The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 381 A Pot of Soup

An unprecedented gathering of wizards and a large number of Muggle insiders appearing in wizarding territories—when these unprecedented sights in wizarding society come to life, no one can ignore the frequently mentioned phrase.

The new era.

Of course, as everyone knows, this doesn't really qualify as the new era.

The real source of their profound understanding came from the extraordinary magical power of the young wizards in the Triwizard Tournament.

Or to put it more directly, it's about the students who are members of the Duel Club!

If we also consider the figure behind them that no one can ignore, the newly crowned magic master, Gilderoy Lockhart.

That is a force that everyone must treat with caution.

"People will soon realize how different these children are," Snape said, as he was being entangled with Lucius and a group of pure-blood wizards.

"They possess an extremely strong Lockhart style," essentially you could consider them practitioners of fairytale adventure theory.

Old McMillan, from the McMillan pureblood family, frowned, pipe in mouth, "Oh, fairy tale, sounds like children playing house."

Another middle-aged man with a thick beard looked at him with disdain. "I heard your son is also in the dueling club, and you didn't know anything about it?"

"My little Ernie?" Old Macmillan shrugged. "I've never worried about him."

Ernie Macmillan, a classmate of Harry's, is a close friend of Hannah Abbott and others, and is a top student at Hufflepuff House. (In the original books, he serves as a prefect.)

"Then you tell us."

Old McMillan glared at the bearded man, displeased. "I heard your two daughters are also in the dueling club?"

"My eldest daughter, Daphne, has indeed joined the Duel Club. My younger daughter, Astoria, is still young, but she has already applied to join." The bearded man spoke of his daughters with a gentle expression.

(The youngest daughter, Astoria Greengrass, is Draco Malfoy's wife in the original novels.)

(Yes, it's the family of that old saint, Greengrass, the editor-in-chief of The Wizarding Weekly.)

Both daughters were the pride of old Greengrass, possessing the noble elegance that Greengrass was known for.

Well, so old Greengrass also had a hard time understanding why his daughters would turn into peacocks like Gilderoy Lockhart.

He expressed complete disagreement with Snape's claim that the young wizards in the Dueling Club were all transforming into Lockhart's shape.

However, he did know quite a bit about fairy tale theory.

"In fact, I benefited from the fairy tale theory of the great Lord Lockhart!" Old Greengrass said with a strange sense of emotion. "I have lost count of how many years my magical abilities have not improved, but since my daughter shared this theory with us, I have tried to put it into practice and found that it really makes a difference."

“Most importantly—” he shrugged, “everyone can see that Fudge is really smug now, thanks to the Bubble Head Charm that Lord Lockhart taught him. That’s why I’m willing to give it a try.”

"Fairy tales are not child's play; they describe a state of being."

"Let life enter a fairytale state, and you will feel the magic dancing joyfully in your heart."

“That’s right!” Lucius Malfoy strongly agreed, and then shared his own observations. “I agree with what Severus said; the children have indeed been greatly influenced by Lord Lockhart.”

"We'll see the young wizards of the Duel Club traveling the world promoting their dark magic creatures, Hakimi the Cat, the Duel Club newspaper, White Dye spray, Quidditch Duel Training Base training packages, and all sorts of inventions from the Research Institute—"

"We can all see them working hard to make money."

"But that's where the interesting part comes from."

"They are not businessmen."

"They are just trying to step into the most authentic life and find the magical experience within that authentic life."

"Their aim in raising money is to help them engage in a richer life and thus enter a higher level of magical existence."

Speaking of this, Lucius remarked with deep emotion, "They're different from us, people full of self-interest!"

"If someone intends to make some kind of exchange with them, they'd better think carefully about whether such cooperation would actually benefit their magical lives; otherwise, they'll only be met with rejection!"

Those who understand this principle will realize that it is also the key to dealing with the newly crowned magic master Gilderoy Lockhart.

"terribly sorry!"

"I refuse to do that!"

Harry's attitude was firm.

Harry had absolutely no interest in Vernon's idea of ​​creating a platform for communication and trade between Muggle wizards' Muggle relatives and half-blood wizards' Muggle relatives.

"I know what you're trying to say. I'm not a child anymore. I understand."

Harry looked at Vernon with a serious expression. "I know the prospects of doing this—the huge profits and influence—but it would push my life into the game of human nature, even politics, and that's definitely not the path for me!"

Vernon stared blankly at Harry.

He wondered what reasons Harry might have for refusing.

For example, you treated me so badly before, why should I use my "savior" status to endorse things that benefit you?

Or perhaps the stakes involved are too high for a child like me to handle! Nor for Muggles like you to manage! We can't afford to play this game!

some type of.

But I never expected that Harry, at such a young age, would already be thinking about choosing his path in life.

Vernon stared at Harry in disbelief, feeling that the other had truly grown up.

A very unique kind of maturity.

That maturity and determination, even after being rejected, didn't evoke any resentment; instead, it left one with a unique and profound sense of awe.

"good!"

Vernon made his decision: "Since that's what you think, and since you still consider us family, I promise you that I will no longer consider doing this, so as not to affect you, our only wizard relative."

"I don't know what kind of life path you're talking about, but I'm willing to respect your choice, just like I would respect a mature man."

Harry laughed, a very happy laugh.

"You will have your chance." He smiled at his uncle. "The new era is full of countless opportunities, and I will recommend you to Professor Lockhart if necessary."

"Professor Lockhart?" Aunt Penny's reaction was very sharp. "Lockhart Building?"

Harry nodded.

Vernon and Penny exchanged a glance, their eyes sparkling, and suddenly asked, "We got a ticket at the Daily Prophet station in Lockhart Building, and I asked around about the building after we got back."

"In the Muggle world, it's said that this building is currently seeking tenants?"

Harry didn't know much about it. "I'll have to ask Percy or Cedric; maybe they'll know more."

"But if it involves Muggles operating in this building, it would probably be helpful to contact Minister of Magic Fudge or Sir Humphrey, a Muggle."

Vernon was shocked. "Sir Humphrey? That Humphrey? Sir Humphrey Appleby?"

Harry was taken aback. "Yes, I chatted with him a few days ago about Hakimi the cat. You know him?"

Vernon was starting to lose his composure. He was just a mid-level manager at a large company; how could he possibly have the chance to meet such an important person? He had only seen him on television.

"My God!"

Vernon looked at Harry with amazement, then suddenly said in a somewhat exaggerated manner, "Maybe being a wizard wouldn't be so bad."

But in any case, the issue of wizard currency may have been resolved.

Although he promised not to get involved in things like trading platforms that might touch on sensitive issues and affect Harry, it wouldn't be too much to ask him to run a business serving wizards at Lockhart Tower and earn some wizarding currency, would it?

Vernon was full of confidence.

He's really capable of this kind of thing, and he does it really well.

As he gazed at the bustling crowd at the New Era Basin Triwizard Tournament, he suddenly felt that the Dursleys might also be entering the New Era.

Perhaps, being a wizard is really quite nice!

Lockhart didn't watch today's game. He vaguely felt a subtle sense of harvest, so he stood on the top floor of Lockhart Tower, looking down at everything in the New Era Basin.

This stop took up most of the day.

The wronged fairy Tina, Little Golden Retriever, Boggart, the Winged Demon, and everyone else noticed his unusual state and firmly guarded the building, preventing anyone from disturbing him.

They had no idea what had happened to Lockhart, but they could clearly sense the subtle, surging magical power emanating from him.

obscure.

Delay.

Dull.

Yet it is also filled with the tension of a seed sprouting in a thick layer of soil, about to break through the earth.

This terrifying feeling began to fade as Professor Audrey Lemaître came to visit about the school, like a scaly beast quietly retreating into the abyss.

"The Quidditch duel is over, and the Hogwarts team has emerged victorious."

Audrey recalled the scene she had just witnessed with amazement, "Many people didn't expect the second round to be so decisive. The overall strength of Hogwarts far exceeds what most people imagine."

"Many people now recognize the greatness of the dueling club you founded and have come to appreciate the value inherent in Quidditch duels, a form of combat more akin to a wizarding army."

"Draco, Luna, George, and Fred have all told me that some forces are secretly contacting them."

.

"Then those people discovered that the power of the Duel Club was combining with the reform of the fairy tale theory practice course that Beauxbatons had been doing during this time."

She spoke of this with a hint of pride, "They were all too late; this was originally your doing."

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Lockhart turned around, smiled slightly, and said, "Yes, it is my power."

This is not a declaration of authority.

He gestured for Audrey to sit down, saying, "Although Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and even Voldemort are studying my fairy tale theories, this is ultimately my own magical path."

"Magic is life, and life is magic. When a magic master puts his life into practice in the world, the boundaries between the individual magic master and this world begin to blur."

This already delves into deeper aspects of fairy tale theory, touching upon a more profound study of relationship magic. Lockhart knew that currently, probably no one could understand the true meaning he was trying to convey.

So he offered some explanation: "Dumbledore and Grindelwald both have their own will. The fairy tale theory is not theirs, it is mine. Therefore, the dueling club, which practices the fairy tale theory, will not become the mainstream at Hogwarts and Durmstrang. Its place is here, Beauxbatons, the school I control."

Audrey exclaimed in amazement, "So Beauxbatons' current curriculum reform is to take over this power?"

Lockhart picked up his drink, took a sip, and replied with a smile, "There was no deliberate arrangement. It just happened by chance, quietly unfolding naturally along a certain trend."

As he spoke, he stretched out a hand and gestured as if describing a vortex, "In my exploration of the realm of relationship magic, I discovered that this world seems to possess an indescribable power, a characteristic that causes many things in the world to develop in accordance with this characteristic, ultimately evolving into a reality."

This is a power that is difficult to describe in words. In the language of the wizarding civilization, it is said that fate has quietly pushed and arranged for everything to meet here. In the words of his previous life, it is said that it is a matter of fate.

The most typical example of mysticism is the prophecy of the messianic.

Professor Trelawney made this prophetic statement out of control, which was overheard by Snape.

Snape's loyalty led him to report to Voldemort, his deep affection led him to plead with Voldemort, and Snape's value led Voldemort to make a promise.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, Voldemort actually kept his promise and did not kill Lily. Instead, he turned his blade on Harry, which gave Lily the opportunity to stand in front of Harry and ultimately use the power of love to deflect the Killing Curse and kill Voldemort.

Otherwise, if Harry had killed Lily as easily as he killed James the moment he walked in, he would not have been able to become the savior of the whole affair, since he was just a baby.

Everything seemed to be full of coincidences.

Everything seemed to have no coincidences at all.

It seemed like fate's arrangement, yet it also seemed like it was meant to be this way.

Now, Lockhart felt that if he viewed this matter from the perspective of the realm of relationship magic, all these changes would become real.

Severus, Voldemort, Lily, Harry, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew —

Each person, within this unique and dynamic tapestry, radiates their own distinct life colors.

Cintina, Audrey, and the little golden retriever listened somewhat bewildered as Lockhart explained the "Duel Club" and the "Fairy Tale Theory," suggesting that Hogwarts would eventually break free from Dumbledore's influence and head towards his Beauxbatons.

"Don't worry about those forces that have access to children."

Lockhart, seeing that they didn't understand, didn't press them. He simply smiled and said, "Based on the evolution of the characteristics I've observed, everything is converging towards Beauxbatons. Everything will happen in Beauxbatons, and no one can take this force away from Beauxbatons."

And all of this convergence, all of this intertwining, has reached a very peculiar point of convergence.

Lockhart gazed unfocusedly toward Beauxbatons School, as if he could see through the protective magic surrounding the school to the building on the lush green hills that resembled a purple wizard's robe.

Voldemort!

The point where this wondrous convergence intersects.

Thus, Grindelwald and Dumbledore's actions in forcing Voldemort to retreat to Beauxbatons, and their earlier plan to leave Voldemort's spirit there to teach, seemed to become indispensable steps in this convergence of characteristics.

Ultimately, they worked together to bring about all of this.

Lockhart vaguely grasped the pulse of this characteristic.

The Quidditch duel is a match that only comes to life because of his presence.

"Could you please explain again?"

The unjustly killed fairy Tina rarely makes a request of Lockhart. She seems to have really grasped something from Lockhart's description, with a thoughtful look on her face, as if she vaguely senses the key but can never quite grasp it.

Lockhart smiled and drew his wand. "Perhaps this will give you a more direct feel for it."

The wand was waved, and a wondrous and dazzling light surged forth.

In an instant, the whole world seemed to disappear, and they appeared in a dazzling starry sky.

This is the deepest part of the soul, dark, quiet, cool, and peaceful.

Here, spirituality is blossoming with its most authentic transformations, one after another unfolding along the lines of its relationship with Lockhart.

In this place, it seems that many things can be communicated without words. Cintina, Audrey, the little golden retriever, Boggart—they can all clearly feel the will emanating from each spirit.

Unlike the last time Lockhart brought Sirius to see this Sea of ​​Spirits (Chapter 335), the Sea of ​​Spirits is now operating in a unique vortex.

Each spirit radiates wondrous light through contact with other spirits, painting the scene before them into a most wondrous picture.

"Look!"

Lockhart analyzed the scene before them, explaining, "There are three perspectives, one is the whole, everything is converging and moving because of some characteristic, quietly contributing to a certain outcome in the real world."

"The second perspective is Voldemort in the whole context, oh, the skull that spits snakes, the Dark Mark, you should all recognize it, it seems to be the center of this vortex."

"6

Yes, as everyone can see, the most crucial point is actually Lockhart; it is his existence that draws Voldemort to the center of this vortex.

Extremely intuitive visuals.

"The third is these individuals in the very core area. You see, each of them seems to be the center of their own world, which is not the norm."

There are several eye-catching figures among them.

Crabbe, Percy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, George, Fred —

They all became so dazzling.

Lockhart gestured to a point further away in the scene of the spiritual sea presented through his own connections, where a cloud of black and pink smoke swirled and billowed. "That's Dolores Umbridge, the Undersecretary of Magic. She wasn't the center of her own world."

"She moved more with the tides of the entire spiritual sea, helplessly and passively rising and falling in the real world and the torrent of the times, even though she tried to make some influence, she could not do anything."

Audrey said with pride, "This is the value of your fairy tale theory! Umbridge didn't go down that path. She seemed to have immense power and resources, but in this era, she could only be a dispensable, powerless minor character who couldn't change her own fate!"

Lockhart smiled and nodded. "Fate is in everyone's own hands. I am not stingy in spreading my magical ideas. If she doesn't want to do it, that's her business."

Everyone quickly stopped paying attention to this minor character.

Lockhart gazed at the scene before him, his expression dreamy, as if intoxicated by its dazzling wonder. "Look, doesn't this look like a pot of soup?"

"A pot of magic potion!"

He had seen Severus concoct potions countless times; at the very beginning of his transmigration, he saw Severus cooking a pot of seafood.

"Each person's spirituality has its own characteristics, and the collision between these characteristics is much like how various potion ingredients contribute to the vortex of the whole pot of soup."

And he!

Gilderoy Lockhart!

Standing before this pot of broth, wand in hand, I vaguely felt that I could exert some influence, so I dipped the wand into the cauldron and stirred it.

But he didn't know how to stir it.

He only knew that if he let things happen as they were, it would lead to Professor Ghost becoming the old wizard, and many, many things. This was the result of his willingness to spread knowledge and teach the young wizards of the Duel Club.

This is the result of his previous efforts; we should wait patiently and everything will happen naturally.

But there's still something else he can do to reap his own rewards.

He just doesn't know how to do it yet.

"Perhaps I can start with potions!"

It's quite amazing that, as he continues to explore the boundaries of magic and the boundaries of life, he has come a long way from Defense Against the Dark Arts, Spells, and Transfiguration, and is now planning to delve into Potions.

Then, to his astonishment, he found that Voldemort's monumental work on potions, brimming with the wisdom of life, was right in front of him!

A deeper fairytale adventure unfolds before him in such an amusing way.

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