"This is a contract, under the name of the Lockhart Confession Fund, to build shelters, magical schools, and medical centers for them in Africa, the Far East, and Northern Europe! It bears the handwritten signatures and seals of gratitude from local Ministry of Magic officials and beneficiaries! They have long since forgiven me and accepted my confession and compensation!"
"Some may ask, what about those surviving wizards?" Lockhart's voice carried a trace of "excitement." "They are not only alive! They are here, in this very place! They have also sent representatives, willing to step forward and prove my heart of redemption!"
The side door of the courtroom opened. Several wizards walked in. Their expressions were somewhat stiff, but they were properly dressed and their gazes were calm. At their head was the brainwashed Eastern witch, now given a new identity: the reclusive scholar, "Lady Lin."
"Lady Lin" spoke in a flat yet clear voice. "I am Lin Mei. Back then... Mr. Lockhart did indeed commit wrongdoing. But he found us and confessed his crimes. Not only did he provide compensation far exceeding our losses, more importantly..."
She paused, as if struggling to recall the implanted lines. "He brought hope. He proposed that rather than let the precious knowledge and techniques born from our fight against dark forces be buried with old people like us in the earth, we should... organize them, elevate them, and make them public for the common advancement of the Wizarding World!"
Another wizard, likewise altered, picked up the thread. "Yes! We put aside the hatred of the past! Because Mr. Lockhart showed us that personal honor and disgrace are insignificant before the overall progress of magical civilization! He brought about our reconciliation, and we jointly signed our names to compile that scattered knowledge into volumes, hoping