The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 313 Humble Abode PLUS

Chapter 313 Humble Abode PLUS

Crabbe was reluctant to use the Portkey provided by his mentor Lockhart, because the magical item led to Dumbledore's office.

He transferred schools.

The thought of facing my former school principal fills me with a strange sense of shame.

But he had no other choice.

Even if he were to choose the trouble of crossing the continent via the Ministry of Magic's Floo Network, he could only reach the British Ministry of Magic building at most.

Aside from Professor Snape, he wasn't familiar with the other house heads either. Now that Professor Snape had gone to Beauxbatons, he didn't have the guts to contact the other house heads to borrow their office fireplaces.

Of course, as the only heir of Crabbe in the modern era, he also has another identity: a Hogwarts School Board member.

But as a young boy, he felt too embarrassed to use such privileges in front of Professor McGonagall and others.

Moreover, the school castle skybridge, which is open to the board members, requires Apparition to enter. He had never been to that place before, and he dared not use it recklessly in an unfamiliar setting, for fear that a part of his body might remain in place.

As for the Apparition spell, he actually knows it.

It features Professor Lockhart's patient instruction, as well as the house-elf Tutu's explanation of the Crabbe family's tradition of using this magic.

Anyway, with a very conflicted mindset, he used the door key.

The experience of using the door key is extremely bad.

It was as if a hook had snagged his navel and pulled him outward with force. Accompanied by a dizzying sensation, he was as if he had been squeezed out by the rebound of distorted space, and with a thud, he was sent flying towards the floor.

Splat!

He fell flat on his back.

He forced himself to get up, suppressing his nausea, and put away the door key. Then he saw the last person he wanted to see.

"Professor Dumbledore!" he exclaimed, then quickly greeted him, "Hello!"

Dumbledore looked at him with some surprise, a gaze Crabbe couldn't understand, shimmering in his half-moon spectacles. After a while, he said, "Mr. Crabbe, there seems to be a very interesting change in you!"

Crabbe didn't understand. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer.

In fact, he didn't know what changes had occurred in himself.

"You possess a spiritual radiance!" A deep, magnetic voice suddenly came from the side. Crabbe quickly turned around and saw that it was the terrifying dark wizard. He hurriedly greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Grindelwald."

Grindelwald looked at him with a smile, then glanced at the little golden-haired creature on his shoulder, who was curiously examining his heterochromatic eyes.

The two bigwigs seemed to be having a great time, talking about Crabbe in ways he couldn't understand.

Finally, Grindelwald asked, "I remember that your Crabbe family are all dark wizards, skilled in Fiendfyre. Can you still cast the Patronus Charm, which your teacher Lockhart was most proficient in?"

The tone of his voice seemed to say, "I know you can do it; your current situation is special."

Crabbe shrank back, carefully choosing his words, "I—I can."

"Show us?" Grindelwald gestured for him to do so.

Such sudden questions and spot checks are a common teaching method used by tutor Lockhart, and Crabbe is not afraid of them.

He glanced at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore was also smiling encouragingly, so he had no choice but to proceed.

A dazzling silver light swirled around him, rising upwards like flames.

Within the flame-shaped area, a two-headed, snake-tailed fire salamander frolics about.

The two-headed, snake-tailed fire salamander is a magical creature of XX danger level. It is timid and easily frightened, but extremely protective of its possessions; if its treasures are violated, it will unleash a fierce fire attack. Due to its inexpensive price and docile nature, it is often used to guard personal and family property and kept as a pet.

The Guardian Charm is the power deepest within the soul. Once its form is revealed, knowledgeable experts can easily glean a great deal of information from it.

But this is not the point.

"Spellcasting without incantations or staffs?" Grindelwald murmured in disbelief. Even though he knew Lockhart had so many students but had chosen Crabbe as his student, he must have some extraordinary talent. But this was just too much!

How come he never noticed this big, dumb guy had this ability before?

Crabbe scratched his head sheepishly and replied, "It's always been in my heart. I'm just letting it out, so I don't need to use a wand."

Tsk~

Grindelwald clicked his tongue, a sound that was hard to decipher, and murmured, "Always in my heart—"

Crabbe said sincerely, "There is a flame of happiness in my heart, which comes from the fire and has always been with me in my heart."

That feeling was the same happiness he saw in his parents as he saw them in the flames when he first learned about the Soul Fire from his mentor Lockhart.

"From chaotic spirituality to clear spirituality, wow, Lockhart has found a wonderful student."

Grindelwald exclaimed in amazement.

"This is no luck," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Clearly, he was trained."

"Yes—no one knows more about teaching magic than me!" Grindelwald mimicked Lockhart's peacock-like tone, gesturing with his hands perfectly.

Of course, he actually had a different answer in his heart—the cultivation of dark magic creatures. Lockhart probably used this method to teach this student.

But saying such things to a fool is too hurtful.

He has a good relationship with Lockhart now, so there's no need for him to be mean.

"Go ahead." Dumbledore looked at Crabbe, who was fidgeting a bit, and said gently, "The champions from Beauxbatons have all arrived and have been settled in their dormitories in their respective houses. You can go to your original dormitory; it's still there."

"Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Goyle are both there."

Crabbe's eyes lit up, and he quickly bowed again before running out of the principal's office.

The trio who grew up together have been separated for a long time: Draco went to Beauxbatons, Goyle went to Durmstrang, and he was sent on a journey by his mentor.

Having been away from Hogwarts for only a few months, the place felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Or rather, this place was transformed and decorated with a large number of new buildings for the three-way competition.

The most eye-catching feature is the Quidditch pitch. Standing in the school corridor and looking out, you can see a building that looks like the Roman Colosseum next to the pitch.

Looking further into the distance, you can see that the former fairytale adventure area in the Forbidden Forest has now been expanded. In the lush forest, you can vaguely see some castles, spires, and various flagpoles and towers.

He walked briskly down the stairs.

Slytherin's dormitory is underground, near the Black Lake. The windows there cannot be opened, and outside are the cold lake water, swaying seaweed, and mermaids and other aquatic creatures that may swim by at any time. Sometimes you can even see the giant octopus.

As he walked, he hesitated.

After standing there hesitating for a moment, I patted my head and ran towards the noisy crowd.

He has three places he wants to go: his dorm room, where he misses his friends, the cafeteria, where he is very hungry and has been hungry for many days.

But he ultimately chose the third option: he wanted to find a mentor.

He soon spotted some students having a heated discussion about the Triwizard Tournament. Standing outside the crowd, he could see the Weasley twins, George and Fred, excitedly recounting their experiences since transferring schools.

They were all transfer students, but they were truly different from me.

Crabbe feels awkward seeing his old schoolmates now, while the twins are only more excited, as if they're on a thrilling vacation and have so many fun things to share.

Social anxiety is not the same as social anxiety.

After waiting for a while, their conversation finally stopped, and Crabbe quickly squeezed in and touched Fred's shoulder. "Mr. Weasley, hello, may I ask you something—"

"Crawb?" Fred looked at him in surprise. "We didn't see you at school before, and we thought you stayed at Hogwarts. Then Draco said you were sent on a mission by Professor Lockhart?"

To carry out a mission?

Crabbe didn't know how to explain, so he just nodded sheepishly. Seeing that someone else wanted to talk to the twins, he quickly asked, "Can you tell me where Professor Lockhart is?"

"In the Forbidden Forest, we saw Professor Kettleburn take him to see a new adventure site, but I guess after so much time, he might have gone back to the Mushroom House in the Forbidden Forest to rest."

Crabbe quickly thanked him, squeezed out of the crowd again, and ran outside.

Behind him, an older student looked at Fred with some confusion. "Hey, didn't you guys used to be at odds with the Slytherins?"

"Oh!" Fred exclaimed dramatically, "You probably don't understand the bond between the members of our Duel Club."

"And then there's the Quidditch Duel Team. There's no such thing as a school there. We trained together for ages." George put his arm around Fred's shoulder, acting as if Crabbe was now one of his own.

Actually, there's something else they didn't say, because it wasn't very cool for either of them, and there was no need to bring it up in this setting.

As one of Professor Lockhart's personally taught apprentices, Crabbe was the first to learn "Soulfire" and "Warm Healing" before the others. In the Duel Club's tradition of "mentoring newcomers," Crabbe taught these two spells to the other members.

Moreover, Crabbe even gave a special lesson to the members, explaining and analyzing the "Fiercefire Curse" spell in detail.

In such an atmosphere, it's really hard for a group to develop any hostile grudges.

Well, Draco and Harry aren't included.

Even though Hermione established a normal communication atmosphere when she helped Percy set up the Quidditch dueling training base, Harry and Draco were still like competitive roosters, always full of hostility whenever they met.

George and Fred are currently placing a bet on who will win if these two competitive roosters face off in the Triwizard Tournament.

The stakes are the stock of gag toys and candies.

Crabbe finally found Professor Lockhart.

He was currently by the campfire in the Forbidden Forest Mushroom House, boiling water to make tea, surrounded by several professors.

"Oh? You're Lockhart's student?" Professor Flitwick, the headmaster of Ravenclaw, pushed up his thick glasses and exclaimed, "You look really good right now."

good?

Crabbe looked down at himself. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and the chubby little thing he had raised had disappeared because he had been starving for too long. His skin was sunburned and red, but he didn't feel that anything was wrong with him.

But it seems that many people say this.

"Yes, Crabbe, you look like you've been on a great adventure!" Professor Kettleburn was very interested in this, looking him up and down with a regretful expression. "It's a pity I don't see any wounds. These are the badges of an adventurer."

Oh~

No way!

Crabbe didn't want to end up like Professor Kettleburn, missing two legs and an arm.

Lockhart looked at Crabbe with a smile. He knew better than anyone what changes had occurred in Crabbe's state: his magical bloodline had been deeply awakened, his spirituality had become active and clear, and his heart had been tainted by the world, thus filled with abundant and profound emotions.

This is a kind of spiritual activity that any discerning wizard could see at a glance.

Just like Newt, Professor Trelawney, and Luna.

"It seems you've found your own direction." Lockhart was pleased with Crabbe's journey. "Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

He gestured for Crabbe to sit down and poured him a cup of black tea.

"I want to become a therapist, Professor, you know that," Crabbe said sincerely. His simple mind made it difficult for him to understand the difference between "the professor instructing him to become a therapist" and "his own firm desire to become a therapist."

As for my thoughts—

Crabbe hesitated for a moment, then finally looked up at Lockhart seriously. "Professor, I want to study Potions!"

ohh~

Lockhart looked at him with surprise. "This is not easy for you."

Crabbe's thoughts drifted back to the land of Africa, back to the time when the child cried over his father's corpse, back to the mountains littered with corpses, forced to leave their homes by mudslides—

He nodded vigorously. "I want to learn!"

Then she added, "Any healing potion! Lots of people need this!"

Lohat nodded. Desire is the best path to magic, and no one can directly deny anyone's achievements.

He knew another equally dim-witted child, Neville Longbottom, whose memory was severely impaired because his grandmother had to use numerous forgetting spells on him after he witnessed his parents being tortured in his childhood.

This child, however, eventually became the professor of herbalism at Hogwarts.

"A healing potion—"

Lockhart frowned in thought. "Perhaps I can recommend you to Mrs. Pomfrey?"

He wasn't quite sure if Mrs. Pomfrey would accept it, as he had virtually no connection with her.

"Madam Pomfrey will be very busy during the Triwizard Tournament," Snape, who had been sitting quietly pondering, suddenly spoke up, gazing intently at Crabbe. "I'll teach you!"

Lockhart was taken aback. He knew all too well how much Snape loathed those dull students, and couldn't help but jokingly offer a heads-up, "Teaching Crabbe isn't an easy task!"

Snape didn't mind. "As long as he truly desires it from the bottom of his heart and bravely embarks on the adventure, magic will bloom in him. That's what you said."

Yes.

Lockhart smiled and nodded.

Crabbe didn't stay with the professors for long. He didn't feel uncomfortable around Lockhart because of the other important figures, but Professor Kettleburn, like a kind old man, recommended some fried insects to him. After a couple of bites, he couldn't stand the hunger in his stomach any longer.

He wants to go eat something!

These insects smell delicious, but they're just a small snack to satisfy your cravings; they won't fill you up at all.

The little golden retriever stayed behind, excitedly jumping onto Lockhart's shoulder, and pulled out an eyeball carved by Crabbe from a burl of some kind of magical tree that could be used to make wands, sharing his new collection with him.

"I'm discussing with Dumbledore and Grindelwald the plan to make the Triwizard Tournament a regular event."

Lockhart shared inside information with several professors.

"Given that the competition is held every five years and lasts for almost an entire academic year, I don't think that students and professors traveling back and forth is the best solution, and it will also affect normal teaching tasks."

"I think each event venue should have its own fireplace, so that students and professors can use the fireplace to get to the competition venue when they are in class and living at their own schools."

"Another advantage of this is that the campus hosting the event won't suddenly have so many outsiders, making it easier to manage."

Snape scoffed. "They won't agree."

Professor Kettleburn was taken aback. "That sounds like a good idea. I've heard that Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have both implemented educational reforms, and students can no longer directly attend Hogwarts."

"With fewer potentially malicious individuals in the school, there's less need for so many Ministry of Magic staff to be present—" Snape said in his characteristically sarcastic tone. "And such an overly mundane competition format isn't enough to attract the attention of the wider community."

Pursuing a sense of ritual is really important.

It can fully mobilize all the forces that are normally difficult to mobilize.

"A sense of ritual?" Professor Flitwick pondered the meaning of this word. Compared to other professors, he, a half-wizard and half-elf, really considered many things. For example, he would try his best not to get involved in things like dealing with Voldemort.

He actually figured it out: "Isn't this exactly the scope of Professor Lockhart's 'fairy tale' theory?"

From the very first time Lockhart taught his class and had Harry and Draco demonstrate, he noticed this extremely unique way of enhancing magical abilities.

In fact, despite the vast array of magic in the wizarding world, making it impossible for any single wizard to master it all, there are very few ways for a wizard to enhance their magical power.

So few as to be almost nonexistent.

Either it's due to reasons like "pure-blood" or "hybridization with magical creatures" that they are born strong, and this is the foundation of the bloodline theory in the wizarding world.

Either they possess exceptional talent, coupled with proper education and training, allowing their talents to flourish. This is why magic schools are so important in wizarding society.

Finally, there's life experience. Human wizards gradually become stronger as they accumulate life experience. However, this method isn't universally applicable. Most people in this world are mediocre, and their unremarkable and ordinary lives result in increasingly mediocre magical power.

Therefore, by observing everything from the perspective of the two major magical systems of fairies and wizards, Professor Flitwick can more clearly see just how valuable Professor Lockhart's "fairy tale" theory really is.

"Grand, spectacular, attracting everyone's attention, and eagerly anticipated —"

He gestured with his arms, using various adjectives to describe the event, saying, "This kind of competition is what makes it the most fun fairytale adventure!"

Yes.

This is also why Lockhart didn't argue with Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

He himself has moved from the fairytale approach of "grand ceremony" to the everyday, building an order with "home" as a wonderful atmosphere, but the students still need this deliberate approach.

have to say.

Lockhart's fairy tale theory has had a profound impact on the world, especially on Hogwarts, where he conducted real-life simulations during his time teaching. Now, almost all the professors are eager to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, partly due to this consideration.

Especially Snape, who went to Beauxbatons in pursuit of a new life, followed me here because he understood this better than anyone else—this Triwizard Tournament is absolutely crucial for the so-called "new era"!

Just as the professors were discussing the venue for the competition, two students came over.

"Huh? Where's Crabbe? He was just looking for Professor Lockhart." Fred looked around but couldn't see anyone.

"He just came by and went back." Lockhart smiled at them. "What brings you here? Don't tell me you broke Hogwarts rules and Professor McGonagall wants to talk to me about it?"

"No, no," the twin brothers quickly shook their heads in denial.

"Actually, we have a piece we'd like to show you." George pulled a black stone from his wizard's robe pocket; it looked like some kind of alchemical work.

"This is your investment in our pranks—I mean, the inventions in our lab."

After Lockhart's guidance, the two brothers no longer focused solely on prank toys. They re-examined the unfinished inventions that Lockhart had previously invested in and actually found some valuable things.

George stretched out his hand and placed the stone in his palm.

The professors looked at it; the stone was dark, with a faint purplish-blue glow, and it was an irregular hexahedron.

Fred pulled a large suitcase from his wizard's robe pocket; he had clearly violated the "Unseen Stretching Charm," but the professors didn't seem to care.

The suitcase was open and placed on the ground, inside which were some rough wooden parts that looked somewhat like armor.

"Domestic armor, get out there and get to work!"

George chanted some nonsensical incantation, and the stone in his hand floated up, emitting a blue-purple glow. The wood in the suitcase began to shake, and then pieces flew towards the stone one by one.

Like a jigsaw puzzle, it was drawn together by stones to form the shape of an armor, the only problem being that the armor's arm was holding a large broom.

It started sweeping the floor.

Professor Flitwick was the first to applaud. "Nice, a wonderful combination of Transfiguration and Complex Charms!"

Snape, however, was dismissive. "The effort you've wasted on it is less than what you'd put into a broom with an Animation Charm; the effect would be about the same!"

like----

That's right.

Professor Flitwick was momentarily embarrassed, but still retorted, "Hey, Severus, we can't dampen the children's enthusiasm!"

Snape chuckled coldly. "If you knew how many Galleons Gilderoy had spent on these two brothers, you'd understand why I despise this thing so much. Look, it's clearly more cumbersome, sluggish, and utterly inflexible than a broom with an Animation Charm!"

Yes, that's why the twins weren't presentable before. They looked too clumsy and dull. In fact, this "domestic armor that sweeps the floor" will become stiff after moving around for a while, and eventually the entire armor will take shape and become a large figure.

"Yes, it's a work in progress." Fred wasn't surprised by Professor Snape's sarcastic remark.

"But we made an interesting improvement to it!" George proudly pulled another stone from his pocket. It looked almost the same, except that it shone with more red and orange hues.

"It also has an activation charm!" Fred drew his wand, pointed it at the stone, and chanted, "I love my home!"

ohh~

Lockhart finally reacted, marveling at the magical power Fred had generated—a power that subtly carried the rhythms of "blood magic" and "mutual dependence" magic.

Although not many.

But clearly, they did learn something from the "relationship magic" they were taught.

Soon, the black stone that was gleaming with light floated up.

Stones, grass clippings, dead branches, and other miscellaneous objects began flying towards the stone.

They were quickly assembled by being pulled by stones, and soon became a house with windows.

Bang~!

The house had fallen to the ground, and every part of it was shaking as if it were about to break apart again, rubbing and colliding with each other, like a living thing.

But just like the "domesticated armor" mentioned earlier, it will stabilize after a while.

George and Fred didn't stop.

They continued to pull such stones from their pockets and cast spells, creating house after house in mid-air, each house having a different shape and style.

Then let them fall and pile up, like building blocks, layer by layer.

After being built to more than a dozen stories, the entire building began to shake, clearly requiring considerable patience to wait for it to become sturdy and stable.

Several professors stood up and looked up.

Lockhart's expression was strange. "This is—the Burrow?"

The Weasleys' house.

Well, it should be called an enlarged version, the Humble Abode Plus.

"It's clearly time for it to shine!" George exclaimed excitedly, gesturing to the famous piece.

"Yes, to solve the accommodation problem for the event, each room has been enchanted with a Seamless Stretch Charm. Don't be fooled by its small size; there are three or four rooms inside!" Fred patted the wall, causing the entire building to shake slightly again.

"Interesting!" Professor Kettleburn seemed to really like the product. "If I had had this house-building magic stone before, I wouldn't have had to hide under trees or fight with bears for caves every time I went out."

Snape stopped mocking. This way of stacking houses wasn't just the Burrow; his house in Spider's End also had a strangely shaped floor added to the roof, where he had lived since he was a child.

Gazing at the house before him, his eyes seemed somewhat dazed, as if he were also thinking of his childhood home.

"There are no stairs," he commented. "But that's okay, everyone can use the flying broom to enter and exit from the balcony."

Lockhart exclaimed in admiration, "You want to provide this for this competition? I can recommend you to Dumbledore."

"No need, you'd better not get involved." Fred said, rubbing his hands together somewhat awkwardly. "We're planning to sell this, not offer it for free."

George nodded. "Yes, we've spent too much money. It's time to bring out the product and make a profit."

We plan to sell or rent these directly to contestants and spectators, who can use these Philosopher's Stones to create their favorite house designs. Hogwarts has plenty of space to house these houses.

It seems that it is not impossible.

This thing is much better than the magical tents used in the Quidditch World Cup.

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