Chapter 134: Lockhart’s Demise
The familiar, ugly handwriting made Harry chuckle. As he stroked the script, after more than half a month of loneliness, he began to miss Hogwarts life intensely, missing his friends. The boy’s heart suddenly felt warm.
He gently broke the wax seal of the envelope, and as if handling a fragile treasure, he poured out a thick stack of paper within, unfolding it gently to read.
The opening was Ron’s complaint:
【 Glad to get your letter, Harry, you rescued me from hell. I’m using replying to you as an excuse to finally escape the clutches of Ginny, Mum, Vaughn, and Hermione. Merlin, you absolutely wouldn’t believe such a day would come – I actually think going out is a pain! 】
“Hermione?”
Harry paused, then remembered that before the holidays, Ron had mentioned Vaughn invited the Granger family to stay at the Burrow for the summer.
“Ah, have they gone already?”
He muttered enviously, and Harry continued reading Ron’s letter. Although there were a few complaints at the beginning, Harry could tell Ron was still very happy:
【 … We gave Hermione and her parents a warm welcome at the Burrow. Mr. Granger is a very gentle and refined man, completely different from my father. But when it comes to football, he immediately becomes excited and crazy. You don’t know, when I asked him if chasing a ball with 20 people on a lawn wouldn’t be boring, his eyes widened as if he wanted to eat me… 】
【 Mrs. Granger is very much like my mother, both enthusiastic about strange topics that make one question their sanity, and also keen on shopping… Fred says all middle-aged women are like that. I can’t imagine, will Hermione and Ginny also become like that one day? 】
The last sentence here was heavily circled in red ink, with a note beside it:
【 Ronald, you’re dead – Harry, please keep this letter safe for us and give it to Ginny and me when school starts. I hope you don’t even think about sacrificing yourself to save Ron! 】
Harry burst out laughing. He recognized the red writing as Hermione’s, her handwriting sharp and penetrating, as if it could tear through the paper. Harry could almost imagine Hermione’s gritted teeth as she wrote this line.
Ginny, also gritting her teeth, was probably standing next to her.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows behind the two girls. Outside, the wind howled, the reeds swayed in waves, and Fred and George zipped across the fields on their brooms.
Imagining it with envy, Harry faithfully followed Hermione’s “order,” folding the letter and saving it.
To be presented to the girls after the summer holiday –
It was Ron’s fault anyway, not his, Harry Potter’s!
Seeing Hermione’s handwriting, Harry looked at the thick stack of letters again and instinctively started searching.
To his surprise, there was indeed a letter from Hermione, and it took up more than half of the pages.
Unlike Ron’s dry writing, Hermione detailed her days at the Burrow, starting from the warm welcome from the Weasley family on the first day, and even included photos:
【 … Mrs. Weasley treated us to her improved “Vaughn Hot Pot.” It was a wonderful, unimaginable dish, like a pot of melted jade juice, coating each ingredient thickly. It was sweet and sour, with a hint of spice that tickled the taste buds. It’s said Vaughn learned this from a Muggle magazine, but I’ve never heard of it, and Vaughn himself didn’t seem to like it, which is strange… 】
【 The next day, Mrs. Weasley enthusiastically invited us to a unique wizarding family activity – chasing Goblins! 】
【 It’s said that to preserve this activity, Mrs. Weasley hadn’t cleaned the garden for a month, waiting for our arrival. My parents and I were very touched. 】
【 It was a fun activity. In the wisps of morning mist, we rode brooms, carpets （ (the Ministry of Magic has long banned these, but clearly Mr. Weasley didn’t abide ）), and Old Errol flapped his wings, driving the potato-like Goblins out of the dense bushes. We just had to scoop them up, shake them in the air a few times, and throw them far away… 】
Below this page of the letter was a photograph.
It showed Hermione and a red-haired little girl sitting on a flying carpet. They were waving their arms vigorously, almost blurring the objects they were holding high in their hands as they threw them far into the wilderness.
Beneath the blue sky and white clouds, they were smiling brightly. Even just looking at the photo, Harry couldn’t help but smile along.
【 … We went to Knockturn Alley, where there were all sorts of strange wizards. My parents were very scared, but Vaughn said not to worry. The truth is, Vaughn had a very high status there, and those people respected him, reportedly because of his identity as Potions Master. 】
This accompanying photograph was taken in a dark alley. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, wearing cloaks and hoods, were still nervously looking around at the camera.
Beside them, Vaughn, also wearing a cloak, was talking to a witch with a pockmarked face, occasionally turning back to comfort Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
【 On July 6th, Vaughn took my parents and me to visit a very famous celebrity. You would never guess – but I’ll tell you, it was Newt Scamander! My goodness, Harry, he’s the most famous wizard I’ve met besides the Headmaster. His 《Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them》 is simply the 《Encyclopaedia Britannica》 of the Wizarding World… 】
Hermione’s old habit flared up again.
She used three whole sheets of parchment trying to explain to Harry the achievements of Newt Scamander.
But those words would only make a poor student sleepy.
Harry had to quickly skim through it, turning to the page with a photograph.
The photo was taken in a vast grassland. Hermione, with an excited expression, held onto Vaughn’s arm. On Vaughn’s other side, a thin, shy-looking old man, holding a unicorn in one arm, was smiling and saying something to Vaughn.
Harry wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt Vaughn’s expression was a bit strange, and he kept looking at the unicorn whose mouth was moving…
On the other side of the photo, Mr. and Mrs. Granger were smiling foolishly, surrounded by a group of peculiar, fluffy-looking creatures.
There were also a few beautiful-looking birds, appearing and disappearing around them.
As Harry continued to flip through, one scene after another, which he had never seen before, gradually unfolded before his eyes through Hermione’s descriptions and photos.
Hogsmeade, the wizarding village very close to Hogwarts, which he had heard about for a whole year but couldn’t visit due to his age.
And Godric’s Hollow, England’s largest wizarding town. Harry had heard Dumbledore mention that the Potter family’s ancestral home was also there, but perhaps fearing he would be sad, Hermione didn’t mention it.
At the end of the letter, the photo showed a narrow passage with many fireplaces on either side. At the end of the passage was a vast fountain square, with a huge magical statue leaning against a large building.
There was no sky in the photo; everything was dark, as if underground.
Hermione’s description in the letter confirmed Harry’s first impression.
【 On July 13th, we came to the Ministry of Magic. It’s located underground in Whitehall, London… Normally, Muggles are not allowed in the Ministry of Magic, but Vaughn still brought us. I was very nervous for a long time, but found that no one paid any attention… The atmosphere here is incredibly disorganized. According to Mr. Weasley, the Ministry requires members to use fireplaces to commute, but few people follow this rule. 】
【 As the photo shows, none of the fireplaces were lit after we arrived… Yes, even Mr. Weasley usually Apparates directly to his office… 】
【 Well, the problems of the Ministry of Magic are not for me to worry about now. This will be our last stop. Vaughn brought us here because he happened to have some business to attend to. 】
【 Over the past ten days or so, I’ve come into contact with places where wizards truly live in this world. My understanding of the Wizarding World is no longer just from textbook descriptions, but from seeing and experiencing it firsthand. This has been a very meaningful experience. 】
【 Harry, I regret you couldn’t come see it… If Hedwig hadn’t been lazy, by the time you receive this letter, I should already be preparing to go home. Ron had mentioned wanting to visit you before, and I might go visit someday too. As for the specific time – guess? 】
Reading the end of the letter, Harry smiled like an idiot at Hermione’s rare playfulness. Even when he lay on his bed with the stack of letters, his lips were still curved into a smile.
It’s so good!
While feeling envious, he was very grateful for Hermione’s thoughtfulness. The combination of text and photos made him feel as if he had traveled around England’s Wizarding World with them!
Lying quietly on the small bed for a while, his thoughts stirred, the boy suddenly looked forward to his friends’ arrival.
Although Hermione was secretive and unwilling to say, Harry knew they would most likely arrive on the same day –
July 31st.
His birthday!
“I’ve received the letter. I wonder if Hermione has gone home yet? Is she already preparing my birthday gift?”
Harry thought expectantly.
…
But in reality, Hermione hadn’t left yet.
According to her plan when she wrote to Harry, she was indeed planning to go home on July 15th.
It wasn’t until last night that she suddenly saw in the newspaper why Vaughn had to go to the Ministry of Magic on the 13th.
【 Extra! Mr. Vaughn Weasley, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Level 2, and member of the Wizengamot, will convene the Wizengamot on July 15th to re-examine the eligibility of famous bestselling author Gilderoy Lockhart for a Level 3 medal. 】
Gilderoy Lockhart.
Hermione was not unfamiliar with this name. Before the holidays, she had heard Vaughn mention this name. It was the first time she saw Vaughn express such disgust towards someone.
Hermione had also looked into it later.
Behind that name were a series of titles that, at first glance, commanded awe and respect.
Internationally renowned bestselling author, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Level 3, honorary member of the Anti-Dark Arts League… In addition to more than ten books that had consistently topped the bestseller lists, bearing names of dangerous magical creatures like 《Vampires》, 《Werewolves》, and 《Trolls》.
If it weren’t for Vaughn’s expressed aversion, Hermione felt she might have also admired such a person.
And yet, facing someone with so many titles and seemingly high status, Vaughn was preparing to convene the Wizengamot to strip him of his Level 3 Order of Merlin!
Hermione was very worried about this!
So she temporarily postponed her plan to go home, intending to wait for the outcome – even though Vaughn had told her he had sufficient evidence and it would be no trouble to bring the other party down.
“But he’s an adult wizard, Vaughn. What if you push him too far…”
“Don’t worry, he’s just a cheat. Besides a memory charm, he can’t even beat a student!”
“A cheat?” Hermione’s eyes widened. “You mean, everything he wrote in his books is false?”
Vaughn scoffed, “The deeds are real, but the protagonist isn’t him!”
In fact, Vaughn initially had no interest in Gilderoy Lockhart. Before school started, Molly had already begun to admire Lockhart, and Vaughn had never said anything.
In fact, unless he specifically recalled, this name would be hard to find in his memory, because the guy was a complete waste, with no value whatsoever!
It wasn’t until Vaughn received the Order of Merlin, Level 2, that he suddenly took a dislike to that fellow.
The reason was that the other person also had an Order of Merlin.
To have the same medal as such a waste, even though their medal levels were different and the authority granted was vastly different, Vaughn still felt very displeased!
Since he felt displeased, he would bring him down!
With Vaughn’s current power, he could easily eliminate Lockhart without anyone noticing. However, that wouldn’t change the fact that a cheat possessed an Order of Merlin. To achieve peace of mind, Vaughn had to go through the trouble of completely ruining the cheat’s reputation!
On the afternoon of July 15th, Vaughn took Hermione to the Ministry of Magic again. Today, he had changed into a purple robe, making him look solemn and dignified.
Amelia Bones, as the head of the Wizengamot’s administrative body, received him. This witch, also wearing a purple robe, almost made Hermione mistake her for Professor McGonagall at first glance.
No, she looked even stricter than Professor McGonagall.
“Hello, Miss Granger. Welcome to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!” As she spoke the welcome, Amelia’s expression remained impassive, with no hint of “welcome” joy.
Hermione almost felt like a prisoner being judged.
She blinked and responded dryly, “Hello, Madam Bones （ Amelia is unmarried ）. I’ve heard Susan talk about you. She admires you greatly.”
Hearing her niece’s name, Amelia’s lips twitched, and her expression softened slightly. She instructed Hermione, “Vaughn has requested that you be allowed to observe. In principle, the Wizengamot does not object to ordinary wizards observing, but I also hope you understand that Wizengamot meetings are very serious occasions. There is no right to speak from the observation seats, so I hope Miss Granger will keep this in mind and remain silent throughout… Can you do that?”
“Uh… yes!”
“Very well!”
Amelia nodded and stopped speaking to her, leading the two towards the second floor while asking Vaughn, “Are you ready?”
Vaughn glanced at her and replied, “What do you mean?”
Vaughn and Amelia had discussed the re-examination of Lockhart’s Level 3 medal months ago, and Amelia had collected the evidence based on the information Vaughn provided.
Under normal circumstances, there should be no unexpected issues in this review, so Amelia shouldn’t have asked such a question.
Amelia didn’t answer, her face as stern as usual, as she led them through the corridors of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
It wasn’t until they reached a corner where no one was around that she lowered her voice and said, “I just received news that Fudge will also be attending…”
“… What is he doing here again?”
“It’s obvious he’s here to cause trouble,” Amelia said calmly. “For months, he hasn’t been able to catch W.A.C. red-handed, and some minor issues have been deflected by Barty Crouch. Our dear Minister has likely been holding a grudge and looking for an opportunity to cause you trouble.”
Vaughn chuckled, “So, he’s going to stand up for Lockhart? He should know we have the evidence, right?”
“Of course, but Vaughn, as the Minister for Magic, he has the power to be willful!”
Soon, Vaughn witnessed how the Minister for Magic could be willful.
The theme of this convened meeting was to re-examine Gilderoy Lockhart’s eligibility for the Level 3 Order of Merlin. However, as it might also involve examining Gilderoy Lockhart for crimes such as malicious use of the Obliviation Charm to attack other wizards and for illicit gain,
the meeting was held in the courtroom, rather than the large conference hall where the W.A.C. inquiry had taken place last time.
As the ultimate enforcement venue for the entire English Wizarding World’s laws, the courtroom was decorated in dark tones. The floor, walls, and tiered seating were all constructed from black marble.
Even the chairs were black!
Only the seat in the center, where the accused was questioned, had a high table made of natural wood. It was there that Vaughn first saw Gilderoy Lockhart.
The handsome wizard, with his big wavy perm, dressed in a vibrant and fashionable robe, who had won the 《Witch Weekly》 “Most Charming Smile” award five times, had lost that “charming” smile.
Lockhart’s face was pale, and large beads of sweat continuously dripped from his forehead, forcing him to constantly wipe them with a handkerchief.
He also saw Vaughn.
More importantly, he saw the coldness in Vaughn’s condescending gaze!
He tried to widen his eyes, as if to show some anger, grievance, or sadness, but under Vaughn’s gaze, it ultimately evolved into greater panic.
Others might not understand, but he, who had once benefited from Vaughn and W.A.C.’s popularity and learned about both in detail, understood very well how terrifying someone who dared to defy Fudge at only 12 years old was, and how powerful the influence behind him was.
Lockhart didn’t understand what he had done wrong to provoke such a formidable figure.
If possible, he truly wanted to say to Vaughn:
Sir, could you just let me go?
But clearly, no one present cared about his thoughts or his fear, including Mr. Fudge, who had decided to attend the meeting at the last minute to “support” him.
Cornelius Fudge arrived just as the meeting was about to begin. After some time, the Minister looked noticeably slimmer. His once ruddy face had thinned, vaguely showing some of the charm of his youth.
However, his once warm smile had completely disappeared.
Meeting Fudge’s gaze, and seeing his stern expression, Vaughn sighed inwardly with a touch of regret, then approached the Minister and smiled, greeting him, “Minister Fudge, you don’t look well. As you get older, you should rest more and not worry about everything.”
With faint dark circles under his eyes, Fudge forced himself to puff out his stomach, “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Weasley. I’ve been eating and sleeping well recently. I can still work for another 20 years!”
On the other side, ever since hearing the news from Amelia, Hermione had been nervously clenching her fists. Seeing Vaughn and Fudge confront each other, her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
In her understanding, the Minister for Magic still held considerable authority, and she feared Vaughn would be at a disadvantage.
To her surprise, however, those around seemed to see nothing. No one paid any attention to the two subtly sparring each other, not even Amelia cast a glance in their direction.
Time slowly passed. After a moment, the door to the courtroom was heavily shut. Amelia tapped on the table:
“Except for some members on leave, everyone is present. I declare that the hearing has now begun!”
“… Esteemed members of the Wizengamot, please look at this book in my hand, 《Wandering with Werewolves》, written by Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart. In this book, Mr. Lockhart ‘invented’ a spell called the ‘Man-Transforming Spell’ with great creativity.”
“According to Mr. Lockhart in the book, he used this spell to transform a raging Werewolf during a full moon back into a human…”
On the platform, waving his wand to peel words off the page and make them float in the air, Vaughn looked intently at the sweating Lockhart below:
“Mr. Lockhart, do you admit to having compiled this content?”
Trembling…
Lockhart’s teeth chattered. Under the gaze of a group of wizards in purple robes, he dared not lie.
“… Yes, I wrote it…” Lockhart replied, then quickly defended, “But that was fictional content, created for plot purposes—”
Vaughn ignored him and waved his wand again, peeling the words from the title page of the book –
【 This book is based on my personal experiences – Gilderoy Lockhart 】
Looking at those words, Lockhart was speechless. The dozens of Wizengamot members present exchanged whispers and murmured among themselves.
Vaughn loudly declared, “Everyone, the facts are clear. The ‘Man-Transforming Spell’ does not exist. Gilderoy Lockhart is an undeniable cheat. He fabricated a set of so-called ‘real experiences’ to package himself, using lies to deceive readers into buying his works. He even, during a book-signing event, suggested Aurors buy his books as textbooks for anti-dark magic operations!”
“He is not only a cheat but also insane!”
Hearing Vaughn continuously criticize him with increasingly harsh words, even though he was so scared he was about to wet himself, Lockhart still struggled to shout:
“You’re slandering me! Yes, I admit that 《Wandering with Werewolves》 had some rather excessive adaptations…”
As a bestselling author who frequently interacted with the media, Lockhart still possessed some cunning and was decisive.
Seeing Vaughn using the “Man-Transforming Spell” as an attack weapon and knowing he was unable to refute it, Lockhart immediately sacrificed 《Wandering with Werewolves》 to protect the interests of his other books: “… But only that one. For all other works, I guarantee the experiences are completely true, with not a single fabrication!”
He even cunningly added, “I am willing to take a magical oath in front of you all.”
Lockhart was not afraid of the oath because the experiences in his other works were indeed real, even if the protagonist wasn’t him…
However, an oath doesn’t care about the protagonist of the experience; as long as it’s real, it’s acceptable.
But to Lockhart’s surprise, Vaughn did not ask him to take a magical oath as he wished. Instead, he looked at him coldly and said, “I believe those experiences are completely real. There’s no need for you to swear, because there is a witness who can testify!”
With that, Vaughn looked at Amelia, “Madam Bones, and esteemed members, please allow me to call my witness.”
Amelia scanned the room and, seeing no objections, nodded and said, “Granted!”
“…”
Lockhart went limp.
When he saw a slow-moving, pale-skinned old wizard who looked nothing like a person walk out from the side door of the courtroom and take the witness stand.
He knew he was finished!
He remembered that old wizard, a lonely old man living on the Isle of Man who was drunk all the time.
A few years ago, when his career was at a standstill, he had unintentionally overheard the drunken old man boasting about his travels with a vampire in a pub on the Isle of Man.
The story was fascinating: a rare English vampire and a wizard, for various reasons, traveled across Europe on the same boat.
From initial animosity, they gradually fought together against the dangers of their journey, and finally, through hardship, they became friends. The wizard saved the vampire, and the vampire promised the wizard that he would never drink human blood again, but would live on lettuce.
Lockhart loved that story, he loved it desperately!
So he spent all his remaining money, bought a lot of wine, got the old wizard drunk, extracted all the details from the story, and finally cast an Obliviation spell…
It was from that day on that Gilderoy Lockhart’s name began to rise in the literary world!
It was a day worth remembering, so Lockhart never forgot the face of that old wizard, but he never imagined he would see him again.
Just as he had always optimistically believed his secrets would never be exposed.
But now, it was all over!
If Vaughn Weasley could find that old wizard, he could surely find all the victims Lockhart had Obliviated in the past few years.
Lockhart’s mind began to become hazy.
He looked on in fear and confusion as, just as he had expected, wizards and witches he had previously Obliviated appeared on the witness stand, recounting their experiences and presenting evidence.
He looked at the purple robes around him, and the looks directed at him growing more disgusted and cold.
He slumped in his seat, facing witness after witness and piece of evidence, not even knowing how to defend himself.
“…Thank you for your testimony, Ms. Williams. You may now return to the waiting room and await a satisfactory response from the Wizengamot.”
After escorting the last witness away, Vaughn turned back, his gaze sweeping over the people in purple robes, and declared loudly, “Esteemed members, the evidence presented thus far proves that Gilderoy Lockhart is entirely unworthy of a Level 3 Order of Merlin, his actions are a desecration of the medal and a betrayal of the entire Order of Merlin. Therefore, I propose that Gilderoy Lockhart be stripped of his Level 3 Order of Merlin and expelled from the Order, never to be employed again!”
The people in purple robes whispered amongst themselves.
Lockhart’s face was pale.
Fudge watched coldly.
The proposal was quickly passed, and Amelia, having received the unanimous agreement of the Wizengamot members, tapped her gavel and announced:
“Upon review, the Wizengamot agrees with Vaughn Weasley’s proposal to strip Gilderoy Lockhart of his Order of Merlin status, retrieve the medal, and revoke Gilderoy Lockhart’s political rights as a wizard!”
As she finished speaking, she extended her hand, and a massive scroll descended from the dome, slowly unfurling in the air.
All the Order of Merlin members present drew their wands and pointed them at the floating scroll.
“Seconded!”
The unified roar vibrated in Lockhart’s eardrums, even piercing his heart. He watched in despair as his name was erased from the scroll.
The Order of Merlin medal, which had always hung on his chest and been his greatest boast, automatically floated up and disintegrated into a shower of crystalline fragments.
Lockhart’s lips trembled. He knew he had fallen from grace.
Being removed from the Order of Merlin would be a stain on his entire life, and he would have no place to stay in England afterwards.
But Vaughn clearly felt that wasn’t enough.
Seeing the scroll complete its ritual and fly back into the dome of the courtroom, Vaughn stood up again and said, “Next, we need to deliberate on Gilderoy Lockhart’s crimes. The previous evidence has proven beyond doubt that Lockhart’s guilt is certain. For his own selfish gain, he cruelly attacked multiple wizards using the Obliviation spell, he…”
“Wait!”
A voice interrupted Vaughn’s passionate speech.
Lockhart, who had already despaired, suddenly had a spark of hope in his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.
It was Cornelius Fudge!
The entire courtroom fell silent, and everyone looked at Mr. Minister. To be honest, none of them were surprised. Having experienced the formation of the WAC earlier in the year, the Wizengamot members were well aware of the conflict between Minister Fudge and Vaughn and Dumbledore.
Vaughn also looked at Fudge, his expression calm: “Minister Fudge, do you have any objections?”
Meeting everyone’s gaze, Fudge stood up, his paunch making his robe fit smoothly and exuding an air of wealth. He smiled slightly, “Mr. Weasley, may I ask if all the witnesses you summoned were attacked with the Obliviation spell?”
“Yes.”
“Then, may I ask who healed them? As far as I know, the Obliviation spell permanently erases memories. Can you tell me which Memory Magic master intervened to save those poor people?”
Vaughn looked at Fudge and paused, then said, “I did!”
“Oh—”
Murmurs…
Accompanied by Fudge’s drawn-out exclamation of realization, all the Wizengamot members in the courtroom looked at Vaughn in surprise and whispered to each other.
