Chapter 297: You Have a Nose Now?
An interesting question...if Lockhart wanted to understand intelligence beyond the school, what would be the best channel?
Thanks to the interpersonal relationships Lockhart maintained, he had many good options.
There were the most authoritative heavyweights, such as Dumbledore and Grindelwald; they could even provide the most profound interpretations of certain situations.
Or there were the elites from all walks of society, such as Rita or Umbridge and others; they could clearly communicate the influence of certain events across various dimensions of society, and which specific powers and groups were affected.
Or those whose circles of life touched deeper fields, such as Lupin, Mundungus, Scamander Jr., and so on; they could most intuitively give the true feelings of certain groups.
But Lockhart actually had a better channel for acquiring news.
That was the department where he held office in the Ministry of Magic...the House-Elf Relocation Office.
Lockhart knew all too well what kind of role this type of magical creature played in the wizarding world; Tutu of the Crabbe family almost controlled the entire family's heritage, and Kreacher of the Black family could, in an extremely short amount of time, help Sirius list a long inventory of age-appropriate marriage candidates.
Such house-elves...
In Lockhart's office, there were fully over a hundred of them!
Among them was Dobby, a house-elf from the ancient and influential pure-blood Malfoy family.
He had been abandoned by Mr. Lucius Malfoy, exchanged at the office for two more traditional and more loyal house-elves. (One male and one female; it was said the female was even pregnant with a young cub.)
Even if Dobby was strictly restricted by the regulations of his former masters and the Ministry of Magic from disclosing any information within the confidentiality clauses of his original master, the Malfoy family, the information he could provide was still more than enough.
There were many such "high-born" house-elves, mainly stemming from the complete extinction of a large number of pure-blood families brought about by the decades of war between Dumbledore and Voldemort.
"The house-elves of Beauxbatons all have beautiful clothes," one house-elf, staring with large eyes, recounted to Lockhart. "But Babibo doesn't like Beauxbatons; it's full of all sorts of rigid rules. My former master said that school is like a grand and magnificent stage play, where even the fish in the lake are playing their own roles."
"Not like real life at all," the elf Babibo recalled the evaluation of its past master.
"Nonsense, it's clearly very free there!" another elf retorted. "As long as everyone keeps the rules, the school doesn't care about anything else. It's the complete opposite of Hogwarts; in Hogwarts, it seems like no one follows the rules, but the school manages everything."
"Interesting."
Lockhart, holding a cup of coffee, listened with great interest to the elves' bickering. "Strictly defined within the rules, but absolutely no taboos outside of them?"
He recalled his memories of Beauxbatons from his previous life; there were actually very few, and the most profound impression was that when the Headmistress appeared, the students all had to stand up to show respect.
Discovering that this Office Director preferred comparisons with Hogwarts, the elves one after another gave their respective information.
"Beauxbatons does not have a Dumbledore; they are deeply influenced by the Ministry of Magic."
"However, no single Ministry of Magic can completely command the school. Decisions made by the French Ministry of Magic are often changed after being implemented for only a short period."
"The Spanish Ministry of Magic and the Portuguese Ministry of Magic are often in contradiction with each other; the Dutch Ministry of Magic is a sucker; the Belgian Ministry of Magic loves to show off but no one respects them; the Luxembourg Ministry of Magic is always nitpicking the school's breakfast and wine usage..."
"Their student body has great influence; sometimes they go against the professors, especially since many students have the powerful backgrounds of pure-blood families and the Ministry of Magic. The professors sometimes have no choice but to make concessions..."
"Nonsense, my former master said those students are ridiculous. The way they act all aggressive and fierce is actually just how the school wants them to act. Just as Babibo's master said, they are like fixed characters in a stage play, performing fixed roles."
"But in reality, they don't have any effect at all!"
"Beauxbatons has no Houses, but students can choose the courses they need based on the 'Reading Clubs' they enter. My master said their teaching is a mess; there are no exams during the school term, and there is only a major exam before graduation. They take the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations a year later than all other magic schools..."
"It sounds very free, but Beauxbatons hasn't produced many famous wizards. Those powerful graduates were all cultivated by their own families, or relied on their own talent to become successful..."
Much of the elves' talk lacked order.
Through an analysis of everyone's jumbled words, Lockhart roughly figured out the characteristics of this school.
Compared to the Board of Governors above the Headmaster at Hogwarts, there were fully four entities exerting influence above the Head of Beauxbatons.
The Board of Governors, the various national Ministries of Magic, the major pure-blood families, and the major wizarding institutions.
This was bad news, because the Head had to accept too many "suggestions."
This was also good news, because with so many suggestions...often contradicting each other...the Head was able to fight for their own space.
Excessive constraints and rules, excessive freedom and laxity; too much friction simultaneously brought too many resources.
Combined with Lockhart's understanding of Grindelwald, he instantly guessed which parts were being purged.
This ancient, old-fashioned, and palatial magic school was too deeply intertwined; it indeed needed a giant fist to smash it to smithereens, and then a powerful figure dispatched there to reintegrate it.
However, there is a limit to everything.
What Grindelwald hoped for was not necessarily what Lockhart hoped for.
He did not want to find the school already in "Grindelwald's shape" when he went to take over.
"Elves~"
Lockhart clapped his hands and looked at them with a smile. "I need you to help me look into something..."
He narrowed his eyes. "I want to know the list of Beauxbatons faculty and staff, as well as which ones have a 'Saints' background."
This matter was best left to the elves.
It was far too easy for them to obtain intelligence in this regard, and no one would notice them.
"Leave it to us, Mr. Lockhart, we guarantee the mission will be completed!" The elf Babibo thumped its thin chest forcefully; eager to prove itself, it looked as if it was about to teleport through space to Beauxbatons immediately to scout for news.
Suddenly, the other house-elves also became anxious, making their pledges one after another.
"No rush, no rush."
Lockhart waved his hand, signaling them to quiet down again. "I came here today not only for Beauxbatons Academy of Magic... there is also a very interesting matter I want to discuss with you."
While he called it a discussion, it was more a case of him speaking and the elves listening.
"I have invented a spell, a contract magic based on 'Protection Magic' and 'Blood Relative Magic' as its core, named 'Depending on Each Other for Life'."
"I think it fits the relationship between wizards and house-elves perfectly, constructing a more harmonious growth space for each other."
The faces of some well-traveled house-elves turned pale.
With the ever-changing wizarding society, elves had moved from "labor in exchange for food" to "household helpers" to "household stewards," and now there was a trend toward becoming "household servants" step by step.
And contract magic aimed at servants likely represented more restrictions and means of punishment.
They were all afraid.
"Listen clearly." Lockhart raised a finger with a smile. "The keyword is growth space!"
"This spell will help you become more powerful, better suited to the progress of modern wizarding development, and provide more biological nature...to be precise, to be more 'wizard-like'."
His voice was full of temptation.
"Some of you are here because wizards lost their castles, and there was no environment there for you to rely on for survival..."
"Some were abandoned by their original masters because they didn't need you so much anymore..."
"Some even made mistakes because you find it difficult to understand the way human wizards think, to the point that you always make misplaced decisions..."
"The spell 'Depending on Each Other for Life' can perfectly solve this problem."
"It can allow house-elves and wizards to grow together, making the way both sides get along more like family, rather than master and servant..."
Lockhart waved his wand to demonstrate the spell; the friendly aura burst forth from that magic was something these homeless house-elves craved so much that many of their eyes lit up.
Many wizards subconsciously looked down on these house-elves, even lumping them together with other magical creatures.
But in fact, too many elves had lived and passed down through generations in wizarding families; some of them even knew more than many wizards and understood wizards better.
Naturally, they could understand the beautiful future Lockhart described.
"During the summer vacation, I will begin this magical research to improve this spell, making it more compatible for wizards and house-elves."
"No one understands better than I do how important the existence of house-elves is to wizards!"
"No one understands this spell better than I do!"
"I will select several from among you as experimental assistants, letting you join this great experiment."
As for who to choose, that naturally depended on performance.
Or rather, he intended to select a few from these hundred-odd house-elves to serve as their leaders.
In order to manage this extremely powerful force that others ignored.
Wait until the excited house-elves, howling and shouting "For Lockhart!", teleported away, the vengeful fairy...who was responsible for helping Lockhart manage these elves...suddenly spoke up to ask a question.
"Is it the 'Wizarding Life'?"
"You said before, a more magical wizarding life; I suppose house-elves are an important link?"
Lockhart looked at her in amazement. "You have actually begun to understand and think about this point?"
The vengeful fairy (unjustly killed fairy) smiled somewhat shyly.
"Yes, Wizarding Life!" Lockhart looked at her with great emotion. "I didn't expect you would be the one who understands me best."
The vengeful fairy looked up at him seriously and suddenly said with great solemnity, "I will help you manage these house-elves well!"
She had watched how Lockhart transformed step by step from a weak wizard into a master of magic, and she knew all too well how thin Lockhart's foundation actually was.
The influence of an internationally renowned author was somewhat superficial; the members in the Ravenclaw Alumni Association were not that loyal; the apprentices in the Dueling Club had great potential but had not yet grown up.
Now, this team of house-elves in his hands would be a significant force, becoming the most important cornerstone for this man to step onto the throne.
In fact.
She overlooked one point.
Lockhart's most precious force was actually these Dark magical creatures, including her.
The vengeful fairy, the little Goldie, the Boggart, the Sack-head...
Because of "Wizarding Life" and "Fairy Tale Adventures," they all had gradually begun to show "biological" manifestations.
Slowly, they were no longer just ordinary magical creatures.
Like this, every one of them would be an existence that could not be ignored in the future.
Soon, information was constantly being aggregated toward the vengeful fairy.
Although she was stationed in the Elf Office of the Ministry of Magic, she could easily come to the Hogwarts office through the magic door on the Ghost Ship and deliver the intelligence directly to Lockhart.
Even Grindelwald, who was focusing his attention on Beauxbatons, did not detect this intelligence reconnaissance.
Lockhart even received a gift.
...A gift from the house-elves of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for him, their future Headmaster...a wizard's pointed hat made from beautiful feathers they had collected by hand.
Lockhart's influence among the house-elf community was rapidly expanding.
Part of this intelligence he would also share with Snape and Lupin, so they could better adapt to the future life at the school.
During this period of the end of term, without realizing it, the three of them often gathered in Lockhart's office.
Snape even brought his cauldron here.
"What on earth are you making?"
On this day, the cauldron emitted a foul, choking yellow smoke; that stifling stench seemed capable of triggering an outburst of suppressed emotions deep within the heart. Lockhart finally couldn't help but ask the question.
"Affinity Potion." Snape thought of a name for his newly invented potion on the fly. Seeing both him and Lupin look over curiously, he explained casually, "It can make people produce the most beautiful first impression. Interestingly, the first impression itself has a unique, constant memory."
"Prepared for going to Beauxbatons?" Lockhart immediately thought of the use.
Snape nodded. "It is a spray; I will prepare a bottle for each of you two."
Old Snape is always so reliable.
Lockhart clicked his tongue in approval.
Lupin, however, gave Snape a long look and smiled gently. "It seems you have begun to try moving toward a new life."
"Yes." Snape no longer minded such topics and answered very naturally, "Lupin, perhaps you should also try living for yourself."
Lupin was silent for a while, somewhat not knowing how to answer.
It wasn't that he was troubled over whether or not to live for himself, but rather that he simply didn't know what "living for oneself" meant.
He was already working very hard, exerting great effort to stay alive.
He didn't know what else he could do.
Snape previously didn't want to do it but now had seen through it; he, on the other hand, simply didn't know how to do it.
Lockhart didn't say much from the side, but was especially curious about Snape's pot of potion.
He walked over, drew his wand and flicked it, carefully sensing the surging magical aura inside.
"Blood Relative Magic?"
He looked at Snape with full curiosity.
The combination of the magical paths of spells and potions...this was already a profound field he was completely unable to touch.
The corners of Snape's mouth curled up slightly, very proud.
"Not just Blood Relative Magic; it explores the boundaries between people, as well as self-expression..."
Before his words were finished, his eyes suddenly widened.
Not just him, Lupin also gave a cry of surprise and jumped up abruptly, nimbly drawing his wand from his wizard robe pocket.
Because...
Following the wave of Lockhart's wand, a translucent, slightly shimmering silver-white figure emerged from the tip of his wand.
Amidst a wisp of mist-like smoke, a figure arrived beside them.
Voldemort!
"Tom?" Lockhart blinked.
Voldemort glanced around at them and casually raised a pale finger; the parchment on the desk floated up, and the ink in the inkwell was drawn into mid-air like a waterspout, automatically outlining patterns and printing text onto the parchment.
"The potion notes I promised you; I have completed a small portion."
As he spoke, he no longer paid attention to the parchment still being printed, but turned to look at the cauldron, raising an eyebrow. "An interesting potion, Severus."
Snape gripped the wand in his hand tightly, looking at him in disbelief. "You..."
His voice was dry and hoarse. "How are you able to come out?"
Voldemort smiled slightly, elegantly gesturing toward the potion in the cauldron. "Blood Relative Magic, but not just Blood Relative Magic; it is the boundaries between people, as well as self-expression..."
Oh~
Lockhart realized.
He remembered there was such a passage in the original book; when Voldemort was in a magical duel with Harry Potter, Harry's parents emerged from Harry's wand, seemingly relying on the power of Blood Relative Magic.
That was an accident Harry Potter could not control.
But for Voldemort, it was clearly just a certain unique technique.
Of course, Lockhart's focus was not here; he stared at the Voldemort beside him with full curiosity and let out an exclamation of wonder.
"Tom, you have a nose now?"
"!!!"
Voldemort's elegant posture couldn't quite hold; the corner of his eye twitched visibly to the naked eye.