Chapter 590: The Headmaster's Wisdom
Chapter 590: The Headmaster's Wisdom
Late at night, just as the castle went into lockdown, Gilderoy Lockhart donned his cloak and, lamp in hand, began his rounds in the corridors.
Ever since the unfortunate Colin Creevey was attacked by the Slytherin heir in the middle of the night, Dumbledore had tasked the professors with patrolling the school after dark to prevent similar incidents.
It was said that the Slytherin heir's targets were all wizards born to Muggle families, so Lockhart wasn't worried about being attacked himself. As a half-blood wizard and a professor at the school, he thought that even if the perpetrator was bold, they wouldn't dare target a teacher.
What truly bothered Lockhart wasn't the late-night patrols, but the fact that the first half of the term was almost over, and he had yet to achieve his goal for coming to Hogwarts.
Taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts came with considerable risk. Lockhart had initially hoped that by becoming "the famous Harry Potter's" teacher, he would gain even more popularity. However, that wish remained unfulfilled.
Lockhart knew he had to do something, or the first half of the term would truly be a wash.
Today, instead of following his usual patrol route, Lockhart made his way to the third-floor stone gargoyle and, after providing the correct password, rode the staircase to the top tower.
It was just past eleven, and Professor Dumbledore was sure to still be awake. Perhaps now was the time… Lockhart raised his hand and knocked on the door to the headmaster's office. After a moment, the door opened from the inside.
Lockhart was a little surprised to find an unexpected individual there, and he immediately recognized Severus Snape. Snape was Hogwarts' most unpopular professor, and it was said that Harry Potter disliked him as well.
Sensing Lockhart's gaze, Snape looked up and met his eyes, a slight frown creasing his brow.
"Good evening, Gilderoy," Dumbledore said, casting a quizzical glance at Lockhart. "Have you discovered something?"
"No, nothing like that," Lockhart replied, offering his trademark smile to both men. "I've noticed that the recent attack has left the students on edge, and I think we should find a way to alleviate their tension."
At Lockhart's suggestion, Snape frowned even deeper, clearly unimpressed with his idea. He felt that Lockhart's timing for bringing this up was suspect, and he doubted any good would come of it.
"We can give the students a confidence boost," Lockhart continued, outlining his plan. "I'd like to request Professor Dumbledore's permission to start a Dueling Club in the castle, where students can learn to defend themselves."
"You mean to duel that so-called monster?" Snape said quietly, as if struggling to hold back a laugh.
"Of course not, that's unrealistic," Lockhart turned to Snape. "But I think it's necessary for students to have some self-defense skills. I've used magic countless times to protect myself from harm, and I believe we can try to lift the oppressive and tense atmosphere in the school with a small activity."
"That's a fine idea. Tell me your plan, Gilderoy," Dumbledore said, noticing Snape's confused look. "The atmosphere in the school is indeed a bit gloomy, and it won't hurt for the students to learn something useful."
"It's just an idea for now. Give me a few days, and I'll come up with a detailed proposal," Lockhart said excitedly. He hadn't expected Professor Dumbledore to agree to his suggestion of a Dueling Club.
"Come back to me once you have the details worked out," Dumbledore said.
"Severus," Lockhart turned to Snape, extending an invitation. "I hope you'll be my temporary assistant for this endeavor."
At that moment, Snape's expression turned so gloomy it seemed he might draw his wand and cast the Avada Kedavra curse on Lockhart.
"Then we'll trouble you for that," Dumbledore said, beaming at the two of them, leaving no room for Snape to refuse.
"You shouldn't have agreed to his foolish decision," Snape immediately complained to Dumbledore as soon as Lockhart had left. He had no desire to be Lockhart's assistant.
"Foolish?" Dumbledore said meaningfully. "On the contrary, it's an excellent opportunity. Moreover, I think Gilderoy's suggestion makes sense. The atmosphere in the school has been rather gloomy, and perhaps he can liven things up a bit."
For some reason, Snape sensed an underlying message in Dumbledore's words.
"With all due respect, someone like Lockhart is only going to make a mess of things," Snape said, making no attempt to hide his disdain and contempt for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "If we're going to have a Dueling Club, it should be under my supervision."
Given Snape's knowledge of Lockhart, he was certain that Lockhart's intention behind the Dueling Club had nothing to do with teaching students dueling techniques but was instead a ploy to draw attention to himself.
Snape loathed Lockhart for the way he had been acting all term.
"No, Severus. Gilderoy is a better fit for this than you," Professor Dumbledore said, looking deeply into Snape's eyes. "However, with your help, I'm sure the students will gain something from it."
There was no doubt that Professor Dumbledore was also aware of Lockhart's true nature, which was why he asked Snape to lend a hand.
Regarding Lockhart's proposal, Dumbledore couldn't find a valid reason to refuse.
Indeed, the atmosphere in the school had become oppressive since the recent attack, with everyone worried about becoming the next victim.
Dumbledore trusted in Lockhart's ability to liven up the gloomy mood in the school.
More importantly, Dumbledore saw this as an opportunity—a chance for the other students to see Lockhart's true colors.
The more Lockhart revealed of himself, the more likely he was to slip up.
Dumbledore believed that by now, many students had already begun to doubt Lockhart's capabilities, but it wasn't enough. Once they witnessed Lockhart's poor performance in the Dueling Club, they would truly realize that Lockhart wasn't as brave as he portrayed himself to be in his books.
This was one of the reasons why Lockhart had been invited to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
As Lockhart gradually revealed his true self through his everyday interactions at the school, his desire for fame had overcome his caution. Dumbledore was confident that Lockhart's charade would soon be exposed.
(End of Chapter)
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