Chapter 285: Ghost Ship, Blood Kin, and Home
Lockhart recently made an online acquaintance.
Yes, it was Audrey Flamel, the Etiquette Professor at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
However, he chose not to use Audrey's magical photograph but the unique 'Occult Signal Transmitter' she had provided earlier.
Once this unique alchemical creation was activated, Muggle mobile phone communication and other issues within a two-meter radius were no longer restricted by Hogwarts' own defensive magic.
This was done with Dumbledore's permission.
Lockhart didn't want his entertainment to inadvertently expose Hogwarts' location to Muggle forces. Old Albus, being a top-tier alchemist, helped him confirm that the device had no such risks.
Thus, using Muggle e-mail, he began communicating with this equally young witch.
Lockhart felt great about it.
His previous interactions were either with the previous generation's giants like Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Grindelwald, or the deeply political, resentment-filled group of Snape, Lupin, and Sirius, or the seekers of refuge like Rita, Umbridge, and Lucius, or the children like Harry and Hermione.
Before this, the only person who offered Lockhart a peaceful and good conversational experience was Newt's son, Mr. Scamander. He was also a magic school professor with a relatively open mindset and was easy to talk to. However, Mr. Scamander was quite old, giving Lockhart the mistaken impression of chatting with a kind, elderly neighbor.
Lockhart and Audrey got along well. He was curious about Beauxbatons' continued emphasis on etiquette.
Starting with simple questions and moving to deeper exchange, their topics gradually became more profound.
Audrey's answer was fascinating.
She said, "Aristocratic education cultivates a kind of pride—a pride with etiquette. The spiritual power it brings is a reinforcement that those who haven't experienced it can hardly comprehend. It superficially resembles the pure-blood issues in other parts of Europe, but there's a fundamental difference."
"Pure-blood sacralizes the spirit; Etiquette heroifies the spirit. We adore heroes, and we long to become heroes ourselves. Bloodline is inherent, but heroism requires us to achieve it, and everyone has the opportunity to achieve it."
"Sacrifice and Pleasure, Dedication and Authority, Order and Establishing Order..."
"Consequently, the magic performed by witches and wizards educated at Beauxbatons is more flamboyant and grand."
"This characteristic of flamboyance and grandeur is the defining feature of modern classical wizarding culture, distinctly separating it from the mystery and ominousness of ancient classical wizardry, forming a new magical trend more aligned with the times."
"To use the 'Fairy Tale Theory' you mentioned in your book, 'The Mysterious Lord Voldemort: A Pure-Blood Supremacist with a Muggle Father?', it is more like a fairy tale, more like magic, for modern people."
"When the plasma of magic transforms into brilliant fireworks, the person casting the spell, the one under attack, and the bystander will all have a completely different experience of magic."
"But now Beauxbatons Academy of Magic also faces an enormous problem: the dogma of etiquette has become fossilized, stiffened, and rigidly enforced. People strive for flamboyance and grandeur merely for the sake of it, losing the romantic experience and failing to generate that unique pride."
"People are no longer proud."
Therefore, there is no unprovoked love in the world.
The general adoration for the original Gilderoy Lockhart at Beauxbatons was because the original Lockhart embodied the image that Beauxbatons' students longed for.
And Audrey Flamel's intense fanatical devotion to Lockhart was precisely because the current Gilderoy Lockhart had proposed the "Fairy Tale Theory," offering a solution to the Beauxbatons people's dilemma.
He was the hope! He was the only light on a confusing path!
Lockhart felt the same way.
His curiosity about Beauxbatons also stemmed from the fact that he seemed to have found the best complement to the Fairy Tale Theory there.
Fairy tales, or magic, should not be divorced from life. Yet, even as a Hogwarts professor, Lockhart had to admit that life at Hogwarts was somewhat detached from reality. It was closer to the life of a pure-blood community, but not quite as thorough as Durmstrang.
Moreover, in true reality, the only true pure-wizard community in the entire magical world worth mentioning was Hogsmeade Village next to Hogwarts.
More common was the wizarding community blended and concealed within Muggle communities.
The Flying Ford Anglia created by Arthur Weasley was the true cultural symbol of the new era of wizards.
At least, this was Lockhart's perception.
Young wizards could experience the fairy tale of magic at the magic school, especially those from Muggle-born families, who felt it most deeply. However, as an adult, Lockhart himself often found it impossible to truly walk into a fairy tale life while residing at Hogwarts.
This led to his decision to move into the Forbidden Forest in his second year of teaching.
But it wasn't enough, far from it.
This was the life of ancient wizards, not modern humans, and it shouldn't be the life of new era wizards.
Many people in the wizarding world were confused about this.
The Forest Witch was a representative example. She belonged to the spiritual faction and considered magic to be a part of herself, yet she was madly obsessed with the prosperous life of Muggles.
Countless people face this situation, moving from a primitive state to the industrial age, leaving a void in their hearts.
This is what sparked the on-again, off-again struggle over the Statute of Secrecy for the past two to three hundred years in the wizarding world.
Lockhart didn't approach it from the Statute of Secrecy; he disliked politics.
He approached it from life, searching for that most subtle point that could offer peace and tranquility, yet remain vibrant, full of life, and constantly changing.
And now, he had a vague answer.
"It's Vitality!"
He told Audrey, "Only in continuous upward movement, full of life-affirming change and vitality, can all unrest find a place to rest. It doesn't have a single, fixed haven of peace, but it has a stable anchor."
Audrey didn't understand, only gushed with admiration.
Wow, what an incredible idea...
He felt an abundance of emotional value.
It felt good to be admired, but Lockhart didn't just want to be worshipped. He tried to articulate his magical philosophy in simple terms, eager for more people to benefit.
"In the long river of life, we are like passengers aboard a Drifting Ship, which carries our spirit and takes us into the changes within the long river..."
"To the long river, we are restless, but to this ship, we are at peace."
"And our connection to all things in the world is the anchor extending from the ship. It does not change with the vitality of the long river; it relies only on our ship."
Hiss...
Lockhart was writing the email to Audrey. As he reached this point, a unique realization suddenly struck him.
He slammed his hand down, startling the little Golden Retriever dozing in his arms and the Vengeful Fairy who was massaging his shoulders.
The powerful surge of magic woke the other little companions around them.
They all looked up at the vague, long river, and the broken Ghost Ship upon it.
Lockhart gazed at the ship for a very long time, astonished.
Finally, he typed into the email: "And what we must do is control this ship!"
Clack!
The e-mail was sent.
He casually pulled out his wand and stood up. With a slight flick, a long serpent appeared in the river of time and lunged toward the Ghost Ship.
The massive serpent quickly coiled around the entire large ship.
The Ghost Ship seemed like an inanimate object without any self-will, offering no resistance, allowing Lockhart to cast his spell with great speed.
A moment later, a Pegasus materialized, so ethereal it seemed to overlap with the ship's hull, leaving only a pair of massive wings spread wide.
Then, a wild, bestial Werewolf appeared like a shadow on the deck, howling skyward.
"Yes, just like that!"
Lockhart licked his lips. He flicked his wand again. The Giant Serpent, the Werewolf, and the Pegasus circling the Ghost Ship rapidly transformed, turning into eerie red lines that quickly disintegrated, disassembled, and reassembled. They then branded the Ghost Ship's hull like a series of runes.
"Nice!"
He shouted in excitement. He had expected this to be difficult, but the masterless, unconscious Ghost Ship, like a body whose soul had been consumed by a Dementor—like the body he had Transfigured into—was empty. He completed the bloodline branding with extreme ease.
The rest was simple.
He rapidly cast the Blood Kin Magic. Without needing any extra modifications, the most basic form of the spell caused a strange red line to extend from the ship.
It stretched from the ethereal into the physical world.
By the time it reached the material realm, the red line had widened into a path.
He looked with an inexplicable expression at the red-glowing pathway laid out before him, leading to the River of Time. He turned to his companions, his face beaming with unconcealed joy. "Do you want to come with me?"
This was the first time he had asked his companions this question.
In the past, he had never asked when taking them on an adventure.
The Vengeful Fairy looked slightly confused. "Go where?"
"Home!" Lockhart answered.
"Home?" The Vengeful Fairy couldn't understand what "Home" meant, nor could the other companions.
"Home is the place where the heart finds peace," Lockhart explained.
"Once the heart is at peace, the magic of vitality will surge, and life force will push you Dark Magic creatures toward becoming Magical Creatures, beginning to possess the same 'animality' as humans."
The companions still didn't understand.
The Vengeful Fairy simply asked, "Do you want us to follow you?"
Lockhart nodded, but hesitated, rubbing his hands. "Of course I want you to, but everyone must have their own choice, mustn't they? I just want to..."
Before he could finish, a small, cold hand slipped into his palm. The Vengeful Fairy looked at him determinedly. "I am willing to follow your steps forever."
The little Golden Retriever was frantic; it couldn't speak.
It anxiously motioned to the Boggart to speak for it.
The Boggart clearly understood what "Home" meant, as its most frequent natural appearance was in a wizard's house. Having followed Lockhart for so long, it understood some magical concepts and knew that what Lockhart was talking about was far more than simply entering a house named "Home."
It glanced around, confirming the thoughts of the other companions through telepathy: the Golden Retriever, the Swooping Evil, and the Sack Head.
It received affirmative answers.
Finally, it looked at Hagami, the newly joined companion.
Hagami was much smarter. It ran to Lockhart's feet, rubbed against his trousers, and meowed.
"We are all willing!" the Boggart announced, then added, "To follow your steps forever!"
"Hahahaha..."
Lockhart burst into happy laughter, motioning for everyone to step onto the red-glowing path before them.
As they walked, they transitioned from reality to the ethereal, from the present moment into the uncertain River of Time, and finally arrived on the Ghost Ship.
The red-glowing path quickly split, dissolving into red lines that connected each of them.
In an instant, all the companions experienced a unique, profound sensation.
The Vengeful Fairy's face seemed to gain a new spirituality. Her previously exquisite but unnaturally perfect face began to show very natural expressions.
She actually expressed herself proactively, "What is this magic? I feel so strange."
"Blood Kin Magic!" Lockhart squinted, sensing the changes happening to himself, his eyes glazed over. "The ship as the medium, bound as Blood Kin..."
It wasn't the traditional meaning of "blood relatives."
It meant that everyone had entered the same "Home," becoming a part of this "Home," and thus becoming each other's Blood Kin.
From now on, they had become each other's Blood Kin protection.
Casting a "Time-Reversal" spell from this perspective, every individual within the Blood Kin category would be unaffected by the reversal, thanks to the Ghost Ship's property of traveling the River of Time.
Not only them, but the Ghost Ship also changed due to its connection with everyone through this spell.
It was no longer broken; it was full of vitality and life force.
The worn sail on the mast unfurled. As it rolled open, silhouettes flickered across it.
The Vengeful Fairy, the Golden Retriever, the Boggart...
And, at the very top, an extremely unique emblem: a blend of a Serpent, a Pegasus, a Werewolf, and a young figure with black hair and black eyes fused into one image.
These silhouettes flashed away, though only Lockhart could clearly see the moving figures on the emblem.
The figures within the image were all moving.
This was the Mind World, the magic Dumbledore had taught him, though the current effect was more like the Weasleys' clock that showed the status of family members.
The Ghost Ship's deck held a three-story structure.
The bottom floor contained the living quarters for everyone in the "Home." Lockhart and his companions looked closer and saw that each door was marked with a unique identifier.
Looking up, the third floor was the Command and Control Room.
Going up the stairs to the second floor, various doors lined the walls, but they led to no rooms.
Currently, only five doors were inscribed with names:
The Mushroom Hut at Hogwarts.
The Small House in Hogsmeade Village.
The Luxury Mansion in London.
The Quidditch Duel Club Castle in the Scottish Highlands.
The North American Farm.
The other doors, when opened, showed only chaos. But these five doors revealed a clear view of the scene outside, as if one step forward would lead directly into them.
As they stood before the doors, they could see Professor Kettleburn happily grilling meat and sipping wine in the clearing outside the Mushroom Hut; the house-elves cleaning the London mansion; and Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Muggle, directing workers to repair the castle at the Club.
A voice carried through the door: "Any cutting of corners is unacceptable. I want you to understand the importance of repairing this castle..."
However, the most important sight wasn't here.
The most important sight was...
Lockhart and his companions all looked at the second door, the small house next to Aberforth's place in Hogsmeade Village. In the dark hall, a shadowy figure was cautiously pushing open a window and slipping inside.
"A thief?"
The thief's movements were clumsy. After climbing through the window, he stumbled on the floor and immediately grabbed onto a nearby cabinet. He was instantly jolted by the electrical current released by the defensive spell placed on the cabinet, making his whole body shake.
Seaweed, seaweed, swaying in the wind.
(End of Chapter)