Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 209 Lockhart Wants to Reap the Rewards

On Thursday morning, while Henry was having breakfast in the Great Hall, he noticed Neville talking to Seamus at the Gryffindor long table.

Neville gestured in the air, as if demonstrating the movements of a wand.

Simo listened attentively, nodding occasionally, while Dean, who was next to him, also leaned over to listen.

This is true not only in Gryffindor, but also in other houses.

On Friday afternoon, Henry went to the empty classroom on the second floor as usual to have afternoon tea with Miss Farley.

Lucy had already set out the tea and snacks—today's tea was Darjeeling tea with lemon cake and chocolate chip cookies.

Miss Farley arrived a step earlier than Henry and was sitting by the window flipping through a book on spells.

"Your Highness." She looked up and closed the book.

"Gemma." Henry sat down opposite her, and Lucy poured her some tea.

Miss Farley took a sip of tea and put down her cup.

"Your Highness, have you heard any rumors these past two days?"

"What's the rumor?" Henry raised an eyebrow.

Miss Farley smiled slyly.

"Regarding the clubs. In Gryffindor: Percy told me that seven or eight people have already asked him if he wants to continue participating. In Hufflepuff, Hannah and Susan spent the whole night promoting it in the common room; Penelope also told me that several people in Ravenclaw are interested in the Duel Club."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Next week, there may be more than sixteen people coming."

"Isn't that great?" Henry asked with a smile.

"That's good," Miss Farley nodded, "but with more people, management becomes more difficult. Has Your Highness considered how to handle this?"

"Group them," Henry said after thinking for a moment. "Group them by skill level. Beginners can practice the basics, and intermediates can start sparring. We also need to increase the number of assistants."

Miss Farley nodded.

"I've already found two seventh-year Slytherins, both with excellent grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Percy has also found two Gryffindors. Adding to the previous assistants, that should be enough."

The two chatted for a while longer and finalized their plans for next week.

Wednesday afternoon, everything was as usual.

After the last Charms class, Henry packed his things and prepared to go to the Great Hall for dinner.

As I approached the entrance to the auditorium, a figure suddenly appeared from the side.

"Your Highness Henry!"

The voice was loud and enthusiastic, with the tone of a stage actor.

Henry stopped and looked up. Lockhart had somehow walked up to him in a few quick steps.

His smile was still so bright, and his teeth were still so white—so white that it made you want to squint.

It's so dazzling, it would be a waste of its talent not to endorse Colgate.

He was holding one of his own books, and he turned to a certain page where there seemed to be a photograph tucked inside.

"Your Highness!" Lockhart repeated, his voice even louder, "I've been looking for you!"

Draco paused for a moment, then instinctively took a half-step back.

Pansy and Daphne also stopped and watched this scene with curiosity.

Henry looked at Lockhart, his expression calm.

"Professor Lockhart, is there something you need?"

Lockhart smiled and took a step closer, shaking the book in his hand, the pages rustling.

"Your Highness, I've heard about that dueling club you started!" His voice boomed as if he were speaking to a hundred people on stage. "Wednesday night, eighth floor, the Room of Requirement! More than twenty students! You've invited Miss Farley and Mr. Weasley to mentor them! Your Highness, your idea is brilliant! So visionary! So..."

He paused for a moment, seemingly waiting for Henry to respond.

Henry didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

Lockhart's smile didn't diminish in the slightest.

"Your Highness, I've been thinking about how to make students truly learn Defense Against the Dark Arts! You know, my classes are very popular, but classroom learning alone isn't enough! Students need practice! They need to work out!"

Someone needed to guide them! And Your Highness, you did it!

He paused, then took another step closer.

"Therefore, Your Highness, I have a suggestion."

Henry looked at him.

"What suggestion?"

Lockhart straightened his chest and drew a circle in the air with the hand holding the book.

"Let me participate! Your Highness, let me guide you! Just imagine, a dueling club personally mentored by Gilderoy Lockhart—a third-class Merlin Order member, an honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and winner of the Wizarding Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—that name alone is captivating! Not just twenty, but forty, sixty people—the entire Hogwarts student body will come! Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff—everyone! They will all come to learn true dueling skills from Gilderoy Lockhart!"

His eyes were sparkling, as if he were giving a grand speech.

Draco listened from the side, his expression as if he had swallowed a fly.

He glanced at Henry, his lips twitched, but he said nothing.

Pansy couldn't help but whisper to Daphne, "He talks like we invited him—"

Daphne gently tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to be quiet.

Lockhart seemed not to hear Pansy's words; he continued to look at Henry with enthusiasm.

"Your Highness, what do you think?"

"Professor Lockhart," Henry finally spoke, "thank you very much for your concern and support. Your suggestion is very constructive, fully demonstrating your emphasis on students' extracurricular activities, and showcasing your consistent enthusiasm and dedication to the cause of Defense Against the Dark Arts education. We all deeply appreciate and sincerely admire this."

Lockhart's smile widened.

"Your Highness—!"

"However," Henry said, quickening his pace, "regarding the club's specific operating methods and the arrangement of mentors, considering that the club is still in its initial stage, limited in scale, and its organizational form is still being explored, our current plan is to maintain the existing framework and conduct trials on a small scale in order to better understand the students' actual needs and level of participation."

"Therefore, regarding your suggestion to participate in the club, I believe that at the current stage we should first ensure that the basic training of existing participants can be steadily promoted. Once the club's operating model is relatively mature, the number of participants is relatively stable, and the various arrangements are relatively complete, then we can carefully study and evaluate the necessity and feasibility of introducing more guidance based on the actual situation. I believe you, Professor, can understand this point."

Lockhart's mouth opened slightly, then closed again.

His smile was still there, but it was as stiff as if he had been petrified.

He cleared his throat.

"Your Highness, do you mean..."