[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker":3,"chapter-hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-129":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hogwarts: Don't Call Me a Wandmaker",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2292381,4482,"Chapter 129: Lockhart Returns to School","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>Last year’s pet wands were wildly popular; this year, Hogwarts has sparked a new trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it all began because Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes launched a new product:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Do you want a companion that never leaves your side?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Do you want to cast spells without a wand?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Guaranteed to fulfill your wish】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Guaranteed not to break school rules】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes proudly presents: the Follow Ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Note: You may also attach an owl feather or a cat’s whisker to give it unique meaning.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day of February, this eye-catching advertisement appeared miraculously in every common room, instantly sparking everyone’s curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, Fred and George appeared in the Great Hall carrying two oddly shaped Quidditch balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fred gave a gentle flick of his finger, and the ball glowed with a soft white light—people were astonished to see a lion painted on its surface, along with the words “Gryffindor, Victory!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, look at that!” someone exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s ball suddenly transformed into the shape of an owl, circling him continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, our new product,” Fred said with a grin. “You can have one for just three Galleons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if you’re willing to add one Sickle, you can make it take the form you like—just like this.” George extended his hand, and the “owl” landed gently on his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Owl messengers can’t be carried everywhere, but a magical owl can,” George said. “For just one Sickle, you’ll become the center of attention. Isn’t that a great deal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s not a good deal at all…” Ron muttered from outside the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to be the center of attention, but he couldn’t afford it—not even the three Galleons for the Follow Ball, let alone the extra Sickle for the transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hermione had bought one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think the magic on this has real research value—it’s worth buying,” Hermione said. Perched on her shoulder was a round, plump cat, identical in appearance to Tom (Silven’s cat).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I understand what you’re saying,” Ron grumbled. “But why did you spend an extra Sickle to have Silven cast the transformation spell? Can’t you do it yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought I could,” Hermione replied, a look of frustration crossing her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thought you could? What does that mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s like this…” Hermione pulled out a button, waved her wand, and turned it into a beetle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked exactly like a real beetle—except it didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve only learned how to turn a turtle into a teapot, but that’s entirely different from turning a teapot into a turtle. I still can’t do reverse animal transfiguration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you mean even you can’t do it, but Silven…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can do it well,” Hermione said, her tone even more dejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That can’t be right,” Ron still didn’t believe it. “Silven’s grades aren’t much better than ours—he only got three O’s last year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s transfiguration, Hermione’s probably right,” Harry reminded him. “Don’t forget Silven’s been reading nothing but transfiguration books all year—even during History of Magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry was right. Silven could now perform reverse animal transfiguration—and he’d come up with this idea himself. Practicing transfiguration while making money? A perfect two-for-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason it’s so cheap is that, with his current skill, the transformation lasts only a day before reverting to its original form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the next week, Silven became even busier, because the Follow Ball’s core pattern was completely different from a wand’s, requiring him to adapt the corresponding runes—he needed time to experiment and familiarize himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Silven was pleasantly surprised to discover that, while focusing on these tasks, he’d completely forgotten the leaf still in his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery spurred him on—he actively gathered a new batch of wand cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unicorn hair—not tail or mane hair, but naturally shed strands—was usually made into crafts and sold at high prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, it was perfect. Hagrid could simply walk into the Forbidden Forest and pick up a handful; one strand lasted a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silven was preparing for tomorrow’s full moon—he’d increase his workload then, and perhaps succeed in one go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Silven failed again this month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His plan had been excellent: while concentrating on making the wands, he’d truly forgotten the mandrake leaf entirely—and this state had lasted two weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, two weeks later, a sudden appearance made Silven nearly bite his tongue while eating—he lost focus and swallowed the leaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of that mattered now. Silven stared at Gilderoy Lockhart at the staff table, his expression growing increasingly strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart looked terrible—pale, exhausted, clearly not fully recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he forced himself to smile and interact with the excited admirers around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh yes, I’m fine now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, I was careless. The peaceful life here made me lose my vigilance—I was attacked after drinking too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for your concern, Miss Brown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’ll catch those people eventually. They won’t escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But right now, what concerns me most is your studies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He actually came back…” Ron said in disbelief. “I thought he’d learned his lesson and would hide in St. Mungo’s until the end of the term.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silven nodded silently—he’d thought the same. And Lockhart could have easily done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Pomfrey said he’d been hit by a powerful Dark Curse. He survived, but needed long rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>St. Mungo’s had said the same: Lockhart could have used this as an excuse to recuperate there until term’s end, avoiding any risk of exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he returned—dragging his weakened body back. His determination moved Silven for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Silven didn’t know what Lockhart truly was, he might have believed him a diligent, responsible professor—a fine Hogwarts teacher, a model wizard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Silven knew Lockhart. At the Dueling Club, he’d already been exposed as utterly incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only because he’d been attacked so suddenly had the topic been dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Silven were Lockhart—or if Lockhart could think clearly—he would never return to Hogwarts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silven seemed to realize something. He narrowed his eyes, watching Lockhart surrounded by the crowd… Was he still unwilling to give up the Basilisk in the Chamber?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumbledore was also watching Lockhart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He warmly shook Lockhart’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The best decision I made this year was inviting you to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts,” Dumbledore wiped away imaginary tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Gilderoy, for returning to your post at this time. Professor Snape must also thank you—I’ve always felt he’s overburdened teaching two subjects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned to Snape. He stared coldly at Lockhart, his expression unmistakably not one of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1091,"2026-06-20T04:03:11.805Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b28e08def7b5241577c15adadef3460cd0de3d41bbe9d60546c6a5b57c98bb62","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-130","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-128",149,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-cover.jpg"]