The slacker professor at Hogwarts

066 Lockhart teaches you how to easily defeat the Basilisk

"I'm struggling with how to deal with the Basilisk," Harry blurted out, then realized, "Oh, I don't need you to give me the answer directly, Professor. I know you need to think for yourself. I'm just thinking about what you just said."

"Find their characteristics and develop targeted solutions..." he repeated.

Lohat nodded. "Then tell me what the characteristics of the basilisk are. You've compiled so much information, you must know very well."

Harry blurted out, clearly having given the question serious thought, "Deadly gaze, deadly fangs, massive body—three characteristics."

He was actually quite troubled by these issues, because he couldn't solve any of them.

Oh, my good buddy Ron seems to be able to solve one of these problems.

He once used a levitation spell to knock out a giant with a "huge body".

It's not that he's not smart enough; it's just that second-year wizards haven't been exposed to enough magic.

Lockhart thought for a moment and decided that this was a good topic for a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, so he decided to explain it in a targeted way. "Please remember this, everyone: look for solutions based on the characteristics of the target, and you must change your mindset."

"That means treating all dark magic creatures, magical animals, and indeed all magical creatures and plants, as wizards!"

"This is why the three major areas of facing dark magic from dark wizards, facing dark magical creatures, and dueling are collectively referred to as the discipline of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"When we look for solutions to address these characteristics, we should equate the Basilisk's 'Deadly Gaze' with the Killing Curse that the Dark Wizard cast on you."

"Seek solutions from this perspective."

With that mentioned, Lockhart looked at the young wizard and began calling on him, "George, you tell me, what should you do in the face of a dark wizard's killing curse?"

George has such a brilliant idea.

He had just faced this problem not long ago: the dark wizard who had infiltrated Hogwarts had cast a killing curse on Fred. If it weren't for the gray wolf summoned by Professor Lockhart blocking the attack, he couldn't even imagine how bleak his future life would have been.

He would be awakened by such terrible nightmares every night.

Then I kept thinking about what I should have done at that time.

"Obstacles abound, so that you or... I mean, make the dark wizard or the target fall down, thus avoiding the Killing Curse."

"If the opponent only launches an attack, you can also use a disarming charm, a tongue-locking and throat-locking charm..."

"..."

He listed more than a dozen ways to deal with the situation, analyzing all sorts of possibilities and coping strategies, as if he had already rehearsed them in his mind a thousand times.

Fred patted him on the shoulder reassuringly, indicating that he was jumping around right next to him.

"very good!"

Lockhart praised them, then looked at the young wizards, "Did you notice anything wrong with what George just said?"

"That means when we can't resist the 'Killing Curse,' we'll try to find a way to deal with the dark wizard who cast it!"

"Find a way to prevent the 'Killer Curse' from taking effect."

He stroked his wand, walking around the young wizards, watching them fall into thought, and continuing to guide them.

"Returning to our previous topic, how should we seek solutions to the three characteristics of the basilisk?"

He smiled slightly, "In this class, I hope you can develop this way of thinking and find solutions that suit you."

"Let's start with the basilisk's 'deadly fangs'."

"When we can't concoct an antidote for the basilisk's venom, just like we can't defend against a dark wizard's killing curse, our thinking turns to—"

"Prevent it from biting you, or find a way to make it shut its mouth."

"Think about it from the perspective of 'not letting it bite you,' and you will naturally come up with many answers." He looked down at Harry Potter, whose eyes had lit up, and nodded to signal him to give the answer.

"A flying broomstick!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, "Sitting on a flying broomstick, Professor!"

"Very good!" Lockhart looked at the other young wizards and asked them to offer their own solutions based on their strengths.

See, it's not difficult.

"So what about from the perspective of 'finding a way to shut it up'? Wizards probably have far too many methods. Many of the spells we teach in our daily lessons are sufficient to deal with it." He smiled and looked at Ron. "For example, the Slug Spell, of course, that would require a more powerful effect."

"Here, I'd like to recommend an extremely effective spell to everyone, which George just mentioned: the Tongue-Sealing and Throat-Locking Spell."

"Its function is to cause the tongue of the person being cursed to curl back and stick to the palate, making it impossible for them to open their mouth and speak."

"This is enough to handle many scenarios. For example, when you are having a magical duel, this move is enough to prevent the enemy from casting any spells."

Mentioning this magic, he glanced at Harry and the others with a mischievous smile.

"When I first entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a senior who had just entered his fifth year was already admired by his classmates for inventing so much magic."

"Yes, he generously taught many students, and everyone benefited from it, which also brought him a lot of fame."

In this respect, it seems that Old Si also went through a phase of 'trying to prove himself'.

He looked at Cedric, whom the professors now admired, and said, "Yes, at your age, he had already invented many powerful spells, including the Tongue-Sealing and Throat-Locking Spell, which is very useful."

"Tongue-sealing and throat-locking spell, ear-blocking spell, upside-down bell..."

And the "Shadowless Strike" technique, which he invented in sixth grade but never taught to his classmates.

Cedric felt somewhat ashamed. No, he even felt that he probably would never be able to do it—invent magic on his own in the fourth grade? And such powerful magic at that?

Not only him, but all the other young wizards exclaimed in unison.

Listening to Professor Lockhart recount this senior's achievements, I felt that such geniuses were simply too far removed from our own. Could they really achieve such things at their age?

Hermione, in particular, had always longed to make her magic more versatile, but she never expected that someone had already reached such a level during their student days, and she was immediately filled with admiration.

"My senior classmate..."

Lockhart raised an eyebrow, looking at everyone with an expectant expression. "It's your Professor Snape!"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, Harry and the others were stunned, their ears filled with gasps and astonishment.

"I'm not surprised that Professor Snape could deal with the Basilisk so easily," Lockhart said with a smile. "His invention of the Upside-Down Bell Charm, along with his own powerful magic, was enough to suspend the Basilisk in mid-air, rendering its 'massive body' and 'deadly fangs' completely useless."

"And if we examine his thought process in inventing magic, the consistent approach of 'tongue-sealing and throat-locking spells' and 'ear-blocking and hearing-blocking spells' makes it incredibly easy to cast a spell that makes the enemy close their eyes."

"By silencing the enemy, the deadly fangs lose their effectiveness."

"Blindfold the enemy, and the deadly gaze loses its effectiveness."

"It renders the enemy unable to gain any leverage, thus rendering its massive size useless."

Lockhart shook his wand and tapped his head. "So you understand now? We shouldn't focus on what the enemy's strongest power is. We should think about how to render the enemy's strongest power meaningless and prevent it from displaying its power."

"This is..."

"Seeking solutions tailored to specific characteristics is the most practical direction of exploration across all areas of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Now……"

He rested his hands on Harry Potter's table, smiling as he looked at his savior, then at the other young wizards. "Do you still think dealing with the Basilisk is difficult?"

Just then, he looked up with some confusion at the open office door.

There, Snape was already standing, a smug look on his face, with a slight smirk on his lips.

Seeing him looking over, she instantly frowned, strode over, pushed him aside again, and slightly raised her chin, looking around at the young wizards with her nostrils.

"If you wish to learn the Tongue-Sealing and Throat-Locking Spells, as well as the spells that make monsters or wizards close their eyes, I can teach you."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and looked intently at Harry Potter, "Of course, you must understand who you should use it on and who you shouldn't!"