HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

Hermione, clutching her bloated stomach, returned to the girls' dormitory in Gryffindor via a two-way teleportation array.

Because she had drawn the teleportation array under the bed board, she appeared directly from under the covers without alerting anyone in the dormitory.

After Hermione left, it was already past midnight. Teach Carr cleaned up the dishes, put on his dark red trench coat, and left the office.

Even an unofficial professor is still a professor. Now, as one of the Hogwarts professors, and someone who has had contact and battles with the Basilisk, he was naturally entrusted by Headmaster Dumbledore to patrol the castle.

Incidentally, besides the professors guarding the dormitory gates, the other professors were also patrolling the castle diligently.

With the ability to teleport instantly, Teach Carl wasn't worried about encountering the Basilisk again, so he began to patrol the castle casually. During this time, he met someone who surprised him: Gilderoy Lockhart.

Teach was quite surprised that Lockhart, a third-rate wizard with no abilities whatsoever, was patrolling the castle.

Isn't this guy the one who runs faster than anyone else when danger strikes?

[In the movie, Snape sarcastically suggested that Lockhart rescue Ginny Weasley, who had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets by the Basilisk. Lockhart, trying to save face, hurriedly accepted the task, then immediately returned to his office to pack his bags and prepare to flee.]

"Professor Lockhart, what divine courage do you possess to be patrolling at such a dangerous time?" Teach stepped forward and mocked him.

For those who are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, no one would have any goodwill toward Lockhart, who steals other people's experiences and conducts research.

Therefore, Teach Carr, like Snape, held Lockhart in utter contempt.

Lockhart stayed behind during the open lecture, and Teach knew he wanted to curry favor with her so he could use the Oblivion Spell to steal her knowledge.

After all, setting aside Teach's magic, the experience of studying abroad in pursuit of knowledge alone is enough to tempt Lockhart to commit theft.

Although these things were fabricated by Teach in order to get into Hogwarts.

Lockhart trembled nervously in the dimly lit corridor, startled by Teach's sudden voice. Realizing his lapse in composure, he quickly regained his composure and said with utmost ease, "Haha~, Professor Carl, the moonlight is beautiful tonight. Are you on patrol too?"

“Heh, Professor Lockhart, I must remind you that you are standing at a crossroads in the castle where there are no walls, so there is no moon for you to see.”

Lockhart misspoke due to excessive nervousness, and after being mercilessly mocked by Teach, he could only shut his mouth and laugh awkwardly.

But Teach harbored doubts about Dumbledore hiring Lockhart, this fraudster, as a professor, and now that he'd encountered him, he wasn't going to let it go. So Teach stepped forward, put his arm around Lockhart's neck, and asked with a sinister smile, "Professor Lockhart, do you know how much I hate that smile on your face?"

"Could you please stop pretending in front of me?!"

Upon being warned, Lockhart's smile vanished instantly, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Professor Carr... I don't know what I did to offend you, that you would treat me like this, a professor hired by Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Ha~ So you know to bring up Dumbledore, are you trying to scare me with his name?"

“Uh… Professor Carl, you’re joking. How could I possibly use someone else’s influence?”

Teach watched Lockhart struggle in his hand, then coldly asked, "Alright, enough nonsense. I want to know why Dumbledore would hire a third-rate wizard like you as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"I don't believe he doesn't know what kind of person you are."

Lockhart wanted to offer some excuses, but under Teach Carr's killerly cold and chilling gaze, he confessed. He believed that if he didn't say something, his life would be in danger.

Lockhart had only ever seen that look in Teach's eyes on ruthless dark wizards, so he had no doubt about his judgment.

"Well... actually, when Dumbledore came to me and asked me to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I was very reluctant. Every wizard knows that this position is cursed by the 'Mysterious Man,' and I don't want to lose my life."

"But Dumbledore ruthlessly threatened me, saying that if I didn't comply, he would expose my dirty secrets and ruin my reputation."

"But he also gave me a benefit, which was fame. During that year, Dumbledore said he would protect me as long as I didn't do anything reckless, allowing me to get through the year smoothly."

"As you should know, having become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, and unsurprisingly, I will use that as a publicity stunt to proclaim my extraordinary abilities throughout the wizarding world."

"Moreover, being able to become the professor of Harry Potter, the boy who survived a great calamity, would take my fame to a whole new level."

"But I know that Dumbledore couldn't find anyone else to be a professor, so he had no choice but to ask me to take the blame."

After saying that, Lockhart pleaded with a tearful face, "Professor Carl, I've been the victim from the very beginning! I was coerced!"

"So...can you let me go now?"

With his curiosity satisfied, Teach chuckled and withdrew his hand from Lockhart's, then straightened his collar, saying, "Professor Lockhart, I hope you'll have a safe and uneventful academic year with the Chamber of Secrets opened~ Hehe."

After saying that, Teach continued his patrol.

As he turned around, Teach's cold smile vanished instantly, replaced by calm: "You've got guts. More than half of what Lockhart said just now was an excuse and a lie to me."

[Lying to cover up the truth, that's interesting...]

"Then I'll wait and see what shady purpose Lockhart, this third-rate wizard, has in coming to Hogwarts."

......

Thanks to Snape's potion and the professors' tireless patrols, no more students at Hogwarts were harmed by the Basilisk in the days that followed.

Although the danger did not reappear, Dumbledore remained vigilant.

Fortunately, the winter school season is over, and the young wizards are going home.

With the students no longer a weakness, Dumbledore decided to conduct a thorough search of the entire castle to find traces of the Basilisk's rampage within it.

We also need to check the dormitories of the seven grades, hoping to find clues there to confirm who opened the secret room.

The little wizard possesses magical power; the 'Spotlight' spell should be very useful.

Teach Carr decided not to participate in this operation.

He had been away from home for a year and a half, searching for Nicol to avenge his mother Machi and to escape the Aurors' pursuit. After such a long time, he should definitely go back and visit.

Even if it's to avoid being discovered by the Aurors and not to get close to the hospital, it would be good to catch a glimpse of it from afar, or to call Uncle Corey Bab to let him know that I'm safe.

Because of the Muggle Dispel Charm, there is no telephone signal in the wizarding world.

After Teach told Dumbledore about it, he was given permission, since Dumbledore didn't have the right to restrict the professors' freedom.

Teach Carr was packing his luggage for home in his office when his apprentice Hermione arrived.

Upon learning that Ms. Teach was also going home, she happily suggested that they take the train back to the real world together.

If possible, she wanted to visit her teacher's mother, Hermione thought to herself.