A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Felix became serious: "What happened?"

He even suspected that Ron might have been discovered by Lockhart and taken away in one fell swoop.

Lockhart is, after all, an adult wizard, and being an adult wizard means that he has received seven years of complete magical education—even if his current performance is ridiculously weak.

However, it cannot be ruled out that he may have a very deep understanding of a particular branch of magic.

Hermione's words put him at ease: "Ron is fine now and hasn't been discovered. But Lockhart acted strangely during Friday night's detention."

"weird?"

"That's right, Lockhart suddenly jumped up and started yelling at Rita Skeeter at night. Ron said he'd never seen her like that before; her expression was terrifying," Hermione repeated Ron's description.

In fact, Ron was almost having a fit of madness.

Lockhart vented for over ten minutes, warned Ron not to tell anyone about what happened today, and then kicked him out.

"Hmm..." Felix pondered, from Lockhart's recent strange behavior to his encounter with the flustered Rita Skeeter, and the hatred Lockhart showed towards Skeeter last night...

On the second day after the Christmas holidays ended, Minister Fudge was injured while visiting the Basilisk. He happened to bump into a flustered Rita Skeeter, who was walking up from the castle's underground, in the direction that happened to be Lockhart's office.

He seemed to have figured something out.

It's obvious that she did something to Lockhart.

It's possible that the two had a falling out and then resorted to violence.

Lockhart has been experiencing memory problems lately, is irritable, and speaks incoherently...

So, is it a side effect of the Oblivion Curse?

Lockhart was cursed with the Oblivion Curse?

This explains why, more than a week later, Rita Skeeter made no mention of what happened that day in the newspapers, and even lightly let go of Lockhart, her arch-enemy.

He had only hinted that she shouldn't stir up trouble or distort the facts, but that didn't stop her from causing trouble for Lockhart.

This is not like that woman at all.

"So Weasley went to solitary confinement tonight?" Felix caught the key point.

Judging from Lockhart's behavior, he has clearly regained his memory. If Ron goes too far as to offer himself up, it's hard to guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

"No, he said he had a stomachache and asked Professor McGonagall for leave," Hermione said.

Felix nodded; this approach was quite clever.

Whether Lockhart discovers Ron's theft of information or believes Ron has seen too many secrets, he may take extreme actions.

"I understand what you mean. I will talk to Professor McGonagall and ask her to let me take charge of Weasley's confinement for the rest of the time."

"Professor, is this alright?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, there are no strict rules about how the confinement should be enforced, as long as I can come up with a suitable reason, such as that I urgently need some young wizards to test my new teaching aids." Felix blinked.

"Some minor wizards?" Hermione questioned the word "some".

Isn't this about solving Ron's problem?

"Yes, but we can't make it too obvious, after all, the investigation will take time. I plan to bring all the young wizards who have been recently confined here."

Felix looked helpless.

"Professor, the teaching aids you're talking about wouldn't be...?" The little witch stared at him wide-eyed.

"Oh, it's the one you saw during the Christmas holidays. But if you don't tell me and I don't tell you, how would anyone know it's already finished?" Felix smiled gently.

Hermione suddenly felt that Professor Hyp's smile was very cunning.

After she left, Felix fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he wrote his speculation on a piece of parchment, then waved his wand to summon his guardian spirit—a swift.

"Dumbledore, I think you need to take a look at this."

A small, silver swift, carrying a rolled-up piece of parchment in its beak, flapped its wings and flew out the window.

Felix casually tapped his fingers on the table, "tap tap, tap tap." Just a few minutes later, a phoenix with golden and red feathers suddenly appeared in his room.

It held a small note in its paw, which read—

"Please hand the data to Fox, and leave the rest to me."

After seeing Fox off, Felix watched curiously as it disappeared.

The phoenix truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier magical creature; its many amazing talents made him very eager to study it.

The next morning, Felix found Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall was very supportive when he mentioned that his research on his new teaching aids was at a critical juncture and that he needed the help of some students.

"Should I arrange for a Gryffindor student to help?"

"No, let me handle all the young wizards currently in confinement. It'll be good for them to participate in the process and learn something," Felix suggested.

Professor McGonagall agreed with almost no effort.

She handed Felix a list. "This is the latest list of students in solitary confinement. They're all here."

He politely said goodbye and left.

On the way, Felix ran into Percy Weasley in a flowerbed, and he happened to remember Percy.

"Professor Hyp?" Percy looked at Felix somewhat guiltily; a girl was with him beside him.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Creward. What are you doing here?"

This place is really remote; few people come here normally.

"Um, Professor, Penelope and I... Crivat and I were on patrol, exercising the powers of prefects," Percy stammered.

"Can you do me a favor?" Felix looked at the young couple without revealing anything.

"Of course!" Percy replied.

Felix took out the student list. "Help me notify the prefects of the corresponding colleges for the names on this paper, and have them change their detention tonight and from now on to my office."

Percy nodded, and the two of them quickly left like thieves.

Gryffindor Common Room.

Yesterday, Ron stayed in his dorm pretending to be sick. To make the effect more realistic, he resolutely acted as the twins' guinea pig and ate the enhanced version of "Ice Rat". His face turned ashen.

It felt like I had been buried in the snow and ice for hours.

He actually got sick and spent the night at the school hospital; he just got back.

Ron was completely covered up, and he sat at a table with Harry and Hermione.

Ron asked in a low voice, "Hermione, did Professor Hyp really agree?"

Hermione said helplessly, "You've asked seven times already. Just this once more, yes!"

Ron said, "I really don't understand what happened to Lockhart that night? He acted so..." He paused, then uttered a single word, "madness."

Just as the group was discussing, Percy walked in.

He approached the trio and relayed Professor Hyp's message to Ron.

"Very good!"

Ron jumped up excitedly; his troubles were over just like that.

Whether it's Lockhart himself or his fans, he's finally rid himself of it all!

Percy looked at his youngest brother in bewilderment, wondering if the twins had made him stupid, since he was always locked up wherever he went.

It won't be a day less!