--Little Hangleton, Yorkshire · The Gaunt Family Ancestral Home--
Tracking Lockhart's movements was not difficult.
Because of the Sacrificial Ritual, Lockhart did not travel like a wizard. He did not dare use magic that required precise casting, such as Apparition or Portkeys.
This was where magic's dependence on belief came into play.
Even if Lockhart still remembered the incantation and gestures for Apparition, he had already "sacrificed" that knowledge. So even if he could cast it, whether the magic would work and what effect it would produce were essentially random.
It was like when Lockhart had cast a spell on Harry's broken arm in the original timeline.
He had meant to mend Harry's bones, but instead removed them entirely.
That spell could actually be classified as dark magic.
The "Bone-Extracting Curse" should have been much like the Disemboweling Curse: an extremely vicious curse.
Lockhart cared about his reputation. He had come to Hogwarts to gain prestige and add a little more shine to his résumé.
That also meant he would never cast a dark magic spell on the wizarding world's "Boy Who Lived" in front of a crowd of students.
Besides, a practical, medically oriented spell like the Bone-Knitting Charm was not difficult. At the very least, it fell within Hogwarts' curriculum.
Lockhart certainly would not have got the incantation wrong.
What was more, Lockhart had been in Ravenclaw House during his time at Hogwarts, a gathering place for relentless overachievers.
He certainly would not have made such an elementary mistake.
That also meant Lockhart genuinely could not control the effects of any magic other than Memory Magic.
He was just like a beginner.
This was what happened when someone lacked firm conviction and did not have enough "belief" in their magic.
Wasn't Harry's classmate who liked blowing up the