LRAB Page 147
Page 147
“Slander! Utter slander!” Lockhart tore the newspaper to shreds. “That woman Skeeter… I’m going to send her a wizarding letter!”
Lockhart was both shocked and furious.
This detailed report, complete with pictures, was far more terrifying than the rumors he had imagined.
He never imagined that the young wizards hadn't revealed his self-destruction not out of pity, but rather because they were preparing to unleash their power.
Faced with the report in black and white, he didn't know how to deal with it. He could only go crazy, snatching newspapers from the professors around him and trying to tear them all to shreds.
“Alright, Lockhart, since you need a newspaper, here you go.” Snape handed Lockhart his own newspaper, his eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. “He needs to collect clippings, huh…”
The young wizards immediately recalled the bulletin board in Lockhart's office, which was covered with news reports about him.
The auditorium immediately erupted in laughter.
Just then, the auditorium doors burst open with a bang.
Two wizards, dressed in the Ministry of Magic's standard robes, entered, led by Dumbledore.
The laughter in the auditorium suddenly subsided, and everyone stared at the uninvited guests.
"Gidero Lockhart!" The lead wizard, a lean and wiry man, approached Lockhart with a serious expression.
Lockhart was deathly pale, with the unsettling feeling of being stripped naked and standing under a spotlight.
"We are employees of the Magical Law Enforcement Investigation Team, under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic. According to reliable information, you have violated numerous laws, including the Witcher Crimes Act, the Wizard Torts Act, and the Wizard Theft Act. Please come with us to cooperate with the investigation."
His voice was very loud, and everyone in the auditorium could hear him clearly.
The little witches who were arguing fiercely with others over Lockhart could hardly believe their ears.
Was Professor Lockhart really a fraud?
Is his experience fabricated, and is he appropriating the experiences of 2.9 other people?
Is he really good for nothing except the Oblivion Curse?
His fans, those little witches, refused to believe it.
But the facts are right in front of them, and they have no choice but to believe them.
Faced with the Ministry of Magic officials, Lockhart had no choice but to obediently leave his seat in the teachers' section.
His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but ultimately nothing came out. He could only glance at Levin with a trembling expression before dejectedly following the two Ministry of Magic employees out of the castle.
"It seems we'll have to choose a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next year."
Professor Dumbledore adjusted his glasses and left the Great Hall.
“That’s really gratifying.” Levin heard Ron say loudly to Harry from Gryffindor’s side, “That woman Rita Skeeter has done something good this time.”
“I bet the person who reported Lockhart was one of our Hogwarts students,” Prefect Penelope said, as if she were channeling Conan. “No one but the whistleblower would have thought to order so many copies of the Daily Prophet in advance, would you be right, Ciri?”
Ciri didn't answer, but instead looked at Levin across the long table.
The two exchanged a glance and smiled without saying a word.
Chapter 156 The Days Without Lockhart
Now, Hogwarts no longer has monsters that turn people to stone or even kill them, nor does it have the pressure of exams weighing on people's heads.
Even the assignments given by professors aren't as tedious and complicated anymore.
All the little wizards could do was look forward to the arrival of summer vacation.
If anyone in the castle is unhappy, it must be Draco Malfoy.
He was surprised to find that everything had changed after he recovered from petrification.
The Malfoy family lost their house-elf, and more importantly, his father Lucius was expelled from the school board.
Draco no longer strutted around the school like he owned the place.
On the contrary, he now wears a gloomy face all day, seemingly filled with resentment, not only because of the change in his family's circumstances, but also because he, as a pure-blooded Slytherin wizard, was actually ambushed by the heir of Slytherin.
He considered this a great humiliation, and it sparked a wave of rumors among many of his pure-blooded classmates.
Meanwhile, Ron gradually overcame his guilt, and his friendship with Harry became even stronger.
He already knew from Hermione that Harry had cast a protective spell on him to safeguard him.
The protective magic of 08 still exists today.
While both of them confirmed their friendship, they also felt a little awkward.
The idea of a man protecting another man with love always sounds so strange, doesn't it?
Another one who returned to normal was Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley.
After the truth came out, the girl realized that she had become Voldemort's accomplice.
She now has another person she admires: Levin.
At the chicken coop, it was Levin who stopped her, scared away the mysterious man, and saved her from further trouble.
Once again, Levine, along with Ciri and Hermione, arrived just in time for the Chamber of Secrets, killing the Basilisk and the mysterious figure mentioned in the diary, and saving Harry and Ron.
Levin's status in her heart rose sharply, reaching a level equal to Harry's.
Of course, if she had to choose now, she would probably still choose Harry.
Because this way there are fewer competitors.
Some people are happy because the upcoming school year will be easier.
But some people are troubled by this.
The disappearance of that pesky Lockhart was indeed a great thing for the young wizards at Hogwarts.
But afterwards, they had to face a problem.
No one is teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore.
Lockhart was dismissed at the end of February, four months before the end of the semester.
Even if exams are canceled this semester, it means that the last part of their Defense Against the Dark Arts class will only be a self-study period.
One or two self-study periods are fine.
However, the four-month-long Defense Against the Dark Arts course was entirely self-study, which was unacceptable to many aspiring young wizards.
Last semester, Professor Quirrell, while not the best teacher, at least taught us something.
Lockhart this semester was a complete flop; for most of the semester, everyone just watched the mini-dramas.
Rounding it off, wouldn't that mean a whole semester was wasted?
How is this possible?
Finally, after the third week of Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Levin was stopped by his roommate Steve.
"Is there something you need, Steve?"
Levin noticed that his usually jovial roommate looked rather serious today.
“Levin!” Steve said in a serious tone, “Actually, the reason I came to you today is to convey a request. This request is a bit rude and will take up your precious time, but I would still like you to consider it.”
“Oh?” His words piqued Levin’s interest. “You can tell me more.”
"It's like this, I've always felt that we haven't learned much in the two consecutive semesters of Defense Against the Dark Arts. But in the magical world, we always encounter dangers, like the basilisk attack this semester, which left everyone completely at a loss. So I think it's necessary for each of us to learn something in Defense Against the Dark Arts."
What should I do to protect myself?
"Of course, I don't expect everyone to be able to defeat the basilisk like you, but at least we can handle minor troubles like fairies, vixens, and little devils—I still remember the scene of the first class of the semester vividly; everyone's performance was so embarrassing."
Why can't you teach us during our Defense Against the Dark Arts self-study time?
After listening to Steve's request, Levin thought for a long time but did not answer. Instead, he asked:
"These aren't just your thoughts, are they?" His gaze was sharp, as if he could see right through her. "Tell me, who else thinks the same way?"
As he said this, his gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
get out of class had already ended, and most of the young wizards had left the classroom.
But upon hearing him say that, seven more little wizards emerged from inside.
“Kevin, Anthony, Michael, Morag, Terry, and the Pettier sisters, do you all feel the same way?” Levin looked at the six people in front of him.
“Steve is right, that’s exactly what we mean!” Anthony Goldstein was the first to speak.
“That’s right, that’s right!” Michael Conner agreed.
"Levin, you're the perfect leader of Ravenclaw!" Terry Boot exclaimed excitedly.
“Levin, please teach us!” Padma Petir and her sister Parvati Petir pleaded.
Others chimed in with their agreement.
Looking around at the eager young wizards, Levin nodded, then shook his head.
"Actually, if you ask me, you and Steve do have a point. It's always beneficial to learn more about protecting yourself."
"But giving you lectures during self-study periods isn't that simple."
“If it’s just after class, we can simply find an empty classroom, set up our own study club, and teach in private however we like.”
"But if it takes up class time, then we have to consider other people's opinions."
Levin thought for a moment and then instructed, "How about this: before the weekend, you all go and collect opinions from all the second-year students in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, including those who support lecturing, those who are indifferent but allow lecturing, and those who oppose it, and then compile them together."
"If most people think this is a good thing, then I'll take some time to share some of my experiences with you."
"Great!"
Although Levin did not agree directly, the group was still very happy.
In fact, the few people who were present in front of Ravenclaw at this moment were all "prominent figures" in their grade, the core of their respective small circles, and their opinions could almost represent the opinions of the entire Ravenclaw community.
The key is still Gryffindor, since the eagles and lions have been sharing the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom this semester.
Watching the group leave happily, Levin fell into thought.
As Ravenclaw's acknowledged genius, Levin was so outstanding that other junior wizards could hardly catch up with him.
He gained the admiration and respect of his classmates, but admiration meant alienation.
Tom Riddell previously mentioned that at this age he had already started forming cliques and building relationships with his classmates.