"Everyone, please sit down! Everyone, please sit down!"
"I know you're all very excited to be in my class." Gilderoy Lockhart, with his gleaming golden hair and a winning smile, strode into the room. As he spoke, he winked dramatically at a lone girl huddled in the back row.
"Oh!"
Seeing the girl shyly lower her hooded head, Lockhart said with immense satisfaction, "Today's class will be as satisfying as ever!"
"Especially for... my fans!"
'What an enthusiastic person!'
The "shy" girl slightly raised her head, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes that sparkled with a hint of genuine envy.
Unlike herself... who had to sneak around the castle just to attend a class... She couldn't help but purse her lips and tug at her long silver hair, which was currently spelled to look mousy brown and was long enough to completely cover her pointed ears.
That's right, this student, dressed in a standard Hogwarts robe adorned with Ravenclaw's blue-and-bronze trim, was Professor Lyla Hamilton.
She was currently fulfilling the glorious mission Deputy Headmistress McGonagall had assigned her.
That was to audit how other Hogwarts Professors taught. It had to be said, Lyla felt she could never learn to be as cheerful and generous as Mr. Lockhart... He was simply too amazing.
'He can actually say those boastful things out loud without blushing!'
Don't misunderstand, Lyla had absolutely no intention of being sarcastic. She genuinely would blush and probably faint if she had to speak in front of so many students.
"Alright, my dear fans, do you remember the homework I assigned last class?" Lockhart said, clasping his hands together and looking at the students with expectant eyes.
"It was to read your book!" a Ravenclaw student quickly raised her hand and said happily, "To read your work, What is a Magic Array, According to Lockhart."
'Huh?'
Lyla, who had been a little worried about being singled out for not completing her homework, looked at Lockhart with some surprise.
'What a coincidence! Merlin be praised! This is the only book by Mr. Lockhart that I've actually read!'
"That's right, five points to Ravenclaw!" Lockhart nodded with great satisfaction, then scanned the eager faces of all the young wizards.
"So, from now on... it's pop quiz time!"
Hearing "pop quiz," Lyla subconsciously became a little flustered, especially when Lockhart walked right up to her, pulled out a questionnaire, and deliberately lowered his voice.
"You're not a fourth-year student, are you?"
"Ah... I..." Lyla awkwardly lowered her head, not knowing how to explain. 'Hadn't Professor McGonagall told all the Professors that I would be auditing classes?'
'Didn't Mr. Lockhart know?'
Lockhart indeed didn't know, because McGonagall could never have imagined that Lyla would willingly choose to audit Lockhart's chaotic class.
"It's fine, it's fine!" Seeing Lyla's intense nervousness, Lockhart was quite generous. He shrugged and whispered, "I'm so happy to have you sneak in to attend my class as an enthusiastic fan."
"I look forward to your performance~"
'No... I'm not here to... Mr. Lockhart!'
Looking at Lockhart's blindingly confident smile, Lyla could only hold back all her panicked words, lower her head, and accept the paper.
Of course, in Lockhart's eyes, this trembling behavior looked more like a young girl's starstruck shyness.
'What a cute fan!'
Lockhart nodded in satisfaction and then clapped his hands. "Everyone..."
"Ready..."
"Start!"
As Lockhart's voice fell, many young wizards began to write furiously.
This, of course, included Lyla.
This book, What is a Magic Array, According to Lockhart, was one of the very few books by Mr. Lockhart she had read. She had picked it up out of academic curiosity, and Lyla had a photographic memory for textbooks.
Especially for books with such deceptive titles...
Who did Gilderoy Lockhart defeat in the autumn of 1985 to obtain the legendary Magic Array scroll? Lyla wrote: Lyle Tread.
What name did Lockhart give to his favorite 'Smiling Magic Array' scroll? Lyla wrote: Lockhart's Smile.
What Magic Array scroll did Gilderoy Lockhart once leave in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts? Lyla wrote: The Magic Array scroll for maintaining world peace, it can make every Hogwarts Headmaster fulfill his duties diligently.
Lyla's blue eyes scanned the ridiculous questions, and her quill almost immediately wrote down the corresponding answers.
'These questions are really too simple... Mr. Lockhart really knows how to consider his students...' Lyla marveled as she wrote.
There was no complex theoretical knowledge or practical runic principles required, only simple memorization content. 'Is Mr. Lockhart testing the students' basic memorization skills?'
'I should also study hard and learn from this... When it comes time for my exams, I will ask the students if they remember whether Muller raised his right or left hand the first time he answered a question in the memory projection.'
In short, Lyla didn't spend much time finishing the paper. She even secretly glanced at the other students' papers... and felt slightly relieved when she saw that everyone had written a lot.
This way, her perfect paper shouldn't have too many problems. It would be terrible if she were singled out for criticism for not doing well on such a simple quiz.
Lyla estimated she might faint on the spot if that happened.
"Time's up!"
After Lyla had nervously recited her Magic Array Studies notes one more time to pass the minutes, Lockhart clapped his hands, signaling the end of the exam.
He slowly walked down the aisles and collected the test papers from each student, a brilliant smile plastered on his face.
'Compared to Mr. Lockhart, I sorely lack that smile and this hands-on spirit... If it were me, I would definitely wave my wand and use a spell to collect the papers, right?'
'Compared to Mr. Lockhart personally collecting the papers, magic seems much less friendly...' Lyla reflected on herself while carefully handing her paper to Lockhart.
"Lola Hamier?" Lockhart raised an eyebrow at the name written at the top. "What an interesting name."
"Ah... As expected of my fan, you answered very well..."
"Ah... Mm..." Lyla continued to respond to Lockhart by awkwardly lowering her head. Having not expected to write a paper today, she had panicked and written down the official alias Dumbledore had given her.
Fortunately, Lockhart didn't know about Lyla's real situation or her alias, so he only teased her slightly before walking back to the stage and beginning to grade the papers.
During this process, the students began to look at the massive stack of textbooks on their desks.
Presumably, these were Lockhart's other works.
Lyla, having no autobiographical works of her own, could only awkwardly lower her head, holding her Spatial Storage Book tightly and pretending to be reading it.
"Tsk tsk tsk..." Occasionally, Lyla could hear Mr. Lockhart smacking his lips in disappointment, and even gently tapping the desk with his peacock quill.
Each of these actions made her feel a little scared.
'Did I answer poorly? Or did others answer too well...'
Thump thump thump!
Lockhart gently tapped the desk, then stood up and said, "I'm very unhappy with today's papers..."
"It seems most of you haven't really read my works carefully," he said with a helpless, long-suffering smile.
"Some people actually don't know where I obtained my favorite Magic Array scroll, which I clearly mentioned on page thirty-two." Lockhart sighed dramatically. "Perhaps my work is a bit obscure?"
'Not at all, Mr. Lockhart... It was clearly very simple... Ah... wait!'
'He is giving the students an out! He is deliberately not dampening their interest in learning, ensuring their motivation and enthusiasm, and increasing their self-efficacy! He is actively reducing frustration and avoiding learned helplessness!'
Lyla was profoundly amazed by Mr. Lockhart's incredible understanding of educational psychology. 'I really haven't come to this class in vain.'
"Except for one person." Lockhart paused and then suddenly announced, "Only she remembers all my incredible deeds and has read the entire book!"
'Who is this person?' Lyla curiously looked around at the students. She guessed it definitely wasn't her, because she was actually unsure about quite a few things.
"That would be Miss Lola Hamier!"
'Who's that?'
Lyla first froze, then suddenly remembered something.
'That's me!'
"Please stand up, Miss Lola!"
'Ah, no! I...' Under the intense gaze of the entire class, Lyla tremblingly stood up.
Then... Plop.
"Mr. Lockhart, it's not good! Miss Lola has fainted!"
"Quick, send her to Madam Pomfrey!"