Chapter 169: Lockhart’s Talent Pool

The next morning, at the Hog's Head Bar.

"Ian, do you really want to leave?" Aberforth Dumbledore, the owner of the Hog's Head Bar, asked regretfully.

"Yes, boss," Ian replied firmly. "Thank you for taking care of me during this period."

"Next time I come back to the Hog's Head Bar, I will definitely drink a glass of Firewhiskey made by you, boss."

Hearing Ian's firm tone, Aberforth sighed. He had sensed Ian's inner hesitation recently and knew about his situation. Ian's story reminded him of his own son Credence's experience, so he had always taken good care of him. Now, it seemed the boy had grown up and had his own path to take.

After a moment of thought, Aberforth took out 10 gold galleons, placed them in front of Ian, and said gently, "In that case, Ian, I look forward to the next meeting, and I will treat you to a free glass of Firewhiskey then. Keep these 10 gold galleons and don't refuse. If you need it later, it can be considered as a reward for your dedicated service over the years."

Hearing this, Ian's eyes became slightly moist, and he nodded heavily. He knew this was the boss's kindness. He put the gold galleons away and said gratefully, "Thank you, boss. Thank you."

After that, he picked up his suitcase and walked outside. Aberforth watched Ian's leaving figure, shook his head slightly, poured himself a glass of wine, and tasted it slowly, missing his child a little.

After Ian walked out of the Hog's Head Bar, he looked at the crowded streets and walked forward slowly. Last night, after becoming Master Lockhart's student, he began to practice meditation under Lockhart's guidance. They were also told that they would hide in the dark in the future and would not be exposed to many pure-blood families like research assistants. They would become the pillars and leaders of the new wizard system, which made them feel very proud.

Therefore, when Lockhart suggested that they could live in his place temporarily for better training, they did not say no. Being close to the mentor makes it easier for them to practice magic.

Soon, Ian walked into an uninhabited alley. He stretched out his arms and focused all his attention on the golden dragon pattern on his arm. A golden light flashed, as if calling for something.

Boom!

Soon, with a slight sound, the figure of the house elf Coffy appeared in front of him. Coffy looked at Ian, the Squib, with complicated eyes and felt a little awkward. Without saying anything else, he stretched out his hand to hold Ian's arm and said, "Hold on tight. You may feel uncomfortable when you teleport. Just bear with it."

After Ian heard this, he immediately grabbed Coffy's arm.

Immediately afterward.

Whoosh!

The space changed, and Ian instantly felt an overwhelming feeling in his stomach and wanted to vomit. He quickly held his stomach to hold it in. He had to meet his instructor later, and it would be very embarrassing if he vomited.

Then,

"Spit up. You'll feel better after you finish vomiting." House Elf Coffy held a trash can in front of Ian. At this time, Ian couldn't bear it anymore and started vomiting while holding the trash can.

After a while, Ian felt much better. He took the tissue handed to him by Coffy, wiped his mouth, and slowly raised his head. He observed the room around him. This was a study room, with brown-red bookshelves leaning against the wall, filled with a large number of books. There were also some specimens of magical animals around. However, what caught his attention the most was an open magic suitcase on the floor not far away. In an instant, he knew where he should go.

Sure enough, he heard Coffy next to him say, "Ian, the master has instructed you to go into the space inside the suitcase and practice on your own. If there's a problem, document it. When he comes back in the evening, he will answer your questions during practice."

Ian nodded to express his understanding, and then followed Coffy into the trunk space, ready to start his own magic practice.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, in a classroom corridor:

"Harry, are they going to be Professor Lockhart's research assistants?" Hermione asked Harry curiously, looking at the Squibs who were lining up in the corridor to prepare for the interview.

"Maybe, Hermione," Harry nodded. "Professor Lockhart is very famous in the wizarding world now. In the newspapers in the past two days, he's been praised as the father of meditation. He has broken the century-old dilemma in the wizarding world, giving hope to the Squibs. That's why so many Squibs are here because of his achievements."

Actually, that's why Lockhart let Rita Skeeter continue writing slander about him. On the one hand, it gave Rita a chance to be recognized by the pure-blood families and join their camp. On the other hand, it expanded his influence. In his previous life, Lockhart often saw celebrities in the entertainment industry engaging in hype. They would throw out shocking news, wait for enough fermentation, then reverse and harvest a large amount of traffic at once. Lockhart was imitating similar operations, and the effect looked quite good. The wizards who initially scolded him harshly suddenly felt guilty after the reveal and quickly turned from critics to fans.

Hearing what Harry said, Hermione nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Professor Lockhart is becoming more and more famous. Too many people are looking for him." Then, Hermione seemed to think of something and mocked, "I heard that Rita Skeeter, who scolded the professor before, is now being scolded by the professor's fans so much that she doesn't even dare to come out."

After Ron heard this, he showed a look of amusement and said, "She deserves it!"

Then, Ron asked curiously, "Harry, Hermione, do you think Professor Lockhart will finish the interviews soon? Yesterday I saw at least hundreds of Squibs coming. There were so many people."

Harry shook his head, saying he didn't know. Hermione thought for a while and said hesitantly, "Maybe it will end soon. Professor Lockhart mentioned in the newspaper that he would stop interviewing after recruiting 100 Squibs. Perhaps he is almost done with recruiting now."

After hearing Hermione, the two nodded in agreement. Then, they looked curiously at the long queue of Squibs before leaving.

At this moment, Lockhart looked at the new batch of Squibs who were writing survey papers below, and a sense of joy rose on his face. So far, through this interview activity, he had collected a lot of information about Squibs. Those who were suitable were included in his inner talent pool.

His talent pool was divided into three categories.

Category 1 included individuals like Ian, who had good mental talent, weak ties with their families, and had been living alone. They were on the top priority training list. Lockhart planned to invite them to join his first batch of students and train them to become talented wizards. They had the time and the conditions to accept his teachings for a long period.

Squibs who had good mental talent but lived with their families were in Category 2. Since it was not suitable for them to be taught by Lockhart for a long time, they would wait until the first batch of students was mature enough to help these Squibs become wizards. They would be the second batch of students or disciples.

Category 3 included Squibs with relatives who enjoyed a certain status in the wizarding world, such as Squibs from pure-blood families or relatives of master alchemists and potion masters. Lockhart would give priority to including them in the list of research assistants, among the 100 slots. These individuals would be in the eyes of pure-blood families, and their relationships would serve as the best protection. Most of the pure-blood families' malice would be dissipated because of these protective umbrellas. At the same time, it would attract attention and conceal risks for the Squib wizards Lockhart trained privately.

This series of actions would buy Lockhart a lot of development time. Next, he prepared to return to the Marvel world to use this period to train his students well.

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