Hogsmeade, Bruno's Alchemy Hut.
"Bruno, gather some materials for refining gold galleons over the next few days. Practice one or two and show them to me," Lockhart instructed the goblin alchemist. "In 10 days, you'll come with me to a place and do something for me."
Lockhart looked at Bruno and spoke in a deep voice. Then, he waved his wand to create a spatial extension bag, which floated in front of Bruno. "Since you're working under my command, you'll be rewarded if you do well and punished if you don't," he continued. "Here are 100 gold galleons. Do what I tell you, and the rest will be your reward. If it doesn't work out, you can play with this little snake."
Bruno shivered as he recalled the huge basilisk from earlier. He quickly nodded and promised, "Don't worry, sir. I will definitely handle it for you. I always do things safely."
Lockhart suddenly thought of something and warned, "Also, watch your mouth. Don't mention anything about me, especially in front of other goblins."
Lockhart didn't specify the consequences of disobedience, but Bruno understood and nodded quickly. Seeing this, Lockhart nodded slightly. He hadn't forgotten how he obtained Bruno's information—through Bruno's bragging in bed. If not warned in advance, Bruno might cause trouble later.
"Bruno, read this book carefully and master the runes mentioned in it," Lockhart said, handing over a book of his own runic experiences. "You've experienced it before with the magic boots you use. Research slowly by yourself. If you do your research well, you'll have a bright future."
Bruno's eyes lit up. "Sir, so you refined these magic boots? No wonder they're so wonderful. They're simply masterpieces of craftsmanship."
Lockhart was a little speechless and interrupted Bruno's flattery. "Alright, I've given you your task. Do it well. If you have any questions, contact Coffy. Coffy will communicate for us."
"Understood, sir. After I finish what you asked, I'll contact the house-elf Coffy," Bruno nodded quickly.
Lockhart nodded slightly, waved his wand to open a space portal, and stepped into it, disappearing instantly. After Lockhart vanished, Bruno collapsed to the ground. The psychological pressure of facing a typical dark wizard was immense. He feared that if he said the wrong thing, he would be fed to the basilisk.
After a long time, Bruno gradually regained his strength, stood up, and opened the space extension bag in his hand. Looking at the familiar golden light, he murmured to himself, "It seems this gentleman is quite generous. But the more I think about it, the more familiar he looks. Where have I seen him recently?"
Suddenly, Bruno's pupils shrank. He remembered—the person just now was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts, Defense Against the Dark Arts Office.
After dealing with Bruno the goblin, Lockhart returned directly to his office. Sitting in his chair, he thought about the arrangements for the next period. There were only 10 days until he returned to the Marvel world. By then, he would have to get busy. He needed to find opportunities to improve his strength and deal with future crises. Now, he and the pure-blood families were on par. The struggle ahead would only become more intense. Strength was the prerequisite to ensure everything.
As for his current strength, it was not weak, but in terms of power, he was still far behind those old monsters behind the pure-blood families. Lockhart thought, constantly refining his inner plan.
The next day, Lockhart's office was filled with a thick stack of envelopes. These were letters from his fans. Recently, the number of letters had increased significantly because their favorite idol, Lockhart, had been slandered. This made many witches feel indignant and write letters to express their support for Lockhart while condemning Rita Skeeter.
Lockhart thought the reading experience would be better without some love potion in the middle. He picked up a letter, opened it, and read the contents. It was another letter of comfort and condemnation. He controlled the quill and wrote quickly: "Dear Ms. Blossom, thank you for your concern. Although I feel uncomfortable being slandered for nothing, I believe that many wizards have sharp eyesight, and a good person won't become bad just because of slander. I am confident in my research, and I believe the Daily Prophet won't allow reporters like Rita Skeeter to make unfounded reports. As for the hands-on lesson you mentioned, I personally don't think it's necessary."
Lockhart positioned himself as an innocent man, slandered unjustly, and replied with a gentle attitude, comforting his readers to be broad-minded and not angry because of a villain's casual slander. In reality, Lockhart knew that if he wanted to use his fan base to cause a war, the effect would be significant. Rita Skeeter might not even be able to leave her house for a while. But Lockhart wouldn't do this, as it would waste his reputation and influence.
Instead, his reply supported his hope and prepared for future plans. Since Rita Skeeter was now his subordinate, it would be a waste not to use her well.
Daily Prophet, Editor-in-Chief Cotton's Office.
"Editor, Rita Skeeter has written another manuscript. How should we deal with it? Will it still be on the headlines like last time?" Editor Bobby asked, raising the manuscript.
"I'll take a look first," Cotton said, taking the manuscript and reading it slowly. After reading it, he fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he raised his head and asked Bobby, "Is there anything going on at Hogwarts? Any letters to the Daily Prophet or announcements?"
Bobby thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, nothing happened at Hogwarts. Professor Lockhart seems unaffected by the news and continues to teach."
"In that case," Cotton hesitated for a moment, "let's publish it and give it the headline position."
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