"Now, let's welcome our new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, who will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore announced. Lockhart, who had been feeling a little bored, immediately became energetic upon hearing his introduction.
He quickly stood up and bowed gracefully to the many young wizards.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Amid loud applause, Lockhart smiled brightly at the students. Perhaps it was his fame, or maybe it was his handsome face, but the applause from the young wizards was intense. After standing for a moment, Lockhart sat back down in his seat, and the applause slowly subsided.
As Dumbledore continued the meeting with a smile, Lockhart grew bored again and started looking for opportunities to chat with Professor Sprout next to him about magical plants.
"Lockhart, do you remember the knowledge about magical plants that you learned in school?" she asked.
"Uh, Professor, actually, I still remember some," Lockhart replied.
"Which ones, Lockhart?"
"Well, I remember mandrake and gillyweed," Lockhart said hesitantly, looking a little embarrassed.
It's so pitiful, Lockhart thought. Even the original Lockhart's adventure experience was stolen, and his combat spells hadn't been practiced for a long time. Not to mention all this magical plant knowledge. He himself had only been studying runes, combat spells, and the like recently, and had not thought about magical plants at all.
"Professor, I once saw a magical plant called golden clover. It can be used to restore magic power and is also a symbol of good luck. I don't know if you have seen it before."
Hearing Lockhart's question, Professor Sprout recalled it carefully and asked with some confusion, "Is there really such a plant? Why have I never heard of golden clover?"
Well, of course, she hadn't heard of it. This is a magical plant from the Marvel world.
"Of course, I've seen it with my own eyes. I'll contact my friends and send you a sample after a while. You can study it then," Lockhart replied, immediately piquing Professor Sprout's interest. She had to study this unknown magical plant carefully.
Taking this opportunity, Lockhart quickly changed the subject and started talking about his adventures. He was quite good at this and had written seven books, using vivid language and interesting cases. Professor Sprout laughed and let the conversation flow naturally. Lockhart quietly looked at the system panel.
Character recognition: Pomona Sprout (39/100)
Well, he had only chatted for a while, and the recognition was quite good. When the time came, he would send some magical plants from the Marvel world. Reaching a recognition level of 50 should not be a problem. At that time, at least rewards such as knowledge could be obtained quickly through draws.
Feeling excited, Lockhart raised his voice slightly, attracting the attention of Professor McGonagall next to him. Seeing her serious gaze, Lockhart smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall!" before immediately lowering his voice when communicating with Professor Sprout.
Snape, who was next to him, noticed this scene, glanced indifferently, and then continued to look at the young wizards in his house. After a while, the freshman meeting finally ended in Lockhart's eyes.
But what he didn't notice was that Snape and Professor McGonagall had disappeared without a trace. Even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have cared because he only wanted to end this boring meeting as soon as possible.
It was finally time to eat, and Lockhart was eager to try Hogwarts' food. Picking up a fork and tapping the gold plate, a large amount of food appeared. Lockhart started eating immediately. The food at Hogwarts tasted good, although it wasn't as good as his own cooking.
After eating and drinking, all the young wizards, including the professors, were ready to go back and rest. Suddenly, Lockhart felt someone tap his shoulder from behind.
He turned around quickly. "Professor McGonagall, what's the matter?" he asked in surprise when he saw her serious face.
"The Headmaster said he has something to ask you. Please come to the office with me," she said in her usual, somewhat old-fashioned tone. Lockhart nodded and followed her towards the principal's office, wondering what could be so urgent.
He hadn't even started classes yet, and the only extraordinary thing he had done recently was wanting to study the Hogwarts Express. He just looked at it and didn't take it apart.
Soon, they walked into the corridor on the eighth floor and headed towards the principal's office.
"Dragon's milk cheese!" Professor McGonagall spoke the password, and the gargoyle moved aside.
Lockhart followed her towards the stairs and soon entered the Headmaster's office again.
Looking at Dumbledore, who was writing at his desk, Lockhart stood aside and watched quietly as Professor McGonagall left the office. Soon, Dumbledore put down his quill, raised his head, and looked at Lockhart with a gentle smile.
"Lockhart, you are here," Dumbledore said.
"Yes, Headmaster. Is there anything you need me to do?" Lockhart asked curiously.
"It's not a big deal. You can read this newspaper first," Dumbledore said, handing Lockhart a copy of the Daily Prophet.
Lockhart picked up the newspaper and saw the eye-catching headline: "Seven Muggles discover flying vehicles, the Ministry of Magic takes urgent action."
After reading the article, Lockhart raised his head in confusion and asked Dumbledore, "Headmaster, is there anything I can do to help?" Isn't this an accident caused by Harry Potter? What does it have to do with him?
"Indeed, there is something that needs your help," Dumbledore nodded and said gently. "Harry caused some trouble, although it has been dealt with. But I think he needs to improve his combat experience to withstand unexpected risks that may occur in the future. And you, as a professor who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, and also an adventurer, should have rich experience in this area. Can you help me train Harry?"
Although surprised by Dumbledore's request, Lockhart nodded and said, "Okay, Headmaster. But I would also suggest organizing a dueling club. I can teach them some dueling methods and experiences, and at the same time, the young wizards can practice with each other. This will have the best effect."
The main reason, Lockhart thought, was that tutoring Harry alone would inevitably mean answering all the problems Harry encountered, which could easily delay his own research time. He didn't have much time to begin with. If he opened a club, he would just share some methods, techniques, and experiences, and then they could practice on their own. Professors could also be invited to participate, giving him an opportunity to build good relationships or learn from their experiences.
After hearing Lockhart's suggestion, Dumbledore nodded slowly, "Lockhart, your suggestion is very good. You can arrange your own time for the dueling club. If you need any resources, you can directly contact Professor McGonagall."
Hearing Dumbledore's last words, Lockhart's eyes instantly lit up. To apply for resources, he just had to contact Professor McGonagall directly. Then he had to think about what he needed now, no, what the young wizards needed.
As for creating the dueling club, he was not in a hurry. He had been teaching for a long time. At least, let him get to know all the young wizards first before organizing it, or wait until he came back from the Marvel world. In short, time was his, and he was not in a hurry.
After a few brief words, Lockhart said goodnight and left the Headmaster's office with brisk steps.
Boom!
After Lockhart left, Dumbledore waved his wand and the door slammed shut. Suddenly, the portrait of Principal Black next to him asked, "Training dueling experience? Albus, why don't you find Filius? He was a duel champion when he was young. Why Lockhart?"