My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 311, Chapter 308: Take Responsibility for Yourself

After hearing Lynn's words, Tom stared blankly at the sky outside the window. After a moment, he turned to look at Lynn.

"Since the real Behildr is long dead, are the stories she told still true?"

Lynn looked at him quietly.

"Why are you so fixated on whether Basild's story is true? Tom, you don't think your past mistakes were as simple as just causing a girl's family to be destroyed, do you?"

"Do you know why Harry stayed at his aunt's house? Do you know why Neville is so cowardly? Do you know how Moaning Myrtle died? Do you know why Hagrid is now in the cabin in the Forbidden Forest? Do you really know what mistakes you made back then?"

Tom stared blankly at Lynn, looking completely lost, and murmured a question.

"Is all of this related to me?"

"You caused all of this. You killed Harry's parents because of a prophecy, turning him into an orphan who had to live with others."

Your men used the Cruciatus Curse to drive Neville's parents, the Longbottoms, insane. Neville's strict upbringing from his grandmother is what turned him into the person he is today.

"You opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the Basilisk when you were still in school. Myrtle was just an innocent student at the time, but you ordered the Basilisk to kill her. Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts because you framed him for murder. If Dumbledore hadn't taken him in, he might have starved to death on the streets long ago."

Lynn recounted Tom's crimes one by one, his tone not harsh, but like a sledgehammer, each word striking Tom.

"These are just a small part of the wrong things you have done. The dark wizard group you led ran rampant in the magical world. Every evil thing they did should be attributed to you. Even now, some of your former subordinates are still at large and have not received the punishment they deserve."

Do you still think your mistakes are minor? Do you feel guilty only towards Basild? Then who will feel guilty towards Harry, Neville, Hagrid, and Moaning Myrtle? And who will they seek revenge against after all they've suffered?"

Tom's face was pale, and he sat helplessly in the corner, hugging his knees.

Lynn didn't speak again. Tom needed time to think things over, and if he wanted to return to a normal life, these were things he had to face. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to those who had been hurt by Voldemort.

Imagine if Harry discovered that Tom, who had been resurrected, was actually the one who killed his parents. What would he do then?

Unless Tom wants to become the Dark Lord again, he has to solve these problems himself.

Lynn spent the rest of the time thinking about what exam questions to give to different grades for the final exams. It wasn't until evening that Tom spoke up again.

"I will make up for the mistakes I made. I don't expect those I hurt to forgive me, but I have to pay the price for it instead of hiding in that ball for the rest of my life."

Lynn put down her quill and turned to look at him.

"Have you thought this through?"

Tom met his gaze firmly.

"I've thought it through. I want to become a normal person."

Lynn put away the parchment and quill on the table, smiled and nodded at him.

"I'm glad you made this decision. I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore about it, and things will be arranged for you to regain your body very soon."

Tom looked at him.

"Will it be resurrected in the same way as the ghost that possessed Behilde's body?"

"Of course not that method. Your situation is different from hers. She is a ghost formed after death, while you are not a dead person yet. Therefore, you will have your own body. Professor Dumbledore has the specific methods, and I will let you know when everything is ready."

Lynn then left the office and went to the headmaster's office to inform Dumbledore of Tom's decision.

Lynn doesn't need to worry about Tom's resurrection ritual; Dumbledore said he'd have a way. Lynn's top priority right now is preparing for the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam for the Hogwarts students.

Since most Defense Against the Dark Arts professors in the past have not been able to teach smoothly until the end of the semester like Lynn, there are no precedents for Lynn to refer to regarding what the course should test, and he has to decide for himself.

However, there's not much to worry about. For other courses at Hogwarts, such as Charms and Transfiguration, the final exams are based on the young wizards using a spell or transfiguration as required by the professor, and the grade is given based on their performance.

Lynn could certainly do that if he wanted to save time, but this was the first Defense Against the Dark Arts exam at Hogwarts in nearly ten years, and he didn't want to just go through the motions.

The best way to test your understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts is through real-world practice.

In the end, Lynn had the young wizards of the same grade pair up and have them duel in front of him, then score them based on their performance, which was essentially a disguised restart of the dueling club.

The exam went well; it was the students' first time taking a real exam, so they were naturally very excited.

After the exams, the young wizards at Hogwarts enter their favorite period. In the week before the results are released, there are no professors nagging or troublesome coursework. They can even put their unreleased final exam results behind them and have some fun.

But Lynn didn't have that kind of free time; he also had to go out with Dumbledore to discuss Tom's resurrection.

In Dumbledore's office, the old man changed into a travel robe and stood in the center of the room with Lynn.

"Who are we going to find?" Lynn asked curiously.

He originally thought that resurrecting Tom would only be possible with the kind of magic that Peter Pettigrew used to resurrect Voldemort in the original story, using his father's bones, servants' flesh, and enemies' blood to reshape Tom's body.

But now it seems Dumbledore has another way.

He beckoned Fox to land on his shoulder, then grabbed Lynn's arm.

"Go visit a friend of mine. You should know him, or at least you're familiar with his name."

Dumbledore's friend, whom he also knew.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's hint, just as Lynn roughly guessed who he was going to find, Fawkes had already flapped his wings and led them away from Hogwarts.

(End of this chapter)