My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Chapter 97 The Basilisk's Arrangement and Lockhart's Handling

Viktor paused for a moment, then looked back at Lockhart, who was still fast asleep on the office sofa, bound tightly.

He turned to Dumbledore, his tone returning to its previous calm.

"Headmaster, should we deal with the locked room and the basilisk immediately?"

Dumbledore did not answer immediately.

His gaze first swept over Tom, who was licking his paws on Victor's shoulder and had a look on his face that said "I just got the right amount of exercise." A barely perceptible consideration flashed in his blue eyes behind his half-moon glasses.

Then, he slowly shook his head, his long, silvery-white beard swaying gently with the movement.

"No, Victor, there's no need to rush tonight," Dumbledore's voice was gentle yet firm.

"The basilisk is still asleep. The connection to the diary has been broken, so it will not wake up to pose a threat for the time being."

The existence of the locked room and the potential dangers it may contain—I believe this presents a rare opportunity to train certain students.

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, looking towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"After Christmas, I will guide Harry—and of course Ron and Hermione—to confront it. Harry needs this experience, not only to deal with the immediate threat, but also for the responsibilities he will have to bear in the future—"

responsibility."

Viktor frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He was not against Dumbledore training Harry, nor was he against eliminating the Basilisk.

For him and his grandfather Newt Scamander, protecting magical creatures was not without limits.

The principle for dealing with any magical animal that poses a deadly threat to humans, especially those that have killed humans, is clear and consistent: harmless disposal.

Basilisks, being emotionless creations of dark magic born purely for killing and already having committed murder, deserve absolutely no leniency.

He just felt that it was a bit of a waste to use such a "rare" thousand-year-old basilisk, a top-level dangerous creature material that was unique in the history of magic, merely as a "trial tool" for three second-year students.

Shouldn't such rare materials be fully utilized before they are "disposed of in a harmless manner"?

Seeing Victor's slightly furrowed brows and thoughtful expression, Dumbledore softly uttered "Oh?", a look of interest appearing on his face.

"Victor, you seem to have other ideas? Are you thinking of—studying a live basilisk? That's indeed very rare, but also very risky—"

"It's not entirely about studying living organisms, Principal."

Victor shook his head, interrupting Dumbledore's speculation, as he carefully considered his words.

"Studying corpses can yield a lot of valuable information, and my idea is—perhaps we can involve more students in this training."

He raised his head, meeting Dumbledore's clear blue eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts, and continued.

"The basilisk's most deadly weapon is its vision. If its eyes are removed beforehand, or properly disposed of in a safe manner, its threat level will drop dramatically and become manageable."

"With your and the other professors' close supervision, and with Mrs. Pomfrey on standby at all times, the safety risks can be minimized."

"This is an extremely rare opportunity for real-world practice, to face legendary magical creatures and hone my crisis management skills."

Teamwork and the courage to put things into practice.

"It could be a valuable experience not only for Harry and his two friends, but also for many upperclassmen and even promising lowerclassmen."

After Victor finished speaking, he waited quietly for Dumbledore's reaction.

The only sounds in the office were the faint crackling of burning wood in the fireplace and Lockhart's steady breathing on the sofa.

Dumbledore did not immediately respond.

He slowly walked to the window, his back to everyone, gazing at the deep night outside and the blurry outline of the Forbidden Forest in the distance, his fingers unconsciously stroking his long beard.

After a long while, he turned around, a smile of approval and deep thought on his face.

"A—a very bold, but also very interesting proposal, Victor."

Dumbledore's gaze swept over Victor, then over Tom, who was listening intently with his ears perked up.

"Transforming a potential crisis into a controlled, educational practical exercise aligns well with Hogwarts' spirit of learning in protection and growing in danger—though perhaps at a slightly higher level of 'danger' than usual."

He walked back to his desk, his fingertips touching, striking his classic thinking pose.

"I need to discuss this in detail with Minerva, Severus, and the other deans to assess the feasibility and develop a foolproof safety plan. However—"

A sharp glint flashed in Dumbledore's blue eyes.

"Before that, Viktor, since you've brought up this idea, perhaps the task of 'strengthening the students' pre-battle preparations' can be partly entrusted to you."

He looked at Viktor, his tone becoming more formal.

"Over the next few weeks, until the end of the Christmas holidays, I'd like you to appropriately increase the intensity and practicality of the 'Battle Royale' game. You could design some combat scenarios targeting large, dangerous creatures, and strengthen team defense, dodging, and tactical coordination training targeting fatal weaknesses. The specific level of intensity is up to you."

Victor nodded immediately: "I understand, Principal. I will adjust the training plan."

"Very good." Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Lockhart, who was still unconscious on the sofa, and his eyebrows rose slightly.

"Well then, here's another question. It concerns our memory master—Gidero Lockhart. Victor, what are your thoughts on how to deal with him?"

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, who had just walked in with Mrs. Pomfrey and happened to hear this, also turned their gazes toward Victor.

Snape's dark eyes swept over Lockhart, a hint of undisguised sarcasm playing at the corners of his mouth.

Victor walked over to Lockhart and looked down at the face that still retained a certain affected handsomeness even in his sleep.

He pondered for a moment, then looked up at Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, before deciding how to proceed, I need to confirm two things. First, did Lockhart directly cause the deaths of others in the process of acquiring his adventure stories? Second, did his alteration of the victims' memories cause permanent, irreversible mental or magical damage?"

Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated the question, and he answered calmly.

"Based on my intermittent investigations over the years, as well as corroboration from some victims and related individuals, there is no evidence that Lockhart directly caused anyone's death."

"His pattern is usually this: he learns by chance of encountering someone who actually handled a dangerous incident—often a low-profile, reclusive wizard, a magical creature expert, or a local resident—and then uses a sophisticated forgetting spell to erase that person's memory and claim credit for it."

"As for the damage—" Dumbledore's tone was slightly complicated.

"I must admit that Gilderoy Lockhart is indeed a rare genius in the field of memory magic. His forgetting spells are precise and thorough, and to my knowledge, they have not caused permanent magical trauma or mental derangement to their victims."

"The victims only lost memories of that particular adventure; their lives were not otherwise affected except for the theft of their credit and the occasional confusion about why they felt a strange familiarity with certain place names or creatures."

Viktor nodded, understanding the situation.

"So, according to the Ministry of Magic’s Act on the Harm of Wizards and Gross Misconduct and the Supplemental Act on the Alteration and Abuse of Memories, Lockhart’s actions, if the evidence is conclusive and a lawsuit is brought, would most likely result in a sentence of eight to fifteen years in prison in Azkaban."

"His sentence might even be shortened if he were willing to actively compensate the victims and cooperate with the Ministry of Magic in trying to help them regain their memories. Moreover, given his mastery of memory magic, the Dementors of Azkaban would probably have far less impact on him than on ordinary prisoners."

He paused, then looked at Dumbledore: "So, Headmaster, I personally believe that sending him to Azkaban, while a form of punishment, may not be the best social or personal rehabilitation outcome. Perhaps we can let him make a more meaningful contribution to his actions."

"Oh?" Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, showing great interest. "Go on, Victor."

"Lockhart's most outstanding talent is his unparalleled memory magic," Victor clearly stated. "In the literary world, this talent is considered deception and vanity, but in another field, it is an invaluable healing power."

"The St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, especially the Spell Injury Department and the Long-Term Care Department, has a large number of patients suffering from painful memories."

"For example, victims who suffer mental breakdowns and memory confusion due to trauma from the Cruciatus Curse or other black magic; or people who suffer from persistent mental anguish and are unable to live normal lives because they have witnessed or experienced extremely horrific events."

"

Victor's voice slowed, but every word carried weight.

"The Longbottoms are a prime example. If they had a master of memory magic like Lockhart to intervene and carefully sort through, block out, or transform those painful memory fragments, would their condition be any better? Even just alleviating a little of the endless fear and confusion would be a great act of kindness."

A brief silence fell over the office.

Professor McGonagall's face showed a hint of emotion, Snape's sarcasm subsided slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in his dark eyes.

Mrs. Pomfrey pursed her lips tightly, her gaze lingering on Lockhart, as if conducting a serious assessment.

Dumbledore's eyes deepened, and he slowly repeated, "St. Mungo—the memory healer—"

..."

“Yes,” Victor affirmed. “The respect, status, and contributions a master-level memory magic healer can gain in St. Mungo’s and the entire magical medical community will be no less, perhaps even greater, and more substantial than those of a fraudulent bestselling author. This is an opportunity to guide his shameful talent onto the right path.”

He looked at the unconscious Lockhart, his tone calm and pragmatic.

"We can talk to him. Make the consequences clear: either the truth comes out, he's ruined, spends a considerable amount of time in Azkaban, and can never return to the wizarding world."

"Either publicly admit my mistakes, compensate all known victims, and then, due to a change in personal interest and deep reflection," he decided to dedicate himself to the field of magical medicine, receiving supervision and guidance at St. Mungo's Hospital, using his memory magic to treat victims and atone for his sins.

"Given Lockhart's character, he is shrewd, vain, and adept at maneuvering, but not inherently extremely evil or courageous. I think that after assessing the situation, he is very likely to choose the latter. This might allow him to make better use of his talents than simple imprisonment," and it would also better compensate for the harm he caused.

After Victor finished speaking, the office fell silent.

Dumbledore turned his gaze to Lockhart, who was lying unconscious on the sofa, and this time, his eyes were completely different.

It's no longer about looking at a troublemaker or a fraudster, but rather like examining a complex tool—rusted and worn, but whose core could still be reforged into something useful.

"Transform repentance into healing, and lead sin to redemption —"

Dumbledore murmured to himself, then looked at Victor with a genuinely relaxed, even somewhat relieved, smile on his face.

"A wise and empathetic solution, Victor. This is far more in line with the spirit of Hogwarts than simple punishment, and it better reflects the restorative power of magic."

He turned to Professor McGonagall and Snape: "Minerva, Severus, what do you think?"

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, adjusted her glasses, and said seriously.

"While I am reluctant to spare such people from Azkaban's punishment, I agree that if it truly helps victims like the Longbottoms, it is a direction worth considering. We must monitor it closely."

Snape snorted, but did not directly object; he simply said in a somber tone.

"The premise is that his head, stuffed with hair gel and vanity, can actually hold a little bit of responsibility and medical skill. Moreover, there must be an unbreakable spell or contract binding him to prevent him from reverting to his old ways or running away halfway."

"Of course, these details require careful planning." Dumbledore nodded, then looked at Madam Pomfrey, who had been listening quietly. "Bobby, in your professional opinion, is this idea medically feasible?"

Madam Pomfrey stepped forward and used her wand to perform a few simple tests on Lockhart, her brow furrowing and then relaxing.

"Memory magic does have applications in the treatment of psychological trauma, but someone at his level—if it can be used properly and is guided and supervised by an experienced therapist—theoretically has a high chance of success."

"Especially for certain types of memory trauma, precise forgetting or shielding is sometimes more effective and brings more peace to the patient than repeated attempts to repair it."

The last trace of doubt on Dumbledore's face vanished, and he made his decision.

"Then, I will speak with Lockhart myself after he wakes up. Minerva, Severus, we need you both to be there. We will clarify all the options and consequences for him." He looked at Viktor.

"Victor, thank you for your suggestion. This provides a more constructive approach to dealing with a tricky problem."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the office before finally settling on the brightening sky outside the window.

"A lot has happened tonight, but Hogwarts has weathered another potential crisis. Now, let's settle Professor Lockhart properly, and then—perhaps it's time to think about breakfast."

Dumbledore blinked.

"Of course, before we have breakfast, we need to come up with a plausible explanation for why Professor Lockhart, while heavily bound, ended up in your office, Victor."

Tom, who was listening nearby, immediately raised his paw, meowed excitedly, and his big green eyes sparkled, as if to say, "This is my specialty! Leave it to me!"

Victor ruffled Tom's hair, a helpless smile on his face.

A new day is about to begin, and the "daily life" at Hogwarts always seems to be full of unexpected surprises and "minor troubles" that require creative solutions.

Outside the window, the first rays of dawn were breaking, and the outline of the castle gradually became clear in the brightening light.

Inside the office, the fireplace was warm, and several wizards began to discuss in hushed tones. Meanwhile, a cat, whose true purpose was kept hidden, had already jumped onto the windowsill and was leisurely grooming itself, preparing for its second breakfast.