Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 187 Nighttime Sneak Attack
Early the next morning.

In return for Lockhart's efforts and help last night, Andrews told him the final outcome of his encounter with Lulu in Norway, allowing Lockhart to record the entire story.

This is precisely why Lockhart became even more proactive in his work. Without Andrews having to urge him, he took the initiative to use the Oblivion Charm on the other trolls after breakfast.

This was clearly a very difficult task. Lockhart would have been able to handle just one or two trolls with ease, but dealing with more than twenty trolls in a row made him realize how tough it was.

In the end, a total of twenty-one trolls remained by the river. Lockhart dealt with five last night, leaving sixteen. He spent the entire morning without resting, completing the memory modification of eight more trolls.

By noon, he was so exhausted that he sat down on the grass, almost collapsing!
The wizard's spellcasting consumes physical strength, and the delicate manipulation of the Oblivion Charm is extremely mentally taxing, leaving Lockhart physically and mentally exhausted.

Andrews was quite surprised by Lockhart's dedication. He certainly didn't understand Lockhart's ultimate goal, but it did change his opinion of the writer who initially didn't have a very good impression of him.

This improvement was immediately apparent at lunch. Andrews prepared a very lavish lunch for Lockhart, which was no less delicious than what Severus and the others usually ate when they were here.

And at lunchtime, just like the night before, he told Lockhart the ending of another adventure story, which immediately made the previously exhausted Lockhart extremely energetic, more effective than drinking a powerful potion.

Now it was Andrews who was worried that if Lockhart continued to work tirelessly like this, he would eventually run into problems. He advised him that there was no rush, and that he could take a break this afternoon and finish modifying all the troll memories tomorrow.

But now Lockhart was the one who didn't want to.

He insisted on processing all the troll memories as soon as possible today. This was not only because he was eager to get all the adventure experiences from Andrews, but also because he had other ulterior motives.

"Pike, do you know about that Fire Dragon Nature Reserve to the west?"

Andrews was certainly no stranger to this.

“I know, it was because of the expansion of that fire dragon protection area that Lulu and I were forced to move here with these giants.”

Upon hearing that he knew about that place, Lockhart lowered his voice mysteriously.

"I came into this forest to find you from the west. On the site of the former Fire Dragon Nature Reserve, there is a small hill and a strange, dried-up lake. Surprisingly, many Aurors have guarded that place!"

Andrews looked visibly surprised; he hadn't expected Lockhart to be so brave.

From the casual conversations over these two meals, he also learned that the sorcerer who claimed to be a professional adventurer had not made any professional preparations before plunging headlong into the forest.

Not only did he walk like that, but he also trespassed into that abandoned nature reserve!

“The dragon trainers expanded the protected area because of an accident in that area that they couldn’t figure out,” Andrews explained. “And it was because of the trouble that the Aurors sealed it off.”

"An accident?" Lockhart's expression showed great interest. "What kind of accident!"

Andrews hesitated for a moment. He had an agreement with the Albanian Ministry of Magic that such matters could not be revealed, so he only spoke vaguely.

"It's related to those dragons; that place is no longer suitable for fire dragons to live in."

Lockhart sensed the restraint in Andrews's words, but the more restrained he was, the greater the secret hidden in that place, and the more valuable his unexpected discovery there was!
Indeed, Lockhart still remembers the trapdoor under the withered fir tree between the hill and the dried-up lake.

He dared not explore on his own, but instead set his sights on Andrews.

Previously, he had obtained relevant adventure stories from other adventurers, and it had never been this troublesome. On the surface, Lockhart was still friendly to Andrews, but he had already secretly remembered this matter.

Andrews made him work here, so naturally he had to get something back from other places!
Having Andrews lead the way to explore the trapdoor was, in Lockhart's view, a rather appropriate "reward."

“I discovered something unusual there!” Lockhart’s eyes darted around furtively. “The Albanian Aurors are a bunch of untrained idiots. They don’t know I’ve entered the restricted area. Right there by that dried-up lake, under a tree, I found a trapdoor with a brass handle!”

“There must be something wrong with that trapdoor. It might be the main reason why those dragon trainers expanded the protected area!” As if he didn’t find such a statement appealing, he quickly added his own reasonable guess.

"Dragons are interested in treasure, right? There's a good chance there's a lot of treasure hidden underground! And those Aurors don't even know I've discovered that area. How about we wait until we've processed the memories of these giants, then go search for treasure under that trapdoor?"

Contrary to Lockhart's expectations, Andrews did not show any surprise or anticipation after listening to his story; instead, he remained quite calm.

When Lockhart invited him, he resolutely shook his head and said no.

"Thank you for your kindness, but since that area has been sealed off by the Albanian Ministry of Magic, it is an illegal exploration zone. I have no interest in the dragon's treasure, nor do I want to break the laws of a country for a pointless adventure."

Lockhart was somewhat anxious about his answer.

"Aren't you an adventurer? How can you say adventure is boring? Exploring the unknown and seeking treasures is what adventurers pursue, isn't it?"

“My primary job is as a troll research expert,” Andrews said seriously. “Although the trolls living in this forest are fools, they are still Lulu’s kind and friends who have assisted me in my research for three years. If I break Albanian laws for the sake of so-called adventure and treasure, and make them dislike the trolls I’m researching, then that would be wrong of me.”

idiot!

Lockhart cursed Andrews in his heart.

He has always been an egoist; as long as he can profit, why should he care what happens to others?

Therefore, Lockhart simply scoffed at Andrews's words and felt nothing more.

But what he thought in his heart was in his heart; he certainly couldn't show it outwardly. Even if Andrews was unwilling to take the risk, he still had to manage the relationship between the two of them before he had obtained all the adventure stories.

Knowing the priorities, Lockhart wore an expression of admiration and praise as he loudly commended Andrews.

“Pike! There are very few wizards in this world as sincere to their friends as you! Especially since your friends are just giants who are not even human in the eyes of others, which makes them even more precious!”

Andrews didn't detect anything wrong with his praise, but he blushed a little and waved his hands repeatedly, saying it was nothing.

After lunch, Lockhart only rested for a short while before resuming his work with even greater intensity. He spent the entire afternoon modifying the memories of five more trolls. During this time, two trolls even started fighting because their experiences didn't match up while they were communicating.

After modifying the memories of the five animals, Lockhart was finally exhausted. It was only dark when he returned to the bed that Andrews had arranged for him and fell asleep immediately, leaving the last three to continue the next day.

Now Andrews' opinion of Lockhart has changed a lot, and he thinks that it's not a big problem for a famous writer to like to brag.

The other party's enthusiastic help gradually made Andrews less wary of Lockhart when they first met.

The next day, after enjoying the sumptuous breakfast prepared by Andrews, Lockhart felt refreshed and finished modifying the memories of the last three trolls.

This completely put Andrews and Lulu's minds at ease, allowing them to leave the forest without worry in the future.

Andrews then kept his promise, and starting at lunchtime, he and Lockhart sat by the river and recounted his afternoon of experiences and adventures in Europe.

Lockhart's shorthand quill broke one of its nibs during his rapid note-taking, but fortunately he was well-prepared and could replace it with a new one on the spot.

Finally, they sat and talked until dark, and all the trolls went into the cabin to sleep. Only then did Andrews tell Lockhart about his and Lulu's entire experience.

Lockhart looked at the notebook filled with notes and couldn't help but smile.

He spared no praise for Andrews, which made Andrews completely lower his guard and think that Severus's dislike for Lockhart might be due to some prejudice and misunderstanding, and that the wizard was actually a very good person.

“It’s getting late, let’s call it a day,” Lockhart said, standing up from the wooden post that was being used as a chair and stretching.

Andrews also felt it was about time. He thought for a moment, then looked at Lockhart and said.

"Although I'm not interested in your suggestion to explore an abandoned nature reserve, I can ask someone else for you. Maybe he'll be interested in going with you."

Lockhart's face showed a look of great interest.

"Oh? He's an adventurer too?"

“He is far more professional than the average adventurer.” Andrews hadn’t forgotten Severus’s advice. “But let me contact him and see if he’s willing. If he agrees, I’ll introduce him to you.”

Lockhart outwardly agreed with great anticipation, but in reality, he didn't take Andrews' words seriously.

Who is he?
Gilderoy Lockhart!

One of Britain's most famous public figures!

Most people would be begging to go on an adventure with him, so he has no shortage of companions. Why would he be waiting here for someone else to decide whether or not to team up with him?

The two quickly returned to their respective beds to rest.

They slept very close to each other; Andrews simply separated his own cabin with a curtain.

Andrews fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed.

He had a wonderful dream in which he and Lulu left the forest and Europe soon after, and set off for Egypt to explore the ancient wizard tombs hidden in the desert, where they discovered a mummy giant.

However, while exploring the ancient tomb, he was accidentally cursed by the tomb. His whole body was tightly wrapped in bandages from the mummy, and even his mouth, ears and eyes were sealed!

He tried to shout for help to Lulu, but couldn't make a sound until he was suddenly awakened from his sleep.

In the hazy night.

A figure holding a magic wand stood in front of his window.

As he slowly approached, Andrews could clearly see the man's face in the moonlight streaming through the window!
Lockhart still had that same smile that showed off his white teeth.

However, his smile now lacks its usual radiance and instead appears particularly sinister!
Andrews tried desperately to move, but his body was like a sculpture made of poured cement, unable to move at all.

Lockhart took advantage of his sleep and used a petrification spell to ambush him.

Even if Lockhart were a third-rate wizard, he couldn't possibly misuse such a basic spell.

Andrews is now completely at his mercy!
Outside the cabin, the snoring of the giant could still be heard. Among the snoring sounds was Lulu, who was fast asleep and had no idea what her wizard friend was going through, nor could she come to help in any way.

Andrews stared wide-eyed at Lockhart nervously, while Lockhart chuckled smugly.

"Thank you for your hospitality these past two days, Pike! To be honest, the adventurers I encountered the last few times were nowhere near as troublesome as you. Those people were all eager to tell me their stories in a boastful manner!"

He had already pointed his wand at Andrews' head.

"Only you would use this to blackmail me and make demands?"

"Tsk tsk tsk! Whatever, this story will never belong to you again starting tonight. After that, you will never remember that you ever knew a troll named Lulu. I will also erase that stupid troll's memory. In the future, there will only be one adventurer who has traveled with trolls!"

Lockhart grinned excitedly.

"Only me! Gilderoy Lockhart!"

"Forget everything"

Just as Lockhart was about to utter the complete incantation!
A beam of red light suddenly struck his body from outside the window.

(End of this chapter)