Chapter 425: Lockhart

“It seems someone among us took a nasty fall?”

Dumbledore walked in smiling from the doorway, blocking the bright corridor light, plunging the Room of Requirement back into the dim glow of torches.

“That’s right! I shouldn’t have come here at all—I thought this was a golden chance to boost my fame: Harry Potter, the famed wizard the whole magical world is searching for, hiding right here in Hogwarts…”

Lockhart, under the influence of Veritaserum, chattered incessantly.

He clutched his mouth in terror, but the thing kept mumbling anyway.

“Oh, Gilderoy, your lying mouth can’t lie anymore?”

Dumbledore said, his long silver beard trembling slightly.

“I wanted to lie. A fanatical admirer with ill intent committed terrible acts—or perhaps a student who learned several Dark Arts, which aren’t allowed at Hogwarts… I had so many reasons, yet now I can’t say anything… mmmph…”

Lockhart looked as if he wanted to tear his own mouth off.

“Your true colors are exposed, Gilderoy. Save your clever excuses for the Ministry of Magic—or the Dementors.”

Dumbledore treated it like disposing of something trivial; with a flick of his finger, Lockhart was bound tightly.

He looked up, and Hagrid appeared in his gaze.

Hagrid first winked at Wizard Sean, then dragged Lockhart away.

“Professor Dumbledore, I’ll take him straight to the Aurors outside Hogwarts Castle.”

Hagrid rumbled.

He seized Lockhart and turned to leave, as if hauling a baby chick.

“The Ministry of Magic overturned Hagrid’s sentence—wasn’t easy.”

Dumbledore smiled at them, looking in excellent spirits.

“Hagrid’s sentence was overturned?!”

Hermione gasped.

Overturning an old case always seemed like a thankless, exhausting task.

Hermione knew this was fantasy in both the magical and non-magical worlds.

“Yes, Miss Granger. You’ll soon receive another piece of good news.”

“But for now, allow me to keep it a secret.”

Dumbledore said.

“Again with this… Adults always think hiding everything from us is for our own good.”

Hermione whispered to Wizard Sean.

“Mm.”

Justin, who had just been deep in thought, immediately nodded in agreement upon hearing Hermione’s words.

But Wizard Sean remained unexpectedly silent.

“Well,”

Dumbledore noticed their small gestures but pretended not to, striding to the door and opening it.

“Now, you may rest in bed—and perhaps drink a large mug of steaming hot chocolate. I’ve always found it helps lift my spirits.”

He said, bending down to wink at them kindly.

“I, meanwhile, will write a letter to Azkaban—Lockhart the professor belongs where he belongs.”

“And I must draft a job advertisement to publish in the Daily Prophet,”

he mused,

“We need a new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good heavens, how quickly these positions change hands, don’t they?”

The young wizards nodded vigorously.

This was exactly what they wanted to see.

“Headmaster Dumbledore, may I ask what a Dementor is?”

Justin was still pondering what Dumbledore had inadvertently revealed.

“A Dementor,”

Dumbledore paused,

“is perhaps the most evil and terrifying thing in the magical world.”

He turned and left immediately.

Hermione hadn’t yet processed Justin’s question when Dumbledore’s words stunned her.

She pressed her lips tightly and shifted slightly toward Wizard Sean.

“Wizard Sean, do you know what a Dementor is?”

Justin, clearly surprised by the answer, looked stunned.

“The guards of Azkaban—a Dark Arts creature that feeds on wizards’ happiness.

Dementors may be the only known beings capable of rendering a wizard unable to perform magic.

They cannot be killed physically, only temporarily driven away…”

Wizard Sean explained simply but profoundly.

“Cannot be killed…”

Though the Room of Requirement was completely sealed, Hermione felt as if icy winds were blowing over her.

“How do we drive them away?”

Justin asked cautiously.

“The Patronus Charm is the preferred defense. Sometimes, eating chocolate is also used as first aid after a Dementor attack.”

Wizard Sean said.

“Chocolate?!”

Justin instinctively trusted Wizard Sean but still found it surprising.

“Eating some chocolate, or drinking a large mug of steaming hot chocolate, greatly improves a wizard’s mood.”

Wizard Sean explained.

“You’re really…”

Hermione seemed to recall something and turned to Justin.

“Just now, Headmaster Dumbledore said those exact words… Did you notice? Wizard Sean has always resembled someone—Headmaster Dumbledore. Now he resembles him even more.”

Justin nodded in slight shock, and they quickly left the Room of Requirement together.

Far off, they could see flames flickering in the Forbidden Forest, then vanishing.

As if a fire dragon had been causing trouble inside, only to be dragged away by its keeper.

Wizard Sean gazed at the spot from afar, then vanished from where he stood.

Hermione and Justin didn’t even get to say goodbye.

“He’s becoming more like him every day…”

Hermione frowned as she studied the corridor.

“The way he appears and disappears…”

…

When Wizard Sean arrived at the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was staring blankly at Wilkins the butler.

“This is my cabin, sir,”

Hagrid growled—he looked as if he’d just escorted Lockhart away.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that tomorrow’s headlines would explode with news of Lockhart’s arrest.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Justin had already rushed to contact Luna and Rita—they’d asked Wizard Sean for their contact details before the plan began.

Every student at Hogwarts, every wizard in the magical world, would learn Lockhart was a fraud.

But Wizard Sean didn’t care about any of that.

Wil also didn’t care.

“No one is allowed inside until the honorable Lord Green arrives.”

Wil raised his bow, looking ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.

The archery skills of the Puckies were exceptional. William, Wil’s most admired Puckie, had once shot dead a descendant of Slytherin and saved Lady Isolde Ser.

“But I’m the owner here!”

Hagrid fumed.

“I’m the butler here too!”

Wil refused to budge.

“Wizard Sean didn’t tell you…”

Hagrid’s tone softened—he was curious about the magical creature before him, but he wanted even more to return to his cabin.