allendalepharm Chapter 171 He has something to do!
Chapter 171 He has something to do!
Chapter 171 He has something to do!
Moreover, moreover, moreover...
As the train departed from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the young wizards, now on holiday, excitedly ran around in the aisles outside the carriages, creating a lively scene.
Lockhart sat lazily on the train, chatting with his closest apprentices.
Among the apprentices, Percy was the most proactive, serving tea and water with such respect that even Hermione, who was particularly infatuated with her idol, found it hard to bear.
But they didn't expect there to be other experts.
Draco and Goyle watched Crabbe bustling around with expressions of utter disbelief, finding it hard to believe that this usually idiot guy, who only knew how to eat, would actually take the initiative to do things.
But actually, people are still a little envious of these two.
Professor Lockhart has finished teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so it won't be so easy for the young wizards to receive instruction from this learned professor again. It's conceivable that only these two people will be able to get closer to the professor in the future.
Especially Crabbe.
It is said that Crabbe will be staying by the professor's side all summer.
Percy did want to serve the professor, but his father, Arthur, had won the Daily Prophet's annual award and had planned a month-long family vacation to Egypt during the children's summer break, so he couldn't miss such a family event.
Professor Lockhart also advised Percy to spend more time with his family, and to think about his two older brothers to realize that there wouldn't be many opportunities to live with his family after graduation.
Young wizards are easily influenced by their emotions, especially when it comes to 'separation,' which always brings them a great deal of sorrow.
"Kids, there's no need for that," Lockhart said with a smile, looking at the children around him. "Next year you can visit Hogsmeade Village on weekends. I bought a house there, and you can come and visit me."
Hermione's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "Really?"
Not just her, everyone else was excited.
"Of course, life's journey has only just begun..."
……
And so, as the train arrived at each station, the number of little wizards in the carriages dwindled.
Lockhart and Crabbe got off at a certain station.
Their destination was the magical mansion that the original owner had acquired.
Upon entering, Crabbe busied himself diligently, waving his wand to help clean. Before long, his house-elf Tutu arrived and helped rearrange the house according to Professor Lockhart's wishes.
Tutu is an older house-elf, wearing a rather exquisite little robe with the Crabbe family crest embroidered in gold and purple thread on the back.
This old elf had an interesting tuft of goatee and looked like a reserved and very polite old butler, treating Professor Lockhart, whom Crabbe wanted to rely on, with great respect.
"It doesn't need to be too down-to-earth."
Lockhart didn't mince words when directing the students and their house-elves. "I don't plan to live here anymore. This setup is mainly for a banquet. Tutu, help me move all the portraits on the wall to the warehouse."
Tutu seemed quite experienced. "Professor Lockhart, what kind of banquet do you need? I can help you contact some vendors who supply food and decorations."
"It's a class reunion." Lockhart thought for a moment. "It doesn't need to be too extravagant. Moody doesn't like overly lavish events. Some of our old classmates aren't doing too well either. A too extravagant affair would only create distance between us."
Not every Ravenclaw graduate can achieve the same success as Lockhart, Rita, Mundungus, and Lovegood. Some students who are truly immersed in the ocean of magical knowledge lead rather austere lives.
Of course, no one really looks down on these people. Ravenclaw lets their work speak for itself. No one knows what kind of masterpiece a member might suddenly produce and then reap both fame and fortune.
"I'll take care of it." After tidying up the portrait, TuTu vanished from the house in a phantom-like manner.
Many pure-blood families look down on impoverished families that don't have house-elves. But it's not as simple as just having a few fewer servants. Throughout the long history of wizarding, house-elves have long been an integral part of the lives of pure-blood wizards.
These house-elves, who have been involved in family affairs for generations, sometimes know more about what an ancient family should do than pure-blood wizards.
It can be said that as long as the Crabbe family doesn't lose these house-elves, they won't truly decline.
Of course, there's a premise to this.
That means the family hasn't completely fallen into ruin—at least they still have a castle.
House-elves only appear in castles, which is why Mr. Urquhart wrote to Professor McGonagall for help. The Urquhart family's influence now extends throughout Europe, and they shouldn't necessarily have to remain in their ancestral home, an ancient castle. However, the fact that no castle elves would leave represents a significant loss of family resources.
"Professor, what is a class reunion?" Crabbe asked curiously.
"The Hibiscus Ravenclaw Alumni Association," Lockhart casually explained to him. "The club's meeting times aren't fixed. Aside from the president calling on members, it usually depends on which member is willing to pay for a party and then invite everyone to participate."
"Mutual help is the value of this alumni reunion."
"I invited everyone here today because I need your help with something."
When this was mentioned, his expression turned strange. "I hope what I need their help with won't scare these people away."
The reason he didn't immediately embark on a trip or go to Austria to find Mr. Grindelwald was because he had more important things to do—globally distributing "Voldemort the Mysterious Man: A Pureblood Supremacist with a Muggle Dad?".
It would be most useful to consult these Ravenclaws about this.
But this is not something that can be easily achieved.
Even though the Ministry of Magic has repeatedly denied the rumors that "Voldemort is not dead," people still believe that the Dark Lord is still alive, and selling such books is extremely dangerous.
three days later.
The Hibiscus Ravenclaw Alumni Association was officially held.
As figures emerged from the fireplace, the house began to bustle with activity.
Tutu led a group of house-elves from House Crabbe to serve drinks to each guest, much to the amazement of every Ravenclaw who chased fame and fortune.
Lockhart's development was so rapid that life seemed to have reached a new level in the blink of an eye.
Well, not everyone would be amazed. Mad-Eye Moody stared sharply at the Crabbe family crest on the house-elf's clothes, then went straight to Lockhart, pulled him aside, and said curtly, "Gidero, so you're on the pureblood side now?"
Lockhart chuckled, looking at the stubborn old man, and teased, "Aren't you a pureblood too?"
"You know that's not what I meant!" Moody's demonic eyes darted wildly, glancing intermittently at Vincent Crabbe in the corner behind him. "That's a Death Eater's child!"
"Please, Moody, you can't force us Ravenclaws to take sides without enough incentive. Not everyone needs to be involved in the conflict narrative between Dumbledore and the Mystic."
Upon hearing this, Moody's brows furrowed deeply.
He had already labeled Lockhart a fence-sitter and decided to remain even more vigilant.
In fact, it would be unreasonable for a Gryffindor like him to be at the Ravenclaw reunion. The reason he has been there all this time is partly because of his affection for the club that his late wife founded, and partly because he wants to help Dumbledore keep an eye on this group of seemingly insignificant but very influential Ravenclaws.
At his age, he has long understood that the world is not simply a matter of force.
A fist can subdue someone, but it can't convince someone.
Everything gained and built through the threat of force will be destroyed by those who have suppressed their anger in the past when the threat of force fails, destroying everything, good or bad, causing everything to come to naught.
And the powerful influence of Ravenclaws is enough to guide such people's hearts.
It could be said that if Voldemort and the Death Eaters had the help of Ravenclaws, they might have become positive figures, transforming from the Dark Lord into merely "Dumbledore's political enemy," or even directly portraying Dumbledore as a conspirator like Grindelwald, and then completely whitewashing the Dark Lord into a brave rebel against the mastermind behind the world.
Is this kind of thing difficult?
It's not difficult for Ravenclaw at all.
The only difficulty is that the Ravenclaws are not united and lack a strong leader to guide their will, making them like a pile of loose sand.
Mad-Eye Moody was guarding against this kind of thing, especially Gilderoy Lockhart, who developed at an incredibly fast pace. Just a few years after graduating, he went from an ordinary, low-level half-blood wizarding school graduate to an internationally renowned figure and author.
Moreover, new titles emerge at every gathering: recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class; honorary member of the Anti-Dark Magic League; and a new bestseller whose influence and following continue to expand…
In the past year, it's been even more exaggerated, with his life skyrocketing like a rocket—a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the head wizard of the Bloodline Hall of the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, the industry master status established by "Where Are the Dark Magician Creatures?", and a formidable and terrifying record of fighting against dark wizards...
This person is only 28 years old!
28 years old!
How can anyone feel at ease?
Can you find another person like him among his peers? No, there simply isn't. Even if you were five or fifteen years older, like Lucius Malfoy or Arthur Weasley, no one could compare to his influence.
Does Mad-Eye Moody really not want to shut down this club? Yes, it was founded by his wife. Founding it wasn't easy, but once the relationship is established, closing it isn't so simple either.
If Moody says he wants to close the club, none of these clever Ravenclaws will object, but the next time these same people organize a gathering, the only one who won't be there will be Moody.
He looked at the young man with such vigilance, not wanting him to become the opinion leader of the club.
Unfortunately, things seem to be going in the direction he didn't want.
When Lockhart pulled out the book "Voldemort the Mysterious Man: A Pureblood Supremacist with a Muggle Dad?", everyone was shocked, fearful, or hesitant, but no one wanted to leave.
There is no doubt how terrifying the Black King's name is. Not to mention the author of this book, even the booksellers selling the book may receive death threats.
Even so, everyone was eager to hear what Lockhart had to say, which was exactly what Moody wanted to see.
"I only have two points to make about this book."
Lockhart looked around at everyone, held up one finger, and said, "First, Albus Dumbledore read this book and agreed with its contents. The contents of this book are not made up; every sentence and every word has stood the test of time."
"second!"
"I don't want profit, I only want fame. Whatever profits you make from this book are yours to keep; you don't need to pay me any Galleons."
Hearing this, many people present were tempted.
Most wizards around the world know how popular Lockhart's books are, but only those Ravenclaws present have a rough idea of how much money he can make.
Now, such a huge fortune was laid out before everyone, and even the not-so-greedy Xenophilius Lovegood was tempted. He could say with a clear conscience that he was not greedy, but he couldn't help but think about the potential for growth such a sum of money could bring to the Quibbler magazine, to which he had devoted his life.
Lockhart needs more promotion so that more people can see this book.
The book not only contains content on dismantling Voldemort's support base within the pure-blood faction, but also delves into the study of magic, which will undoubtedly solidify his position.
The title of "Master of Magic" will be forever unquestioned thanks to this book.
How does one acquire status? This is how it comes about.
Fame is sometimes a form of profit, a profit more valuable than Galleons.
Lockhart could think of what Moody could think of, but he had long since moved beyond such lowbrow interests.
He wants more!
There's more that Moody's doesn't understand!
He traveled to this magical world, lived in this era, and continued to follow the magical path of "fairytale adventure," slowly beginning to sense the pulse of this world.
It was an extremely subtle experience.
He certainly hoped to guide this force, but not in some ridiculous power struggle or to gain a higher political status; such things brought him no joy whatsoever.
It's not wonderful at all.
It's not magical at all.
He was simply fed up with Dumbledore and Voldemort's narratives, fed up with the stagnation of this world, fed up with the rigidity of the wizarding world and the foolish future where conflict with Muggles was constantly accumulating and war was inevitable.
If he were to transmigrate into another life and continue living the same life he did in his previous life, drifting along aimlessly, carried along by the relentless wheels of history, oblivious to everything, wouldn't that be a wasted transmigration?
He has something to do!
(End of this chapter)