My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

On the other hand, Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, also taught by a new professor, stands in stark contrast to Victor's vibrant and dynamic classroom.

If Viktor's classroom is a vast world of adventure, then Gilderoy Lockhart's classroom is a meticulously arranged yet increasingly absurd stage.

In the first few weeks, Lockhart did indeed attract a group of students with his charm and aura.

They were mainly young wizards captivated by his charming smile on the cover and the adventure stories.

However, the classroom content is completely at odds with this glamorous packaging.

After several attempts, the final turning point came with the famous "Corndine Elf Disaster".

When Lockhart confidently opened the cage, declaring that he would demonstrate how to "gracefully subdue these little troublemakers," the entire classroom descended into chaos.

The little blue sprites darted around like crazy fireworks, tearing textbooks to shreds, grabbing students by the hair, and throwing ink bottles everywhere.

Lockhart frantically waved his wand, muttering elaborate but useless spells.

In the end, he could only awkwardly watch as the elves flew out of the classroom, leaving behind a mess and his shaky professorial image.

After that incident, even Lockhart's most devoted admirers could not ignore an obvious fact.

This bestselling author does not seem to possess the abilities he describes in his book.

As the students' doubts deepened, Lockhart's classroom underwent a peculiar transformation.

Perhaps he realized he couldn't maintain his authority through genuine teaching, or perhaps he simply believed that students preferred entertainment to learning.

In any case, Defense Against the Dark Arts class gradually turned into a series of exaggerated role-playing games.

During the performance, he waved his wand and recited a spell that sounded complicated but was actually meaningless.

Naturally, nothing happened at the tip of the wand.

"Of course, I won't actually cast this spell in class," Lockhart quickly explained.

"The book clearly states that this anti-werewolf binding charm is too dangerous; the slightest mistake could cause permanent magical damage."

A suppressed chuckle rose from the audience.

"He simply can't," Simon Finigan whispered to Dean Thomas after class.

"My mother knows someone who works in the Department of Magical Creatures Control at the Ministry of Magic, and she said that the times and places of the 'adventures' in Lockhart's books don't match up."

Rumors spread like wildfire throughout Hogwarts.

Some say Lockhart was actually a Squib, becoming famous through other people's stories.

Some people say that all his books were ghostwritten.

Some even say that his photos of confronting dark creatures were actually staged in a studio, using models created by transfiguration.

The students were assigned to play various roles—villagers, monsters, and those being rescued.

Lockhart will always be the radiant protagonist.

The worst one was recreating the "Outsmarting the Mountain Giant" chapter from "Me Who Has Magic".

Lockhart had three tall seventh-grade students play the roles of mountain trolls.

She herself was dressed in a bright purple robe and struck various dramatic poses in the center of the classroom.

"Watch my steps!" he shouted as he jumped. "The instant the troll attacks, you must spin and jump like this, I—"

He spun so fast that his robe got tangled around his legs, and he fell to the ground.

An uncontrollable burst of laughter erupted in the classroom.

Lockhart got up, his face flushed, but quickly regained his signature smile.

"Ah, that's why we must practice in a safe environment! Making this kind of mistake in a real adventure could cost you your life!"

But nobody bought into it anymore.

After class, the hallway was filled with imitations and mockery of the lesson.

This contrasts sharply with the growing enthusiasm and anticipation in Viktor's classroom.

Lockhart's class became the subject of students' private complaints.

The only group that remained loyal was a small group—mainly a few girls who were captivated by Lockhart's appearance, and some younger students who still believed in the stories in the book.

Colin Crevey, the first-year student who idolized Harry Potter, somehow also became a loyal fan of Lockhart.

Besides following and taking photos of Harley from various angles, he also occasionally chases after Lockhart for autographs and photos.

"I believe in Professor Lockhart," Colin said to the students who questioned him in the auditorium. "He just... teaches in a different way."

But such defenses are becoming increasingly weak and ineffective.

After another two weeks of effort and attempts.

In the end, Lockhart's reputation not only failed to recover, but actually worsened among young wizards.

Inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.

With disheveled hair and a red, swollen patch on his forehead, Lockhart was currently roaring and venting his anger in his exquisitely decorated office, his eyes red with rage.

Just now, during the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

He chose a fifth-year Slytherin wizard who was already under a lot of academic pressure to be his assistant in the performance.

Then, under his nonsensical "guidance".

The little Slytherin wizard finally snapped.

As Lockhart waved his wand again, pretending to cast a spell, he raised his hand and cast a disarming spell.

Perhaps because the pressure that had been building up for so long finally exploded, this disarming spell was exceptionally powerful.

The curse knocked Lockhart down, his forehead slamming heavily onto the podium.

The matter ultimately ended with Snape intervening and telling the young wizards not to disturb them before their OWL exams, as they were under a lot of pressure.

The young wizard wasn't even punished with solitary confinement; he was only given a perfunctory verbal apology.

Reflecting on the young wizards' evaluations of him over the past month, and their fondness for Victor, who was also a new professor, Lockhart felt himself going crazy with jealousy.

"Viktor, Viktor, everyone's talking about Viktor! Why do you have to steal my thunder even after graduation?!"

After roaring and venting his anger, Lockhart leaned back in his chair, panting heavily.

"No, this can't go on! I need to think of a way to get everyone's attention on me again, to become the center of everyone's eyes once more!"

"Calm down, calm down, Lockhart, you're the best Ravenclaw! You need to calm down and think about what's the most popular topic among young wizards right now?"

"...It's the Fantastic Beasts Protection Class! Damn it, damn it, this isn't it! Calm down!"

While muttering curses under his breath, Lockhart skillfully pulled a small bottle containing a golden liquid from his pocket.

After drinking the golden potion, a flash of inspiration struck Lockhart.

Rubbing his slightly dizzy head, Lockhart laughed loudly.

"That's it! A duel! All I need to do is start a dueling club, defeat a professor in a duel, and I'll be the center of attention at Hogwarts again!"

"Yes, that's it! Lockhart is perfect! So, who should we choose?"

Lockhart immediately recalled Snape's disdainful and contemptuous gaze.

And the way Viktor looked at him, as if he were an ordinary person.

"Yes! Snape and Victor. Who should we defeat first, Snape or Victor?"

"Or I could just have them both attack at once and use the spell I use against trolls to send them flying!"

As he spoke, Lockhart burst into wild laughter in his office.

It was as if at this very moment, he had already defeated Snape and Victor, and once again become the focus of Hogwarts and even the entire wizarding world.