Gilderoy Lockhart's immense popularity is undoubtedly due to his exceptional good looks.
No one can deny this, including Hermione, who went from being a fan to a hater.
As long as she doesn't speak or show a smile that disgusts or repulses her, she actually looks quite pleasing to the eye.
"What were you doing there?" Lavender grabbed Hermione's restless little hand. "Vincent has already done this to him, can't you have a little pity on him?"
"I didn't plan to do anything." She stood back, a little guilty. "I just wanted to go and take a look."
If possible, Lockhart's handsome face would probably have had a few more solid leather shoe footprints before he came in.
Vincent, after quietly explaining what had happened to McGonagall, thought this way, as did Fred and George, who were almost caught outside.
"The diary you mentioned..."
"Here it is, Professor." Vincent took out the Little Black book. "It's all blank inside. I guess it was hidden using some kind of special magic."
Snape peeked out discreetly.
The black cover is very old, at least thirty or forty years old.
Starting with an unsigned page, every subsequent page is blank.
He sniffed the air but didn't smell the musty odor that yellowed paper should have.
Moreover, the entire diary felt particularly sinister, as if something was hidden inside.
"Professor Snape, this is evidence." Vincent closed the diary, his eyes unusually wary.
Just based on what happened tonight, it deserves at least a hundred points, and this piece of evidence is worth at least 50 points.
"Professor McGonagall, I think it's best to leave it to you for safekeeping."
The diary he handed over was pushed back.
"No." McGonagall shook her head gently. "The fact that you weren't affected by the special magic it had cast means that you are the most suitable person to keep it safe."
Vincent understood immediately.
The Dark Magic cast by the diary not only has a hidden effect, but also a passive defense mechanism.
While it may not have a real-world impact, it will certainly have a psychological effect.
In other words, besides him, Snape was the most suitable person present.
If I hand it over, the facts will definitely be distorted, so I'll just keep it for now.
"Uh—uh—" Lockhart groaned a few times as he lay on the long table.
The back of his head was rubbed bald, yet he woke up so quickly.
Vincent quickly hid behind Snape.
"What's wrong with me?" Lockhart looked around in confusion.
First, second, and third-year students were all there, as were the professors and teaching assistants.
They all had their eyes on him.
There were concerns, doubts, anger, sarcasm, and resentment.
Under the gaze of more than two hundred pairs of eyes with varying emotions, Lockhart calmly rose and stood on the marble floor.
McGonagall asked with concern, "Gilderoy, are you feeling unwell?"
"I think it's excellent." He took off his tattered, gold-embroidered white cloak. "It would be even better with a glass of Firewhisky."
Vincent, peeking out with half his head, was utterly astonished.
Tom drained his life force, Sprout knocked him unconscious, then he knocked himself unconscious, and finally rubbed the back of his head bald.
It's one thing to wake up briefly, but to act like nothing happened is another.
His father, Eric, would be ashamed of his own physical strength.
No wonder Tom had his eye on this guy; he's practically unkillable.
"Vincent?" Lockhart strode toward Snape. "I didn't see you just now, I thought you weren't here."
"Ah—yes, I'm here."
He was about to give Vincent a warm hug, but the other man nimbly dodged it.
"Well, it seems you're still quite concerned about my Stunning Spell."
The students all thought of the Duelling Club after dinner.
To put it nicely, it's called seizing the right opportunity; to put it bluntly, it's just a sneak attack.
No wonder Vincent did this to him; it was all his own doing.
Um?
Lockhart doesn't know who?
Selective amnesia following a stress response?
"I remember announcing the club's closure, then going back to my office to shower and rest." Lockhart frowned then relaxed.
"Did something happen before I woke up?"
The four deans exchanged glances.
"Gilderoy, actually tonight..." McGonagall recounted what had happened.
She didn't reveal anything about the Chamber of Secrets and Tom, but instead blamed everything on a You-Know-Who caused the Acromantula to rampage.
"Ah!? This actually happened!" Lockhart was shocked.
He looked down and touched himself several times. "Has any of you seen my wand?"
Snape sneered, "You should be glad that your lost wand didn't cause any serious consequences."
"That You-Know-Who stole my wand?" Lockhart's expression changed drastically. "Hopefully he didn't touch my diary; I cast a delayed Fiendfyre on it."
Vincent immediately rolled his eyes.
If you can't even use Healing Charm that isn't too difficult, how can you cast a high-level Dark Magic with a delayed activation?
If you want your notebook back, just say so. You won't get it back anyway.
"Where is it?" Lockhart asked, sounding particularly anxious.
"I set a 30-minute delay to activate it because I needed to protect a list of members of the dark forces recorded inside."
He looked at McGonagall anxiously. "I'm not kidding, because only those people would want to mess with it."
"Hmph—" Snape sneered, "I don't believe you're skilled enough to learn Fiendfyre."
"I have it." Lockhart looked at the few students whose faces were filled with fear. "Fiendfyre cannot be extinguished by water; it will burn everything to ashes."
Unless a more difficult counter-spell is used, the only way to completely extinguish it is to wait until all the ashes have burned away.
The professors, including Snape, were quite surprised.
Although it was just a simple introduction, the fact that he was able to remember it means that he had some understanding of it.
Are you betting he's lying, and then actually delaying the release of the Fiendfyre?
McGonagall wouldn't dare, Flitwick wouldn't dare, and Sprout would even less dare.
"Only I can break that spell." Lockhart paced back and forth in a panic.
"Hopefully, that You-Know-Who has already left the castle with my notebook..."
Fear and panic spread among the students.
Most of the students' eyes were fixed on Vincent.
The diary was on him, and if Lockhart wasn't exaggerating, it would have been a disaster for them.
Perhaps only Dumbledore could completely extinguish the Fiendfyre, which burns everything to ashes.
But by the time he returned, half an hour had already passed.
If they didn't know about this, they wouldn't be so nervous now.
McGonagall didn't believe Lockhart's nonsense, but her first concern was for the students.
What is fake is fake, but at certain times it can become real.