Perhaps it was the heartfelt prayers of the young witches at Hogwarts that worked their magic, but as soon as October arrived, Gilderoy Lockhart's injuries miraculously healed right on schedule.
A month, exactly one month—not a day more, not a day less. It was as precise as it could get.
Now that's what you call a man of his word! (Cue tactical lean-back pose.)
"Hello, everyone! Did you miss me? Oh… oh… I know, I know what the answer in your hearts is…" Lockhart gently knocked on the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, elegantly pushed it open, and walked up to the podium amidst the excited screams and cheers of the young witches. He gave the students below a gentlemanly bow and said, "So, I just want to say: I'm back!"
The screams from the audience grew even louder.
Of course, at the same time, there were plenty of boos from the boys in the class. But Lockhart, as always, selectively ignored these unpleasant sounds.
Sitting among the students, Harry's face was ashen. Only he knew what he had been through recently. Every night, Lockhart, still confined to his hospital bed, would summon him over under the pretense of preparing him for his future life. In reality, all Harry did was help respond to Lockhart's fan mail.
High EQ: Developing your professional skills.
Low EQ: Come be my unpaid labor!
Harry was so sick of writing replies to Lockhart's fans that he felt he might vomit. He was certain he had written more in this past month than he had in his entire life. And that smile of Lockhart's—just thinking about it made Harry's stomach churn.
If Harry were to rank the people he disliked most at Hogwarts, his original list would have been: first, Snape; second, Filch; and third, Peeves. But now, Harry felt it was time for Snape to step down from the top spot.
Lockhart had officially claimed the number one position!
Congratulations, Gilderoy Lockhart, on your well-deserved "achievement."
On the podium, Lockhart raised his hands and gestured for the students to quiet down. Once the room settled, he flashed his signature smile.
"The wonderful days of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons are back, never to be forgotten…" Hermione, sitting among the students, looked rather glum. She had actually enjoyed the lessons when Professor Snape temporarily took over. Despite the fast pace and dense material…
The content was pure gold—nothing but the most practical and useful knowledge!
Honestly, Snape had practically spoon-fed them the material. Hermione couldn't understand why some students still complained about how difficult his classes were.
Glenn, sitting beside her, refrained from commenting. Other people's opinions didn't influence his thoughts or actions.
However, his stance on the matter…
Was clear. He agreed entirely with Hermione.
Like many of the more perceptive students, Glenn thought Lockhart was all show and no substance. During class, none of Lockhart's lectures were useful or even remotely related to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Half the lesson was spent boasting about his supposed past glories, while the remaining time was divided between meaningless chatter and basking in the adoration of his fans.
If this were a drama or performance class, it might have been acceptable.
But it wasn't.
Even the few students who had initially held out a sliver of hope for Lockhart's teaching abilities had given up. Hermione's bright, determined brown eyes gradually dulled into lifeless, fish-like stares as the useless and tedious class dragged on.
"Honestly, Glenn, I feel like these Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons are just a waste of time," Hermione said, withdrawing her gaze from the podium where Lockhart was enthusiastically performing. "He doesn't teach us anything useful. I really don't understand how the content in his books was even written."
Though Hermione could sometimes come across as a bit assertive, she usually chose her words carefully when speaking about adults, even when criticizing them—perhaps with a touch of sarcasm. But now, she openly voiced her disdain for Lockhart, showing just how "successful" he had been in earning her disapproval.
Well done, Gilderoy Lockhart! A round of applause for you!
Glenn pondered for a moment. It seemed Hermione really didn't want to attend Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons anymore. Perhaps he could orchestrate an "accident" to send Lockhart back to the hospital wing for another month or two?
Of course, if Glenn decided to go through with it, he wouldn't tell Hermione. Just as Hermione understood him well, Glenn also understood Hermione. With her strong sense of justice, she wouldn't condone such underhanded methods, even if they were for her benefit. If he told her, she would undoubtedly be upset.
Since that was the case, Glenn decided to handle it discreetly.
Should he use poison? Or perhaps a disguised ambush?
No, that wouldn't work. Even though Dumbledore seemed to dislike Lockhart as well, he would never allow such incidents to occur at Hogwarts. Glenn would have to find another way.
So, it would have to be an "accident" then, wouldn't it?
With that thought, Glenn began silently brainstorming and simulating various scenarios in his mind, aiming to achieve his goal.
It had been a long time since his reincarnation that he had needed to strategize and plot against someone like this.
Glenn also understood that such things couldn't be forced. A perfect plan was never truly perfect; the best approach was to outline a general course of action and adapt to the situation as it unfolded.
What he lacked now was the right opportunity…
Hermione, noticing Glenn's outwardly calm expression, couldn't shake the feeling that he was secretly scheming something mischievous.
Call it a young witch's sixth sense.
"What's on your mind, Glenn?" she asked, gently tapping his hand. "What are you thinking about?"
Glenn replied earnestly, "I'm contemplating ways to make Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons more valuable."
Hermione: ?
What could possibly improve these lessons? Unless Dumbledore realized the current state of the class and promptly fired Lockhart, replacing him with a competent professor, what else could be done?
Hermione's straightforward and honest nature limited her imagination to such conventional solutions. Under Glenn's protection, she had little exposure to the darker side of human nature, and her thoughts remained untainted by malicious intent.
While this had its downsides, Glenn was more than capable of compensating for them. With him shielding her from the harsh realities of the world, Hermione could continue living a happy, carefree life.
All you need to do is be happy, Hermione. Leave the scheming to Glenn!
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