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Chapter 21: Lockhart's Ideal World!

Outside Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, the Weasley twins cheered on their father with a mix of caution and encouragement.

"Dad, be careful with his fists."

"Dad, beat him up, hit him in the face with your fist."

"Dad, be careful, he is going to do something secretly."

"Yes, dad, use some strength and hit like you mean it."

Harry Potter, clutching the books Lockhart had given him, looked at George and Fred in surprise. Their father was fighting with Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, but the twins did not intervene. Harry, who had a horrible first impression of Lucius Malfoy, secretly wished for Mr. Arthur Weasley to win. Lucius had arrogantly mocked Harry and even praised the Dark Lord who killed his parents, sparking a fierce dislike in Harry.

The situation escalated when Lucius mocked Hermione for being a Muggle-born and insulted the Weasley family as paupers. This drove Arthur Weasley to the edge, and the two men began to brawl. While Harry was concerned for Arthur, he couldn't deny the satisfaction of seeing Lucius Malfoy getting what he deserved.

"Good, Mr. Arthur, punch him hard in the face and kick him a few times, preferably in the vital parts," Harry muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, Harry spotted a familiar figure emerging from Flourish and Blotts. It was Professor Lockhart, who had just given him free books. Lockhart watched the clumsy melee with an almost amused expression. These two men had no real combat experience—it looked more like a children's scuffle.

Lockhart, with Thor's extensive combat experience, easily stepped into the fray. He grabbed both men by their wrists and with a gentle twist and pull, had them both wincing in pain.

"Lockhart, please be gentle!"

"Be gentle, be gentle, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"

Looking at them indifferently, Lockhart chastised, "Both of you are from pure-blood families. Isn't it a bit uncivilized to fight outside my book launch? I remember that I didn't offend either of you."

Quickly, Arthur and Lucius, still in pain, assured him, "No, no, Lockhart, be gentle, it hurts!"

Lockhart loosened his grip and advised in a calm tone, "Both of you are parents. You should set a better example. Look, your children are watching and even cheering for injuries. Is this appropriate?"

Chastened, Arthur and Lucius glanced at their children, saw the remaining excitement on their faces, snorted at each other, and began to separate. Lucius, feeling embarrassed, pulled Draco away with a huff but not without throwing a disdainful remark, "Hmph! Damn half-blood!"

Lockhart, with his sensitive hearing, caught the comment and watched Lucius leave with a critical eye. Arthur, apologetic, turned to Lockhart, "Sorry, Professor Lockhart, I'm very sorry for disturbing your book launch."

"It's okay, Mr. Weasley. As a professor, my concern is the impact on the children. That's why I intervened. I apologize for any pain caused. Now, let's clean this up." Lockhart flicked his wand, and the scattered books neatly stacked themselves and flew to Arthur.

Lockhart, noticing Arthur's embarrassed look as he glanced at the old books, especially those Lockhart had written, preemptively reassured him, "Mr. Weasley, your presence at my book launch shows your support. Please accept these books as an apology for the discomfort." He then handed over seven of his books.

"Haha, thank you, Professor Lockhart. My daughter Ginny adores your books. This is indeed a valuable gift," Arthur responded, his face lighting up as he quickly stowed the books away.

Lockhart nodded and turned back towards Flourish and Blotts. Unnoticed by others, a black notebook among the piles of scattered books quietly vanished with Lockhart.

Later that evening in Lockhart's home, he sat at his desk, fixated on the black notebook. It was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Concerning its disposal, Lockhart had no intention of tampering with such a potent piece of dark magic created by a wizard of Dumbledore's caliber without first increasing his own strength. For now, sealing it seemed the best option to ensure a peaceful year at Hogwarts where he could teach and study without undue risk.

Today's book launch had been a success, and his plan had gone smoothly except for Lucius's derogatory comment which irked him. Lockhart despised the narrow-minded, class-driven purity ideology of the wizarding world. The conflict between pure-bloods, half-bloods, and Muggle-borns infuriated him. His aspiration was to study magic peacefully and advance magical knowledge.

Lockhart, feeling a renewed sense of purpose after Lucius's insult, realized the difficulty of conducting peaceful research in such a discriminatory world. However, he remained optimistic. "Everything will change," he mused. "Yes, everything will change. My ideal world is one of pure magic, where everyone pursues truth and learns magic."

And this vision would begin to take shape starting from his upcoming meeting with Dumbledore, for which he had meticulously prepared.

Touching the dark blue necklace around his neck, Lockhart's eyes gleamed with resolve.

Chapter 22: Dumbledore's Problem!

"Professor McGonagall, long time no see." As soon as Lockhart emerged from the magic fireplace with green flames still lingering, he saw Professor McGonagall sitting at the desk opposite him and immediately greeted her.

Professor McGonagall raised her head and looked at Lockhart, who had smooth blond hair and was wearing a dark green robe. She looked at Lockhart in front of her as she recalled the student he had been before.

"Lockhart, you look a little unwell," Professor McGonagall said, staring at Lockhart with serious eyes, "But your clothes are quite exquisite," she added.

After Lockhart heard this, he smiled awkwardly—he had decided not to use the floo network for travel again. It seemed that learning Kamar Taj's portal magic must be put on his priority list.

Immediately, with a slight wave of his right hand, the Sling Ring flashed, and a simple rune appeared in front of him, emitting a faint light.

Rune - clean!

In a flash of light, Lockhart took on a new look, and all the dust on his body was removed by magic.

Professor McGonagall looked at the runes that had just appeared with great interest. Although she was a little surprised, she didn't say much.

"The principal is waiting for you in the office. You know the location. The password is - Carrot Cake."

"Okay, Professor," Lockhart responded politely, left Professor McGonagall's office, and walked toward the principal's office.

Looking at the very familiar corridors and stairs of Hogwarts in his memory, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. This time he had come to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore, which was considered a debriefing before class.

In the past, he had shared his class ideas with Dumbledore through owl envelopes.

Today was the first time he would meet Dumbledore. As usual, they would talk about the specific details of his class.

Soon, Lockhart reached the eighth floor and stood in front of the gargoyle. After tidying up his clothes, he cast a self-created spell on himself—[Lockhart's Shine].

With a smile on his face, his white teeth exposed, his chest puffed out, he spoke confidently to the stone.

"Carrot Cake!"

Boom!

The stone beast moved to the side, and the wall behind it cracked open, revealing an upward staircase.

"Lockhart?" Dumbledore's voice came from deep down the stairs.

Lockhart quickly replied: "Yes, Headmaster, it's me." Then he strode up the stairs and walked into the principal's office.

Walking to the top of the stairs, he entered a spacious and beautiful circular space.

Looking at the heads of the past principals of Hogwarts hanging on the surrounding walls, Lockhart waved politely.

Entering the principal's office, he saw a huge table with long thin legs standing not far away. Dumbledore, with silver hair and half-moon lenses, sat behind it.

"Good morning, principal!" Lockhart stepped forward and greeted him politely.

"Wait a minute, you can eat some candy on the table, and we can talk after I finish with this."

"Okay, principal, you go ahead and take your time." Looking at Principal Dumbledore who was looking down at the book he was reading, Lockhart responded and looked around the entire room.

Apart from the portraits of the past principals of Hogwarts hanging everywhere, the thing that caught Lockhart's attention the most was a bookcase at the back.

"Nicolas Flamel on Alchemy"

"36 Ways to Use the Patronus Charm"

"Advanced Black Magic Knowledge"

Just looking at some of the titles of books in the bookcase, Lockhart's eyes lit up, and he wanted to open Dumbledore's bookcase immediately, borrow a few books, and read some.

Pity, Lockhart quickly withdrew his gaze and looked at the silverware and some potions of various colors next to him. Soon Lockhart was staring at a bracket by the window.

The phoenix, covered in golden feathers, held the stand tightly with both claws and turned its head to stare at Lockhart curiously. Looking into each other's eyes, Lockhart showed the most friendly smile in his life, his eyes shining and his heart even warmer.

This was a phoenix. It could survive for thousands of years through rebirth. Its tears alone could cure most diseases in the world, and were the core material of many precious potions. Even just one feather from the body cost dozens of gold galleons.

Seeing the phoenix not far away, Lockhart subconsciously wanted to get closer and closer.

"Cough!" Dumbledore coughed slightly and looked at Lockhart's eyes, which seemed to be reminding him of something.

Lockhart came back to his senses, his expression straightened, as if he had not had any evil thoughts just now.

Then, watching Dumbledore close the cover of the book, his expression froze, and then he said with a smile on his face: "Principal Dumbledore, I didn't expect you to also like the book I wrote."

The cover of the book was engraved with conspicuous words - "Days with the Snow Monster" by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"The writing is quite good, quite interesting," Dumbledore smiled without any cover-up, then took the book away to reveal a character profile.

When Lockhart saw it, his pupils shrank, and instead of lowering his head, he raised his chest and showed a brighter smile on his face.

"Needham Mack, male, 45 years old, lives in the snowy mountains of the Himalayas. He spends all his time with snow monsters."

Needham Mack was the source of the book material for "Days with the Snow Monster".

The original Lockhart had stolen his memory to write this book.

"Headmaster, what do you want to know about the snow monster? The main character in the book is right in front of you," Lockhart said humorously to himself.

"Haha, speaking of snow monsters, I really want to know more about it," Dumbledore laughed, raised the book at hand and asked, "I thought the best way to deal with snow monsters was the Fire-Making Spell, but I didn't expect it. The book way is completely different from what I thought."

"Principal, the snow monster is indeed different from what most wizards think. This is because the snow monster has lived in the ice and snow for a long time and has extremely strong magical defense capabilities. Ordinary magic spells cannot harm it at all. At the same time, in the ice and snow, the power of the Fire-Making Spell or Incendio will be reduced, so it is not the best choice. To deal with snow monsters, I personally recommend using the leg-tripping spell. Although it is a small spell, the snow monster's movement will be hindered. It's easy to fall down due to the leg-tripping spell whether it's escaping, capturing, or even killing, it's the only choice."

"It seems that you are quite experienced in this area," Dumbledore smiled after hearing this. "It seems that I'm right to choose you for the Defence Against the Dark Arts course."

Hearing this, Lockhart smiled and said nothing more.

He knew that meeting with Dumbledore was risky, and he was not stupid, he must digest the knowledge in his memory.

Stolen memories are also memories, and knowledge will never be false.

By the way, stealing memories seems to be a shortcut to learning knowledge.

The thought flashed through Lockhart's mind.

Chapter 23: Lockhart is Crazy About Adding Private Goods!

"Ahem!" Dumbledore coughed lightly, and Lockhart once again reluctantly looked away from the Phoenix. "Lockhart, let's talk about your ideas for teaching young wizards."

Although interrupted by Dumbledore, Lockhart couldn't help but take another look and then said seriously, "Headmaster, do you know what is the most important part of an adventure?"

Before Dumbledore could answer, Lockhart continued, "It is collecting enough information because risks may come at any time. Enough information can allow us to deal with unknown dangers. I previously collected information about the Defence Against the Dark Arts professors' classes over the past few years, and I found that," Lockhart paused and reorganized his words, trying to express his meaning tactfully, "maybe because of the curse, the foundation of the young wizards is too weak and needs to be strengthened. So, my idea is that it is best to increase the number of Defence Against the Dark Arts classes in the early stages so that they can master as much knowledge as possible."

Dumbledore nodded and gave Lockhart a look to continue.

"In order to allow young wizards to quickly digest the knowledge in class," Lockhart said, "I suggest adding practical courses and also improving their combat experience."

"This can be considered, but we must pay attention to the safety of the little wizards," Dumbledore ordered.

"Okay, I will definitely pay attention to this," Lockhart responded and continued to share his thoughts. "I think fifth-year wizards face the O.W.Ls exam and are under the heaviest pressure, so they must be asked to review knowledge repeatedly. My idea is to have them do a lot of tests and papers to strengthen their knowledge for the exam."

"Well, you can try this." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, seeming to think this suggestion was very good.

"The sixth and seventh grade students are under less pressure and are about to graduate, so we can relax a bit and let them look for employment opportunities outside." Dumbledore nodded and Lockhart continued.

"Little wizards in the first and second year may have just come into contact with magic. If they are exposed to too much serious knowledge, it is easy for them to become disgusted with learning magic. Therefore, I suggest that more practical courses be added to enhance their interest in magic." Lockhart subconsciously raised his voice, as if he was a little excited.

"So, you chose to use your seven books as textbooks?" Dumbledore asked.

Lockhart smiled awkwardly and said seriously, "Of course, that's what I meant from the beginning. We should learn magic based on interest rather than purely on learning. The books I write are very interesting and not bad in knowledge." The more he spoke, the more confident Lockhart became, as if it was exactly what he had thought before.

"As a textbook, it's perfect." Dumbledore nodded, seeming to agree with Lockhart's sentiment.

Lockhart was a little excited when he saw this and continued, "Little wizards in the first and second years can pursue magical interests."

"But third-year and fourth-year wizards are different. They have already been exposed to a lot of magic. At this time, the emphasis can be on knowledge and the practical courses can be reduced. We need to provide them with more magic knowledge. They must be immersed in the ocean of knowledge and unable to extricate themselves."

Hearing this, Dumbledore nodded. As a professor, he strongly agreed with this. It is definitely good for students to learn more knowledge.

Dumbledore's look of approval immediately excited Lockhart, and he began to talk nonstop: "I have another suggestion. We must focus on cultivating outstanding little wizards. The efficiency of absorbing knowledge between ordinary wizards and outstanding young wizards is completely different. It's a world of difference. I know a little wizard who was only in the first grade and had already refined a Polyjuice Potion. This is something even many adult wizards have never been able to master. So, I think we should focus on cultivating those young wizards with better talents. Regarding this, we can convene the Lockhart Club."

Having said this, Lockhart's tone became more and more excited, and he began to frantically add his ideas.

"I think that outstanding little wizards who have already digested the knowledge in the class can learn new knowledge. I can teach them some of my own adventure experiences, some of the magic spells I have mastered, and my ideas on studying magic."

"At the same time, we can work together on a magic project, such as studying an unknown rune or unknown magic, to cultivate everyone's research awareness and research capabilities."

"For some magic projects, I, as the professor, will publish papers and add the names of the young wizards who help, so they can get a wonderful resume."

"Also, it would be best to have professors of Potions and Charms join in, so that young wizards can experience the abilities of top wizards."

"Best of all, Principal Dumbledore, you can also join us and let them see what it means to be the top wizard in the world."

Dumbledore's face froze slightly in the face of Lockhart's frantic addition of ideas. The more he listened, the more he felt that Professor Lockhart did not seem to be cultivating outstanding students but seemed to be using these outstanding little wizards as workers, and seemed to include the professors.

"Cough! Cough!" Dumbledore coughed several times, interrupting Lockhart's rambling.

Faced with Dumbledore's interruption, Lockhart stopped speaking regretfully. He still had many thoughts that he had not shared. Some novel magic projects urgently needed outstanding wizards to participate. However, he still asked shamelessly, "Professor Dumbledore, do you think the suggestion I just made is good?"

"I think it will be more effective if it is implemented. If you can do it, I believe the young wizards at Hogwarts will be very excited."

Facing the somewhat shameless Lockhart, Dumbledore was a little hesitant. "You can try to convene a club first, see if those little wizards and professors are willing to participate."

Upon hearing this, Lockhart immediately smiled brightly. He seemed to see a large number of young wizards and Hogwarts professors studying runes with him, magical materials from the Marvel world, Kamar Taj's magic, etc.

As for whether this knowledge will be leaked, he is not worried. He is not stupid. What he can share must be in the basic category, and he will definitely not share advanced things. Even if he takes it out, they won't be able to understand it without the foundation.

He would not stand in the way of knowledge. He may even help spread this new magical knowledge throughout the wizarding world. A brand-new magic system is bound to disrupt the current hierarchical wizarding world. Amid the chaos, new opportunities will emerge. Whoever can seize the greatest opportunity can influence and even control the entire wizarding world. And who else would this person be but him, Gilderoy Lockhart?

Lockhart thought silently in his mind. Then Dumbledore's sudden and abrupt words brought Lockhart back to his senses. "Lockhart, I have a request regarding Harry Potter."

Chapter 24: Dumbledore's Surprise

"Harry Potter, you should understand his special identity." A trace of distress flashed across Dumbledore's face, as if he was confiding in Lockhart. "I believe you are an excellent professor. So, I think you should pay more attention to Harry. He is a good seed worth cultivating."

Hearing this, Lockhart nodded heavily, agreeing with Dumbledore's point of view. "Indeed, Harry's family has made great contributions to the entire wizarding world."

Then Dumbledore seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "I remember you met Harry Potter a few days ago. How do you feel about him?"

"Although he is a little reserved, I can feel his bravery," Lockhart praised loudly and unceremoniously. "Harry's magic level is far beyond that of ordinary little wizards."

"As expected of Lily and James Potter, he has perfectly inherited Potter's bloodline and Lily's intelligence."

Lockhart can barely be counted as a classmate of Snape and James Potter, though there is a two-year difference between them. While James Potter was already making a name for himself at Hogwarts, Lockhart was still just a young wizard. As a student of Ravenclaw, he didn't want to have contact with the little lions of Gryffindor and the little snakes of Slytherin. In other words, he was a little jealous of the famous Potter, jealous of his fame throughout Hogwarts. Therefore, the relationship between the two parties can only be described as average.

"In this case, you must pay attention to Harry's safety," Dumbledore mentioned casually. "I heard before that you gave Harry Potter seven copies of your books and a magic amulet. What does this amulet do?" Dumbledore said with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Can it resist fatal danger like the Shield Spell Protego?"

Lockhart was not surprised when faced with Dumbledore's question. He had previously cast magic spells and presented Harry Potter with magic amulets at Flourish and Blotts Bookstore to prepare for this moment. But it's a pity that Dumbledore seems not interested in his wandless spellcasting.

With his thoughts turning, Lockhart directly objected. "No, Headmaster, this magic amulet only serves as a warning. I felt Harry had a scent of black magic on him, so I gave him the magic amulet I made, which can dispel this scent of black magic. At the same time, when encountering danger in the future, it can warn him." Hearing Lockhart's explanation, Dumbledore nodded slowly.

He had heard that Lockhart gave Harry Potter a magical item, and he was worried that there might be something wrong. After all, the change in Lockhart gave Dumbledore some warning. So he experimented secretly and found that the effect was exactly as Lockhart said.

"Really? It seems that you have grown a lot over the years and have learned how to make magic items. Can you give me one of your creations?" Dumbledore's face showed just the right amount of curiosity.

In his opinion, there is nothing special about the function of the amulet. Dumbledore himself could also make magic items with similar functions, but the runes engraved on the amulet aroused his curiosity. This rune is completely different from the runes he had studied, but at the moment, he didn't have enough material and couldn't find out what the difference was. But he relied on the intuition he had developed through years of studying. He could feel that it was unusual. Very unusual.

Lockhart heard Dumbledore's request and smiled brightly. Very good, great. If Dumbledore didn't bring it up, he is afraid he would have to find other ways to let him see the runes. How can he promote a new magic system without Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard in the world?

As his thoughts turned, a ray of joy appeared on Lockhart's face, as if he was recognized by Dumbledore. "It is naturally my honor to let you inspect my work." As he spoke, Lockhart waved his wand, and a brown piece of paulownia wood appeared in front of them.

Immediately afterward, a dark blue magic power surged out of Lockhart's body, spreading along his limbs like a wand in his hand. A dark blue light bloomed from the tip of the wand as Lockhart continued to wave it. In front of the two people, two slightly complicated runes emitting dark blue light appeared.

Rune - Purification! Rune - Ward Off Evil Spirits!

Under Lockhart's control, the two dark blue runes slowly merged into the brown paulownia wood chips in front of him. Soon, a magic amulet was formed. With a flick of Lockhart's wand, the amulet floated in front of Dumbledore.

Looking at the amulet in front of him, Dumbledore's eyes revealed a look of thought. Putting the runes aside for now, he would continue to study them later. There was a hint of danger from Lockhart's magic. This was far beyond his expectation. Since Voldemort's death, he hadn't felt the aura of danger for a long time. But today, he actually felt it from a junior, which made him a little surprised.

The doubts in his heart were reduced a lot. If Lockhart had the power to make him feel danger, even if it was very weak, he should not steal or wipe out other people's memories. It's not worth it. With such strength, ordinary snow monsters can be easily dealt with. Why spend so much effort? This is completely illogical.

At this moment, Lockhart had no idea what Dumbledore was thinking. He just hoped that the runes in front of him would be tempting to Dumbledore and make him devote himself to the research of runes. The reason for doing this, on the one hand, is to use Dumbledore's knowledge to speed up the mastery of runes. On the other hand, some subsequent plans can also take advantage of the situation.

Of course, if he knew that Dumbledore's suspicion was reduced just because of the transformed magic power in his body, he would probably be overjoyed. His current magic power is the product of the fusion and transformation of the prototype of the thunder god's power and his own original magic power. Ordinary magic spells can be increased by 80%, while thunder spells can be increased by at least twice. Moreover, the magic spell he cast has a corrosiveness and sensitivity that ordinary wizards' magic power does not have. If a wizard is injured by his spell, and if his magic cannot be removed in time, they will probably spend the rest of their life in extreme pain.

Of course, the power of Asgard's thunder god, even though it is in its embryonic state, still retains the strengthening effect on the body. Although his current physical strength is much weaker than that of Kamar Taj's fighting sorcerer, he is much stronger than the average agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Lockhart, which category of ancient runes do these two runes belong to? Why have I never seen them before?"

Hearing the curiosity in Dumbledore's tone, Lockhart showed a hint of joy in his brows. Finally took the bait!

Chapter 25: Hogwarts Express

Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office

Dumbledore watched Lockhart walk out of the Headmaster's Office, flicked his wand, and closed the door.

"What do you think?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the portraits of past principals.

"He doesn't look like a dark wizard," the portrait of Principal Dilys Derwent jumped out first and said. "A typical Ravenclaw wizard, extremely intelligent and with a strong desire for knowledge."

"He is a qualified professor!"

"Hmph!" Principal Phineas Black's portrait snorted, "Of course you say good things about him; he is from your Ravenclaw house. I feel he is more suitable for Slytherin House. Look, just now he was thinking of dragging Dumbledore into his club."

"Okay, stop talking." The portrait of the previous principal, Armando Dippet, interrupted. "Let's listen to what Albus has to say first."

Looking at Principal Dippet's gaze, Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "At the moment, there is no problem. He is a genius and a good young talent. The runes he just talked about really opened my eyes. At least one thing is certain: he is different from Quirrell and has nothing to do with Voldemort." At the end of the sentence, Dumbledore had a hint of a smile in his words.

In any case, Voldemort is the most troublesome problem, and the changes in his old student can be investigated slowly later. But there was another thing that surprised him. He had previously planned to explore the thoughts in Lockhart's mind by Legilimency. Just when he was about to cast the spell, he found that his mental power seemed to have encountered an obstacle. This obstacle was very weak, and he could break through it with a little force, thus learning Lockhart's thoughts. But this would definitely arouse the other party's vigilance. After all, it is not very polite to use Legilimency on a wizard. Especially if he was discovered, it would only arouse the hostility of the other party. Therefore, Dumbledore chose to give up and felt a little emotional. Such a clever method, it seems that Lockhart has indeed had many adventures in recent years. Well, Lockhart's previous performance had weakened Dumbledore's inner doubts a lot.

"I think there are some things to deal with. Let's talk among ourselves first." After thinking for a while, Dumbledore said. As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand, and the phoenix beside the window flew up and landed on his arm.

Bang!

A golden flame appeared with a "bang" and disappeared together with Dumbledore's figure.

Hogsmeade, Lockhart's Home

"Clean!" Lockhart emerged from the magic fireplace at home and once again cast a cleaning spell on himself. Watching the original dust disappear, Lockhart secretly decided that he must study Kamar Taj's Portal magic. Although it is not as suitable for combat as Apparition, it is definitely the best choice for traveling. Lockhart touched the necklace hanging around his neck and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. The preparations made in advance were indeed effective.

Since he knew in advance that Dumbledore was good at Legilimency, he had to find ways to guard against that. The function of this necklace is very simple: it is a warning. As long as it feels that someone is forcibly using Legilimency on him, the necklace will light up for everyone to see. Although it does not have a strong defensive effect, it is very effective against people like Dumbledore. A gentleman can deceive others. It would be better if people like Dumbledore were not discovered. Once there is a possibility of discovery, he is too considerate of other people's thoughts and chooses to stop taking action.

So is reality. He only felt the necklace touch slightly, but there was no reaction. If it were Voldemort—humph—he actually has a magic item on him that can resist Legilimency. The scene of noseless Voldemort, who directly cast the Cruciatus Curse without listening to his subordinates' explanations, suddenly appeared in Lockhart's mind, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

But there was one thing that disappointed Lockhart. He saw Dumbledore asking him about runes before, and he was very happy in his heart. He quickly introduced the runes eloquently. The result: the more he introduced, the more excited he became, but Dumbledore didn't seem to feel much and just nodded or praised from time to time. Somewhat perfunctory!

Lockhart thought. No, the great cause of studying runes requires Dumbledore's participation. Otherwise, without the endorsement of the White Devil Dumbledore, he might be besieged by a group of pure-blood families before he even started. Although Lockhart looked down on those pure-blood families, there was no denying their strength and influence. They will not watch helplessly as a brand-new magic system affects their status and rights. Lockhart put himself in their shoes for a moment. Who dares to interrupt his magic research and ruin his plan? Who would want to kill him for that? Even if he couldn't defeat them directly, weren't there indirect methods?

The nuclear bombs in the Muggle world are not a good option. Maybe he can get hold of machine guns, rocket launchers, and high explosives. Of course, Lockhart needs to think about this. He is not as arrogant as Grindelwald. If he really did such a thing in front of the wizarding world, he is afraid that, like Grindelwald, he would have to face the encirclement and suppression of the entire wizarding world, and even Dumbledore would have to take action. Not to mention, the magical world also has prophecies and divination, which are unscientific but very magical. No, when he thought of this, Lockhart felt a sense of urgency in his heart. Later, he must get close to Trelawney, the Divination Professor at Hogwarts.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Lockhart, wearing a common wizard robe, holding a suitcase in his left hand and his wand in his right, stood in the waiting area, waiting quietly. Although it was said that he could take the Floo Network directly to Hogwarts, Lockhart clearly expressed his refusal to Floo! Well, it was actually because Lockhart was interested in the Hogwarts Express. On the one hand, it was because, in his previous life, the Hogwarts Express was one of the most classic scenes for many Harry Potter fans. He wanted to experience it himself, and it was like fulfilling a dream from his previous life. On the other hand, he wanted to explore how the magic train works. Because as far as the information he has is concerned, the magic and technology in the Harry Potter world are in conflict with each other.

In short, if there's magic, there's no technology; if there's technology, there's no magic. Therefore, Hogwarts, including many wizarding families, does not have Muggle technological equipment. He heard that the trains at Hogwarts were transformed through magic, and he wanted to learn from this. When he returns to the Marvel world, he might be able to shine. Therefore, Lockhart came to the waiting platform early and waited for the train. Before long, the waiting platform was filled with a large number of Hogwarts students. The young wizards in first and second years are still young, and their parents are accompanying them. But most of the fourth- and fifth-year students were waiting alone with their luggage, and their parents had already left.

At this moment, Lockhart had already cast a spell on himself to reduce his sense of presence—these little wizards were too annoying. Especially the little wizard who keeps chirping on and on.

Bang! Bang! Clang!

The sound of a train arriving at the station was heard in his ears. Lockhart looked at the slightly worn Hogwarts Express, which was mainly black and mixed with red, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. Seeing a large number of young wizards pouring into it, he stood there quietly with a complicated expression in his eyes.

This is the atmosphere of school!

It feels so familiar. In his previous life, when the university had just opened, he could see a large number of students dragging a large amount of luggage in at the gate of the school, pouring in like water. Unfortunately, in the two years before his death, for safety reasons, the school issued a policy to restrict the flow of people, so it was rarely seen. Today he saw it again. Even though he is in another world, he still felt a sense of intimacy in his heart.

Lockhart watched quietly. He saw the restraint of the first-year wizards and the excitement of the second-year wizards. At the same time, he also observed the reluctance and nostalgia of the senior students for their holiday life. This scene seems familiar and quite nostalgic. His heart is clear and calm, neither sad nor happy