Sunday, Lockhart's office.
The golden sunlight streamed through the office windows, bathing Lockhart in a warm glow. He enjoyed his day off, having had a delicious breakfast earlier. Sitting in his office, he stretched lazily and then slowly flipped through some magic books borrowed from the Hogwarts library. Although he had gathered a lot of valuable information recently, he needed to systematically read, internalize, and thoroughly master it.
Understanding magical knowledge is one thing, but casting spells through a wand is another. Lockhart was wary of having theoretical knowledge without practical skill. As he read, he reached for a toothpick, picked up a piece of mango from the fruit bowl beside him, and popped it into his mouth. Eating while reading was a small comfort.
Time passed, and the plate of mangoes slowly emptied.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Professor, it's me."
Lockhart heard a familiar girl's voice. Still slightly confused, he quickly responded.
"Hermione, please come in. The door is unlocked." As his voice fell, the office door slowly creaked open.
Hermione walked in, holding a piece of parchment. She looked cautiously at Professor Lockhart, who was reading a book, and said, "Professor Lockhart, I'm here to hand in the task you mentioned before."
Lockhart took a moment to remember what she was referring to. It was the essay he had asked her to write based on their conversation on the train. Curious about her thoughts, he felt a sense of interest. He had shared his ideas with many students before, but few truly listened.
Turning his head slightly, he saw the nearly empty fruit plate. He waved Hermione over.
"Hermione, come and sit on a stool. I'll look at your paper first. You can taste the mango; it's quite good." As he spoke, Lockhart waved his wand, and the original stain on the fruit plate quietly disappeared. At the same time, three mangoes emerged in the air, their peels falling off naturally. With a flick of his wand, the peeled mangoes split into pieces and arranged themselves on the plate, with toothpicks inserted into them.
The whole process took only a few seconds, enough to make Hermione feel a bit surprised and envious. While she could cast similar spells, Professor Lockhart's ease and familiarity with the process showed he had done it countless times.
Hermione picked up a piece of mango with a toothpick and savored it. Meanwhile, Lockhart read her paper with interest. Despite some superficial content and a few errors, there were many bright spots. Her level of thinking was on par with some of the graduate students he had known in his previous life.
After finishing the mango, Lockhart said, "Hermione, your paper is quite good for your age. I like the point you highlighted."
He read from the paper: "To practice magic spells, you must adhere to the principle of a small amount of high quality, focusing on three, or even one spell."
Hermione, a bit embarrassed by the empty fruit plate, smiled brightly at his praise. "Thank you, Professor. Your points on the train were very insightful."
"Next time, I won't ask a lot of questions at once. We must follow the principle of small quantity and high quality."
Lockhart nodded in agreement. "Hermione, you are indeed very smart. I believe you will become a well-known figure in the wizarding world."
Hermione looked a little panicked at the strong praise but asked, "Do you really think so, Professor Lockhart?"
Lockhart nodded heavily. "Believe me, I rarely make mistakes. You will achieve great things."
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Lockhart asked, "Hermione, you brought your paper. What are the three questions you carefully prepared? I'll try to explain them thoroughly."
Hermione's face lit up. She quickly took out her questions and asked, "Professor, the first question is, where are the problems in my paper? Can you explain them in detail? The second question is, can you explain the thinking you mentioned earlier in depth? I find there are many things I don't understand. The third question is, do you have any good suggestions on how to learn magic quickly?"
Lockhart sighed softly. Hermione was already quite good for her age to recognize the value of high-quality thinking. However, her questions were too broad, potentially leading to countless further questions.
The first question was better, limited to her paper. The second question aimed to understand and master his way of thinking in just one inquiry. The third question revealed a misunderstanding, seeking quick mastery of magic through a few suggestions—a fool's dream.
To give precise suggestions, he needed a detailed understanding of her magic level, knowledge, study habits, etc. But for a young witch like Hermione, these three questions weren't bad. She just needed to curb her greed for knowledge.
Lockhart believed that Ravenclaw was more suitable for someone like Hermione. The greed for knowledge was ingrained in Ravenclaw's nature.
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[More Chapter available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
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