allendalepharm Chapter 328 Lockhart Building
Chapter 328 Lockhart Building
Chapter 328 Lockhart Building
That night, Lockhart talked a lot with Snape and Sirius.
Sirius, in particular, harbored resentment towards Dumbledore. Although he didn't hate him, he still respected him and decided to follow him, but his grievances had always been there.
This is normal; he has always been rebellious and freedom-loving at heart.
He could even betray his own family and his own parents, so it was impossible for him to become Dumbledore's complete yes-man.
"He can never seem to handle that devil!"
Sirius's resentment stems from this.
The long First World War in the Wizarding World was enough for him to see too many facts clearly. (The resistance sparked by Grindelwald does not count as a world war; the reasons are complex, as mentioned before.)
"But I didn't expect that he would be able to tolerate the other party's existence now."
"I still see those familiar faces in my dreams: James, Lily—Gideon,
After Fabian and his brother died, the Prewitt family was left with only a few women (Molly Weasley's brother) — Marlene and her whole family were killed, including those lovely twins, they were so young —”
"They all died because they followed Dumbledore in fighting Voldemort!"
Sirius picked up the wine Lockhart had brought him and chugged it down, his voice hoarse and pained. "Almost everyone here comes from a pure-blood family. In fact, we don't have any fundamental conflict of interest with the Death Eaters. Many of us are even relatives—"
"Especially me, Blake is related to all the pure-blood families by marriage."
He gazed wistfully out the window, his eyes unfocused. "Many people know that whether Dumbledore or Voldemort wins, we are the mainstream of the wizarding world, and we must remain in the top position. No one can replace us—"
"Why fight?"
"Why be hostile?"
"The blood flowed like rivers, and many families that had existed for hundreds or even thousands of years were wiped out—"
Sirius looked at Lockhart and Snape, his eyes shining. "There's only one answer: because of justice!"
"We fight for justice!"
Snape chuckled and raised his glass. "Back then, we followed Voldemort, claiming to be fighting for justice!"
Sirius Black burst into laughter. "I know your sense of justice, justice based on a certain stance. Isn't it considered justice when wizards defeat and enslave goblins? Of course I understand. But you've been deceived! Voldemort is someone who only cares about himself; he has no concept of justice!"
Snape shook his head. "The pursuit of collective justice never looks at the leader. He is just a flag and a clarion call. He is also a human being, and he has his own thoughts. The collective gathers under the flag to seek victory, thereby promoting collective justice."
Sirius pondered those words, and suddenly realized something. "Actually, I've been suffering from something that I never dared to tell anyone before: I've discovered that Dumbledore can't be called the embodiment of justice. He's just a politician who pursues justice, not a warrior of justice."
"Now I understand, Severus, perhaps you are right."
Snape curled his lip. "Stubborn fool. So that's why you knew about Peter Pettigrew, escaped from Azkaban, and didn't tell Dumbledore?"
"Do you think he's a politician?"
"Isn't that so?" Sirius Black chuckled coldly. "You have to admit, Peter Pettigrew is far more useful than you, Severus! I bet the newly resurrected Voldemort can count on Pettigrew but not on you; he's the best undercover agent!"
Snape remained silent.
"So strength is the only eternal topic," Sirius sighed. "Hoping to defeat Voldemort with Dumbledore's help is actually a kind of despair and a manifestation of my own incompetence."
He lowered his head, his voice full of suppressed emotion, "I don't know, I don't know how to kill him. I felt his power more clearly than anyone else. We all felt it during those long years of war."
"magic!"
Snape said firmly, "Giddy Roth gave me the answer: magic. When we embark on a fairytale adventure, magic naturally unfolds. So I'm determined to find a way to kill Voldemort!"
"Dumbledore is indeed a politician. What he wants isn't to defeat or kill Voldemort, but the development of the wizarding world. Therefore, magic is of no help to him in the fight against the Dark Lord; he will remain passive indefinitely!"
"And I will walk this path without hesitation!"
Snape put down his glass, drew his wand, and gently stroked it. "I am good at Potions and Dark Magic (in his eyes, Defense Against the Dark Arts is essentially Dark Magic as well), but Voldemort is better at both of these than I am. I know that, I know him better than many people do, and that once made me despair."
"But not anymore. I know that adventure itself is unknown, adventure itself is dangerous, and the mystery of magic lies precisely in this unknown and dangerous!"
Sirius listened to these words in a daze, then looked at Lockhart, "Is this your magical philosophy? Right? Full of Ravenclaw-esque romance."
Lohatt nodded, then sighed. "I made my name with this theory, and now I'm also limited by it. I have to admit that I have no way to deal with Voldemort now, just as he has no way to deal with me now."
Relationships are reciprocal.
Blood relatives are also reciprocal.
Voldemort couldn't kill Lockhart with the Killing Curse, but when he actively, positively, and vibrantly integrated himself into this relationship called "family," Lockhart also couldn't kill him with the Killing Curse.
Does he really not want to kill Voldemort?
This powerful dark wizard was staring at him, hating him, and had even tried to kill him more than once.
Lockhart isn't crazy; he likes having someone like that around.
Sometimes it really is just that he and Voldemort are each maintaining their own dignity.
"Because your adventures aren't about Voldemort, right?"
Sirius was clever enough to immediately understand Lockhart's problem from this theory. Seeing Lockhart's failure but Snape's unwavering determination, his eyes lit up. "I actually came here this time to find answers about magic. You said that Black's misfortune would be my future."
Lohat nodded. "The ominousness full of life is an extreme and unique form of wizarding mystery; it is even a mainstream form of wizarding mystery."
"In ancient wizarding culture, those who seek eternity and power are always cursed, mocked, or even destroyed by mystery and misfortune."
He gazed at Sirius Black, "You've never explored this wondrous power!"
"Like this?"
Sirius Black raised his left hand, and the wide sleeve of his wizard's robe slowly fell down, revealing a fluffy black dog paw.
Snape, extremely sensitive to dark magic, abruptly stood up, staring intently at the dog's paw. "Dark magic power? No! This isn't dark magic!"
Sirius grinned, revealing his sharp canine teeth. "This is certainly not dark magic, it's ominous!"
You wouldn't understand even if I told you!
Snape scoffed. "You're as arrogant as ever!"
"I can feel your jealousy, burning fiercely in your chest." Sirius's voice became low and wavering, full of sarcasm. "What, are you like Voldemort, madly chasing and craving this pureblood talent? Jealous and yearning?"
Snape was silent for a while, then sat down, picked up his glass and took a sip. "I was discriminated against from a young age because my family was poor. My father used to be a furniture merchant but failed and ended up with a mountain of debt. The rest of his life consisted of getting drunk and cursing my mother for refusing to use magic to help him, and frantically squeezing his time and health to earn money to support the family."
"My mother told him that he couldn't use magic to do bad things or to gain personal profit; that was immoral."
"So from a young age, I longed for the wonders of the magical world. I met Lily, and we both yearned for how wonderful the magical world must be."
"But I was wrong!"
"The wizarding world is dirtier and more disgusting than the Muggle world!"
"Discrimination is everywhere here. The pure-blooded Slytherins and Gryffindors are ruthlessly discriminating against every classmate from a disadvantaged background. In this respect, Gryffindors are even worse."
He scoffed, "Slytherin's discrimination is an insult, looking at us with eyes that regard us as inferiors, while Gryffindor's discrimination is a complete denial!"
"Do you know what's the most tragic thing?"
"I'm not the lowest of the low in terms of discrimination; it's Muggle wizards who are. Even any idiot or moron from a pure-blood family can shout 'Mudblood' and then mock them to the extreme."
"And then Gryffindor's justice came into being!"
He mimicked his impression of Gryffindor in a sarcastic tone, "We've decided to accept the lowest of the Mudbloods. They shouldn't be discriminated against; they should be treated equally!"
"Yes!" he chuckled.
"Only the lowest of the mud-bloods can be treated equally; others cannot, because treating those of lesser birth equally does not demonstrate your justice!"
"Sometimes, half-blood wizards become even more despicable than Muggles. They're not pure-blood wizards, nor are they pure-blood Muggle wizards; they're a bunch of bastards!"
"A bunch of bastards without any allegiance. If we side with Muggles, it's betrayal and hypocrisy; if we side with purebloods, it's self-degradation and compromise. Why should we?"
Snape shook his head. "The first thing I thought of back then was to transfer schools, to get away from this disgusting school, away from the school led by Dumbledore, who claimed to be righteous but allowed the school to remain in this state."
"I begged my parents to transfer me to Beauxbatons, knowing that thankfully there wasn't this ridiculous bloodline narrative there, but you know what's the most ridiculous thing? My parents were prejudiced against French people and absolutely opposed my transfer!"
Sirius disagreed with many of these points, but he was too lazy to refute them.
He could clearly feel the pain emanating from Snape, a pain that penetrated to the very marrow of his bones and soul, which made him too lazy to argue about who won or lost.
"Then how about Durmstrang?"
"Huh?" Snape laughed angrily. "Go to the purebloods' stronghold? What were you thinking?"
Okay. Sirius shrugged, picked up his glass, and drank, indicating he wouldn't interrupt again.
"Later, I began to reveal my talents—talent in potions, talent in spells, talent in dark magic—"
Snape gripped his wand tightly. "And so I discovered another principle of this world: pure blood is not the only way out! The Fiendfyre I cast is stronger than Crabbe, who is naturally drawn to fire!"
The detection spell I cast is more powerful than that of Ollivander, who possessed natural spiritual perception! ————
"Every achievement I make in the realm of magic quickly surpasses those of these guys who rely on talent!"
"They had no choice but to accept me!"
"They had to shout that we cannot discriminate against Severus," "We must treat him equally," "We must be inclusive, he is the same as us." See, they've even learned about equality and inclusion.
"But you Gryffindors don't!"
Sirius finally couldn't take it anymore and sneered, "That's because you're good at dark magic, you're a dark wizard!"
'
Snape's gaze was icy. "Because this is my talent, just like my birth; I had no choice in it!"
"Sirius, you betrayed your lineage, yet you will still be blessed with the talents bestowed upon you by your family bloodline. But I betrayed my talents, and now I truly have nothing left!"
"and----"
"Who told you that learning dark magic would make you a dark wizard?"
His wand trembled slightly, and beams of silver light enveloped him. "You must understand this: the light within me shines brighter than your dark and obsessive heart!"
Lockhart watched the two argue with a smile.
I didn't get involved.
But he knew that it was because of his presence that Snape and Sirius were able to sit down and communicate properly, even if it was a heated debate, which was a good start.
What he cared more about was that these two outstanding contemporary wizards were genuinely being influenced by him, accepting his magical ideas, and gradually embarking on fairytale adventures and the path of magic.
Defeating the evil overlord may be the most wonderful spoils of war after their magic is unleashed.
Lockhart looked forward to the day when anyone could kill Voldemort!
An ominous sign filled with righteous indignation —
And the dark power filled with light —
What an interesting and wonderful magical power!
The next day, Hogwarts was very lively.
In yesterday's game, Beauxbatons defeated Durmstrang with a precise, coordinated attack that thrilled everyone watching.
Collective spellcasting to stack magical effects was a common technique during the Wizarding Wars. However, in the relatively peaceful last decade or so, even Aurors rarely see such spellcasting scenarios anymore.
Of course, the most heated discussion was about today's third session.
If the Hogwarts team wins this match, they will have won two consecutive matches and will be declared the champions.
Wizards from Hogwarts naturally look forward to such a wonderful scene, so that they can use actual achievements to prove their often boasted claim that "Hogwarts is the best magic school."
Wizards from Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs, however, had no desire for this to happen.
-
Durmstrang, in particular, was seething with anger.
Yesterday, the team was eliminated one by one with precision, preventing many key players from playing their due role.
The defeat was extremely sudden and devastating.
Later on, all that was left were ordinary and difficult-to-organize teammates. Facing Beauxbatons' systematic and relentless suppression, it felt like an adult was beating up kindergarten children.
If Durmstrang loses to Hogwarts, they will become the bottom team after losing to two teams in a row!
This is absolutely unacceptable!
"The existence of the mysterious man—" Fudge, the Minister of Magic of England, approached Lockhart and, sitting in a corner, spoke with trepidation, "is making many people uneasy."
"Many people don't know what to do next."
He was very annoyed. "How could Dumbledore tolerate his existence!"
Lockhart certainly knew.
In the transformation from a magic school-centered system to a Ministry of Magic-centered system, someone always has to step forward to face the backlash from the established forces.
Then Dumbledore, under the banner of justice, stood before this universally despised villain, suppressing evil amidst everyone's expectations, and then gently eliminating all opposing forces.
Because politics is always full of compromises.
This is similar to how the Muggle nation struggled to manage its complex internal conflicts, leading to the outbreak of war.
All problems automatically compromise and disappear under external pressure, and everyone has no choice but to willingly accept the status quo.
It's extremely useful.
All you need to do is prepare a target and then continuously exaggerate its threat.
Voldemort is the most suitable option.
So, did Voldemort know that?
He knew, of course, that he had accepted this tacit agreement among the previous losers, and was patiently waiting for his opportunity.
"I convinced Voldemort to join the Bloodline Department of the Department of Mysteries, and to become a Silence on a part-time basis," Lockhart simply said.
Fudge was stunned, his mouth agape, only managing a gasp: "Merlin's diamond-studded tassel dress!"
"You can think of it this way," Lockhart raised an eyebrow, "You'll be the Minister of Magic who seems to have the most trouble, the most deserving of sympathy, but actually the one who has the least to worry about, right?"
like----
It really is!
Dumbledore openly and secretly controls the British Ministry of Magic; Lockhart is the head of the Bloodline Hall of the Department of Mysteries.
Voldemort has also joined the team —
If something really happens...
Haha, I seem to be the one with the most worries, but actually I have the most leeway.
This brings us to Fudge's comfort zone!
"Can you trust me?" Lockhart stared intently at the man whom Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort all found untrustworthy.
"Of course!" Fudge's face flushed with excitement. "You've guided me on the path of magic, and my life is quietly changing!"
"Dear Professor Lockhart!"
This was a title Lockhart often heard, but rarely from Ministry of Magic officials.
This unique context would be easy to understand if we replaced it with a title from Lockhart's previous life.
-master!
"We need your help to find Percy Weasley; his Quidditch duels require your assistance. I look forward to you using this to gain control of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Physical Education and Sports, and to building a force within the Minister's Office of Aurors!"
"Go find Cedric Diggory, whose White Elixir Pharmacy operates" will provide you with substantial benefits and give you ample room to maneuver in this new era of "wizards and Muggles exploring a shared way of life" and "magical masters and their followers engaging in strategic maneuvering!"
"Go find Draco Malfoy and help him establish the Hakimi Training Base. This is our future; it will bring immense power to the world, unprecedented power. I look forward to your participation!"
Lockhart gave the opportunity and awaited the benefits the other party would bring.
"I will send my apprentice, Vincent Crabbe, to help you mediate these relationships, Connelly. We will have a bright future!"
Fudge was thrilled.
He knew perfectly well that things were going well!
Just like when he boarded Dumbledore's fast train back then, he had a direction for the future again.
And it promises an even brighter future!
This is different from following Dumbledore. Dumbledore seems to leave Fudge to his own devices, but in reality, he has extremely strong political intentions, which makes it difficult for Fudge to have much room to maneuver. He is more like a mediator between Dumbledore and the pure-blood family.
Being squeezed in the middle makes things difficult.
But following Lockhart was completely different. Lockhart focused more on magic and gave him far too much room for personal development in politics.
Finally!
Fudge was almost in tears.
He finally received the help of the pure-blood families, and was no longer looked down upon by the Order of the Phoenix or despised and hated by the pure-blood families.
He no longer needed to pretend to be greedy and shameless to get in touch with the Malfoy family. He no longer needed to grovel before the Weasleys. He and they were all serving the great Lockhart. They were equal partners who needed each other!
There's nothing more wonderful than this!
"I'll go right now!"
Fudge was overjoyed.
"Wait a minute," Lockhart called out to him. "I need a favor. I'm planning to buy a building, preferably on the busiest street. Can you find out more about it for me?"
"A skyscraper?" Fudge exclaimed in surprise. "A Muggle skyscraper?"
Lohart head.
Fudge couldn't help but start to think about Lockhart's reasons for wanting such a building.
Although the purpose of the 300-year-old Secrecy Act was to separate the living spaces of wizards and Muggles, in practice, except for a very few pure wizard villages, wizards and Muggles mostly live together.
Even when living in the city, wizards would at most choose old houses with a longer history, and rarely live in Muggle high-rise buildings.
"These houses are all located in the most prosperous areas of Muggles, and the population density of Muggles is very high." Fudge said with some doubt, "Isn't this extremely inconvenient for wizards to travel?"
Lockhart simply smiled. "This is an exploration within the realm of modern mysticism."
Modern Mysticism —
Fudge's expression turned strange. This was a discipline that was extremely rebellious against the mysticism, and contrary to popular belief, it thought that wizards found Muggles mysterious.
Skyscrapers seem to be quite awe-inspiring to wizards living in a medieval atmosphere.
Especially the incredible feeling of being there, overlooking the entire city from within.
"A blend of classic and modern atmosphere —"
Fudge immediately had an idea: "What do you think of this place on the south bank of the Thames? It has the most classical churches, as well as the most modern art galleries and the financial district."
Lockhart was pleased with the choice. "Are there any buildings available for purchase over there?"
He had little hope. All high-rise buildings have their own uses, and the ownership of these buildings is complicated. It seemed like a pipe dream to build such a building.
"One building has now been emptied."
Fudge was incredibly reliable at this moment, immediately providing the answer: "The building's name is the National Westminster Bank Tower. There was a terrible explosion last year; the huge blast was heard even inside the Ministry of Magic building."
"I consulted the Muggle Prime Minister about this and learned that it was an attack within the Muggle community. The building was evacuated after the explosion and is currently undergoing reinforcement and facade renovation."
"As far as I know, although the National Westminster Bank has started restoration work, it has already moved out of the area and decided not to return. It may be sold as a package after the restoration is completed."
P.S.: After the building was sold, it was renamed Tower 42 and became the second tallest building in London, serving as a year-round, 24-hour observation deck.
"If you're planning to take it over now, it's a good opportunity."
Fudge said with a hint of smugness, "For us wizards, repairing a building is incredibly simple. I can just find some Aurors and have them do it under the guise of helping Muggles, and it'll be done in no time. But for Muggles, it will be an extremely daunting investment of funds and resources."
"very good!"
Lockhart was very interested. "I will make a decision after visiting the site in person."
Fudge quickly said with a mysterious expression, "You could consider buying this building through the Merlin Order. I think there are too many people who want to use this opportunity to get in touch with you, especially since you're going to take up the position of headmaster at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in France, and Voldemort has suddenly appeared here. Everyone is looking for a reliable source of power—"
Lohat nodded, neither confirming nor denying.
They were chatting, and the game hadn't stopped either. Suddenly, a huge gasp from the audience drew their attention.
The young wizards of the Durmstrang team hovered high in the sky on flying broomsticks, waving their wands in unison and pointing them downwards.
The technique used was clearly a stacking amplification method that allowed multiple people to cast the same spell.
Sure enough, as Quidditch duels gradually found their way into this type of combat, they began to increasingly resemble wizarding armies, drawing upon the rich experiences of wizarding history.
Durmstrang's group spellcasting is quite different.
They did not cast a spell simultaneously, nor did they simply stack the spell effects to maintain the casting state together.
They were divided into four parts.
The first part is obviously the most important, with two junior wizards responsible for maintaining the magic, and then the remaining three parts begin to cast the same spell in stages to stack the magical effects.
This makes the effect and intensity of the spell like ocean waves, constantly crashing in one after another, maintaining a stable fluctuation.
Their magic is also very interesting.
"The sky hangs low!"
This war magic appears to be a spatial magic, unlike the Unseen Stretching Charm, it is frantically squeezing the wizard's living space.
The Hogwarts team members, who had never heard of this magic before, could only frantically fly under the increasingly lower sky, like ants on a hot plate, searching for a way out.
Then, their sky and ground got closer and closer until they could stand on the ground and touch the clouds in the sky.
"Use the Curse of Death!" Hermione shouted.
The strategy was correct.
However, the methods cannot be effectively adjusted according to the current situation.
The collective spell of "All Curses End" completely nullified Durmstrang's "Sky Hangs Low" magic, but only for a moment.
Like ocean waves crashing back, the cursed power once again shrunk their living space, forcing them to bend over, unable even to stand up straight.
"Damn it!"
Harry Potter was filled with resentment; they had tried so many methods, but none of them worked!
It was only at this moment that he was able to feel the sense of powerlessness Lockhart had described the night before. Dumbledore could have easily defeated Voldemort, but for decades he had never been able to find an opportunity to fight him head-on.
In the end, they could only watch in despair as the clouds completely covered them, pressing them down with a heavy, oppressive weight, leaving them dizzy and weak.
Then they were disarmed, petrified, and rendered unconscious by a series of magical spells coming from above.
"What kind of magic is this?"
Fudge watched this scene in horror, swallowed hard, and imagined how desperate he would feel if he were in that situation.
"A useless spell that was thrown into the trash heap long ago."
Lockhart's expression was strange. "Those who used this spell in the competition were really clever; I wonder where they found it."
"Useless magic?" Fudge pointed at the people on the field. This is useless magic? It's clearly very useful!
"Because you only need to use the most basic Apparition to break free," Lockhart shrugged. "But you know, Apparition is forbidden at Hogwarts."
Fudge's expression immediately turned strange. "Wouldn't that be considered a foul?"
Lockhart shook his head. "The Triwizard Tournament doesn't have many rules; everything is explored through practice. This spell that has appeared is a step in that exploration. I think we'll think about how to formulate rules to restrict the use of this spell, or perhaps open up areas where Apparition can be used."
The spell "The Sky Hangs Low" is the prototype of the "Shadow Restriction" spell.
It's almost impossible to find a suitable opportunity to use it; fairies are better at spatial magic, house-elves can move freely, dragons have great magic resistance and can easily resist it, mermaids can dive directly into the water, and wizards can apparite—
This kind of magic found in garbage dumps should not be encouraged; it should be restricted where necessary.
What they want is to improve the young wizards' combat abilities, not to treat it like a game where they figure out how to exploit bugs to speedrun.
But no matter how you look at it.
The match is over.
The announcer stepped forward and shouted, "Demstrand, victory!"
A roar of cheers erupted from the stands.
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