Chapter 112: Tom's Gift
"Sociality" is a very curious topic, because it allows us to clearly feel what position "I" truly occupy.
For example, serving as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—Lockhart was currently within Tom's Bloodline Magic. From a magical perspective, he was a "blood relative" of Tom's within Hogwarts, this "home."
This was very interesting, because Lockhart discovered that Bloodline Magic needed to maintain a very unique balance, and Tom's Bloodline Magic was out of balance.
Even more interestingly, Lockhart was not just any other professor right now, but the crucial cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. This meant that if he restored the balance of this Bloodline Magic, would he completely embed himself within it?
Becoming the one being protected?
Yes, Tom was brilliant; he completely uncovered the essence of Bloodline Magic and used its cursed characteristics to the fullest, thereby discarding all his own power of "love."
But ultimately, it was a Bloodline Magic, and it needed an object to be protected.
From being cursed to being protected—this was Lockhart's way of breaking the curse. At least for the next six months of his tenure, Voldemort would no longer be able to use the curse to kill him.
Going even further, could he be immune to some injuries that Bloodline Magic could protect against, until Voldemort's death?
Late at night.
After a busy day, Professor Lockhart returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, opened the fairy tale book, stepped inside, and then opened the diary again, eagerly commencing his private lesson.
"Because of the bonds brought by 'love,' we can more clearly perceive the position of 'I' in this world, this society?"
Faced with Professor Lockhart's unreserved sharing, Tom was clearly deep in thought.
"Yes!" Lockhart affirmed Tom's earlier doubts. "You're right, love is indeed a bond, but it is precisely because people have bonds that they possess strong sociality, and the existence of 'I' becomes real, filled with the colors of life."
He began to explain the concept of "wizarding life" to Tom, arguing that magical creatures evolved into natural creatures because they began to develop "sociality." "You must enter it, gain sociality, to become real, not remain a monster hiding in the shadows."
He also cited the example of house-elves, emphasizing that these magical creatures began to have the possibility of reproduction because they entered "wizarding life" and even participated in events like the Goblin Rebellions, entering a higher level of "fairy tale wizarding life."
Thanks to Ginny, his new fan, praising Professor Lockhart in front of her good friend Tom, and Lockhart's subsequent display of his professional image as a master of magic when he interacted with Tom, Tom's perception of this professor was similar to that of Professor Slughorn, who had guided him on Horcrux magic.
While always maintaining a certain degree of thought about magic and a competitive spirit towards knowledge, he never doubted the authority of these professors, who were masters of magic.
Sixteen-year-old Little Tom was still somewhat naive.
He didn't understand Professor Lockhart's cunning.
He actually started trying!
"I need to use the Basilisk's power."
He said so.
He yearned for resurrection so intensely that he was willing to expose this secret. The opportunity had come, and he would not allow it to be missed.
Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts School, emphasized heritage. In fact, anyone who would establish a school to teach magic to other wizards would naturally be of such a temperament and would certainly make arrangements for the inheritance of their own bloodline descendants.
The Basilisk was a protective force he bestowed upon his descendants.
The current "Heir of Slytherin" was Tom Riddle.
However, one point needs to be clarified: Salazar Slytherin merely distrusted Muggle-born wizards; he was far from hating them. He hated Muggles.
Any narrative divorced from its historical context is manipulative.
In that terrifying era of witch hunts, the Order of Merlin, symbolizing the most powerful group of wizards, willingly became lackeys to Muggle kings, only spouting rhetoric about restricting wizards from harming Muggles. Meanwhile, the Wizards' Council, the precursor to the Ministry of Magic, was far from its current power and was merely a general academic organization.
It can almost be said that Slytherin and his three companions, by establishing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, formed the first truly organized wizarding force to resist Muggles in the Middle Ages.
They even prepared Muggle cannons and similar firearms within the castle.
In such a life-and-death era, a wizard of Muggle background, with a mind full of Muggle thoughts, and all Muggle blood relatives—how could he not be wary of such a person trying to infiltrate his resistance organization?
However, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were so inclusive, and even Ravenclaw, always known for her wisdom, believed this was a force of wizards that could not be ignored and needed to be united.
This led to the schism among the four founders.
This was a split in political ideology. After Slytherin angrily left the magical school he had established by dedicating his castle, and to guard against Slytherin possibly going to extremes and harming these Muggle-born wizards, certain narratives naturally emerged.
In such a context, let alone Slytherin's Basilisk, even if he had raised a unicorn or a phoenix, it would still be considered evil.
But in reality, things were far less complicated than conspiracy theorists imagined.
For Slytherin, the Basilisk he raised was, to him, just a pet, much like Lockhart's little golden pups or Newt's Niffler.
Or rather, it was the result of his laboratory research in Dark magical creature cultivation.
Lockhart brought the diary to the girls' bathroom on the first floor of the castle. Under Tom's guidance, he opened the passage entrance using Parseltongue, followed the pipe to the Chamber of Secrets door, opened the door with the secret phrase, and finally entered Slytherin's Chamber.
Here, Tom seemed to be imbued with some power. Wisps of black smoke floated out of the diary, quickly gathering in front of him, eventually forming a young figure.
His outline was blurred, as if separated from this world by a misty window, and a shimmering, hazy glow emanated from him. He looked somewhat like a ghost, but he was definitely not a ghost.
Because he didn't have the pale, lifeless color of decaying life; instead, he was full of color.
Black hair, pale skin, a remarkably humble yet noble demeanor. This nobility conveyed an ineffable arrogance and self-satisfaction.
Lockhart inexplicably had the illusion of calling him "Little Dumbledore."
Sixteen-year-old Tom was a figure favored by most professors, wasn't he?
Both arrogant and humble. If he were to acquire the mellow wisdom of time, he might truly become a second Dumbledore.
What a pity.
Lockhart couldn't help but sigh. A figure like Voldemort, even if he couldn't become Dumbledore, should at least have been like Grindelwald. Instead, he went astray and ended up neither human nor ghost, becoming a brain-damaged Dark Lord.
"Professor Lockhart, my sincere greetings to you." Tom said with a smile, appreciating the shock and error in the professor's eyes.
Lockhart was more than just shocked; his pupils had dilated significantly.
This greeting...
He had seen it before!
In his chaotic adventures with Dumbledore, Alecto Carrow, a Death Eater, was hanged by Voldemort in the tower, and with her blood, he wrote words like "Dumbledore, my sincere greetings to you."
Good. Tom successfully extinguished that tiny spark of thought that flickered in Lockhart's mind—"This child might still be salvageable." As the saying goes, "The child is father of the man." Voldemort's ultimate fate might truly stem from inherent characteristics.
"I didn't realize you were a ghost." Lockhart marveled. "Such a unique soul."
Tom was never as good at faking being a good person as Lockhart, because at worst, if Tom failed, the professors wouldn't like him. Lockhart, on the other hand, would truly be ruined and sent to Azkaban for retirement.
"Professor, I need a wand." Tom made his request.
He needed magic to learn the Patronus Charm, which was obviously reasonable.
But making such an abrupt request could make one wary, fearing danger.
So this was also a test, testing whether this young professor was trustworthy, and if he genuinely intended to teach him.
He was being a bit unappreciative.
Lockhart barely hesitated, handing him his wand, excitedly rubbing his hands together. "I've always wanted to see a Basilisk, a creature that falls between a magical beast and a Dark magical creature! Quick, quick, summon it!"
He was like an academic obsessed with his studies.
This reminded Tom of his Care of Magical Creatures professor, Professor Silvanus Kettleburn.
Ginny had said that this old professor was now assisting Lockhart. They say birds of a feather flock together, and it seemed Professor Lockhart was undoubtedly such a person.
He smiled, twirling the wand in his hand, then waved it towards the Slytherin statue on the far wall, hissing in Parseltongue.
Soon, the statue's mouth opened, and the Basilisk crawled out, its eyes closed, slithering closer.
"Wow~"
Lockhart tried to touch the Basilisk's cold scales, shouting excitedly, "It's incredible! Was it really bred by Mr. Slytherin? After such a long history, it's still alive!"
"Yes," Tom Riddle said, looking at Lockhart, who wasn't defending himself, not at all worried that he might command the Basilisk to kill him. He smiled playfully, toying with the wand in his hand. "This is the Basilisk my ancestor personally bred!"
As he spoke, a thought occurred to him. He looked Lockhart up and down, who appeared somewhat younger. "You mentioned earlier that you've been dedicated to researching Dark magical creatures?"
Lockhart, still intently observing the Basilisk, nodded and replied casually, "Yes, specifically, Dark magical creature cultivation."
This is truly great!
Tom's face was full of smiles. He again hissed at the Slytherin statue, and the statue actually moved again.
The statue parted its hands, revealing a large opening in its chest, at the heart, with a stone staircase extending out.
Looking up, one could see a dazzling array of experimental equipment, and an entire shelf of research notes and magic books.
"This is?" Lockhart blinked, quite certain that this place was not present in the original story's plot where Harry and the others killed the Basilisk.
"Slytherin's laboratory for researching magic and cultivating Dark magical creatures. It contains detailed breeding records for the Basilisk. I think you'll like this gift."
The cub selling its grandfather's property felt no pain. Tom appeared very generous.
But he didn't lose anything. If Professor Lockhart truly cultivated other Basilisks, or even a large number of them, it would undoubtedly strengthen his power.
After all, Basilisks only obeyed Parseltongue commands.
Now that resurrection seemed possible, he naturally had to plan for the future. Tom had to consider that his greatest enemy in the future might not be Dumbledore, but another Voldemort planning his own resurrection!
Basilisks might not be able to deal with Voldemort, but they were more than enough to deal with Voldemort's Death Eaters.
"A gift? All for me?" Lockhart's face was filled with pleasant surprise.
Tom nodded with a smile, gesturing with a raised hand. "Yes, esteemed professor, please help yourself."
"Then I truly won't be polite!" Lockhart was overflowing with excitement, no longer paying attention to Tom, and quickly walked up the stone steps.
Tom gazed pensively at the professor's retreating back, a slight curve to his lips, very pleased with the potential assistance this professor might bring in the future.
Then—
Let the resurrection begin!