Chapter 124: You Give Yourself Your Own Identity (Patreon)

Lockhart’s screams gradually faded into the distance, accompanied by the sound of his clothes scraping against the walls of the pipe. Finally, everything ended with a faint thud.

“It’s really filthy down here,” Lockhart’s weak voice echoed from deep underground.

“Alright, let’s go,” Ron said.

Moaning Myrtle smiled brightly at Harry.

“If you die, Harry, you’re welcome to share a toilet with me.”

Harry froze for a moment.

“Thanks, Myrtle.”

Vader watched as Harry and Ron jumped down one after another before quickly making his way to the entrance.

“Looks pretty deep. But at least I shouldn’t have to make such a miserable descent.”

After pondering for a few seconds, Vader jumped down as well.

This was where the value of his Floating Cloak truly became apparent.

Harry and the others had to slide all the way down. Judging from their screams, the experience was probably comparable to riding a roller coaster.

Vader, on the other hand, simply floated down at a leisurely pace, as though he were sightseeing from a cable car. He did not even get his robes dirty.

The winding, twisting pipe stretched for several miles. Along the way, numerous smaller pipes connected to it, while patches of moss, streams of water, and the corpses of small creatures could occasionally be seen.

When he finally reached the bottom, the curved pipe gradually became horizontal.

Vader landed steadily on the ground and quietly approached the exit, doing his best not to make a sound.

“This place must be several miles underground,” Harry said.

“We’re probably underneath the Black Lake,” Ron said as he looked at the dark, damp walls around them.

Those words immediately sparked a strange thought in Vader’s mind.

Perhaps after dealing with the Basilisk, he could take over Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets and turn it into a secret base of his own.

Here, he could boldly research and practice magic, create alchemical products, and modify potion formulas without worrying about anyone discovering what he was doing.

It wasn’t as convenient as the secret room on the eighth floor, but at least he wouldn’t have to hold himself back.

“Taking care of business comes first.”

Vader shook his head and pushed all those miscellaneous thoughts aside.

Even if he killed the Basilisk, he had no idea what Dumbledore would do with the Chamber of Secrets afterward. It was far too early to think about claiming it.

Vader concealed his presence and spotted Harry, Ron, and Lockhart at the end of the tunnel.

All three were covered in mud, standing awkwardly on the damp ground. Various small animal bones were scattered beneath their feet, enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.

“Now.”

Vader took a deep breath and set fire to a rat’s skull.

The fist-sized flame rapidly expanded, condensing into a blazing portal.

The portal was exceptionally bright against the darkness of the stone tunnel, instantly attracting the attention of all three.

“What’s happening?”

Lockhart hurriedly backed away until his body was pressed tightly against the wall, desperately trying to distance himself from the sudden flames.

“How should we know?”

Ron tightened his grip on his wand. At that moment, the wand in his hand was the only thing giving him even the slightest sense of security.

“Something is coming.”

Harry pointed his wand at the fiery portal.

“Be careful, Ron.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Vader’s figure emerged from the flames.

Silver hair.

Crimson eyes.

A handsome face.

His eyes were as clear as sunlight, yet there was an unmistakable coolness to his presence.

Harry looked at the man wearing a dark-red wizarding robe, and his wariness unconsciously diminished somewhat.

“Who are you?”

Vader did not answer immediately. Instead, he curiously examined his surroundings.

“Dark and damp. Weak light. Pipes running in every direction…”

He muttered to himself.

“Are we underground? Or underwater?”

He then looked at Harry.

“May I ask where this place is?”

“You don’t know?”

Ron stared at him suspiciously.

Vader gave a slight shake of his head.

“Dean Griffin predicted that a great figure who will one day have a major influence on the magical world would encounter a dangerous situation, so he specifically sent me here to help.

“He didn’t tell me where I would end up. He merely guided me through a portal of flames.”

“This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” Harry said.

“A magic school?”

Vader looked surprised for a moment.

He noticed the Hogwarts crests on Harry and Ron’s robes, then glanced at Lockhart, who was pressed against the wall.

“You’re teachers and students from Hogwarts?”

“Obviously.”

Ron did not lower his guard.

“Who are you, then? And where are you from?”

“There’s no need to be nervous. I’m a student at a magic academy, just like you.”

Vader smiled calmly.

“I come from the Kingdom of Rock. You can call me Enzo.”

“You made that up, didn’t you?”

Lockhart forced a smile.

“I consider myself quite well-traveled, and I’ve never heard of any Kingdom of Rock.”

“The kingdom is hidden within a secret realm. I’m the only student in the past hundred years whom the headmaster has permitted to leave.”

Vader patiently explained.

“Because that future great figure will have an enormous impact on the magical world, the kingdom will not be able to remain uninvolved. So Dean Griffin sent me out.

“On one hand, I’m here to help that great figure resolve this crisis. On the other, I’m here to gain some experience for myself. He said it would help me grow.”

“A future great figure in the magical world?”

Ron muttered.

He turned to look at Harry.

There were only three people here besides himself: Harry and Gilderoy Lockhart.

Lockhart could immediately be ruled out. No matter how you looked at it, that fraud could never have enough influence to affect the world.

And Ron knew exactly how capable he was.

If it wasn’t them, then there was only one possibility.

Harry Potter.

“Who is this great figure?”

A strange surge of confidence suddenly welled up inside Lockhart.

He straightened his clothes and puffed out his chest.

“Is his name Gilderoy Lockhart, perhaps?”

Vader was speechless.

“Dean Griffin didn’t tell me his name. He only gave me a mysterious code name.”

He paused.

“And he will be recognized by a legendary sword.”

“That sounds like it has something to do with me.”

“You’re just a fraud, Lockhart.”

Ron rolled his eyes.

“Harry, Ginny’s life or death is still unknown. We don’t have time to stand here discussing this with him.”

“You seem to be in quite a hurry.”

“My sister was taken by a monster. If we’re any later, she might not survive.”

“Perhaps this is related to my mission.”

Vader spoke gently.

“I can help.”

“Thank you.”

Harry nodded slightly before raising his wand.

“Lumos.”

The tip of his wand lit up, illuminating the dark tunnel.

But the small light only illuminated the ground around them, leaving their field of vision extremely limited.

Tap!

Vader struck the ground with his staff.

Pure white light burst forth from the magic crystal at its tip, rapidly spreading both forward and backward through the tunnel and driving away the darkness.

“Merlin’s beard!”

Lockhart swallowed in disbelief.

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen. I should be a little older than them.”

Harry and Ron exchanged glances before silently looking away.

They were only two years younger than him.

Yet their magic could barely illuminate the ground beneath their feet, while Enzo’s spell illuminated the entire tunnel—and he had cast it without even speaking an incantation.

The difference between people really was greater than the difference between people and dogs.