174 You Must Think It's Easy to Make the Headlines, Right, Harry?

When the roaring in the hall had died down, Ivan released his hands from his ears.

There was a brief silence, broken only by the awkward stares of Harry and Ron.

At that moment, from the Slytherin House table came a derisive voice.

"Potter, it looks like you've done something spectacular again…" Malfoy said as he, Goyle, and Clark approached them. Malfoy gave Harry a sardonic look and then looked at Ron.

"I'm guessing your father hates your guts, Weasley. He'll probably be forced to lose his job and leave the Ministry in disgrace…"

With that, Malfoy burst out laughing, and Goyle and Clark followed suit…

Ron's face turned red, and he became so angry that he pulled out his taped wand and pointed it at Malfoy, despite the fact that this was a restaurant.

"An incisor!"

Alarmed, Malfoy frantically tried to draw his wand and retaliate.

However, to his surprise, nothing happened as Ron cast the spell.

There was only a faint black mist coming out of Ron's wand…

"What are you doing, Weasley? Showing us some sort of magical trick?" Malfoy jeered.

Ron was so angry that he wanted to drop his wand, which had not been normal since it was broken by the Whomping Willow last night…

Ron was furious and wanted to fight Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione held him back, as it would not be wise to do so in the Great Hall, if they did not want to be locked up…

Ivan ignored their "friendly" interaction. Since they weren't going to fight, he waved his wand and began to clean up the mess on the table.

He also kept the letter and planned to reply to it with an automatic quill when he returned to the dormitory.

To Ivan's surprise, however, Malfoy either got bolder, or mocked Ron for successfully inflating his confidence…

"HALS!" Malfoy shouted, stepping forward to pick up the Daily Prophet and flip through it.

"I didn't know you lived in a dump like Knockturn Alley until I read the paper… Isn't that where the poor Dark Wizards live? And with a bunch of werewolves…"

Ivan's brow furrowed and he started to speak, but Hermione beat him to it.

"Shut up, Malfoy! There's nothing to be ashamed of living in Knockturn Alley. Ivan got the Order of Merlin, the highest honour in the wizarding world, all by himself. Can you do it?"

"So what? I heard from my dad that wizards live in Knockturn Alley like rats in a sewer!" Malfoy ranted.

Remembering how his father used to lecture him about it, Malfoy was annoyed and was about to continue when Ivan interrupted him.

"Do you only rely on your father, Malfoy?" Ivan asked, looking at him mildly as he tapped his wand in his right hand.

"I thought you'd be a little more independent in your second year, rather than just childishly listening to your father."

Malfoy flew into a rage and tried to defend himself, but Ivan did not give him the chance.

"Besides, you were nowhere to be found when I was chatting happily with your father a few days ago! He told me that if your grades don't improve this year, you won't be able to do well in this lifetime…"

Ivan's nonsense, combined with Malfoy the Elder's comments about his son in Borgin and Burkes, fooled Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy didn't want to believe Ivan's words, particularly that Ivan could talk and laugh with his father, but when they were at home, Malfoy reprimanded him for it…

"You don't believe me? Or you haven't heard your father talk about it? Then go home and ask your father!" Ivan scolded Malfoy, who was beginning to waver.

…

"Ivan, you know Malfoy's father?"

In the morning, as they walked along the corridor to the Herbology classroom, Hermione asked Harry and Ron about what had happened.

They did not expect Ivan to be connected to old Malfoy…

"No, actually we don't know each other that well, we've only met once!" Yvonne explained, seeing where Hermione was going with this.

"And you just said that?" Hermione's eyes widened.

"What's the big deal? You guys were having fun with Minister Fudge in your first year of school," Ivan said nonchalantly.

Harry and Ron were left speechless, and Hermione rolled her eyes. If they remembered correctly, they had only met Fudge briefly and exchanged a few words, and this was considered a joke?

Having answered their questions, Ivan hurried into the greenhouse.

A short time later, Professor Sprout came in from the outer lawn with a bandage on her arm. She did not look happy.

This was not only because Lockhart followed her around trying to instill nonsense about herbs in her.

During the treatment of the Willow, Lockhart cast a so-called healing spell that caused the Willow to go berserk. In an attempt to calm the Willow, she was hit in the arm.

Lockhart, however, had no such self-consciousness. He was full of confidence, as proud as a peacock with its tail spread out. He walked up to Professor Sprout and even stood in front of her, shouting at the crowd.

"Hello there! I was just showing Professor Sprout how to treat a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you to think I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happened to come across a couple of these exotic plants on my travels…"

Lockhart might have wanted to say more, but Professor Sprout interrupted him without hesitation, shouting for all the students to go to the third greenhouse and begin the lesson!

Yvonne hurried with the crowd to the classroom.

Harry tried to follow, but Lockhart stopped him.

"Professor Sprout, would it be all right if I spoke to Harry alone? Just for two minutes! You don't mind, do you?" Lockhart turned to Professor Sprout.

Professor Sprout seemed to mind, but Lockhart took Harry by the arm and pulled him aside, speaking earnestly.

"You must think it's easy to make the headlines, don't you, Harry?"

"What are you talking about, Professor? I don't quite understand?" Harry was nonplussed, having no idea what Lockhart meant.