pressed it against Harry's head.

His voice was warm and strong: "Harry, relax and try to look into your heart."

2

It's very difficult for Harry; he couldn't do it before, and now that his mind is a mess, it's even more difficult.

It seems you need some help.

Lockhart chuckled and whistled, and a seven-colored light flew swiftly from afar—it was the Winged Demon, with a small golden monkey perched on its back.

The winged demon flapped its wings and floated above Harry, with some crystalline specks falling like silk threads. The unique Oblivion Charm dripped onto him and quickly exerted its magical power.

The little golden retriever jumped onto Harry, grabbed Harry's head with both hands, and reached out a third fluffy little hand to touch his face.

boo~

boo~

Like the sound of a wine bottle being popped, Harry's glasses were quickly removed.

Under the influence of a unique magical power, Harry's vision quickly plunged into darkness.

"Relax, it'll be soon—"

Professor Lockhart waved his wand and finally pressed it against the lightning scar on his forehead, whereupon a strange power quietly took effect within him.

Bright!

Harry's vision cleared up again.

He truly saw his own heart.

Dark, quiet, serene, cool —

It's a very unique feeling.

There was a stag there, and a venomous snake that slithered and flicked its tongue.

The magic rained down like specks of light, and the venomous snake suddenly stiffened, rapidly expanding and twisting.

bang~

Its body suddenly swelled up into a round shape, like a big balloon.

bang~

Four bronze legs grew out from its bottom.

bang~

Its body was instantly flattened.

As the snake scales twisted and coiled, black mist swirled and formed a vortex, ultimately reflecting Voldemort's vision within it.

Sounds and thoughts.

slap~

Harry suddenly felt his vision return to normal, and a flash of golden light appeared before his eyes. The little blondie had jumped onto Professor Lockhart's shoulder.

Lockhart smiled and tapped the lightning bolt scar on his forehead with his wand. "When you want to use it, press your wand against this spot, and you'll find the answer."

Harry knew what the professor was talking about and nodded excitedly.

It was all so amazing. He was confident that he had accomplished everything he could never have done before, yet he was still troubled by his current situation, which Professor Lockhart solved with ease.

It seemed like the simplest thing ever.

Come on~

"Stand up and walk a few steps."

With the professor's help, Harry stood up and, amidst cheers, returned to normal.

The families of the young wizards, the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, and the excited audience all crowded around, eager to see these heroes who had defeated the great evil king.

Harry was jostled by the crowd and lost his footing. He was lifted up by a group of people and tossed into the air along with Ron, Hermione, Cedric, and the others, as excited people shouted.

He finally saw the professor's back.

He walked gracefully straight out of the crowd, and everyone seemed not to have seen the professor, automatically making way for him.

Looking in the direction the professor was walking, Dumbledore and Grindelwald were smiling and watching from the audience seats in the distance.

Surrounding them were the heads of the magic ministries and major magic institutions from various countries.

I don't know why ————

Harry felt he might never forget this moment for the rest of his life.