The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 222: Lockhart is Hated by Everyone and Dogs
Every word sounded like admiration for Gilderoy Lockhart, and every word sounded like consideration for Lockhart, but in fact these words stabbed Lockhart's pain points like a knife.

Being sought after and admired by people over the years, Lockhart enjoys his success and knows why he is where he is today, so he never shows his magic in front of others. When he received the offer letter from Hogwarts, Lockhart didn't want to accept it, but he couldn't refuse the temptation of Harry Potter and the temptation of teaching the savior.

As long as he accepts the letter of appointment, the great Lockhart will become the teacher of the savior and take on the important task of teaching the savior. When people mention Harry in the future, they will also mention his teacher Gilderoy Lockhart. Even if this letter of appointment is poison, Lockhart, who attaches great importance to fame and fortune, will drink it.

What's more, Lockhart didn't think this was completely poisonous. He felt that he could still handle the position of a teacher. What was so difficult about teaching a group of children?
However, while Lockhart was deceiving others, he was also deceiving himself. He was now just a slave to fame and fortune, and no longer a qualified wizard. The dreamlike life in these years made him less and less skilled in magic, which was why he made a fool of himself in the first class and had his wand taken away by the Cornish elves. He was speechless under today's questioning and became a clown on the stage.

"I am... Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin... third class medalist..." Lockhart said stutteringly. His name and the title of Order of Merlin gave him confidence. "At the same time, I am still your professor. I will not do anything to hurt my students. Although I can control my power and prevent it from hurting you... but my character and identity do not allow me to do such an outrageous thing."

There was nothing wrong with the reasons Lockhart put forward. He was a professor at the school, a recipient of the Third Class Order of Merlin, and an honorary member of the Anti-Dark Arts League. Bullying a student was indeed not something a man like him should do.

However, this statement might be believable when it comes to others, but it sounds like an excuse when it comes to Lockhart. Think about what Lockhart did after he became a professor. He used his own works as textbooks and forced all students to buy them. He showed Cornish elves in class, which messed up the whole class. He did not perform magic in front of people, which made some people doubt him and think he was just a show-off.

It can be said that in the eyes of Hogwarts students, Lockhart has been equated with a liar, and he is just waiting for the confirmation.

The students had long lost their trust in Lockhart, and with Ada's soul-searching today and his own poor performance, who would still believe what he said, and who would still think that he was the same person as the "Gilderoy Lockhart" in the book?

There was a smacking sound in the classroom, which Lockhart found very irritating, but what the students said next was even more irritating.

"Professor, are you afraid? Drizzt is only a fourth-year student. Is he too old? How about changing him to a first-year student?"

"Professor, you describe yourself as so great in your book, why can't you show us some of your skills?"

"Professor, Drizzt is just a female classmate, not Wanlun's female ghost. You can defeat her with a wave of your hand. What are you afraid of?"

The law does not punish the masses, so the students dared to mock and humiliate Lockhart, and all kinds of sarcastic remarks came out one after another. Mocking your own teacher is a very rude thing to do, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has been like this for two consecutive years, so how can the students not be angry?
Why didn't any students mock or abuse Glover Cecil? Because Professor Cecil really taught students a lot of knowledge. Why didn't any students mock Benedict Foley unscrupulously? Because Foley really did his job conscientiously in the first half of the school year.

Although these two people have done evil things, in the hearts of students, they are much better than Quirrell and Lockhart. If Quirrell and Lockhart can also teach students diligently and responsibly, these ridicules and accusations will never happen.

The classroom was filled with noise and Lockhart finally couldn't hold on any longer. His flushed face had turned pale. He announced the end of the get out of class in a trembling voice, left the podium without looking back, and stumbled towards his office.

"I believe you. I believe the professor is just afraid of hurting me," Ada's crying voice sounded in the classroom again, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. "Students, think about what the professor has done and his great achievements. How could he be a good-for-nothing?"

After hearing this, the students stopped talking and burst into laughter. Ada said that she believed him, but in fact, she was just about to point at Lockhart's nose and call him a waste. Lockhart stumbled as he stepped onto the stairs and almost rolled down. He fled into the office in a panic, ignoring the increasingly loud laughter outside.

Wiping away the crocodile tears from the corners of her eyes, Ada began to pack her things. Since the get out of class was over, why was she still staying here? Was this chronic suicide?
Today's actions successfully provoked the students to question Lockhart, which indirectly proved that he was just a waste, but Ada was not happy at all. It was true that Ada hated Lockhart, but if possible, Ada still hoped that he could be as capable as described in the book, instead of coming to school to cheat.

Hogwarts seemed to have no secrets. What happened in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom in the afternoon quickly spread throughout the school. Everyone knew about Lockhart's terrible performance, and many people were curious about how Ada knew so much about Lockhart. In the Gryffindor common room, Fred asked, "Ada, how did you know all that Lockhart was talking about? Those were all things that happened when he was in school."

This question exactly spoke to the hearts of the people. Everyone in the lounge stopped talking, put down their belongings, and waited for Ada to give everyone an answer.

"I didn't know it at first," said Ada, "but someone in the school knew it. I just asked them about Lockhart, and then they told me all the bragging that Lockhart had done when he was a student."

The classmates naturally didn't know Lockhart, but that didn't mean no one in the school knew about Lockhart's past. Many professors in the school had taught Lockhart, such as Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick, Lockhart's former dean.

The three professors all had a bad impression of Lockhart. The usually amiable Professor Sprout showed a look of disgust when talking about Lockhart. Lockhart was an outstanding representative of Ravenclaw graduates, but when Professor Flitwick, the dean of Ravenclaw, talked about him, he also had a bad face, obviously telling Ada: Can we not mention him?

He was hated by everyone during his school years and never showed the talent he has today. However, some time after graduation, he transformed into the successful Lockhart today. It can be said that he achieved a counterattack in life.

When the news of Lockhart's deeds came back from afar, the professors should have thought that they had misjudged him and changed their views on him. However, the professors showed varying degrees of disgust towards Lockhart who returned to teach at the school. He was not treated as an outstanding graduate should be treated as a tribute to his alma mater. Among them, Professor McGonagall was probably the one who hated Lockhart the most.

Angelina said: "This is really ironic. Lockhart probably didn't expect that the bragging he made back then would embarrass him in the future."

"I suddenly feel that Lockhart is not so useless as a professor," said Alia. "At least he lets us know what the consequences will be if we are not down-to-earth and only know how to brag."

"Shouldn't the so-called lesson be to not offend women?" Li Jordan said fearlessly, "Especially when the woman's last name is Drizzt."

George was thoughtful. He said slowly: "From him, I found the meaning of studying hard..."

These words didn't sound like coming from the Weasley twins, so everyone wanted to know what George had figured out.

Fred said with a knowing look: "Study hard to fulfill the boasts you made when you were a child."

"So, are you two going to give up your joke shop dreams and study hard?" Ada asked with a smile, "If so, I must write to Mrs. Weasley to make her happy too."

Fred and George said in unison, "How is that possible! The joke shop is our dream, and all our efforts now are to make it come true!"

The lounge was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Everyone talked about the boasts they had made in the past, and others would comment on them and even offer some unreliable suggestions.

At this moment, Ada thought of Dumbledore. Ada didn't think that Dumbledore was confused by Lockhart's face. She just couldn't figure out why Dumbledore hired Lockhart. Was it really just to expose Lockhart?

(End of this chapter)