Chapter 279: A

“Move aside!”

A short-tempered, squat man raised a large black camera and shouted at Ron,

“This is for the Daily Prophet!”

He jumped back and forth, snapping photos; each blinding flash sent a puff of purple smoke spewing from the camera.

“Remarkable.”

Ron rubbed his sore foot where the man had stepped on it.

Severus did not look at Lockhart; he took the entire set of books and headed to pay, quickly encountering Justin as he moved away from the crowd.

“Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor seems rather… unreliable.”

Justin frowned; Severus followed his gaze and saw Lockhart behind the table, having somehow grabbed Harry and was speaking passionately:

“Ladies and gentlemen,”

Lockhart shouted, waving for silence,

“What an extraordinary moment! I wish to use this splendid occasion to announce a small matter I’ve held back for some time.

Young Harry came into Flourish and Blotts today merely to buy my autobiography—I’m happy to give him this book free of charge on the spot—”

The crowd burst into applause,

“—but he didn’t know,”

Lockhart continued, shaking Harry slightly until his glasses slid down to the tip of his nose,

“that he will soon receive something far more valuable than my humble work, ‘My Magical Self’—in fact, he and his classmates will receive a real, magical me.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted and proud to announce that this September, I shall become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

The crowd cheered and clapped.

“Of course, of course, there’s another vital piece of news: I shall locate and teach the mysterious Mr. Hermes Defense Against the Dark Arts, helping him achieve greater mastery in it than in Alchemy!”

The crowd erupted completely, cheering and jumping as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Only a few deeply composed wizards showed disdain—did he even know what he was saying?

Among them was Quirrell, who had arrived too late to buy the exclusive interview with the Sage Master; he cast a deep, piercing glance at Lockhart, then tried to find any remaining copies of the newspaper.

“Severus, I think you should keep your distance—the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors all seem… a bit off.”

Justin whispered.

Severus nodded; his only surprise was that Justin had so quickly noticed the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

“I will naturally earn his respect—oh, just like Master Professor Tela—proving this will be the simplest thing imaginable.”

He flashed a set of gleaming teeth,

“See, this beautiful young lady from Hogwarts is already eager for my arrival.”

The excited Hermione was invited up.

“Yes, sir.”

Hermione was so flustered she was barely coherent.

“Ah, and this gentleman here.”

He immediately spotted Severus, quiet among the crowd.

At this moment, Lockhart was in high spirits—he knew full well why Master Professor Tela had been featured on the Chocolate Frog card: naturally, because of the mysterious Hermes.

So when Dumbledore came to him, he had nearly moved into Hogwarts on the spot.

Curse? Just a rumor.

And to be immortalized on a Chocolate Frog card—that would be such a intoxicating honor—

“Sir, are you one of my fans?”

He asked with a beaming smile.

Severus remained silent, meeting his gaze—and suddenly, he felt an inexplicable unease.

“Oh, let me rephrase—does your arrival excite you greatly?”

He quickly added.

Severus was speechless; so many people, and he’d been dragged up like this…

As for excitement…

“Very well—we’ll take the next one—”

Lockhart, unfazed, called up the next wizard.

“He doesn’t seem like a professor at all—more like…”

Justin walked over to Severus, his frown deepening,

“A clown from a circus.”

He was startled by his own words—yet to his surprise, Severus was also staring at him in astonishment, then nodded silently.

As they spoke, a loud argument broke out below the stage.

“I actually saw you enter the shop, Weasley.”

It was Malfoy sneering,

“I suppose your parents will be starving next month to afford all this.”

Ron’s face flushed red; he threw the book into his cauldron and lunged toward Malfoy.

Harry and Hermione grabbed his clothes from behind, holding him back.

“Ron!”

Arthur Weasley pushed through with Fred and George,

“What are you doing? This place is too chaotic—let’s go outside.”

“Oh my, Arthur Weasley.”

It was Lucius Malfoy; one hand rested on Draco’s shoulder, his face wearing the same sneer as his son’s.

“Lucius.”

Arthur Weasley nodded coldly.

“I hear you’re terribly busy with your duties,”

Lucius Malfoy said,

“All those raids… I suppose they pay you overtime?”

He reached into Ginny’s cauldron and pulled out an old but neatly kept copy of “Beginner’s Making Guide to Transfiguration” from among the shiny new Lockhart books.

“Apparently not. My goodness—if you can’t even earn a decent wage, what’s the point of being a wizarding disgrace?”

“We have entirely different views on what constitutes a wizarding disgrace, Malfoy.”

He said.

“Of course.”

Lucius Malfoy replied.

His pale eyes flickered, landing on the anxious Grangers, then on Severus.

“Look at the friends you keep, Weasley… I thought your family had already sunk to its lowest depths.

Just now on stage, there was even a mute…”

Before he finished, Arthur Weasley roared and charged at him.

But faster than him appeared a black-robed wizard via Apparition; his expression was twisted, his wand pressed against Lucius’s throat, emitting a faint green glow.

“You—dare utter one more word of disrespect toward my master—”

Quirrell’s aura terrified a large portion of the crowd; everyone panicked at this sudden turn.

Malfoy had no idea what he’d done; his mind went blank, but the killing intent in the other’s eyes was unmistakable—his face turned deathly pale:

“You dare—”

“A—”

“I apologize for my mistake!”

Malfoy collapsed to the ground; only then did Quirrell’s bloodshot, crimson eyes calm slightly.

The situation had spiraled into a phase no one could have foreseen; only now did Malfoy remember who stood before him…

The former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

But that wasn’t important—what mattered was that he was the acting shopkeeper of the Fairy Tale Shop…

Then that gentleman… as his trembling gaze shifted toward him, the future greatest wizard, the thrice-great Hermes, publicly praised and supported by Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, was calmly watching him.