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Chapter 612: Gifts
Chapter 612: Gifts
Rumors can be scary sometimes! The disappearance of Hermione soon caused a stir within Hogwarts, with whispers spreading that she had been attacked and petrified by the heir of Slytherin.
Often, when something is repeated enough, it becomes the truth.
It was only when Professor McGonagall stepped in and explained Hermione's situation that the budding panic was quelled.
It turned out that it wasn't an attack after all.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"I believe the troubles are over," Professor Lockhart announced during the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Now that everyone is on high alert, it would be a huge risk for the Chamber of Secrets to be opened again."
Undeniably, Lockhart was right about that.
He flashed his signature smile and added, "In fact, I've already found some clues, and I believe I'll be able to locate the entrance to the Slytherin Chamber soon."
"Professor, have you really found the location of the Chamber?" a student asked eagerly.
"I found clues from the attack that happened fifty years ago," Lockhart explained. "Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out how to open the entrance."
"Professor, where is the entrance to the Chamber?"
"I can't tell you that yet, as I'm not certain myself," Lockhart said, putting a finger to his lips. "The heir of Slytherin must have realized that it's only a matter of time before the Chamber is uncovered. It would be wise to lie low and not cause any more trouble now that I'm on the case."
Okay then! Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart believed that he had single-handedly prevented further attacks that could have taken place. The truth was, he had no idea where the Chamber was, and the words he spoke in class were nothing but bluffs to impress his audience.
Apart from the girls and a handful of admirers, no one really took Lockhart's words to heart.
As for stopping the heir of Slytherin's attacks, it was all thanks to Albert keeping Tom Riddle's diary hidden, rendering Tom unable to manipulate others into causing chaos.
However, Albert suspected that once he released Tom, Lockhart might be the first one to suffer the consequences.
Either way, having Lockhart draw attention to himself wasn't a bad thing.
If anything happened to him, they could always blame it on the heir of Slytherin.
Lockhart had discovered the secret entrance of the Slytherin heir and was silenced to keep the secret.
Albert didn't really care what fate befell the unfortunate professor.
After all, losing his memory and becoming a fool was no different from dying.
To be frank, Albert's honest thought was: Lockhart was an outsider, and whether he lived or died had nothing to do with him.
He never denied that he was a selfish and cold-blooded person.
After class, Fred pulled out a pie from his pocket and said to his group of mischievous friends, "If even one of Lockhart's claims turns out to be true, I'll swallow this whole pie in one go."
"You just want an excuse to eat the pie, don't you?" Albert retorted. "There's no need to make up so many reasons. Or are you so desperate because that's the only pie you have left, and you're afraid someone will take it from you?"
"Alright, if Lockhart's words hold any truth, I'll swallow Ron's pet rat, Scabbers," Fred said, taking a bite of the pie. "Hey, do you guys want some?" he asked with a mouthful of pie.
The other three gave him disgusted looks.
However, George still reached out and grabbed the pie, breaking it in half.
"What's Scabbers?" Lee Jordan asked.
"A rat," George replied. "It used to be Percy's pet, but he gave it to Ron."
"So, you want to eat a rat?"
"Eat it raw?"
"Knock it off," Fred said, rolling his eyes. "Come help me instead."
"Not long ago, I overheard Lockhart telling Professor McGonagall that the school needs a boost in morale," Lee Jordan suddenly said. "He seems to have a plan to lift everyone's spirits..."
"Probably... for Valentine's Day!" Albert guessed. "February 14th is approaching. But I have a feeling Lockhart will make a mess of it. I heard he once sent himself hundreds of Valentine's Day cards."
"That does sound like something he'd do!" A mischievous smile played on George's lips as he suggested, "We should send him some of that cheese you bought last time. If possible, let's package it so he thinks it's chocolate."
"We can get a house-elf to help with the packaging," Fred chimed in with a similar mischievous grin. "It would be hilarious to see his expression when he takes a bite and realizes it's cheese."
"Don't forget, Lockhart has had a bad experience with chocolate before," Albert coughed, interrupting their fantasy. He didn't think Lockhart would dare to eat chocolates sent by strangers after his experience with the love potion-laced chocolates.
"You're right," Lee Jordan nodded, recalling the incident. He knew he wouldn't eat anything sent by strangers either, if he were in Lockhart's shoes.
Ahem! Well, they often did, because Albert received many gifts, and most of them ended up being consumed by his three roommates.
"Why don't we send some to our Potions professor as well?" Fred suggested. "You know, I feel kind of sorry for him. He's getting on in years, and I don't think he's ever had a Valentine's Day chocolate in his life."
"It's a good deed, and we should support it," Albert said earnestly. "After all, it can't be easy for Professor Snape to be single for so many years."
"I think using the wax of the sorrowful moth would be great. The professor will definitely feel like crying after eating it," George said, a little excited at the thought.
"Don't even think about it," Albert rolled his eyes. "Snape won't eat anything suspicious like that. No one would. We'll send him regular chocolates anonymously, and he'll still suspect that they're tampered with."
"If the chocolates are presented as gifts from fans, Lockhart might be interested," Albert continued. "You can prepare a set of Valentine's Day chocolates with various strange effects."
"I don't think anyone would buy those unless they want to break up with their girlfriend," Lee Jordan pointed out, noticing the gleam in Fred and George's eyes. "And none of you even have a girlfriend."
"How would you know? You don't have a girlfriend either!" Fred and George retorted, elbowing Lee Jordan.
The Weasley twins were all about action. They used the chocolates Albert had brought, along with some potion ingredients, to create a variety of chocolates with different effects.
For example, chocolates that would make the recipient sad, grow bigger, catch a cold, have a fever, diarrhea, or a nosebleed... Okay, they basically tested their own research results on the chocolates.
Their goal was to ensure that giving these chocolates to your partner would effectively guarantee a breakup.
In their own words, "We're not selling chocolates, we're selling breakups."
"I have a feeling that if you guys keep this up, you'll never find girlfriends," Lee Jordan said, looking at the exquisite chocolates in front of him. He took a bite of a chocolate labeled "Big Laugh" and couldn't help but chuckle as he chewed.
"You'd better worry about yourself first," George said, patting Lee Jordan's shoulder. "If things don't work out, you can always ask Albert for advice. Don't mess this up."
(End of Chapter)
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