Lockhart's Office
On the large desk, a black notebook lay half-opened in the middle. A faint golden light emitted from the open page, as if it were showing something.
Opposite the desk, Lockhart was leaning back in his chair, his chest rising and falling gently, as if he were sleeping soundly.
Suddenly...
Buzz!
The black notebook shook slightly, and a transparent figure emerged from it, floating in mid-air. Lockhart's soul had returned to the real world from the Horcrux notebook. After looking around for a second, he glanced at his body and pounced on it.
"Ah..."
The moment his soul entered his body, it was like water blending with milk. Lockhart felt a sense of relief and subconsciously let out a scream. After opening his eyes and moving his shoulders, he focused on the black notebook again, a faint light emitting from its pages, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
Tom, this fragment of soul, was a typical person who liked to use others for his own benefit. Even though he knew he had signed a contract, Tom was still preparing to set a trap for him. Hopefully, this lesson would serve as a reminder.
Lockhart thought about Tom's mention of the stone statue left by Salazar Slytherin. It seemed necessary to investigate it, as it might yield valuable insights.
Now, as his own plan was beginning, obstacles had arisen. He was just about to recruit some research assistants, and they hadn't even been listed in the Daily Prophet yet. The school board was already trying to suppress it in advance and even wanted to directly plunder the results.
It was conceivable that when the special characteristics of the new magic system were truly exposed later, especially the one that did not rely on magical blood, it would directly stimulate the sensitive nerves of the pure-blood families. Thinking about the resistance he would face then, Lockhart knew it would be fierce.
Although he felt a little stressed, he didn't care too much. This was the wizarding world, different from the modern world of his previous life. While the influence of pure-blood families in the wizarding world spread across all fields like spider webs, for wizards, the most important thing was... strength!
Since Voldemort could rely on great strength and fear to intimidate the entire wizarding world, then he could do the same. What was the matter? Could Voldemort do something he couldn't?
If it really came to that point, when he gained greater strength in the Marvel world, all obstacles he encountered would be eliminated. Of course, relying solely on strength to act recklessly was a strategy that ultimately belonged to the lower class. He wanted wizards to devote themselves to the new magic system from the bottom of their hearts. So, he still had to proceed step by step. Difficulties were just a key link in forging the spirit of a new wizard.
After thinking for a moment, Lockhart waved his wand, put the notebook back into the wooden box, and put it away. Then he started to prepare lessons. There was only one lesson today. After finishing it, he could start preparing to enter the Chamber of Secrets. He had not forgotten the horror of the basilisk in the chamber.
Filch's Cottage at Night
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Filch, with his old face and stooped body, was waving his wand and casting the simplest levitation spell on the leaves on his desk. For the past few days, whether day or night, as long as he had nothing to do, he would close his eyes and start meditating. Fortunately, the meditation method itself had a restful effect, so Filch did not feel tired.
The reason he was so engrossed was that, even though he knew there was a young wizard wandering at night, he didn't care anymore. His successful meditation had given him hope. He could feel the magical fluctuations in the air, or the energy particles mentioned in the meditation method. Although he was still unable to cast any spells, the colorful energy particles gave him hope of performing magic.
Therefore, once he was free, he would follow the instructions on the parchment, constantly capturing energy particles to transform the nature of his mental power. At the same time, through runes, he converted it into magical power, laying the foundation for casting spells.
To verify whether he could cast a spell, every night he would try the simplest spell—the levitation charm—based on the knowledge he had learned in his previous class! Although he had not succeeded even once, he kept telling himself that it would happen soon.
Even though his arms were very sore, he did not stop waving the wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Suddenly...
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
As Filch shouted the levitation spell again, the tip of the wand flashed slightly and then disappeared. The leaves that were spread out on the table trembled slightly and slowly floated up, then fell down again!
Filch, who had been observing the leaves, trembled with excitement at this scene. Immediately afterward, his voice chanting the spell became more powerful, and the intensity of waving the wand increased, revealing his inner excitement.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
This time, he recited ten levitation spells with no improvement. However, when he recited the spell seventeen times...
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The wand flashed again, the leaves swayed slightly, and then began to slowly float upwards. Seeing this, Filch quickly stabilized himself and stared closely at the floating leaves. He kept chanting in his mind: "Float, float, float."
Maybe it was because Filch's willpower was too strong, or maybe his resonance with magic was stronger this time. The leaves did not fall again but slowly floated upwards. Although the speed was very slow, in Filch's eyes, it was hope. He, a squib, could finally work magic.
Night, Malfoy Manor
Today, Malfoy Manor was different from usual. It was brightly lit, as if welcoming important guests. The view went deep into the manor, where a long dining table was set. A large amount of steaming food was placed on it, and Lucius Malfoy sat at the head. On both sides of the dining table were members of the Hogwarts School Board.
This dinner party, or more appropriately, this meeting, was organized by Lucius.
"Ahem."
After seeing everyone gathered, Lucius, who was sitting at the head of the table, coughed lightly. When he saw everyone's eyes turn towards him, he slowly spoke.
"Members of the school board, I believe you all know the purpose of inviting you here tonight. Although Dumbledore rejects our request, it does not mean that we have lost our right to divide this pie. We still have many opportunities."
"This time, we must let Dumbledore know that in the British wizarding world, nothing he wants to accomplish can be achieved without our pure-blood families."
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