[{"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-96":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},2292348,4482,"Chapter 96","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>“Why not?!” Severus asked the librarian, Madam Pince, in the library. “There’s no rule saying I can’t borrow fifty books at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can add that rule right now,” Madam Pince replied coldly, her fingers tapping lightly on the loan register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two had been locked in a stalemate for ten minutes; no matter what Severus said, Madam Pince refused to let him borrow fifty books at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor McGonagall asked me to borrow them,” Severus said, holding up the parchment listing the titles, trying to reason with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Pince glanced at it—and to her surprise, the handwriting was unmistakably Minerva McGonagall’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could Minerva let a student borrow fifty books? Could he even read them all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll allow you to borrow at most five at a time,” Madam Pince said reluctantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Professor McGonagall’s reputation worth only two books?” Severus found this hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then are you taking them or not?” Madam Pince made as if to snatch back the register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I’ll take them!” Severus said. Madam Pince was too stubborn—he’d just have to make multiple trips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I have one condition,” Severus thought for a moment. “If I return books before borrowing again, they shouldn’t count toward the five.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed,” Madam Pince said without further refusal—but she added conditions: returned books must be undamaged, and the number of repeated borrowings must be limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the agreement was reached, Madam Pince went to retrieve the books in the order listed on the parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus leaned against the wall and waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draco Malfoy entered hurriedly, clutching two books—clearly here to return them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbelievable. Malfoy actually comes to the library to read?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draco also spotted Severus. Instantly, his whole body tensed, a flicker of wariness flashing in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come on. Is it really that bad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. But from Draco’s behavior at Flourish and Blotts, he clearly hadn’t understood what Severus had meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Lucius Malfoy told him about the family history?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Severus could think further, a hand reached out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, Severus. I think we had a misunderstanding,” Draco Malfoy stepped forward—and now, his eyes held no trace of wariness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was indeed a misunderstanding,” Severus replied, no longer pretending not to see him. They shook hands briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me clarify—I didn’t lift a finger at Flourish and Blotts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Draco’s face twisted as if recalling the scene. “Of course I know—it was those stupid Weasleys, ganging up on me, a pack of disgraceful cowards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he still cared deeply about what happened that day at Flourish and Blotts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Weasleys were too many, and with Potter as their accomplice, it was five against two. Draco felt dozens of feet kicking him—he’d never been humiliated like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Severus brought it up again, Draco had nothing but venom to spew, his insults growing cruder and his emotions more heated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Weasleys—and Potter—I’ll make them pay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Silence!” Madam Pince suddenly appeared, cutting off Draco’s tirade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No shouting in the library. If you can’t manage it, leave!” She placed five books of varying thicknesses before Severus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here are the books you requested.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Madam Pince,” Severus said. He glanced once more at Draco Malfoy, shrugged, and carried the books out of the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dinner was onion stew—mediocre at best, even worse than the garlic stew at the Leaky Cauldron—but Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students ate it with relish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Gryffindor and Slytherin were arguing again, because there was a better show to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Severus entered the Great Hall, he saw Pansy Parkinson and Parvati Patil facing off in the aisle, their voices raised in furious exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lockhart’s class is absolutely terrible. I don’t understand how you find it entertaining… Do Gryffindors have brains made of something else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? If you don’t like it, that just proves you’ve never even attended his class!” Parvati shot back, her voice clear and loud. “I think you’re just jealous—he’s a hundred times better than your precious Malfoy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter erupted around them; several Gryffindors even whistled. Pansy’s face darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re doing this on purpose!” She stepped forward, her lips trembling with rage. “I’d rather listen to Professor Snape lecture on potion recipes for an hour than waste a single minute watching Lockhart preen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My preference is exactly the opposite,” Parvati stepped forward as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus carefully circled around and slipped quietly to the Gryffindor table, sitting beside Neville.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on with them?” Severus asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s about Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Neville replied. He’d arrived earlier and witnessed the whole thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slytherin had had Defense Against the Dark Arts that morning, together with Ravenclaw—but the students’ feedback afterward had been poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t much better than Quirrell’s rote recitations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Lockhart’s fame and everyone’s high expectations, the result disappointed many. Only a few fanatics claimed it was simply his first lesson, and lack of experience explained it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though weak, this excuse was accepted by most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after the afternoon class, Lockhart’s reputation flipped completely—he was nearly worshipped by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slytherin, who had always clashed with Gryffindor, now felt betrayed. Furious, they erupted into this scene in the Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t Lockhart’s two classes the same?” Severus couldn’t help asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know,” Neville shook his head. “But I heard there were no Cornish pixies this morning… That’s nice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice carried unmistakable envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus understood. After all, Neville had been the only one dragged to the ceiling by Cornish pixies in class, nearly breaking his leg—he had every reason to dislike it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to Neville, Severus cared more about another thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pansy Parkinson was also a second-year student. Why, then, were the morning and afternoon Defense Against the Dark Arts classes so different?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadn’t he gotten the Cornish pixies yet? But only a few hours had passed—could it really be that coincidental?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was it because Pansy Parkinson was Slytherin? Severus never believed Lockhart would prepare different lessons for different houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn’t possibly be because he wanted to put on a grand show for Harry, the Boy Who Lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he thought this, Harry entered the hall—and Pansy and Parvati’s supporters kept arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus also spotted Fred and George.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the relationship between Gryffindor and Slytherin, they didn’t need to know what happened or who was right—they just sided with their own, no questions asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The argument escalated into a full-blown house standoff. As more students joined, more insults flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severus even heard someone from Gryffindor shout:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think Slytherins don’t hate Lockhart—they just love the ‘Dark’ part of Defense Against the Dark Arts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This remark instantly escalated the conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every wizard in the magical world knew Hogwarts strictly forbade students from learning Dark Magic. So whether true or not, Slytherin students could never admit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to defend their honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verbal sparring turned to physical brawling, then rapidly spiraled into magical dueling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Students from the other two houses—those with sense—had already taken their dinners and retreated farther away… to avoid getting splattered with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as a Slytherin pulled out his wand… a deafening explosion made everyone instinctively cover their ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor McGonagall stood at the doorway, a wisp of smoke still curling from her wand tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A splendid performance,” she said tightly, and everyone fell silent. “Fifty points from Gryffindor and fifty from Slytherin. No Quidditch for two months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor McGonagall, you can’t—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I can!” McGonagall shot a sharp glance at Wood and Slytherin’s Montague. “If this punishment still doesn’t teach you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, what a lively scene! What’s happened?” A flippant voice echoed behind McGonagall. Gilderoy Lockhart appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also saw the two opposing groups in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, student conflict,” he said to McGonagall. “Leave it to me, Minerva. I’ve calmed snowman riots countless times—and always perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart spoke cheerfully, utterly unaware that this so-called riot had been caused by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not necessary, Professor Lockhart,” McGonagall’s temple twitched. She raised her head, her gaze slicing through the hall like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, tonight’s stew is excellent,” Fred was the first to return to the Gryffindor table. Then George and Lee Jordan sat down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s really good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slytherins were dissatisfied—they believed Gryffindor had started it, and McGonagall had no right to ban them from the Quidditch pitch—but they dared not defy her now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go,” Montague said. “We’ll deal with the rest when Professor Snape arrives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the once-tense Great Hall returned to order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lockhart seemed disappointed he hadn’t helped. Once everyone was seated, he kept chattering to McGonagall about how he’d handled snowman riots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grew more animated, completely unaware that a ghost was creeping silently above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome ceremony, Professor Shiny-Shiny!” Peeves suddenly shrieked, hurling a sack of flour onto Lockhart’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! Lockhart was engulfed in white dust. His carefully curled golden hair, his dashing wizard hat, his favorite violet robe—all now coated in thick flour. He looked like… a snowman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft.” Someone started laughing. Then the entire hall erupted in uproarious laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow! Look at Peeves’s masterpiece!” Peeves’s voice was loudest of all. “You’re the whitest professor at Hogwarts—whiter than ghosts, whiter than snowmen, whiter than your teeth—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peeves!” McGonagall barked—but her lips twitched suspiciously. “Leave the hall at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Professor McGonagall!” Peeves flipped midair and cackled as he zoomed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you… all right, Professor Lockhart?” McGonagall glanced at the white, flour-covered creature beside her. Her lips twitched again, then she forced them still. “When Peeves came in, I was looking elsewhere. I didn’t warn you in time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, actually… I spotted that mischievous little fellow right away,” Lockhart opened his mouth—and another puff of flour drifted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strained to form a smile, his voice trembling noticeably. “This kind of ambush is far too obvious, isn’t it? But I thought a little laughter was needed…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet astonishingly, even in this humiliation, he still flashed his dazzlingly bright teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But surprisingly, even in this predicament, he still couldn’t help showing off his gleaming teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Chapter ends)\u003C\u002Fp>",1681,"2026-06-20T04:03:11.805Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d1366314b6fa00d5e7844403545bcd0e705a9cde01f5f5a913194746a24bbd3a","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-97","hogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-chapter-95",149,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-don-t-call-me-a-wandmaker-cover.jpg"]