novelcrest Chapter 205 He No Longer Hesitated
Chapter 205 He No Longer Hesitated
Chapter 205 He No Longer Hesitated
Let's rewind to fifteen minutes ago.
Lockhart stared in the direction Harry and Ron had left, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, including helplessness and a hint of barely perceptible apology.
He sighed softly, the sound echoing through the forbidden forest, sounding particularly heavy.
"Don't blame me..." he muttered softly, a hint of self-consolation in his voice, trying to ease the burden on his heart. "Who told you to be so unlucky... every few years students go missing in the Forbidden Forest... there's nothing I can do to help you..."
After saying this, Lockhart gently shook his head, as if trying to shake away those ridiculous thoughts in his mind. Then, he bent down.
He began to carefully tidy his clothes, gently patting the mud and grass roots off his trouser legs.
During this process, a hint of worry occasionally flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it, leaving only a seemingly calm and composed appearance.
After doing all this, Lockhart straightened up, took a deep breath of the relatively fresh air at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, looked around to make sure no one else was present, and then slowly started his journey back to Hogwarts.
However, for some reason, each of his steps seemed unusually heavy.
Was he just too tired...?
still:
As we stood high above, looking down at the vast Forbidden Forest and the path between the Forbidden Forest's edge and Hogwarts Castle, a slowly moving white figure stood out.
Against the backdrop of this vast and mysterious forest, the white figure appears exceptionally small, like a lone ant slowly moving forward in the immense natural environment.
However, in that brief moment of gazing, the white figure suddenly stopped.
It no longer continued along the predetermined route, but seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, or its inner struggle and hesitation made it stop.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and an indescribable tension and anticipation filled the air.
We don't know why the white figure stopped, nor can we fathom his thoughts, but in this dazzling night sky, the moonlight seemed to sense some subtle atmosphere and became even brighter.
Silver light spilled down, like a finely woven net, gently covering the forbidden forest, draping this mysterious woodland in a soft and enigmatic veil. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled patterns on the ground, adding a touch of solitude and solemnity to the still white figure.
Finally, in that moment when time seemed to stand still, perhaps a few seconds had passed, or perhaps a long five minutes had truly elapsed, the white-clad figure resolutely made a decision.
Without further hesitation or lingering, he slowly turned around, his steps firm and resolute, and walked into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Lockhart then made his choice.
But... was this choice really the right one for him?
We can only see a thin and delicate thread, seemingly invisible yet incredibly strong, tightly binding his fate together. This thread, as thin as a spider's thread, carries an indescribable weight and profound meaning; it is both the connecting bridge and the binding lock.
However, the other end of the line lies hidden in the hazy unknown. Where it leads, we do not know, but we can wait and see.
Lockhart followed the spiders' subtle and intricate trails, proceeding with extreme caution, afraid of missing any clues or disturbing the unknown creatures hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest.
A swarm of spiders was already enough of a headache for him; he didn't want to make his mission any more difficult.
Honestly, if a vampire or a werewolf... or even a harmless rabbit suddenly jumped out of the bushes right now, he would return to Hogwarts without hesitation, to his warm bed to enjoy a peaceful night.
He felt at ease about this and no longer needed to suffer inner torment.
His feelings were extremely complicated at this moment.
On one hand, I felt nervous about what was about to happen, and on the other hand, I couldn't help but complain in my heart.
Whom should we blame?
You should ask who he can blame but himself—he can blame everyone but himself.
He blamed Harry and Ron for getting him into this situation, blaming their ignorance and impulsiveness for dragging him into this dangerous vortex.
If they hadn't insisted on traveling at night and entering this dangerous forbidden forest, he would be lying in his warm bed right now, instead of being led by spider tracks in this dark, damp, and unknown forbidden forest, heading towards an end he himself didn't know.
He resented Dumbledore.
He complained about Dumbledore. The outside media called him "the greatest wizard of our time," and praise was endless, but Lockhart at this moment thought that these achievements might also be fabricated, exaggerated and carefully packaged through clever marketing, just like himself.
After all, he wasn't born yet, nor did he witness that great battle with Grindelwald. Who knows if it was real or not?
As for Voldemort, it was Harry who dealt with him, so what did it have to do with Dumbledore?
Lockhart became more and more certain of his speculation that Dumbledore was a "wizard star" who was good at packaging himself.
Otherwise, how could he not even handle a small monster in the Chamber of Secrets? It was Dumbledore's incompetence that caused him to lose his memory, which led him to decide to follow Harry at night to do these absurd things in order to find clues.
The root of all this is Dumbledore.
He complained about Sean.
Think back to the beginning, they were all on the same starting line with equal opportunities, so why is fate so unfair?
He woke up to find himself still just a professor, while the other man had been promoted to university president. How could he not feel a mix of emotions and resentment at this disparity?
He didn't complain about why Sean hadn't solved the monster in the locked room... because he believed Sean, like him, simply didn't have the ability.
Amidst his constant complaining, Lockhart felt as if a fire was burning within him, a fire fueling his discontent and resentment.
It made him extremely excited.
So much so that he no longer felt the biting cold wind of the night, as if the coldness of the outside world had been dispelled by the anger in his heart.
"Damn Harry, Ron, Dumbledore, Phillips..." he cursed incessantly, then spat on the ground. "By Merlin, if this can't revive my reputation, then the Daily Prophet might as well go bankrupt..."
'
"When I get back, I'm definitely going to write a novel about today's experience and make it number one on the bestseller list... Damn Phillips..."
Finally, after a long journey and a lot of cursing, he arrived at the spiders' stronghold and saw that the spiders had formed a solid, towering wall of steel, and inside this wall of steel were Harry and Ron, who were looking lost and helpless.
"Stop!" he said.
"Professor Lockhart!" "Professor!" Harry and Ron called out to the figure in surprise.
As the two found themselves trapped in what seemed like an inescapable predicament, they secretly fantasized that someone would come to their rescue.
For example, Dumbledore, Sean, McGonagall, and even Snape appeared in the two people's fantasies for a moment.
However, reality unfolded in a way they never expected.
Just when they were about to give up all hope, a figure slowly entered their line of sight. It was someone they had never seen even in their wildest fantasies—Gihad Lockhart.
His appearance, like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, was both unexpected and carried a touch of indescribable miracle.
Lockhart, a professor usually known for his self-promotion and boasting, actually stood before them in an unprecedented manner at the moment when they needed help the most.
Although Lockhart's reputation has shifted dramatically between the two men, they are forced to consider one question:
Can Lockhart really handle these spiders?
Of course, this is also the question Lockhart is pondering at this moment.
When Lockhart appeared, the spiders froze. Their clicking pincers stopped waving for a moment, and many pairs of bright eyes turned to Lockhart.
A tense and delicate balance permeated the air, as if even the wind was holding its breath.
When an ordinary person is being stared at by thousands of eyes in a room, nervousness is unavoidable.
But for Lockhart, this was a common occurrence, as routine as drinking water and eating.
He even gradually regained some confidence from these gazes.
He's a third-class Order of Merlin, an honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a five-time winner of The Wizarding Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.
"I am Gilderoy Lockhart, the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts," Lockhart continued, his voice becoming more resolute. "I order you to release these two boys immediately, or face unforeseen consequences."
Aragog, the enormous spider, finally spoke, its voice deep and majestic: "Lockhart, this is our territory, and we will not easily give up our prey."
"Prey?" Lockhart chuckled, though a hint of unease flickered in his eyes, he strove to remain calm. "They are just two innocent children. As a creature of the Forbidden Forest, you should know the power of Hogwarts. I warn you, do not act rashly."
Aragog slowly moved its massive body, each step seemingly testing the ground's strength. "In this forbidden forest, strength is the true language. These two children have trespassed into our territory, and according to the laws of nature, they must pay the price for their actions."
"Natural laws?" Lockhart raised his voice, trying to intimidate the giant spider with words. "Under the protection of Hogwarts, no creature can harm our students at will. I demand of you again, release them immediately, or I will have to take the necessary measures."
"What measures?" Aragog's voice carried a hint of disdain. "Your magic? Here, deep in the Forbidden Forest, magic doesn't obey as readily as it does in your classroom. Professor Lockhart, I admit you may have some reputation at Hogwarts, but here, reputation can't protect you, nor can it protect your students."
What measures?
Even Lockhart himself didn't know what measures he could take to control this spider, which was bigger than ten of him combined.
Anyway, it's not the magic Aragog mentioned.
He also didn't believe his forgetting spell would work on the spider.
As Aragog finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Forbidden Forest became even more tense, as if the air itself had frozen.
The spiders, forming a line, began to press forward step by step. Their massive bodies moved slowly across the ground, each step seemingly exerting invisible pressure on Lockhart.
On those ugly black heads, many pairs of eyes gleamed with an eerie light, staring intently at the Hogwarts professor before them, as if assessing his every subtle movement.
Seeing the spider closing in, Lockhart shouted urgently, "Wait!"
Meanwhile, Lockhart's mind was racing, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
What he didn't notice was that when he shouted "Wait!" in his panic, Ron's eyes widened in surprise and confusion.
What Lohart didn't expect was that a look of fear appeared on Aragog's face.
A flicker of panic crossed those enormous eyes, as if Lockhart's words had triggered some deep-seated memory or fear.
"What did you say?" Aragok's voice trembled slightly.
It clearly reacted strongly to Lockhart's words. This made the already tense atmosphere even more bizarre and unpredictable.
Lockhart himself was stunned; he hadn't expected his casual remark to have such a big effect.
He stared blankly at Aragog, his mind filled with doubt and confusion.
He didn't know which nerve his words had touched in the spider that caused it to react with such intense fear.
"I said... wait a minute?" Lockhart asked hesitantly.
"No, that's not it," Aragok corrected him urgently, his voice trembling with obvious fear. "That's not what you just said."
Didn't he just say "wait a moment"?
Could it be... that he misremembered?
Lockhart turned his gaze to Harry, hoping to get some answers or support from him.
However, Harry also looked rather confused, clearly puzzled by the situation. His gaze darted between Lockhart and Aragog, trying to pinpoint the source of this strange series of reactions.
Ron, standing to the side, stammered, "Professor, you were speaking... Parsley." His voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by this sudden discovery.
Lockhart was stunned.
Snake-like voice.
That's the symbol of Slytherin.
He believed he had absolutely no connection to Slytherin.
He was neither born into a pure-blood family nor graduated from Slytherin House.
How could he possibly speak with a snake-like voice?
But these questions weren't so important at the moment; the most important thing was how to use the Snake Language to leave this place.
What he didn't expect was...