Chapter 296: The Joint Letter
What would it bring for Voldemort to seek the restoration of his soul's integrity and rediscover positive forces like "love"?
Lockhart did not know.
Grindelwald, the Seer, might have known something, but he only smiled indifferently and said nothing, refusing to breathe a word even to Dumbledore.
But at least one thing was clear to everyone: the greatest source of trouble at this stage was not Voldemort, but Gellert Grindelwald.
This Dark Wizard, who had previously incited chaos affecting the entire world, became increasingly restless after his release. First, he fueled the flames to push the Voldemort who "liked being Voldemort" to the forefront as a target for all; then, he fished in troubled waters, seizing the perfect opportunity to escape Dumbledore's control.
After assuming the position of Headmaster at Durmstrang Institute, his maneuvers became even more frequent.
At the very least, Lockhart had heard news from Aberforth regarding Grindelwald's purging of dissenters at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
He had written letters to both Rita and Audrey, but unfortunately, he had received no replies.
Lockhart sometimes wondered if Snape's deduction had identified the wrong target...the one wanting to implement a "school-centered system" to replace the "Ministry-centered system" was perhaps not Dumbledore, but Grindelwald.
Old Gellert was far too active.
Moreover, Dumbledore himself was the highest-ranking existence of the Ministry-centered system; he was the Chief Warlock of the International Confederation of Wizards, a department superior to the Ministries.
In the final battle between Grindelwald and Dumbledore years ago, what they fought for was precisely this seat of immense global influence.
Of course, based on Lockhart's understanding of these two heavyweights, he could not help but have some slight suspicions: Old Gellert stirs up trouble, and then Old Albus comes out to clean up the mess...this fits their tacit understanding and behavioral habits perfectly.
One handles the "over-correction" that must be done, while the other handles the soothing of people's hearts.
Simultaneously, they quietly and subtly turn the "over-corrected" parts into common practices that everyone is used to.
For instance, among the new generation of young wizards, no one wonders about "wizards marrying Muggles"...a perfectly normal thing now that was incredibly rebellious in the not-so-distant past.
Time passed quietly.
Over the following week, Lockhart stopped meddling in the business of the heavyweights.
Besides continuing his teaching at the Dueling Club, he focused more of his attention on the club's four projects.
This was his future power base.
Especially after gaining greater development by riding the momentum of the "Triwizard Tournament" next school year, he estimated his influence would begin to stand on equal footing with the heavyweights.
He would not exist as "Dumbledore's subordinate and friend," "Grindelwald's little brother," or "Voldemort's good buddy and archenemy."
He was Gilderoy Lockhart.
He had come to this world.
This world ought to have his voice.
This world ought to have his stage.
On this day, the young wizards suddenly became nervous. Final exams, O.W.L.s, and N.E.W.T.s plunged the entire school into an exceptionally oppressive atmosphere.
Naturally, the four major projects of the club came to a temporary halt.
When Lockhart returned to his professor's residence...the mushroom house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest...during his leisure time, he couldn't help but feel somewhat sentimental.
In the past year, this had been the place where five men discussed politics; now, Grindelwald had left Hogwarts, Professor Kettleburn was busy with the design of the next school year's "Adventure Fairy Tales," Snape was hiding in a corner licking his wounds, and he himself was often busy running around. Only Lupin remained.
The stone fire pit for the bonfire was still there; most of the ash inside had drifted into the Forbidden Forest with the wind, leaving only a pile of blackened and mottled stones.
Late at night, Lupin returned after a busy day.
He froze for a moment upon seeing the rekindled bonfire, walked over, and sat down quietly beside it.
Lockhart poured him a cup of milk tea that had been warming over the fire, enjoying the rare peaceful night.
After an unknown amount of time, Lupin looked up at him. "Sirius will not be going to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."
"???" Lockhart was stunned. "Not going?"
"It's normal, isn't it? Harry is here." Lupin's voice was very soft. "The only thing that fellow cares about most now is Harry."
"He told me he plans to recommend himself to Dumbledore for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
That made sense.
Sirius didn't care about a "new era" or the waves and schemes of a "school-centered system"; he only knew that Harry's childhood had been a tragic one lacking love at his aunt's house due to the absence of a guardian.
He had to make it up to the child...even if he could give nothing else, he would at least give sufficient love.
Although Harry had experienced much, he was actually just a thirteen-year-old child, and a wizard child particularly sensitive to emotions at that.
Lockhart highly approved of Sirius's approach.
Harry Potter's emotional deficit in childhood had indeed brought a great deal of innate deficiency to the boy: a lack of creative drive, a sensitive and introverted yet reckless personality, and a need to be pushed by others to do anything.
Most importantly, he lacked ambition.
In the original story, after Voldemort's death, he expectedly faded into the crowd.
Let alone becoming an epoch-making figure like Dumbledore, he might not have even reached the heights of Professor McGonagall, who likewise had no ambition.
It was truly a waste of talent.
"And you? Do you plan to stay as well?" In the humiliating agreement Lockhart made Voldemort sign, Lupin's name was on the whitelist. If Lupin were willing to stay at Hogwarts, he could actually be exempted from the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship.
Lupin pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head.
"I will not stay at Hogwarts, I..."
He did not state the reason after all, but Lockhart actually knew.
Lupin's situation here was somewhat awkward. Once suspicion arose between him and his friends, the Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore, it could not be smoothed over by a simple sentence like "there is still friendship between us."
Furthermore, with Voldemort locked away, there was no longer a powerful external force to glue the cracks in these relationships together.
His absence during Harry's childhood, despite being James's best friend, was the best evidence of this.
In comparison, he felt more relaxed with Lockhart, his new friend.
Sometimes fate is just that miraculous: his friendship with Sirius remained, and he was still full of gratitude toward Dumbledore.
However, having lost James Potter...his closest friend...as a link, he began to drift further from his past and toward a different path.
"I want to go to Beauxbatons with you."
Lupin hesitated for a moment, saying these words with a bit of trepidation, looking at Lockhart with a sense of uncertainty.
In fact, he was a person who was somewhat devoid of desires and content to drift with the tide, but at this moment, he truly began to have a pursuit.
He was now responsible for an entire werewolf community.
Even though every heavyweight had explicitly proposed accepting werewolves...whether it was Dumbledore, Grindelwald, or even Voldemort...only Lockhart truly embraced the entire group and was willing to provide help for the whole race.
Furthermore, he heard that werewolves were treated with more kindness in the French wizarding world.
Lupin was such a person. He lived his whole life for others: in his youth for his friends, in his wandering years for his family, and now, for the werewolf community.
His life was so humble that if he didn't shoulder something, he felt his life was weightless and had nowhere to settle.
"Of course you can."
Lockhart nodded with a smile. "Fate is just that miraculous sometimes, isn't it? We will eventually walk toward unfamiliar paths, and I am very happy to see more fellow travelers on this road."
Unknowingly, information about his impending appointment as the Headmaster of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic spread, and some people began to gravitate toward his side.
This was an experience one could not feel as a mere professor.
Soon, he received a letter.
It was a "request for a visit" from Rita.
"Rita, I heard about your situation." Lockhart received Rita in his office. "I thought you would come to see me sooner."
Rita looked somewhat haggard; upon hearing this, she shrank her neck in fear. "I was targeted by Grindelwald. I didn't know if coming to you would cause you trouble. You know, I always have ways to hide myself."
"However, I heard some rumors saying you intend to serve as the Beauxbatons Headmaster. Determining that it might be different from what I thought, I came."
The dregs of Ravenclaw always possessed a good sense of smell.
Lockhart smiled and gestured for her to sit down.
"Actually, I brought someone with me. Of course, he is pretending to be here to see his daughter and can only rush over in a while." Rita looked around and then whispered, "Xenophilius Lovegood."
Luna's father, the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler, and a member of the Ravenclaw Alumni Association.
As they spoke, there was a knock on the door; it was indeed Xenophilius. Upon entering, he peeked at Rita, and seeing her slight nod, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to Rita, who was one of his own, Lockhart was not as casual. He no longer sat there so loosely but straightened his back with a formal air, full of confusion. "I truly cannot imagine what business you would have with me."
Xenophilius looked somewhat neurotic; he twitched the corners of his mouth, appearing lacking in confidence, his voice carrying a low posture. "I want to arrange a transfer for my daughter to your Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."
Lockhart was stunned. "She is staying here perfectly fine; is there a problem?"
Luna's talent was very suitable for the "Forest Witch" magical route; he had actually wanted to guide this extraordinarily spiritual young witch for a long time.
However, Luna was too young; he felt she should receive more basic magical education at Hogwarts before he guided her on this extra route.
He feared that if he taught her now, Luna might stop listening to the school's curriculum, which would not be a good development plan in modern wizarding society.
Xenophilius scratched his head vigorously, struggling to organize communication he wasn't good at. "Grindelwald supported my magazine and offered a price I couldn't refuse."
Lockhart nodded.
He remembered that The Quibbler was the first to attack the giant bloodline of the current Beauxbatons Headmistress, Olympe Maxime.
"I don't know if I count as one of his people now."
Xenophilius appeared very muddled in this regard. "I worry about when Grindelwald and Dumbledore might have disagreements again...you know, this sort of thing was normal before. Dumbledore might not care, but I worry about the students in the school..."
He thought for a moment and added, "Dumbledore's supporters among the students might ostracize my daughter because of this. She is still too young; she shouldn't have to go through that."
Lockhart understood, only asking with interest, "In that case, why not send her to Durmstrang?"
"How could that be!" Xenophilius's voice rose, his tone becoming somewhat distorted. "My daughter cannot become a Dark Wizard! She is an elf of the human world; she should be the cleanest!"
One could only hope these words would not be sensed by the Seer Grindelwald.
Lockhart was amused but showed nothing. "In that case, you just need to process a normal transfer. I don't think Professor McGonagall will stop you."
At the mention of this, Xenophilius suddenly became hesitant, his back bending much lower. "I heard from my daughter that you actually think highly of her?"
He carefully observed Lockhart's expression. "I heard there are only two lower-year students in the Dueling Club: one is the child of the Weasley family whom you like very much, and the other is Luna. I wonder if you... if you..."
He had no chips to make demands of Lockhart; all he could do was bend his back further, make his tone more respectful, and his posture more humble.
Lockhart looked at him deeply and finally nodded. "I had originally planned to take her under my wing for instruction when she was in her third year, like that Crabbe boy."
Xenophilius's eyes lit up, he was so excited he almost jumped, shouting, "Really?"
"Yes." Lockhart gave an affirmative tone again.
"I...I..." Xenophilius was so happy he became incoherent, gesturing with his hands. Finally, he reached into the pocket of his oversized colorful striped coat and pulled out a fist-sized object wrapped in leather, placing it on the table.
Then he took small steps backward and said respectfully, "I know I have no way to refuse any of Grindelwald's requests now, but I want to say, if there is anything you need me to do, I will do it even if it costs me my life!"
A person who lived a life seen by everyone as unreliable, saying the most sincere words, instead made one truly feel the weight in his speech.
Lockhart comforted him with a smile. "I hear there are many elves and fairies in Beauxbatons Academy of Magic; perhaps Luna will like it there."
(Note: The kind of little fairies from fairy tales, palm-sized; they will be mentioned in detail later.)
Xenophilius laughed, though his smile looked somewhat bitter. He wiped his eyes, his voice choked. "I didn't know, I didn't know that some of my choices would affect lovely Luna. If Rita hadn't reminded me, I really wouldn't have realized... I am very grateful to you, that you are willing to protect this child..."
He finally left, departing somewhat awkwardly.
In this rapidly changing new era, a person like him...who had some influence but was still a small figure...found it hard to control his own fate.
Rita watched his departing back with a sense of shared sorrow.
Of course, she was lucky; she had maintained a good relationship early on when Lockhart had not yet gained power and had sworn her loyalty early.
Her loyalty had brought back incredibly wonderful returns: first, she became the editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, and then she survived the hands of the terrifying Grindelwald.
"Tell me about the situation at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." Lockhart invited Rita to sit.
At the mention of this, Rita's expression became peculiar. "Lockhart, you might not believe it, but that school has a full dozen factions, and there are no clear distinctions between them. Currently, the most influential are mainly three."
"One faction goes by the name of Classical Culture; they control a large number of the internal operating mechanisms of the school."
Lockhart knew this; Madame Audrey Lemay was the representative figure of this faction.
"With influence and power similar to the Classical faction is the Examination faction."
"Examination faction?" Lockhart blinked. What an odd name; he expressed that he didn't quite understand. "What are their characteristics?"
"The power of a teaching model based on a system of examination content regulations issued by the Ministry of Magic's Examination Authority, as well as various professional certification regulations." Rita said it in a very tongue-twisting way; clearly, she couldn't quite understand it either.
"Anyway, the power involved in this faction ranges from the Ministry of Magic to magic school professors, to various social forces. Among these social forces, they are divided into two groups: one is the influential organizations represented by pure-bloods, such as corporations, hospitals, and large organizations; the other is the high-profit institutions of the new money forces, such as factories, dragon reserves, pharmaceutical cultivation bases, and so on."
Understood.
Lockhart realized. "Headmistress Olympe Maxime is the representative figure among them?"
Rita looked very amazed. "How did you know?"
"A giant half-blood, powerful yet rootless like floating duckweed; she is very suitable to become the balancing middle ground for these forces." Lockhart explained casually, not bothered to mention more, only asking, "What about the third faction?"
"The Lockhart Reading Club." Rita's expression became strange.
"What?"
"Beauxbatons has a full dozen 'Lockhart Reading Clubs'; the largest are six, and they are all student groups." Rita marveled. "This student force is something even the professors dare not ignore! And it can be expected that as batches of students graduate, its influence will formally spread to society."
"66!" Lockhart didn't know what to say.
He tapped his fingers on the tabletop, thinking, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Is everything Grindelwald is targeting the so-called 'Examination faction'?"
Rita nodded. "In fact, Grindelwald hasn't targeted anyone specific, but from what I've summarized, I found the Examination faction is the most affected, nearly disintegrated. It has even exceeded the scope of the school; the Ministry of Magic and various organizations of the French wizarding world have been greatly affected."
Interesting.
Lockhart relaxed.
Rita pulled two letters from her handbag; one was particularly bulky and large. She dropped it on the table. "After I escaped death at Grindelwald's hands, the school professors saw hope and wrote a joint letter begging for your help."
As she spoke, she placed the other thin letter in front of Lockhart. "But I would prefer you look at this one."
"It was written to you by Professor Audrey Lemay. She strongly advises against you getting involved in this matter and hopes I can help dissuade you, fearing you will offend Grindelwald because of it. She believes that standing up for those people at this time and becoming an opponent of Grindelwald has no benefit for you."
There were still benefits. After all, he was about to take office as Headmaster.
Thinking of this, Lockhart raised an eyebrow, reached out to pick up both letters, and pulled out the stationery to check.
The content was roughly as Rita had described.
"You tell them..." Lockhart smiled slightly. "I will go to the school to see the specific situation. If the situation is truly critical, I will go to Grindelwald to resolve it."
If the situation is not critical...then he would wait until it is critical to resolve it!