"Be careful, and when you get to school, make sure to get along with your housemates, no matter which house you're in—even if it's Gryffindor, that's fine! After all, our ancestor, Dragonheart Adrian, was known as 'the most Gryffindor Slytherin ever!'" Mr. Jamison Greengrass squatted down to straighten his younger daughter's collar.
Rhys, overhearing this, frowned: Is he actually proud of that?
Meanwhile, Mrs. Greengrass was chattering on, reminding Daphne to maintain good grades, dress appropriately for the weather, and take care of her younger sister, all of which made Daphne look visibly impatient.
"As for the business with the Secret Order, you don't need to worry about that for now. Just run the shop and live your life. If you feel unwell during the full moon, make sure to contact me immediately." When it was Rhys's turn to speak, it felt as though the roles of adult and child had reversed.
He didn't give Lupet any specific tasks, only asked her to live her life well. Of course, if she encountered anything unusual or came across any important information, she should contact him right away.
Rhys truly hoped that after their transformations, both Lupet and Valentina, the two werewolves, could start anew.
As the train whistle blew, they hurriedly said their goodbyes. The children boarded the train while the parents stood on the platform, watching as it slowly pulled away. A new school term had begun.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" The compartment door slid open, and a rather unexpected person appeared at the entrance.
He was wearing a blue robe, the same color as his eyes—forget-me-not blue. His pointed wizard's hat was slightly askew, but it somehow managed not to mess up his stylish curls.
"I ran into a few fans on the way, and they insisted on autographs and wanted me to recount the story of how I drove away a banshee in Bann. That's why I'm a bit late, and now all the compartments are full—may I sit here?" He flashed a dazzling smile, revealing a set of perfect, gleaming white teeth.
"Professor Lockhart?!" Daphne, Astoria, and Hermione were all taken aback, with Hermione even standing up in surprise, exclaiming the newcomer's name.
The flamboyant man before them was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the year.
"What a coincidence!" Lockhart's smile grew even brighter. "Another one of my fans! The wizarding world really like a small village!"
To be honest, the compartment Rhys and the others were in wasn't the most ideal for this. Including Rhys, there were already four young wizards packed inside, and with Lockhart squeezing in, the compartment became a bit crowded.
However, with Hermione looking absolutely ecstatic, and given Lockhart's position as a professor at Hogwarts, Rhys couldn't exactly kick him out.
As for why Lockhart wanted to ride the train in this cramped space, the reason was clear: he had spotted the Greengrass sisters.
His first choice had, of course, been Harry.
Sharing a compartment with Harry would have guaranteed several more newspaper headlines, but after searching the train, he hadn't been able to find Harry's compartment. Thus, he settled for the Greengrass sisters instead.
In Lockhart's mind, chatting with them wasn't a bad second option. Mrs. Greengrass's generosity had left a deep impression on him—she had played a key role in getting his first few books published.
Talking with the two young Greengrasses might very well lead to more gold!
While Lockhart was plotting how to milk the Greengrass family's wealth, Rhys was equally intrigued. He was eager to chat with Lockhart, the adventurer, believing that Lockhart might offer him some unexpected surprises.
Last year's Professor Quirrell had been rather abstract, so hopefully this year's Professor Lockhart would make up for it with solid lessons.
"How could you... how could you..." Hermione stammered as she rummaged through her bag, clearly flustered.
"Come to teach at Hogwarts?" Lockhart finished her sentence for her. "It's quite complicated. First, the school has many of my fans, and I see this as a wonderful opportunity to connect with them up close. Second, because of Harry Potter. I, Gilderoy Lockhart, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, am certain that sparks will fly between me and the Boy Who Lived!"
Rhys: "..."
Lockhart's way of introducing himself made Rhys feel like he was transported back to the Middle Ages, when Muggle lords loved to stack a heap of titles in front of their names.
Hermione finally pulled out a stack of textbooks, holding them up to Lockhart for his autograph.
Lockhart didn't refuse.
He immediately pulled out a brightly colored quill and, with grand, flourishing strokes, signed his name on each book.
For the rest of the journey, Lockhart bragged incessantly about his various adventures. Astoria and Hermione listened intently, their eyes shining with excitement, occasionally asking eager questions.
Daphne was feeling drowsy.
To her, Lockhart's stories weren't that impressive—she figured she could pull off something similar.
For example, dealing with werewolves.
She might not know how to cast a human restoration spell, but she could definitely kill a werewolf!
Rhys, however, furrowed his brow as he listened to Lockhart's stories. There was something off about them, a vague sense of inconsistency, like things didn't quite add up.
"Speaking of, Professor Lockhart, in your book Wanderings with Werewolves—" Rhys began, since he found the story particularly relatable. After all, he had spent time with a werewolf himself, and the human restoration spell mentioned in the book resonated with him.
"Ah! That was from my time in Armenia, a beautiful little country," Lockhart launched into another story. "The Muggles there may seem cold on the outside, but once you get to know them, they're incredibly hospitable. They'll invite you into their homes, serve you fresh pita bread and a steaming pot of stew... And let me tell you, Armenian Halloumi cheese with freshly baked bread is simply divine!" His enthusiasm seemed to overflow as he began recounting how he helped a village in Armenia rid itself of a werewolf and then wandered with the werewolf afterwards.
Rhys was so engrossed in the story that he nearly forgot what he wanted to ask.
"Oh, right," Rhys said, snapping back to the point. "Did you ever cast the human restoration spell on that werewolf again?"
Lockhart waved his hand dramatically. "Of course not, my boy! A great wizard only needs to succeed once. In the midst of adventure, any carelessness can be fatal. You only get one shot!"
Rhys was startled.
The human restoration spell required periodic recasting after some time. Alarmed, he quickly asked, "When was the last time you encountered that werewolf? Has he stayed in human form the entire time without transforming even once?"
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