allendalepharm Chapter 298 'Lockhart Book Club'
Chapter 298 'Lockhart Book Club'
Chapter 298 Lockhart Book Club (Part 1)
Voldemort's appearance plunged the entire office into an indescribable, deathly silence.
Lockhart and Voldemort were chatting and laughing there, yet the air seemed thick with an indescribable sense of suffocation.
Although Snape and Lupin were not yet at the level of magic masters, they could still sense a faint, ominous, and mysterious magical fluctuation.
The two people who were laughing and joking in front of you are now attacking each other!
Using a spellcasting method they can't understand!
They stared at each other in silence, utterly horrified!
Lockhart felt awkward. He and Old Volt had initially tried to sabotage each other, but after a while, neither side could gain the upper hand, and they were stuck in a stalemate.
No one wanted to back down first.
He desperately hoped that Snape and Lupin would say something to break the awkward silence.
In the end, they were just standing there dumbfounded, their wands as useless as fire pokers.
Fortunately, a series of hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the office.
"professor!"
"Something's happened!"
They were already calling anxiously outside before the person even arrived.
The man who arrived was Percy Weasley, the increasingly steady apprentice, who was now clutching a piece of paper, his face flushed with excitement.
The office door was ajar, and he rushed in, only to be met by Voldemort, who was elegantly reclining beside his desk.
"Gah—"
His face turned pale instantly. He swallowed hard, and the habit he had developed at the Duel Club made him instinctively draw his wand first, before noticing Professor Lockhart, Professor Snape, and Professor Lupin standing to the side.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Lockhart broke the office silence with a laugh.
"Yes—yes—" Percy tried his best not to look at the translucent, ghost-like figure of Voldemort, shouting in his heart that he didn't see it, but he still couldn't speak, his teeth chattering.
Until he saw Lockhart's smiling face, gentle, calm, and composed.
He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, a little color returning to his pale face. Looking down at the letter, he quickly said, "As you know, I've been contacting Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to establish Quidditch dueling training teams, and I've been keeping in touch with some students at those schools."
Lohat nodded, signaling him to relax.
Percy handed over the letter. "It's from Beauxbatons. There are several student groups there called the Lockhart Reading Club, and they're preparing to organize to drive out Principal Orim Maxim."
"They claimed that Mrs. Maxim could not be allowed to remain at the school, and they even compiled a list of professors 'abandoned by the new era,' intending to expel them from the school as well."
"How is this possible?" Lupin walked over curiously, expressing his incomprehension.
He couldn't imagine that Harry, Ron, Hermione, or even the more outstanding students of the previous generation like James, Sirius, Lily, Bellatrix, Lucius, and so on, would gather together and intend to expel Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and others from Hogwarts.
It's absurd to even think about.
Snape, however, expressed his understanding, saying, "Compared to the mischievousness of the Hogwarts students, the Beauxbatons students are full of rebellion and freedom, and—"
Moreover, the principal and professors at Beauxbatons weren't that great either.
Of course, it would be a bit inappropriate to say this in front of Percy, a student.
Lockhart whistled, finding the whole thing amusing. He took the letter and read it; the contents were pretty much what Percy had said, and it seemed that it wasn't just "what we planned," but that they had already begun to act.
His focus differed from others; he pointed with great interest to a few words on the letter: "Abandoned by the new era?"
The reason given for expelling the professor was quite unusual.
Percy clearly couldn't answer that question; he wasn't exactly well-informed about the outside world.
"Okay, I'll handle this. You focus on your exam."
Lockhart looked at Percy, "The professors are really looking forward to your results in the Ultimate Wizarding Level exams. Put those things aside for now."
Percy is one of the very few students to achieve straight A's in all 12 of the regular wizarding exams. Before him was his older brother Bill Weasley, and then Barty Crouch Jr. a decade or so ago.
Rarely seen, he was the pride of all the professors, and everyone had high expectations for him.
Percy's lips moved, but he finally nodded and said respectfully, "Professor, I will not let you down."
The Duel Club has many members, but only Harry and Draco, Crabbe and Percy were ever personally taught one-on-one by Lockhart.
They considered themselves special.
After Percy left, Lockhart waved the letter in his hand. "I'm planning to go to Beauxbatons to see what's really going on. Do you want to come with me?"
The two people in front of him were going to Beauxbatons with him next school year, so he was naturally concerned about the situation there.
Lupin hesitated for a long time before finally shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I have to take charge of the final exams, so I can't leave right now."
Snape was the same, and with the potion being prepared on the table, he couldn't do without it either.
"An irresponsible professor~"
Voldemort grumbled from the side, giving Lockhart a disdainful look. "You're a professor too, aren't you? Don't you have to be responsible for final exams?"
No matter how evil the Dark Lord was, even if he treated Hogwarts like his own Voldemort, he still couldn't stand Lockhart's irresponsible behavior.
Lockhart chuckled, looking relaxed. "Boggart can handle these things perfectly."
Mentioning this made the expressions of the people in the office turn strange.
Breeding dark magical creatures is a particularly evil discipline. Even with the basilisk, which has ties to Hogwarts, people generally believe that those who breed dark magical creatures are dark wizards.
Evil god sacrifices, vengeful mirrors, wishing lamps—in too many wizard bedtime fairy tales, those who do these things are villains.
Lockhart is undoubtedly a master in this field.
The ability to raise a monster like a Boggart, which scares children, into a humanoid creature is a truly chilling skill.
The fairy who died unjustly and was assigned to help with the Ministry of Magic's work ——————
Boggart was assigned to Hogwarts to help with teaching, exams, and even grading assignments.
Lockhart is heading down a path that even modern wizards would find difficult to comprehend.
The flying car soared into the sky, leaped through the clouds, and sped towards Beauxbatons.
The two schools are not far apart; Hogwarts is in the Scottish Highlands, while Beauxbatons is nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains (the border mountains between France and Spain).
Meanwhile, Professor Audrey Flamel, the etiquette professor who held the equivalent of Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts, had already contacted them in advance via Muggle phone and was waiting outside the school.
Beauxbatons also possessed powerful castle magic, and without permission, he couldn't find the school's location even after flying across the entire mountain range.
"Gidero~"
Professor Audrey Lemaître jogged to the car, thrilled to see her idol again.
She was initially a Lockhart fan, just like everyone else, until Lockhart wrote Voldemort's biography, at which point she became a complete fanatic, and then she was utterly captivated by him in their subsequent correspondence.
"You shouldn't have come at this time. I asked Editor-in-Chief Skeeter (Rita) to remind you of the seriousness of this matter."
She was very worried.
Then they saw Voldemort emerge from the passenger seat, his eyes widening in terror.
"He—he—he's dead?"
Audrey was incredulous; she had actually seen Voldemort's ghost.
"Oh no, he's still being held by Dumbledore. You can think of him as a shadow."
Lockhart casually explained, "Families who are overwhelmed with grief can often see the figures of the dead through some magical items, similar to the Mirror of Eris, but instead of relying on magical items, they use some magical power."
I have tried my best to explain the principles in a simple and thorough way.
Miss Audrey expressed her incomprehension.
Miss Audrey was deeply moved.
She wanted to say that it was best not to let other people in the school see Voldemort near Lockhart, but after opening her mouth, she didn't say anything.
Perhaps Lockhart had his own reasons.
Lockhart has no reason to consider anything.
He simply doesn't care; yes, he doesn't care what others think.
His abilities have reached a point where he can disregard others' opinions and others must respect his.
Everyone has to get used to this.
Just because he has a charming, perfect smile and a friendly demeanor doesn't mean we should treat him like Dumbledore and bully him.
Lockhart and Voldemort made some deals in the car.
First and foremost, there must be mutual respect. Voldemort cannot pop out of his wand when he is taking a shower, using the toilet, or having a private conversation with others; he must respect privacy.
Secondly, he allowed the other's existence. Voldemort promised not to cast spells on anyone, even if Harry Potter was right next to Lockhart, in exchange for Lockhart not trying to stop him from appearing as a ghost.
"What exactly happened in Beauxbatons?"
Lockhart told Audrey to ignore Voldemort and focus on the current problem.
The two soon arrived at a magic fountain, where flowers held aloft by two cherub sculptures sprayed out of the fountain arch, revealing a doorway in the middle.
They stepped into the pool, walking on the moss-covered stones, and a magnificent castle came into view.
Unlike the majestic and mysterious style of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Castle looks more dreamy, more like the kind of fairytale castle that little witches would like.
At first glance, the surrounding hills rise and fall, dotted with magical fountains and dwarf huts amidst various woodlands.
Stone chessboards and other magical creations that are both whimsical and luxurious.
"There~"
Miss Audrey pointed to a grove of tall trees not far away, with silvery wisps hanging down, where there was a house with a stone sculpture of a fire dragon coiled on its roof.
"This is the meeting place of Rozier's tea room, the largest Lockhart Book Club student organization," where they are discussing plotting to expel the principal and some professors.
As she spoke, she said with a sense of helplessness, "I can't even wait for the exams and the break to start in a few days."
Just a few more days until the final exams are over, and Principal Maxime will resign and leave to take up a post at the French Ministry of Magic.
Lockhart was filled with curiosity about all of this. "I've heard that Beauxbatons has very strict rules? Even when eating in the cafeteria, if the principal arrives halfway through your meal, you have to stop and stand up to bow?"
"Yes, this is classical etiquette, and everyone must follow it." Audrey is an etiquette professor, and this is what she is in charge of.
She beckoned Lockhart to her office.
After passing the tallest castle, which served as the main teaching building, we arrived at a three-story building surrounded by vines and flowers, making it difficult to discern its original style.
This little building is very interesting.
There are many elves and fairies flying around in the garden at the entrance. On the left side of the first floor is a reception room, and on the right side is a conference room, where many house-elves dressed in exquisite clothes are having a meeting.
Ascending the stairs to the second floor, Miss Audrey led him to the study, which was more private than the reception room.
The study was surrounded by shelves, which, in addition to densely packed magic books, also displayed exquisite alchemical and magical tools whose uses were currently unknown.
The center is clearly divided into three parts by the color of the floor tiles.
One section contained a huge workbench, seemingly used for making magical items, and next to the workbench was a large refrigerator with a lot of exposed parts and wiring.
One section features a large, seemingly ancient piano, next to which sits a harp emitting a soft glow.
The last part is the desk.
The two sat down at the desk, and a house-elf dressed in a tuxedo brought two cups of coffee, placed them down quietly, and left just as silently.
"Welcome to Nicolas Flamel's cellar." Audrey smiled and picked up her coffee.
This is the name of this three-story courtyard house; each small house has a name.
Lockhart raised an eyebrow, gazing out the window at the rolling mountains and the various small buildings dotting them. "There seem to be a lot of private properties here?"
Audrey nodded. "It's a tradition at Beauxbatons; each pure-blood family has its own little territory here. At some point, as the students' influence grew, their small groups also started to have their own territories."
Speaking of this, she said with a hint of sarcasm, "In this small area, the school can't interfere with their freedom. Of course, if they're hiding here during class time, the etiquette professor has the right to discipline them."
"An interesting tradition."
Lockhart peered around curiously, then astutely grasped the key point of the passage: "A certain period?"
Audrey silently sipped her coffee, gracefully set it down, then picked up a small towel to wipe her mouth before sighing, "Nobody dares to say it, but it was actually the Dumbledore era."
Oh open?
When did Lao Deng have such a profound influence on this school?
"How so?" Lockhart quickly recalled Dumbledore's life, but unfortunately, he didn't know much about Beauxbatons.
"This all started with the ancient Wizarding Council."
Audrey turned and retrieved a double-layered fruit bowl from the shelf, opened the lid, and gestured for him to taste the nuts and biscuits inside. "At that time, the two most powerful forces in the world were the British Wizarding Council and the French Wizarding Council."
Even in an era when the International Wizarding Federation's influence had greatly increased, the two major wizarding councils, through the national ministries of magic, recommended talent to the Federation, still deeply controlled the world.
This is the essence of pureblood intramarriage.
The alliances formed between pure-blood families, giving them immense influence over the Wizarding Council and thus controlling and influencing the Ministry of Magic.
Although the International Wizarding Federation seems to be a higher authority, it is still bound by rules, and all its members can only be recommended by the magic ministries of various countries.
The Malfoy family operates within this system, maintaining a significant influence over the wizarding world.
"The two wizarding councils controlled the world until Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald and became the chief wizard of the International Wizarding Union. Everything changed then."
Miss Audrey continued speaking.
"Even though we all know that the great Dumbledore wasn't that concerned with power, the reality is that—under Dumbledore's leadership, the most influential force in the international wizarding community was the British Wizarding Council."
"In Dumbledore's time," the "Falcon Alliance Wizarding Council" was constantly squeezed in terms of advancement, and everyone was filled with confusion.
"Especially for the new generation studying at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, their living space is shrinking, and every young student must face the difficult question of the future."
"At that time, our pride, Nicolas Flamel, had to stand up and say, 'Read, children, the future is there,' and so book clubs began to appear."
At this point, Audrey took a deep breath and looked intently at Lockhart. "No matter how much Dumbledore proclaims his tolerance for half-bloods and Muggles, the truth is, those who rise to power and influence in national ministries and on the international stage are all pure-bloods!"
"Occasionally, there are a few good mixed-race individuals, but those who are too outstanding are rejected by the group and forced to leave, or they are discriminated against and marginalized, either openly or secretly, and are forced to fight for their living space, to the point that they are described as clowns."
"You, Gilderoy Lockhart, are the only exception!"
Born into a commoner mixed-race family, she rose through the ranks of pure-blood families influenced by the "Allied Wizarding Council" to become a highly influential internationally renowned author.
"This is a victory, a victory that we all feel deeply."
"And so you became a wildly worshipped hero among the students of Beauxbatons."
It's no surprise that "Beauxbatons has over a dozen Lockhart book clubs."
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