Chapter 239 Your talent is so special
Grindelwald always seemed to exude a sense of authority, at least in Fudge's eyes. He would issue orders to do this and that, knowing that Fudge wouldn't dare to refuse.
In comparison, when Lockhart asked for his help in gathering Madagom Cats, his tone was much more polite.
Alright. They were both telling him what to do.
But at least Lockhart was polite. He would say things like, "You are the only one who can help me with this great historical change," or, "I don't know who else to ask for such a large collection besides you." These words made Fudge feel incredibly honoured and excited.
"Don't worry! Leave this to me, it will be done!"
Fudge happily departed with his two unrewarded missions. He left behind two letters of invitation. One was from the Wizengamot, a nomination for him to become a youth representative. The other was from the Order of Merlin, a nomination for him to become a youth representative. Fudge said it was a choice of one or the other.
"Interesting," Grindelwald glanced at the two invitations and chuckled. "It seems he came to Hogwarts not just to curry favour with you, but to figure out which path you were on."
This touched upon one of Lockhart's knowledge gaps. He knew about these two organizations, but only on a superficial level. Fortunately, he had a senior figure by his side who could offer guidance.
"The Wizengamot path is one that Albus once walked. He became a youth representative in his student days. It's a channel for various Ministries of Magic to recommend talent to the Wizengamot of the International Confederation of Wizards."
"Once you get this, you'll be a part of the International Wizengamot's meetings. After Albus graduated and went home to take care of his sister, he had to handle documents from these international meetings regularly. After gaining enough experience, he could either join the judicial branch of the International Confederation of Wizards or become a full member of the British Wizengamot."
The judicial branch was always the most powerful department in wizarding society, overseeing the Wizengamot and the Auror Office. In some cases, the Chief Warlock of a local Wizengamot could even bypass the Minister of Magic.
After a long explanation, the most crucial point came down to a single sentence. Grindelwald's eyes narrowed, and a cold sneer crossed his face. "The Wizengamot is the most critical part, even the very foundation, of the Statute of Secrecy. You know, the Wizengamot is the one that makes the final interpretation of the Statute."
Lockhart's eyebrows rose. He finally had a clear understanding of the organization.
"The Order of Merlin is the opposite path, because it requires the granting of a title from the Muggle King."
"The Muggle King?" Lockhart was stunned. It was 1993; was he joking about the Muggle King?
But Grindelwald said this was the key. "Actually, the Order of Merlin selects the candidates. The so-called Muggle King is just a rubber stamp, but that one extra step is of great significance."
"It signifies that although various Ministries of Magic obey the orders of the International Confederation of Wizards, in practice, in order to maintain the Statute of Secrecy, they must have closer ties with the Muggle upper class. This allows them to a certain extent to become independent of the International Confederation of Wizards' jurisdiction."
This was a complex point, and the roundabout explanation sought to highlight the relative independence of local authority.
"By joining the Order of Merlin, you will discover that you are truly stepping into the reality of the place where you live. The Ministry of Magic, the Wizarding Council, the pure-blood families, Gringotts, the Muggle King and nobles, the Muggle military, Muggle capital…"
He understood. One path led to the international stage and touched the very foundation of the wizarding world: the Statute of Secrecy. The other path was local, touching upon the real workings of wizarding society and the vortex of countless interests.
"You can only choose one," Grindelwald said, gesturing to the invitations in Lockhart's hand. "There were wizards in the past who tried to do both, but they were often seen as outsiders on both sides and were excluded from the core."
Lockhart understood. He looked at the invitations, a little unsure. "Which one do you think I should choose?"
"There's no doubt." Grindelwald tapped one of the invitations. "The invitation from the Order of Merlin."
He didn't seem to tire of offering guidance. From a practical standpoint, choosing the Order of Merlin would allow Lockhart's 'Hakimi Cultivation' project to proceed more smoothly. The later promotion of the project would also receive more assistance, making things easier. From the perspective of building influence, the Order of Merlin was more grounded than the International Confederation of Wizards; it was more like a collective hub for various wizarding organizations, and a capable wizard could easily build a huge network of connections through this organization.
"And most importantly…"
Grindelwald's lips curled into a sneer. "The International Confederation of Wizards is Albus's territory. He only needs one voice, and I don't think you would be happy to be a part of an organization where you have to follow someone else's arrangements completely, or be seen as an obstacle because of your strong opinions."
Dumbledore might seem gentle and inclusive, but he was in fact a very forceful person. When it came to matters of principle, there was often no room for debate or doubt. If Lockhart were to join the International Confederation of Wizards, he would either become Dumbledore's pawn or Dumbledore's nemesis, and he would not gain anything from it. Of course, if Lockhart was willing to become Dumbledore's pawn and be trained as his successor, that was a viable path. The key question was, was Lockhart willing?
At the very least, Grindelwald saw clearly that this young man was not in the least bit interested.
Lockhart didn't make a decision right away. First, he knew that Grindelwald clearly had his own reasons for offering this advice. And second, did Lockhart really have to join a faction? Even if it was one of the two deepest paths in the wizarding world. He didn't think so.
This world was never just about calculating interests; it was also about life and death. Voldemort's appearance was a matter of life and death. When Voldemort and Dumbledore, Muggles and wizards, the International Confederation of Wizards and the various Ministries of Magic, were all swept up in the tide of the era, he, as a powerful wizard who could protect lives, was bound to be needed.
The prerequisite for all of this was his unwavering devotion to magic. He had to go deeper and become more powerful! Powerful enough to influence everything! That was all there was to it.
"Which one will you choose?" Grindelwald was also curious about Lockhart's choice, his mismatched eyes reflecting the sunlight as if a world was spinning inside them.
Lockhart just smiled slightly, putting away both invitations. "It's still too early. No rush."
What kind of answer was that?
Grindelwald watched Lockhart's back as he turned and walked away, a frown creasing his brow. The future seemed more inscrutable than ever.
"I need someone to help me with this 'Hakimi Cultivation' project."
Compared to Grindelwald, Lockhart preferred to be around the students. "Percy will be spending more time on the 'Quidditch Duelling Tournament,' so I want to find someone else from among you to be specifically in charge of this project."
Immediately, many students excitedly raised their hands.
Crabbe was one of them. As one of the professor's two most loyal apprentices, he had seen Percy start his own project and naturally wanted to do something to prove his value and show that he was needed.
This was something his mother had told him, complaining that old Crabbe and old Goyle had no value to the Malfoys and would eventually be abandoned at some crucial moment. He didn't understand it all, but he remembered. You have to have value, the value of being needed. He remembered his mother's teachings.
Luna was another. She genuinely loved small animals and was currently holding the Hakimi, stroking its soft, warm chin and listening to its unique rumbling and purring. She was overjoyed.
Draco and Hermione also raised their hands. They were more focused on the influence this project would bring and hoped to use it to get closer to Professor Lockhart, to become apprentices like Percy and Crabbe, and not just members of the 'Duelling Club.'
Ron was also one of them. His motivation was simple: he just wanted to help out.
And then there were Fred and George, the twins. During Professor Lockhart's recent lessons with Hagrid, they had truly discovered the joy of breeding animals.
Lockhart thought for a moment, then looked at Crabbe. "It's time for you to learn some new magic, and this project isn't right for you."
Crabbe seemed thrilled. The two spells the professor had taught him, 'Soul Bonfire' and 'Warm Healing,' were different from any magic he had learned before. He could feel the joy of casting them; he liked this simple joy. He was so happy that he forgot about his mother's teachings about the value of being needed.
"Luna, you can't either. You're only in your second year, and you need to focus more on your academic fundamentals." After getting to know her better, Lockhart realized that Luna was a little mediocre academically. But when he thought about it, it was normal. Most nature-aligned wizards were like that; it was rare for someone like Newt to excel in so many subjects.
Lockhart didn't mind guiding Luna down the path of a Forest Witch, but he couldn't let the little witch fail her exams. It was just not right. In life, sometimes you had to abide by the rules of this world.
He pondered for a moment, seeing that everyone was nervously watching him, especially the Weasley twins, who looked so excited. He shook his head. "George, Fred, I plan to provide you with some funds to continue with your inventions. This project isn't right for you, either."
"Really?" George was so excited he looked like he would leap into the air.
"Professor, you'd support us inventing prank toys?" Fred was stunned.
Lockhart nodded. "I will guide your research, and I promise you the Ministry of Magic will be more than happy to invite you to become Ministry consultants. Maybe you will even get your family's approval because of it."
"Oh!" George clutched his chest, looking ecstatic.
Fred couldn't wrap his head around how making prank toys could earn the Ministry's approval, mumbling in awe, "You can do that?"
Their mother had always been against them making prank toys, believing it was a waste of time. For her, a 'real job' was to get good grades, go to the Ministry of Magic, and then either climb the ranks with the family's support or go to a magical school if the Ministry wasn't the right fit. But that wasn't the path Fred and George wanted.
In fact, their two older brothers, Bill and Charlie, both of whom were excellent students, had not gone down the path their mother had expected. Bill was a Curse-Breaker at Gringotts, and Charlie was a dragon tamer. The Weasley children were all rebels in their own way.
But Fred and George did care about their mother. If they could get some opportunities from the Ministry by making prank toys, that would be wonderful. But was it possible? They didn't understand.
Lockhart would never forget Fudge's horrified expression when he mentioned the Muggle prank toy that had almost ruined a Muggle hotel. Magical gadgets had always been a field with great potential, a field that would eventually bring the wizarding and Muggle worlds closer together. With the changes brought about by his arrival as a Transmigrator, and the problems of this world being exposed more quickly, the importance of magical gadgets would undoubtedly increase even further.
Fred and George's future was destined to be bright. If they could achieve something in this field, they might even be recorded in the most important Muggle and wizarding histories, becoming an unavoidable footnote.
So…
Lockhart finally looked at Ron. "Everyone has their own unique talent…"
Ron's eyes had dimmed. He knew he was always a little slow. The only two times he had ever been praised were for playing giant wizard chess during their first year's adventure, and when Professor Lockhart had called him a hero. But chess was just for fun. And he knew that he wasn't really all that brave, at least not compared to Harry, Hermione, and Draco.
"Your talent is so special, Ron." Lockhart walked up to him and smiled at his expression. "Can I trust you to develop a complete language for the Hakimi?"
Ron was taken aback. "A Hakimi language?"
Lockhart nodded. "Just like when you and Harry helped your classmate with Parseltongue, this time, Harry won't be there. It'll just be you. You need to communicate with the Hakimi more, and spend more time with it."
His gaze was intense and full of hope. "Do you think you can do it?"
Ron was instantly excited. "I'm not sure, I mean, I'll find a way to do it!"
Lockhart smiled and patted his shoulder. "Language, not written language, but spoken language, is always full of magic. It is an extremely ancient field of study. It's just that its limitations are too high, so it is rarely taught separately in the modern magical curriculum."
"But the interesting thing is, you will always feel its magic in various subjects, especially Charms. Every single sound in a spell has its own power and effect."
"Ron, perhaps you can try to delve into this direction of magical research."
"You know, you have a talent for this!"
Ron tried his best to hold his head up and show that he was listening, but his eyes were already blurry with tears. He couldn't see anything.
He had never imagined that in Professor Lockhart's eyes, he was a child with a unique talent. He wanted to say, he swore he would do his best, work hard to live up to Professor Lockhart's expectations. But the words wouldn't come out. His throat was all choked up. "Professor…"
Lockhart smiled, took the fluffy Hakimi from Luna's hands, and gently placed it in Ron's arms. "You can try to be like Percy and ask for help from everyone to form a team to research and raise these magical creatures."
The reason he chose Ron was not only because of his unique talent for language, which would allow him to find a way to communicate with the Hakimi quickly, but also because he wanted to compensate Ron. Lockhart had calculated and planned around Voldemort, hiding the existence of Peter Pettigrew, but he hadn't expected to cause irreversible harm to Ron.
He could feel the sudden loss of power in the boy's Patronus Charm, as well as the emotional distortion caused by the Dark Arts. Some of the Duelling Club members would even say he was a reckless person who would dare to use an Unforgivable Curse.
This was not a good thing. The Dark Arts were the Dark Arts. No matter how well a wizard could control them, they could not deny the impact these curses had on their mind.
Lockhart hoped that the Hakimi would be able to heal the emotional trauma that Scabbers had inflicted on Ron. After all, the very essence of the Hakimi was companionship and protection, a quality very similar to Ron himself.
The relationship between two individuals could influence each other, and that was the fascinating part of a wizard's life.
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