My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 212, page 209. The Reliable Professor Lockhart

"The Whomping Willow is indeed rare and difficult to repair. After all, this magical plant is very ancient. I remember that there is only one such plant in the whole of Britain, at Hogwarts."

"Yes, Lockhart, so do you have any good ideas?"

On the morning of the first day of school, Professor Sprout was preparing to repair the Whomping Willow, which Harry and Ron had damaged the night before, by the Black Lake, when Lynn happened to pass by as he was leaving the Great Hall after finishing his breakfast.

"I have some life powder here." He pulled a small bottle from his pocket containing some green powder. "This stuff can help plants grow better. I don't know if it will work on the injured willow."

Upon seeing the bottle in Lynn's hand, Professor Sprout's eyes lit up: "Life Powder! This is indeed the best healing medicine for plants, but wasn't its main ingredient extinct decades ago? Where did you get it?"

"A few friends gave it to me." Lynn placed the bottle of life powder in Professor Sprout's hand. "If you need it, you can have this potion; I don't usually need it anyway."

"This is too much, Lockhart, I only need a little bit." The kind Hufflepuff headmaster tried to shove the gift back to refuse, but Lynn had already turned to leave.

"Take it, Professor Sprout. It would be a waste for me to keep it. It will be much more effective in your hands."

The Life Powder was one of the potions Rozier sent him last year. It only works on plants, and Lynn was just taking up space with it. He would rather give it to Professor Sprout and get on her good side.

Even the potion ingredients Snape usually needs are obtained from Professor Sprout, who is a top herbalist in the wizarding world. There is no harm in having a good relationship with her.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just come out of the castle. Their first class of the semester was Herbology, and they were on their way to Greenhouse Number Three.

Harry and Ron both looked terrible. They had received a scathing letter from Mrs. Weasley while they were eating breakfast. She had given Ron a good scolding in front of so many young wizards at school, and Harry was also deeply ashamed. This made them both feel rather bad.

Hermione, on the other hand, isn't so angry with them anymore. She thinks they deserved the punishment, and now that they've been punished, she naturally doesn't need to blame them anymore.

"Professor Sprout, what are you doing here? Shouldn't we be in class now?" Hermione asked, looking up.

Professor Sprout is arguably the most good-natured professor at Hogwarts, and students from every house adore her.

"I'm repairing the Whomping Willow that those two kids knocked down yesterday." Even with her good temper, Professor Sprout glared at Harry and Ron, who immediately lowered their heads in shame, unable to meet her gaze.

"Once this magical plant is destroyed, it is very difficult to repair, but fortunately, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Lockhart just helped me a lot."

"Professor Lockhart?" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then shrugged. Clearly, after their first encounter in Diagon Alley, they didn't have a very good impression of Lockhart, that hypocritical fellow.

Hermione saw Lockhart's departing figure from afar. She frowned, feeling that his gait and walking habits were somewhat familiar.

After Lynn taught her to see beyond appearances in her first year, she compared Lockhart's behavior to the self he described in the book when she first met him in Diagon Alley.

In the end, Hermione was disappointed to find that Lockhart in the book was so different from the real Lockhart that they were not even the same person. Although she did not know that Lockhart was actually a fraud, her admiration for him faded.

Simply put, right now I'm just a complete bystander.

Putting aside those impressions that might influence her judgment, Hermione still felt that Lockhart's behavior was somewhat strange and familiar.

However, she didn't think much of it, since she had just seen Lynn at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall. He was having dinner with his two friends, seemingly discussing magical knowledge.

Cedric and Ian felt that they had indeed had a very lively conversation this morning.

Lynn was chatting away so enthusiastically that the two of them were completely bewildered.

"So that's how the Levitation Spell works. It sounds simple. I'll give it a try."

Umaru held up the wand Lynn had given her, ready to try her hand at the plate in front of her.

"Yugadimurleviosa!"

She followed Lynn around every day and saw him use many spells. In addition, this spell was not difficult; it was a beginner-level spell. Any little wizard with a bit of talent could usually succeed on their first try.

As the spell was uttered and the wand was waved, the plate in front of her floated up.

Umaru excitedly put her hands on her hips, about to burst into laughter, but then suddenly remembered that she wasn't playing herself and she wasn't at home. So she quickly suppressed her wild laughter, put her hands down, cleared her throat, and then casually asked Cedric and Ian.

"How was it? Did I use that spell at a first-grader level?"

Cedric and Ian both shook their heads.

"Not even close, not even close."

"What's wrong with you today? Your spellcasting has regressed so much?"

Xiaomai's expression suddenly froze, and she collapsed again.

"It was a bit hot today, and I wasn't in good shape, which is why I didn't perform well," she made up a lame excuse to cover it up.

Cedric and Ian were not lying. Compared to Lynn's performance in her first year, Umaru's Levitation Charm was far too weak. It was just like an ordinary first-year wizard taking a final exam. Although she managed to use it, she did so poorly and it looked very clumsy to them.

Umaru didn't know that's what they meant; she thought that the levitation spell she used was far inferior to that of a first-year student.

Umaru's long-held fantasy of being a genius has been shattered. Now, all she can do is study magic diligently and practically, hoping to reach Lynn's standard by the end of the semester.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the first day of school, Lynn also welcomed his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the semester.

Coincidentally, this class was a joint session for second-year students from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, meaning he would encounter Harry and his two friends in the very first class.

Lynn arrived at the classroom early.

Standing in front of the podium, looking at the empty desks and chairs below, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

In his previous life, he only worked as a formal teacher for a year. Unexpectedly, when he stepped onto the podium again, he was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at a magic school.

A smile crept onto Lynn's lips.

He actually really liked the teaching profession. In his previous life, he could have taken the civil service exam and entered the system, but he ultimately chose teaching because of his personal interests.

When Dumbledore brought this up with him that day, Lynn wouldn't have had so many conditions if he hadn't been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He would have agreed immediately.

His current plan for the future is to graduate from Hogwarts, work for Professor Fawkes for a few years to conduct research on dark magic, and then return to Hogwarts to become a professor. If the plan goes smoothly, Hogwarts will have already fallen into his hands. Being a professor here is as comfortable as being an emperor emeritus.

Old Deng had to follow his lead when doing things.

When the time comes, he can wave his hand and send Dumbledore west, so Dumbledore won't dare to go east. He can just send Dumbledore flying over, and even if he can't fly, he'll have to ride his flying broomstick to get there.

Lynn greatly hopes that she can achieve such a beautiful scene in her lifetime.

People were gradually entering the classroom. Everyone was present before class started, and they were all at least second-year students. Of course, they wouldn't make the same silly mistake of being late as they did in first grade.

After class started, Lynn first introduced herself.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Professor Dumbledore has already introduced me once at the orientation dinner, but I feel it is only out of courtesy that I introduce myself to you." Lynn smiled as he looked at the students below.

Ron whispered in Harry's ear from below the stage.

"Listen, he's about to start. I bet he'll recite all his prefixes, and if he doesn't, I'm eating my whole box of Wizards chess!"

"My name is Gilderoy Lockhart. I graduated from Hogwarts Ravenclaw. I used to be an idle, unemployed bum, but starting this year I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." He stepped down from the podium and walked between the desks in the classroom.

Harry and Hermione both looked at Ron with strange expressions, as if asking him with their eyes whether he would keep his promise.

Ron's face flushed red, but he forced himself to say, "Wait, he hasn't finished yet."

At that moment, a young Ravenclaw witch raised her hand, her face full of admiration, and said, "Professor, you weren't just some idle, unemployed bum before! You were a great adventurer and writer, and the textbooks we're using now are all books written by you!"

Great assist!

Ron glanced gratefully at the Ravenclaw girl. Lockhart had been given a chance to show off, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to perform his Wizard Chess feat.

Lynn waved his hand: "From now on, in my classes, if you want to say something, raise your hand and wait for me to see it so you can speak. This is the first time, so don't do it again. As for my other identities..."

"You don't need to mention it again. At Hogwarts, I am just your professor, not any other nonsense. From now on, you will only call me Professor Lockhart."

Ron's face immediately turned a deep purplish-red.

(End of this chapter)