Chapter 191: Witnesses and the Victims Alliance
That night, Ethan went to the Headmaster's office, but this time his sole purpose was the Armenian wizard.
In truth, Ethan had always wanted to meet the old wizard Vartan Ohajian. He was eager to learn the incredibly complex Homorphus Charm that Lockhart had mentioned, the one that could restore werewolves to human form.
But when he'd asked Cyril about it before, Cyril had said the old wizard was still undergoing treatment and hadn't fully recovered his memory, so Ethan had continued to wait.
Now, the time was right. At the very least, Ohajian could appear in court to testify about Lockhart's actions.
So after watching Lockhart being taken away that morning, Ethan had immediately written home to ask Cyril about it.
Cyril's reply arrived at Hogwarts during dinner.
Cyril said he wasn't entirely sure about the situation. He'd been busy lately, finding reliable suppliers for magical supplies and recruiting Egyptian wizards to escort the group on their summer trip to Egypt.
He suggested Ethan go directly to Dumbledore for details. Dumbledore had been handling everything regarding their old friends recently.
And so here Ethan was.
Upon entering, Ethan took in the Headmaster's office, comparing it to his memory of the place and searching for any changes. Specifically, he was looking for signs that Lockhart might have put up a fight.
Unfortunately, after looking over the furnishings throughout the office, he found that aside from some documents and books that had been moved, everything was essentially unchanged since his last visit.
"What are you looking at?" Dumbledore asked, unable to contain his curiosity. Ethan had entered without a word and simply stood there, looking around, lost in thought.
"Uh, I wanted to see if Lockhart put up a fight when he was captured. I mean, the Headmaster's office shows no sign of a struggle. Was it restored to its usual appearance with Reparo?"
"Resistance?" The old man couldn't help but laugh.
Even the portraits on the wall joined in the laughter, one by one, when they heard Ethan's question.
Perhaps because they were both Slytherins, Phineas was the first to answer Ethan's question after the laughter died down.
"That coward Lockhart could barely string a sentence together when he saw the two Aurors.
"But the Head of the Auror Office really knows what he's doing. He stepped forward and grabbed Lockhart's right hand under the pretense of a handshake, preventing him from drawing his wand."
Phineas didn't just tell the story. He went over to Armando's frame and convinced him to help reenact the scene for Ethan.
Several of the headmasters were happy to watch the fun, crowding around as Phineas acted it out.
"...And just like that, Lockhart's wand was easily confiscated. He collapsed to the floor, and they waited until he recovered a bit before the two took him away."
"All right, all right, the show's gone on long enough. You can stop now, right?" Armando, who had been playing Lockhart, looked at his rumpled clothes and gestured for Phineas to stop.
"I'm so glad this man who ruined the school's reputation was finally caught." Phineas apologized as he helped tidy up.
"Oh? Lockhart was caught so easily? What about his Memory Charm? He didn't even get a spell off." Despite Phineas's theatrical display, Ethan regretted that Lockhart hadn't put up more of a fight.
"Just him? As if he even has the ability," Phineas said disdainfully.
"All right, let's leave it at that regarding Lockhart's arrest." Dumbledore waved at the portraits, signaling an end to the discussion.
The old man turned to face him. "Ethan, you've come at just the right time. There's something I need to discuss with you."
"I'd originally planned to ask for your opinion after your exams, but since you're here now, I'll ask you now."
"What about?"
"It's actually still about Lockhart." Dumbledore gestured for Ethan to sit, his voice gentle. "Although Lockhart is being temporarily detained, he'll still need to stand trial to be formally convicted."
"You know, all of Lockhart's experiences are fake, stolen through dishonorable means. So our primary goal is to expose his true colors first."
"Besides the two victims we already have, we need to prepare more thoroughly. I plan to find a few students from Hogwarts to provide corroborating evidence.
"I'm thinking three to five people.
"So far, I've confirmed two candidates: Harry, whose bones Lockhart removed under the guise of treatment, and you, who defeated him in a duel.
"What do you think? Would you be able to come to the Ministry of Magic with me next week after your exams to participate in Lockhart's Wizengamot trial?"
"Next week? Sure, no problem." This suited Ethan perfectly. He really wanted to see what sentence the Wizengamot and Ministry of Magic would hand down to Lockhart, to see him thrown into Azkaban.
Although participating in the trial this way wasn't quite what he'd imagined, at least it fulfilled his wish, didn't it?
"Good. The trial date is tentatively set for next Monday. I'll put your name on the visitor list. When the time comes, I'll take you with me to the Ministry of Magic." Dumbledore stroked his beard.
Ethan asked, "When I'm there as a witness, can I sit in on the proceedings, or do I have to wait outside and only come in when called?"
"Normally, witnesses have to wait until they're called to testify before entering the courtroom, but sitting in on the proceedings shouldn't be a problem." The old man thought for a moment, reasoning that having a few students corroborate the evidence wouldn't really be an issue. Watching from the gallery was harmless enough.
"That's great. It'll be my first time watching a wizard trial." Ethan grinned.
Dumbledore's business was taken care of. Now it was Ethan's turn.
"Headmaster, I came to ask where Vartan Ohajian is now. I wrote to Grandpa, and he said you took care of it."
"Why do you suddenly want to know where he is? Is something wrong?" Dumbledore asked, somewhat surprised that Ethan would ask about the Armenian wizard, one of the victims.
"I want to know how he's recovering, especially about the Homorphus Charm he invented for werewolves. Ever since I found out Lockhart stole his story, I've been asking Grandpa about his condition. I'm really curious about this spell."
"After all, in the wizarding world, besides Wolfsbane Potion, there are several other potions that can keep werewolves from transforming, but they're unreliable and must be taken in advance."
"This spell, though, can force a werewolf back to normal during a transformation. I can't think of any other spell with similar effects."
Ethan briefly explained why he'd been interested in Ohajian since before the school year started.
"Lockhart wrote about the existence and function of this spell in his book, but I don't know if Ohajian never told him about it, or if Lockhart just never learned it properly. I asked him about it in class, and he brushed me off."
"This also counts as corroborating evidence." Dumbledore nodded. "Vartan has been staying at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade recently."
"Lockhart rarely visits that dingy pub. I put him there myself. Lockhart would never think to look there."
"Before that, Cyril and I worked with others to track down the real people behind three of the stories in Lockhart's books. We took two with us. One stayed behind for treatment."
"And that unfortunate soul Lockhart encountered again had his hard-won, recovered memories erased once more."
"So we ended up placing the two in a French hospital for treatment. We transferred them back to the UK before Easter. After treatment at St. Mungo's, Fiona from Ireland finally recovered all her memories some time ago."
"But Vartan isn't quite there yet. He still can't fully recall everything about the spell he considered his life's work."
"Last time I visited them, Vartan was drowning his sorrows every day and looked quite haggard. Once this matter settles down, I plan to send him to St. Mungo's again for treatment."
"Alright." Ethan looked regretful.
"However, after you finish your exams, I can bring him to the school.
"Cyril often mentions you to them, so they're curious too. This seems like the perfect opportunity for him to meet you."
"Of course, no problem." Ethan had no objections.
Although he hadn't achieved his main goal, the unexpected gains weren't bad either. Ethan left the Headmaster's office in a good mood.
"Who else needs to be found?" Dumbledore sat behind the long desk Lockhart had coveted, wondering who to choose as a witness.
There was also the matter of Voldemort, and he needed to push the Ministry of Magic to speed up their coordination.
With a long sigh, Dumbledore bent over his desk, writing letter after letter and sending them off to various people.
For the rest of that week, Ethan took one exam after another. Soon the weekend arrived.
When the last exam ended, Draco said excitedly, "Finally! Exams are over. I can enjoy my free time without a worry for a whole week. I'll just wait for my results before heading home."
That week, most students had been too busy studying to play Wizard Cards at all. He'd been absolutely dying of boredom.
Seeing his eager expression, Ethan remembered an idea he'd had earlier. He said to Draco, "Next semester, do you want to study Potions with me? I promised Professor Snape I'd tutor Ron on the Potions work he missed this year. Harry wants to review together, too."
"Hmm? Potter's joining too?"
If it had just been Ron alone, Draco wouldn't have given it a second thought. But now that Harry was involved, his competitive spirit flared up instantly.
"Of course I can. Compared to those losers and their pathetic classroom performance, I'm in a completely different league. Just watch me tear them apart!"
At the mere thought, Draco practically vibrated with excitement. He'd already pictured exactly how he'd humiliate them after brewing a flawless potion.
Ethan hadn't come here to stir up trouble or watch people fight. He wanted to push a few people to do better.
"You still planning to brew the same potion as them? Where's that drive you had before, the one that made you want to study hard? Of course, you could brew something completely different."
"Oh. Right." Draco suddenly recalled the embarrassing scene from last year when he'd cried and begged Snape for help, only to be rejected. His face flushed as he thought about how he'd neglected Potions this year.
"Then it's settled. We'll tentatively schedule it for some point over the weekend. We'll decide on the exact time once school starts. You'd better think about which potion you want to brew. Start gathering your materials over the holiday. If you run into any problems, just ask me."
After more than a year of study at Hogwarts, Ethan could honestly say he'd mastered every aspect of the Potions curriculum. He had more than enough skill to pass the N.E.W.T. exams with flying colors, even now. So this wasn't bragging. It was simply the truth.
Hearing these words, Draco stood there, completely stunned. He understood what Ethan was implying, though he almost wished he didn't. He didn't want to accept this reality, cruel as it was.
Draco paused for a long moment before finally responding. "Okay."
"Fine, then. I'm leaving now." Ethan headed for the Room of Requirement.
With exams finally over, he hadn't been able to get there to brew the potions he'd been researching. But during his free periods, he'd spent his time perfecting his recipes.
So as soon as exams ended, he couldn't wait to put his ideas to the test.
Dumbledore moved quickly. The day after Ethan finished his exams, he had Fawkes deliver a note: "Ohajian and the others have arrived. Come to the Headmaster's office."
When Ethan arrived at the Headmaster's office, he found Dumbledore, an elderly wizard and witch, Harry, and an unfamiliar girl already there.
"Ethan's here. Let me introduce everyone." Dumbledore beckoned, gesturing for Ethan to step forward in front of the elderly wizard and witch.
"Ethan Jones, Cyril's grandson.
"Vartan Ohajian, Fiona Finnerty."
The pair were certainly not pleasant-looking:
Ohajian's face was deeply furrowed, his wrinkles deep enough to trap flies. His skin was rougher still. At first glance, he looked like someone who'd spent years roughing it outdoors.
Finnerty was short and plump, with a furry chin. She smiled quite amiably, but she was still a bit terrifying.
"Hello." With others present, Ethan couldn't question Ohajian. He greeted the two politely, then walked toward Harry and the girl under their scrutiny.
"Enid Wilson, fourth-year Hufflepuff." The brown-haired girl in glasses stepped forward to introduce herself, extending her hand.
"Hello. Ethan Jones, second-year Slytherin."
Noticing the three of them still deep in conversation, Ethan lowered his voice and asked, "Did Lockhart hurt you too? Is that why Dumbledore selected you?"
"Mm. In class, he said he'd demonstrate a spell from his book for us. But the spell went out of control and cut my arm. When he tried to stop the bleeding, just like with Potter, it didn't work. Instead, it removed all my bones."
The girl shrugged. "Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey is an excellent healer. Otherwise, I might have died right there in the classroom."
"What?!" Ethan stared at her in shock. He'd never heard about this before.
He glanced at Harry, who simply shrugged as well. "I hadn't heard about it either. Lockhart must have found some way to suppress the news."
"Glad you're okay. Hope you never have to go through anything like that again."
While the three of them spoke quietly, Dumbledore and the two old wizards wrapped up their discussion as well.
"Miss Wilson, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Jones. All of you, come sit here. I need to talk to you about what you'll be doing on Monday," Dumbledore called out to them.
They gathered around a large coffee table. Six people sat down in an orderly fashion. Dumbledore cast a Muffliato, then began outlining the situations they might encounter on Monday and the appropriate responses to each one.
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