The mysterious runes from earlier—if Lockhart wasn't mistaken—seemed to be unique Asgardian runes. They also formed the foundation of their enchanted artifacts.
Upon seeing them, Lockhart's heart surged with excitement. He immediately pulled out a floating notebook and quill, just about to copy down the runes—when they vanished.
Still, Lockhart wasn't frustrated. He cast the Revelio Charm ten more times to make Mjölnir and the runes reappear, quickly copying them during the brief moments they remained visible.
These were the runes used to forge Mjölnir. Even though he didn't yet understand their meaning, he could estimate their value. If these appeared in the Wizarding World, they'd cause a massive stir.
Even with his limited knowledge, he could already tell they were vastly different from the ancient runes taught at Hogwarts. In fact, they seemed to belong to an entirely different system of magic. Even someone like Dumbledore would be deeply curious.
After all, this could represent a completely new path in magical development.
Although the runes disappeared again before he could finish, Lockhart persisted, cycling between casting Revelio and copying until his notes were complete.
Looking at the densely packed runes on the pages, Lockhart's eyes sparkled with delight. While he didn't yet grasp their full meaning, he could begin experimenting with their effects through magical etching. Of course, it would be even better if someone could actually explain them to him.
That thought brought Thor's bulky figure to mind. Lockhart shook his head—Thor didn't strike him as someone well-versed in runes. Now Loki, on the other hand... that guy looked like a proper wizard.
Thor, though? Every bit the reckless warrior. And when warriors try to study... Lockhart couldn't help but chuckle.
Before he could think further, voices of complaint rang out around him:
"Who are you people? Why are you kicking us out?"
"Yeah, this is a public area—what gives?"
"Sorry, FBI. This is a matter of national security. Please clear the area."
Lockhart looked up at the approaching Muggles in uniform—especially the slightly bald, suited, mildly pudgy white man leading them.
He sighed. He'd wanted to continue studying the runes on Mjölnir, but now he was face-to-face with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. If he wasn't mistaken, the man in charge was none other than the Marvel universe's so-called "Tutorial Village Chief" — Agent Coulson.
But Lockhart didn't panic. He could study Mjölnir anytime. One Disillusionment Charm later and—just like Loki in the original storyline—no one could detect him.
With a thought, Lockhart turned and blended into the crowd, canceling the charm as he walked.
"Hey! You there! Stop!"
Lockhart, walking calmly, heard the voice behind him and instinctively gripped the wand hidden in his sleeve. Turning with a look of confusion, he asked the approaching Coulson:
"Sir, is there something I can help you with?"
Coulson narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He didn't remember seeing this man earlier—and with a face that handsome, he definitely would've noticed.
Still, not wanting to take any chances, Coulson asked, "Hello, FBI agent. May I see your credentials, please?"
Without hesitation, Lockhart pulled out his enchanted pouch. Opening it, he handed the ID to Coulson with a calm smile.
"Of course, sir. Here you go. If everything's in order, I'll be on my way."
Coulson examined the ID and found nothing amiss. He had another agent run the number through their system—still nothing wrong.
Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. With no evidence, he simply memorized the name on the card.
Gilderoy Lockhart.
Murmuring the name to himself, Coulson returned the pouch with a polite smile.
"All set, sir. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Lockhart casually took back the pouch and walked away.
Whew...
Once he was a good distance away, Lockhart let out a quiet breath.
Earlier, he'd secretly cast a wide-range Confundus Charm.
The pouch he'd bought already had a built-in enchantment that tricked nearby people into seeing whatever credentials they expected. No matter how blank or fake the card really was, anyone who looked at it would believe it was real.
But… when Coulson had that agent run it through a scanner, Lockhart's heart nearly skipped a beat. The built-in charm only fooled visual inspection—even screens—but not audio.
Because the pouch's creator hadn't accounted for sound. The Wizarding World's tech wasn't advanced—people just looked at documents. So the charm only scrambled visuals.
Even a blank card would appear legitimate—visually.
To be safe, Lockhart had added a secondary Confundus Charm to interfere with any voice output—things like "invalid identity" or "no match."
Luckily, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scanners didn't use sound. Even so, Lockhart decided that once he returned to the Wizarding World, he'd commission a better pouch—one that could confuse both visuals and audio.
The tech in the Marvel world was far more advanced than he was used to. He had to be careful.
---
The Next Day
"Professor Lockhart, we'll be in town for the next month. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on us."
Standing in the living room, Erik spoke gently to Gilderoy Lockhart, who held a small suitcase.
"Yeah, Professor! Be sure to come visit us sometime," Jane added cheerfully.
"Don't forget about us!" Darcy chimed in with a grin.
"I won't," Lockhart said warmly. "We're not far from each other. You're welcome at my place anytime. I'll be staying around for a while. If anything happens, just let me know."
With that, he smiled at Erik, Thor, and the others, then turned and walked off toward the house he'd rented.
He'd visited it with a realtor the day before. The place had a decent environment, so he signed the lease. That evening, he'd told Erik and the others, leading to this morning's farewell.
Erik watched Lockhart's figure disappear into the distance, his eyes reflecting a hint of envy.
Magic. Supernatural power. Just spending a few days with Lockhart had opened his eyes to wonders he never imagined—levitating objects with a flick, automating daily tasks—it was all beyond belief.
Then... his gaze shifted to Thor, who was whispering to Jane. Erik sighed.
After spending time together, everyone had come to understand Thor's true identity: the son of Odin, the God of Thunder.
At first, they thought it was a joke. But Thor insisted—and spoke in such detail about Asgard. And more importantly, they already had a real-life wizard among them.
That shattered their worldview. Slowly, they began to believe him.
And now, Erik noticed how close Thor and Jane had become—especially when they talked about the stars. They were practically inseparable.
With all his years of life experience, Erik couldn't help but sigh again.
A god falling in love with a mortal… In myth, how many mortals ever found happiness in that?
One lives for thousands of years. The other barely gets a century.
What good could possibly come of it?