Chapter 189: Lockhart's Wild Ambitions
On the first day of exam week, Ethan was eating breakfast when he saw Professor McGonagall walk into the Great Hall and announce some news at the staff table.
"I've received notice from Headmaster Dumbledore. The Defense Against the Dark Arts exams for all years this week are canceled."
That single sentence set off a chorus of cheers, mixed with scattered complaints.
Everyone in Ethan's dormitory, including himself, breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Draco and the others started cheering, celebrating that they wouldn't have to take the boring subject. All that memorization had been giving them headaches.
The complaints woven through the cheers came mainly from the Ravenclaw table. Of course, a handful of students from other houses grumbled as well, Hermione among them.
For a course where the exam content had been so uncertain, they'd spent hours studying, determined to earn good marks, only to be told at the last minute that the test was off. It was hard not to feel a little resentful.
"Why cancel the exam so suddenly?" After the cheers and complaints died down, people began to wonder why this particular exam had been scrapped.
Whether she'd heard the question or simply didn't want to answer, Professor McGonagall pushed through the crowd and left the Great Hall.
*She probably doesn't want to answer that.* *After all, a professor being arrested for a crime isn't exactly something to be proud of.* *Besides, Lockhart hasn't been officially arrested yet.*
Ethan watched Professor McGonagall walk away, lost in thought.
Professor McGonagall couldn't care less what these students thought. She had many things to do today.
Besides arranging and proctoring the Transfiguration exam, she also had to consider whether to adjust the times of other exams after suddenly canceling one.
On top of that, Dumbledore had sent her a new message that morning, asking her to come to the Headmaster's office after she delivered the news.
People from the Ministry of Magic would be arriving at the school gates at eight o'clock. Dumbledore was already out there waiting. But she would still have to go and discuss the Lockhart situation later.
*Hope this won't delay today's Transfiguration exam.* With that in mind, she quickened her pace.
Professor McGonagall left. The Great Hall buzzed with the sudden news as students tried to figure out what it all meant, especially the fourth-years who were supposed to have their exams today.
"Did something happen to Professor Lockhart? Why so sudden?"
"Someone must've seen through Lockhart's bragging. He's probably running for it now!"
From across the hall, Ethan could hear Fred's excited, high-pitched voice.
"So fast? Couldn't he at least wait until after exams?" Ethan wasn't sure what to think either. But missing this exam was going to give him a headache, and he couldn't help feeling pleased about it.
"Headmaster?" Just as Ethan finished breakfast and headed back to the dormitory to prepare for his exam, he ran into Dumbledore in the Entrance Hall, accompanied by two adult wizards he had never seen before.
One of them walked alongside Dumbledore with a broad smile on his face.
This wizard wore gold-rimmed glasses, behind which sat a pair of sharp yellow eyes. His tawny hair and bushy eyebrows were streaked with gray, giving him the look of an old lion.
Though one of his legs was slightly lame, he walked with elegant confidence.
The other wizard, a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes, clearly held a lower rank. He trailed behind the two men without a word, merely glancing around the Entrance Hall with an occasional nostalgic expression. He must have been a Hogwarts graduate as well.
Dumbledore heard Ethan's quiet greeting, turned his head, and gave a gentle nod, fully intending to continue leading the two men toward the Great Hall. Apparently, he had no intention of introducing them to Ethan.
But the man walking beside him thought otherwise.
The tawny-haired wizard extended a hand. "A member of the Shafiq family, I presume? I read your report in the Daily Prophet. I am Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office."
"Ethan Jones," he replied, suddenly recalling who this was. This leonine-looking wizard was the man who would take over as Minister for Magic after Fudge stepped down.
"What do you say? Any interest in coming to work at the Ministry of Magic after graduation? Becoming an Auror?"
Dumbledore smiled. "He's only in his second year. Still too early to think about graduation."
"As the Headmaster says, I'm still uncertain what I want to do after graduation. It's a bit early for me." Ethan followed Dumbledore's lead.
"Only in his second year? That is indeed a bit young. But you can keep Auror as an option for now."
"After graduating, your father once considered becoming an Auror and serving in the department."
But unfortunately, he later gave up on that idea for various reasons.
"So I do hope you'll fulfill his unfulfilled wish." Scrimgeour gave Ethan an appraising look and patted his shoulder.
"I'll think about it."
If Scrimgeour hadn't told him, Ethan would never have known that Ralph had once considered becoming an Auror.
This was the first time Ethan had heard about Ralph's past ambitions.
When he'd spoken with his late grandparents, he hadn't heard about this either. He didn't know whether Ralph had never told them, or if portraits simply didn't have those memories.
Dumbledore said nothing. After giving Ethan a knowing look, he led the two of them into the Great Hall.
"It's been a long time since I've eaten at a school. I really miss my school days!"
Even as Ethan descended the stairs, he could still hear Scrimgeour's voice behind him.
"Looks like Lockhart's finished. The Head of the Auror Office came to the school personally to make the arrest. He won't escape this time. I just don't know what specific charges Dumbledore pinned on Lockhart in his letter to them."
When it came to the law, the wizarding world and the Muggle world were vastly different.
As for Lockhart's actions, in a Muggle court, the charges would include assault and theft, among others.
But in the wizarding world, Ethan wasn't entirely sure those charges would even apply.
Wizards had many strange laws, like the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which barred underage wizards from casting spells outside school, and the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, which kept the magical world hidden from Muggles.
But when it came to Lockhart's behavior, causing near-permanent memory damage with Memory Charms and stealing other people's stories to pass off as his own, there didn't seem to be any specific laws against it.
After all, the Memory Charm wasn't like the three Unforgivable Curses, which were strictly forbidden. Anyone caught using them would end up in Azkaban.
Besides, in the wizarding world, injuries were simply too common. Wizarding medicine was extraordinary, and most injuries could be healed.
Unless someone actually lost their life, Ethan had never heard of anyone being sent to Azkaban for assault.
As for calling Lockhart a dark wizard, that didn't hold up either. Lockhart, whose abilities had deteriorated to the point that he basically only knew the one Memory Charm, couldn't hold a candle to a real dark wizard.
If he were being punished for theft, there might at least be some grounds for that. But that was hard to say either way. After all, that short wizard in the Order of the Phoenix who was always stealing other people's property didn't seem to have been sent to Azkaban for it either.
*Besides, whether stealing someone's memories even counts as theft is hard to say.* Ethan ran through all the charges he could think of. He felt that even if Lockhart were caught, he probably wouldn't be locked up for long, unless there was something he hadn't considered.
*Hope the trial gets pushed back a bit. Wonder if I can join in on the fun then.* Although he figured the odds weren't great, Ethan genuinely wanted to hear what charges the Wizengamot would bring against Lockhart.
Meanwhile, Lockhart, who had just received the news, rushed straight to Professor McGonagall's office.
He burst through the door, demanding answers.
"Professor McGonagall! Why did you cancel my exam? And I was the last one to hear about this! If it weren't for a student telling me, I'd still be sitting there waiting for students to show up!"
Lockhart was waving a stack of exam papers as he spoke. He had completely lost his usual composure.
"This is Dumbledore's decision. I'm on my way to his office now. Do you want to come with me to ask him?"
She hadn't expected Lockhart to seek her out in person. Professor McGonagall appeared composed, but she was secretly rather pleased.
"Just concerned about the school's reputation, really. Trying to minimize the impact of this whole situation."
"If he comes with us to the Headmaster's office, we can sort it out directly. The impact should be minimal."
"This..." Lockhart hesitated. For the past few days, ever since Dumbledore had seen the exam questions he'd written, the Headmaster's expression hadn't been pleasant. So when he heard it was a summons from the old man, he couldn't help feeling apprehensive.
"If you're not coming, I'll be on my way. Professor Dumbledore should be waiting for me." Professor McGonagall adjusted her robes slightly, effectively dismissing Lockhart.
"Fine, I'll come along. I want to ask the Headmaster why he canceled my exam." Lockhart thought it over and finally braced himself.
This exam was the final project he had carefully prepared for the entire school year. It was meant to be the perfect closing chapter for his upcoming new book.
He had essentially outlined this new autobiography in his mind. As the first book drawn entirely from his own personal experiences, Lockhart prized it highly.
When he wrote the exam a few days earlier, he had already worked out how the book's ending should unfold, showcasing both his accomplishments and his students' adoration:
[After the exam ended, I worked through the night grading papers, and I gave every student high marks.
This wasn't because I was too soft-hearted to bear the thought of failing them. No, it was simply because they loved their professor far too much. So much so that, aside from a handful of questions, hardly anyone got anything wrong.
After submitting the grades to Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, I wandered the school grounds, taking in every blade of grass and every tree, for I was about to leave this historic institution.
On the final day of term, after the grades were announced, I stood before all my students, thrilled by their results, and regretfully announced my impending resignation.
And the students of Hogwarts, led by Harry Potter himself, cried out that they couldn't bear to see their beloved professor go.]
"Don't leave us, Professor Lockhart! We love you. You're the only professor we want!" Harry Potter declared.
"Yes, Professor Lockhart! You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we've had in years!" Ethan Jones, heir to the Shafiq family and creator of the Wizarding Cards, was equally reluctant to see me go.
"Don't go!" sobbed Hermione Granger, the top student of the second year.
Other students also expressed reluctance and begged me to stay.
Faced with their reluctance, I loved these students deeply too and had to bear my own grief. With my voice somewhat hoarse, I said,
"In truth, I am just as reluctant to leave you. But I, Gilderoy Lockhart, am not just Hogwarts Professor Lockhart. I am the powerful and heroic Lockhart, the very savior of the wizarding world."
"There are still so many suffering people everywhere. I must travel the world to save them from peril."
"Therefore, I have to leave Hogwarts, continue my world tour, and save more people."
As they listened to his words, the students' eyes welled with tears. Though they were still reluctant, they respected their beloved professor's ideals and ambitions.
They had to bear the pain of his departure.
...
Finally, after a grand farewell banquet, he, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award, and most popular Hogwarts professor, embarked on his journey once more, continuing his legendary adventures.
Thinking of this predetermined ending, Lockhart wore a satisfied smile.
And if he missed this exam, without his classmates' reactions to build up to the climax, the ending he'd imagined would have been far less impactful.
So, for his new book, he decided to negotiate with Dumbledore properly.
The two of them climbed the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office. It was empty. Dumbledore hadn't returned yet.
Sitting on the sofa in this somewhat familiar office, Lockhart suddenly conceived another wild ambition.
*If I don't leave, could I become Hogwarts Headmaster? If this wish actually comes true, would it boost my reputation even further?*
*And if, pushing further still, I become Wizengamot Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards?*
*Would my reputation be as great as Dumbledore's, making me a household name?*
Just imagining himself with such prestigious titles and the adulation and applause he might receive, Lockhart couldn't contain his excitement, pacing back and forth across the office.
Even now he wanted to sit behind that long desk, feeling like a Headmaster.
What Lockhart didn't realize was how obsessed he had become with this wild fantasy. He didn't just imagine it. He actually did it, walking behind the desk even while Professor McGonagall was present.
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