allendalepharm Chapter 181 Secret Operation Special Agent
Chapter 181 Secret Operation Special Agent
Chapter 181 Secret Operation Special Agent
Lockhart left Crabbe at St. Mungo's Hospital for the Injuries of Magic and Wounds to find ways to help more patients.
He will spend the rest of the summer vacation here, under the care of the healers Straw and Naomi, so there shouldn't be any problems in the hospital.
To guard against any potential repercussions from Voldemort, Lockhart specifically left the red cloak and Boggart with him, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Humans are made of flesh and blood. Putting aside any utilitarian concerns about Crabbe's future assistance, Lockhart also wanted to protect his apprentice based on their mentor-apprentice relationship during this time.
Having lost his parents, he was determined not to follow in his father's footsteps and act as a henchman under Malfoy's command. Now, he truly only had his teacher Lockhart as a close person, whom he treated with the same respect and deference as a father.
There is no such word as "master" in the Wizarding World, but Crabbe truly regarded Lockhart as his master.
This silly child has both a good and a bad side; it all depends on how people guide him.
Lockhart sometimes wondered to himself whether the reason he ended up with Vincent Crabbe and Percy Weasley after a year of studying among so many outstanding students was because he himself was a person with both good and evil.
He didn't know, perhaps this was fate.
Lockhart only knew that his desire to help Snape was genuine, his desire to help the Longbottoms was genuine, and his desire to persecute Tom Riddle was genuine.
Tom.
Here comes the mouse!
Fairy tales, Hogwarts, the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin.
"Tom, this is all I can do for you." Lockhart, looking travel-worn, handed the book "The Eternal Flame of Life" to his favorite student.
"Professor, what's this?" Tom asked, somewhat puzzled.
"That mysterious person..." Lockhart's expression was complicated as he looked down at the spellbook. "Although he seemed to care nothing for human life, he was actually exploring the path of life, which I didn't expect."
He looked up at Tom. "I knew you liked magic in this direction too, so I tried my best to find it."
Tom looked very excited, staring in disbelief at the magic notebook in his hand.
This is the result of my future efforts!
It's so amazing! He only had some ideas, but he never expected to directly obtain the magical book he would write in the future, and have such abundant fruits placed in front of him. What could be more wonderful than this?
"Professor, I..." He looked at the professor who cared about him so much with some apology, and really couldn't bear to deceive him. He decided to confess to the professor that he was the devil the professor was talking about.
But he didn't know how to bring it up. The professor loathed Voldemort so much because this future version of himself had harmed countless lives, destroyed many families, and killed many mothers.
He gripped the magic notebook tightly, looking intently at Lockhart. "Professor, I assure you, although we both walk the path of magic to explore the realm of life, I will absolutely not become like that demon!"
Lockhart smiled gently and patted Tom's head. "Yes, son, that's right. No one can exist in isolation. I know that people in this world are always talking about and searching for themselves, but I want to tell you that 'I' exist between myself and society, between myself and nature, and between myself and all things."
Ancient Eastern culture is difficult for Western shamans to grasp. The Tao is not far from people; it is in everyday life, not a distant, unreachable god. Whether one obeys or rebels against a god, the underlying logic is different. Therefore, "I" can never exist in isolation. If one pursues the self too much without exploring everything outside of the self, one will ultimately lose oneself.
"The self is always the most special. Yes, the self is always the protagonist of one's own life, and we must be very certain of the significance of the self's existence. But, Tom, the self is a boat, and the world is the ocean. Even if the self is so special, the boat cannot be separated from the ocean. The boat benefits from the ocean, and it is also destroyed by the ocean."
"When exploring bloodlines, souls, the physical body, and everything else, never forget everything outside of myself."
Lockhart shared his insights with Tom, telling him to seek understanding, not to blindly believe everything he said, and then to read the Dark Lord's magic notebook.
"I must solemnly remind you."
When this was mentioned, Lockhart's expression became particularly serious. He pointed to the book "The Eternal Flame" in Tom's hand with his finger. "It has a huge flaw, yes, a flaw, but I won't tell you what it is."
He looked at Tom so intently, trying to make sure he was being heard, his gaze deep. "I need you to finish studying this book and tell me the answer."
Seeing the professor's expression, Tom also became serious and nodded earnestly, "Professor, I will not let you down."
"very good!"
"Feel free to write to me anytime if you have any questions. I'm happy to come over during breaks in class to discuss any magical issues with you!"
Discussing magic with Tom is a very difficult thing.
Because Tom is just too talented.
Lockhart was always amazed by Tom's talent. It was the kind of astonishment that came from the other person's casual remark, even though he had pondered for a long time before coming up with an answer that the other person always took for granted. It was also the kind of amazement that came from the other person's perspective that he would never have considered.
With such extraordinary talent, it's no wonder he's known as "the most terrifying dark wizard in history."
In comparison, while Grindelwald may be more sophisticated, his superiority lies only in politics. In terms of magic, Tom would probably be the real winner.
Lockhart was thus forced to delve deeper into the questions Tom had raised, perhaps by seeking out other powerful wizards for discussion, searching for various magical books and materials, or…
Go and put it into practice to draw real conclusions.
You can't practice something on yourself; experiments with the unknown are always dangerous.
Lockhart then approached Fudge and set his sights on the prisoners in the Azka class.
For example, Bella and other Death Eaters.
"You're really researching bloodlines?" Fudge was stunned by Lockhart's request, staring at him in disbelief. "You're not even 30 yet, are you?"
What was he doing in his twenties?
Oh, he amassed political connections by frequenting the clubs of several bigwigs, gained work experience as a junior clerk in the Ministry of Magic, and experienced the stirrings of first love, wandering between a witch and a Muggle woman.
Ambition, pragmatism, desire—he craved it all.
But what about this young man in front of me?
Oh, it seems he has quietly climbed to a position that many wizards can never reach in their entire lives: an internationally renowned author, a powerful magic master, a Hogwarts professor, a Silencer of the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, and the Chief Wizard of the Hall of Bloodlines...
And yet, they were still not satisfied and continued down the path of magic?
Fudge always thought he was giving the other person abundant fruit that suited their status, but he never expected it to be a stepping stone to the next level.
It's reasonable for the chief wizard of the Bloodline Hall to study bloodlines, but looking at the young face of the wizard before him, he found it hard to compare Lockhart with people like Dumbledore, Nicolas Flamel, and Miles.
"I don't know if it's appropriate for me to have a few prisoners for this study, since it does indeed violate..."
Before Lockhart could finish speaking, Fudge interrupted him, "Sure!"
"Um?"
"I mean, I can help you do it." Fudge looked at Lockhart with a complicated expression, then suddenly laughed, a hearty laugh. "Excellent top wizards yearn to reach even greater heights, which is a good thing for the entire wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic will naturally lend a hand, especially since you're one of our own!"
Azkaban's prisoners?
Ha, it would be very difficult for anyone else to do this, not even Scrimgeour, the Auror director in charge of Azkaban prison. Only he could easily make this happen for Lockhart.
"I will be launching a top-secret operation. No one is allowed to access any information on this matter. Of course, if the International Confederation of Wizards initiates an investigation through official documents, our Ministry of Magic will also have to provide some information about this operation."
"I will provide all the legal support for what you do next!"
Fudge drew his wand and cast a spell on one of the walls of the minister's office. Soon, a wall full of cabinets appeared on the wall. He quickly opened one of the cabinets and took out a blank file. He then rummaged through another cabinet and found special ink and a quill pen.
Then, in front of Lockhart, he picked up a pen and wrote down the information for this operation file.
—Secret Investigation into the Truth Behind the Mysterious Man's Resurrection
The structure of this confidential file was extremely complex. Fudge called on Deputy Minister Umbridge to help him construct the document, writing it again and again, until finally extracting two documents signed by both the Minister and Deputy Minister of Magic.
"Identification of Secret Service Agent Gilderoy Lockhart." Fudge handed one of the documents to Lockhart. "I'll take you to Wizengamo later to get an agent's magical badge."
He handed another copy to Umbridge, saying, "You go and give this directly to Scrimgeour later, and then tell him to wait for Gilderoy and me to go and discuss the cooperation between the Aurors and the special envoy's operation."
Lockhart watched in amazement as Fudge smoothly laid out one arrangement after another, actually managing to legitimize his dangerous magical experiments with a few prisoners—legality that was impossible for ordinary people to investigate.
The answer is that it's legal.
Asking again means you're not entitled to more information.
Awesome!
Even Dumbledore couldn't investigate the truth of the matter through official channels unless he intended to use his authority within the International Confederation of Wizards to demand an explanation from the British Ministry of Magic through a formal document.
However, this is bound to provoke hostility and resistance from a large number of employees of the British Ministry of Magic, who will see it as an infringement on the authority of the Ministry of Magic by the International Confederation of Wizards.
Fudge...
She has a heart that doesn't want to be bound.
Lockhart observed Fudge with interest, then suddenly asked curiously, "Minister, did you ever try the 'Head-Soaking Spell' when you were in school?"
Fuki was engrossed in writing when he heard this, paused for a moment, and looked up with some confusion. "Why are you asking this?"
"I suspect you might be very well suited for this spell," Lockhart explained with a smile. "Every spell taught in the spells class at magic school is a starting point. By exploring the path of magic along the direction of the 'Bubble Head Charm,' one can move towards the realm of magic that is free from binding and confinement."
Fudge laughed, finding the young man before him so unique and interesting that his mind was filled with magic at this moment. He shook his head dismissively, "Back in my school days, my roommates organized a trip to swim in the Black Lake. I didn't find it interesting and didn't participate, which is why I never really got to know this magic properly."
With that, he decided not to continue the discussion and continued looking down at the documents.
Umbridge, on the other hand, brightened up and nudged Fudge with her elbow. "Cornelly, I think you should take Professor Lockhart's guidance seriously!"
Fudge frowned at Umbridge with some confusion, only to see Umbridge looking very excited. "I've learned a lot about Professor Lockhart's excellent teaching methods at Hogwarts. Many people say he's very good at discovering a person's potential!"
"Perhaps this magic suits you? Perhaps you can become a master magician?"
Umbridge actually had a clear understanding of whether she could succeed as Minister of Magic—that there was absolutely no possibility of it.
She was even well aware that if a different Minister of Magic were appointed, even if she tried her best to maintain her power, she would inevitably be gradually marginalized.
Therefore, it is beneficial for Fudge to become stronger.
"The Bubble Head Curse?" Fudge looked at Lockhart with some confusion.
"Yes, the Bubble Head Charm. It's about waving your wand while feeling suffocated by the seemingly endless pressure around you, and then finally being able to breathe freely and unaffected by external influences." Lockhart looked at him with a smile.
"Is that so?" Fudge asked thoughtfully.
Umbridge looked at Lockhart expectantly, hoping to receive some guidance on her magical path. To be honest, neither she nor Fudge had pure intentions toward magic, but their magical abilities were actually quite good.
Umbridge believed that his strength was no less than that of some experienced Aurors.
She can easily cast Patronus Charms, including the complete Patronus Charm. Her attack methods are also extremely powerful, with unparalleled skill in casting spells like Stun and Explosion. She even knows Occlumency and Unforgivable. Most importantly, she actually follows an academic path in magic and has a very high level of understanding of magical theory.
But unfortunately...
It's such a pity...
Lockhart didn't even glance at her properly.
Yes, that's always been her way, isn't it? She's considered unworthy of respect by important figures, and even after painstakingly climbing to the position of Deputy Minister of Magic, she's still not taken seriously by many big shots.
Well, that's actually quite normal. She knew that someone as purely political as her was naturally not on the same page as the great wizards who explored the mysteries of magic.
But it's precisely because they're not on the same path that she's more useful to Lockhart.
Fudge couldn't possibly be willing to help Lockhart in everything; he always had to consider Dumbledore's thoughts first. Only he, yes, only she, could prioritize Lockhart without any reservations.
Not urgent.
She told herself that.
Don't rush it, there will be opportunities in the future to let Lockhart see your value.
(End of this chapter)