THE MASTERMIND OF HOGWARTS

Moriarty retrieved the Ice Moon Necklace from his system space, holding it carefully in his hand. The mithril chain had a smooth, cool texture, akin to a flowing spring slipping between his fingers.

The crescent pendant, pure white and glowing faintly, pulsed with an eerie light. A whispering voice echoed in the depths of his mind, urging him to put on the necklace.

Yet Moriarty neither donned the necklace nor responded to the voice. Instead, he tightened his grip on it. This artifact had secrets he intended to unravel, but not here, not now. He would wait until he returned to China to fully investigate the mysteries hidden within the Ice Moon Necklace. For the time being, however, one thing was clear—the necklace was deeply intertwined with water-element magic.

This realization shifted Moriarty's priorities. He summoned Luke and instructed him to lead the way to the castle's dungeon.

Upon hearing this, Ingo's complexion paled, while Lockhart, in stark contrast, appeared positively thrilled. "Master is going to interrogate that dwarf Dark wizard?" he exclaimed. "Let me assist! I may not know Legilimency, but I have witnessed countless interrogations before!"

His excitement dimmed significantly when they arrived at the dungeon. Instead of a conventional holding cell, it was a massive pit, within which countless venomous snakes slithered in a writhing mass.

Lockhart and Ingo stiffened at the sight, their faces ghostly white.

Moriarty, however, nodded in satisfaction. A setting like this would shatter the psychological defenses of any Eastern wizard.

Using a Floating Charm, Moriarty suspended the captive Eastern wizard—still trapped within an ice coffin—above the pit. At his command, the serpents slithered onto the frozen prison, their warmth rapidly melting the enchanted ice.

The moment the ice dissipated, the wizard awoke, only to find himself covered in greasy, writhing snakes. A shrill, terrified scream tore from his throat.

Already weakened from his injuries, the shock further unhinged him.

A cold voice rang through the air. "Name?"

Through a tangle of snake tails, the terrified Eastern wizard locked eyes with Moriarty. Understanding that this was an interrogation, he swallowed hard.

The serpents, detecting the movement in his throat, flicked their forked tongues against his skin. Just as he was about to scream again, one snake brushed its scales against his cheek.

The sensation sent him into a deeper spiral of fear. His mind flashed back to his encounter with the twelve ice serpents.

Trembling, he finally stammered, "Tsukamura Muye."

Moriarty's tone remained devoid of emotion as he continued in flawless Eastern dialect, "What was your mission in China?"

Tsukamura Muye clamped his mouth shut. However, when a small serpent began creeping toward his ear, he blurted out, "A task! I was sent on a mission."

"What mission?"

The wizard's expression twisted into one of defiance. He refused to answer. His eyes gleamed with stubborn hatred.

Moriarty responded by raising the Ice Moon Necklace before him. His voice was cold. "Tell me its secret."

At the sight of the necklace, Tsukamura Muye's hostility faltered, replaced by an expression of pure astonishment. Then, without warning, his gaze dimmed as if he had resigned himself to his fate, allowing the snakes to crawl freely over him.

Realizing the wizard had steeled himself against further intimidation, Moriarty smirked. "Play with him," he ordered the serpents. "But do not kill him."

To prevent the captive from biting his tongue to escape questioning, Moriarty cast a Freezing Charm upon his mouth. He would keep the wizard confined in the dungeon for three days.

Leaving the dungeon, Moriarty turned to Lockhart. "Come with me. We need to finalize the details of your new book's release."

Once inside the grand hall, Moriarty spoke first. "Negotiate with the Foley family for a six-four revenue split. You get six; they get four. Justify it by stating that you are the foremost authority on the Heir of Slytherin, whereas the Foley family and the rest of Britain know next to nothing about him."

Lockhart beamed. "I'll hand over all earnings to you, Master!"

"Quiet. Listen carefully," Moriarty snapped. Lockhart immediately sat up straight, serious for once.

"In addition to what I wrote, add Slytherin Castle to the story," Moriarty gestured toward the treasury and the grand walls. Lockhart nodded, quickly jotting notes.

"British wizards have long been curious about Salazar's life after leaving Hogwarts," Moriarty continued. "Emphasize that. Leave the most tantalizing details unresolved."

The two deliberated throughout the afternoon, fine-tuning the book's content and launch strategy.

It wasn't until Luke entered to announce that dinner was ready that Moriarty realized dusk had arrived.

Lockhart, energized by the discussion, declared that he would meet with the Foley family immediately after dinner to finalize their partnership.

Before he left, Moriarty instructed Luke to place ten gold bricks into Lockhart's suitcase. "Use this money to persuade Rita Skeeter. She won't miss out on a story this sensational."

Lockhart, deeply moved, swore that he would see the mission through.

Later that night, in a fresh chamber, Moriarty reviewed his agenda for the school year. Two crucial spells had now risen to the top of his priority list: Legilimency and Occlumency.

Had he mastered Legilimency, interrogating Tsukamura Muye would have been far more efficient. However, the spell was costly—7,000 system points, a price he couldn't currently afford. Nonetheless, he resolved to learn it. Legilimency would be invaluable for his future plans.

Occlumency was equally important. Moriarty would soon be attending Hogwarts, and he had no intention of allowing his secrets to be exposed under prying eyes.

He turned to other urgent matters:

Deciphering Parseltongue texts left by Salazar.

Studying ancient runes, Latin, and Greek scripts.

Adjusting the castle's teleportation array.

Lifting the movement restrictions on house-elves so that Luke could leave the castle to procure fresh ingredients.

Three days later, Slytherin Castle had undergone a transformation. It retained its fortress-like defenses while incorporating the refined elegance of a noble manor.

On the fourth day, Gilderoy Lockhart's latest novel was released.

Luke, sent to Diagon Alley to order Moriarty's wizard robes, returned in distress. The moment he entered, he began wailing, "Luke is a bad house-elf! Luke failed to place the order for Master's robes!"

Ingo snickered, earning a glare from Luke. "Lockhart was in Diagon Alley! A crowd swarmed him—Luke was squeezed out before he could even reach the tailor!"

Moriarty smirked. The larger the crowd, the greater the novel's success.

"Don't worry, Luke. Just ensure I get tomorrow's Daily Prophet the moment it's published."