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

The next day, rumors spread like a plague.

Wherever Harry went, the once bustling corridor would instantly fall silent, and people would slip away, hugging the walls.

[Warning: Morale Collapse]

[Alliance Status: Dispersed]

[Environmental Debuff: Chain of Suspicion]

[Harry Potter's current status: isolated and helpless]

In the library, this isolation reached its peak. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together, surrounded by a distinct vacuum.

When Harry tried to find Justin Finley to explain what happened last night, Ernie Macmillan shielded Justin behind him like a protective chick, even pointing his wand at Harry.

"What do you want, Potter?" Ernie's voice trembled, but his eyes were full of hostility.

"Put down your wand, Ernie!" Ron jumped to his feet, blocking Harry's path. "Harry didn't do anything!"

"We just want to make things clear," Hermione said urgently, "Harry was saving him..."

"Save him? That's a black wizard's trick!" Ernie screamed.

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Rowe's hand was on his shoulder.

"Don't waste your energy, Frodo."

"Fear has corrupted their minds. Now, whatever you say sounds like the devil's lies to them."

"But I didn't..."

"I know," Rowe interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the whispering Hufflepuff students. There was no anger in his eyes, only a world-weary melancholy. "This is the fate of the Commandment Bearers. You bear the darkness, to protect those who won't even look you in the eye. Let's go, we have more important things to do."

Rowe forcibly dragged Harry out of the library. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, grabbed their bags, and quickly followed. The group walked through the empty hallway and arrived at the chilling shore of the Black Lake.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the lake, and the gray sky hung low in the air.

"What are we doing here?" Harry shivered, pulling his scarf tighter. Hermione and Ron also hunched their shoulders, their breath turning into white mist.

"Special training," Lowe replied briefly.

He found a slightly drier rock and patted the snow off it: "Sit down. You too, members of the Fellowship of the Ring need to strengthen your will."

The three sat down, puzzled.

"Last night's events proved one thing," Rowe said, standing before them with his back to the lake, "Harry, your willpower isn't strong enough. That voice... that whisper from the abyss could easily break through your defenses and control your tongue."

Harry lowered his head: "I really didn't know that was Parseltongue..."

"This isn't your fault. That's its power." Rowe pointed to the scar on Harry's forehead. "To prevent it from possessing you again, we need to strengthen your mental resistance."

"How is it enhanced?" Hermione asked curiously. "Is it some kind of Occlumency technique?"

"Spells are for the weak," Rowe scoffed. "True wizards rely on their hearts. Listen, Harry. Close your eyes. So do you."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione obediently closed their eyes.

"Now, clear your mind. Imagine you're in the Shire... or the Burrow. Imagine memories that make you feel warm, happy, and absolutely safe." Rowe's voice softened. "Maybe it's a perfect Quidditch catch, maybe it's Mrs. Weasley's sweater, or... a piece of melted chocolate."

Harry tried to recall. The feeling of riding the Nimbus 2000 for the first time flashed through his mind, the wind whistling past his ears...

"When that hissing sound comes again," Lowe continued, "don't listen to its content. Fill your mind with these happy memories. Like lighting a campfire to dispel the darkness."

As he spoke, Lo Wei pulled out a handful of Honeydukes premium dark chocolates and gave each person a piece.

"Eat it. Feel its bitterness and sweet aftertaste. This is the taste of reality; it helps you anchor yourself in this world."

Harry sucked on a piece of chocolate, the rich sweetness melting on his tongue. In this icy landscape, the warmth seemed to truly dispel the gloom in his heart. He felt much clearer-headed, and the anxiety that had been lingering in his mind lessened considerably. Ron hummed contentedly, and Hermione also showed a relaxed expression.

"I feel...much better," Harry said, opening his eyes in surprise.

"Very good." Luo Wei nodded in satisfaction.

[System Notification: Mental Training Completed]

[Targets: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger]

[Gain Buff: Mental Resistance Lv.2 (Group)]

[Note: It's actually just the dopamine release triggered by sugar intake, but the placebo effect is also a force.]

"Remember this feeling, Harry," Rowe said seriously. "This is your weapon against the Dark Lord. As long as there is light in your heart, Sauron cannot completely possess you. And look around you, Sam (Ron) and the Elven Princess (Hermione) are always there."

Ron straightened his back, and Hermione, though a little embarrassed by the title "elf princess," still firmly grasped Harry's hand.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the lakeside. Hagrid, wearing a huge mole fur coat, came running over in a panic.

"Harry! Rowe! Thank God you're both here!" Hagrid was pale and looked terrified. "Something's happened... Get back to the castle! Professor McGonagall is looking for you!"

Luo Wei's heart sank.

As they followed Hagrid, panting, back to the second-floor corridor of the castle, the sight before them made Harry's heart skip a beat.

Justin Finley lay stiff on the floor, his face frozen in extreme terror. Beside him floated Nick, nearly headless, but he was no longer transparent; instead, he had turned an eerie blackish-gray, like a wisp of frozen smoke.

The corridor was deathly silent.

Luo Wei stopped abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply.

[On-site analysis: Petrification attack]

[Victim 1: Justin Finley (completely petrified)]

[Judgment: The target is being observed directly by the ghost]

[Victim 2: Sir Nicholas (spirit dead)]

[Anomaly Detection: Spectral Entity's Color Turns Black]

[System determination: The lethal gaze directly hit the spirit.]

"Even the dead are not spared..." Lowe muttered to himself, "This confirms my theory. Only that ancient creature's gaze can kill the living and make the dead 'die' again. The ghost blocked its gaze, saving this Hufflepuff's life, but turned itself into charred remains."

"The basilisk," he murmured to himself, "is right here."

Just as Harry was about to go over to check, Peeves suddenly popped out from the ceiling.

"Attack! Attack!" Peeves screamed, his voice echoing through the empty corridor. "Another attack! It's not a person, it's not a ghost! Help! Potter's killing someone!"

Doors were flung open, and students poured out. Screams erupted as they saw Justin lying on the ground and Harry standing beside him.

Ernie Macmillan charged ahead, his face flushed, pointing at Harry and yelling, "Catch him right there! I knew it! Yesterday you wanted the snake to bite him to death, today you..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Ron charged forward angrily. "We were just together! By the Black Lake!"

"Harry couldn't possibly do such a thing!" Hermione retorted loudly, stepping in front of Harry. "We have an alibi!"

"Then what happened?!" Ernie pointed to the corpse on the ground.

"Shut up!" Luo Wei suddenly roared, instantly drowning out all the noise.

He stood in front of Harry, like a wall blocking out all the hostile gazes.

"Use your rusty brains!" Rowe pointed at the corrupted Nick. "Harry is a wizard, not a necromancer! Only cursed weapons from the Darkest Abyss can harm a ghost! Do you really think Harry Potter... a second-year student... could kill a ghost that's been dead for five hundred years?!"

The entire audience was stunned. Staring at the pitch-black Nick, they felt a genuine, inexplicable fear. It was beyond their comprehension.

Professor McGonagall rushed over, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Scatter, all of you!" she said sternly, waving her wand to conjure a large fan and sending Justin to the school hospital. "Potter, Baggins... come with me."

Harry looked at Rowe in despair.

"Don't worry," Rowe patted Harry on the back and whispered, "This is just part of the trial. As long as you haven't given up hope, this isn't the end."

Looking at Rowe's determined profile, Harry suddenly realized that even if the whole school thought he was the murderer, as long as this strange "Fellow Fellow" still believed in him, he could keep going.

[Quest Completion: The Lonely Guardian]

[Completion Level: Perfect]

[Reward: Harry Potter's favorability (trust) greatly increases]

[Mental Resistance Lv.2 is active]