Chapter 342: Dragging Down
Faced with Cho Chang about to transform into a dragon, Alaric prepared for a serious confrontation.
He was even ready to transform into a dragon himself to subdue her.
Dragons had such strong magical resistance that most spells were ineffective against them.
This meant that even Alaric would struggle significantly in a direct confrontation with Cho Chang in her dragon form.
If he didn't go all out, most of his attacks would barely affect her.
However, if he used full force, it would be hard to control the situation, and accidental harm to Cho Chang could occur.
Given that Cho Chang was his girlfriend, the thought of inadvertently hurting her in a battle with her was distressing.
At this moment, Alaric felt a pang of regret.
In their previous operations, he had successfully destroyed three Horcruxes with several girls.
With enough intelligence from the original book and careful actions, these missions went smoothly without any mishaps or casualties.
Perhaps the string of successes had made Alaric complacent.
After overcoming the traps on three Horcruxes without incident, Alaric's confidence grew, leading him to underestimate the Horcruxes' dangers.
When they found Ravenclaw's Diadem, Alaric didn't exercise the same caution as before.
He quickly checked for traps on the Horcrux, thinking it was foolproof.
Additionally, since the original text didn't mention any effects of this Horcrux—just that it was destroyed by the Malfoy trio with the Fiendfyre almost immediately.
Alaric didn't realize the strong psychological influence of the Horcrux.
After freeing himself from its control, he failed to notice the lingering effects on others.
This led to Cho Chang being affected by the Horcrux's influence.
Now, Alaric had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
However, something strange happened the next moment.
Just as Cho Chang, in a rage, was about to transform into a dragon, with scales starting to appear, her movements suddenly froze.
Instead of continuing her transformation, she gradually returned to normal.
The transformation happened so quickly and the interval so short that Luna didn't even notice the change in Cho Chang's body—only Alaric, with his keen observation and quick reaction, realized what had just occurred.
Cho Chang's expression shifted from anger and agitation to surprise and confusion.
As Cho Chang ceased struggling, Hermione's ribbon tightened, securing Cho Chang's wrists.
This time, Cho Chang stopped resisting altogether.
She crouched down, hugging her bound hands to her head, looking in pain.
"What's wrong?" Alaric crouched beside her, helping her to a nearby chair. "Are you okay?"
"My… my head… it hurts…" Cho Chang struggled to touch her head, but with her hands bound, she couldn't reach the back of her head, making her movements awkward and comical.
Alaric looked at her, her dark, expressive eyes nearly welling up with tears.
The sight of her distressed look was heart-wrenching.
He didn't immediately understand what had happened but comforted her by gently stroking her head while urging Hermione to remove the magical bindings.
Hermione, realizing Cho Chang might have returned to her normal self, felt a bit awkward for still binding her.
So, she quickly lifted the magical restraints.
Cho Chang lay pitifully on Alaric's lap, enjoying his affection, and they stayed like that for a while.
Eventually, Hermione, growing impatient, spoke up.
"Hey, aren't you done being pampered? Lying there in his arms is wasting our time."
Cho Chang, feeling a bit embarrassed, slowly sat up.
But she stuck her tongue out at Hermione, saying, "But my head really hurts~"
"Seriously, if you want to act cute, go do it with him," Hermione shook her head helplessly and asked.
"What exactly happened? Why did you suddenly try to grab the Diadem?"
"Well…" Cho Chang began, her expression thoughtful.
"I suddenly heard a voice whispering in my ear. It seemed to be telling me that Ravenclaw's Diadem is a rare treasure that enhances wisdom.
It said that if I could claim it for myself, I would become the most powerful witch. It belonged to me."
"The most powerful witch?" Hermione scoffed.
"If the Diadem had such effects, the Dark Lord wouldn't have been defeated by a baby and survived for so many years…"
"And then?" Alaric asked, concerned, "What happened next?"
"Then… then I uncontrollably wanted to take the Diadem and put it on," Cho Chang continued.
"When you started stopping me, I felt an urge to transform to escape the bindings…
Then I experienced intense pain in my mind, but after the pain, the feeling of being controlled disappeared…
That's when I realized I couldn't continue and stopped the transformation."
After listening to her, Alaric pondered for a moment before his expression cleared.
"I understand," he said.
"The Diadem's influence wasn't as strong as we imagined. Cho Chang was only momentarily controlled, and when she transformed.
The elevation of her soul rendered the Diadem's power ineffective, allowing her to regain control."
"Is that so?" Cho Chang asked, looking relieved and somewhat scared.
"Of course," Alaric assured her. "As long as we focus and maintain strong willpower, we can overcome its control."
"I see…" Cho Chang said, lowering her head in shame. "I'm sorry for… holding everyone back…"
"Actually, it's not your fault," Alaric comforted her.
"It was just an accident. The main responsibility lies with me for not preparing defenses in advance."
"No, you don't need to comfort me," Cho Chang's previously gentle tone turned firm.
"It's my responsibility. I let myself be controlled because I was too weak inside. Even Luna is stronger than I am.
After we return, I'll work hard to change myself and make sure I don't drag anyone down next time."
With Cho Chang's resolve expressed, Alaric could only support her in her efforts to improve when they returned.
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