Chapter 93: Approaching the Truth
"So our Defense Against the Dark Arts class is a scam again this year?" Ron said, sounding exasperated. Last year, Professor Quirrell's class had been a complete joke—he turned out to be a servant of Voldemort, controlled by him. And now this year's new professor was also a fraud. It seemed there was nothing to be learned from this course.
"There's basically no one left willing to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, so Lockhart is the only option. Voldemort has his eyes on this position, and everyone else is too afraid to be targeted," George explained calmly. He understood exactly what had happened. It was a disgrace for the school.
"I'll continue tutoring you, just like I said last year. Soon, you'll be training alongside Malfoy."
"The professors are all afraid of Voldemort. Why not let George teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry suggested. Compared to Lockhart, he would much rather face Quirrell—at least Quirrell didn't constantly stare at him.
"My goodness, letting a second-year student teach that class would draw too much attention—absolutely not," George said. He had originally wanted to provide private Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons to more students, but at this stage, he was at the peak of his influence and growth. He couldn't afford distractions. This would be too conspicuous, and now was not the time to confront Voldemort directly.
"Does George really want Malfoy to train with us?" Ron muttered. The thought of training alongside Malfoy made him uneasy.
"You've built up a year's worth of progress. If you end up losing to Malfoy, I'd be disappointed. But at least losing to Malfoy won't get you killed. That's far better than losing to Voldemort or the Death Eaters," George reassured him.
After all, Malfoy's "meditation techniques" and Lucius's handling of certain private matters had greatly benefited George. Even if this was a fair exchange, George had to keep his promise and help Malfoy improve his skills.
That afternoon, Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts class made Harry, Ron, and Hermione all a little tense.
Harry felt uneasy. Lockhart seemed to regard him as a kindred spirit, no matter how unwilling Harry was to accept it. Lockhart would often pull him aside for private conversations, treating him as if they were alike—both seeking fame—and even shared stories of his past experiences. But Harry knew they were not the same.
Ron felt nervous too. On the way, he had seen Malfoy again. Though Malfoy didn't directly approach him, the hostility and provocation in his gaze were unmistakable.
A real confrontation was about to take place. Ron knew he wasn't as strong as Harry or Hermione, and that made him worried. He didn't want to lose to Malfoy. He wasn't afraid of pain or a few spells, but just the thought of losing to that smug face made him shudder at the thought of the embarrassment.
Hermione was also a little tense. She intended to carefully observe Lockhart during class and see if he was lying.
When Lockhart entered the classroom, Hermione signaled everyone to quiet down. He took Travels with Trolls from Neville Longbottom, held it up, and displayed the cover, winking at the class just like in the photo.
"That's me," Lockhart said, pointing to himself and winking like the picture. "Gilderoy Lockhart—Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League; five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award
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