Lockhart's indifferent voice echoed from a distance.
Tom's smile faltered as he watched Lockhart make a strange gesture. A red flame ring appeared in mid-air, enclosing the Killing Curse he had released. Lockhart then pinched the ring, shrinking it and encapsulating the Killing Curse within a ball of red flame mixed with green light.
Feeling the powerful magic waves emanating from the light ball, Tom's face grew solemn. Summoning his original black shield for defense, he prepared for what was to come.
"Tom, try to defend this," Lockhart's voice called out disdainfully.
Tom's face contorted with rage. He had been bullied in the orphanage, but since mastering magic and gaining power, no one dared to treat him this way.
Lockhart noted the change in Tom's expression and smiled. He understood Tom's type well, having encountered such people before. Ambitious and vengeful due to past bullying, they had no qualms about using any means necessary to achieve power and retaliate against those who wronged them. Such individuals were difficult to deal with due to their lack of a moral compass but could be submissive when faced with superior strength.
As Lockhart's thoughts raced, the magic ball of light formed by the sealing ring swayed slightly at his fingertips. Seeing Tom's fully alert stance, Lockhart smiled and lightly touched Tom with his fingertips.
In an instant, the red flames mixed with green magical light shot towards the dark shield.
Boom!
The cursed light ball exploded mid-air, sending a torrent of pseudo-Killing Curses towards Tom. The runes on the dark shield shone with dark green light, straining to resist the onslaught.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A barrage of pseudo-Killing Curses impacted the dark shield like raindrops, their crackling sounds intermingling with the shattering of the shield. The scene mirrored Tom's earlier attack on Lockhart, only now the shield was dark instead of red flames.
Feeling the immense pressure from the magical assault and sensing the shield's imminent collapse, Tom quickly mobilized stored magic to reinforce it.
Meanwhile, Lockhart leisurely approached Tom, the purple-gold light on his body resisting the surrounding magic erosion.
Soon, the pseudo-Killing Curses were exhausted, and the shield seemed nearly transparent. The entire soul space appeared somewhat unreal, but Tom remained clear.
Step by step, Tom, having expended significant magic power to repel the attack, breathed a sigh of relief. But hearing Lockhart's approaching footsteps, his heart sank.
Lockhart, holding a long whip covered with thorns and red flames, approached Tom, who raised his yew wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The familiar Killing Curse shot towards Lockhart, who crushed it with a swing of his whip. Tom felt a sense of helplessness, unable to hide even if he wanted to.
Continuing to cast spells, Tom tried to block Lockhart's progress.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lockhart sauntered forward, effortlessly breaking the false Killing Curses with his whip. Soon, he stood directly before Tom. Without a word, he swung his whip, disarming Tom and binding him tightly.
Tom groaned as the sharp barbs of the flame whip pierced his soul, causing damage even to his fragmented state.
Lockhart, a faint smile on his face, approached Tom. "Tom, do you know?" he said sarcastically. "When you mentioned that the notebook was refined using Salazar Slytherin's methods, I knew it was a dark magic item. And it is indeed the case."
Lockhart continued, as if sharing a revelation, "Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, was a famous dark wizard. Any item he refined, even if old, is far from ordinary."
Looking at Tom, Lockhart aimed to mislead further. "Magic items like you, capable of independent thought and research. Telling me you can't lie! Do you think I would really believe it? Do I look stupid to you?"
Tom, hearing Lockhart's derisive words, appeared dejected, his head lowering as if conceding Lockhart's point. But in reality, his eyes gleamed with hope. Lockhart only saw him as a thinking magic object, not realizing his true identity.
"I'm very sorry, Professor Lockhart," Tom said, feigning regret. "I didn't mean to deceive you. I feared you might lock me away, and I didn't want to remain in darkness forever."
Tom trembled, portraying fear and longing for freedom, like a magic object yearning to see the light after years of imprisonment.
"Snort!" Lockhart scoffed. "I'm not interested in your apologies. Surrender or die! Choose!"
Lockhart's right hand opened, revealing a pale golden rune floating above his palm. It drifted before Tom. "This is the contract rune," Lockhart explained. "If you surrender, sign it yourself. If not, you will die."
He added, "After surrendering, continue as my research assistant. I will teach you advanced rune knowledge. But if you have ill intentions, don't blame me for destroying you."
Tom's face showed hesitation, but inside he was elated. He had feared losing the opportunity to learn Lockhart's runes, but now he could even gain advanced knowledge. The contract was a small hurdle—he was just a soul fragment, not the real body. With his peak strength, breaking the contract later would be easy.
Deciding quickly, Tom grasped the golden contract rune, integrating it into his soul.
Lockhart nodded in satisfaction. "Tom, trust me, your future self will thank you for this choice. Work hard and contribute, and even the possibility of regaining a human body is not out of reach."
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