The Novel Became a Sensation

Luke straightened his back and declared loudly like a soldier, "I assure you, Master, you'll have the latest intelligence!"

After saying that, he deployed every House-elf in the Castle as if commanding a military operation. They chattered about surrounding the headquarters of The Daily Prophet.

The method was clearly highly efficient. After finishing his morning tea, Moriarty received the latest issue of The Daily Prophet.

The headline was printed in bold black letters: "Gilderoy Lockhart's New Book, With Slytherin in Eastern Tibet—How Many Secrets of the Wizarding World Remain Unknown to Us?"

Moriarty unfolded the newspaper and read, "The beloved bestselling author Gilderoy Lockhart returns to Diagon Alley with a new book, holding a launch event at Flourish and Blotts..."

Below was a photograph of Lockhart. The Daily Prophet had reproduced Lockhart's entire speech from the book launch.

Moriarty read with great interest, as though he were watching a live broadcast.

Today, Lockhart wore a magnificent robe in every color of the rainbow, his hair styled into golden waves.

"I, Gilderoy Lockhart! Three-time winner of The Quibbler's Most Charming Smile Award—though I don't like to keep bringing that up. But did you know? Even Salazar Slytherin's last direct descendant praised my smile!

"Oh, oh! Wizards, I know you must find this unbelievable. Perhaps you think I'm a fraud, but no one dares make jokes about Slytherin—I mean Salazar Slytherin, one of Hogwarts' Four Founders! His descendant has survived and returned to Britain's wizarding world!

"Quiet! Wizards, don't act like Muggles who have never seen the world. Though when I first learned this news, my reaction was much the same as yours. Ha ha."

Lockhart mocked himself, drawing empathy from most of the wizards. He flashed his gleaming teeth, making several witches scream.

"But we are wizards! Take out your Wands, ladies and gentlemen!" Lockhart was the first to draw his Wand. "Oh, don't point your Wands at me. Let us raise our Wands and call out to Slytherin!

"Yes, that's right, you heard me correctly—call out to Slytherin!

"I know many among us are not from Slytherin House, but the reason we can learn magic and attend Hogwarts is largely thanks to Salazar Slytherin!

"When the Gaunt family died out, we thought Slytherin had no descendants left. When there were fewer and fewer wizarding families in Godric's Hollow, we thought Gryffindor's heirs would never appear again.

"But when I saw the Heir of Slytherin in East Tibet, China, I became absolutely certain that a new era was about to begin!" Lockhart's cheeks flushed red with excitement.

"Yes, yes, you guessed it—the Era of Revival!

"Please note, it is the revival of magic, not the revival of wizards!

"Believe me, within just a few years, people across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia... all over the world will cheer!"

"Do you think the name I mean, the name the whole world will cheer for, is Slytherin?

"No, no. The name they will cheer for is magic!

"Slytherin belongs to magic, and so do we! And Moriarty Slytherin is the one who will lead the entire world toward magic!"

Lockhart raised his Wand over his head and shouted at the crowd, "Now, let us call out to Slytherin!"

"SLYTHERIN!!!" The wizards shouted at the top of their lungs while waving their Wands, as though conducting some ritual.

A small number of wizards also shouted, "Moriarty!" Clearly, they had realized that the Heir of Slytherin was named Moriarty.

"Excellent, wonderful!" Lockhart clapped his hands in satisfaction. He took out his newest novel from the bookstore. It was of moderate thickness, and its cover featured an exquisite image of a gray-haired boy riding a Flying Broomstick and carrying Lockhart through snow-covered mountains.

"You may come and buy the book now. This edition of With Slytherin in Eastern Tibet is limited! One copy costs twelve Galleons and twelve Silver Sickles. I'll be here for three hours to sign books for my fans."

Lockhart winked at the witches, but the wizards had no mood to pay attention to him. They charged into the bookstore like madmen, and the crowd became packed and chaotic.

The wizards in the back had to cast spells on those in front to squeeze into the bookstore. Two Slytherin students even cast Dragon's Breath, summoning two black snakes.

Standing on a chair, Lockhart added fuel to the fire. "Has anyone bought the novel? You can see for yourselves whether what I said is true! I am willing to take responsibility for every word I've said!"

The crowd became even more packed. The first wizard to snatch a copy tossed a money pouch to the clerk, wrapped the novel tightly against his chest with his robe, and Apparated away.

Many wizards did the same, terrified that someone else would snatch the novel from their arms.

But even more wizards, especially the Little Wizards of Slytherin House, began reading the novel right there in Diagon Alley after purchasing it.

"Oh, Merlin!" A wizard who had read several pages covered his mouth and cried out, "Parseltongue, Slytherin staff! It's real! Moriarty really is the Heir of Slytherin!"

A group of wizards immediately crowded around to look, and cries of astonishment continuously rang out through Diagon Alley.

"Look here," a wizard said, pointing to a passage in the novel as he read aloud. "Moriarty waved the Slytherin staff, controlling branches to carve a Magic Circle into the snow. Lockhart realized it might be Slytherin family magic, and in order to cooperate with Moriarty, Lockhart bravely charged toward the Dark Wizard...

"Lockhart was facing the Dark Wizard's Wand, and a Cruciatus Curse was about to strike him when Moriarty roared, 'Ice Snake Dance'..."

The wizard swung his Wand forcefully and shouted as though he himself were carving a Magic Circle, "Moriarty defeated the Dark Wizard with a Magic Circle! I'd bet that was magic left behind by Salazar Slytherin!"

Many wizards echoed him. "That's right! It's not strange at all for Moriarty to summon ice snakes. After all, he's a Parselmouth!"

A witch's voice came from nearby. "Oh, Moriarty~ He looks so handsome riding a broomstick! He saved Lockhart! They're my two favorite people!"

She had already reached the part near the end. Tilting her head, she began to daydream. "Oh, I really want to see Moriarty riding a broomstick and playing Quidditch."

Several wizards held the novel as they analyzed it. "I believe what Lockhart said now. Who would believe Moriarty is only ten and a half years old?"

"If the novel didn't contain so many detailed descriptions and so many battle scenes, I would have questioned its authenticity without hesitation! But unfortunately..." A tall, well-dressed wizard shook his head. "The description of Moriarty carving the Magic Circle is far too realistic. Even the Magic Circles recorded in my family's spellbooks aren't described in such detail."

After hearing this, several wizards frowned. Looking at the novels in their hands, they suddenly felt something they could not put into words.

At that moment, the wizards who had Apparated away with their novels returned. They forcefully pushed through the crowd, and once inside the bookstore, their eyes were fixed solely on With Slytherin in Eastern Tibet. They made no effort to hide the fervor in their eyes as they took out trunks and began stuffing books into them!

"Oh no!" The well-dressed wizard suddenly had a flash of insight. "They were sent by the great families! The Pure-blood families want to seize all the novels so they can study Moriarty's Magic Circles!"

"Put that book down!"

The wizards erupted. They finally understood what that indescribable feeling had been. Though they could not speak Parseltongue, perhaps they could learn Magic Circles!

After discovering the value of With Slytherin in Eastern Tibet, some wizards began to believe Lockhart's words completely. But even more wizards charged into Flourish and Blotts once again.

Lockhart shouted, "Hey, hey! Mind your manners! I don't expect you to remain calm through the entire story, because I couldn't either. When I wrote it down, I couldn't control my hands—they trembled nonstop.

But I hope you can maintain a wizard's dignity. Don't scramble and tear apart this treasure like Trolls!

Look, now that you understand its value, you shouldn't destroy it.

Oh, damn it, you stepped on my shoe..."

Lockhart bent down to put his shoe back on, unable to suppress a smile where no one could see it. The wizards fighting over the books had been hired by the Fli Family; this had all been arranged in advance.

When they saw the manuscript, the Fli Family had indeed wanted to secretly learn Moriarty's Magic Circle. But after realizing they couldn't learn it no matter how they tried, they gave up and properly cooperated with Lockhart in holding the launch event.

Lockhart raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd. More and more wizards were arriving. The other shops in Diagon Alley no longer had any customers, and even many shop owners were fighting over the books.

Then he suddenly spotted Rita Skeeter. They both smiled.

Lockhart knew the novel had become a hit, while Rita remembered the gold brick she had received a few days ago. She needed to write a proper report.