7.5

Chapter 46: Lockhart Gets Mocked

Saturday, Snape's office.

Lockhart looked around the dimly lit office, frowning slightly. He then examined the numerous solid wood shelves lining the walls, filled with large glass jars containing various specimens.

"Salamander guts."

"Fire dragon eyes."

"Hippogriff tongue."

Although Lockhart had read many books about potion ingredients recently, identifying the items in Snape's office proved difficult.

"Don't bother identifying them. With your current knowledge, it's difficult to recognize them all," Snape's mocking tone reached his ears, but Lockhart ignored it. He turned around, walked to the middle of the room, squatted down, and observed the orange flames and the hot steam emanating from a pot where a potion was boiling.

Lockhart noticed a slightly yellowish, creamy mass in the cauldron. Curiously, he asked Snape, "How many bottles of truth potion can this pot make?"

Snape, who was sorting materials, glanced at it indifferently and replied, "This pot can make about five bottles. Generally, three drops are enough for a wizard, so five bottles are enough for around sixty uses."

Lockhart nodded slowly, stood up, and continued to examine Snape's office with interest. He was particularly intrigued by the bookshelf on the right side, filled with potion-related books.

"Can I read 'A Brief Analysis of Advanced Potion Technology'?" Lockhart pointed to a book on the shelf and asked Snape.

"No," Snape replied flatly. "With your current level of potion knowledge, you won't understand it. It's a waste of time."

Faced with the ridicule, Lockhart waved his hand helplessly and said nothing.

"Just sit still and wait ten minutes for the truth potion to be ready. Then take your potion and leave," Snape said coldly, noticing Lockhart's wandering gaze.

Despite Lockhart's desire for a special potion, Snape didn't care. He realized from Lockhart's potion list that Lockhart wanted a potion banned by the Ministry of Magic. Snape still had some potions on hand, such as Polyjuice Potion, and others, like the truth potion, needed refining.

Soon, the truth potion was finished. Snape carefully packed it and put the rest into a space bag. He handed it to Lockhart and asked him to leave.

Grateful for Snape's assistance, Lockhart thanked him and left the office. As he held the small space bag, he couldn't help but feel anxious about the thousands of gold galleons he owed. He had spent more than half of his funds on potions last time and was now relying on his royalties.

Lockhart felt a little anxious but more at ease with the space bag in hand. He hoped to gain enough in the Marvel world to establish a stable income channel and make a lot of money. Some ideas had already emerged in his mind. He needed galleons to promote a new magic system and distribute various magic amulets. Although there was a lot of initial investment, the benefits would be huge.

Today was Sunday, and the young wizards had the day off. Third years and above could go to Hogsmeade, while first and second years stayed at Hogwarts. Many enjoyed the Black Lake, especially at sunset when the lake seemed covered with a golden coat.

Hermione had to visit Professor Lockhart's office to revise her paper. She had revised it countless times, always feeling some parts were not profound enough. Unlike previous teachers' assignments, Lockhart's task involved elaborating on a thinking concept, leading her to new ideas.

Lockhart had summarized his philosophy as "Control Input," a concept he had accumulated over more than twenty years in his previous life. It was a way of thinking that made him successful in his research projects. He followed this concept even in the Harry Potter and Marvel worlds.

PS: To help you understand the concept of "Control Input," it originates from Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt, who created the Theory of Constraints (TOC). This powerful management theory is believed in by the world's richest men, like Jeff Bezos and Amancio Ortega. Bezos requires executives to read books on TOC before joining Amazon. The concept of control input comes from a question posed to Goldratt: "If you condense the essence of your thoughts into one sentence, what would it be?" Goldratt's reply was: "Control the feeding!" Controlling feeding means controlling input. This concept will be slowly integrated into the protagonist's behavior

Chapter 47: Hermione's Greed

Sunday, Lockhart's office.

The golden sunlight streamed through the office windows, bathing Lockhart in a warm glow. He enjoyed his day off, having had a delicious breakfast earlier. Sitting in his office, he stretched lazily and then slowly flipped through some magic books borrowed from the Hogwarts library. Although he had gathered a lot of valuable information recently, he needed to systematically read, internalize, and thoroughly master it.

Understanding magical knowledge is one thing, but casting spells through a wand is another. Lockhart was wary of having theoretical knowledge without practical skill. As he read, he reached for a toothpick, picked up a piece of mango from the fruit bowl beside him, and popped it into his mouth. Eating while reading was a small comfort.

Time passed, and the plate of mangoes slowly emptied.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Professor, it's me."

Lockhart heard a familiar girl's voice. Still slightly confused, he quickly responded.

"Hermione, please come in. The door is unlocked." As his voice fell, the office door slowly creaked open.

Hermione walked in, holding a piece of parchment. She looked cautiously at Professor Lockhart, who was reading a book, and said, "Professor Lockhart, I'm here to hand in the task you mentioned before."

Lockhart took a moment to remember what she was referring to. It was the essay he had asked her to write based on their conversation on the train. Curious about her thoughts, he felt a sense of interest. He had shared his ideas with many students before, but few truly listened.

Turning his head slightly, he saw the nearly empty fruit plate. He waved Hermione over.

"Hermione, come and sit on a stool. I'll look at your paper first. You can taste the mango; it's quite good." As he spoke, Lockhart waved his wand, and the original stain on the fruit plate quietly disappeared. At the same time, three mangoes emerged in the air, their peels falling off naturally. With a flick of his wand, the peeled mangoes split into pieces and arranged themselves on the plate, with toothpicks inserted into them.

The whole process took only a few seconds, enough to make Hermione feel a bit surprised and envious. While she could cast similar spells, Professor Lockhart's ease and familiarity with the process showed he had done it countless times.

Hermione picked up a piece of mango with a toothpick and savored it. Meanwhile, Lockhart read her paper with interest. Despite some superficial content and a few errors, there were many bright spots. Her level of thinking was on par with some of the graduate students he had known in his previous life.

After finishing the mango, Lockhart said, "Hermione, your paper is quite good for your age. I like the point you highlighted."

He read from the paper: "To practice magic spells, you must adhere to the principle of a small amount of high quality, focusing on three, or even one spell."

Hermione, a bit embarrassed by the empty fruit plate, smiled brightly at his praise. "Thank you, Professor. Your points on the train were very insightful."

"Next time, I won't ask a lot of questions at once. We must follow the principle of small quantity and high quality."

Lockhart nodded in agreement. "Hermione, you are indeed very smart. I believe you will become a well-known figure in the wizarding world."

Hermione looked a little panicked at the strong praise but asked, "Do you really think so, Professor Lockhart?"

Lockhart nodded heavily. "Believe me, I rarely make mistakes. You will achieve great things."

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Lockhart asked, "Hermione, you brought your paper. What are the three questions you carefully prepared? I'll try to explain them thoroughly."

Hermione's face lit up. She quickly took out her questions and asked, "Professor, the first question is, where are the problems in my paper? Can you explain them in detail? The second question is, can you explain the thinking you mentioned earlier in depth? I find there are many things I don't understand. The third question is, do you have any good suggestions on how to learn magic quickly?"

Lockhart sighed softly. Hermione was already quite good for her age to recognize the value of high-quality thinking. However, her questions were too broad, potentially leading to countless further questions.

The first question was better, limited to her paper. The second question aimed to understand and master his way of thinking in just one inquiry. The third question revealed a misunderstanding, seeking quick mastery of magic through a few suggestions—a fool's dream.

To give precise suggestions, he needed a detailed understanding of her magic level, knowledge, study habits, etc. But for a young witch like Hermione, these three questions weren't bad. She just needed to curb her greed for knowledge.

Lockhart believed that Ravenclaw was more suitable for someone like Hermione. The greed for knowledge was ingrained in Ravenclaw's nature.

Chapter 48: Lockhart's Old Habit

In Lockhart's past life, he set strict requirements for his graduate students when asking questions: no more than three questions at a time, and they must be specific and high-quality. They shouldn't be too broad or require thousands of searches to answer. This requirement was well understood by his graduate students.

Regarding the three questions Hermione had raised, Lockhart knew it reflected her true level. He had only briefly chatted with her on the train and hadn't emphasized much, so it was normal for problems to arise.

However, the more Lockhart observed Hermione, the more he liked her. At such a young age, she genuinely used her brain and thought deeply. Although there were mistakes in her thinking, it showed she had great potential.

Thinking of this, Lockhart suddenly became very interested and spoke to Hermione.

"Hermione, you asked three questions. I will answer the second one first. I will explain the remaining questions to you in detail later when I have the opportunity." Hermione was a little confused by Lockhart's refusal but nodded anyway.

Seeing this, Lockhart placed a new mango platter on the desk and asked Hermione to sit opposite him. He began to explain slowly.

"Today, I will share my way of thinking with you. This way of thinking may not be understandable for the time being, but you can write it down and slowly understand it in the days to come."

Hermione nodded in confusion, and Lockhart continued.

"I call this way of thinking 'control input.' What I mentioned before about a small quantity and high quality is a manifestation of this thinking. Controlling input can be understood as restraining oneself, controlling behavior, making one's actions conform to rules, and not doing unnecessary things. First, we must have a systematic approach, treating everything as a system and consciously limiting the elements that enter it.

"You must seize the right opportunity, act decisively when the time is right, and avoid unnecessary actions."

"Reduce system clutter."

"Pursue small amounts and high quality, and restrain your desire to overextend."

Hermione stared at Professor Lockhart with wide eyes, listening carefully to the unfamiliar and complex concepts. She tried hard to understand and remember the information being poured into her mind. Sadly, she found it challenging to comprehend the sentences despite hearing each word clearly. She nodded subconsciously, replying with "um" and "ah" to show she was listening.

Despite her confusion, Hermione sensed that what Professor Lockhart was saying was valuable. Especially as the golden sunlight shone through the glass, casting a golden halo around the confident and knowledgeable Professor Lockhart, she felt he was like a god or a wise man spreading the truth.

"Controlling input is a broad concept that can be applied in various fields," Lockhart continued.

Seeing Hermione's confused look, Lockhart realized he was overwhelming her. He sighed and said, "Hermione, you may not understand everything I've said, but that's okay. Just remember it for now. When you encounter situations in the future, you'll slowly understand what I mean. Finally, I'll give you three core principles of controlling input:

"Less is more!"

"Slow is fast!"

"Small is big!"

Hermione repeated softly, "Less is more, slow is fast, small is big."

Lockhart nodded gently. "Okay, Hermione. Don't worry too much about understanding everything now. You'll grasp it in time. For now, go back to the Gryffindor common room and enjoy your holiday."

Hermione, still processing the information, nodded and slowly left the office. As she walked out, she turned to look at the closed office door, feeling a mix of ignorance and awe. The confusion in her eyes faded, replaced by a light of fanaticism for knowledge.

If Lockhart were to observe Hermione's character recognition at that moment, he would see it fluctuating wildly before stabilizing at 75/100. Unfortunately, Lockhart had become less concerned with the system since entering Hogwarts. He was now fully engrossed in studying spells and runes, constantly seeking to develop more powerful magic suitable for wizards. He rarely checked the system, let alone character recognition or reputation draws.

Looking at the closed office door, Lockhart touched his forehead with a wry smile. His old habit of being a teacher had resurfaced. Seeing a bright and talented student like Hermione, he couldn't help but share his ideas, making her his follower and researcher, without considering her ability to accept it.

He understood it would take a long time to get students to truly embrace his ideas. Long-term immersion and indoctrination were necessary for them to adopt these concepts deeply. Instilling too much information in a short period could lead to resistance.

There were only six hours left in the countdown to his return to the Marvel world. It had been two weeks since the start of school, and students had become familiar with life at Hogwarts, including the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart.

After two weeks, students had three opinions about him. First to third years found him gentle and interesting. Fourth and fifth years thought he was strict, pushing them to learn a lot and leaving them with substantial homework. Sixth and seventh years saw him more as a friend, sharing knowledge, experiences, and adventures.

Despite their mixed opinions, all students agreed on one thing: Professor Lockhart was generous with rewards. Over the two weeks, students from every year had received snacks and magic amulets, creating a buzz of excitement.

At this moment, Lockhart was in the library, making a request to the librarian, Madam Pince, who was looking down at a book.

"Madam Pince, I need your help with something."

Chapter 49: A Somewhat Confused Dumbledore

"What is it, Lockhart?" Madam Pince raised her head and asked with some confusion.

Ever since Lockhart had borrowed a copy of the Hogwarts library book list from her, he had become a frequent visitor to the library. Almost every day at noon or in the evening, he would come to read and borrow one or two books. Over time, the two had grown quite familiar with each other, and their relationship had become more casual—though it certainly didn't hurt that Lockhart was handsome.

"Madam Pince, I'm currently working on a research project and need to borrow a lot of books. Is that okay?"

"How many books do you need? Which ones? Let me take a look first." As the librarian, Madam Pince immediately focused on the key points of Lockhart's request.

Lockhart smiled helplessly and handed over a list of books, wishing she would agree without hesitation so he could take a batch of books back to his office.

Madam Pince frowned slightly after examining the list. The number of books Lockhart wanted to borrow was quite large—a total of 60 books! She looked at Lockhart suspiciously and asked, "Professor Lockhart, what kind of research requires so many books?"

Lockhart answered frankly, "Recently, I've been studying ways to reduce the cost of alchemy, and I hope to get some inspiration and information from these books."

After hearing this, Madam . Pince glanced at the book list again and saw that most were indeed related to alchemy. She then remembered the rumors around the school about Professor Lockhart giving magical amulets to outstanding students. It seemed that the generous Professor Lockhart was also feeling the pinch and wanted to cut costs in his alchemy work.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Madam Pince looked at Lockhart with a strange expression, but he didn't think much of it since she had agreed to his request and was now fetching the books.

A while later, Lockhart walked towards Madam Pince, with four tall stacks of books floating behind him. Soon, Mrs. Pince looked at the towering pile of books and scratched her head in distress. There were a total of 60 books, divided into four stacks, each as tall as a person.

She sighed softly, carefully compared the parchment in her hand, and dutifully confirmed the information.

"Professor Lockhart, the 60 books have been confirmed and there are no problems. When will you return them?"

Lockhart thought for a moment and quickly said, "Soon, probably in two or three days. I just need to compare some information and then I can return them."

Madam Pince grumbled, "Why can't you just do it here in the library? There's no need to borrow so many books at once."

Lockhart smiled, packed the books into his space bag, and left without saying more. After all, how else could he bring so many books to the Marvel world if he didn't borrow them from the library?

As he walked towards his office, Lockhart didn't notice the portrait nearby shaking slightly, as a figure in the portrait quietly left.

Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office

Dumbledore sat at his desk, gently removing his half-moon spectacles to clean them. After putting them back on, he continued reading the book on his table—Lockhart's latest publication, "Magical Me."

It seemed unusual for the experienced White Wizard Dumbledore to read such a book. Although its plot was interesting, it shouldn't hold much value for him.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the blank portrait next to him, and a voice quietly reached Dumbledore's ears. "Albus, I just saw Lockhart borrowing a lot of alchemy books. He must want to improve his alchemy skills. You also know that in the past two weeks, he has given many alchemy items to the outstanding young wizards."

"Okay, I understand," Dumbledore turned his head, nodded slightly towards the portrait, and said gently, "But, Principal Armando, could you please help me keep an eye on Lockhart during this time?"

"Okay, no problem, Albus," came the voice from the portrait of Principal Armando Dippet.

Although what Principal Dippet said dispelled some of Dumbledore's doubts, he had noticed a discrepancy. The Lockhart described in the books seemed vastly different from the real Lockhart. One was a normal adventurer; the other was more of a pure researcher. While books could be exaggerated, the difference here was too great.

After all, this was an autobiography written by Lockhart himself!

At this moment, Lockhart sat in his office, looking at the countdown on the system page with a slight smile.

[There is a 5-minute countdown to the time it takes to travel to the Marvel world. Please be prepared to travel.]

To prevent any accidents, Lockhart reviewed his memory from a month ago—the last moment he had stopped at the Kamar-Taj Library. Then he waved his wand to arrange the Kamar-Taj books as he remembered, holding them gently with both hands.

Everything was exactly the same as the moment before the shuttle, including his clothing, expressions, and even his eyes.

Soon, a system prompt sounded in Lockhart's ear. At the same time, a faint light flashed, and his figure quietly disappeared.

[World teleportation begins, host please be prepared.]

[Search for the solidified world shuttle channel.]

[Search successful, transfer.]

[Transmitting.]

[Welcome the host to return to the Marvel world.]

[Warning: After staying in this world for 30 days, the soul will gradually be imprinted with the mark of this world. You need to leave this world in time to avoid being affected by the world's aura.]

Chapter 50: Return to Marvel! Kamar-Taj!

Marvel Universe, Kamar-Taj Library.

Robert Morin, the librarian at Kamar-Taj, meditated. As a Kamar-Taj sorcerer, one needed not only a strong body but also formidable mental strength to draw power from other dimensions for their practice. The stronger the mental power, the more power it could draw, making spells more potent. While the body served as a container for this power, mental strength was the key to efficiently practicing magic.

Despite his meditation, Master Morin was somewhat distracted. He had noticed that a newly arrived sorcerer had remarkable mental strength despite not being physically strong. Curious, he wondered how this sorcerer had trained and if there were any methods worth learning. Morin himself had hit a bottleneck in his training and was eager for new techniques. Still, he tried to clear his mind of distractions to maintain the purity needed for effective meditation.

Step! Step! Step!

Slow footsteps echoed in Master Morin's ears. He wasn't surprised; his keen mental power had already informed him who it was. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw Master Lockhart in gray robes standing before him, holding three books.

"Mr. Lockhart, are you sure you want to borrow these three books?" Morin asked, his tone cold. Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "Since it's your first time in the library, I need to emphasize the rules again. Only three books can be borrowed at a time, and the borrowing period must not exceed one month. Books must be returned in person. If books are lost or overdue, you will be marked as dishonest, and Kamar-Taj's library will no longer welcome you."

Lockhart responded gently, unfazed by Morin's cold tone. "Don't worry, Master Morin. I know all the rules of Kamar-Taj. I will return the books on time."

Morin nodded but hesitated, as if unsure how to proceed. Lockhart, slightly surprised, asked, "What's wrong, Master Morin? Do you have any other questions?"

"Master Lockhart, I would like to know your meditation techniques," Morin asked.

Lockhart immediately understood. He had learned through books that Kamar-Taj's sorcerers trained both spirit and body, using meditation to enhance their mental strength. Lockhart, however, found little effect from meditation and did not continue with it.

"Master Morin, I'm very sorry. I haven't practiced meditation and don't know much about it. I'm afraid I won't be able to share any techniques with you."

Morin was astonished, finding it hard to believe a sorcerer wouldn't know about meditation. His expression turned ugly, thinking Lockhart was lying.

Lockhart noticed Morin's skepticism and explained, "Master Morin, my mental power comes from my bloodline, a natural talent. For me, meditation is not as efficient as my innate abilities. So, I didn't focus on meditation."

Morin's expression softened, though a hint of envy lingered. He had heard of people with strong bloodlines possessing magical abilities effortlessly, and now he had met one. No wonder Lockhart seemed physically weak but mentally strong.

Seeing Morin prepare to continue meditating, Lockhart saw an opportunity. "Master Morin, I don't know much about meditation, but I have a potion that can enhance mental power. Would you like to try it?"

Lockhart waved his wand, and a bottle of dark blue potion appeared in the air. "This is the Dream Soul Potion, prepared by a top potion master. It increases mental power during sleep."

Morin's eyes lit up but then dimmed as Lockhart added, "However, the side effect is encountering things you dislike in your dreams. This does not affect the potion's effectiveness."

Lockhart knew Snape's Dream Soul Potion was top-notch, but its side effects, causing intense nightmares, were not trivial. He had no desire to relive his own traumatic memories of having his research stolen.

Morin didn't mind. He had encountered many enhancing potions and was used to their side effects. "How effective is it, Master Lockhart?"

"My personal experience is that it increases mental power by about half. But this varies with individuals," Lockhart explained.

Morin nodded, intrigued. "Alright, Master Lockhart. I want this bottle of Dream Soul Potion. What's the price?"

There was no such thing as a free lunch, and Morin knew there would be a cost for Lockhart's potion.