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Chapter 41: Violating the Laws of Historical Development?

"You just said that Professor Lockhart asked Madam Pince for a catalogue of the library books, right?" Facing Dumbledore's question, Professor McGonagall nodded and asked curiously, "What's wrong, Headmaster? Is there a problem?" "No problem, keep going, Minerva," responded Dumbledore with a gentle smile, motioning to continue the report. During the subsequent reporting time, Professor McGonagall clearly felt that Dumbledore was a little absent-minded, but then he refocused on what Lockhart was doing. She suppressed the thought deep in her heart and simultaneously paid more attention to Lockhart. However, what Professor McGonagall didn't notice was that the portrait of the principal next to her opened its eyes, as if it had also noticed Dumbledore's earlier question. There wasn't much to do at the start of the school, and Professor McGonagall quickly finished her report. After declining Dumbledore's invitation for a glass of honey tea, Professor McGonagall left the principal's office. Boom! With a roar from the stone statue, the door closed. The portrait of Principal Armando Dippet next to Dumbledore made a sound. "Dumbledore, Gilderoy Lockhart wants a list of all the books in the library. This matter is worth investigating. Don't you worry that he might be looking for some dark magic book? You know who the last person was to do this. Although he was looking at the Durmstrang Library." Dumbledore heard Principal Armando Dippet's words but did not reply and remained silent. He just took out a thick book with a dark blue cover, a large number of patterns engraved on it, and a bronze book frame on the edge. Subconsciously touching the lower right corner of the book, there was a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Where he touched, that is, in the lower right corner of the book, there was dark red signature-like writing: "To my dear friend Albus Dumbledore." The book cover read: "A Brief Discussion on the Development of the Wizarding World" - written by Gellert Grindelwald. At this moment, Lockhart was in his office, reading the list of books he had received from Madam Pince. At the same time, there was a gray notebook placed next to the book, which recorded the ideas he had come up with from the list of books he read.

Wizards in BC rarely used magic wands. They seemed to cast spells easily. Many advanced magic spells were created in BC.The Patronus Charm has been passed down since ancient times and has great potential for exploration. It is recommended that one must master it to explore its effect.A disaster may have occurred in the wizarding world in the third century AD because almost no writings were produced during that period.It seems that the further time passes and the closer to modern times, the lower the frequency of magical works produced. This is not in line with the law of historical development. According to common sense, the closer to modern times, the more advanced magic should be, and the higher the frequency of magical works.The closer we get to modern times, the newly created spells tend to be attack spells, and they seem to be closely related to emotions and will. Lockhart let out a breath, slowly closed the list of books he had obtained from Madam Pince, then picked up his gray notebook and slowly reviewed the 87 ideas he had compiled. As he looked back, the sense of dissonance in his heart became stronger. He discovered that there were problems in the wizarding world, big problems. He carefully arranged the list of books he had just read and interpreted them from the perspective of the development of the times. As a result, he suddenly discovered something that went against the laws of historical development!

According to common sense, the accumulation of knowledge is gradual at first and will develop explosively later, then return to the cycle of gradual-explosive-gradual. Just like in the past life in the East, knowledge slowly accumulated for hundreds of years, and then suddenly exploded in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the accumulation of knowledge began to be gradual again. The same is true for the Renaissance in the West. There was accumulation some time ago, and then suddenly reached a period of explosion. Then it enters the stage of gradual accumulation. Moreover, the closer they get to modern times, the intervals between this gradual and explosive cycle will become shorter and shorter. For example, Lockhart's previous life may have initially taken hundreds of years to experience an explosive cycle, but in modern times, it may only take decades or even more than ten years of accumulation to trigger an explosion. It is also commonly known as the Big Bang of Technology.

The wizarding world is completely different. It seems that it has not experienced the cycle of gradualness and explosion at all. In other words, it has been in a gradual state, that is, the wizarding world has been developing slowly. There was no period of rapid growth or magic explosion. In other words, there seemed to be a magic explosion period before BC, but the accumulation of knowledge became flat after AD. Occasionally, some more subversive concepts appeared, but they did not promote a new round of magic explosion. For example, the wand can be said to have updated the way wizards cast spells. But it seems that it has not greatly promoted the research of magic. It only allows wizards to transform from the previous wandless spellcasting to the current wand spellcasting. At best, there were a few books on wand casting during that period, but not much else. Lockhart puzzled over all this, but he was not prepared to delve deeper. He was not a person who wanted to get into trouble. He put this question deep within himself and started preparing for his lesson. In the afternoon, he had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class for second-year wizards. Well, in this class, he would meet the golden trio.

In the afternoon, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the young wizards from Gryffindor and Slytherin quickly found their seats and chatted in whispers. This was their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class since they became second-year wizards. There was a new teacher this year - Professor Lockhart. They had high expectations for Professor Lockhart. They had heard from the first-year wizards that Professor Lockhart would show shocking special effects magic. As for the fourth-year seniors, although they complained about Professor Lockhart's first-day quiz, they still talked about the rewards that would be given by the professor. Not only were there snacks, but there were also magic items. All this always made them look forward to it. At this time, Harry, Hermione, and Ron gathered together to discuss quietly. "Hermione, I heard that you saw Professor Lockhart on the Hogwarts Express before. How did you feel?" "Professor Lockhart is a very nice person, very handsome, and very patient in answering questions." "Harry, can you lend me your magical amulet? It was given to you by Professor Lockhart." "Okay, Ron, but you have to be careful not to break it." "Don't worry, Harry." Draco Malfoy, who was not far away, saw Harry and others whispering. He snorted and turned to discuss with his two followers. Although Lockhart seemed to have had a small conflict with his Lucius, this did not affect his expectations for Professor Lockhart's reward. He also really wanted to have his own magical amulet like Harry Potter. Well, no matter what, he couldn't lose to Harry. As the bell rang, they saw Professor Lockhart walking towards the podium carrying a suitcase.

Chapter 42: Practice the Spell!

Lockhart carried a suitcase and walked to the podium. Looking at the two distinct waves of young wizards below, he couldn't help but sigh. It had only been two days since school started, and after only three classes, he realized that the school was very divided. Basically, the seats were arranged in piles for each house, and the frequency of communication with other houses was rare. Especially those from Slytherin House, who were very repulsive to those from other houses. Next was Ravenclaw. Gryffindor might be a little better. As for Hufflepuff, Lockhart had not formally taught them lessons, but he guessed it was better than Gryffindor. However, Lockhart didn't want to worry about these. These problems had been deep-rooted for decades or even centuries, and he couldn't find a solution for the time being. What's more, he didn't have the heart to solve these problems. This should be Dumbledore's responsibility. He was now focused on the runes. So, looking at the expectant eyes of the young wizards below, Lockhart showed a bright smile and briefly introduced himself. Looking at the textbooks everyone put on the table, he said gently to the wizards, "For today's lesson, everyone can put the books away. We have a practical lesson today, all you need is your wand."

"Wow!" The young wizards below exclaimed. A practical class, this was their favorite class. No need to read boring textbooks, just practice magic. Who wouldn't like a course like this? Immediately afterward, the young wizards heard Lockhart's gentle and steady voice. "Now, all the young wizards, stand up and stand in the aisles, and let's begin today's practical lessons." As soon as Lockhart finished speaking, all the young wizards stood next to the desks very neatly and walked to the middle, looking forward to the next lesson.

Lockhart waved his wand, and all the desks floated in the air, moving slowly towards the back of the classroom, leaving a huge open space in the middle of the room. Lockhart stood at the front of the clearing, waving to the wizards, gesturing for everyone to come forward and form a circle. Soon, looking at the bunch of young wizards in front of him, Lockhart opened his magic suitcase. He took out a large cage covered with cloth and waved his wand to control it to float in mid-air. Looking at the curious looks in the young wizards' eyes towards the cage, especially Harry's head raised high, his expression full of anticipation.

"You must be careful not to scream after seeing it. Because that would piss them off." Suddenly, Lockhart's deep voice infected the surrounding group of young wizards, and everyone held their breath as if they were facing something terrifying. Seeing everyone's expressions, Lockhart suddenly lifted the cloth off the cage. Suddenly, a large number of pointed-faced pixies with waving wings, blue bodies, dark eyes, and somewhat ugly faces appeared in the cage. Seeing this, all the young wizards had disappointed looks on their faces. Lockhart looked at everyone's disappointed expressions and said with a smile, "You are only in your second year, and you haven't mastered many spells yet. You can't expect me to capture a werewolf or a dementor for your lesson. Also, these are pixies from Cornwall. Even though they are small, their flying speed is fast. They like to grab people by their ears, lift them up into the air, and hang them on the tops of trees."

Upon hearing Lockhart's introduction, the young wizards' eyes instantly lit up. After hearing the professor's introduction, the pixies seemed very interesting. Seeing everyone's interest revived, Lockhart continued to introduce. "In today's practical class, all you have to do is cast a spell to knock out the pixies. Those who perform well can get extra points for their own house. Those with the best grades will receive a magic amulet made by me." As soon as these words came out, all the young wizards immediately became energetic.

"Professor, I'll do it first." "I'll go first." "I said I'm first." "."

Well, they had often seen Harry Potter with a magic amulet around his neck recently, and their hearts had long been filled with envy. After seeing everyone's enthusiastic performance, Lockhart waved his wand and drew a beautiful arc in the air. Soon, a dark blue pixie was released from the floating cage. Lockhart told the students calmly, "Okay, don't be anxious, everyone. Before you do it, you need to understand the pixie first." Under the control of magic, the pixie floated in front of everyone.

Lockhart held his wand, pointed at the head of the elf in front of him, and introduced, "The pixies in Cornwall are also called naughty elves. Very fond of mischief." Hearing this, Ron seemed thoughtful, as if thinking of his two twin brothers. He didn't think for long and continued to focus on Professor Lockhart's speech. "Their characteristic is that they fly very fast. Because they are not lethal, they are classified as xx magical creatures. The purpose of today's practical course is to train everyone in the speed and accuracy of casting spells. The pixies are mostly dark blue and about eight inches long."

After hearing Lockhart's introduction to the elves, the young wizards became a little bored. Sensing this, Lockhart picked up the pace. Then he piqued the interest of the young wizards with one sentence. "After we finish practicing the magic spell, we will start an activity. Now, everyone line up in three rows." Hearing the activities mentioned by Lockhart, the interest of the young wizards was instantly piqued. They all lined up and looked at Lockhart expectantly.

Lockhart smiled, but still followed his lesson preparation process and said, "Okay, everyone, don't use your wands. First, recite the spell with me." "Stupefy!" Soon, all the young wizards were chanting spells along with Lockhart in unison. "Stupefy!" "Stupefy!" "."

Sensing that there were some minor problems with everyone's tone and speed, but the impact was not significant, Lockhart nodded with satisfaction. Then he repeated it several times and fine-tuned the way everyone chanted the spell. Basically, there would be no problem with the spell.

After finishing preparations, Lockhart said in a deep voice, "Okay, now line up, everyone is practicing the stunning spell. Once you have mastered the spell, we can start activities. When the time comes, the magic amulet will be waiting for you." Upon hearing this, the young wizards picked up their wands and lined up in a neat row. Seeing this, Lockhart looked at the first wizard, Mickey, who looked a little nervous. Then he gently comforted him, "Mickey, don't be nervous. I will loosen the control of the pixie later, and then you use the stunning spell." Hearing Lockhart's gentle tone, Mickey's nerves dropped a lot. He nodded heavily and squeezed his wand tightly, aiming at the dark blue pixie floating in the air not far away.

Seeing this, Lockhart nodded to Mickey and relaxed the elf's control. "Stupefy!" Looking at the pixie waving its wings and flying to the left, Mickey quickly waved his wand, aimed at the target, and shouted loudly. In an instant, the magic power of Mickey's was infused into the wand, emitting a red light and hitting the escaping pixie. Looking at the pixie who passed out on the ground, Mickey had a cheerful smile on his face. The young wizards behind also looked eager to try.

Chapter 43

"Stupefy!" "Stupefy!" "." As the young wizards cast stunning spells one after another, the atmosphere became increasingly lively. Lockhart also had a smile on his face. Sure enough, practical classes were the most attractive to young wizards and the easiest to lighten the atmosphere. For second-year wizards, it was very tempting.

But Lockhart looked at the motionless pixie lying on the ground and waved his wand helplessly. "Augmenti!" A stream of water emerged from the tip of his wand and poured onto the pixie's face. Soon, the pixie woke up and looked at the young wizards not far away, and Lockhart who was close at hand. With a sad face, it lay motionless on the ground - pretending to be dead!

Seeing this, Lockhart twitched the corners of his mouth, waved his wand, and controlled the pixie to float to the left corner of the classroom. There were already 5 of the same pixie there, lying, pretending to be dead. This practical course was very effective, but it was a bit expensive. Of the 15 pixies in his cage, 6 had been damaged. Judging from the interest of the next group of wizards, he was afraid that the remaining 9 would not be much better.

He curled his lips helplessly, controlled the cage to open, summoned the next active pixie, and continued to place it in front of the young wizards. Starting a new round of practice. Of course, for the elf, it was a new round of torture.

As time went by, basically every wizard had experienced hitting the pixie at least five times. The only exception was Ron. The poor little wizard's wand actually broke. He was trying to cast a stun spell on the pixie but ended up knocking himself out. Lockhart was immediately speechless. Then, after waking up Ron, he took out a spare wand and gave it to him. He had bought this specially before going to the Marvel world. He was worried that if his wand was lost, he would have a spare one. Despite this, Ron's level was still relatively average. Of course, this may also be related to the fact that he had just come into contact with a new wand.

However, there were many young wizards who caught Lockhart's eye. Among them were Hermione, Harry, Blaise, and Draco. The first time they cast the stun spell, they successfully knocked out the pixie. Especially Harry. Lockhart observed his movements and found that his talent was indeed not weak. Almost every stun spell was full of magical power, and the effect was very good. The spellcasting speed was at least 20% faster than the others. What did such talent mean? Lockhart knew it all too well - the future master of battle! Sure enough, being able to compete with Voldemort naturally had its own uniqueness. How much recognition could such a talent get? With his thoughts turning, Lockhart put the idea into his heart and then continued to start the next round of practice. Soon, two more rounds passed. Finally, his 15 pixies were completely exhausted.

He looked at his watch and found that class would end in about 15 minutes. So Lockhart threw the last pixie in the corner and clapped his hands. After seeing that it attracted the attention of all the young wizards, he said, "Okay, today's practice ends here. Now, let's start the promised activities. Rules of the event, those 15 pixies just now, I will let them escape in the classroom. You will attack. Whoever hits more will get the higher rank. The wizard with the highest ranking can not only add 10 points to their house but also get a magic amulet made by me. The wizards ranked second and third can order a snack of their choice, and I will ask the owl to deliver it. Even if you don't get a reward this time, don't be discouraged. This event will be held once a month in the future, and there will be rewards available for you."

All the young wizards' eyes lit up when they heard what Lockhart said about the reward. Sure enough, as the fourth-year seniors said, Professor Lockhart was generous. How could Lockhart not know what they were thinking? While eating this morning, he could hear the young wizards discussing his affairs in whispers. Tsk tsk tsk! If you pay, you will gain!

He understood this truth early on. Seeing the young wizards whose emotions were aroused and full of energy, Lockhart smiled and walked to the corner of the classroom. Looking at these 15 Cornish pixies lying motionless on the ground, pretending to be dead.

Lockhart slowly drew a circle with his right hand, controlling the Sling Ring with his mind. Soon, as he moved his right hand, a red flame ring appeared. A large number of threads automatically spread out from the middle of the fire ring, interconnecting with the runes in the middle. Click! Click! Rune - Communication! After activating the power of the rune, Lockhart instantly felt that, blessed by a gentle energy, he could sense the emotions of the surrounding creatures.

Focusing his attention on the 15 pixies lying on the ground pretending to be dead, and instilling his thoughts into their minds. Soon, Lockhart saw these 15 pixies opening their eyes, standing up, waving their wings, and looking at him with fear in their eyes. Lockhart could feel that these pixies were afraid of him, and he was not surprised. After all, he was the one who brought them to the wizard and asked them to practice the stunning spell one by one. Especially after they fell, he poured water on them to wake them up, then fell again, and then doused them again to wake them up. No one could stand this cycle of going back and forth.

But the cooperation of these pixies would be needed later. So he once again instilled his meaning into their minds through his thoughts. This time, the pixies finally understood that the voice that just appeared in their mind came from the man in front of them. Well, when Lockhart saw the word 'man', he curled his lips helplessly, but didn't say much. Seeing these pixies, he understood what they meant, so he pointed his wand at them and controlled them to float in front of the little wizards.

Then, he looked at the eager expressions of the young wizards. Lockhart had a smile in his eyes and shouted loudly, "Start!"

Chapter 44: The Little Wizard versus the Pixie!

Following Lockhart's orders, the pixies flew away in all directions with a whoosh. The group had just heard the big devil mention that as long as they avoided the attacks of the little devils below, he would let them go. Therefore, they utilized all their strength, flapped their wings, and swiftly moved away from the group of little wizards.

"Stupefy!" "Stupefy!" Spells flew across the classroom as the pixies darted around, and the little wizards below hastily waved their wands, continuously releasing stunning spells. Despite the barrage of spells, not a single hit landed. Observing the chaos, Lockhart couldn't help but sigh. It was as he had anticipated. Previously, he had to capture the pixies individually and train them to achieve such results. Now, encountering a relatively chaotic scene, with the pixies flying at full speed, the accuracy and strength of the stunning spells significantly decreased. Some spells even collided with each other and nullified their effects.

As the pixies dodged in the sky, some even sticking out their tongues and mocking the young wizards, anger surged among them, causing them to wave their wands harder. The record remained stable—none of the pixies were hit.

Some of the more astute little wizards began to realize that continuing in the same manner might not yield results. They started considering other strategies. Gryffindor's Hermione, along with Harry, who cast spells precisely, and Ron, who had recently acquired a new wand, huddled together to discuss quietly.

"We can't continue like this. These pixies fly too fast, and we can't hit any of them. We need to collaborate to surround one and limit its flight speed so we can hit it. Just the three of us won't be enough; we need others to join us in slowing it down."

After hearing Hermione's suggestion, Harry and Ron nodded in agreement and sought out classmates they had good relationships with to join their efforts. Meanwhile, students from Slytherin House began making similar moves, rallying their housemates to devise strategies to hit the pixies.

Observing this, Lockhart nodded approvingly. These little wizards were clever, understanding that unity was key.

Soon enough, "Stupefy!" rang out again. Harry and Hermione's team successfully slowed down a pixie's flight speed through obstacles they created and struck it down, rendering it unconscious. Ron hurried forward to catch it. Subsequently, the Slytherins followed suit, led by Draco, and hit another pixie.

This initiated a chain reaction. Many little wizards became familiar with the pixies' flight paths, casting spells one after another to limit their flight and knocking them to the ground one by one. Lockhart chuckled as he watched the pixies flee with a somewhat desperate expression. It wasn't that he didn't keep his promise; rather, none of them managed to dodge. It wasn't his fault!

After a while, the last pixie was successfully hit by Harry Potter. Ron rushed forward and seized it, a bright smile on his face.

Clap! Clap! Clap! With no more pixies in flight, Lockhart lightly clapped his hands and spoke encouragingly, "Congratulations! You've successfully caught these 15 pixies. Now, who's got how many?"

As Lockhart finished speaking, Ron and Harry approached with five pixies in hand. They eagerly waved and exclaimed, "Professor, Professor, we caught 5 of them!"

Simultaneously, others rushed to Lockhart, each loudly proclaiming their tally.

"Professor, we caught two!" "Professor, we caught 4!" ...

Seeing the young wizards gathered in a circle, each holding two or three pixies, proudly boasting, Lockhart raised a hand, quieting them. "Don't worry, let me count first. Gryffindor House caught 8, and Slytherin House caught 7. Thus, Gryffindor House gets 8 points, and Slytherin House gets 7."

Lockhart then proceeded to distribute rewards, putting the pixies into cages and presenting prizes to the top performers. He commended the students for their unity and problem-solving skills, reminding them that those who didn't receive rewards shouldn't be disheartened as there would be more competitions in the future.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Lockhart watched the young wizards exit the classroom. Then, he turned his attention to Hermione, Harry, and Ron, who had remained behind.

"What's wrong? Is there anything about the stunning spell you don't understand?" he inquired gently.

The trio shook their heads in unison. Ron expressed his gratitude for the wand, acknowledging that without it, he couldn't cast spells. With some reluctance, he handed it back to Lockhart.

Lockhart smiled, allowing Ron to keep the wand and encouraging him to excel in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ron, surprised, pledged to study diligently.

Lockhart then turned to Hermione and Harry, asking, "Harry, Hermione, what's on your minds?"

Chapter 45

"No, Professor," Harry shook his head.

"I do, Professor," Hermione raised her right hand high, unlike Harry's silence. Hermione asked a series of questions directly.

"Professor, would you like to ask if there are any other training techniques for the stunning spell? I just felt that the magic power I output was a little stagnant. Does the pixie have a weakness? Why is the pixie blue? Also, I think they are so pitiful. Can you let them go?"

Hearing Hermione's series of questions, Lockhart stroked his forehead helplessly. Okay, what he just said a few days ago was forgotten so quickly. This thirst for knowledge is really strong. As for whether or not to release the Pixie. He didn't really want to; it is his resource and it would be a waste to throw it away. Then, with a gentle smile on his face, he silently looked at Hermione who kept asking questions but said nothing. And Hermione, as if she had thought of something, her voice became smaller and smaller, and her speaking speed became slower and slower. Seeing this, Lockhart nodded secretly in his mind. Sure enough, for someone who kept chattering, staring into her eyes and saying nothing is the best solution. When Hermione stopped talking completely, Lockhart spoke, his tone slightly serious.

"Hermione, I just told you a few days ago, but you forgot about it so quickly. Just for that, you can write a paper based on what I said a few days ago when you go back. There is no limit to the number of words. Then come to me on Sunday with your paper and the three questions you think are most important. Now, you can go to the Gryffindor house and take a rest. If I remember correctly, you should have an astronomy class in the evening, so prepare in advance."

Looking at the three little ones who nodded, Lockhart especially looked at the departing figure of Hermione who was a little disappointed. Lockhart thought silently. They all need to be cultivated slowly. Some ways of thinking, behavioral habits, including vision must be cultivated. Although he understood Hermione's plea for mercy for the pixie, he didn't agree with it at all. After all, she is a young girl and naive, so it is normal to feel some pity. He thought Hermione should learn from the Ancient One. Tsk tsk! They are both women, and they are all magic users. Did the Ancient One show mercy on those dimensional demons? Those weak dimensional demons were all beaten by the Ancient Ones. Well, Lockhart had seen the records praising the Ancient One from the magic books borrowed by Kamar Taj.

The next morning, at the Hogwarts cafeteria. Lockhart carried a plate of food, walked over to Snape, sat down, and tasted it slowly. Professor Snape glanced at Lockhart without any expression and continued eating today's breakfast. Lockhart didn't care and slowly ate the food on his plate. He was recently trying something unimportant but very stress-relieving. That is, eating every kind of food in Hogwarts. Then attach a rating. As for the bad ones, he will never touch them again. As for the good ones, he can eat a few more bites in the future and study how to make them. Add a touch of his own gourmet skill! According to his experience, as long as he doesn't gain weight, good food is one of the best tools to relieve stress. Well, now the problem of gaining weight can be solved through magic. In order to carry out magical research efficiently, it is natural to relieve stress. The only pity is that the variety of food in the UK is not as rich as in his previous life. He is afraid that after eating for a while, he will have to face the trouble of finding delicious food. Soon, Snape finished his breakfast, and Lockhart almost controlled the speed and finished it at the same time. Then "Tell me, Professor Lockhart, what's the matter?" A cold tone came from Snape's mouth. In this situation, even the Muggles knew that Lockhart was definitely looking for something to do with him. Although his impression of Lockhart is average, he is a colleague after all. If there is anything he wants from him, it is still necessary to listen. Otherwise, Lockhart will be as annoyed as he was a few days ago. But Lockhart didn't care. He still knew very well what kind of person Snape is and said directly:

"Professor Snape, do you know about the Golden Clover?"

"Oh, it's that magical plant that you and Professor Sprout said can restore magic power." Snape raised his eyebrows and said with curiosity in his tone: "Professor Lockhart, if you have some, can you give some to me? We can conduct research on this."

Lockhart was a little surprised when he heard what Snape said, but then he suddenly understood. It seems either Snape was also paying attention to him on the first night of school, or Professor Sprout also asked Snape for advice on the golden clover. But it doesn't matter, as long as Snape is curious about the golden clover, it's enough.

"If you need it, Professor Snape, I have access to the Golden Clover. I can send you some for research in a few days," Lockhart said with a smile.

"Tell me, what do you want for it?" When Snape heard that Lockhart will give it to him for free, although Snape knew that it must not be completely free, the corners of his mouth still curled up slightly on his indifferent face.

"Haha, it's not that difficult." Lockhart heard Snape's gentle tone and knew that this time the matter was done. Sure enough, Snape, like me, is a smart person who knows everything.

"I would like to purchase a batch of potions from you. There are some special ones. If the quantity is large, I would like to ask if there is a discounted price."

Upon hearing Lockhart's request, Snape looked at Lockhart suspiciously and said rudely, "I definitely have the potion here. Even if I don't have it, I can prepare it."

"But...what are you going to do with it? Are you preparing to smuggle it?"

Hearing Snape's question, Lockhart smiled and said the reason he had prepared: "Of course not."

"On the one hand, I need some potions myself, and on the other hand, my channels also need potions to maintain relationships. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with smuggling. Look at me, a dignified Hogwarts professor and a famous writer. Does smuggling make as much money as me?"

Hearing Lockhart's answer, Snape nodded in agreement.

"That's right. For someone as generous as you and pursuing fame, it's natural that you won't be stigmatized by smuggling."

Well, it seems that his reputation has spread from students to professors.

"However, it is impossible to get a discount, but I can guarantee that the quality is definitely much better than what you can buy in the market."

Hearing Snape's reply, Lockhart pondered slightly and nodded slowly. "Okay!"

"However, my latest royalties won't come out until the end of the month, so can I take this batch of potions in advance? I'm anxious to use them."

Well, regarding the money he got from the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook for Hogwarts students, they will indeed have to wait until the end of the month before it is distributed to him.

However, seeing that Snape's face was slightly ugly, Lockhart still added.

"Don't worry, as a price, I will give you another rare magical plant, a plant that can nourish your spiritual power."

After hearing Lockhart's promise, Snape thought about it. He also knew about Lockhart's change of textbooks this year. He felt that there shouldn't be any problem, but he still nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, what potion do you need? I'll go back and sort it out here."

It's only the beginning of the month, and there will still be more than twenty days until the end of the month, which is a bit long. However, the unknown magical plant is worth the wait. As for Lockhart running away with the money or deceiving him, he thought about it, but put it behind him in the blink of an eye. Lockhart is a professor and a well-known writer, especially since he has been so generous these days. It is not his style.