Lockhart’s End

"Come to think of it, why did you go to Professor Flitwick?"

Bernard had noticed a new problem.

"What’s so strange about that? Isn’t Adam also taking extra lessons from Professor Flitwick?"

Uther raised an eyebrow.

"I found out that Professor Flitwick was once a duelling champion, so I asked him for guidance on that subject."

Eugene looked at Uther.

"You’re interested in the Duelling Competition?"

"Mhm~"

"The Duelling Competition?"

Bernard fell into thought.

However, they had no more mind to discuss the Duelling Competition. At Lockhart’s signal, a group of dwarves dressed as Cupid Dwarves entered the Great Hall.

How should one put it… There was nothing wrong with the outfits themselves, but dwarves resembled Mandrakes after they had grown up and burst from the earth. The result could only be described as intensely unpleasant to the eyes.

"Welcome our friendly little Cupids, bearing cards!"

Lockhart applauded the dwarves. Yet he seemed to be the only one in the whole Great Hall who was happy about it. Still, Lockhart did not seem to care.

"They’ll be wandering around the school today, delivering your Valentine’s cards! And that’s not all—I’m sure my colleagues would be more than willing to enthusiastically join in!"

Lockhart gave everyone a sly wink.

"Why not ask Professor Snape to teach you how to brew a love potion?"

Adam could not help looking at Professor Snape.

Professor, can you really put up with that?

Professor Snape’s expression had never looked worse. Even when he had drawn Harry in the lottery, he had not looked this bad. If anyone truly dared to ask him, they would probably be thrown straight into a cauldron.

Lockhart’s dangerous remarks were not over yet.

"If you’re interested, I’m sure Professor Flitwick is better at illusion magic than any wizard—oh, that sly old fellow~"

Adam glanced at Professor Flitwick again. The esteemed yet thin-skinned Ravenclaw Head of House looked as though he was about to shatter…

Lockhart smacked his lips with lingering regret and did not continue.

In truth, his original plan had gone further than this. Seeing Adam turn a festival none of them had ever heard of into such a lively affair and draw the entire school’s attention to himself, Lockhart had naturally considered him as well.

But after thinking it over, Adam did not seem any worse than he was at this sort of thing. What if Adam turned around and stole everyone’s attention instead…?

So in the end, Lockhart gave up on that tempting idea.

Unfortunately, Lockhart might have spared Adam, but Adam had no intention of sparing him.

During their morning class, dwarves kept barging into Greenhouse Two, using their grating voices to recite or sing love letters addressed to someone in the classroom, accompanied by horribly out-of-tune harp performances.

Though Adam had felt miserable at the time, he had to admit that there was a certain amount of schadenfreude mixed in—especially since one of the victims was Uther. That was, until it was his own turn…

After class, Adam walked up to the girl who had nearly turned to stone because she had not expected the dwarves to deliver her love letter in such a manner. He gently rejected her confession, then grabbed the Wand of Darkness and charged toward Lockhart’s office.

"Count me in!"

Uther pulled out his wand expressionlessly.

Of course, how could Adam possibly do something so awful as directly attacking a professor or casting a spell at one?

Naturally, Uther would not do anything so impulsive either.

"Calm down, Adam!"

Bernard clung tightly to Adam’s waist.

"Let me go! I’m going to kill him—aaahhh—"

"Uther, snap out of it! Murder is illegal!"

Klon wrapped an arm around Uther’s neck and dragged him backward.

"Not afraid! My dad’s the Minister for Magic too!"

Eugene silently walked behind the four of them, spread his arms, and pounced—at last, the world was quiet.

After calming down, Adam had to admit that if Lockhart remained at Hogwarts, there was no telling what that man might do. Such a hidden danger had to be removed as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the professors had long known that he had dealt with the Chamber’s basilisk. Otherwise, if Lockhart had accidentally been eaten by the basilisk, it could only be said that he had bad luck…

Eh? Back then, he did not seem to have promised Professor Dumbledore that he would not harm professors… Ah, forget it. Lockhart was not worth going that far for.

Better get writing.

"On this night, Gilderoy Lockhart welcomed the most terrifying day of his life…"

Driven by a desire to do it personally, Adam did not use the Quick-Quotes Quill. Instead, he personally wrote the ending of Lockhart’s life.

When the Nun Ghost came to his door again, Lockhart was panicked, but not quite as panicked as before.

He had already realized that no matter what hallucination he saw, it was only a hallucination. Even if he closed his eyes and could still see it, that did not change the fact that hallucinations could not hurt him.

"Hey! Crazy woman, come here!"

Not only did Lockhart fail to hide, he even worked up the courage to reach out and provoke the Nun Ghost.

The Nun Ghost smiled, opened her mouth wide, and bit down—

Crack—

Lockhart stared blankly for several seconds at his missing finger before terror instantly engulfed him.

Why was she not following the script this time?!

"AAAAAHHHHH—"

Pain and fear sent Lockhart rushing out of his office. The Nun Ghost watched his retreating figure with a faint smile, then slowly followed him out the door.

Lockhart fled from his office at full speed. Yet the corridor, usually only a dozen feet long, somehow seemed to stretch on forever.

With his strength nearly exhausted, Lockhart could not help looking back. The Nun Ghost was standing not far from him—and beside her was unmistakably the door to his office… When she saw him turn around, the Nun Ghost walked toward him step by step and opened her mouth wide.

"AAAAAHHHHH—!!!!"

"I must inform everyone of some unfortunate news."

Before dinner one day after the Lantern Festival, Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the teachers’ table and spoke solemnly.

"Yesterday, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, turned himself in to the Ministry of Magic for the vile act of casting Memory Charms on several wizards, stealing their experiences, and writing them into novels."

The Great Hall immediately erupted into murmurs.

"Today—"

Only when Professor Dumbledore spoke again did the Great Hall fall silent.

"He was taken away by the Ministry of Magic. Azkaban will be his home for the rest of his life."

There was a trace of sorrow in Professor Dumbledore’s eyes as he looked over every student below.

"I hope everyone will take this as a warning and treat Lockhart’s story as a lesson. I hope you will never become someone like him."

"Besides that, your upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons will, as before, be taught by the four Heads of House in turn, so there is no need to worry about your exams—that is all I have to say."

After dinner, Professor McGonagall found Adam.

"Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you in the Headmaster’s Office."