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Chapter 286 — Good Words Can't Persuade a Damn Fool!!
As a little Holy Father, Darren of course couldn't allow himself to think the way he actually did.
So his face showed pure shock.
"Professor—! H-How did you fall? I'll go down and save you!"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
Without hesitation, Darren jumped into the pipe.
But the moment he dropped, he slipped smoothly into his ghost-state, drifting down in a gentle glide.
He remembered there was a lot of sludge in this passage—clearly built by Salazar Slytherin to let the Basilisk travel freely.
Humans would normally enter from a designated path deeper inside Hogwarts.
But now the entire passage had been modified by the System into something like a distorted space-corridor.
Darren sighed.
He only wanted a clean, normal path.
But no—his only choice was this disgusting pipe.
Thankfully, he had the ghost-state.
He landed lightly.
Lockhart, by contrast, looked absolutely miserable.
He sat in the mud, blond hair dripping with filthy sludge, reeking horribly even from a distance.
"Professor—Professor, are you all right?" Darren hurried to him.
He didn't seem to notice Lockhart's humiliation, reaching out as if to help.
But Lockhart was terrified.
He thought Darren came down to take revenge.
Panicking, he scrambled upright, slipping in the grime.
Darren then noticed a huge swelling on Lockhart's forehead from where he'd hit the ground.
Quite impressive, honestly.
"Professor, are you hurt?" Darren asked anxiously.
Even after being shoved, he still showed concern.
Lockhart was only half-convinced Darren meant no harm.
"My photo ball," he snapped suddenly, eyes wary. "Where is it?"
Darren blinked, as though the question hadn't even occurred to him.
Lockhart exploded.
"You idiot! You should've brought it! How am I supposed to show everyone my heroic achievements in the Chamber of Secrets now?!"
Darren raised an eyebrow.
Even after falling like a sack of laundry, this man still had the energy to scold him.
[Ding. Holy Father scene detected.
Temporary task issued:
Coax Lockhart forward.
At the first moment the Basilisk appears, block Lockhart, then shout: "Close your eyes!"
After Lockhart is exposed to the Basilisk's gaze, use Psychic Healing to treat him.
Healing extent is up to the host.]
[Ding. Mission reward: ability to shrink the Basilisk.
Accept task?]
Heal Lockhart?
Darren's eye twitched.
Why couldn't the system just let this man perish?
But then—
he had a brilliant idea.
He accepted the task.
He looked at Lockhart, a trace of pity in his eyes.
He planned to heal the professor enough to be barely conscious—but never fully normal.
Then, out of kindness, he would visit Lockhart once a year.
Lockhart fans would probably cry tears of blood.
Thinking of this, Darren's face grew even more sincere.
"Professor… maybe we should wait for rescue here."
His voice was gentle, hesitant.
"I'm worried the snake might be ahead, and with your—no, I'm not saying you can't—I just… Sorry, please don't take offense.
I only meant that the professors will notice we're missing soon. It might be safer to stay here…"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
But Lockhart's expression only darkened.
To him, Darren's words were nothing but excuses to call other professors.
If Lockhart wanted other professors here, why would he have threatened Darren in the first place?
Why drag him down here?
He was here to be a hero.
And besides—Darren had caught Death Eaters.
His strength must be comparable to a professor's.
What was there to fear?
Even if Darren had framed him once, Lockhart still firmly believed that at the moment of danger, Darren would stand in front of him.
Even if only for show.
Lockhart snorted proudly.
"Coward. What are you afraid of? You're going to walk in front right now. If anything attacks, you'll stand in front of me. Do you hear?"
He didn't even blush.
Darren hesitated.
"It's dangerous up ahead…"
He tried one last time.
Lockhart cut him off sharply.
"You don't want the whole wizarding world to hear about your Fire-Making Spell mistake, do you?"
He grinned wickedly, certain the threat worked.
Darren's lips twitched—then he forced a reluctant nod.
He turned back with a final warning.
"Professor… whatever happens, listen to me. If I say close your eyes, you MUST close your eyes."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
"Yes, yes, I've faced danger countless times," Lockhart said impatiently. "Just get on with it!"
Darren gave a helpless look.
Then he raised his wand and proceeded carefully.
Ras… kill…
A hiss slithered through the darkness.
Darren's eyes widened.
"Close your eyes!"
He instantly threw himself in front of Lockhart.
A massive shadow streaked past—
the Basilisk moving quickly, silently, intelligent enough to sense there was more than one person.
It didn't attack.
Smart creature.
Only after it slithered away did Darren exhale shakily.
"Professor, it's gone… For now. But we should retreat. I might be able to kill it, but it would be difficult. Let me take you back—"
He was still facing forward, eyes fixed on the direction the Basilisk went, voice tense.
Then something felt wrong.
Darren froze.
His head snapped back.
Lockhart had collapsed to the ground.