He opened the book, its pages already covered in dense markings from his quill.
"Step one: break the ice with humor. When the atmosphere is tense, a well-timed joke can melt the ice in an instant..."
Beside it, Ron had scrawled a note in crooked handwriting: "Good! I'm good at this!"
"Step three: affirm the other person's worth. Let her know that you still recognize her abilities and accomplishments. Express your admiration with, 'Wow, you've done an amazing job with this!'"
His annotation read: "Right, I need to praise her food festival! Really lay it on thick!"
"Step five: show your support (even if you don't understand). Volunteer to help. Your proactive attitude is the best expression of sincerity."
Under this sentence, he had drawn a huge, lopsided five-pointed star.
"This is the most important part! I need to volunteer suggestions!"
He snapped the book shut.
The sound was full of ceremony.
He felt armed to the teeth with Lockhart's "theories."
He was no longer a reckless idiot who could only say sorry.
He was an "emotional master tactician" with a strategy guide in hand.
Taking a deep breath, he had an almost blind confidence shining in his eyes.
Watching him, Harry had already begun assessing the risks in his head.
The conclusion: a one hundred percent chance of catastrophic failure.
Still, getting it wrong.
Was better than doing nothing at all.
But he still attempted one last intervention.
"Ron... are you sure this will work?"
Ron patted his flat chest, the book tucked under his arm like a knight's medal.
"Don't worry, Harry!"
"It's written right here in the book. It's very magical!"
"Professor Holmes said that although Lockhart's been locked up in Azkaban, his books still have some value."
"George and Fred used to use this book specifically