Chapter 150

Late night at Hogwarts, in Lockhart's office.

Lockhart leaned back in his chair, staring at the wand on his desk. He recalled the conversation he had with the Salazar Slytherin portrait not long ago, a faint smile playing on his lips. The students Slytherin had trained had a significant negative impact on Hogwarts and the British wizarding world, making Slytherin feel a twinge of guilt. By emphasizing the danger of Voldemort's return and the benefits of the new magic system, Lockhart had subtly pushed Slytherin into a position where he felt compelled to help.

Lockhart mused on how to further exploit this. If Salazar Slytherin's concern for Hogwarts was genuine, it could be a valuable resource. Lockhart's thoughts drifted to his immediate plans; he had less than two weeks before he returned to the Marvel world. Some tasks could not be postponed any longer.

He thought of the magical firearms he had seen at Gringotts and made a decision. Closing his eyes, he focused on the goblin he had marked at the Blackstone Auction. Lockhart's eyes lit up within seconds, sensing the stable life force of the goblin. It was late at night, and the goblin seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Waving his wand, Lockhart drew a beautiful arc in mid-air, and a sparking portal quietly formed. Recently, he had been researching how to localize Kamar Taj's magic, converting some of their spells into wand spells. The portal was one of his achievements. Stepping through it, Lockhart entered the Fire Hotel in the Turns Black Market.

The goblin auctioneer, who had recently earned a lot of gold Galleons as a reward, was fast asleep after a night of revelry with a female goblin. Lockhart cast a silencing spell on the room to prevent any noise from escaping and then cast the Imperius Curse on both goblins.

"My lord, we are dressed now," the goblins said, snapping out of their trance after getting dressed.

Lockhart turned around, suppressing his nausea at the sight of the goblins, and asked, "Tell me, do you know the addresses of any goblin alchemist masters?"

In a daze, the goblin auctioneer replied, "Sir, I know the identity information of many goblin alchemist masters, but I only know the specific addresses of two because most alchemist masters keep their addresses strictly confidential."

"Say it," Lockhart ordered.

"One is in the Gaston Valley in France, and the other is in the small town of Pokhara in Germany," the goblin replied.

Lockhart's face darkened. He had hoped the auctioneer, who interacted with many people daily, would know more addresses. Traveling abroad would take too long.

Lockhart hesitated, contemplating whether he should attempt to capture the goblin alchemist masters deep in the Gringotts vaults. However, the tight security and the potential fallout made him reconsider.

He turned to the female goblin, also under the Imperius Curse, and asked the same question. To his surprise, she mentioned a master alchemist named Bruno who lived at No. 36 Manta Street, Hogsmeade.

"Tell me about the defensive measures he has in place," Lockhart demanded.

The female goblin explained that Bruno had boasted about two magic traps in the living room and some magical items at the top of the stairs. Lockhart committed the details to memory, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Bruno. Women could indeed be a man's downfall.

With a plan forming in his mind, Lockhart knew he had to act quickly and efficiently to secure the resources he needed before his return to the Marvel world. He prepared himself to visit Bruno's home, confident that with his skills and the information he had gathered, he would succeed in his mission.

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