A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"That's because you're too weak."

Lockhart was right about one thing: these are just ordinary goblins. Aaron shook his head, then abruptly raised his wand over his shoulder. "Petrify them all."

A dazzling white light burst forth from the tip of the wand, quickly illuminating the entire classroom.

All the little elves were frozen in place, motionless like logs.

"It's done!"

"If you can handle these little sprites, then why..." Ron hesitated, while the other three looked at him with confusion.

"Why didn't you intervene earlier?" Aaron shook his head speechlessly. "First of all, there's no school rule or law that requires me to intervene and resolve trouble caused by others."

"But..."

"Let me finish speaking, Hermione."

Secondly, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is still in the classroom!

Since the teacher hasn't intervened, it means things haven't gotten out of control yet, right?

"I just didn't expect him to run away so quickly and leave this mess for us." Aaron said, walking to a table and pulling out a pale gold wand from under it. "I'll take this for now and return it to Professor Lockhart when I have the chance."

As for the rest, I'll leave it to you.

After Aaron finished speaking, he left the classroom.

Hermione said thoughtfully, "Could it be that Professor Lockhart's wand was stolen, which is why the problem hasn't been solved?"

“Possibly!” Neville nodded, but seeing the eye rolls from Harry and Ron, he immediately added, “But it’s unlikely.”

After having dinner in the auditorium that evening, Aaron dropped Abe off at his dorm and then went to Lockhart's office alone.

After the knocking, Lockhart opened the office door.

But when he saw Aaron standing outside the door, a hint of fear and guilt flashed in his eyes.

No teacher likes a student who questions them, especially when the student's question is valid. He's been around for so long, but he never expected to almost capsize in the gutter today.

“Mr. Gaius, what brings you here?” Lockhart flashed his signature smile. “I guess you’re from Slytherin. If you want to learn magic from me, then I really can’t agree.”

"Because Dumbledore would be unhappy if that happened. After all, the magic I know is too powerful; you couldn't afford the damage it might cause."

"As expected, this guy is quite capable to make a living in the wizarding world with only mediocre skills. At least his ability to lie through his teeth is top-notch," Aaron thought to himself. Then he raised an eyebrow. "Professor, I think you've misunderstood. I didn't come here to ask you any questions."

“Isn’t that right? That’s really…” Lockhart started to say, then quickly wiped the smile from his lips. “What a pity, I thought you were the kind of person who pursued power!”

"Professor, you're joking. May I come in and have a seat?"

“Of course, please come in,” Lockhart said with a smile.

The office is filled with countless photo frames, each containing a picture of Lockhart, many of which bear his autograph.

There were thick envelopes on the table, along with dozens of burning candles.

"Professor, you seem to be very busy!"

“Yes, I’ve been busy replying to my admirers,” Lockhart said, then looked at Aaron. “So, Aaron, you came to see me?”

“This,” Aaron took Lockhart’s wand out, “you left it in the classroom, so I’m returning it to you.”

"Oh! Thank you, little wizard." Lockhart excitedly took his wand. "I knew I'd forgotten something today!"

"Professor, besides returning the wand, there is one more thing I would like to ask you to do."

Lockhart immediately became alert, and his hand holding the wand trembled slightly. He knew that things were not so simple.

Chapter 147 This course is mine this year.

"You go first! I won't refuse within my capabilities."

Aaron wasn't embarrassed at all and asked directly, "I'd like to be able to control my own time for Defense Against the Dark Arts class this school year, is that alright?"

Lockhart hesitated slightly upon hearing Aaron's request.

What does this mean? A student actually asked the teacher for the lesson; doesn't this indirectly prove that his teaching level is terrible?

No, absolutely not.

“Mr. Gaius, do you know what your request means?” Lockhart said seriously, starting his lecturing mode. “You are still young, and it’s a good thing to have your own ideas, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn.”

Especially in my class, Defense Against the Dark Arts is crucial for every wizard.

“I understand, that’s why I came to find you.” Aaron said, taking out his usual black wand.

Lockhart was startled. "What are you going to do?"

"I want to prove my abilities to the professor."

We at Slytherin House revere the strong. If the professor can defeat me, then I have nothing to say.

But if I'm lucky enough to win, then please grant me this request, Professor.

Upon hearing this, Lockhart immediately calmed down.

He wasn't really confident if he fought other professors, but dealing with a twelve-year-old student was a piece of cake.

Putting everything else aside, an adult's magical energy reserves can absolutely crush those of an elementary school student.

"Alright! Since you've put it that way, I'll reluctantly accept it."

Aaron couldn't help but chuckle at Lockhart's affected manner. "Professor, to be honest, I don't have much practical experience."

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

Lockhart was even happier inside. No practical experience was good! Perfect, I didn't have any either.

Although he had only been at Hogwarts for a few days, he already knew a little about Aaron, the most popular wizard in Slytherin, who was very well-liked.

If we defeat him, it's like securing the professor's position.

If the news is then casually leaked out, his fame will rise to a new level.

In conclusion, it was a huge profit!

"Actually, I only defeated one giant monster last school year."

Lockhart's right hand trembled, and he almost dropped his wand.

"Professor, are you alright?"

“No, it’s okay.

"I was just a little surprised," Lockhart chuckled. "I didn't expect you to be able to defeat a troll at such a young age."

"Professor, you must be joking. Doesn't your book, 'Walking with Trolls,' also record the whole process of your wits and courage in fighting trolls?"

That's a five-meter-tall behemoth; I'm no match for it!

"Besides, I was fighting alongside Professor Snape; a one-on-one fight would probably have been quite difficult."

"Is that right?"

Lockhart breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down.

That's exactly right! How much fighting power can a child have?

That giant was probably dealt with by Snape; Aaron was probably just cheering him on from the sidelines.

“That’s right,” Aaron said without hesitation. “But I’m confident I can kill the giant single-handedly now.”

“Hey!” Lockhart said, somewhat displeased. “Mr. Gaius, it’s best not to joke around in my office.”

"I'm not kidding, I'm serious."

"I've undergone rigorous training this holiday, so taking on eight people at once shouldn't be a problem," Aaron said with a meaningful smile.

Gulu!

Lockhart swallowed very clearly, and he pressed his wand down slightly.

"Professor, may we begin?"

Lockhart shrugged and then placed the wand on the desk.

Aaron raised an eyebrow and feigned surprise, saying, "Are you going to use the legendary staffless spell?"

Professor, you don't need to be so polite. I was prepared to bear the consequences when I made my choice.

"In battle, I will fight with the determination to kill you; you're underestimating me by not using a wand."

Lockhart: ......

"Aaron, you've misunderstood."

What I mean is that there's no need for a competition; I already know your courage and ability.

You are indeed an excellent Slytherin, and you have the right to manage your class time as you see fit.

"So you mean you agree?" Aaron asked, somewhat surprised. He himself hadn't expected it to be so easy.

“Why not?” Lockhart flashed his signature smile, his white teeth particularly striking in the dim light.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me yet. I'll allow you to manage your class time as you see fit, but you must attend class on time and not disturb other students."

Lockhart said this in a very serious tone, his expression extremely solemn.

He was genuinely afraid that Aaron wouldn't agree. If Aaron wasn't present during class, someone would definitely ask him out of curiosity.

After learning what happened, another group of challengers might come knocking on his door, which would be very troublesome for him. Whether or not he should accept the challenge would be a question.

"Sure, I never intended to slack off in Defense Against the Dark Arts class anyway."

Aaron's answer relieved Lockhart, who then added, "Most importantly, you have to keep tonight's events a secret."

You know I'm usually very busy, and I don't want to be disturbed by anyone.

Aaron glanced at the thick stack of envelopes on his desk, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "No problem."

"That's good." Lockhart waved his hand, somewhat annoyed. "If there's nothing else, hurry back! If it gets any later, the administrator won't let you into the dorm."

Aaron put away his wand, but showed no intention of leaving.

Lockhart's heart skipped a beat, and he slumped wearily into a chair. "Is there anything else?"