The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 83: The Adventure Begins: The Old Father's Entrustment

Chapter 84 The Adventure Begins: The Old Father's Testimony (Part 1)

Lockhart felt he had done everything he could to be kind and considerate.

He had never spent so much effort teaching young wizards, from the academic underlying logic of magic to the practical, fairytale-like, romantic understanding of casting spells, even down to the smallest details like the angle of waving a wand.

The correction of the incantation's intonation was meticulously taught until dawn.

He racked his brains for this.

In a physical sense, the intense mental effort throughout the night, mobilizing his brain's memory and drawing on a wide range of sources to make Lyle Lupin understand, made him feel almost completely drained.

The roar in his mind was filled with those dozen or so hysterical shouts, pounding on his already weakened nerves. If it were an ordinary wizard, he would have already triggered the body's self-protection mechanism and fainted.

Even so!

Lyle Lupin still couldn't learn it.

Honestly, Lockhart felt like he had probably learned everything after just one whole night of teaching.

He was just trying to maintain his public image and didn't want to test the effect in front of Lyle, because it would be embarrassing if it failed.

To be honest, his understanding of the "Restore to Human Form Charm" had reached an extremely high level because of this lesson. Sometimes, when answering some of Lyle Lupin's questions, he could even think of the answers himself and give them directly.

Give it your all, bro.

But sometimes that's just how it is; sometimes we have to admit that our abilities are limited—in the original story, Lyle wasn't a magic master; he was just an academic expert like Professor Kettleburn.

Lyle Lupin looked apologetic.

The more Lockhart watched him expectantly as he waved his wand, the more pressure he felt, and the less able he was to cast spells.

Well, he didn't manage to use it even once all night.

"I think I must warn you about this!" Lockhart glanced at the time, his expression unusually serious. "You should be very clear about the difference between learning, mastering, and becoming proficient in magic, right?"

Lyle stared at him blankly, not quite sure why the other person had brought this up.

"I have to leave immediately. I have some urgent business to attend to later. I'm not sure if you'll be able to learn on your own after I leave."

Lockhart gestured to the werewolves in the cage, "But even if you do learn it, please remember my warning: learning is not the same as mastering, let alone becoming proficient. You cannot try to face werewolves just because you know this magic."

The reason why werewolves could repeatedly succeed in attacking wizards, and why Voldemort could use werewolf infection as a terrifying threat, is mainly because werewolves are extremely fast.

It charged forward with terrifying power and deadly poison. At such speed, not to mention the psychological burden, many wizards wouldn't have time to cast any effective spells.

Not to mention, in the complex environment of actual duels, spellcasting ability must be matched with various adaptability skills.

You might even need a bit of luck.

Lockhart's biggest fear is that Lyle, who isn't very good at practical skills, will insist on using the spell remotely, thinking that he can deal with werewolves by using this spell, and then release the werewolf from the cage. That would be a terrible outcome.

In that case, the possible outcome would be that Lyle would finally be able to reunite with Remus and his son, since they are both werewolves and no longer need to be afraid of hurting each other.

Well, it's also possible that Lyle successfully avoided the tragedy of a parent outliving their child, since he died first.

"Don't worry." Lyle, with the expertise of a dark magic creature expert, was deeply moved by Lockhart's earnest advice. "I've spent my whole life dealing with all sorts of dark magic creatures, and I know how terrifying these 'non-beings' are."

He escorted Lockhart all the way to that secluded public fireplace, talking a lot along the way.

His lifelong research on werewolves, and the suffering that befell his son Remus Lupin.

To save his broken family, this bookish nerd with only a little knowledge tried to break through his personality limitations, violating the Ministry of Magic's rules to hide werewolves and breaking the Secrecy Act to find ways to bring those villains from the Muggle world. Heaven knows what kind of mindset he had when he did these things, and how he gritted his teeth and broke through the barriers of his past life.

Upon reaching the communal fireplace, his voice choked with emotion. A grown man, a successful middle-aged academic in the eyes of others, humbly bent down, looking at Lockhart with pleading eyes, "Professor Lockhart, I—I beg you, please help me!"

"Dumbledore said you are a top expert in defense against dark magic creatures."

He had probably never asked for a favor in his entire life. His face was flushed with shame, yet he looked at Lockhart with such urgency and nervousness that he was ready to kneel down and kowtow in gratitude if the other man even said he was willing to give it a try.

"I...I don't know how I can repay you. I know this has nothing to do with you, but I beg you..."

Lockhart sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and looked at him earnestly. "My magical path is destined to lead me to research against dark magical creatures, but Lyle, I can't promise you that. You know, the problem of werewolves has been going on for countless years in the wizarding world. Too many magic masters have devoted themselves to solving this problem but without any results. I can't give you an unrealistic hope."

Lyle's eyes dimmed.

Lockhart smiled brightly at him. "But if you don't mind, could I come visit your lab sometime when I have free time?"

"You agreed?!?!" Lyle exclaimed excitedly, then hurriedly waved his hands frantically. "Oh, I know, I know, I mean, you're welcome, you're always welcome to my lab!"

He watched with anticipation as Lockhart vanished in the fireplace as a green flame, his eyes lingering there for a long time.

There was also someone filled with anxiety waiting for Lockhart at Hogwarts.

Severus Snape.

Even after numerous attempts to dissuade him, Old Spiegel still insisted on leaving with the young wizard at the last minute.

Try to persuade them one more time.

"Gidero, I still don't agree with you taking them on this adventure!"

He seemed to have thought about this matter countless times, and spoke a great deal in a hurried and anxious manner.

With Voldemort frequently appearing and the Death Eaters and other supporters stirring up trouble, taking these young wizards on an adventure seemed like a bad idea to him.

To be honest, this generation of young wizards really can't compare to the previous generation.

Even Nymphadora Tonks, who graduated last year and was immediately accepted into the Auror ranks by the Ministry of Magic after several years of not recruiting Aurors, and even the generally favored outstanding students—Percy Weasley in sixth year, Cedric Diggory in fourth year, and Hermione Granger in second year—while all are excellent, none of them invented a multitude of powerful and practical spells in their fourth year like him, nor improved so many classic potion recipes. Nor did they learn the extremely complex Animagus magic and create the powerful Marauder's Map like Potter and his group.

The difference is visible to the naked eye.

The difference lies in the fact that if he were to encounter real danger while out and about, his abilities back in his fourth year would have been more than enough to be a great help to the professor, but could these people really be relied upon?

If he and Lockhart can only be babysitters for Harry and the others, then what is the point of the adventure?

Lockhart listened quietly and attentively to Snape's account. Once Snape finished, Lockhart countered with a question: "If you can't even face an adventure like this, Severus, how can you expect our savior to defeat the Mystic in the future?"

Snape remained silent.

"The meaning of adventure lies in its ability to lead wizards onto the path of magic." Lockhart's voice was very calm, unlike his boastful manner when he first explained the theory of "fairytale romance," but it seemed to have become more persuasive.

"In my opinion, magical achievements are related to two things: talent and the wisdom gained from life experiences."

"Exploring your own talents and entering a fairytale adventure mindset will all be answered on the journey of adventure."

Lockhart wasn't just taking the young wizards on a picnic outing out of boredom; he hoped to lead his students down the path of "entering fairy tales, where magic naturally blossoms," so they could acquire their own magical power.

This is something he has been putting in a lot of effort in class.

Harry and his young wizards intend to fight the Death Eaters or even the Dark Lord in the future; they won't amount to anything by hiding in a safe haven.

But clearly, Lockhart wanted to say more than just that.

He looked at Snape with a deep gaze. "Severus, do you agree with my theory of fairy tales?"

Snape nodded in affirmation, "I can see the students' progress."

"Then," Lockhart flashed a perfect, radiant smile, "would you also like to embark on this magical path?"

"???"

Snape paused, staring blankly at him, mouth agape, but unable to utter a word.

"He invented so many powerful spells during his student days," Lockhart scoffed. "Back in school, many of us, including myself, had no surprise that this amazing senior would become a top wizard like Dumbledore."

He pursed his lips, shrugged, and tilted his head to look at Old Si. "Really?"

Snape didn't speak; he remained silent.

"Perhaps you haven't considered this question—"

"The mysterious man once looked up to a powerful being like Dumbledore with such fear, yet in the future he became a top wizard who could challenge him."

"Severus, have you ever considered that if you continue down the path of magic, it's not impossible for you to personally eliminate him?"

"!!!"

That's all for this.

Lockhart not only hoped to have more power to deal with Voldemort, but also hoped that his good friend, who seemed to be forever stuck in the pain of his first love during his school days, could stand up for himself.

It's hard to imagine what Snape could achieve after inventing "The Unseen Blade" in sixth grade and rebuilding his career.

Old Si remained silent, his face expressionless.

But Lockhart was delighted to sense that Old Man Stalin was interested.

Perhaps, just like when he first persuaded this guy to write a book, Old Si acted like he didn't care, but secretly started writing it in private.

This is clearly a good start.

So.

set off!

Embark on a journey to the stars and the sea!

Target: Białowieśa rainforest!