Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 169 Lockhart's Lectures

Draco Malfoy kept glancing towards the door, worried that someone might barge into the classroom or overhear their conversation as they passed by.

His father Lucius Malfoy's admonition still echoed in his ears, and Draco realized for the first time the true meaning of the phrase "only obeying interests, everything for the continuation of the family."

After class yesterday, instead of going to the auditorium for dinner with the crowd, he immediately returned to his dormitory and wrote a long letter to Lucius, describing in detail his encounter with Crabbe in the locker room, as well as his speculations about Crabbe's magical talent and personality changes.

Lucius, who received the letter, didn't sleep all night and went straight to Hogwarts this morning to ask Draco about the details of Crabbe's transformation.

His temperament and talents had changed, leading Lucius to initially believe a dark wizard had infiltrated the school impersonating Crabbe. However, his lingering passion for Quidditch proved that Crabbe was indeed the person he was looking for. Therefore, Lucius deduced that he had been influenced by dark magical artifacts.

Given the centaur's words and Crabbe's hiring of werewolves to infiltrate Azkaban during his holiday, this must be related to the Dark Lord.

After learning of his father's speculation, Draco's idea was to tell Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape so that Dumbledore could deal with the Dark Lord.

But Lucius rejected the suggestion, giving Draco an expression he couldn't understand and admonishing him: "Don't treat Crabbe as a follower anymore. Give him some benefits and let him know that you firmly support the glory of purebloods."

"At the same time, give Harry Potter some help, some warnings, to make him aware that there is danger at the school. The rest, nothing more."

……

"Crawb is being controlled by something strange, possibly related to the Dark Lord." Draco's voice trembled slightly, not just from fear, but also from the complex emotions he felt over his father's words.

He ultimately didn't warn Harry, but instead went to Loren and told him everything. He couldn't explain why; perhaps he disliked Potter, or perhaps he didn't want Loren and his Muggle friends to be implicated…

"He's been controlled... by the Dark Lord..." In the abandoned classroom, Loren sat opposite Draco, his face grave.

His first thought was of the diary. In the original story, it was the diary that manipulated Ginny, opened the secret chamber, released the basilisk, and caused a series of upheavals that year. But he had personally witnessed the diary being burned by the cursed fire, and it could never be recreated.

The other Horcruxes—the ring is still sealed at Gaunt's old house, Slytherin's locket is at Black's house, and Hufflepuff's cup is in Gringotts' vault—cannot possibly enter Hogwarts to cause trouble.

After eliminating all the impossible answers, only Voldemort's main soul remains! He returned after possessing Quirrell and being defeated last year.

He quickly realized that it must have been the last sentence in the diary that made Voldemort have other ideas and take the initiative to enter the school.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Loren asked, his tone gentle and his voice calm, putting no psychological pressure on anyone. It was like a simple question; you could answer, or you could stay silent.

Draco struggled internally for a moment, thinking about Crabbe's sinister gaze and how, as Harry's friend, Loren had never targeted him.

He opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "During the summer vacation, werewolves attacked Azkaban. Although the matter was suppressed, some well-informed families and dark wizards know that the mastermind behind it is the Crabbe family."

"Krab's magical talent has improved, and his temperament has changed somewhat, but he still retains some of his original traits."

Loren listened quietly, looking at him with encouraging eyes.

Draco shook his head, said nothing more, but warned, "Be careful of purebloods, you and your Muggle friends are."

After saying this, Draco got up and left. He had decided to distance himself from Loren for the foreseeable future and to show a tendency to support pure-bloods and discriminate against Muggles.

In the abandoned classroom, Loren's fingers traced the engravings on the wooden tabletop. The uneven wood grain, perceived by his fingers, transformed into a wondrous tactile sensation that continued to spread with his thoughts.

Flammel said the cursed fire clung to the light emanating from the diary, and it could only convey one sentence. What exactly did the diary convey that made Voldemort so eager to enter Hogwarts, or was it the destruction of the diary that made Voldemort so restless?

Did Voldemort notice him, and what was his attitude towards him?

He actually had a hidden urge to talk to Voldemort and try to understand the truth about gods, immortality, and sages.

But it was just an impulse. Talking to Voldemort was like handing yourself over; you wouldn't even know when you'd been betrayed. Following Dumbledore, the white wizard, was the right path.

Shaking all the messy thoughts from his head, Loren walked out of the abandoned classroom to meet Hermione.

Over the next few days, Loren tried to talk to Dumbledore, but each time he went to the headmaster's office, he found no one there. He also didn't see Dumbledore having a meal in the Great Hall; it was as if he had vanished.

The second week of school was much livelier because of the curriculum reforms, which meant less homework and more free time. When Lee Jordan, the most well-informed person, spread the news of the club's rebuilding and expansion, and this was confirmed by several top students from different colleges, the excitement reached its peak.

The Transfiguration Club at Hogwarts was once a major contributor to Transfiguration Today.

A simple idea, after being discussed among classmates and corrected under the guidance of a professor of metamorphosis, was eventually compiled into a well-developed and well-supported article. A multitude of imaginative ideas were born from the Metamorphosis Club, accumulating to form an influence that cannot be ignored.

Graduates whose resumes include experience in the Transfiguration Club, or even a letter of recommendation from a professor of Transfiguration, will be valued by reviewers because of the outstanding learning ability, practical skills, and influence of the club demonstrated in their resumes, even if the applied position has nothing to do with Transfiguration.

The same applies to the Prestige of the Spell Club and the Potions Club, which is why the discussion surrounding the clubs' reopening and expansion has been ongoing.

But before these clubs could issue their announcements, another club beat them to it. In the Gryffindor common room, everyone gathered around the bulletin board.

"Pro club!" Lee Jordan exclaimed excitedly upon reading this. "Famous bestselling author, adventurer—"

He sensed a familiarity with these words. Skipping over the long string of prefixes and titles, he went straight to the second paragraph, and sure enough, it was just as he had thought: "The well-informed Professor Gilderoy Lockhart will be giving a lecture on career topics this Friday to answer the questions of confused students who are about to graduate and face society."

"...Detailed explanations of the inner workings of 183 professions; outstanding performers will receive a personal recommendation letter from Gilderoy Lockhart."

The older students looked disgusted, as if they had eaten something unclean, but they still wanted to go.

After the greenhouse incident spread, even though Lockhart widely disseminated his embellished "truth," he could only tell stories and perform stage plays in class, never demonstrating any spells, which made most of the young wizards realize that he was a good-for-nothing.

However, it must be said that Lockhart's long list of credentials is quite impressive, and his Order of Merlin is recognized by society, so Lockhart's letter of recommendation is indeed very tempting for graduates.

On Friday at noon, when Loren and Hermione finished lunch and walked out of the Great Hall, George and Fred caught them and, without saying a word, pushed them toward the classroom where Lockhart was giving a lecture.

"Hey, wait, you're only fourth graders. What business is it of yours what Lockhart's career seminar is with you?" Loren asked loudly.

Hermione turned her head as well, waiting for the twins' explanation with a puzzled look.

"Lockhart's letter of recommendation can help us get a loan from Gringotts."

"And you can help us get his letter of recommendation."

The twins, one after the other, asked for the other's help with smiles, pushing the two along quickly without slowing down.

Lockhart's social standing is very useful; even the goblins of Gringotts recognize it. With a letter of recommendation from Lockhart, or even with him as a guarantor, the twins can easily borrow money from Gringotts to open a joke shop.

However, the two had a bad reputation at Hogwarts, making it difficult to get a letter of recommendation from Lockhart. So they set their sights on the good students Hermione and Loren.

Loren asked with some curiosity, "What do you need a loan for?"

The twins exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Start a business!"

Hermione looked at them strangely, but Loren immediately understood the twins' plan.

"We're not playing a prank this time. If you help us get the recommendation letter, we can consider it a partnership."

"Don't ask us what business we're starting; we won't tell you. Even our parents don't know."

In fact, George and Fred were hoping that Hermione and Loren would join them. Hermione and Loren were first and second in their grade, and their involvement in product development would be a huge help.

Hermione looked blank, and Loren smiled and shook his head: "We can help you get recommendation letters, and we don't need any shares."

The group chatted and laughed as they entered the classroom, where many people were already waiting, not only the senior students who were about to enter the workforce, but also some junior students who had come to join in the fun.

Lockhart somehow managed to persuade Professor Flitwick to cast a temporary Unseen Stretching Charm in the classroom, making it large enough to accommodate all the students attending the lecture without feeling crowded.

The two professors sat directly in front of each other, discussing something. Lockhart seemed to be showing off his popularity to Professor Flitwick, and from a distance, Loren could even sense Professor Flitwick's helplessness.

"Here!" Lee Jordan stood up and called out to them from a distance.

Ron and Harry, Ginny and Luna were sitting nearby, and George and Fred had even coerced Percy and Penelope into joining them. Cedric from the neighboring house was also seated nearby. Their strategy was to cast a wide net and catch as many fish as possible.

Harry and Ron had a good week. The professors were still very busy, no one remembered the Whomping Willow and the car, and their punishments were still pending.

What started as anxiety turned into a joyful feeling of taking each day as it came. The classes became much easier, and apart from Lockhart and Snape, there was nothing else to worry about.

Upon hearing that the twins needed help, the two of them treated the lecture as a pastime and happily agreed.

Lockhart stood up, walked to the front, and faced the students below: "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed Hogwarts students, welcome to the first lecture of my first club."

The voice amplified the powerful incantation; it's unclear whether it was due to his retrieval of some knowledge or Professor Flitwick's assistance.

"As an internationally renowned figure, bestselling author, famous adventurer, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, honorary member of the Anti-Dark Magic League, and five-time winner of the Most Charming Smile Award from Wizarding Weekly, the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks you're currently using—such as *Breaking Up with a Ghost*, *Traveling with Ghouls*, *Vacation with a She-Devil*, *Walking with Trolls*, *Sailing with Vampires*, *Wandering with Werewolves*, and *A Year with the Yeti*—are merely insignificant fragments of my long adventures..."

The young wizard in the audience immediately frowned; this was not good. That's how it was; no matter the topic or the content, Lockhart always managed to steer the conversation towards his honors, then cite numerous sources to highlight his excellence.

Some of the younger wizards wanted to leave on the spot, but Lockhart had anticipated this and slowly began to talk about professions.

"Now I'm going to talk about the Fire Dragon Researcher!"

The Weasley boys perked up their ears at this, as one of their older brothers, who was researching dragons in Romania, was very interested in the position.

"The most important spell to learn when raising a fire dragon is the Eye Strike Charm! The Eye Strike Charm is extremely effective against fire dragons. I once used the Eye Strike Charm to instantly subdue three Hungarian Horned Dragons in the Romanian archipelago..."

Hearing this, Percy curled his lip. George had already started muttering under his breath, "What kind of Eye Curse is this? A spell that harms dragons and will only enrage them is definitely not allowed. Charlie would rather be bitten by a dragon than harm them."

Fred nodded in agreement, but eager for a letter of recommendation, he listened patiently.

For the next half hour, Lockhart recounted several examples of how, with his help, the Aurors defeated the Dark Wizard, and how the Quidditch team captain was inspired to develop new tactics to defeat powerful opponents.

He was speaking enthusiastically on stage, while the young wizards below were completely dumbfounded. They heard nothing of the inner workings of the professions, only Lockhart's glorious achievements and his versatility, mastering the core skills of various professions.

Perhaps Lockhart was getting tired of his long-winded explanation, because he stopped and asked, "Is there anything anyone would like to know?"

There was a murmur of discussion below, but no one stood up to ask a question, because they didn't know what to ask: how to harm the dragon right under the dragon keeper's nose, or how to interfere with the Aurors' capture of criminals...

Finally, a young wizard in the corner raised his hand. Lockhart looked at the familiar face and was very satisfied, so he immediately called on him.

"Professor, I'd like to learn about the profession of Memory Eraser in the Ministry of Magic," Loren said slowly.

(End of this chapter)