allendalepharm Chapter 163 A Boy Eager to Improve
Chapter 163 A Boy Eager to Improve
Chapter 163 A Boy Eager to Improve
Hogsmeade Village has a very unique landscape, nestled among mountains and above the snow line, where it is snowed in year-round.
As you enter the village, you can see that every building is covered in thick snow, and everything in sight is a vast expanse of white.
The next day, Sunday, when Lockhart stretched and carried some herbs to his new home, he instantly fell in love with the two-and-a-half-story pointed-roof house buried in the snow.
He walked around the small building, carefully observing and examining every corner, searching for the most interesting view.
As soon as he circled around to the vicinity of the main entrance, he saw a tall, thin, red-haired senior wizard standing in front of the door, breathing on his hands to warm his nose, which looked a little red from the cold.
"Percy?"
Lockhart looked at the student with some surprise. "How did you find this place?"
Percy Weasley saw him and immediately straightened up, looking respectfully somewhat reserved. He excitedly shouted, "Good morning, Professor Lockhart!" After shouting, he realized that it was probably still early morning and many people in the village were not yet awake, so he quickly shut his mouth, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I……"
"I saw the professor yesterday." Percy realized he needed to answer a question, so he quickly whispered, turned around, rummaged through the thick snow, and gestured with a large bag he was carrying. "My father has some inventions for cleaning equipment; I think you might need them."
P.S.: Percy calls Arthur "father," while the other children call him "dad," so his brothers and sister think Percy is being hypocritical.
Yo ~
A guy who's eager to improve himself.
Lockhart smiled slightly, took out his key, opened the door, and beckoned Percy inside, "Come in and warm yourself by the fire; this village is really cold."
Percy didn't rush inside. Instead, he took the medicine from the professor and helped carry it, then obediently followed behind.
Once inside, he eagerly offered to help light the campfire in the fireplace with his wand, adding firewood with practiced ease.
Regardless of how some classmates viewed him, Percy was always the one who quietly tended the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, and he was very good at doing that.
Lockhart didn't stop him. Seeing how diligent he was, he asked him to help open the package he had brought and throw the herbs into the fireplace fire.
Interestingly, without his prompting, Percy still carefully examined the condition of the herbs and then placed them on the edge of the fireplace so that they would be roasted without being directly ignited.
In an instant, some strange purplish-black smoke billowed from the fireplace, carrying a strange, pungent smell, and quickly spread to the surroundings.
"You know how to use it to repel household pests?" Lockhart asked curiously, as Percy's technique was clearly something he had practiced.
Percy quickly turned around, trying his best to hide the smugness on his face, and put on a bright smile. "Yes, Professor, my mother likes you very much. She has a copy of your book, 'Giddro Lockhart's Guide to Getting Rid of Household Pests,' which I used to read often."
Ok……
In fact, Mrs. Weasley was reluctant to let her precious son, Percy, who made her so proud, do any work. And Percy, an ambitious fellow, would never research anything about getting rid of household pests; it was something he had just learned at the last minute after staying up all night.
Of course, his keen observation of life led him to record how his mother put the content of the books into practice, which has greatly helped his current performance.
The book "Giddro Lockhart's Guide to Getting Rid of Household Pests" describes this herb. Although the purplish-black smoke is slightly toxic, it can actually be beneficial to the body if not inhaled excessively.
He remembered this, so even though it stung his eyes and made his eyes water, he maintained an attitude of "I know the trick of staying in this smoke for a while".
Lockhart's expression was somewhat strange, because he had actually done something similar in his previous life, but that was for the purpose of taking the postgraduate entrance exam. At that time, he knew that the choice of his supervisor was more important than his own grades, and he naturally wanted to show off as he longed to change his life.
Like the boy in front of me, he was deliberate and clumsy in his performance, but full of sincerity.
"Very good!" He smiled and patted the shoulder of the eager young man in front of him, giving him affirmation and kindness, just like the mentor he had met years ago whom he respected.
The purplish-black smoke quickly took effect.
All sorts of strange little insects crawled out of the seemingly empty house, avoiding the smoke as they crawled along the open windows and doors.
Lockhart beckoned Percy to wait outside, scrutinizing the young man with some curiosity. After a moment's thought, he said, "I understand your aspirations, but I'm sorry, Percy, I may not be of much help to your future career in the Ministry of Magic."
These blunt words immediately made the still somewhat immature boy blush.
But Lockhart continued speaking, and he no longer treated Percy with the same gentle persuasion and persuasion he used with second-year wizards like Harry and Draco, communicating with him in a more direct and unreserved manner.
This is a form of respect—respect for a student who is beginning to break away from student thinking—and an affirmation of their maturity.
Then they are told the harsh reality: kids, welcome to the terrible adult world.
"Actually, I don't think you'll have much of a future in the Ministry of Magic. Wizard politics has always been a game of representatives of different groups, and you were born into the Weasley family, which is despised by most of the Twenty-Eight Holy Pure-Blood Families for 'betraying the interests of the group.' Your path forward will be full of all sorts of invisible barriers."
"If you really want to make a career in the Ministry of Magic, your only chance is to take over your father's job, but I'm afraid you won't live to see that day. Arthur looks young and energetic; he can work for at least several more decades."
"I can put in a good word for you with Fudge, but it won't really be of much use. Even if Fudge is willing to help you, he won't assign you any job beyond clerical work."
Percy's face showed a mix of confusion, struggling anger, and suppressed resentment, which then turned into sadness and disappointment, eventually transforming into a bitter, forced smile.
"Am I left with no way out?"
"Yes," Lockhart said with a smile, offering guidance. "The Auror path is one way to advance, from Chief of Staff of the Auror Office to Wizengamor to Minister for Magic. It's the most secure promotion route in the Ministry of Magic. When the situation is turbulent and a tough figure is needed to lead the Ministry, people will naturally tend to consider supporting a pragmatist like the Chief of Staff of the Auror Office."
"Joining international organizations is also an option, but that requires you to achieve remarkable success in a certain area."
"For example, our headmaster, Dumbledore, published his papers in many academic journals during his studies, won the Barnabus Finkley Award for Outstanding Spellcasting, became the British youth representative of Wizengamot, and won the Gold Medal for Pioneering Contribution at the Cairo International Alchemy Congress, and so on."
"At this point, he will naturally come into the view of major organizations and have access to opportunities that ordinary young wizards do not have access to."
"He quickly established frequent correspondence with the most famous magicians of the time, including Nicolas Flamel, Adebbe Wolflin, and Gershard Machiban..."
"Once you've accumulated enough experience and prestige, you can consider joining the Ministry of Magic. At that time, you will have the support of international organizations, social circles, and the International Wizarding Federation. This is also a path to becoming the Minister of Magic."
(End of this chapter)