In the subspace at the end of Baker Street, Allen was hunched over his desk, staring at the pulsating blue light screen in front of him, grinning like a Goblin who had found a huge bag of Galleon.
[The feedback settlement for " Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Part 1)" has been completed. Please check your rewards.]
Allen rubbed his hands together and pulled his chair forward a bit. "Come on, let me see what good stuff we can get this time."
The text on the screen started scrolling, and the first line almost made him grin from ear to ear.
[Reward 1: Magic Power Boost (Tier 4 → Tier 5)]
A warm current surged from his chest, spreading along his spine to his limbs and bones.
He could feel the magical river within his body widen and flow faster, as if it had transformed from a small stream into a river that could propel a small boat forward.
Allen clenched his fist, feeling the fullness, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad, not bad. Although we're still far from being as cunning Dumbledore, at least now that we've encountered an Auror, we shouldn't have to run away."
He leaned back in his chair, waiting to read the next item.
[Reward 2: Limited Character Card) ×1.]
[ Limited Character Card): Grants the user full power of Lockhart at his peak for fifteen minutes upon use. Uses: 1/1.]
Allen raised an eyebrow, the image of that blond, curly-haired man with eight teeth flashing through his mind, and couldn't help but be surprised. " Lockhart? That good-for-nothing?"
He clicked on the details below the character card, ready to see what abilities this 'greatest contemporary master of Defence Against Dark Magic ' possessed that made him worthy of being included in the system.
[ Gilderoy Lockhart: Ravenclaw descent, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Anti-Dark Magic League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.]
[He possesses exceptional writing skills and is adept at persuasive oratory. Currently Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, he is vain and obsessed with fame. His mastery of the Memory Charm is unparalleled throughout history; his casting precision and memory erasure efficiency are unmatched.]
Allen's gaze lingered on that line of text, and he slowly narrowed his eyes.
"... No one throughout history can match him?"
He read a few more lines, his expression shifting from initial confusion to thoughtful contemplation, and finally to a complex sense of realization.
"Is Merlin really inferior to him?" Allen stroked his chin. "That's interesting."
He recalled the bumbling professor from the original book who was harmed by the Memory Charm he had cast, and who ultimately smiled at the wall in St. Mungo's Hospital.
Everyone thought he was a complete joke, but the system's evaluation was completely different.
"No wonder..." Allen muttered to himself, "All those stories of his were written after the original owner's memories were erased using the Memory Charm, and then he wrote them into the book and claimed them as his own achievements."
"His Memory Charm has reached such a level..."
However, Allen was still a little puzzled. "But if he's so strong, why was the duration of this character card extended?"
"Last time, Quirrell's spell only lasted five minutes, how come this one can last fifteen minutes right away?"
[Because Lockhart's strength at his peak was somewhat one-dimensional, the card's duration was extended.]
Allen was taken aback, recalling Lockhart's performance in the original story, and his expression turned somewhat grim. "... Could it be that after using this card, I'll only be able to use the Memory Charm?!"
The system remained silent, refusing to speak.
Allen took a deep breath and put the character card into the system panel, thinking that this one-time use card might come in unexpected use on some special occasions.
[Reward 3: One chance to draw from the limited prize pool "Part Two: The Chamber of Secrets ". Use now?]
Allen sat up abruptly, rubbed his hands together solemnly, then stood up and ran to the kitchen to wash them. He ran back and sat down, his expression as serious as if he were preparing for an important Quidditch final.
Last time, he drew Filius Flitwick's Magical Combat Skill (max level), which not only allowed him to easily suppress Quirrell in battle, but also played a significant role in the subsequent Battle of Hogwarts.
Therefore, he certainly valued this reward highly.
"Come on," he took a deep breath, "Don't have too bad luck."
The wheel on the light screen reappeared, the names blurring into a rotating blur of light and shadow at the edge of the wheel.
Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Tom Riddle... and even the name of the Basilisk!
Allen's gaze followed the names around and around several times until the speed of the spinning wheel gradually decreased and the pointer stopped in one area.
[Extraction complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Lucius Malfoy's scheming and planning ability (max level)].
Allen was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, a massive stream of information flooded into his mind.
That was a way of thinking he had never encountered before.
His previous thinking pattern was linear: when he encountered a problem, he would think of a solution and then carry it out.
But as new knowledge of Lucius Malfoy's political acumen and strategic planning came into his life, he found himself beginning to see everything from a different perspective.
His thoughts were no longer on "a problem," but on a network.
Every node on the internet is connected to another node, and the interests and demands of each person create a subtle tension with the positions of others.
Each line represents a chain of interests, each node points to a key figure, and each arrow foreshadows a possible course of action.
He understood immediately.
What Lucius Malfoy did in the original novel might seem arrogant, reckless, and short-sighted to others.
But looking back from that perspective now, Allen suddenly realized that every step that man took was meticulously planned.
Why did Lucius Malfoy give Tom Riddle's Diary to Ginny Weasley in the second movie?
Because he wanted to bring down Arthur Weasley, Arthur was pushing for a Muggle Protection Act that was detrimental to Pure-blood families.
This move not only allows them to damage the Weasley family's prestige through the Basilisk incident, but also provides an opportunity to eliminate one of the Weasley family's descendants.
What's even better is that he paid almost no price; no one could accuse him of deliberately slipping the notebook to Ginny, and it had no impact on the Malfoy family.
This seemingly small act nearly cost Dumbledore his position as headmaster and almost crippled a political enemy the Malfoy family disliked.
It's important to understand that Pure-blood families prioritize their own interests, and Dumbledore's power prevents them from making any rash moves.
Once Dumbledore loses his position as headmaster, the board of directors, headed by Lucius Malfoy, will certainly support a trustworthy person to become headmaster, thereby strengthening their control over Hogwarts.
If it weren't for Harry, the unconventional protagonist, Lucius Malfoy's seemingly random but brilliant move would almost have succeeded.
Of course, Allen also believed that Dumbledore was no simple man and would definitely have a way to deal with it, but with Harry around, he let Harry handle the situation.
However, this is enough to demonstrate Lucius Malfoy's profound scheming abilities.
Even if the Malfoy family ultimately met a tragic end in the original story, it wasn't because Lucius's plans weren't meticulous enough, but because he encountered Harry and Dumbledore, beings far beyond his comprehension.
Well... he certainly couldn't have predicted that Dumbledore would sacrifice himself, nor could he have foreseen that Harry's extraordinary love would be so powerful.
Allen closed his eyes and processed the information for about half a minute before slowly opening them. His expression changed from initial confusion to a calm, slightly wistful admiration.
"No wonder the Malfoy family is so successful in both the Wizarding World and the Muggle world," he murmured with a sigh.
"Having Pure-blood and Galleon isn't enough; true confidence comes from being able to calculate three moves ahead for every move."