Now begins the punctuation mini-game, executed with the speed of a thunderclap and jingle.
The only reason Allen had the time to even speak such nonsense was simple: nothing had happened to him. He just stared oddly at Ginny, who was slumped on the ground.
At this moment, he could be certain what spell Ginny had tried to sneak at him, it was a Cruciatus Curse.
And he also understood why Ginny, or, more accurately, a desperate Voldemort trapped in her body, had chosen this particular spell: simple logic, Ginny's magical power was far too weak.
The moment Allen suggested giving the diary to Dumbledore, Voldemort, who had already gained preliminary control over Ginny's soul, risked a counterattack and injury to forcibly take control of her body. He immediately launched an attack at Allen.
As Mad-Eye Moody or young Bartemius Crouch might have said: if a student tried to cast Avada Kedavra on him, the worst that would happen was a nosebleed. Even using Ginny's body as a vessel, Voldemort's attack couldn't be lethal, maybe a little blood if Allen was unlucky.
So he chose the most "cost-effective" spell: the Cruciatus Curse.
No worries about how to remove his soul if he killed someone, and he could gain a relatively capable servant. Sure, the soul fragment would suffer under the strain, but even at just one-seventh of its original power, the great Dark Lord could still crush a mere student.
Good plan, but there was a small problem.
How did Allen know all this so clearly?
Not because Voldemort made the classic villain mistake of talking too much, but because a tiny variable entered the equation when the perfect sneak attack began.
This problem? In terms of mental power, Allen, though not at Voldemort's terrifying peak after 60+ years and magical augmentations, could easily handle half of Voldemort. Meanwhile, the soul possessing Ginny seemed to be only about one-seventh of the full Voldemort…
As Voldemort expended all the magical energy he could to cast the spell, the anticipated thrill of controlling another did not arrive. Instead, a wave of mental force surged back into the possessed body. The enormous psychic backlash suppressed his control over Ginny's soul, and she collapsed to the ground.
In the wizarding world, there's a spell also considered dark but not categorized among the Unforgivable Curses, it's weaker than the Cruciatus but still terrifying: Legilimency.
Crucio-like control is possible, but even weak Legilimency can be countered. The more powerful the spell, the more dangerous the backfire.
During this magical backlash, Allen directly read Voldemort's memories. Beyond the thrill of murder and the excitement of plotting, all the secrets of Voldemort's magic poured into him, unguarded and unfiltered.
Unfortunately, it was useless. Too many spells, too chaotic, too dangerous. Allen had no intention of trying any dark magical enhancements, becoming a noseless monster like Voldemort was not on his agenda. Even with a system in place, he wouldn't buy into Urgot-level transformations; Voldemort's experiments were nothing special.
If Voldemort knew that his most treasured asset, his complete magical knowledge, was being casually discarded, he would likely go mad. Even the greatest wizards outside Dumbledore would cherish it like treasure if given freely.
Allen had another reason for restraint, not only did his system make him dismissive of Voldemort's knowledge, but also he wasn't reading a single mind, he was reading two. Voldemort was currently possessing Ginny.
As Allen filtered Voldemort's memories, Ginny's own memories played uncontrollably in his mind, like a phone sitting beside a computer, running independently.
Despite trying not to watch, some images were shocking, but he couldn't just waste Voldemort's knowledge!
After scanning the memories briefly, Allen immediately withdrew.
Voldemort's fragmented soul, unable to withstand the counterattack, returned to the diary. Already battered and almost devoid of rationality, if it remained in Ginny, her soul would tear it to pieces. Survival instinct drove it back to its Horcrux, the diary.
Allen, naturally, didn't hesitate. He grabbed the culprit, try escaping now, won't you?
Ginny took a deep breath and got up. Voldemort had nearly drained her magic, and Allen's counterattack hit her body. For a first-year student, this wasn't a minor scratch, it wasn't just pulling a hair.
Allen felt a pang of guilt as he glanced at Ginny, though it was accidental, I still have to take the blame.
Fortunately, she hadn't noticed. After a brief rest and a chocolate frog Allen offered, Ginny regained the strength to walk.
"I'm sorry, Allen. I didn't know… I just touched the diary and lost control. I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble?" Ginny apologized, shy and embarrassed.
Allen felt a strange pang of guilt but wouldn't admit it. Calmly, he replied: "It's fine. Just a little trouble. But this diary's danger is far beyond what I imagined. We don't have time to test its risks, it should be given to Dumbledore immediately."
Ginny, still frazzled, nodded in agreement.
So, Headmaster Dumbledore, you see this plate… I mean, diary. It contains countless stories we can't handle. Please take it.