Chapter 121: Ino's Suggestion

Castle Hall.

It took about ten minutes for Hermione to explain the entire situation.

"We're stuck right now, and I suspect Lockhart has realized it. He's been looking at me strangely," Harry said, worried.

Seeing Harry's anxiety, Ino chuckled lightly: "Mr. Potter, I think your worries are unnecessary! As long as you don't go wandering outside, no one can harm you within the castle. With Professor Dumbledore here, you're safe."

Dumbledore's name seemed to have its own kind of magic; upon hearing it, Harry visibly relaxed.

"That's true! With Professor Dumbledore around, he wouldn't dare do anything," Ron agreed, nodding.

Seeing the three of them nod in agreement, Ino changed his tone:

"But this issue needs to be resolved; you can't stay in the castle forever."

"But we have no evidence!" Hermione interjected, pinpointing the crux of her dilemma. Accusing a professor without sufficient evidence would not be believed, especially someone as famous as Lockhart.

"Some things don't need evidence, just clues. Someone will find the evidence for you."

Ino explained to Hermione, then turned to Harry and lowered his voice: "Go back and try to recall the contents of your notes in as much detail as possible. Write it all down. If you trust me, I can handle this. Lockhart won't get away!"

After learning it was about Lockhart, Ino had already thought of a plan. He could do the headmaster a favor while helping Harry gain some prestige in his second year.

Though Harry would no longer be obsessed with fame after realizing the truth about Lockhart, certain things simply couldn't be done without some level of fame—like forming 'Dumbledore's Army' in the story, which wouldn't have happened without Harry leading it.

"I trust you!"

Hermione was the first to express her stance after Ino finished speaking.

Ron also voiced his opinion: "I trust you too. Although I don't like you much, you're different from other Slytherins. If it were anyone else, they would just watch Ginny get hurt and laugh at my family."

Seeing his two friends' opinions, Harry nodded decisively: "I'll start writing now. By tomorrow afternoon, I'll have it all written down for you."

...

Slytherin Dormitory.

After dinner, Ino parted ways with the trio and returned to the dormitory.

The matter with Lockhart wasn't critical; even if he didn't help, someone else would eventually handle it. The reason he wanted to act was purely his bard's instinct.

You can listen to stories, tell stories, and spread stories, but you can't harm the source of the stories.

What kind of behavior would that be? Like biting the hand that feeds you. Making money off someone's story only to erase their memory later is worse than theft.

"Click!" The dormitory door opened softly.

Draco had returned from his rounds, striding into the room with a confident gait: "Ino, you're in love! And with a Gryffindor!"

His tone was similar to Harry's earlier, as if he had discovered a great secret.

"I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!" Ino rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He hadn't accounted for the bored little wizards in the castle.

Even if he did want to fall in love or had a vague crush, they were still too young for such things.

"I can keep quiet, but others will talk!" Draco said with a smug smile.

"You should've seen the looks on the girls' faces in our house. It was like… like they had saved up money to buy candy, only to see someone else take it all."

"Just stop it!" Ino couldn't bear to listen anymore. They were just sitting together and talking; there was no deep romance involved. By this logic, would a dance at the Triwizard Tournament end in marriage?

"By the way, Draco, can you write a letter to Uncle Lucius for me?"

"A letter to my father?" Draco's expression turned serious. "What happened? I'll write it right now!"

"It's nothing major, but it needs to be arranged in advance..." Ino decided to let Lucius handle the Lockhart issue after some thought.

Everyone has their methods; Lucius, with his cunning, would know what to do once the stakes were made clear. Helping Dumbledore while doing Harry a favor would be an opportunity Lucius wouldn't want to miss. It wouldn't take much effort on his part.

"Here's the situation, but there are two conditions: first, Harry must get the credit; that's crucial. Second, give them some rewards..."

After hearing Ino's explanation, Draco thought for a moment before nodding: "This won't cause any trouble! As for the credit, only Harry would want it; Lockhart has not been idle these years. His novels have garnered him many loyal supporters who are blind to his faults."

"Good! Let's get this done." Ino leaned back in his chair, pleased with Draco's insight.

It seemed that as long as Harry wasn't around, Draco's intelligence stayed intact.

The best way to do someone a favor quietly is not to draw attention. Taking Harry's credit would not only negate the favor but also offend many of Lockhart's fans. Only a fool would do that.

"I'll write the letter now! My father should be prepared." Draco said as he walked towards the desk in the dormitory.

...

Defense Against the Dark Arts Office.

Lockhart paced nervously in his office, increasingly certain that his secret had been discovered.

It was obvious: during Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Harry's gaze had shifted from disdain and helplessness to anger and vigilance.

Such a clear change was hard to miss.

After pacing for a while, Lockhart, now tired, slumped into his office chair, pulling at his smooth, golden hair.

"Why can't we just cooperate? Why not come to me, why not negotiate..."

He couldn't understand what benefit Harry gained from toppling him without a direct conflict of interest. Yes, Harry would gain some fame, but he would also make many enemies.

The best approach would be to negotiate, make some compromises. After all, a famous Lockhart was invaluable.

But seeing Harry's eyes and waiting fruitlessly for him to approach over these days, it was clear.

"Gryffindor! Why don't they ever think things through? All three of them… I must deal with them all at once..."

Lockhart murmured to himself, glancing at the wand on his desk.

A few minutes later, the Defense Against the Dark Arts office fell silent again, with only occasional soft bird calls coming from the landscape painting on the wall.

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