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Chapter 46: To Run or Not to Run
Waking up to see someone you love, who also loves you, is undoubtedly a blessing—Lockhart saw Pandora's beautiful face the moment he opened his eyes.
"Hey, Pandora, what are you doing here?" Lockhart asked, still a little dazed.
"Professor, you're awake. Are you alright? What happened to you yesterday? Why did the Headmaster ask me to give you sleeping draughts?"
"How many times have I told you? Call me Gilderoy. Has Dumbledore bewitched me?"
Lockhart tried to recall what had happened yesterday, and then—
The memories of yesterday—the frustration of being outmaneuvered, the regret of not discovering the enemy's plot in time, the fear of Voldemort's imminent return—all surged up like the most potent poison, forcing Lockhart to curl up to resist the pain.
"Professor, what's wrong? Have you fallen under a curse? I'll go get Madam Pomfrey for you!" Pandora cried out in alarm.
"No, just stay with me. I'm just feeling a little unwell." Lockhart grasped Pandora's hand.
In front of the woman he loved, Lockhart managed to remain strong. He told Pandora what had happened on the field the day before, as well as the enemy's plans. The more he recalled it, the more painful it became to realise that the enemy's strategy was flawless and his own side had no chance. He feared he would never sleep peacefully again if he couldn't turn the tide.
"Gilderoy, now that Voldemort has taken the lead, you must pull yourself together, or the enemy will be the happiest. Tell Grandfather everything; he'll have a way to deal with Voldemort." Pandora tried to reassure Lockhart, even breaking her usual habit of calling him Gilderoy affectionately.
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In the Headmaster's office.
"Cornelius refuses to acknowledge that the Dark Lord has returned," Dumbledore said helplessly. "And we really don't have any evidence. The only things we have are Harry's blood being taken, the boasting of a Death Eater, and the ramblings of a controlled Squib. Even I myself am starting to doubt whether the Dark Lord has returned."
"That stupid, cowardly old man!" Lockhart exclaimed angrily.
"Gilderoy, you're that old man's prospective grandson-in-law!" Dumbledore changed the subject. "I'm planning to bring Granger and the Weasley children into the Order of the Phoenix. I'll give them the address, and then after the holidays, you can pick Granger up and take her to headquarters to meet them. You don't need to worry about the Weasleys—we need to get started."
"Understood."
Lockhart walked out of the Headmaster's office in despair. The situation was exactly as it seemed; even if Pandora were to try persuading the Minister of Magic, it would probably fail.
Now that Voldemort was alive, terror and death were about to spread. Should Lockhart abandon his professorship and run away? He was originally free of debt, but now he had been dragged into the Order of the Phoenix and had a girlfriend. He couldn't just abandon everything and run away.
However, on the other hand, Voldemort had only just been resurrected, hadn't yet regained his full power, or gathered followers. Would it be too reckless to run away without doing anything? Lockhart struggled with his decision.
"Let's try one more time and see if we can change the plot. If we can't change the course of the next 'Order of the Phoenix' no matter what we do, then the plot is unchangeable. At that point, we shouldn't hesitate and should just run away."
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Lockhart decided to make one last attempt to change the plot. If he succeeded, he would be safe before Dumbledore died; if he failed, it would mean the wheels of the plot were unstoppable, and he would have to use a spell to forget everything and escape.
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