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Chapter 227: Sirius' Revenge
Chapter 227: Sirius' Revenge
"What about our Defense Against the Dark Arts class then?" Hermione asked with concern.
"I believe Professor Dumbledore will find a substitute teacher for you. Don't worry, this has happened before," Professor Flitwick reassured them. "Just be patient for a few days, and a truly exceptional wizard will be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts."
The students finally relaxed.
But Professor Flitwick knew this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Over the years, Hogwarts had gone through more Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers than all the other subjects combined.
Exceptional... at the very least, a wizard with a trustworthy character who was currently unemployed was hard to come by, and the rumors of the curse made most people hesitant.
Only Professor Snape had always hoped to teach this subject, but Professor Dumbledore had never approved his application.
...
The efficiency of the media reporters exceeded Professor Flitwick's expectations. The next morning, they saw a photo of Lockhart in the newspaper.
The blond wizard, with his hands bound, was escorted into the Ministry of Magic, and Scrimgour pushed away the camera that was taking pictures with a fierce expression—this scene was repeatedly reenacted in the newspapers.
"It was me who informed my father!"
A Slytherin student proudly told those around him, "When I saw Lockhart being taken away by the Aurors, I knew it was big news. I immediately sent a message to my father! He took this photo!"
"Well, that's smart," one of their prefects asked, narrowing his eyes. "But why did you have to tell everyone?"
He gestured to the side, and many girls with tear-stained eyes glared at the boy.
"He's in for it now," Michael said with a hint of schadenfreude.
Voldemort turned to Harry, "If they knew you were the catalyst..."
Harry quickly shushed him, his face grim. "Please, don't bring it up."
Last night, in their tent, Sirius had proudly informed them that he and Lupin had reported Lockhart.
[Sirius: This is payback for that guy! Let him know to respect other people's arms in the future!]
His words on the paper were written with great force, as if he was still angry after all this time.
[Remus: Michael told us that Lockhart often troubled you, and Sirius was really angry.]
Lupin's words carried a subtle reproach: [Harry, why didn't you tell us?]
[Harry: I didn't feel like he was troubling me... Professor Lockhart just liked to have me perform and take photos with him. He seemed to always assume I enjoyed the spotlight like him.]
[Remus: So, did you want to perform? Did you want to take photos with him?]
Harry quickly replied: [Of course not!]
After a while, Lupin's response appeared word by word.
[Sirius: You foolish kid, that's what troubling someone means.]
[Remus: Harry, even if it's a professor, you can refuse. It's your right.]
The messages from the two appeared almost simultaneously, and through the parchment, Voldemort could almost see their helpless and pained expressions.
Harry fell silent for a long time, perhaps reflecting on his bed in the dormitory.
Voldemort interjected:
[Voldemort: Someone saw a few guys who looked like Dark Wizards in Hogsmeade last weekend. Was that you and the Aurors?]
[Sirius: Haha, it was us.]
[Sirius: That guy Scrimgour originally planned to lure Lockhart out and arrest him.]
On the third day after Lockhart's arrest, it is said that the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic has been flooded with letters, and Scrimgour himself received a large number of howling letters.
Apparently, all the witches in Britain were fans of that con artist writer. They wrote countless letters to prove Lockhart's innocence and berated Scrimgour for treating him so harshly.
The public's intense reaction prompted the Ministry to expedite Lockhart's trial and publish the evidence they had in the newspapers.
Most ordinary people naturally trusted the government, and the opposition quickly waned. Except for a few die-hard fans who were still advocating for Lockhart, the vast majority of his fans turned to blaming him for deceiving everyone with despicable means.
As for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes at Hogwarts, they could only be temporarily taught by other professors who didn't have their own classes. But when they opened the textbooks, they all fell silent.
The books for all seven grades were all Lockhart's novels and autobiographies, and the nutritional content was less than one-thousandth.
"Well... Well..."
Professor Flitwick was teaching Vold and the others. He took a deep breath and said, "Close the books, children. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts class doesn't need these. You should learn how to use magic to protect yourselves and avoid harm from dangerous creatures."
The students, who were already tired of the theatrical performances, happily stuffed the books into the desks and looked at Professor Flitwick with anticipation.
"Let me think..."
Professor Flitwick stroked his white beard, furrowed his brows in thought for a while, and then said, "According to the curriculum, you should be learning how to drive away Dugbogs now... Does anyone know the characteristics of this creature?"
Several hands were raised.
"Miss Greengrass." Professor Flitwick randomly chose someone.
Daphne Greengrass stood up and said, "Dugbogs look like little pigs. They sneak into pigsties, pretending to be ordinary piglets, and bring epidemics to farms."
Terry from Ravenclaw added, "Dugbogs are fast and hard to catch."
"Very good, one point for Slytherin and Ravenclaw each," Professor Flitwick nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Then who knows how to deal with them?"
The students fell into silence for a moment.
After a few seconds, Malfoy's voice sounded, "Pure white dogs can drive them away—the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures even keeps a dozen albino hounds for this purpose."
He slowly looked around and said, "My father also provided a sum of money last year to feed those picky fellows."
"Not bad, Dugbogs fear white dogs. Another point for Slytherin."
Ignoring Malfoy's latter words, Professor Flitwick looked at the students and said, "There's a simple spell that can help us detect Dugbogs in time to prevent them from causing more damage..."
(End of Chapter)
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