Chapter 303 The Wise Choice
He was not afraid of the Acromantulas, but rather concerned about the strange unknown existence hidden in the depths of the cave.
"Let's go back!" Evan whispered to Goyle and Crabbe.
He tried not to dwell on Malfoy's fate because it made him feel uneasy. He wondered, if Harry or Hermione were dragged by that Acromantula into this cave, would he hesitate to enter directly and bring them back even at the cost of his life?
That would be because they were his friends, and their presence was crucial in his life.
But this was Malfoy, and Evan hesitated!
He was not a god, not as powerful as Dumbledore, or as brave as Harry in the final war.
Whether he admitted it or not, he was simply a common person.
Yes, he was just a fortunate fellow.
He knew the future of this world and all the characters, so he could bravely fight, face the established future, and even had the courage to resist Voldemort.
Because he knew, he tried to change and prevent the tragedies that were to come.
But when the future was truly changed by him, Evan began to feel afraid.
At the moment he caught Peter Pettigrew, he knew the time had come. For the last six months, he had been studying magic and enhancing his strength. He could not think of another way to confront the altered future.
But Evan discovered he was wrong. As Dumbledore had been trying to tell him, a person's strength did not depend on how much magic they possessed, but on their heart.
Voldemort had unimaginable power, but his heart was extremely fragile. Though evil and cruel, he feared death and used any means to escape it.
That was his weakness, so no matter how much magic he had or how much magic he mastered, Dumbledore would never fear him.
"As for me…"
Evan took a deep breath and tried not to dwell on those thoughts.
He repeatedly told himself that giving up on Malfoy and walking away from this strange cave was the wisest choice.
Yes, even if Malfoy was going to die.
He turned around and approached Buckbeak, ready to return as soon as possible to inform the others.
While many thought he was a genius, even adored or envied him, thinking he was different, Evan himself knew he was no different from other ordinary young wizards.
"Please, save him!" Seeing Evan's movement, Goyle sobbed and said, "Only you can save him, or Draco will be those spiders…"
"We must return as soon as possible, only the professors can save Draco," refuted Crabbe, "Let's not waste time here, let's go."
"Those monstrosities can devour Draco in the blink of an eye!" Goyle hesitated, "We can't leave, otherwise…"
"Otherwise, what will happen?" Crabbe turned to Goyle with undisguised fierceness. "I just want to get out of here now, you're wasting our time."
"But Draco…"
"I told you, we are going back to the castle to inform the others and rescue him," said Crabbe, "We cannot help him here, we are only adding trouble."
Upon hearing Crabbe's words, Goyle fell silent.
His foolish eyes looked indecisively at his companion, then turned expectantly to Evan, but there was no response from the latter.
Though dim-witted, he understood what that meant.
For a long time, he hesitated and then said, "If Draco is dead, his father and the Malfoy family will not sit idly by."
Mentioning Lucius Malfoy, even Crabbe fell silent.
"I think he will understand us!" He whispered and raised his voice. "Moreover, what can the two of us do?!"
Evan understood what both intended to convey, deliberately discussing Malfoy's family.
That was both a threat and a reminder.
Once Malfoy died here, the three of them would have to face the wrath of Lucius Malfoy.
They were followers of Malfoy and his own people, so Lucius Malfoy probably wouldn't do anything against them. But it was different with Evan, and Lucius would likely unleash his fury on him.
It seemed that Malfoy's two companions, especially Crabbe, were not as foolish as they appeared.
Evan was not afraid of Lucius, nor the vengeance of the Malfoy family. This was Hogwarts. With Dumbledore here, he couldn't do anything.
Today's incident, in itself, was Malfoy's fault and had nothing to do with Evan. But the conversation between Goyle and Crabbe made Evan doubt once again. He finally realized that something was amiss. It kept repeating in his mind that the wisest choice was to give up on Malfoy and leave as soon as possible.
Apparently, Crabbe thought the same way.
Was it truly a wise choice for a Slytherin who lacked even the most basic sense of friendship and loyalty, and only considered his own safety?!
Yes, this was different. The abominable one to save was Malfoy.
A strange voice whispered in Evan's heart: "He's not even your friend. You don't have to risk your life to save him."
But when he thought that way, he always felt that something was wrong, and this feeling grew stronger. Did he not save Peter Pettigrew by running the same risk to his life before?
The voice echoed again: "It was only out of necessity. You needed him to prove Sirius's innocence. You didn't truly want to save him."
Peter Pettigrew had utility value, Malfoy did not. On the contrary, he remained quite problematic. There were many things in the future that would worsen due to his existence.
It would probably be better if he died here...
"No, it wouldn't!" Evan suddenly shouted.
Goyle and Crabbe looked at him nervously, not knowing what was happening.
At this moment, Evan struggled with that strange voice inside him. He finally realized that all the suggestions given by that voice seemed correct, but it ignored the most important point, his own nature, and only saw the issue from the perspective of gains and losses.
If he did what it said, how would he differ from those dark wizards, steeped in ruthless interests and powerful magic to face anything, with the only wise decision being what benefited themselves?!
Evan could abandon Malfoy to face death, not only because it was dangerous, but also because it did not benefit him. If you desire something, you can do everything possible to obtain it because you have your reasons. Are you afraid of death? Then you can snatch the lives of others to make Horcruxes, to live eternally.
These choices seemed wise, but they were not what Evan needed. He had to resist and correct those misconceptions.
Just as Evan had this thought, the Slytherin locket that had been hanging on his chest suddenly emitted a dark golden light.
The strange curved lines at the top of the text lit up at the same time, and then instantly returned to how they used to be, as if nothing had happened.
But Evan's originally chaotic will was renewed, and a strange magic was injected into his body from the inside out.
In the depths of his heart, there was a sudden sharp sound, like the noise of glass falling to the ground and breaking, and the whisper that had been resonating disappeared.
Evan, holding Buckbeak with both hands, was panting.
Everything in front of him was clear and limpid, and he felt sweat soaking his entire back.
He had just realized that the strange voice that had just surfaced in his heart was the existence that had been whispering to him from the beginning.
It influenced him from behind the curtains, waiting for Evan to fall.
Only that way could it devour his soul.