allendalepharm Chapter 255, Project Team 3
Chapter 255, Project Team 3
Chapter 255 The Third Project Team
There will always be some conspiracy theories in this world.
For example, wasn't the recent movie incident, or even the previous attack on the Ministry of Magic by wizards and Muggle armies, orchestrated by Grindelwald after his release from prison?
After all, who could understand better than Grindelwald how Dumbledore would react to this?
For example, if that's really the case, did Dumbledore really not know that Grindelwald was up to something?
Then, by taking advantage of the situation, Voldemort, such an extremely dangerous dark wizard, was completely pushed to the opposite side of the wizarding community.
After all, who understands Grindelwald better than Dumbledore?
These conspiracy theories...
That's none of Lockhart's business, and it's not within the scope of his thinking.
His concept of "fairy tales" has never focused on the truth of the world, but rather on the immutable, universal, and fundamental laws contained in the "appearances".
By grasping the underlying principles, the past, present, and future of this world will become clear and understandable.
This is called the One Way, which cannot be spoken of and need not be spoken of. One only needs to observe its subtle features in the space between nothingness and existence.
Fairy tales are not the reality of the world, but they are the laws of the world; they are merely Lockhart's definition.
Just like the "love" in Dumbledore's magical philosophy, Lockhart's "fairy tale" focuses more on experience, process, and the journey itself. While fully engaging one's initiative, it does not seek the outcome but waits for the magic to unfold naturally.
Simply put, Lockhart doesn't care whether there will be a war between wizards and Muggles, or even a war that could destroy the entire planet.
War is a thrilling experience.
Even without war, it's still a wonderful experience.
Just enjoy the process.
So, quite subtly, at the beginning of this "new era of Dumbledore," when everyone was at a loss, Lockhart was the most composed.
The London mansion was noisy for two whole days, with people quietly leaving and others quietly arriving.
I don't know when it started, but Lockhart became someone who was needed.
Thus, a certain issue naturally arose.
"The Ministry of Magic recommended me to the International Wizarding Federation?"
Lockhart, somewhat bewildered, faced a group of people chattering and clamoring to recommend him for the International Wizarding Federation. He glanced around and looked at Fudge, "What do you mean?"
Fudge was startled and hurriedly waved his hands. "No, of course not. You know me, I've always respected your choices. Of course, I mean, if—"
He hesitated somewhat before saying, "If you have such thoughts, the British Ministry of Magic will fully support and recommend you."
The International Wizarding Federation is a very special organization. It is above the national ministries of magic and has supreme authority, but its members must be nominated by the national ministries of magic to enter.
No other organization, not even powerful ones like the Order of Merlin, the Wizarding Council, or the Apothecary Guild, has the right to send talent to the Federation.
"Yes, Mr. Lockhart, a master of magic like yourself is certainly qualified to participate in the Federation—" Professor McGonagall's nephew, Mr. Urquhart, who had just arrived today, heard the discussion and joined in.
Lockhart shook his head. "I'm not interested in politics."
"You don't have to participate in the 'High Council.' The International Wizarding Union has too many departments that suit you," Mr. Urquhart, who was already a member of the Union, explained the organization's internal workings to Lockhart.
The Department of Education manages magic schools around the world.
The Quidditch Committee manages the tournament worldwide.
Auror Liaison Office —
International Task Force—
And so on and so forth, the names are numerous and varied.
If Lockhart is interested, he has plenty of departments to choose from.
But he just shook his head.
He knew that these people actually hoped he would step forward and stand in front of Dumbledore.
We will protect and safeguard them.
This is understandable; the weak seek the protection of the strong, and they crave a pillar of support.
Lockhart also knew that despite the large number of people who had come here at this time, not many were truly willing to become his subordinates.
He has not yet accomplished anything to build enough prestige, nor has he conveyed his "political ideas" to the outside world to gain people's recognition. He has merely demonstrated his strong power, giving these people a glimmer of hope.
Like I said, no rush.
He wasn't in a hurry at all.
He could wait for those who had instigated him to join the Federation to hurry up and make them think carefully about what they could do to gain his protection.
We'll have to see if he's willing to take it then.
He doesn't necessarily need to build his own power base and have a title like "Order of the Phoenix," "Saints," or "Death Eaters."
Compared to these scheming and despicable people, Lockhart's true base actually consisted of his students.
These students are quietly blossoming everywhere.
The Christmas holidays passed by quietly, and no matter what major events happened in the wizarding world, the young wizards had to take the train to school on this day to continue their studies.
The young wizards were clearly unaffected by the world situation; on the train back to school, they were filled with people excitedly sharing their holiday stories.
Among them, the most eye-catching were the Weasley twins, George and Fred.
During the holiday, they used Professor Lockhart's investment to travel all over Northern Europe, returning with bags full of stuff, looking incredibly conspicuous.
These twins always have so many whimsical ideas, and they created a lot of interesting inventions during their school years alone.
Many of them are truly amazing.
Lockhart, however, was still not satisfied with this performance and hoped they could develop further.
Just look at the works sold by the Weasleys Magical Tricks Shop, which they will run in the future, and you'll find that their inventions are always impromptu and roam freely in countless fields.
Curse-related candies include a series of quick-acting skip-class candies such as spit-out candy, coma flower candy, nosebleed nougat candy, fever candy, and hemorrhage beans.
In terms of direction of deformation, such as canary egg biscuits and chubby toffee.
Magical items, such as anti-spell hats, quick-response quill pens, and automatic inkjet quill pens...
Mechanical items, such as reusable handpieces and boxing binoculars.
Gunpowder-based weapons, such as Weasley's whistling fireworks, decoy bombs, and stealth smoke grenades.
Magical creature breeding, such as Pygmy Bodhi.
There are too many medicine-based products, such as Wonder Woman (a powerful aphrodisiac) and a ten-second anti-pussy agent.
So many that one might believe George and Fred could have made remarkable achievements in any field of invention.
But that's precisely where the problem lies.
George and Fred's studies in various subjects always remain at the basic level. Their curiosity and mischievousness allow them to master the fundamentals of each subject well, but this overly frivolous mindset also prevents them from truly delving into any particular field.
If they are allowed to continue like this, they may become very famous prank toy experts, but they will never reach the level of masters, let alone reach the most dazzling and fascinating peak.
Go and create those truly amazing inventions that even wizards would call miraculous.
The Philosopher's Stone, the Vanishing Cabinet, the Time-Turner, the three Deathly Hallows, and the Sorting Hat go without saying.
Lockhart didn't even know if George and Fred could have created magical artifacts like the flying car invented by their father Arthur, or the family status synchronization clock, following the original trajectory.
He never commands or dictates what the other party must do, nor does he intend to cultivate them into arms dealers with a perverse sense of humor. Instead, he pours cold water on them, making them face the reality that they are still very weak, and then provides them with ample funds to seek the future they desire.
There's only one requirement.
That means even if the Ministry of Magic saw the finished product, they would feel that they should spend money to support such an expert.
Just like Lupin's father, Lyle, he was kept in the Ministry of Magic's special department for nurturing experts.
George and Fred are full of energy.
Their older brother Percy was already training an army under the guise of a competition, and their younger brother Ron was compiling the most unique Hakimi language in wizarding history. They didn't want to lose face in front of Percy and Ron.
The two-week Christmas holiday was enough for them to come up with a good idea.
"Domesticated armor?"
Upon arriving at the school, the two brothers approached Professor Lockhart and explained their ideas, leaving Lockhart completely bewildered.
He didn't quite understand what kind of strange combination of words it was.
The three chatted as they walked, passing through a corridor. George strode forward, gesturing with both hands to a set of knight's armor displayed in the corner of the corridor, "Armor!"
Fred drew the knight's sword from his armored hand and, mimicking the way the armor was arranged, stood in an empty space on the armor rack, striking a pose like a statue.
"If a bad guy sneaks into the house..."
George spoke in a very mysterious tone.
"Beep beep beep," Fred said, making a sound that resembled an electronic tone from a Muggle toy.
He exclaimed, "Enemy spotted! Enemy spotted!"
As he spoke, he moved his body like a Muggle doing a robot dance, performed a beautiful sword flourish, jumped down from the stand, and swung and slashed wildly in front of him.
"Armor like that of a house-elf!" George gestured with his hands, introducing it with great pride.
Lockhart understood. "Treasure Guardians? An invention similar to gargoyles?"
Gargoyles are the most classic magical creations for guarding homes, castles, and treasures, and there are many similar things in wizarding history.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also has this feature, such as the stone piers guarding the school castle that Professor McGonagall so longed for.
Or those powerful, oversized wizarding chess pieces that Professor McGonagall made when Harry was in his first year.
In fact, if that Wizard's Chess set were actually shown at the school, Professor McGonagall would at least earn the title of a master of magical artifacts.
Imagine having such a flag in your home; it would be enough to deter many threats.
"This requires a very deep understanding of the field of Transfiguration, especially magic like the Animation Charm," Lockhart murmured, stroking his chin.
"Not just gargoyles!" George said smugly.
"Yes, it's not just made into armor because it's cooler than gargoyles!" Fred explained. "Wizards can wear this armor when necessary!"
George continued, "It will assist the wizard in battle without affecting the wizard's spellcasting. When attacking with weapons, the bad guys will never expect that the wizard can still cast spells inside! If necessary, it can also be used to escape with the wizard's exhausted body."
Fred thumped his chest, making a booming sound, "Choose the fur and feathers of magical creatures."
It can negate a large portion of common magical attacks!
"It's also very effective in daily life," George said excitedly. "People who are missing limbs can live with it, just like a normal person!"
"Yes, in daily life it can help its lazy master exercise and stay active." Fred gracefully sheathed his longsword in the armored hand on the shelf. "In battle, we can use it as a cage to lock the bad guys inside!"
"...
They took turns speaking, getting more and more excited as they recounted this great invention, believing it would be an essential item for wizards in the future, as important as house-elves.
Lockhart listened with great interest, occasionally marveling at their ingenious ideas, and even began to look forward to their invention.
"Very well, gentlemen Weasley, you have convinced me."
Lockhart chuckled as he looked at the two lively brothers and beckoned to them, "Come on, I'll take you to Mr. Filch."
George paused for a moment, "Filch?"
Fred's expression mirrored his own: "Why are you looking for him?"
Lockhart turned around and said with a smile, "Of course, we'll have him help you find an abandoned classroom to use. Are you planning to complete your inventions in your dorm room?"
"Merlin's jelly snot!" George shouted excitedly.
"Professor, you're so kind!" Fred jumped up, waving his hands.
"Don't thank me yet," Lockhart chuckled. "I'll ask Mr. Filch to help me find an empty classroom near Professor McGonagall's office, or near Professor Snape's, so that when you invent something and are being chased by your armor, someone can save your lives!"
"Oh," George exclaimed.
"This doesn't sound like good news," Fred said, looking dejected.
"There's more bad news." Lockhart stopped and looked at the two brothers scrutinizingly, watching them both swallow hard and take a step back.
"I think you should remember my sincere warning about the fact that your knowledge is still insufficient?"
The two brothers nodded pitifully, thinking with some fear that the professor wouldn't make any demands on their grades, as that would put them in a difficult position.
"I won't make any extra demands on your studies; that's your professors' business." Lockhart knew his students all too well, and beckoned them to walk together toward Filch's office.
"I will have someone keep an eye on you. At the same time, I ask you to do your best to encourage the students who are watching you, teach them more, and continue our Duel Club's tradition of 'mentoring newbies'."
As he spoke, he put his arms around the two brothers' shoulders. "Are you alright?"
George, with a long face and the pained expression of someone whose beloved pet had turned into an old man instead of a magical girl, said, "Of course, we'd be happy to."
Fred, looking distressed, said, "Even if they are Slytherin classmates, yes, even if we hate them so much, we will still teach them well."
Lockhart was delighted and burst into laughter.
"I'll call them over later. You can all go and clean up the classrooms we'll be using in the future. Don't let Mr. Filch do everything."
"Them?" George's expression was horrified.
"Not just one?" Fred looked at him with a cruel expression, as if to say, "Professor, you're so cruel."
But soon the two guys, who looked like they'd lost their lives, cheered up, suppressing their excitement by bumping each other's shoulders and punching each other's arms, their eyes full of life.
Because the project team members Lockhart found for them were none other than the school's famous "Gryffindor Quidditch Trio"!
Angelina Jensen, Aria Spinnett, Katie Bell.
Teammates on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
as well as-
Fred is madly in love with Angelina.
Yes, George should be too.
The two brothers look alike, have the same personality, and even share the same taste in witches.
Of course, Lockhart didn't make this arrangement with the thought of "Fred, do you want a wife or not?"
George and Fred were too impulsive, and perhaps they had extremely strong motivation at times, but climbing the ladder of knowledge is always painful and agonizing.
Lockhart was quite certain that the creations of the so-called "Weasley's Magic Tricks Studio" were inventions within the twins' abilities, which were their comfort zone.
But achieving their invention of the "domesticated armor" would undoubtedly be a formidable challenge, requiring a person with a strong personality to support them.
Angelina is exactly that kind of person. She will become the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team in the future, and even someone as individualistic as Harry will obediently listen to her.
He was assertive, decisive, and full of leadership, yet he fully respected the abilities of his teammates, unlike Draco in the later Slytherin Quidditch team who wanted to take all the credit for himself.
Lockhart was full of anticipation for the third project of this dueling club.