Daring to snatch his slave, he really hadn't seen a gangster before.
Charlie snorted coldly and stood up.
He followed the faint sensation of the Imperio, chasing it all the way to the edge of the Castle.
The sensation pointed to the Forbidden Forest.
Charlie turned into a nearby storeroom, where several Roosters were locked up.
These Roosters were specifically placed throughout the Castle to deal with the Basilisk.
Now they came in handy, to avoid encountering the Basilisk in the Forbidden Forest and being ambushed by it.
Charlie grabbed a Rooster and cast a Tongue-Tying Spell on it.
The Rooster struggled twice but couldn't make a sound.
He tucked the Rooster under his arm and turned to walk towards the Forbidden Forest.
The Forbidden Forest was very dark at night, with moonlight filtering through the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows all over the ground.
Charlie walked slowly, his wand in hand, the sensation of the Imperio growing stronger and stronger.
Charlie hid behind a thick oak tree and peeked out.
Lockhart stood in the center of the clearing.
Moonlight shone on his face, his expression cold.
He lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the ground, as if searching for some trace.
Charlie stared at him, feeling that this person was definitely not Lockhart; his demeanor and expression were wrong, it must be Tom without a doubt.
Charlie's eyes turned cold.
After Lockhart was under the Imperio, Charlie had already regarded him as personal property. A very famous writer who was 100% loyal to him, Charlie did not want him to escape his control.
Previously, allowing the diary to stay with Lockhart was, firstly, because he didn't want to disrupt Dumbledore's plan, and secondly, he hadn't expected the diary to actually be able to free Lockhart from control.
Charlie raised his wand and aimed at his back.
"Stupefy."
The Spell shot out and hit Lockhart.
Lockhart flew out the moment he was hit, crashed into a tree, spat out a mouthful of blood, and then slid to the ground.
But just as the Spell was cast, Charlie felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.
Charlie froze completely.
The surrounding scene instantly changed.
Before Charlie could react, he was pulled away by a force; this familiar sensation was Apparition.
Trees blurred before his eyes, and the air twisted.
The next second, he was already standing in another clearing in the Forbidden Forest.
Charlie turned around and threw a punch straight at the person's face.
But his fist stopped in mid-air.
He saw the face clearly; it was Dumbledore.
Charlie's fist was only a few centimeters from Dumbledore's nose; a little further, Dumbledore's already crooked nose would probably be even more crooked.
Dumbledore blinked, a helpless smile on his face.
"Mr. White, night wandering is not good behavior," his tone was very calm.
"Especially not when attacking a Professor."
Charlie lowered his fist and rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, that person was clearly Tom," he said, crossing his arms.
"I haven't even asked you yet, why did the diary end up in Professor Lockhart's hands?"
"I gave you the diary because I trusted you," Charlie stared at Dumbledore.
"As a result, the diary came out to harm people again. Are you even capable, Professor?"
Dumbledore's smile stiffened slightly.
He pushed up his glasses, a hint of awkwardness flashing across his face.
"I asked Professor Lockhart to help me," Dumbledore said.
"After all, Professor Lockhart is knowledgeable and has experienced many adventures. I thought he could find the Basilisk through the diary."
Charlie stared at Dumbledore, his eyes full of suspicion.
Do I look like an idiot to you?
Dumbledore felt a little uncomfortable under Charlie's gaze.
He coughed.
"Alright," he sighed. "Professor Lockhart is actually bait. He voluntarily allowed himself to be controlled by the diary, even sacrificing himself, to uncover where the Basilisk is."
Charlie frowned.
"No," he blurted out almost immediately.
Dumbledore was stunned for a moment.
"Why?"
Charlie opened his mouth, words caught in his throat.
He couldn't possibly tell Dumbledore that he had turned Lockhart into a slave using the Imperio, could he?
Wouldn't that be seeking death?
Charlie took a deep breath.
"Because I love Professor Lockhart and can't bear to see him in danger."
Dumbledore stared at Charlie, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
Do I look like an idiot to you?
Charlie gave an awkward laugh; even he found that reason far-fetched.
"Alright, alright, you're the Professors, so you call the shots. I should go back to sleep."
With that, Charlie turned and walked back to the Castle, giving up on Lockhart.
At most, after Lockhart was used up, he would just use the Imperio on him again.
Tsk tsk tsk, just thinking about it is tragic, the most tragic tool.
Dumbledore stood in place, watching Charlie's retreating figure.
His fingers gently caressed his wand.
Clearly, Charlie didn't want to tell him why Lockhart couldn't be bait.
At that moment, he almost couldn't resist using Legilimency on Charlie.
But he held back.
Given Charlie's magical skill, he would very likely detect that he was casting a Spell on him.
This would undoubtedly create a barrier between Charlie and him, and even push Charlie into the ranks of Dark Wizards.
This was not what Dumbledore wanted to see.
At the same time, he also believed that Charlie was very friendly with his companions in the Castle, proving that love existed in Charlie's heart and would not be eroded by Dark Arts.
That was enough.
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