Chapter 237: The Cultivation of Hakimi
How much power did a Muggle ship-borne missile truly possess? Even with just one of them having hit its mark, a great many wizards were now being rushed onto the deck for medical treatment.
The sight of their painful cries and mutilated bodies, even after being patched up with Dittany, was a horrifying sight. The gaping wounds, the large areas of missing flesh, and the monstrously awkward way their limbs were reattached all served to drive home the sheer, terrible force of the missiles.
What was even worse was that some wizards couldn't even have a single piece of their bodies recovered. This was far beyond the healing scope of a simple herb like Dittany; they were truly, utterly dead.
Death, after all, was always cruel.
And only when it was laid bare before their eyes did all their arrogance, all their contempt, and all their foolish fantasies get torn apart, just as the bitter, biting wind scoured the icy sea.
This was a blow to their own kind.
The current wizarding society, built upon the foundation of the Statute of Secrecy, required wizards to live in seclusion from the Muggle world. With just a handful of malevolent traitors to expose their locations, Muggle bombs could kill everyone in a wizarding community at any given moment.
Magic wasn't as reliable as they often imagined. For example, one of the Hogwarts founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, had her daughter killed by a single stab of a knife. The wind howled, turbulent and cold, worming its way into the collars of the wizards huddled around the corpses, making them tremble.
In this moment…
If Grindelwald had simply stepped forward and made a grand pronouncement, this world would have become even more chaotic and terrifying than it had been decades ago.
"Why are you looking at me?" the old wizard rolled his eyes at a hopeful Lockhart, who was watching the scene with eager anticipation. "I already said it. That was the last chance they had. Since they didn't take it, what can I do for them now, even if they beg?"
Lockhart's eyebrows rose. "Do you really think so?"
Grindelwald pointed at the sky. "Do you believe me if I tell you that the Muggles are watching us right now?"
Drones?
Lockhart immediately looked up, then realised that in 1993, such technology did not exist. The old man must have been referring to satellites. Unwilling to be watched, he pushed past the people in his way and used a flying spell to float onto the warship's turret, waving his wand at the sky.
Instantly, dark clouds surged and piled upon one another, thick with crackling lightning. Then, a series of bolts struck the sea, the electricity spreading and branching out in the air, in case there were any reconnaissance planes hiding nearby. Once he was done, he turned back to the others, who were staring at him. He simply shrugged. "I don't fancy getting hit by another missile. Carry on."
The electricity continued to flicker in the sky behind him, illuminating the darkened iceberg beneath the clouds. Dumbledore's face flickered in the light.
"Heh, when winter's scarcity arrives in the forest, the old tiger will stand on the highest peak and roar, to deter all who would dare to challenge him," Grindelwald murmured to Snape. He meant, of course, that Lockhart was also an ambitious man.
Snape didn't speak. He just stared into the distance at the bodies, his mind seemingly cast back to the war of a decade ago. No one loved war, especially those who had survived its brutality. They understood the beauty of peace and stability more than anyone. In a time of such turmoil, all personal desires seemed meaningless, as if everything had lost its value. All that remained was an endless cycle of life and death, with no end in sight.
Fortunately, Dumbledore was not Grindelwald. He always showed restraint in the conflict between wizards and Muggles. He simply watched everyone in silence, then declared in a booming voice, "Voldemort… he has returned!"
Yes, the blame for all of this did not lie with the Muggles, but with the nefarious Voldemort. It was time to make him carry the weight of everything, to allow his banner to be unfurled in the open so that all those with ill-intentions could gather beneath his command, where the forces of light could then completely annihilate them. Perhaps the conspiracy that Voldemort was stirring up would be the perfect opportunity for wizards and Muggles to find a way to coexist.
Following the incident, the entire world seemed to be besieged by a plague of owls; even Muggles noticed the countless birds flying everywhere.
The mysterious event of the 'warship on the iceberg' and the frenzy of owls were all thrown into the cauldron of doomsday rumours, mixed with vague and ambiguous statements. It was all a part of the ridiculous tabloid stories of 'unsolved mysteries'.
Everything was hidden beneath the surface. Only the governments of the Muggle nations knew how many meetings they had with the strange wizards, and how many contingency plans they had discussed. T
he wizarding world, too, kept some of the information hidden from its citizens. News of the missiles and the alliance of wizards and Muggles causing trouble at the Ministry was drowned out by the enormous headline: "Voldemort has returned!"
The front pages of every newspaper showed a photograph of Dumbledore announcing the news. In the picture, captured just as a lightning bolt flashed, the old wizard's solemn expression looked particularly formidable.
Of course, a few enterprising reporters also managed to get Gilderoy Lockhart, standing on the turret, into the shot as a backdrop. The photo provided by Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet was particularly eye-catching. Yes, with such a spectacle, of course, reporters would be there.
Yet, despite the countless reporters who had gathered there, if you were to scour all the wizarding newspapers in every country, you would find no mention of Gellert Grindelwald. Only a few whispered rumours could be heard in certain corners, at certain family gatherings, or over drinks in some pubs, where people would say cryptically, "The Dark Lord has returned, and so has he…"
Many factions had to acknowledge the truth: they needed Dumbledore more than ever. It was at this crucial moment that a certain newly-minted Master of Magic suddenly became an object of great attention. Gilderoy Lockhart.
He had, in a peculiar way, become someone that many people wanted to curry favour with. Too many factions wanted to contact him, but since Lockhart seemed to have returned to Hogwarts and was no longer involved in such affairs, they could only seek the help of the middleman, Fudge.
Fudge was ecstatic. He had never imagined that his political investment would bear fruit so quickly. His gratitude for Lockhart was overflowing. He truly should be grateful to Lockhart. Without Lockhart's presence, following the original timeline, he would have been quickly ousted from his position and removed from the game after refusing to acknowledge Voldemort's return.
The events in the original timeline were rather subtle. In 1995, Dumbledore and Voldemort had a major battle at the Ministry, after which Dumbledore announced Voldemort's return. The British Ministry of Magic refused to acknowledge it, and the International Confederation of Wizards voted to strip Dumbledore of his title as Supreme Mugwump and expel him.
In 1996, Voldemort reappeared, Fudge was removed from his position, and Dumbledore was reinstated to the Confederation but did not resume his old title.
Compared to the original events, the current situation was filled with many more variables. Gilderoy Lockhart had been recruited by Dumbledore to teach at Hogwarts and had fully showcased his talents, earning the title of 'Master of Magic'. It was revealed that Dumbledore's Hogwarts was training a student army. And now, Gellert Grindelwald had been released from Nurmengard by Dumbledore himself.
What did this all mean? At least in some people's eyes, it meant that Dumbledore's ambitions were finally laid bare!
The Dumbledore who had been content to sit on his hands and do nothing was a nuisance whom people wanted to get rid of, to get him out of the way. But an ambitious Dumbledore? That was brilliant! With Voldemort's return and the Muggles stirring, people desperately wanted an ambitious Dumbledore to stand at the forefront and take charge.
So... even though the wizards would talk about being friendly to Muggles and embracing Muggle-born and half-blood wizards, they still kept a clear distinction between themselves and Muggles. The Witch Hunts were not just a myth; they were a painful part of wizarding history. No matter how much some people claimed that wizards could not be burned by fire, their words could lie, but their lives could not; the deaths of countless wizards in history were a stark reminder.
But no matter how clear the distinction, everyone still preferred the more moderate Dumbledore to lead them, as opposed to the divisive Grindelwald or the extremist Voldemort. The political climate was changing rapidly, and the hidden currents beneath the various slogans and banners, while not yet on the surface, were what truly held the most power.
In this moment, some were fortunate enough to grasp the pulse of the era.
Like Fudge. He had recently been making frequent trips to Hogwarts. Although he claimed to be there to consult with Dumbledore on strategy, he would always run to the mushroom house in the Forbidden Forest after leaving the Headmaster's office. He knew that Gilderoy Lockhart was conducting a fascinating study that had the power to change the world.
Lockhart had named it: the Cultivation of Hakimi.
Hakimi was a type of cat, or at least that's what Lockhart called it a cat bred according to his will. Perhaps this was the most significant difference between the cultivation of magical beasts and the breeding of Dark creatures. Magical beasts focused on bloodlines.
A Thestral naturally had a dragon's head, a horse's body, and a bat's wings. A Hippogriff naturally had an eagle's wings and head and a horse's body. You could immediately see the origin of their bloodlines.
Dark creatures were the same. Their classification was more about the human element they contained; they were the manifestation of concentrated magic bursting forth from memories woven into the fabric of time. For example, a Dementor's features closely mirrored depression.
A werewolf's features closely mirrored a contagious disease. An Obscurus's features closely mirrored a self-identity disorder. Since most of these creatures were negative, they were often classified as Dark creatures.
This theory might not be authoritative, but for Lockhart, it made perfect sense. The content it contained, which involved 'fairytale adventures', 'magical bloodlines', and 'individuals in relation to a collective society, nature, and the world,' all flowed together and felt coherent. And if it made sense, then it could be used as a basis for breeding, whether or not it was truly how things worked.
Especially now that Lockhart had obtained a very interesting 'tool'—an elevator that could change a magical bloodline's expression. With everything in place, the magical experiment could begin!
Lockhart soon set off with Madagom Cat on a journey of discovery. He travelled along the path of time and the shifting of magical bloodlines, constantly moving through the long river of time.
In this era, Lockhart was probably the only one who would dare to do something so insane. Even now, when Hermione Granger used her Time-Turner to attend classes that were scheduled at the same time, she was so careful, terrified of accidentally running into herself and causing a time paradox that would trap her in a terrifying time vortex.
Lockhart wasn't worried about that. He knew perfectly well who he was. His self-awareness was extremely strong, and his magical bloodline had connected with the river of time, allowing him to travel within it like a long snake.
Time travel was a very interesting thing. Sometimes, it wasn't about changing anything, but about going to a fascinating moment in your life to gain a new understanding you had previously overlooked, or to capture a wonderful memory you had once forgotten.
In his previous life, Lockhart had had a cat. A fat tabby. It was a beautiful experience, a journey where an orphan and a stray comforted each other. After that tabby passed away, Lockhart never had another cat or dog again, as their lives were far too short. All the emotions he poured into them had nowhere to go in the face of death, and the pain and sense of loss that came with it were simply too much to bear.
And now, Lockhart had brought Madagom Cat back to this time, to re-experience that emotion. This was why Lockhart understood the phrase 'time does not exist' better than most.
He could never truly cross back to his previous world, yet he had genuinely returned to that time, and truly felt everything around him. Under the effect of the magical elevator and time, he had become his Muggle self again, to experience this fascinating 'fairytale adventure'.
Today, the weather was clear.
Minister for Magic Fudge once again arrived at the mushroom house in the Forbidden Forest. After observing Professor Lupin teaching the Duelling Club for a while, he finally saw Lockhart emerge from the mushroom house.
"Gilderoy!" he said excitedly, rushing forward. He watched as the vines from the massive mushroom fell away like curtains, and he quickly pulled a letter from his robes.
But before he could get close, a terrifying roar echoed from inside the mushroom house.
"On guard!" Professor Lupin shouted nervously from behind him. Fudge stumbled back as Lupin pulled him to safety, and the young wizards on their brooms quickly surrounded the mushroom house. Every student looked incredibly tense, their wands already beginning to move in preparation for a spell.
"Isn't this Gilderoy's house?" Fudge asked, stunned, and spoke to Lupin in a low voice.
"It is," Lupin replied, without relaxing his guard. "He told us that if he made a mistake and a monster came out, we should immediately deal with it!"
Fudge swallowed hard. "A monster?"
Lupin nodded grimly. The truth was, every time Gilderoy had a magical experiment, the Dark creatures he bred were a complete unknown. In just the past few weeks, they had killed more than ten such monsters.
That was the whole reason they had been practicing near Gilderoy's mushroom house; it was for just such an eventuality. One time, a monster had even been able to summon lightning, which had nearly sent every student to the Hospital Wing.
Soon, as the vines of the giant mushroom were completely drawn back, a strange-looking 'elevator' made of what seemed to be hastily-built wooden boards appeared.
Ding~
A strange electronic sound echoed in their minds, and the elevator doors slowly opened.
"Obscuro!"
Several young wizards instantly cast their spells, and various obstacles quickly appeared on the ground in front of the mushroom house. Under Lockhart's guidance on their respective mental states, and with Grindelwald filling in the gaps, the young wizards now had their own unique understanding of the same spell. Fudge watched as some wizards summoned a dirt wall, some created a giant stone tablet, and some conjured a tide of bees…
There was every kind of obstacle imaginable.
"ROAR!"
The terrible roar sounded again, and an animal that looked a bit like a tiger, but was more plump and a little silly, stepped out of the elevator. Its strong body shook impressively, its long orange and white fur bristling with power.
"Hakimi~"
Lockhart's voice called from inside the elevator. The massive creature turned its head to look at him, and its body quickly shrank and collapsed, instantly transforming into a small, fluffy bundle, looking just like a normal cat. Well, no. It was even fatter than a normal cat. It was chubby and had a playfully fierce look about it.
"Meow~"
Lockhart stepped out with a smile, scooping it up into his arms. He looked at the wizards, who were still on alert, and gave them a bright smile.
"The experiment was a success!"
Immediately, all the young wizards cheered.
It hadn't been easy. The students had truly learned the meaning of responsibility during this time. Every day they were on edge, afraid that the elevator doors would suddenly open and a Dark creature of unknown magical ability would come out and attack them.