"Aoww. Meow!"
After taking that kick, Mrs Norris let out a shrill, miserable scream. The instant she leapt up, the foggy haze in her eyes cleared.
She broke free of the controlled state and bolted down the corridor without a second thought.
Ron Weasley was startled. He had never expected Mrs Norris, who was usually so sharp and had never been caught by students, to be that easy to kick.
Still, seeing Mrs Norris flee in a panic made Ron Weasley feel much better.
"That's what you get for falsely accusing me. Your cat deserved that kick!" Ron Weasley cursed under his breath, and the negative emotion made the shadow inside the jack-o'-lantern light up with interest.
This student looks easy to use.
At that thought, the flames inside the jack-o'-lantern burned brighter at once, immediately drawing Ron Weasley's attention.
"Where did this jack-o'-lantern come from?" Ron Weasley looked at the unusual lantern curiously. Both the silver threads that seemed etched into its surface and the blue flames dancing inside caught his eye.
He reached out and touched the surface of the jack-o'-lantern. Inside, the shadow eagerly stirred its power, trying to establish a connection with the student.
Suddenly, the silver threads on the lantern's surface blazed with dazzling light. The blue flames were forced down, and the shadow let out a muffled grunt.
The jack-o'-lantern shook under the clash of the two forces.
That sudden change made Ron Weasley stumble back a step. He stared at the jack-o'-lantern in alarm, completely at a loss.
The thing could move, and it could make sounds.
Ron Weasley instantly thought of the Dark artifacts from storybooks, the kind said to contain evil souls that tempted innocent wizards into darkness.
Could this jack-o'-lantern be one of those wicked things?
Ron Weasley instinctively backed away, wanting to turn and run for a professor. The shadow panicked at once. If the boy ran off, it would be finished. It would have no choice but to stay here and wait to be caught, and it might even bring that vicious professor back.
At the moment, it had no ability to move on its own at all.
Trapped inside the jack-o'-lantern, the shadow began forcing its damaged mind to think of a way out.
Then inspiration struck, and it remembered Ron Weasley kicking Mrs Norris.
It remembered that the cat belonged to that repulsive Squib. When the Squib had called away the professor who had planned to torture it, it had seen him through the cat's eyes.
So this red-haired boy had a conflict with that Squib.
That might be something it could use.
At some point, the shadow that had originally been attached to Mrs Norris had gathered beneath Ron Weasley's feet. That tiny bit of power was not enough to control a wizard with magic, even an underage one.
But the shadow had never intended to control him.
The darkness crept up Ron Weasley's body and slipped into his head. Then the shadow's voice sounded directly in his ears.
"Hello..."
"Who? Who's there?" Ron Weasley jumped in fright, glancing around in panic.
"Aren't I right in front of you?" The shadow deliberately shaped its voice into that of a kindly old man, though beneath the surface, it was stirring up Ron Weasley's negative emotions.
"You... you're this jack-o'-lantern?" Ron Weasley's voice trembled. "What do you want?"
"I am an ancient wizard. I was framed and sealed inside this jack-o'-lantern. Your luck is good. I happened to find you, and I am willing to take you as my student," the shadow said.
"Liar. That jack-o'-lantern was obviously just made. How could it possibly have some ancient history?" Ron Weasley shot back at once.
"That's because this pumpkin carries evil magic. It made the pumpkin impossible to destroy." The shadow suppressed its excitement. "If you don't believe me, try smashing it. You won't be able to break it."
"I'm not doing that. Do you think I'm stupid? If I do that, wouldn't I just be letting you out?" At the critical moment, Ron Weasley was still smart enough.
The shadow felt a little regretful, but it did not show it. "It doesn't matter if you refuse. You can't destroy it anyway. But I mean it. Would you like to become my student?"
"No." Ron Weasley shook his head. "I'm handing you over to a professor... no, I'm handing you over to Headmaster Dumbledore."
Dumbledore? If he really got handed over to him, then it was finished. It would not even be able to keep the secret of the Horcrux.
The shadow panicked a little and said immediately, "But if you do that, who's going to help you get revenge?"
"Revenge? Revenge for what?" Ron Weasley asked blankly.
"Heh..." The shadow kept provoking Ron Weasley's negative emotions. "You know perfectly well who wronged you. He's hostile to you, looks down on you, targets you. Doesn't that make you angry?"
Ron Weasley's expression grew dazed. In his mind appeared the scene of Filch stopping him and forcing him to clean the castle hall as punishment.
Humiliation and anger surged in his chest.
Sensing the change in Ron Weasley's emotions, the shadow smiled. "No one in this school is going to help you. Even if you tell Dumbledore, as Headmaster, he won't speak up for you."
The relentless stream of words kept wearing away at Ron Weasley's reason. He felt himself growing angrier and angrier. Just thinking about Filch's hateful face made him want to flatten it with a punch.
"Then... then what should I do?" Ron Weasley asked in a daze.
"Take revenge on him. Make him understand what happens when he offends you." The shadow grew excited. It could feel that this red-haired boy was already wavering.
"But... but..." Ron Weasley was wavering, but his conscience kept warning him that what the shadow was saying was wrong.
"But you don't know how to get revenge, do you? You don't dare. You're just a timid coward." The shadow struck at Ron Weasley's hesitation at exactly the right moment.
"No, I'm a Gryffindor. A brave Gryffindor. I'm not afraid!" Ron Weasley shouted. "I just... I just don't know what to do."
"I can teach you. With my help, getting revenge on him will be easy." The shadow finally showed its hand.
Ron Weasley swayed slightly. He looked at the pumpkin standing there and said, "You're lying to me. You definitely have bad intentions."