When the only person who can protect you has to stay in what you believe is the most dangerous place in the world, what do you do?
Lucius Malfoy chose to compromise.
Of course, in Gilderoy Lockhart's more romantic words, Lucius followed the guiding hand of fate, choosing to join the strong on a daring adventure.
He had no choice but to take the risk, betting that Dumbledore could truly keep the students at Hogwarts safe.
Even though young Goyle and Crabbe were lying in their beds, stiff as stone, their fates uncertain.
No one could guarantee that Voldemort would stay confined to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and not wreak havoc elsewhere in the world. If the Dark Lord was truly set on purging traitors like them, taking the kids out of school now might actually put them in greater danger.
And so, the sharp-minded Mr. Malfoy turned his attention to Lockhart, who was standing nearby.
He knew Dumbledore was reliable, but for those like him—on opposing sides, even enemies—that reliability came with a big question mark.
But Lockhart? He was different.
He was so powerful, having saved the three of them from the monstrous claws of the creature Voldemort sent to "cleanse" the traitors.
And he was so kind and upright.
Lucius hadn't forgotten how tense things had been between them at first—bordering on hostility, even. Yet, despite that, Professor Lockhart chose to set aside personal feelings and save them.
Not to mention, Lockhart genuinely cared for his son, Draco.
Lucius was well aware that Lockhart had only agreed to teach at Hogwarts under Dumbledore's persuasion, likely drawn by the fame of "the Boy Who Lived," Harry Potter. But when he took the young witches and wizards out for real-world experience, he didn't just bring Harry—he included Draco, too.
Maybe…
Maybe he was the one who could protect Draco at Hogwarts.
As Lucius Malfoy watched Professor Lockhart with a calculating glint in his eye, Lockhart was waving his hands animatedly, regaling them with a tale about a strikingly similar incident in Ouagadougou, the capital of wizarding Africa.
Old Goyle and Old Crabbe, worried sick about their kids, listened in a daze.
"It's all detailed in my autobiography, Magical Me," Lockhart boasted. "I provided the locals with all sorts of protective charms, and the problem was solved in a snap." (Canon reference)
"Nobody knows more about defending against the Dark Arts than I do!"
Protective charms were a massive industry in the wizarding world, woven deeply into everyday life.
When news of the Chamber of Secrets spread through Hogwarts, the first thing students did was rush to buy all kinds of protective amulets.
During one "Duelling Club" lesson, Neville proudly showed off his purchases to his friends: a sharp-pointed amethyst, a rotting newt tail, and a foul-smelling green onion.
Lockhart knew this field inside and out. In his mind, he could recall a dozen powerful wizards who, after leaving official institutions like Hogwarts or the Ministry, went into seclusion and made a tidy living selling protective charms.
As he often said, a wizard's strength wasn't in raw power but in mystery.
All sorts of magical objects genuinely held powerful enchantments, forming a subtle yet ever-present thread of wonder in the wizarding world's vibrant tapestry.
Old Crabbe, listening to Lockhart, clearly had something to say.
His speech was odd—only when he was worked up did he sound remotely normal. Otherwise, his voice was slow and sluggish, almost dazed.
Old Crabbe tried his best to tuck a blanket around young Crabbe on the hospital bed, but since the boy had been petrified mid-laugh, his awkward pose kept making the blanket slip off.
Finally, he gave up, smacking the bed in frustration before looking at Lockhart. "We… Crabbe family… in Białowieża Forest… have a…"
He gestured clumsily with his hands, outlining a large area, then held up two fingers and wiggled them. "Pufferfish…"
Lucius stepped forward, gently patting Old Crabbe's shoulder to take over. "Since the sixteenth century, the Crabbe family has been breeding a unique variant of pufferfish in Białowieża Forest. These magical creatures have a stone-like bone on their backs that effectively shields against full-body magical damage. It's an exceptionally high-quality material for protective charms."
Pufferfish: a dangerous magical creature with rainbow-colored scales, a round body, and two webbed legs.
They typically live in deep lakes, though merpeople consider them pests and often tie their legs in knots, letting them drift away with the current.
Lockhart was familiar with this creature. In his memories, one wizard he knew was particularly skilled at making fish stew and fried fillets from certain pufferfish varieties.
But a variant with a curse-resistant bone in its back? That was news to him.
Ancient pure-blood families always seemed to have a knack for digging up rare treasures over the centuries.
The real kicker, though, was Lucius's mention of "effectively shielding against full-body magical damage." That was huge.
The Basilisk's petrifying gaze, triggered by indirect eye contact, was exactly that kind of full-body damage. In contrast, something like Severus Snape's Sectumsempra curse caused localized harm.
"You're saying…" Lockhart raised an eyebrow, pointing at the two petrified students on the beds. "The Crabbe family has protective charms for this?"
Lucius nodded, then shook his head. "The bones of these variant pufferfish only retain their power for three to five years before they lose their effect. And the Crabbe family's breeding ground in Białowieża Forest was abandoned over fifty years ago."
He spread his hands. "According to the elders, they offended a Greek witch who cursed the place. They haven't been able to harvest a single pufferfish since."
"That's a shame," Lockhart said with a click of his tongue.
He wasn't familiar with Białowieża Forest, and his memories held no information about it. He was at a loss.
But Old Crabbe, suddenly animated, smacked his son's shoulder and fixed Lockhart with a desperate look. "Find the bone… save him… breeding ground's yours!"
Lockhart blinked, not entirely sure what he meant.
Lucius clarified, "Old Crabbe is offering you the family's breeding ground if you can break the curse and retrieve pufferfish from it. We only need two bones to save these boys."
Well, now…
Lockhart wasn't sure he could pull it off, but he caught Professor Dumbledore giving him a subtle nod from the side.
Was there a chance?
Still, he kept his tone cautious. "You know, the kids just need to wait patiently for Professor Sprout to grow the Mandrakes. Once they're ready, the Mandrake Restorative Draught will bring them back…"
Lucius cut him off. "I just spoke with Madam Pomfrey. She said those Mandrakes will take at least six months. Who knows what could happen in six months!"
They were about to be targeted by Voldemort as traitors. Death could come knocking at any moment.
And if it did, with their kids still petrified and completely unaware, who knew how they'd be treated?
Especially by certain Gryffindor enemies.
Those types loved to say that the children of evildoers carried the same dark, tainted blood—and they'd have no qualms about executing them under the banner of justice.
Lucius knew all too well the evil that lurked in some people's hearts.
Lockhart finally nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a shot. But I can't promise it'll work. I'm more of a Dark Arts defense expert. If it's a curse in the realm of Charms, I might be out of my depth."
He frowned, adding, "I'm also pretty tied up lately. Maybe the weekend—"
But Dumbledore finally spoke up, cutting in gently. "In two weeks, it'll be Christmas. We'll have a three-week holiday."
"!!!"
Lockhart shot him a strange look.
Old man, why do I get the feeling you're trying to get me out of Hogwarts for a bit?