The day after the opening ceremony, classes began immediately. However, a bombshell that shattered everyone's morning enthusiasm was dropped in the Great Hall, where everyone was having breakfast.
It was the arrival of howlers directed at Ron Weasley, who had made a dramatic entrance last night. The booming, thunderous voice of the Weasley family's mother had enough power to destroy anyone's appetite.
Leo silently approached the howler, which was still angrily yelling.
"Last night, a letter from Dumbledore arrived, and your father is ashamed of..."
Leo crushed the howler in his hand, effectively silencing it. Normally, stopping or muting the howler would lead to even worse consequences, but it didn't matter for Leo, who could disable the sound with his 'sight.'
As soon as Leo stopped the howler, the Great Hall erupted in grateful applause.
However, although the howler had ceased, Ron was now the target of Slytherin's taunts, led by Malfoy. Whether it was his mother's anger or Slytherin's teasing, it was the worst start to the school year for Ron.
Even as second-years, the diligent Ravenclaws were diligently completing their homework and reviewing their first-year material. Some students even declared that they wouldn't lose to Leo this year. No one was bothered by the question of why the upperclassmen were included.
Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology - these subjects had developed from the previous year, and while they were more dangerous and difficult, they were well-received because they offered the opportunity to learn new things.
Leo continued to engage in discussions and collaborative research with the professors as usual.
As for History of Magic, there was nothing more to say. Even if we died, this subject would not change.
Now, the eagerly awaited Defense Against the Dark Arts class, for various reasons, had arrived. Ravenclaw had the last time slot, so they had already heard about the first class from students in other houses. Lockhart fans, mostly female students, had nothing but praise, but the male students regarded him with skepticism.
Except for Leo, everyone in the classroom had copies of Lockhart's novels stacked on their desks, making for an incredible sight. Leo, on the other hand, hadn't brought any and had left them at home, not even bothering to bring them to Hogwarts.
Lockhart entered the room brimming with confidence. He casually picked up a student's book and winked as he showed off the cover photo. The female students were delighted, but the male students looked at him skeptically.
"I am Gilderoy Lockhart. Third-class Order of Merlin, Honorary Member of the Defense Association Against the Dark Arts, five-time winner of the 'Charming Smile Award' from 'Witch Weekly.'"
He continued with a never-ending stream of boasting, whether true or not. The students who weren't interested in his stories were starting to look at him with murderous intent.
Suddenly he announced that they were going to take a pop quiz. Lockhart began handing out test papers.
Leo looked at the test paper and could only sigh in exasperation.
(This is... beyond expectations...)
None of the questions had anything to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts. Instead, they were all about Lockhart and his achievements, things that had no relevance to the subject. Moreover, there was so much information crammed onto each side of the paper that it couldn't even be used as scratch paper.
Lockhart collected the test papers, seemingly dissatisfied that no one had received a perfect score, which was quite unreasonable in the first place.
"Now, let's begin the lesson."
Lockhart prepared a covered cage on his desk. His expression was ecstatic.
"Be on your guard! I'm going to teach you how to fight the foulest creatures in the wizarding world! That's my mission!"
With dramatic flair, Lockhart removed the cover, revealing a cage filled with pixies.
A few students asked what kind of creatures they were, but Lockhart only answered that they were dangerous and provided no information on how to deal with them.
"Now, let's see your handling skills!"
Without warning, Lockhart opened the cage and released the pixies. There were too many for the students to keep up with, and chaos ensued as they attempted to use magic and other methods to handle the situation.
"Flocculent Aggregation: Pixies,"
Leo cast a spell. It was a magic that gathered specific targets into one place and crushed them.
The pixies converged toward a single point at the tip of Leo's hand. Eventually, an ugly lump of flesh was formed.
"Now, I've dealt with the pixies, Professor Lockhart,"
Leo spoke calmly, though the professor had startled him with his sudden approach. Lockhart seemed to be persistently trying to maintain his smile, showing incredible determination.
"Oh, uh... Well done! It seems you possess remarkable magical ability, although not as remarkable as mine!" Lockhart responded with a touch of embarrassment.
"Thank you. Well, if you're such a remarkable teacher, handling a simple magical creature like me should be a piece of cake, don't you think?" Leo replied, his smile unwavering.
"Huh?"
"Corporis Physicalis. Incarcerus!" Leo chanted.
He first pressed the pixies from above, then tightly bound them with ropes. While other professors could easily handle this magic with precision and speed, it appeared to be impossible for this incompetent teacher.
"W-What are you doing!? Minus Fifty points from Ravenclaw!"
Lockhart shouted, bewildered. The students around were also confused by the sudden attack. Female fans of Lockhart were now casting angry glances at Leo.
"Well then, it seems you can't even handle this much. Let's wrap this up. Legilimens!"
Leo used Legilimency to read Lockhart's mind. He found a part of the professor's mind that he had kept hidden, containing his true interactions with the actual participants in his books and how he erased their memories with Obliviate, claiming their achievements as his own. Leo felt the satisfaction Lockhart experienced during these moments and a hint of guilt.
Leo had read Lockhart's entire mind, and it seemed that Lockhart sensed it. His usual confident smile had disappeared, replaced by a despairing expression as he lay on the ground.
"You have quite a talent for Memory Charms, but you've been using it wrong. Now, fraudulent Gildeory Lockhart, shall we go to the Headmaster's office together? You can resist if you want, but I think it's futile," Leo declared.
He extracted the memories of Lockhart's wrongdoings and stored them in a vial. With Lockhart still bound, Leo levitated him and left the classroom, leaving the bewildered students behind. Thankfully, there were no students in the corridor during their journey, as it was during class. If there had been students present, this incompetent teacher would probably have begged for their help.
They reached the Headmaster's office without any obstacles.
"Country - Marmalade,"
Saying the password, Leo approached the gargoyle statue leading to the Headmaster's office. After uttering the correct phrase, the statue moved aside, revealing the entrance. Leo then knocked on the door and entered.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I've captured the fraudster," Leo announced.
Dumbledore didn't seem surprised. He calmly observed the bound Lockhart.
"Oh, Leo and Lockhart as well. So, who is this 'fraudster' you're talking about?" Dumbledore inquired.
"That reaction... You knew, didn't you? You wanted to prove that a fraudster was teaching at Hogwarts, right? You could have easily done it with Legilimency and Veritaserum, much simpler than this," Leo commented.
"No, no. I expected you to handle it quickly. Now then, Professor Lockhart, do you have any excuses?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, well, well... I give up. Can you untie me now? I won't run or hide," Lockhart said.
The ropes were loosened, and as soon as they were, Lockhart pointed his wand at Leo.
"Hehe! You said I had a talent for Memory Charms, right? That's one thing I'm absolutely confident about! Even if Dumbledore can't do it, I'll wipe every memory of yours!" Lockhart threatened.
Leo and Dumbledore both looked at Lockhart, but they didn't feel threatened at all. Their lack of reaction infuriated Lockhart, and it was more than enough to push him over the edge.
"Don't you dare think of me as just a handsome face! Obliviate, Forget it!"
A flash of light shoots towards Leo! However, just inches away from Leo, the flash of light suddenly changes direction, moving in the opposite way. This is thanks to Leo's created ring, 'Reflection,' altering its course.
"Huh?"
With a confused voice as the last statement, Gilderoy Lockhart lost his memories forever. In a state of blank whiteness, devoid of any recollection of who he was or even the words to describe it, Lockhart stared vacantly, prompting Leo to sigh.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, what shall we do with this?" Leo inquired.
"Well... when he used that Memory Charm, we extracted the memories associated with it. That should be sufficient to prove his guilt. I've also witnessed you using Memory Charms on him. In this state, he'll probably spend the rest of his days at St. Mungo's," Dumbledore replied.
"May I leave the rest to you then?" Leo asked.
"Yes, you can leave it to us. The problem now is that we're short of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again. Despite the bad reputation, it's hard to find someone willing. Professor Snape is hoping for the position, but combining it with Potions is a challenge...," .
For a moment, Dumbledore appeared to be deep in thought, but then he turned to look at Leo with an expression that suggested he had come up with a brilliant idea. Leo had a gut feeling that he already knew what was coming next.
"Ah, yes! Leonard Taylor, my boy! You have the knowledge and ability to teach in Hogwarts, even if you lack the formal qualifications. I'll recommend you. It's your choice, but I would like to ask if you could take on the role, even if it's just for a year. You can have the authority of a teacher during classes, and you can even adjust house points. I'm sure no one will object, especially considering you'd be a far better choice than Lockhart," Dumbledore proposed.
As expected, the proposal came just as Leo had anticipated. Now, the question was, what should he do?
"Alright... I understand. Let's do it. And about the content of the classes, may I have the freedom to decide?" Leo inquired
"It's all right, no problem at all. Even without formal teaching qualifications, with my recommendation, you're allowed to teach at Hogwarts. And as long as you're teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts the way you want, that's fine. You're bound to be better than Lockhart, and I doubt anyone will complain.".
"Ah... I understand. I'll take it on. There's even a possibility that the class content could become my experimental ground, right?"
"Unless it poses any danger to the students. I'd appreciate it if you could provide advance notice when possible. So, without further ado, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Leonard Taylor! We look forward to your guidance!"
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"Gilderoy Lockhart's Departure!
In the original story, it happened due to his wand's misfire, but in this case, things turned out worse than the original because his Obliviate spell backfired using his own wand.
Obliviate magic can be pretty nasty depending on how it's used, don't you think?
Leo's Ring Introduction - Part 1:
- Reflect: Creates a barrier around the body that changes the direction of magical effects aimed at the user.
It renders magical forces directed at the user ineffective, but it doesn't work against physical forces or objects indirectly propelled through magic.
Professor Leonard Taylor Appointed as Lockhart's Successor!
Just for a year, though.
So, stay tuned for the next chapter.
Is it rare for an original character from the Harry Potter fanfiction world to become a teacher?