The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

At that moment, the air in the auditorium seemed to freeze.

Harry didn't realize what was happening. He was just watching the black snake poised to attack Justin, instinctively wanting to stop it. The thought was so strong in his mind that when he spoke, he didn't realize he wasn't speaking English.

"Sya-hasi-heth..." (Leave him...)

Rowe's vision instantly turned blood red. Through the system's filter, he saw that Harry's clear green eyes were now swirling with black mist. The black snake seemed to have heard its master's call and obediently lowered its head.

"No..."

"It's controlling him... the Ring is controlling him! The Ringbearer's defenses are crumbling!"

The surrounding students retreated in terror, as if fleeing a plague. Justin Finley was deathly pale, his legs went weak, and he stood frozen in place.

"He's inciting the snake!" someone screamed, their voice filled with terror.

"Stay away from him! He's a dark wizard!"

"The heir to Slytherin!"

In this time of widespread fear and insecurity, only one figure chose to go against the tide.

Rowe Baggins threw away the frying pan in his hand. At this moment, the shield was meaningless. Physical defense could not stop the erosion of the soul. Now it was a battle on the level of will.

He roared like an enraged bear, forcefully breaking through the terrified crowd.

"Wake up, Frodo! Don't listen to that voice!"

Rowe rushed onto the stage, grabbed Harry's shoulders tightly with both hands, and began to shake Harry violently, trying to shake off the dark shadow clinging to his soul.

"Uh—Love?" Harry was shaken dizzy; the strange, almost telepathic connection with the snake was instantly severed. He stared blankly at the distorted face before him. "What are you doing? I just told it to go away..."

"Look at me! Harry! Look into my eyes!" Rowe ignored his explanations, his face pressed close, his brown eyes burning with anxiety and fear. "Remember who you are! You are Harry of the Shire! You are the boy who lives in the cupboard! Don't let that dark thing take hold of you! Push it out! Push it out with your willpower! Don't wear it!"

Harry was shaken like a rattle-drum, his glasses nearly flying off, and he could barely hold onto the frames: "I...I wasn't wearing anything...I just..."

"Hold on! Think of happy things!" Rowe roared. "Think of the feast at Hogwarts! Think of the moment you caught the Golden Snitch on the Quidditch pitch! Think of all those chocolate frogs you didn't get to eat! Think of the cake Hagrid gave you! Don't give in to the shadows! Sauron is watching you!"

The students below the stage stared in disbelief at the scene: Harry had just let out a terrifying Parseltongue, seemingly about to unleash a snake to bite someone; then Rowe rushed up like a madman, frantically shaking the Savior while shouting something like "Shire," "Shadow," and "Chocolate Frog."

"What is he doing?" Ron's mouth dropped open, his wand still pointing at the snake, completely forgetting to put it down.

Hermione frowned, her mind racing, trying to explain the scene: "I think... Rowe is trying to bring Harry back to his senses? Like waking up a hysterical person? Or... he's trying to distract everyone and get Harry out of trouble with this exaggerated approach?"

At this moment, the neglected black snake seemed somewhat dissatisfied. It raised its head again, flicked its tongue, and hissed threateningly, preparing to find its next target.

Just as it was about to bite Rowe, who was closest, a black shadow loomed over it.

"Disappeared without a trace (Evanesco)".

Severus Snape waved his wand with an elegant and ruthless motion. The black snake vanished into thin air as a wisp of smoke.

Snape put away his wand, his deep, empty black eyes scanning back and forth between Harry and Rowe.

[WARNING: Saruman is conducting a soul scan]

[Passive skill trigger: Failed to reduce the presence of the Elf Cloak]

[Threat Level: Extremely High (Boss-level Attention)]

[System Recommendation: Evacuate immediately to avoid further exposure]

Rowe immediately released Harry, took a step forward, and used his body to shield Harry.

“He hasn’t lost control, Professor,” Rowe said, panting. “He’s just exhausted. That thing… that dark relic’s power is too strong; he’s only temporarily lost his way. He’s fighting the Dark Lord with his willpower. He’s a hero, not a monster! He’s carrying the burden for all of us!”

Snape raised his eyebrows high and curled his lips into a mocking smile.

"Dark relics? Dark Lord?" Snape repeated in a malicious tone. "Mr. Baggins, your imagination is as... vivid as ever. You could even call it morbid. Mr. Potter was just talking to a snake, in a language we all understand—Parsleyan. If you call that 'fighting the Dark Lord,' then I have to question whether your mental state is suitable for remaining at Hogwarts."

“That’s a whisper! That’s temptation!” Rowe retorted without flinching, his hands still tightly protecting Harry. “You only heard the surface, but I saw him struggling on the edge of the abyss! If any of you had carried that burden, you would have collapsed long ago! You have no idea what he was facing!”

A murmur rippled through the hall, and the previously overwhelming sense of fear began to subtly shift.

"What is Luo Wei saying?"

"What burden?"

"Is Harry carrying something we don't know about?"

"Could that scar... actually be a seal that imprisons some kind of monster?"

Although Rowe's words sounded erratic and brimming with adolescent angst, they miraculously had a misleading effect. Young wizards are always willing to believe in stories of mystery and tragic heroes. In Rowe's description, Harry's terrifying Parsley voice seemed to transform into a "painful groan of struggling against an evil force within him."

Justin Finley was still shaken, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Harry had shifted from simple fear to a complex mixture of suspicion and confusion: "You...you were just saving me? Or were you telling it to bite me?"

"I told it to go away!" Harry gasped, his heart sinking as he looked at the horrified faces around him. "I just told it to go away! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"I knew it!" Lowe immediately chimed in, turning to Justin and shouting, "Did you hear that? He's trying to control the situation! Even as he's being corrupted by darkness, he's still trying to protect you! That takes incredible willpower! If it were you, Justin, you'd be Gollum by now!"

Justin blinked in confusion. His CPU was obviously fried; he couldn't understand what "gurgling" meant at all, but it sounded like something powerful.

"Alright!" Lockhart suddenly jumped in, breaking the deadlock. He clearly didn't want his thunder to be stolen. "Excellent! Although a bit...unexpected! Looks like today's gathering is over! Everyone, go home! Go home! Remember to buy my book; it has detailed chapters on how to deal with dangerous creatures!"

The crowd began to stir, their initial fear replaced by a strange bewilderment. As they walked away, they glanced back at the odd quartet—a pale-faced, bewildered Harry; a wary, trembling Rowe; Ron quietly comforting Harry; and Hermione with an expression that said, "Oh, I see. No wonder."

"Let's go." Rowe grabbed Harry's wrist. "It's not safe here. Saruman's spies are everywhere. We need to find a safe place... to cleanse your soul. Also, we need to have a strategy meeting."

Harry was dragged out by him, stumbling along. Ron and Hermione hurriedly followed.

Rowe finally breathed a sigh of relief when they returned to the familiar portrait of the Fat Lady in the Gryffindor common room.

"Love, what did you mean just now?" Harry leaned against the wall, asking softly, his voice filled with unease and self-doubt. "What dark language? What Dark Lord? I just spoke English... at least I thought it was English..."

Rowe stopped and turned to look at Harry. His eyes were filled with pity and sorrow, just like Gandalf looking at Frodo, who was growing thinner and thinner from the torment of the Ring.

"That's what makes it so terrible, Harry." Rowe sighed heavily, patting Harry on the shoulder. "You don't even know what you're talking about. It subtly changes you, distorts your perception. But don't be afraid... as long as I'm here, I won't leave you to fight alone."

He took a slightly melted, distorted piece of chocolate from his pocket and solemnly placed it in Harry's hand.

"Eat it. This is an elven elven secret (actually, it's a Honey Duke's special chocolate I swiped from the dinner table). It can dispel shadows and restore sanity. I'll help you, I swear. As long as I have a breath left, I won't let Sauron take you away."

Harry held the sticky chocolate in his hand, feeling the warmth emanating from it. Looking into Rowe's overly sincere eyes, he suddenly realized that having a crazy friend who thought he was the savior was more of a headache than his own Parseltongue ability—but also more reassuring.

At least, on this night when everyone treated him like a monster, there was one person who saw him as a hero in need of saving!