Gilderoy Lockhart had always been one to delegate teaching whenever possible.
For instance, the regular classes for sixth and seventh years were almost entirely handed over to the N.E.W.T. advanced students to teach. It worked surprisingly well, and by now, Lockhart barely showed up to teach the regular students himself.
But the issue Hermione had brought up was about something going wrong with the trial run of the Chamber of Secrets adventure at Hogwarts.
The initial setup was in a small valley near the Forbidden Forest, where an abandoned tower stood—perfect for the professors to transform into the needed setting. Since it was just a trial, Lockhart had only placed a single banshee in the scenario. For members of the Duelling Club who had mastered the Patronus Charm, or the top-tier sixth and seventh-year N.E.W.T. students nearing graduation, this shouldn't have been a challenge.
So how could something have gone wrong?
Puzzled, Lockhart followed Hermione and the others to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There, he spotted a group of young witches and wizards sitting in a corner, looking dazed and pale as if they were on the verge of collapse.
The signs of dark magic corruption were unmistakable.
Lockhart gave the group of struggling students an odd look, rolling his eyes as he turned to Draco Malfoy. "Didn't I say only the top students should take part in the trial adventure? Where did these kids come from?"
Draco smirked coldly. "Typical Gryffindor stupidity. These self-righteous idiots thought the professors' arrangements were unfair and demanded to join. Professor McGonagall admired their courage and let them have a go."
Oh, wow. Draco, mocking McGonagall too? Bold move, Malfoy!
As if on cue—because fate loves a good twist—Draco caught Lockhart's subtle glance and froze. He spun around, only to find an angry Harry and Hermione, alongside a stern-faced Professor McGonagall.
"It's their fault!" Harry snapped, clearly annoyed. "They drank Snape's… I mean, Professor Snape's Weakness Potion, and the antidote they brewed didn't work at all. That's why the banshee got to them!"
In other words, McGonagall's approval wasn't the issue—it was Snape's potion that caused the mess.
Then Harry felt Hermione tug at his sleeve. He turned, startled, to see Professor Snape himself standing there, his face dark and unamused.
Ha! Lockhart couldn't help but grin at the scene.
Okay, enough fun. The real issue was that this fell under his domain as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and he hadn't been there to oversee things.
"It's not a difficult fix," Snape said coldly, glaring at Harry. "I can brew a potion to purge the dark magic from their systems overnight. As long as someone keeps these fools from doing anything stupid until morning, they'll be fine."
Lockhart actually had a vial of that potion already—Snape had made it back at Urquart Castle to cleanse him of a vengeful fairy's lingering dark magic. He'd never used it, though. It was rare and valuable; Snape might claim he could whip it up easily, but outside Hogwarts, getting a potion like that would cost a fortune.
"No need for all that trouble," Lockhart said with a smile, stepping forward. "The potion ingredients are pricey. Let's not waste them. It's just a matter of a simple spell."
Purging dark magic was a common challenge for Defense Against the Dark Arts experts, and every master had their own approach. The most straightforward method was using the Patronus Charm, which was perfect for shielding the mind and countering dark forces with positive energy.
Simple for Lockhart, at least.
For young witches and wizards like Harry, Draco, or Hermione, using the Patronus Charm to protect someone else's mind was still beyond their skill.
Lockhart drew his wand, feeling the gentle breeze and the hum of insects in the Forbidden Forest, letting the environment guide him. He considered what natural elements could amplify the Patronus Charm, a technique he'd picked up from Dumbledore and Grindelwald's notes in Controlling Lightning. They both agreed on observing the surroundings to find factors that could enhance a spell—a habit that had become second nature to them.
It was one of Dumbledore's "little magical tricks" he'd shared with Lockhart.
What set masters apart from other wizards was their attention to such details in their spellwork.
Lockhart, who'd been immersed in those notes lately, naturally followed the same approach.
His eyes caught the dim, cloudy sky above.
Hogwarts had been stuck in a long, dreary rainy season this year. From his memories of another life, Lockhart knew this gloomy weather wouldn't clear up until the basilisk was dealt with.
He began with the preparatory movements for the Mind Connection spell, a way to strengthen his own will—another of Dumbledore's tricks. Then, seamlessly, he transitioned into the wand motions for the Patronus Charm, pointing his wand skyward without uttering a word.
No incantation was needed. Lockhart was that comfortable with the Patronus Charm, thanks to his knack for weaving it into fairy-tale-like adventures and a little help from his favorite student, Tom Riddle.
Soon, a soft drizzle began to fall.
The rain was unique, shimmering with the silvery glow of the Patronus Charm under the faint light of the sky.
From a natural magic perspective, light rain had a profound effect on the human spirit. Across the world, from Muggle to wizard, people often found walking in a gentle rain to be soothing and beautiful.
If Lockhart had to describe it, he'd say it was refreshing, like ripples in the heart.
It was a perfect match for the Patronus Charm. With his deep understanding of natural magic and the Patronus Charm, Lockhart instinctively chose this combination without even thinking.
The forces of nature and his own will blended perfectly.
It was his first time trying this, though, and he might've overdone it a bit—the rain spread across the entire Hogwarts castle grounds and the Forbidden Forest.
No big deal.
The silvery rain fell gently, cool to the touch, seeping into everyone present and stirring their hearts.
Even Hagrid, who'd hurried over with his strong magical resistance, stood frozen, gazing up at the rain with a dreamy look.
It felt… beautiful. Joyful. Light.
In that moment, Hagrid's panic melted away, like savoring a big scoop of delicious ice cream, leaving only calm and contentment.
He wasn't the only one.
Everyone—McGonagall, Snape, Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron—couldn't help but smile. The spell's effect reached every student at Hogwarts. Young witches and wizards ran out from the castle's shelter, laughing and playing in the rain, enchanted by its mysterious charm.
Merpeople surfaced from the depths of the Black Lake. Centaurs and unicorns emerged from the Forbidden Forest. Even the forest's ordinary creatures scampered out.
Beauty had taken form.
Lockhart could even sense the Forbidden Forest itself rejoicing, as if the rain infused with the Patronus Charm's power had revitalized it.
He tilted his head back, smiling brightly as the raindrops kissed his face.
This was wonderful.
Turns out, he'd already mastered the Weather Charm.
He thought of a saying from another life—"knowledge and action are one"—and suddenly understood it on a deeper level. Sometimes, you don't realize you've mastered something until you put it into practice.
In the magical world, it meant he'd been walking the path of fairy-tale romance all along, with magic ready to burst from his wand at any moment.
He also thought of the spells young Snape and Tom Riddle had invented and began to understand how they'd done it.
The principle was the same.
Nice!
The magical rain didn't last long—Lockhart was still new to this spell and hadn't fully mastered its finesse. But it was enough to free the affected students from the banshee's dark magic.
After checking on them, Snape found no lingering issues. Surprisingly, he didn't seize the chance to mock their shoddy antidote-making. Instead, he hurried to Lockhart. "What was that spell?"
Snape had watched Lockhart's Patronus Charm evolve into something extraordinary, but he hadn't expected this. Feeling the rain soothe his mind, he'd sensed a subtle difference between Lockhart's Patronus and his own—a clarity that highlighted the self-imposed limits in his own magic.
"That spell?" Lockhart paused, then grinned. "Let's call it… the Mind-Cleansing Rain Charm!"