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Despite his exhaustion, there was a glint of something in his gaze, a shadow of amusement, almost as if he found Ian's struggle entertaining in some unfathomable way.
"If you could calm down for a moment, I think we might actually be able to go and speak with the person you're loyal to." Ian was beginning to feel at a loss with this overly imaginative professor. Perhaps Ronnie Ehrlich's mental state was truly compromised. Otherwise, how could any reasonable wizard concoct so many absurd theories?
"You think I'd believe you?"
Professor Ehrlich's sharp gaze bore into him as if he could see straight through any deception. He remained unmoved, utterly convinced that Ian intended to lead him to Dumbledore— whom, in Ehrlich's delusions, had supposedly become Grindelwald.
"I understand that your mind isn't exactly clear right now, but I'd rather not have you interfering with my Christmas plans." Seeing that persuasion was futile, Ian turned on his heel, ready to leave.
"Where are you going?!"
Professor Ehrlich hurried after him.
"To find someone who can actually give me answers." Ian glanced back, surprised to find that Ehrlich had only followed him as far as the passage leading out of the underground chamber.
"That little girl, Aurora, she can't command me."
The former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stood rigidly at the threshold, lingering at the edge of the candlelight's reach, his feet refusing to move forward. Something unseen had halted him.
"What's happening to me?"
Professor Ehrlich hesitated, attempting to take a step forward. But before he could move, his hands shot up to clutch his head as a bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat.
"Aaaaah!"
His face contorted in sheer agony, his entire body convulsing.
"You can't leave, can you?"
Ian eyed the deep red candle thoughtfully.
"There's a voice! A voice in my head! It's warning me, telling me to go back! Get out! GET OUT!"
Professor Ehrlich crumpled to the ground, doubled over, screaming with raw, unfiltered terror. His entire body trembled violently, wracked with invisible torment.
It was a sight that made Ian's scalp prickle. The sheer agony on Ehrlich's face rivaled that of someone under the Cruciatus Curse. It was as if his very soul were being ripped apart.
"This so-called resurrection… might have been better off not happening at all." A pang of pity stirred within Ian as he flicked his wand, levitating Ehrlich and casting him forcefully back into the underground chamber.
Sure enough, the moment he re-entered the chamber, the screaming stopped. Professor Ehrlich collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. His wide, terror-stricken eyes turned to Ian, his voice hoarse with fear.
"What… what in Merlin's name have you done to me?"
Ian folded his arms. "I should be asking what Salazar Slytherin has done to you."
Not lingering any longer, Ian turned and ascended the staircase leading out of the underground chamber. Professor Ehrlich, still sprawled on the floor, could do nothing but stare after him, stunned.
"That professor's fate is truly wretched. Alive, yet worse off than the dead."
Ian knew that extracting useful information from Ehrlich would require the right person. Only Gellert Grindelwald could make the professor speak without hesitation.
Of course, given the sheer disarray of Ehrlich's memories, the credibility of his words would be questionable at best. Whether Grindelwald and Dumbledore could piece together the truth that Ian himself could not remained to be seen.
"It's a shame I don't know where Slytherin is buried. Otherwise, I'd track down his remains and find a way to corner him in the Twilight Zone for some answers."
Ian bolted up the stone staircase, his thoughts racing.
What should have been a forty-minute climb took him just over ten.
His stamina was nothing short of remarkable.
"Dumbledore should be in Hogsmeade, and Grindelwald will be in his office." Ian planned to gather them both and explain what had transpired.
But, as always, the best-laid plans rarely survive reality.
"How should I put this? You won't find me in my office because I'm no longer there."
Grindelwald's voice rang in Ian's ears the moment he emerged from the passage hidden behind the sink in the second-floor bathroom. The first-generation Dark Lord, clad in his usual black robes, was standing right there in the abandoned lavatory.
"Huh?"
Ian hadn't expected to run into Grindelwald so soon.
"So, it's here," Grindelwald murmured, watching as the sink restored itself after Ian's emergence. He stood before an identical basin, its faucet adorned with a familiar snake-shaped relief.
Judging by his posture, Grindelwald had been investigating something before Ian appeared. His fingers traced the serpent engraving, eyes alight with thought.
"Professor Grindel— Lockhart." Ian hesitated, his surprise evident. He narrowed his eyes as realization struck.
"Were you looking for me?"
Ian doubted Grindelwald had chosen this particular bathroom for a casual visit. No one came here unless they had an unfortunate accident— or were the kind of wizard desperate enough to attempt flirting with Moaning Myrtle.
"I noticed your name vanished from the map while you were here."
Grindelwald held up a familiar piece of parchment. Ian immediately recognized it as the Marauder's Map, a replica he had discreetly sold to someone.
"Ah… But according to the map, I should be sleeping peacefully in my dormitory…"
Ian glanced at the map before looking back at Grindelwald's knowing smile. Clearly, whatever enchantment he had used to mask his absence had already been dismantled by the professor.
"You should indeed be in your dormitory, not sneaking around on a late-night escapade," Grindelwald said, his tone edged with amusement but layered with something deeper. "You do realize, don't you, that the dangers lurking in this castle go beyond meeting a certain Dark Lord?"
There was something deliberate in the way he spoke, but before Ian could question him, Grindelwald turned his attention back to the sink.
"This is the entrance to Slytherin's Chamber, isn't it?"
His words made it clear he had done extensive research into Hogwarts' hidden chambers.
"Not just the Chamber of Secrets," Ian corrected. "It leads to an underground palace— one that even Hogwarts' founders may not have fully explored. And right now, our supposedly deceased Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Ronnie Ehrlich, is inside."
Grindelwald's expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He studied Ian carefully, his deep-set eyes narrowing.
"I don't find that particularly amusing," He said at last. "I personally arranged for his remains to be sent back to his homeland."
Even for a wizard of Grindelwald's caliber, the notion of a resurrection was difficult to comprehend.
"It's not a joke, Professor. Ronnie Ehrlich is alive again," Ian said firmly. He quickly recounted his encounter in the underground palace, explaining the strange inconsistencies in Ehrlich's behavior and memories.
As Ian spoke, Grindelwald's frown deepened.
"Perhaps you should have someone check whether the remains you buried are still where they ought to be," Ian suggested.
It was a theory worth verifying.
But Grindelwald shook his head.
"This is an intriguing tale," He admitted, though his tone was unreadable. "But such a thing is impossible. If you want to convince me, you'll need to provide something more than just a good story."
"Then let's go to the underground palace now," Ian said without hesitation. He turned back to the sink and hissed in Parseltongue, and the passage began to open once more.
But just as he moved to step inside, Grindelwald's hand shot out, gripping his shoulder.
"Wait," He murmured.
He didn't seem inclined to rush.
"Aren't you the one who wanted proof? Ronnie Ehrlich is alive in the underground palace— you'll see for yourself."
Ian frowned, puzzled by Grindelwald's hesitation.
"We need to wait for Dumbledore here."
After a brief pause, Grindelwald added, "After all, this is his school."
Ian blinked. Since when was Grindelwald such a stickler for rules?
History books certainly hadn't mentioned that.
(To Be Continued…)