novelcrest Chapter 179 What if this were a game world?
Chapter 179 What if this were a game world?
Chapter 179 What if this were a game world?
(This chapter has been significantly revised)
"Miss Krivat, you just said you wanted to report someone. So, please tell me, who are you reporting? And what did they do?"
Sean's voice was gentle and deep, each word carefully crafted, as he tried to guide Penelope out of her panic and bring out the truth.
However, in Penelope's eyes, Sean's smile at this moment was like that of a demon, carrying an indescribable eeriness and sinister feeling.
Does he... already know...?
The thought, like a cold snake, crept into Penelope's mind, sending a chill down her spine.
She felt like a lamb to the slaughter, bound tightly by invisible ropes, while Sean was the butcher with a sharp blade, toying with her like a cat playing with a mouse, reveling in her fear and helplessness.
Every second felt like an eternity. Penelope's heart raced, her breathing became rapid, as if choked by an invisible force, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She had no idea how to answer Sean's question; her thoughts were a jumbled mess, impossible to unravel.
Penelope swallowed hard, trying to make her voice sound calmer, but the panic was still hard to hide. "I...I reported...it's about..." Her voice trembled, each word squeezed out through clenched teeth, full of hesitation and unease.
She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, one wrong step and she would fall into endless darkness. "About what?" Sean's voice remained gentle, but the impatience hidden within was like a sharp blade, stinging Penelope.
On his first day in office, he had a lot to do and no time to chat with the little witch about trivial matters.
"About... about the locked room incident at school..." Penelope finally mustered the courage to utter these words. Her hands were clenched tightly together, her nails almost digging into her palms, but she felt no pain, because the fear in her heart had completely consumed her.
"The locked room mystery?" Sean repeated.
He panicked. Had Penelope discovered that he had orchestrated the locked-room incident?
However, this thought only lingered in his mind for a moment before he quickly dismissed it.
My plan was flawless; how could a little witch possibly discover it?
It's likely the little witch discovered something, leading to a misunderstanding with others, perhaps... Harry or Snape?
However, if the little witch's discovery is indeed "reasonable and well-founded," he wouldn't mind turning the little witch's speculation into reality.
A playful smile crept across Sean's lips. "This is a serious matter. Can you tell me how much you know about the locked-room mystery, and who's behind it all?"
Penelope's heart raced again. She knew that once she uttered Sean's name, there would be no turning back; but she also knew that if she backed down now, everything she knew and everything she had endured would vanish into thin air.
Most importantly, she currently has no evidence whatsoever, only her own speculation.
So at this moment, she had no choice but to take a risky gamble, pretending to be confident and well-informed, to break down Sean's defenses, trick him into confessing, and persuade him to turn himself in.
Just as Penelope was caught in an internal struggle, Sean, seeing her conflicted expression, suddenly had a bad feeling.
She won't...
Oops!
Upon realizing this, Sean stared intently at Penelope almost without hesitation.
Yes, he used Legilimency.
Every master of Legilimency is not necessarily a master of Occlumency, but every master of Occlumency is definitely a master of Legilimency.
How can one train their Occlumency technique without practicing mind control?
So in that instant, Penelope felt as if she had been stripped naked and was standing in front of Sean.
When she regained consciousness, a full incense stick's time had passed.
During this time, Sean had already gone through Penelope's most recent memories in their entirety.
He didn't expect that Penelope would suspect him based on just a few "clues".
The smooth sailing he had been enjoying almost made Sean forget the perilous situation he was in, which served as a wake-up call for him.
But then again, when someone goes undercover and ends up in the position of the leader of an enemy organization, how many people can remain rational?
The only saving grace, however, is that, prior to today, Penelope had not shared her speculations with anyone due to a lack of concrete evidence.
This also gave Sean time to make amends and respond.
As for what to do next, his former colleague and current subordinate, Professor Lockhart, has given him countless examples.
So, under Penelope's watchful gaze, Sean patted his palms, his eyes revealing a hint of approval, and exclaimed sincerely, "Such keen observation, such perfect deduction, worthy of being a Ravenclaw student."
"If I were Dumbledore, I would absolutely be willing to add fifty points to Ravenclaw for your brilliant deductions as encouragement."
Sean changed the subject, "But unfortunately, I'm not Dumbledore, and the Dumbledore you're hoping for is probably wandering around somewhere right now."
Sean tilted his head, a playful smile playing on his lips, as if he were genuinely pondering the question. "Perhaps he's currently in Neumontard catching up with his old friend Grindelwald. After all, this is the first time he's been 'laid off' since becoming headmaster, so he finally has some free time to enjoy life." He spoke casually, but his words carried a hint of sarcasm and provocation.
Then, his tone suddenly turned cold, and his eyes sharpened. "However, Miss Krivat,"
Remember this: don't meddle in other people's business again next time.
As Sean spoke, he raised the wand that he had been holding in his right hand and pointed the tip at Penelope.
As Sean spoke, Penelope's suspicions were confirmed, and her face turned pale instantly as she looked at the outstretched wand.
She never expected that Sean would be so bold as to threaten her, and even point his wand directly at her.
Her heart was racing; she could almost hear it echoing in her ears.
"You—you can't do this to me!" She tried to remain calm, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her fear. "If you kill me, I'll make the evidence public..."
evidence?
Where is the evidence?
Having already reviewed Penelope's memories, Sean dismissed the little witch's claims with disdain.
In "Infernal Affairs," a threat of that magnitude wouldn't last more than thirty minutes.
Sean sneered, the tip of his wand still firmly pointed at Penelope. "In this school, evidence doesn't matter. What matters is me, the headmaster. And you, Miss Crevat, you clearly haven't learned how to protect yourself in this magical world."
Penelope felt a wave of helplessness wash over her; she knew she was utterly powerless against Sean. Her gaze darted around, searching for a sliver of hope to escape, but everything around her seemed so distant and blurry.
"Sean Phillips, what you're doing is illegal!" she tried to resist with her last bit of courage, but her voice grew weaker and weaker.
A cruel smile flashed across Sean's face. "Breaking the law? In this school, I am the law. Now, I'm going to give you a little lesson so you'll know what real power is."
As he finished speaking, the tip of his wand began to glow, and a powerful magical force was gathering.
Penelope closed her eyes, awaiting the impending punishment, her heart filled with despair and helplessness.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
A soft laugh suddenly came from the doorway, and a figure slowly walked in.