Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 163 Lockhart, the All-Round Genius in Literature, Sports, and Politics

Such a statement left both Harry and Draco looking at Lockhart with astonishment and confusion.

The two children were still too young to believe that there could be such shameless people in the world.

The bespectacled, balding middle-aged wizard Angelo was clearly extremely annoyed by Lockhart's persistent pestering. Even so, Lockhart didn't miss any opportunity to elevate himself and highlight his own importance.

Angelo seemed thoroughly annoyed with him. After Lockhart said those words, he merely frowned in disgust but didn't turn around to look at him. Instead, he waited for Severus to sign his name on the title page of the novel before taking his leave.

Even Draco could see just how much Angelo wanted to get rid of him.

However, Lockhart paid no attention to the strange looks from the two children; he simply waved the plane ticket in his hand with a smile.

"Hey! Dear Angelo, aren't you going to Tirana? If we're going to get into that big iron bird, we should wait here."

Angelo's hurried steps, as if he wanted to escape as soon as possible, suddenly froze.

With his back to Lockhart and Severus, he took a deep breath, glanced down at his ticket, and then turned to look at the sign for the boarding gate lounge where Severus and his group were.

After confirming that this was indeed the boarding gate for the Albanian capital, Angelo pretended not to see Lockhart at all, picked up his briefcase, and sat down in a chair next to Severus and the others.

He took the initiative to ask Severus and the others.

Are you also going to Tirana?

Severus shrugged.

"Pretty much. I've heard the scenery there is quite nice, especially the natural landscapes."

“That’s right. My cousin Andrews once observed and studied a group of trolls there. It’s the largest troll community in Europe.”

"I should have heard of your cousin. He once helped Hogwarts write textbooks about magical creatures, right?"

Angelo was delighted to hear that Severus remembered his cousin's name.

"That's right! He started as a magical creature breeder, working with the famous Newt Scamander for a time, before choosing to embark on his own adventures and focusing on studying trolls!"

“Andrews is indeed very talented, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked him to come and discuss the new work.”

Lockhart, like a leech, sat down next to Angelo, still as smug as ever, as if the awkward moment had never happened and he showed no sign of Angelo's disdain for him.

"If we can join forces this time, he will definitely become a celebrity after my new work becomes a huge hit. People will envy his luck in providing such great help to the creation of Gilderoy Lockhart's work!"

Sitting next to Lupin, Harry, who had secretly witnessed this scene, whispered to Draco.

"Is he some kind of celebrity in the magical world? Or is he a fraud? I've never met anyone like him before."

Draco pursed his lips.

“He is a celebrity, a famous bestselling author. My mother has always liked him and said he is very talented, but after seeing him in person, I feel that he is not worthy of his reputation at all.”

Angelo, who had originally intended to ignore Lockhart, was enraged by his sudden interruption. But before he could speak, Severus quietly looked at Lockhart and suddenly asked.

"I didn't realize it when we were at Hogwarts, Lockhart. You've written so many books about adventure, it turns out you're an adventurer too."

Lockhart clearly took Severus's words as a compliment, and he boasted with great pleasure.

"Hey! I never even thought of that myself, Senior Snape!"

"I was very low-key during my student days, right? No one ever discovered my hidden talent and ambition! After achieving what I have today, I've thought about writing an autobiography many times. I even have a title in mind: 'The Magical Me'! However, this book is just a small idea for now. I need to finish the other two books I'm planning before I can start writing it!"

Severus merely raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

"Are you very low-key? I've heard of you even in Slytherin. What did they say about you back then? Oh right, they said you claimed you could create the Philosopher's Stone entirely on your own before graduation, right? I believe you've succeeded by now. Can I see it?"

Lockhart stood tall and proud, showing no sign of fear.

"I didn't expect you to still remember my grand plan from my youth! That's right, the Philosopher's Stone! Of course I succeeded, but it's been having some problems lately, so I left it at home. If it weren't for going to see Andrews, I would definitely have gone to see Nicolas Flamel to discuss more about the wonders of the Philosopher's Stone during this trip to Paris!"

As he said this, he winked mysteriously at Severus and the others.

"Please keep the matter of the Philosopher's Stone a secret! If the paparazzi find out, they'll go crazy and then infect my fans with that madness!"

Severus blinked, as if agreeing with Lockhart, but then asked another question.

"What about leading the England Quidditch team to victory in the World Cup? England wasn't the champion of the last World Cup, and you're not on the England national team roster. Did you temporarily turn down their invitations to focus on your writing?"

Lockhart still had a smile on his face, but he was clearly no longer as relaxed as before. He simply followed Severus's words and blurted out his boastful remarks almost without thinking.

"Ah! You know me so well! It must be my performance at the Hogwarts Cup that captivated you and made you remember it so vividly! The Ravenclaw students must still be reminiscing about the time when I led the team!"

"As for the England national team, I certainly went there for a trial as well. Their captain, Dane Maxwell, praised me as a Quidditch genius! They've been trying to add me to the squad before the World Cup starts, but due to the World Cup rules, they can't add my name before the tournament begins!"

"Later, my new book, 'Breaking Up with the Ghost,' caused a sensation throughout the wizarding world. Enthusiastic fans wrote to me every day, begging me to release the new book as soon as possible, otherwise they wouldn't be able to make a living. I had to postpone my plan to lead England to victory in the World Cup to satisfy the public's enthusiasm." He smiled, his tone becoming more fluent and confident as he spoke. Even Harry and Draco, who initially had no liking for him, began to doubt whether what he was saying was true.

After all, who could come up with such an exaggerated lie on the spot with a real nose and a real face?
Severus's gaze never left Lockhart's face; he simply continued to ask.

"What about your promise to your classmates before graduating from Hogwarts that you would become the youngest Minister for Magic in Britain? How do you plan to enter the Ministry of Magic and pursue a political career?"

Lockhart's smile was noticeably stiff, and his back was soaked with sweat.

He clearly hadn't expected that Severus would remember all the things he'd said and all the grand pronouncements he'd made while he was at Hogwarts.

I never expected him to ask that question directly in this situation!

Everyone here is a public figure, so why should celebrities make things difficult for other celebrities?

Lockhart was convinced that Severus's experience of saving vampires and Muggles in England, as well as his speech at the trial, were all a show!

He is clearly someone who is very good at judging others by his own standards.

Back in his early days at Hogwarts, Snape had hung out with the dangerous Slytherin group, spending his days either researching dark magic or tinkering with potions. He was often teased and ridiculed by the Gryffindor quartet, and back then, all he saw in Snape was coldness and resentment.

In the years that followed, rumors from the wizarding world proved that Snape was by no means a simple or safe person.

Based on this, and with his own deductions, he concluded that Severus wanted to become famous in the wizarding world by using a persona that contrasted with his past, just like him!
Who knows if those stories were fabricated by him, controlled by that vampire and third-rate wizard writer?

Needless to say, the speeches at the approval meeting were also noteworthy.

Lockhart believed that if he were allowed to go, he could deliver a speech that would be even more sensational than Severus's.

Therefore, in Lockhart's eyes, Severus was an absolute "one of their own".

However, he was well aware of Severus's strength and methods, and he did not want to offend his "senior Snape," and even intended to curry favor with him.

To his surprise, Severus showed no intention of exchanging compliments or getting along with him!
"Haha. You should understand, Cornelius Fudge is a very good wizard, and he's been confirmed as the Minister for Magic next year. I'm very close to him; we used to attend afternoon tea parties together about lemurs! Yes! That's right, lemur afternoon tea parties!"

Even though he was drenched in sweat, he still exuded confidence, even though he wasn't entirely sure if there was such a category as forest succubi among the female demons.

"I made many suggestions to him about the changes that the Ministry of Magic needed to make! He took my words very seriously and said that once he officially took office, he would definitely follow my suggestions and continue to carry out sweeping reforms of the Ministry of Magic to sweep away those long-standing problems! In our most recent meeting, he extended a warm invitation to me, wanting me to become his advisor after he officially becomes Minister of Magic!"

“But you all know my reputation among wizards, and everyone trusts me! I’m worried that if I accept his invitation and become his advisor, people will say behind my back, ‘Look, that young upstart became a minister and created so many benefits for the wizarding community; Lockhart must have been advising him. It’s all Gilderoy Lockhart’s doing!’”

"This would put Fudge in a difficult position and damage our friendship! So, I can only politely decline his offer and tell him that even if I can't be his advisor openly, he can still consult me ​​privately on some matters! And as his term nears its end, I will accept his invitation to join the Ministry of Magic and then prepare for the next ministerial election!"

He got so into it that he not only stopped being nervous, but also stood up excitedly from his chair, as if he were giving a speech during an election campaign.

"You'll all vote for me then, won't you? The Ministry of Magic will reach even greater glory under my leadership!"

His actions attracted the attention of many Muggles, but Lockhart did not feel embarrassed by such gazes; on the contrary, he enjoyed them immensely.

Harry and Draco stared at each other, their eyes wide.

By now, they truly couldn't tell whether this famous figure in the magical world was telling the truth or lying.

Lupin frowned slightly as he looked at Lockhart.

He wasn't sure if Lockhart's words were true or false, but from Severus's behavior and what he'd heard about Lockhart's character during his student days, he could tell that this bestselling author definitely had a problem.

As for Angelo, he had already plugged his ears!

Throughout the journey from England to France, he had been listening to Lockhart constantly boast about himself, making even more exaggerated claims than before. He even said that he had met the rabbit witch Babbitt!
Whether these words were true or false, he was already thoroughly fed up and didn't want to hear another single word.

Severus's gaze remained calm as he scrutinized Lockhart, as if weighing something in his mind.

Being stared at like that made Lockhart, who was already trapped in his own fabricated lies as if they were all true, feel a little uneasy.

His smile turned somewhat awkward, and he sat back down in his chair.

"Snape, is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Severus finished his reflection and examination, smiled, and shook his head at Lockhart.

"No, no, Lockhart, you are a true polymath. Whether it's literature, sports, or politics, you have reached the top level in the wizarding world. It was a disappointing result that Dumbledore did not choose to keep you at Hogwarts to teach."

Upon hearing such praise, Lockhart became excited.

He believes that Severus finally grasped the importance of mutual admiration.

"Oh dear! Actually, it was I who declined Dumbledore's invitation back then, otherwise we would have been colleagues at Hogwarts long ago! Senior Snape."

(End of this chapter)