socalfunplaces Chapter 194 The Great Sage Lockhart
Chapter 194 The Great Sage Lockhart
Chapter 195 (4k long chapter) The Great Sage Lockhart
Harry had a fit of rage in the Chamber of Secrets that day and attacked Narvad so badly that she couldn't sit on a stool for three to five days, limping like a withered lotus in the wind.
This beating wasn't a big deal, but it terrified those mischievous kids.
The female students who once harbored infatuation, hoping to get intimate with each other during punishment, have now completely abandoned those romantic notions.
You should know that this scarred man is not only indifferent to women, but also has no sense of tenderness or pity for them. No matter how delicate or tender you are, you will only be cruelly destroyed in his hands.
As October drew to a close, Hogwarts suddenly became chaotic.
Why do you think that is? Well, according to the rules, at three-quarters past noon on this day, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, along with their students, would come to pay their respects.
The house-elves were busy running around, sweeping the eaves and corridors until they were as smooth as mirrors, even carefully scraping away the years of grime from the cracks in the bricks.
The Great Hall had been completely renovated; the insignia of the four houses had all been removed, leaving only the Hogwarts crest hanging brightly in the air. Indeed: Attire was tidied, etiquette was observed, and a banquet was arranged to welcome guests.
Fred and George were both quick-witted and eloquent.
The two men, having used their silver tongues to talk endlessly to Dumbledore, offered him their newly developed "juicy cockroach candy" as a favor.
Dumbledore was so pleased with the meal that he actually allowed the two of them to replace the row of banners on the wall with the phoenix emblem of the Boxers.
At dusk, McGonagall personally inspected thirty to fifty students with neat appearances and upright postures, and they, along with the other professors, lined up outside the castle to welcome him.
Harry, Harry, and his two companions chose to include themselves.
Upon reaching the door, McGonagall counted the number of people and gave them a lecture on etiquette to prevent any embarrassing incidents when outsiders arrived.
Unfortunately, these students gathered in small groups, laughing and whispering, completely disregarding decorum, and only concerned with discussing the appearance of the teachers and students of the two schools.
Seeing this, Harry shouted, "Silence!"
The sound was like a sudden clap of thunder. The students immediately stopped laughing and joking, and stood up straight, their faces solemn and their ranks as neat as if cut by a knife, just like rows of white willows.
Snape, observing coldly, felt a twitch in his cheek upon seeing this, and turned to Dumbledore, saying:
"I think it won't be long before Potter has complete control of Hogwarts."
"That's a good thing."
Dumbledore picked up a bursting, juicy cockroach candy, popped it into his mouth, and chuckled:
"Severus, you should really try its juice. Those two Weasley boys are real geniuses."
Upon hearing this, Snape's face trembled uncontrollably. He suddenly tossed aside his black robe and vanished on the wind.
The crowd then lined up in order, waiting for the guests to arrive.
Hermione, who had been writing and drawing in the Death Diary for a long time beside Harry, suddenly frowned and said:
"Strange, where did Crook Mountain go?"
"It can't be found in the Death Diary either."
Harry laughed loudly, "Big sister, don't make wild guesses. That Crook Mountain is no ordinary creature; he's long been intelligent and can distinguish right from wrong."
"Perhaps he has already cultivated into a spirit or monster, and is now living a carefree and unrestrained life."
As the two were talking, a dark shadow that blotted out the sky suddenly appeared in the sky above the Forbidden Forest, moving like mountains and rolling clouds, flying straight toward Hogwarts.
As the enormous object drew closer, everyone realized it was a giant pink-blue chariot, as large as a house, pulled by twelve winged celestial horses, arriving on clouds.
Those horses had silver manes all over their bodies, and each one was as strong as a giant elephant. When they flapped their wings, they stirred up a strong wind.
The carriage suddenly crashed to the ground with a loud "boom," as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open, raising a cloud of yellow dust that rushed straight at the faces of the teachers and students.
The professors scattered and dodged the flying sand and stones. Only the Boxers remained as still as nails driven into wood, letting the dust and dirt hit their faces.
Ron spat out two mouthfuls of sand and glared at them, saying, "Is this some kind of show of power?"
Before he finished speaking, a servant in a light blue robe jumped down from the carriage, bent down and fumbled for a moment, and then opened the golden ladder with a "click".
As he respectfully stepped aside, a black lacquered high heel, the size of a small children's sled, was first seen peeking out from inside the car.
Then appeared a tall woman dressed in black silk, as large as a small mountain. The precious ring on her finger shone brightly, and although she was a bit old, she still had a graceful air about her.
Ron was slightly taken aback and exclaimed, "I thought Hagrid was the only person in the world that big."
"Now he'll have company."
Harry's eyes widened as he stared intently at the car door.
The curtain was lifted, and thirty to fifty men and women dressed in silk and satin emerged. They were all of ordinary build, but their eyes scanned the castle with a wary look.
Suddenly, the moonlight illuminated the scar on Harry's forehead, and the group's expressions changed drastically. They all took a step back, as if they had seen a nemesis.
Harry shook his head and sighed, "I thought all the Beauxbatons were like their headmaster, but I never imagined they would be so ordinary in stature and so lacking in courage."
Dumbledore clapped his hands, strode forward, took the tall woman's hand, kissed it, and said with a smile:
"Dear Mrs. Maxim, welcome to Hogwarts."
The tall woman smiled. "I hope you are well, Dumbledore."
"Thank you for your blessing." Dumbledore bowed. "Are you planning to wait here for Karkaroff, or would you like to go inside and warm up?"
Before he could finish speaking, Lockhart quickly straightened his clothes and called out, "I can be the guide!"
Maxim didn't hesitate at all. "Then I'll go inside and warm up first, but my horse..."
"Ah, our professor who protects magical creatures will take good care of these horses."
As Dumbledore finished speaking, Hagrid, dressed in a coarse woolen cloak and wearing a dragon-skin hat, strode forward and laughed heartily:
"Rest assured, Mrs. Maxim, taking care of magical creatures is my forte!"
When Maxim met Hagrid, he saw a man who was nine feet tall and ten feet wide, standing before the steps like half an iron tower.
Maxim himself was also a large and imposing man, and the two were like a Vajra meeting a Heavenly King, so he couldn't help but secretly cheer.
Seeing his firm and resolute words and piercing gaze, I was already seventy percent convinced.
"Oh, okay, Hagrid."
"However, I must remind you that these horses only drink single malt whisky."
Having said that, he pointed with his whip, leading the students of Beauxbatons straight into the castle.
As they passed Hogwarts and the students lined up to greet them, they saw that although their faces were covered in dust, they all stood as straight as javelins.
The woman frowned slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her phoenix eyes.
Lockhart, holding up the corner of his robe, came forward to greet him, looking up at Maxim like a child gazing at a tower.
Seeing that she hadn't moved for a long time, he couldn't help but call out, "Mrs. Maxim? Is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Maxim shook his head and stepped forward, saying, "I'm just a little curious about Mr. Hagrid."
"Oh! You mean Hagrid? We're sworn brothers!"
Hearing this, Maxim slowly lowered his eyes and asked curiously, "Could you elaborate, Mr. Lockhart?"
"Ah, just some trivial matters." Lockhart feigned composure, lightly twisting the sash at his waist. "Back when the Basilisk appeared at the school, it was Hagrid and I who killed it together..."
These words shocked the Beauxbatons students, who gasped in astonishment.
"A basilisk?!"
"Is it a child or an adult?"
"Can two people really kill them?"
A woman wearing a light blue round hat turned out from beside Maxim, the brim pulled low, revealing only her delicate chin, and coldly uttered a sentence.
"It seems Hogwarts' security is terrible; they managed to let the Basilisk get in."
Lockhart's expression remained completely unchanged; he simply smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do about it, Miss."
"You should know that this serpent monster was put in by the remnant soul of the mysterious person."
Before he could finish speaking, the students at Beauxbatons erupted in another uproar, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
The woman in the light blue round hat, however, did not believe it. She merely snorted coldly, lifted the brim of her hat slightly with her slender fingers, and bluntly stated:
"The mysterious man? If it really is him, then there probably won't be anyone left alive at Hogwarts."
Lockhart shook his head, a hint of pity on his face. "Oh dear, miss."
"Don't you know that the leader of the Boxers, the savior of the wizarding world, the infamous Scarface, the archenemy of Mystic, the master of the Dementors, and the best partner of the Aurors is at Hogwarts?"
These words came out like a string of pearls, leaving the woman speechless for a moment. She frowned and pondered for a long time before hesitatingly saying:
"Who are they?"
"I'm talking about Harry Potter!"
Lockhart gave an annoyed shout and added, "Of course, part of the reason Harry was able to defeat Mystic was because I blocked Mystic's Killing Curse for him."
These words struck like a bolt from the blue. The students of Beauxbatons turned ashen-faced and staggered as if about to collapse.
A man, leaning against a pillar, exclaimed in a trembling voice, "You blocked the Killing Curse?!"
Lockhart remained calm, suddenly producing a scroll of brocade from his sleeve. He held it high above his head and called out loudly, "Don't be silly, children, I wouldn't feel any sense of accomplishment lying to you!"
"For details, please refer to his biography, *Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets*. Purchase now and receive a free autographed copy!"
The students of Beauxbatons had never seen such a eloquent and charismatic figure before. They were momentarily stunned and reached into their pockets to grab coins.
Seeing that the time was right, Lockhart whispered in his ear, "By the way, 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' is also in urgent preparation!"
Pre-order now and receive a free deluxe edition of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"!
The students opened their bags and rummaged through them even faster, the coins jingling as they fell into their palms, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves.
Seeing that everyone looked like fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, the woman beside Maxim could no longer restrain herself.
She reached up and removed the light blue round hat from her head, revealing her to be: her black hair flowing like silver, swaying gently in the breeze; her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters; her jade-like face reflecting her red lips, her beauty unparalleled.
Lockhart was mesmerized, his eyes glazed over, his soul seemingly soaring to the heavens.
The woman stepped forward gracefully, her voice as clear as a spring striking jade, "Mr. Lockhart, you were lying just now, weren't you? Think carefully before you answer. I like to hear the truth."
Lockhart, like a puppet on a string, blankly replied, "Yes, I lied."
The students of Beauxbatons were taken aback upon hearing this, then their faces flushed with anger, and they all stuffed the money back into their sleeves.
The woman's lips curled slightly, and her willow-leaf eyebrows revealed a hint of smugness as she asked again:
"So what you just said about blocking the mysterious man's killing curse was also a lie, right?"
"No, this is true."
Upon hearing this, the woman's smile instantly froze. Maxim, standing beside her, paled and his voice deepened as he shouted:
"Hibiscus! You should show Professor Lockhart respect!"
The sound was like a thunderclap, and Lockhart shuddered, his eyes regaining their clarity. When he came to his senses, he realized he had spoken out of turn and cried out inwardly in dismay.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
Spellcasting without a staff?!
Why didn't they even chant the incantation?
Lockhart's heart pounded like a drum, but his face remained calm as he coldly said:
"Are you satisfied now, Miss Hibiscus?"
Fu Rong curtsied, her movements as graceful as a lotus in the breeze. "I'm sorry, Professor Lockhart, please forgive my rudeness."
Maxim smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Please don't hold it against the child. Seremban has Veela blood; she can't always control herself."
That's what it looks like when you can't control yourself? Do you think I'm stupid...?
Lockhart muttered his criticisms to himself for a moment before letting out a cold snort and nodding.
"Remember this, Miss Furong: curiosity killed the cat."
"You should learn not to pry, but to accept those well-intentioned lies."
"When you look intently into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."
These words were spoken in a somber and solemn tone, and both Maxim and Furong remained silent.
Just then, a student timidly held up his money bag and said, "Excuse me, Professor Lockhart, are you still selling your books?"
"Of course we'll sell!" Lockhart's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he magically produced paper and pen from his pocket. "Come and register with me, kids!"
When Maxim saw that Lockhart had transformed back into a common merchant in the blink of an eye, completely lacking the demeanor of a superior person, he felt as if a weight had been dropped to the bottom of a scale, and thought to himself that this person was no ordinary person.
She gently placed her large hand on Furong's shoulder and whispered in her ear:
"Don't try to seduce Lockhart anymore; his strength is likely second only to Dumbledore."
Upon hearing this, Hibiscus opened her phoenix eyes slightly, still showing a hint of defiance. "But, Madam, he is completely unable to resist my bewitching—or rather, even Dumbledore is unable to resist?"
"Silly girl, Dumbledore once deliberately lost to me. A jar of cockroach candy would make him do anything for you."
"If I'm not mistaken, he may be like Dumbledore, after climbing to the top of the world, he began to experience an ordinary life that he had never experienced before in order to find himself."
Upon hearing these words, Furong completely lost her arrogance and lowered her head in response:
"Yes, madam."
Lockhart had finished registering the names of all the students at Beauxbatons, and only then did he lead them, satisfied, to the Great Hall.
Lockhart had finished recording the names, put away his paper and pen, and led the group forward with a smile.
Unexpectedly, after taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped as if rooted to the spot, turned sharply to stare at Furong, and solemnly said:
"There's something I need to remind you of, Miss Hibiscus."
"Don't try to seduce Harry."
"You really can die."
The teaching goes: Though a vixen's allure may deceive the world, it cannot shake the indestructible Vajra. If one disbelieves and forces a move, one fears only death and the scattering of one's soul. What will happen next? Let us find out in the next chapter.
(End of this chapter)