Chapter 144: Salaazar Slytherin’s Doubts

Lockhart's office at night.

A sparking portal quietly emerged. Then, Lockhart stepped through, followed by a basilisk. After closing the portal, Lockhart frowned slightly and looked at the basilisk, which still appeared quite large. Through the contract, he signaled the creature to shrink its body again.

Although Lockhart sensed the basilisk's grievance, it complied and shrank to the size of an ordinary snake. Seeing this, Lockhart nodded with satisfaction. However, in the face of the basilisk's constant feelings of grievance, he thought for a while and comforted it, promising to provide a large amount of magical creature flesh and blood later. The basilisk finally calmed down.

At the same time, Sunny, who had been asleep, was awakened. "Chirp Chirp!" The sight of the basilisk's huge body gradually shrinking came into view. Sunny's face was full of fear as he flapped his wings and teleported to Lockhart's shoulder. Covering his eyes with his wings, he shivered and clung to Lockhart's neck, seeking security.

Lockhart felt Sunny's reaction, and the corners of his mouth curled up as he thought of something. However, feeling Sunny trembling all over, he quickly conveyed a message of safety to comfort it.

"Hiss." Lockhart saw the basilisk spitting out snake messages and noticed a wrong look in Sunny's eyes, along with some helplessness in the basilisk's. He quickly signaled to the basilisk that Sunny was not food but his pet and future friend, so it could not eat Sunny.

After a lot of trouble, he finally settled the two magical creatures. Sunny stood on the desk, carefully watching the basilisk slithering on the ground. The basilisk, unable to eat Sunny, ignored it and sought a shady place to rest. Its owner had promised it a big meal later.

At this moment, Lockhart sat on his desk, carefully recalling the conversation he had exchanged with the Salazar Slytherin portrait. Salazar used Horcruxes. This was unexpected for Lockhart, but after thinking about it, it made sense. Although Salazar Slytherin was one of the four founders of Hogwarts, his reputation as a dark wizard has persisted. Isn't it normal for a dark wizard to use a Horcrux? Perhaps Voldemort's use of Horcruxes was influenced by Salazar.

Thoughts kept popping up in his mind, and Lockhart carefully weighed the impact of the fact that Salazar was still alive. Although the other party was just a Horcrux, a fragment of his soul, for a famous dark wizard, as long as the soul still existed, it did not mean complete death.

As he thought, the corners of Lockhart's lips curled up, and he devised a good plan.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets, Salazar frowned in the portrait as he watched Lockhart disappear. What's going on? Is Hogwarts' anti-Apparition ineffective? When he set up the secret room, he even took precautions against the elf teleportation spell. How could someone teleport away through space in front of him?

What has happened in the wizarding world? What is this so-called new magic system? Could it be that Lockhart made it all up? Thinking again about the way Lockhart left, Salazar slowly shook his head. It's impossible that it's all false; it must be half true and half false.

However, as Lockhart's actions in the stone chamber came to mind, Slytherin felt exasperated. He had just wanted to understand the current state of the wizarding world through Lockhart's memory, but Lockhart's series of distrustful actions broke Salazar's heart. As the founder of Hogwarts, how could he plot against his own students? If he had wanted to do something nefarious, he would have already acted when the last student entered. That student should have grown up now, and he wondered how he was developing recently. He could only ask next time. He remembered the student's name seemed to be Tom Riddle.

While thinking, Salazar closed his eyes again and fell into a deep sleep. Although he was curious about the new magic system mentioned by Lockhart, he was not in a hurry. As long as Hogwarts still existed, he could live forever. It was just a matter of time. And when Hogwarts fell, he would be the last line of defense.

The next day, at noon, in the Hogwarts cafeteria, a group of students enjoyed a delicious lunch at the dining table. They chatted while eating, occasionally glancing at Professor Lockhart, who was eating in front of them.

"The world is changing so fast. Yesterday, it was said that Professor Lockhart's research results shocked the whole world. Today, it is said that his research is risky and may even be fraudulent," a fifth-year Ravenclaw student said with emotion.

"I support Professor Lockhart. Besides, it's not like we don't know who Rita Skeeter is. She makes up fake news all the time," a female Ravenclaw student said. "And besides, Professor Lockhart is so handsome, how could he lie to others?"

"Did you see Professor Lockhart's expression? He seems to be in a bad mood," a Gryffindor girl said to her boyfriend.

"No, are you mistaken?" Her boyfriend raised his head, looked at Professor Lockhart eating with relish, and continued, "I don't think Professor Lockhart is unhappy."

"You read it wrong. Professor Lockhart was scolded in the newspaper today. He must be in a bad mood."

Seeing his girlfriend's certainty, the boy felt a little sad. He knew his girlfriend had always idolized Lockhart. But he didn't expect that a negative report about Professor Lockhart would make her so sensitive. She seemed to have never cared about him so much.

"Harry, this Rita Skeeter is so hateful," Ron said, taking a bite of his chicken leg. "We have all practiced the meditation method, and the effect is very good. Since practicing meditation, I feel much better."

Harry looked at Ron, who was mumbling, and nodded in agreement. He had also practiced the meditation method, and the effect was indeed good. However, he felt that Ron's state seemed unrelated to the meditation method and was simply aroused by the magic bracelet. Of course, it could also be an illusion.

At this moment, Lockhart was enjoying today's feast. The house elves of Hogwarts had made another delicacy based on his recipes. Suddenly, "Lockhart, I read the report by Rita Skeeter. It's not worth getting angry at such a person," Professor Sprout next to him comforted Lockhart.

Next to Professor Sprout's table was a copy of today's Daily Prophet. It read: "Do you really believe an explorer who claims to have created world-shaking achievements? - Rita Skeeter."

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