A wizard, much like a Muggle philosopher, might ponder, "Was I dreaming I was a phoenix, or am I now a phoenix dreaming I was a wizard?" Upon a sudden awakening, with a moment of revelation, one might exclaim, "This body is not my own!"
---
The greatest secret about Time-Turners, and why even the Ministry of Magic has strict regulations on them, is that very few witches or wizards can truly break free from the ingrained patterns of behaviour shaped by their environment, society, and even their own magical bloodline. It's as if they're caught in a powerful Sticking Charm, unable to deviate from their destined path.
Professor Lockhart wasn't quite sure what that Muggle philosopher meant by "this body is not my own," but in his own extraordinary journey, he'd found a most fascinating answer. He was incredibly lucky to be a time-traveller, and even more fortunate to embark on a quest through others' adventures to witness the blossoming of true magic. This granted him an unparalleled understanding of such matters.
The truly intriguing aspect of this knowledge was that he could, quite literally, reverse the spell. He allowed his body to act and think independently, continuing the actions of the being who occupied that time, to do precisely what Lord Voldemort had intended to do. Through this peculiar possession, Lockhart truly felt the minute details of Voldemort's flying charm, much like those subtle magical tricks Professor Dumbledore might mention.
He also experienced the curious power of Parseltongue, guiding the sea serpents, a sensation entirely different from a "forest's favourite" calling upon the trees for aid. This journey eventually led him to a reef cave, which Voldemort had seemingly intended to use as a secret retreat. After all, a dark wizard should have many hiding places, and knowing he would one day face the formidable Dumbledore, he'd begun making preparations.
"Inferius, Arise!"
This was a most unsettling piece of Dark Magic. Voldemort transformed a long-prepared corpse into an Inferius. This was no simple resurrection. In the ancient Dark Arts of some forgotten regions, such incantations, drawing power from the very River Styx, always possessed a terrifyingly dark aura. Light and fire were their eternal bane. It was quite astonishing, turning a mere corpse into a creature of the Dark Arts with such a deceptively simple incantation. Of course, this was entirely due to Voldemort's own path, constantly exploring the boundaries of life and death, and his mastery of malicious Dark Magic. He was, unfortunately, quite skilled at it.
Just then, Lockhart acutely felt a surge of his own time magic operating. He swiftly took control of his body, Apparating to a familiar spot on the island, then switched to a flying charm, soaring rapidly towards the source of the magical disturbance. He quickly spotted Corban Yaxley and the rapidly fading form of Madam Mary.
Lockhart cast a Disillusionment Charm upon himself; his potent magic ensured he remained undetected. He floated high above, observing Corban's state. Tom Riddle had already performed some "minor surgery" on Corban, much like his manipulation of Ginny Weasley, creating a backdoor within Corban's mind and consciousness. This was a sophisticated application of the Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, but far more insidious due to its extreme secrecy. Ginny, when she was influenced, frequently appeared under the very noses of Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and even Professor Dumbledore, yet no one sensed anything amiss. To put it in Muggle terms, it was like installing a secret, encrypted system and driver in Ginny's mind, waiting to be activated to override her original system when needed.
Now, Corban's "minor surgery" was nearing completion, but that clandestine drive system had been taken over by Lockhart. The only problem with this manoeuvre was that a Corban so manipulated would be far too conspicuous to Voldemort; a mere touch would reveal the deception. Thus, Lockhart needed to go a step further, back into the past, to complete the final stage there. Then, the power of time would obscure all traces, creating an amusing "mist of history."
Lockhart hadn't anticipated that his decision to help Madam Mary recover some memories, those that wouldn't affect him, would bring about such unexpected assistance. Madam Mary was Corban Yaxley's daughter? Well, I'll be! How utterly fascinating!
"Consider this a fair exchange, then," he mused, "while I still possess Voldemort's magical power." He smiled, gently waving his wand, pointing it at Madam Mary, whose form was beginning to dissipate. A strange shadow was pulled from her body. It wasn't particularly difficult; not every blood curse is so potent as to be unremovable. Madam Mary's three generations of curses were actually tied to her time-sensitive bloodline and would, for a brief moment, be undone within time itself. Voldemort had delved deeply into bloodline magic, so using his abilities, Lockhart achieved this with surprising ease.
Soon, the curse within Madam Mary's body was removed, and Lockhart, with a casual flick, threw it onto Corban.
CRACK!
Time itself shattered, spinning wildly. Within the Time-Turner corridor, Lockhart vaguely glimpsed traces smoothed over by time: Madam Mary's birth, Madam Mary's mother's descent into a Banshee due to love turning to hatred, and the additional curse on Corban rebounding, completely masking any traces of Lockhart and Tom Riddle's manipulations on Corban.
"Excellent!"
---
Lockhart quickly awoke. He didn't open his eyes, simply savouring this curious experience, akin to the Muggle philosopher's dream, feeling the subtle differences between his own mind's influence, the influence of this body's bloodline, and the body of Tom Riddle, the nascent Voldemort. The power of the Soul Fire helped him pinpoint this delicate distinction with even greater clarity.
"Oh, Madam Mary, you're awake!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. The poor chap had, once again, been ejected from the adventure early, looking rather dreadful. But one couldn't truly blame him. Those with troubled minds find it much harder to truly grasp their own identity, let alone actively influence their bodies to act against the dictates of their own thoughts. He could only play the fool in this journey, then tumble into the sea and drown, gaining nothing. Lockhart suspected that Tom Riddle himself gained little; his performance in the previous time-bound scenario showed barely a shred of "Tom's" characteristics, following Lockhart's patterns of behaviour entirely.
"Have the others not woken yet?" Madam Mary asked Ron.
"No, they're all still like this. Goyle and Crabbe somehow ended up in the fire. It's just me now," Ron, ever the honest Gryffindor, replied.
And an honest Gryffindor was about to be in a spot of bother. Madam Mary was no ordinary witch. While her past life hadn't seen her commit any great evils, by the current categorization of wizards, she was a bona fide Dark Witch. Neither her status as a Dark Witch nor her ancient Spirit-Walker ways were ever particularly conventional.
"Excellent," Madam Mary said, drawing her wand. "Expelliarmus!"
WHAM!
Ron's wand flew from his grasp. Madam Mary was about to continue her spell when the boy suddenly leaped up, snatched his flying wand from the air, and executed a perfect Quidditch evasive manoeuvre, rolling onto the ground.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The boy had clearly practiced this countless times, integrating the wand-waving gesture into his roll. Before he even stood up, he had aimed his wand at Madam Mary, casting the Full Body-Bind Curse.
But, alas, it was useless. A cloud of shimmering, stone-like dust suddenly appeared in mid-air, rapidly falling to the ground. Ron watched, astonished, as the dust resolved into tiny, flying insects.
"Blast!" Ron cursed inwardly. Just as he expected, a large chair toppled towards him. The moment it struck him, it swiftly transformed, clinging tightly to his body and binding him firmly to the ground.
"Professor Lockhart's students truly are different..." Madam Mary marvelled, observing Ron. She herself had taught young witches and wizards in her community, and she knew how exceptional a child of Ron's age, displaying such prowess and battle instincts, truly was.
"Please tell Professor Lockhart I apologize," she said, her gaze complex, looking at the stone-like figures of the students on the ground, including Professor Lockhart. "Thank him for helping me retrieve a portion of my memory, the most valuable part. I don't need to know the rest; I am quite satisfied."
"I owe him for this. Please tell him I will find a way to repay him in the future, with all my might!"
"But for now, I apologize."
She waved her wand again, and a shadowy form rapidly emerged from behind her. It was a monstrous, fleshy-red caterpillar, at least six feet wide, covered in green nodules. Yet, strangely, it was thin and hollow, swaying like a kite in mid-air. This caterpillar kite swiftly enveloped her, as if devouring her whole, then soared towards Corban, who was still strapped to the chair. Then, only an empty chair remained, rapidly flying towards the trapdoor leading to the stairs below.
"Blast it, you wretched hag!" Ron roared in fury.
However, before he could struggle to reach his fallen wand, the colossal caterpillar kite flew back through the trapdoor.
THUMP!
A massive, furry werewolf paw clutched the trapdoor. A malevolent cackle echoed from below, "Why aren't you running? I was so hoping to finish you off!"
---
The surrounding mist dissipated.
Fang (the Golden Retriever), the Weeping Angel, the Boggart, the Demiguise, the Gunny Sack, and the Patronus (the silver horse).
They had, at some point, completely surrounded the area. Madam Mary's face was pale as she tumbled from the kite, looking in terror at Professor Lockhart, who had, unbeknownst to her, opened his eyes and was curiously examining the caterpillar kite.
"It's not time yet, Madam Mary," his voice remained gentle, with his characteristic lightness and cheer. But to Madam Mary's ears now, it held an unspoken authority.
"Reparo!" a voice beside her exclaimed. Ron finally broke free from the cursed chair. He looked up to see none other than Draco Malfoy had rescued him.
At the same moment, Harry, Hermione, and the others all awoke, surrounding Madam Mary.
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