The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 2 Gilderoy Lockhart (Seeking votes and investments)

Gilderoy Lockhart stood outside the wooden door, carrying a suitcase.

His face always wore his signature charming smile, which he always presented to the media.

Before coming, Lockhart had confirmed that the owner of the cabin was a wizard.

A powerful wizard!

Lockhart recalled the magical pillar of light he had seen; it was not the kind of magic that ordinary wizards possessed.

So Lockhart adopted a friendly attitude.

He believed that no wizard could resist his smile, including the owner of the cabin.

Of course, it would be even better if it were the lady of the house. It was getting late, and Lockhart wouldn't mind having some fun with a charming witch.

The howling wind interrupted Lockhart's reverie, and although his wizard robes were warm, they still made him feel a little embarrassed.

The door remained closed.

Lockhart was turned away!

"Hello? I am..." Lockhart repeated what he had said before, and knocked on the door as if to remind the other person, "Is anyone home?"

A long time passed, and there was no sound from inside the house.

Just as Lockhart's smile faded, the door creaked open.

Lockhart forced a smile, but it quickly turned to astonishment: "You are... a child?"

Lockhart looked at Moriarty in surprise as he opened the door for him.

Moriarty was wrapped in a thick wool blanket and leaning on his staff.

Once Lockhart's eyes fell on the staff, he couldn't look away. It was definitely the most special and noble staff he had ever seen!

Moriarty witnessed Lockhart's complete change in expression, and had to admit it was utterly hilarious.

Looking at Lockhart's gold and red wizard robes, he looks like a rooster, so lifelike.

Moriarty said warmly, "Everything is as you see, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart! Welcome to my home."

"Your home? You?"

Lockhart was surprised. So, he was the one who cast the magic earlier?

But Lockhart didn't ask directly; instead, he probed indirectly: "You mean, you live here alone?"

Of course not, but how could Moriarty admit it?

He took a few steps toward the door, opening a path for Lockhart to enter the house.

"Haven't you noticed? I'm British, just like you!"

"I've always lived in this little cabin; I call it the 'Snow House'!"

This was obviously a name Moriarty made up to further confuse Lockhart.

"Come in and have a look around, Mr. Lockhart. I bet you'll like it!"

"Ah, ah! Yes, thank you."

Lockhart then noticed that Moriarty had gray hair and spoke fluent English.

To cover his embarrassment, he smiled and walked into the house.

Moriarty's eyes gleamed with admiration as Lockhart entered the room.

He was thinking of Gilderoy Lockhart when the man himself suddenly appeared in front of him.

Oh, Merlin's beard.

Homage to Slytherin!

Moriarty smiled, went inside, and closed the wooden door.

Hearing the door close, Lockhart felt uneasy; for some reason, he thought of some unpleasant things.

In order to find out Moriarty's background, Lockhart pretended to be familiar with him.

"This is my first time in eastern Tibet, and it's really cold. Have you always lived here?"

"Yes, apart from the cold weather, everything here is fine, such as being able to escape disasters."

Moriarty was being suggestive, deliberately steer Lockhart's narrative in a different direction.

Sure enough, when the mention of calamity brought up Voldemort, Lockhart thought of him, and his body trembled violently.

Then he forced a smile: "That's right, you're absolutely right. European wizards rarely venture into China, let alone this is Tibet."

"So, what brought Mr. Lockhart to Tibet?"

"Speaking of this, I have to mention the novel I once wrote."

Lockhart pulled a stack of newspapers from his suitcase.

"Look at what the Daily Prophet says about me! It's in the news. Oh, my child, you know the Daily Prophet, right?"

Moriarty waved his staff, and a copy of the Daily Prophet flew automatically to his eyes.

"Excellent levitation!" Lockhart exclaimed, now somewhat curious about Moriarty's identity.

Moriarty glanced at the Daily Prophet, feigning confusion even though he knew Lockhart well.

"I'm very sorry, I can't understand what this says."

“Alright then,” Lockhart said regretfully as he gathered up all the newspapers. “As I said before, I am a writer, and of course, a wizard—we are both.”

I came to Eastern Tibet for the Yeti! You see, every year I travel all over the world to have close encounters with dangerous and magical creatures; I call it a great adventure…”

Lockhart put on his signature smile again and started chatting with Moriarty as if he were a fan.

Moriarty feigned interest, occasionally agreeing, but in his heart he knew perfectly well that it was because of Lockhart, the Yeti of the Eastern Tibet, that he had appeared.

All the heroic deeds Lockhart wrote were other people's stories.

Lockhart simply used a forgetting spell on those people, making their experiences his unique adventures.

Based on the book "A Year with the Eastern Tibetan Yeti", it can be inferred that Lockhart may have visited Eastern Tibet or had contact with the Eastern Tibetan shamans.

Since Lockhart is here, it means he's preparing to write that novel.

Once it's written into a novel, Lockhart will definitely promote and sell it in the wizarding world.

This is undoubtedly a great opportunity to enter the British wizarding world.

Moriarty sketched out a complete plan in his mind and began to coax him: "Mr. Lockhart, after hearing your story, I am amazed by your adventurous spirit and great strength."

You just mentioned the Yeti of Eastern Tibet? I happen to know a lot about this amazing creature!

I think I can offer you some assistance; I mean, can I join you on this adventure?

Moriarty's excitement and enthusiasm were just like that of a young wizard eager for adventure.

Lockhart had obviously seen too many young wizards like this, and he habitually treated Moriarty as a real child, letting down his guard a little.

“Of course, my child,” Lockhart grinned broadly. “If you can be of any help, I’ll write you into my book! Oh, by the way, I still don’t know your name?”

"Just call me Moriarty. Now, Mr. Lockhart, can you listen to me? After all, the Eastern Tibetan Yeti is not easy to deal with, and we need to develop a detailed plan."

"Alright, wary kid," Lockhart said, pulling a set of coffee cups from his suitcase. "I always make sure I have some coffee to keep me alert when I'm gathering material."

"Isn't that a writer's habit? Haha," Lockhart joked to Moriarty, "the newest thing at Diagon Alley Cafe! Want some?"

Moriarty glanced at the suitcase; it was clearly enchanted with a Stretch Mark spell. Heaven knows what was added to the coffee that had been given to him, and Moriarty didn't like Lockhart's taste anyway.

After shaking his head in polite refusal, Moriarty waved his staff and, based on his memory, sketched a light and shadow model of the Eastern Tibetan Yeti.

Lockhart remarked with a hint of envy, "A terrifying talent, kid."

Then, looking at the snowman model, which was two or three meters tall, he frowned and said, "It looks like a miniature troll."

"Yeti do have some similarities with trolls. Their thick white skin gives them very high magic resistance, incredible speed, and superhuman strength. Most importantly, they can sometimes cast ice and snow magic, and they live in groups."

Moriarty lived in hiding in eastern Tibet for ten years, acquiring a wealth of knowledge about the Yeti.

Even if Lockhart doesn't come, Moriarty will seek revenge on the Yeti sooner or later.

After listening to Moriarty's introduction, Lockhart felt his coffee wasn't so appealing anymore. He rested his chin on his hand and said, "Mr. Moriarty, you have to understand that no one can embark on an adventure at any time. Um, I mean—is the Yeti easy to get along with?"

Lockhart was well aware of his own strength; he dared not fight the Yeti.

Perhaps after angering the snowman, you could try casting a forgetting spell on him to make him forget you?

Lockhart chuckled self-deprecatingly, pondering how to end this trip gracefully.

His purpose in coming to Eastern Tibet was simple: to find the Eastern Tibetan Yeti. If he could find it, it would be best if something could happen between him and the Yeti, which would undoubtedly add a lot of color to his adventure. If he couldn't find it, he would just treat it as a trip.

Lockhart blushed slightly when he saw Moriarty staring at him with a strange look.

He used to boast about himself to the skies, but now he's backing down.

Moriarty said softly, "Get along? Yetis never communicate with humans, but they have one weakness: music!"

This was undoubtedly another instance of Moriarty spouting nonsense; he needed to find a way to appease Lockhart.

Lockhart took the bait. He sensed an opportunity, his eyes widening as he asked, "You mean, the concert will affect or bother the snowman?"

"Oh, Mr. Lockhart, you are truly brilliant!" Moriarty exclaimed. "Beautiful music can put a Yeti to sleep, and music is rare on the plateau, so only the wizards who live here know this weakness."

Lockhart exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Thank you, Merlin! I happened to have brought a violin with me on this trip!"

When Moriarty saw Lockhart take the brown violin out of the box, he seemed to be set ablaze.

He was equally excited: "I marvel at your foresight, Mr. Lockhart! If possible, we'd better set off now! Little snowmen will appear at dusk, making them ideal hunting targets!"

"Let's go," Lockhart said, downing his coffee in one gulp. "I've already decided on a title: 'Playing the Violin with the Eastern Tibetan Yeti!'"

The two went outside, with Moriarty leading the way based on his memory.

The signed contract has been sent out; please invest with confidence.

(End of this chapter)