A ruined Hogwarts

"This is the meeting place sent by the Aether Society."

Voldemort's gloomy expression seemed to change and he regained his composure. He handed the parchment in his hand to Owen, but he still exuded an extremely dangerous sense of depression.

The expression on Owen's face also became serious. He took the map and took a look at it, then pondered: "This location... As far as I know, someone set a fire in the Forbidden Forest a year ago, and the location is nearby. Around here. All the bushes have been burned, which means that this large area currently has a wide view and it is difficult to hide people. It seems that ambush in advance is not a good option."

Although wizards have means of invisibility, whether it is a disguise spell or an invisibility cloak, there is a possibility of being discovered, and it is difficult to hide it from a skilled wizard.

"Facing a few insignificant characters, do we still need to ambush?" Voldemort shook his head and showed a contemptuous smile, "Don't forget, Lilith of the Ether Society did not tell us in the letter where she would be. The time has come. According to the cautious character she showed, perhaps they have been hiding nearby for a long time, and have even checked out the surrounding dangers."

Owen nodded in agreement and said in a mocking tone: "A group of hidden rats will run away in fear at the slightest sign of trouble. Then follow their rules of the game. The outcome of this game is already determined anyway." As he said this, he seemed to He accidentally glanced at Harry, who was standing aside as a backdrop.

Harry was struck by his gaze and suddenly became excited. He moved his stiff facial muscles and said, "Don't forget, we can only be two people, so as not to touch Lilith's sensitive nerves." He heard himself There was no fluctuation in his voice, and it was so calm and indifferent that it didn't seem like it came from his own mouth.

"This is not a problem. We can all condense a free-moving body at any time. It is nothing more than leaving behind this body." Voldemort looked at his palms and said calmly.

"So that's what you had in mind." Owen suddenly smiled, "This is indeed a good idea, and it can have more unexpected effects... But unfortunately, my situation is very special, and it is impossible to escape from this body."

He looked at Harry again, shook his head and said: "He is not a good choice either. His level of wandless spellcasting is not high and cannot play a decisive role. Being able to control the body of an adult wizard is a strength for him. …”

Harry followed the script and turned down the corners of his mouth, making a stinky expression.

Voldemort also glanced at him and said with a half-smile: "That's right. So I will return to the crown, and you will take me to meet the people of the Aether Society. I will appear at the most appropriate time."

The corners of Owen's mouth raised, and a dark undercurrent surged in his calm eyes. He has been playing Voldemort diligently for so long, creating images of cautious and cunning members of the Aether Society, and creating the situation today just for this opportunity for Voldemort to take the initiative to hand over the crown!

There was no need to find anyone to play the members of the Aether Society, just to make Voldemort believe that they were coming, since he wouldn't be able to reach the agreed upon location anyway.

Owen pursed his lips slightly and lowered his eyes, not feeling happy that his goal was about to be achieved. Before the curtain call of a performance, he was always ready to deal with any accident that might happen.

Standing next to the fireplace, Harry clenched his palms tightly, suppressing his excitement. The black sapphire ring on his right index finger reflected light slightly.

"So, which one of you is going to wear my crown?" Ginny said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Give him a helping hand, I can handle it myself." Owen smiled casually and said nonchalantly.

"I don't need it. Let him take it. This will have a more unexpected effect." Harry raised his chin proudly, highlighting his youthful and frivolous appearance.

Voldemort's eyes roamed back and forth between Owen and Harry's faces, his eyes flickering slightly. Both people's reasons are valid. In fact, no matter who the crown is given to, it will not affect the overall situation.

So, who should it be left to? The choice is his.

Faced with this multiple-choice question, Voldemort narrowed his eyes. He looked at "Harry Potter" with a dull expression. Facing his rumored nemesis, the Boy-Who-Lived, he was still a little wary, especially the power in his body that could hurt him...

Even if he is now controlled by fragments of his own soul, who can guarantee that he will not suddenly wake up? This is a hidden danger.

Voldemort finally looked at "Gilderoy Lockhart" and whispered: "Next, you take my crown with you."

Harry frowned unwillingly on the surface, but he cheered lightly in his heart, as if even the scar didn't hurt that much anymore. He thought to himself: "Okay, he chose me, execute plan two."

He nodded his head and tried his best to maintain the surface calm. His heart was beating loudly, making his body feel warm.

Owen didn't say anything, just smiled and played with the wand in his hand, waiting quietly.

In a panic-stricken silence, Voldemort slowly touched his pocket. Just as Harry was about to look around, he suddenly said: "Wait a minute."

Harry felt his breath suffocate for an instant, and it seemed that even his heart stopped beating, and he fell heavily.

"Is there anything else?" Owen tapped the wand with his index finger and asked calmly, looking a little confused.

"I think we can add another insurance - the basilisk." Voldemort said in a low voice, "I have found where it is."

Harry's heart suddenly dropped, and he felt so suffocated that he quickly took a breath of cool air.

Owen tilted his head slightly and thought about it. He felt that adding a basilisk would have no impact, so he agreed: "Good idea. We are all weak after all. It will never go wrong if we make more preparations. You can let the basilisk follow you from a distance." Behind us, we are hiding in the woods far away from the agreed place, and we will act according to our instructions at any time."

"Let's go now, time is limited." With the plan settled, Voldemort opened the door and walked out resolutely.

In the room, Harry blinked his clear and innocent eyes and looked at Owen, only to be stared back. He twitched the corners of his mouth, put on a deep paralyzed face again, and followed Owen out of the room.

Even with the rare good weather, the night temperature is still freezing. There were only two or three stars in the black curtain-like sky, and half of the moon hung above, casting a silvery glow on the earth.

The three figures left the castle under the cover of night, walked through the green grassy grounds, bypassed Hagrid's still-lit hut, and entered the Forbidden Forest amidst the faint barking of dogs.

They walked through the lush trees, and the black tree shadows around them curled up like monsters stretching their limbs. From time to time, long howling sounds can be heard in the forest, and strange animals sometimes jump among the low shrubs, which makes people feel terrified.

Harry was hit by the cold wind and couldn't help but shrink his neck and get closer to Owen. Then he saw Voldemort walking in the front pointing his wand at his eyes and chanting some inaudible spell.

Owen also raised the wand in his hand, pointed at the round glasses on his nose, and recited a few spells to prevent the basilisk from staring at him with ease.

Harry opened his mouth and looked at Owen in bewilderment. He won't...

Then he saw Owen take out a spare pair of glasses, poke them with his wand, mutter a few spells, and hand the glasses over without any concealment: "Use it."

Harry took the glasses and put them on, and was a little surprised to find that they had transformed into a pair of flat glasses. He instinctively opened his mouth to say thank you, but fortunately he reacted in time, quickly shut his mouth and walked on.

After walking through the dark jungle for a long time, the three people finally stopped. Ahead is the cave where the basilisk is located. The huge hole looks like the monster's bloody mouth in the dark night, and the rich darkness inside is disturbing.

Voldemort waved his wand and destroyed the enchanted fence at the entrance of the cave, hissing: "Basilisk, come out."

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the dead cave entrance, which was the sound of friction between the giant thing and the cave wall when it moved. After a while, a pair of yellow eyes like light bulbs lit up in the darkness, and a ferocious huge head poked out from the hole. The bright green scales still looked very alluring in the dim moonlight.

After staring at the three of them with wide eyes for a moment, the basilisk made a hoarse hiss: "Heirs, welcome."

Owen looked at the giant snake with curiosity and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. This guy has put on more than one round of weight. It seems that he has had a lot of food during this time. Hagrid is really a good pig.

You won’t become a ball of weight in a while, right?

Owen shook the strange thoughts out of his mind and said in Parseltongue: "Basilisk, we need you tonight..."

Then he winked at Harry, gesturing for him to say something in Parseltongue as well. He didn't mind doing anything to reduce Voldemort's suspicion of them.

Harry somehow understood what Owen meant. He opened his mouth and hissed: "Follow us and follow our instructions."

The basilisk bowed its huge head in obedience and spoke of its ancient mission: "Follow the instructions of the heir."

Voldemort, who stood silently aside, nodded as if satisfied, took out a worn-out crown from his pocket, and played with it for a while. The beautiful sapphire on the tiara reflects beautiful light.

He handed Harry the crown and the wand in his hand, and his bright brown eyes suddenly lost their sparkle. The petite body collapsed limply to the ground, and his face was so pale that he seemed to have turned into a cold corpse.

Harry was startled and wanted to reach out to support Ginny's body, but he forced himself to stop his movements. He looked at the motionless girl with concern in his eyes. He didn't even know if Ginny was still alive.

He bit his lip, took a deep breath, and held the crown tightly in his palm. The cold and hard touch stung his palms, and the scar on his forehead was still painful, allowing him to barely maintain his composure.

Do it now? Harry glanced at Owen, asking for advice with his eyes.

Owen glanced calmly at Ginny lying on the ground.

Understood, move farther away before taking action, so as not to affect Ginny... Harry nodded slightly knowingly and put the wand Voldemort gave him into his pocket.

The two walked silently for a certain distance towards the agreed upon location. The basilisk followed them leisurely, swinging its tail, casting a huge shadow on the ground covered with weeds and fallen leaves, as if it wanted to swallow the two figures in one bite. In the entrance.

As he walked into a brush-covered hollow, Owen surveyed the nearby terrain. Surrounded by gloomy trees, the ground beneath your feet is relatively flat, and the shrubs are covered with ankle-deep grass. There are a few pink wild flowers blooming here and there, exuding a faint fragrance under the moonlight.

Owen was very satisfied with the surrounding environment. He squeezed the wand in his hand and did not turn his head to look at Harry. He just coughed slightly, and the small sound seemed particularly loud in the silence.

Harry stopped suddenly, his heart pounding as if it was about to jump out of his chest. He stared at the old crown he was holding in his left hand, pressed the button on the black sapphire ring with his right thumb, and waved his arm vigorously to pierce the steel needle that popped out of the ring. The sharp tip of the steel needle glowed with a green ghost. Light.

Soon, it’s now! Watching the needle tip getting closer and closer to the faded shell of the diadem, Harry held his breath in excitement, looking forward to Voldemort's destruction...

Just when the dangerously green needle tip almost touched the crown in his hand, a rich black-red mist suddenly surged out of the still shining sapphire. They wrapped around the entire crown in the blink of an eye, condensing into a tangled mass of small black snakes with red eyes!

Those little snakes raised their heads and hissed softly, rushing to meet the piercing steel needle, blocking the venom-smeared needle tip with their bodies!

The little snakes screamed and disappeared into black airflow under the needle tip. The steel needle in Harry's right hand slowed down a lot due to resistance, but it was still unstoppable.

At this moment, he felt a strong burst of cold air suddenly burst out from the crown he was holding tightly in his left hand, giving him the illusion that his fingers were frozen.

His fingers were flicked away in an instant, and the crown flew out of his hand. An illusive and slender figure condensed two or three steps away from him, and its red eyes stared straight at him!

"Oops!"

Harry screamed in annoyance in his heart, and a thought flashed through his mind that was numbed by this sudden failure: "Unexpected situation! The plan has been transferred to plan B..."

"What are you doing?"

A high-pitched voice exploded around, with anger and undetectable panic in the tone. The condensed figure raised its hand to grab the crown flying in the air, its red eyes shining with a strange and terrifying light in the dark night.

It was too late and then it was too late. Owen, who had been paying attention to the situation intentionally or unintentionally, suddenly waved his wand, and a silent barrier spell that was ready to go was shot at the most opportune time, blocking Voldemort who was about to be captured. The crown in his hand flew away, causing Harry and Voldemort, who were only two or three steps away, to take a few steps back at the same time.

"What are you doing?" At this time, Owen's cold voice came. (End of chapter)