In the Private Lounge, Lockhart studied the copy of "Managing Emotions Starting Today" in his hands. The cover was made of ordinary material, the most commonplace of the commonplace, nowhere near the quality used for his own series. The cover design was ordinary too. They had invited a few bestselling authors to write endorsements, but the book really did look cheap. With so little care, no attention to detail, and no consideration for the reader's experience, how had it sold five thousand copies in fifteen days? Gilderoy Lockhart was baffled. Though those figures were still far behind those of his own series, they were nevertheless something to be proud of.
Could it be because the author had a special identity and was famous in the Wizarding World? Lockhart looked at the author's name. It was not a celebrity,
but a name that made him frown.
"Who is this 'Fragrant Mallow Achoo'?" It was obviously a pen name. Lockhart frowned. Deep down, he opposed the very idea of writing under a pen name. If he could not print Gilderoy Lockhart's name on the pages, how was he supposed to earn enough fame?
"I really don't understand why the manager made such a fuss about telling me, 'This is a magical book.' Oh, well, it's a day off anyway,
and everything's done. Let me see what this is all about." With a touch of disdain, Lockhart opened the book.
Prominent lettering instructed him to tear out the title page. Lockhart raised an eyebrow and muttered, "That's a good gimmick to start with. A pity this fellow used it first."
He tore the title page, and the sudden change startled him. Then he smiled. The book was actually beginning to transform. There was no mistaking it. That handsome, debonair face, which made one