Chapter 79 The Half-Blood Prince
Lockhart decided to turn up the heat on Voldemort.
He had feelings too. This old Voldy had tried to curse him to death twice now. Regardless of the reason, surviving two near-death experiences since his transmigration wasn't easy.
He was going to fight back!
He would continue his method of teaching young wizards: identifying a characteristic and finding a solution. Old Voldy's biggest characteristic was his immense influence.
He had ways to weaken that.
Using the opening of the Chamber of Secrets to spread the rumor that the "Dark Lord is going to purge traitors" was just the appetizer. That targeted only some Death Eaters and supporters. Now, he intended to completely tear apart the Dark Lord and his supporters!
This was where he needed to leverage his greatest skill—writing and making it a bestseller!
Bring me my quill!
A scholar's pen, a killer's knife!
Let me show you what a Ravenclaw can do!
He barely slept a wink. As he picked up his quill, ideas flowed like a gushing spring, words pouring out like a broken dam.
It was exhilarating!
Unbeknownst to him, dawn gradually broke.
"Gilderoy, I must speak with you!" The office door was forcefully pushed open. Snape, looking like he too had been up all night, his eyes bloodshot, burst in, clutching a parchment tightly.
Old Snape had already been worried about Harry's involvement in the adventure and had been up all night. Lockhart had mentioned going on an adventure during the Christmas holidays at the "Duelling Club" earlier, and Snape had thought it was wishful thinking for clumsy Harry to learn the Patronus Charm.
He never expected Lockhart to actually convince Dumbledore to make direct arrangements.
Now he was truly anxious.
He wasn't anxious for Harry. To be honest, his feelings for Harry were complicated—the child born of his 'white moonlight' and the man who used to bully him. It was hard for him to treat this child as his own.
He cared more about killing the Dark Lord to avenge Lily. This required Harry, the prophesied savior, and he absolutely wouldn't allow any accidents to occur.
But it seemed that one wave hadn't settled before another rose.
Early that morning, he saw Filch carrying a roll of parchment to post on the notice board. Curious, he inquired and almost lost his composure.
Gilderoy Lockhart!
How could this man cause so much trouble!
His preconceived notion of this academic peacock was absolutely correct; this flamboyant fellow always came up with new tricks.
The Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets Adventure?
Inviting all students to sign up enthusiastically?
Good heavens!
He laughed on the spot. He didn't know why he laughed, but he laughed so hard his breathing became ragged.
Snape had no doubt that the opening of the Chamber of Secrets was definitely related to the Dark Lord. This Lockhart truly dared.
But he clearly still underestimated him.
He looked at Lockhart, who was nervously trying to hide his manuscript due to the sudden intrusion, and suddenly had a bad feeling. Could this guy be stirring up more trouble?
"Gilderoy, tell me, what are you writing?"
Lockhart grinned, his smile radiant, brighter than the sun outside the window. "Good morning, Professor Snape~"
"I am not good at all." Snape stared intently at the manuscript in Lockhart's hand. "May I see it?"
This was unusual. If Lockhart, that peacock, intended to write something, he would undoubtedly want the whole world to know. Why would he be so secretive?
"You wouldn't want to know," Lockhart simply said.
Snape looked at him in silence.
Alright, alright, Lockhart sighed, looking down through the manuscript, pulling out a book cover, and handing it over.
Snape looked down and sharply gasped.
—Voldemort, the Dark Lord: A Pure-Blood Supremacist with a Muggle Father?
"!!!"
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his lips trembled, unable to form words. His eyes were wide, staring blankly at the large characters on the manuscript, feeling nothing but absurdity.
"Is this... true?" his voice was extremely hoarse.
Lockhart smiled sweetly and nodded, "He's the Half-Blood Prince, you see."
"!!!" Snape's heart tightened violently at that title, nearly crushing the manuscript in his hand.
That's why old Snape was reliable; he called Dumbledore over in no time.
When Dumbledore arrived at Lockhart's office, he even waved his wand to cast many privacy-protecting spells over the room.
"Tom..." Dumbledore looked down at the book title on the manuscript, his gaze deep, and nodded to Snape. "Yes, he is a half-blood."
Snape's voice grew sharp with excitement, pointing at Lockhart and shouting, completely unlike his usual self, "Even so, Dumbledore, this idiot intends to write this in a book and tell the whole world?"
"Why not?" Lockhart calmly invited them to sit. Mourning Myrtle brought three cups of blood.
Dumbledore was quickly drawn to this strange liquid, hesitantly picking up a cup of blood to examine it. "Professor Lockhart, I must say, your taste in food seems to have gone a bit astray."
Lockhart rolled his eyes. "Fountain of Life, as I've named it. It's good stuff, much better than Cockroach Clusters."
Old Dumbledore clearly didn't agree. "Cockroach Clusters have been a classic wizarding delicacy for hundreds of years. You..."
"Gilderoy Lockhart!!!" Snape suddenly interrupted their discussion, shaking the manuscript violently in his hand. "Do you know the consequences of publishing this book?"
Lockhart had an expression that said, Of course I know, no one knows better than me. "Of course, I know! Such explosive news will definitely secure my place as the bestseller for the next three years! Oh, what a bother, I'll never run out of Galleons."
"You will thoroughly enrage him!" Snape said, gritting his teeth, enunciating each word.
Lockhart nodded sincerely, then spread his hands. "And then what? Kill me? He's already tried to kill me twice. I don't think he'd spare me without this book."
Compared to Snape, Dumbledore was clearly thinking more deeply.
He couldn't help but recall Lockhart's earlier intimidation of Lucius and his brothers, claiming the Dark Lord would purge them. He had initially thought it was just a prank due to their conflict, but now, looking at this book, he immediately understood Lockhart's reasoning.
What would be the biggest consequence of publishing this book?
Likely, Tom would completely lose the full support of the pure-blood community.
They might still yield to the Dark Lord's power and his tendency for unrestrained killing, and some might even be willing to take a gamble, but the scene of unwavering loyalty, pouring all their resources, and mobilizing all their bloodline descendants to fanatically support him, would probably be very difficult to achieve.
Investing and completely throwing oneself into something were entirely different situations.
Then, one must not forget that the most influential wizard in society today was not the Dark Lord Voldemort, but Albus Dumbledore himself!
He not only profoundly influenced the British Ministry of Magic but was also the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards!
He had enough ways to thoroughly dismantle some of the pure-blood families' allegiances based on this, and enough ways to suppress some opportunistic investors.
In the end, what he would have to deal with would no longer be Voldemort with a large number of loyal followers, but merely a Dark Lord whom everyone despised.
Case closed!
Yes, he had to definitively close the case on Tom, to completely dismantle his influence in the public sphere!
Dumbledore smiled, looking at Lockhart. "Perhaps, I could write a foreword for your book?"
Wow!
A pleasant surprise!
Lockhart's eyes lit up. "Of course, it would be my honor!"
Insane!
Snape felt everything had become so unfathomable, watching the two men absurdly bond over publishing a book, then shift to complaining about each other's taste in food. He looked down at the manuscript in his hand again.
The Half-Blood Prince?
His childhood filter of mad adoration for his idol had shattered.
He actually deceived everyone! He was actually a half-blood, just like himself, despised by those Death Eaters?
Ha!
What could be more absurd than this?
Yet Lockhart, looking smug, pointed at him, saying with a smile to Dumbledore, "See? The effect of this book of mine will definitely be astounding!"
"!!!"