Chapter 157: Results of Practice
Sliding.
A long slide.
For Harry, Ron, and Draco, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
The pipes were covered in slimy moss and the bones of unknown creatures, along with centuries of accumulated filth.
But for Tamara...
When that familiar, cold aura enveloped her body, she actually felt a long lost sense of peace.
These were the blood vessels leading to the heart of Slytherin.
This was the secret kingdom she had once explored alone on countless nights.
Here, there was no surveillance from Dumbledore, no hypocritical etiquette, only pure power and darkness.
"Truly nostalgic..."
Tamara sighed softly in her heart, even adjusting her posture so she could slide more elegantly.
A few seconds later, she landed lightly, her boots stepping onto a ground piled with small animal bones and making a crisp cracking sound.
This was a massive underground tunnel. The surrounding stone walls were carved with clusters of entwined snakes, and green fluorescent moss provided faint illumination.
"My god..."
Ron tumbled out of the pipe, retching as he scrambled up.
"This place is even more disgusting than the Potions classroom."
Harry raised his glowing wand, illuminating the path ahead.
Not far away, Lockhart was unsteadily picking himself up from the ground.
His lilac robes were covered in sludge, and his hair looked like a bird's nest. He was a complete mess.
But the expression on his face had changed.
He was no longer that smirking buffoon, nor the terrified coward from just moments ago.
When he saw the three students who had followed him down, a glint of cunning and malice flashed through his eyes.
This was deep underground.
No one would know what happened here.
As long as he dealt with these brats, he could fabricate any story he liked, such as how he had heroically defeated the monster but unfortunately failed to save the students.
"Thank you for leading the way, children."
Lockhart suddenly turned around, holding the wand he had somehow hidden until now, a twisted smile appearing on his face.
"But this adventure ends here."
"You know too much. If the world found out I was pushed down here by a student, how would my books sell? What would happen to my reputation?"
He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry, who was standing at the front.
"So, I am going to erase a little of your memory."
Tamara's gaze instantly turned cold.
Seeking death.
A mere waste who had become famous by plagiarising other people's stories dared to raise a wand against the great Dark Lord in the most sacred Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin?
And he even dreamed of erasing her memory?
This was simply the biggest joke she had heard since her resurrection.
Although her body was weak and her magic was less than half of its usual level, that did not mean she could not deal with trash like this.
In just an instant, she could let this buffoon know what true terror was.
Tamara's fingers tightened slightly around her wand, a bloodthirsty red light flashing in her eyes as a hundred ways to torture him almost subconsciously surfaced in her mind.
But before her spell could leave her mouth...
"Expelliarmus!"
A loud shout exploded beside her ear.
Harry's reaction was astonishingly fast.
Almost the moment Lockhart raised his hand, Harry had already completed the sequence of drawing his wand, aiming, and casting.
A flash of dazzling red light instantly struck Lockhart's wrist.
Swoosh!
Lockhart's wand flew out of his hand, tracing an arc through the air before landing in a dark corner.
Expelliarmus itself was not greatly lethal, but Harry had poured immense focus into it.
The force not only knocked the wand away, but also struck Lockhart's wand hand like a heavy punch, causing his entire upper body to lurch sideways.
"Ouch!"
The famous professor let out an ugly scream, clutching his numbed wrist as he stumbled back several steps.
The underground tunnel was damp, and the floor was covered in slime and small animal bones. Lockhart's foot slipped, and he finally lost his balance, falling flat on his backside.
Although he did not fly backward, that clumsy fall was enough to leave him dazed and disoriented.
Realising he had lost his weapon, the professor, who had just been contemplating murder, instantly switched back to his cowardly persona. He raised his hands and curled up in fear.
"Wait! Don't be impulsive, children! I... I was just testing you! That's right! It was a live combat drill! I wanted to see how you would react to an emergency!"
"..."
Tamara's hand froze in midair.
She glanced at Lockhart, who was shivering on the ground, then slowly turned her head to stare at the wand in Harry's hand, which was still emitting a faint trail of smoke.
It was yew.
Although, in that accident at Ollivander's wand shop, their wand materials had undergone a strange swap.
She had taken the holly wand, which symbolised rebirth, while Harry had received this yew wand, which symbolised death and duelling.
Yew wands never submitted to the mediocre. They granted their owners a power that was highly aggressive and explosive.
No wonder.
No wonder a mere basic Expelliarmus, in the hands of this oblivious saviour, could erupt with such force that it directly knocked an adult wizard off balance and onto the ground.
This wand was simply born for battle.
And...
Was this boy's casting speed not a bit excessive?
Although Expelliarmus was only a basic spell, being able to cast it instantly and hit accurately in such a sudden situation was definitely not the level a normal second year student should have.
Sensing Tamara's somewhat inquisitive gaze, Harry scratched his messy hair sheepishly and explained sincerely.
"This..."
"You're the one who told me to practise it."
Seeing the confusion on Tamara's face, Harry continued to explain.
"Don't you remember? That day in the library... I asked you about the roosters, and you sternly lectured me, saying that instead of worrying about the lives of a few chickens, I should practise Expelliarmus more."
"I thought you were right. In these dangerous times, I don't just need to find clues. I also need the ability to protect myself, so I don't always hold you back."
"So from that day on, I've been practising this spell every day. Against walls, against dummies in the Room of Requirement..."
Harry glanced at Lockhart, who was smiling awkwardly, then looked back at Tamara and offered her a bright smile.
"It seems... it was somewhat useful, right?"
Tamara: "..."
She fell silent.
Looking at Harry's face, which practically screamed that he had been obedient and hardworking, Tamara only felt a tightness in her chest, as if she had swallowed a slug.
Of course she remembered those words.
But that had clearly just been a sarcastic remark she had tossed out to shoo him away like a fly because he was being too annoying.
And yet, this idiot...
He had actually taken her mockery as an imperial decree and executed it seriously.
A sense of absurd helplessness welled up in her heart.
After a long while, the corners of her mouth twitched, revealing a complicated, cold smile.
"...Well done."
.....
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