https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-412-Grindelwald-Give-Me-Your-Wand/13080995/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-414-The-Fighter-in-the-Tome-King/13080998/
Chapter 413: The Hogwarts Invitation
Chapter 413: The Hogwarts Invitation
As soon as work hours ended, Lockhart eagerly jumped up, and Goyle, with lightning speed, shed his hospital uniform. In less than three minutes, the two were out of the hospital.
Apparating home was convenient, but using such magic could easily leave strong magical traces. The elite Aurors of the Ministry of Magic possessed specialized detection spells.
Moreover, using magic in Muggle-populated areas was a quick way to violate the Statute of Secrecy. The Ministry would immediately send letters and dispatch people to investigate. They would soon discover the presence of two wanted fugitives nationwide and then summon the Aurors and over a hundred Dementors...
Thinking of such terrifying consequences, Lockhart and Goyle immediately abandoned all shortcuts and firmly resolved to refrain from using magic, choosing instead to act like ordinary Muggles.
"Let's take a taxi; it'll be faster!" Lockhart suggested, habitually raising his hand to hail a cab on the street, only to be pulled back by Goyle.
"No, no, no! Let's take the bus!" Goyle's eyebrows furrowed with caution and deliberation. "Think about it; if we encounter those Dementors, there will be more people, and more targets, making it easier for us to escape."
Lockhart retracted his hand and admired, "You're right; you're more thoughtful than me."
The two reached a nearby bus stop and waited in the cold wind for over ten minutes before finally seeing the long-awaited bus arrive.
Lockhart rushed onto the bus, only to find it completely full. He thought for a moment and stood next to a middle-aged woman. When she glanced at him, Lockhart flashed his signature radiant smile.
The Muggle woman gave him a peculiar look, as if regarding him as a madman, and shifted her body deeper into the seat, turning away disdainfully.
Lockhart: "..."
He glanced at his reflection in the window, noticing that his golden hair lacked its former brilliance. His once-handsome face, under the influence of magic, now had slightly smaller eyes, a slightly crooked nose, slightly protruding teeth, and slightly darker skin...
He looked disheveled and even a bit ugly.
His smile no longer held its charm... Instead, it appeared sleazy.
Lockhart almost shed tears, deeply regretting his lack of dedication to Human Transfiguration in the past, which had led to his current ghastly appearance.
He whispered to Trocar, "These Muggles lack discernment... If it were before, my fans would fill the streets."
Goyle, who had been jostled by Lockhart when boarding, smirked and said, "Too bad they all know your true face now; you no longer have fans!"
Lockhart's face turned green with anger, and he accused, "We're all in this together; how can you rub salt in my wounds like that?"
Goyle hummed, "We're all in this together, and you're still competing with me for a mere seat?"
The two glared at each other with mutual disdain and simultaneously averted their gazes.
Not far away, Mabel, holding onto a seat, pulled her hood down a bit and looked down at the dirty metal floor of the bus.
[Dementors... Hogwarts... Muggles...]
Indeed, these two guys were undoubtedly wizards.
Ever since her escape, Mabel hadn't encountered any other wizards. She didn't know if the Ministry had dispatched pursuers, nor did she have any news about Hailey, Luke, and the others.
After discovering these two individuals discussing magical topics in the hospital, Mabel instinctively followed them.
Although they were wizards, they were still working in the hospital and taking the bus, indicating that their magical abilities might not be exceptional...
Mabel didn't sense any threat from them, but as a precaution, she maintained a distance, ensuring they didn't catch a glimpse of her face.
The bus swayed to a stop, and Lockhart and Goyle, who had been standing the entire ride, finally alighted.
As the bus doors were about to close, Mabel hastily jumped off as well.
Lockhart and Goyle quickly became wanted fugitives, but they maintained the typical wizardly disregard for Muggles, not paying attention to the little girl behind them.
The street was eerily quiet.
As Lockhart got off the bus, he noticed his companion's cloak billowing, with both trouser pockets bulging. A thought crossed his mind, and his face paled.
Lockhart hurriedly took a few steps and caught up with Goyle, grabbing his arm and asking, "Did you steal blood bags from the hospital again?"
Goyle immediately covered his pockets and averted his gaze, replying weakly, "This is expired blood that was supposed to be disposed of! I just changed the way it's being disposed of..."
"You're putting us at risk of exposure!" Lockhart said, both angry and afraid.
"That won't happen," Goyle argued weakly. "Some Muggles also steal blood..." He then straightened up and asserted, "You eat every day; should I starve?"
"Stop making excuses! You can eat regular food too!" Lockhart exclaimed. "And your uncle even bought you live chickens!"
"How far would that chicken blood go? I'm craving human blood so badly," Goyle licked his lips and suddenly turned to Lockhart, "To avoid exposure, why don't you let me have a little taste?"
Lockhart immediately took a few steps back, covering his neck and shouting, "Not a chance!"
"Alright, alright... Don't overreact," Goyle said, "I was just joking."
Lockhart huffed, but after a couple of seconds, the two continued walking together.
He needed Goyle's extensive experience in navigating social circles, and they were currently staying at Goyle's uncle's house. Similarly, Goyle required his magic to cover their tracks and avoid being found by the Ministry of Magic.
Without their mutual assistance, they wouldn't have been able to stay on the run for so long, living relatively normal lives.
They soon arrived home, and upon entering, they saw Goyle's uncle, Ryan Trockar, sitting in front of the fireplace, holding a letter with a worried expression.
"Uncle Ryan, what's wrong?" Goyle asked anxiously. "Is the Ministry of Magic sending people to search for us?"
"Don't be silly, child. If the Ministry was sending people to search, why would they notify me in advance with a letter?"
Ryan Trockar sighed helplessly, "And the last time I contacted your father was over a decade ago. They wouldn't suspect that you're hiding with me—this is a letter from Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts?" Lockhart, who was changing his clothes at the door, turned around in shock, "Has Dumbledore found us??"
Ryan Trockar: "..."
How could these two, with their timid mouse-like courage, dare to escape from Azkaban? The world was truly fascinating.
"Dumbledore isn't as all-knowing as you think," Ryan Trockar said. "He's simply inviting me to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts."
Lockhart's face contorted slightly, "That class has another new professor?"
"Yes, the previous professor, I heard, had some family matters and resigned right after the holiday ended, asking Dumbledore to release him from his duties," Ryan Trockar sighed.
"Resign?" Lockhart was taken aback, "Just resign? Not dead? Not in prison?"
"Of course not." Ryan Trockar gave him a strange look, "That professor didn't do anything wrong, and I heard he was doing a great job... Why would he go to prison for merely being a professor?"
"Listen to me, Uncle Ryan!" Goyle said seriously, "That class at Hogwarts is cursed. No one has ever lasted more than a year, and now they've had three professors in just two years! The curse must have intensified. You must not go!"
Lockhart silently nodded in agreement, feeling a pang of sadness. If only he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have gone from a world-renowned bestselling author to a fugitive living on the edge.
"I'm not too concerned about curses," Ryan Trockar said calmly. "Many professors, like Professor Abigail, have worked for a year and then left their positions safely."
"As long as I work diligently, abide by the law, and don't harm others, the Ministry of Magic can't just throw me in prison for no reason," Ryan Trockar said, looking around his house—the TV, carpets, fireplace, oven, coffee maker, and the buzzing refrigerator in the kitchen.
The only object in the room that connected to the magical world was the copy of the Daily Prophet lying on the dining table.
"Goyle, Muggle life is good, but..." Ryan Trockar paused, "I don't want to be too distant from that world."
Goyle asked, puzzled, "If you want to go... why are you still worried?"
"So Dumbledore wants to oust Fudge and needs to train an army?" He asked in genuine surprise.
Ryan Trocar heard the answer in his earnest question.
"Yes... You're right... Dumbledore doesn't need that."
Ryan Trocar glanced at the letter again and finally made up his mind. "I'll write back to Dumbledore right now. There's pizza in the oven, help yourselves."
Ryan Trocar hurried upstairs to his study, and after seeing his figure disappear up the stairs, Gal took out a blood bag he had secretly taken from the hospital, bit into it, and carefully started drinking.
He dared not let his uncle see him drinking human blood; otherwise, he was sure to get scolded.
Lockhart brought out the pizza himself, placed it on the table, set the cutlery, and tucked a napkin into his collar. Just as he was about to eat his dinner while reading the newspaper, he realized that the stack of Daily Prophet newspapers on the table was missing.
"Gal, did you take all the newspapers?" Lockhart asked.
"What?"
Gal, who had secretly hidden the remaining blood bags, didn't hear clearly and asked in confusion.
"The newspapers! They're gone!" Lockhart said.
"I didn't take them... Ask Uncle Ryan!" Gal replied.
"Never mind, then..." Lockhart muttered, turning to turn on the television.
A photo of a gaunt-faced girl with cold eyes appeared on the screen.
The news anchor was introducing the girl on the screen—
"It is reported that Mabel Roland, who has killed multiple adults, is on the run within the UK. This girl is extremely dangerous, so do not approach her... Anyone who provides valuable information and assists the authorities in capturing Mabel Roland will receive a reward of one thousand pounds..."
"So young and already a killer of so many," Lockhart muttered. "How terrifying..."
...
The terrifying girl was sitting cross-legged in the attic of the Trocar family home.
She dared not turn on the light and was reading the newspaper content by the faint light from the street lamp outside the window.
There were many words she didn't recognize, and Mabel struggled to read, guessing the meaning as she went through the recent newspapers.
None of the reports mentioned Hailey or the other children's names, but she spotted Rita Skeeter in the margins of the news.
Could she find Rita Skeeter to inquire about the news? But Mabel didn't know where the editorial department of the newspaper was located... Moreover, journalists weren't always at the newspaper office.
Mabel's fingers moved across the newspaper, line by line, until they stopped on another familiar name.
[Shocking Release! The Latest Creation of Genius Alchemist Vold Grey - Communicating Pea, Brings You a New Communication Experience!]
[Bid farewell to cumbersome handwritten letters and expensive two-way mirrors. The Communicating Pea allows you to easily stay in close contact with anyone, anytime, anywhere, even if they are thousands of miles away! Direct communication is possible!]
[Lightweight and portable design, sleek and stylish appearance, multiple trendy color options, stable and efficient connection! This is a groundbreaking product, a bridge to the future of communication!]
[To celebrate the new product launch, Aslan Magic Workshop is offering a limited-time discount. Quantities are limited, so hurry and get yours now!]
[Purchase Method: Starting December 23rd, the Communicating Pea will be available for sale in fifteen countries simultaneously! Consumers can purchase it at the following locations - UK London: Diagon Alley, No. 118, Aslan Magic Workshop; USA New York...]
...
Vold sat in the Wardrobe Dimension, crafting a new puppet.
Under the influence of Transfiguration, the clay flowed and rolled upwards, gradually forming a short figure—
The sparse, yellowish hair wasn't too much, sticking to the scalp and looking rather unkempt. Deep-set eyes and pale skin, even though it was currently inanimate, the round eyes seemed ready to start spinning at any moment.
It hunched over, wearing a ragged sack-like outfit, resembling a street vagrant or a large rat standing upright.
Vold tapped it with his wand, causing its nose to turn slightly upward, and then he nodded in satisfaction.
It looked just like he remembered...
"Ding-a-ling... Master, you have a visitor."
The golden bell hanging on the wall chimed a few times and spoke.
Vold stopped making the puppet and closed the Wardrobe Dimension before heading downstairs.
Hearing the doorbell, Harry had already opened the door and exclaimed in surprise, "Remus!"
Remus Lupin, dusty from his journey, stood at the door with a suitcase, smiling at them.
(End of Chapter)
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