In a room, a handsome middle-aged man with golden curly hair sat in a chair, leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea, his face full of contentment. What a relaxing scene.
Yet within his blue eyes lingered a trace of anxiety—caused by the letter in his hand. On the back of the envelope was a large wax seal stamped with an "H." This was no ordinary mail, but an appointment letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
To:
Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart
Our school is honored to invite you to serve as the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. If you accept, please reply with the teaching materials you require and any other reasonable requests.
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
"Master, your pastries are here," came a fawning voice. It was Jim, the Lockhart family's house-elf.
With a creak, the door opened, and a towel-wrapped house-elf entered the bedroom carrying a large tray of desserts.
Lockhart frowned inwardly, silently cursing Dumbledore.
"Master!!!!! Are you unhappy? Is the tea not to your liking? Jim deserves death for angering Master!" The elf set down the tray, grabbed a nearby cane, and raised it to strike his own head.
"It has nothing to do with you. Get out." Lockhart snatched the cane back as he gave the order.
"Yes, Master. Jim will leave at once, Master."
So it seemed everything was a matter of fate. Refusing to teach at Hogwarts might let him avoid disaster for now—but once Voldemort returned, a famous half-blood wizard like him would certainly meet a grim end.
Lockhart was a transmigrator. His original name was Zhang Taye. After waking up from a dream, he had become Lockhart. Even he wasn't sure whether he had transmigrated into Lockhart's body, or if Lockhart had dreamed of being Zhang Taye. But all signs pointed to one truth: he was not from this world. The entire Harry Potter film series he had seen was real—and Voldemort truly was going to return.
It had been a year since he came to this world as Lockhart. Aside from continuing to write books to swindle money, Zhang Taye had also tried to develop his magical abilities. He discovered that Lockhart was not a useless fraud—he was actually a talented half-blood wizard. A graduate of Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts, he had been one of the most gifted students from the moment he enrolled, excelling in every subject.
Unfortunately, after graduation, he had not stayed on the right path. After briefly serving as an Auror, he left the Ministry of Magic out of cowardice. Relying on his superb Memory Charms, he deceived others and rose to fame as an internationally renowned figure and author: recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class; honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—known by everyone in the wizarding world.
Thinking about his identity, he couldn't help but admit he was a wildly successful fraud. He had never gone on real adventures, yet was hailed as the bravest of adventurers. He had never captured a single Death Eater, yet enjoyed immense prestige among Aurors.
Over the past year, in preparation for the worst, Zhang Taye had not only studied a vast number of magical books to build his theoretical foundation, but had also subjected himself to intense training.
"Survive! No matter the cost, I must survive!"
That was the only creed of Zhang Taye—now Gilderoy Lockhart. With his knowledge of the future, he prepared for danger in times of peace: reviewing all the basic spells expected of a Hogwarts graduate, and even learning combat skills and wilderness survival in the Muggle world.
"Since I know everything, I should be the protagonist!"
"Jim! Clean up—I'm going to practice magic."
"Master! Your most loyal servant Jim reminds you that your new book, The Magical Me, has a signing event this afternoon at Flourish and Blotts."
Damn—he almost forgot. Ever since having a house-elf, his memory had become rather irrelevant.
"Prepare my formal wear. The blue one."
Lockhart quickly changed into his robes and stepped into the fireplace. "Flourish and Blotts!"
"Over here, Lockhart! Give us a brilliant smile! No wonder you're the man with the most charming smile!" A reporter hopped around excitedly, snapping photos. Each flash of light was accompanied by a puff of smoke.
With his sandy-gold curls, bright blue eyes, and a dazzling grin showing twenty gleaming teeth, Lockhart was the center of attention at Flourish and Blotts today.
But his focus was elsewhere.
Why hasn't Harry Potter shown up yet? He should be here by now… he thought, smiling outwardly while recalling the plot.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd. With sharp eyes, Lockhart spotted a red-haired man grappling with a blond one.
—Though slightly different, it's finally happening!
"Hit him, Dad!"
"Stop it, Arthur!"
Bookshelves toppled as the two men struggled. The well-dressed middle-aged man broke free and fumbled for his wand.
"Damn you, Weasley… you traitor to pure-bloods! How dare you strike me!"
"Lucius Malfoy!" The other man also drew his wand. A magical duel was about to erupt, and the surrounding crowd scrambled to retreat.
Just as both were about to cast, Lockhart stepped between them, waving his wand.
"Separate!"
With a single spell, Malfoy and Weasley were blasted apart, both falling to the ground.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Whatever your grievances, must you resort to violence in a bookstore—a sacred place of knowledge? Even if you don't hit the children, damaging flowers and plants would still be unacceptable. The children are watching!"
Ignoring the fallen men, Lockhart turned his gaze to a black-haired boy with a lightning-shaped scar.
"Isn't this Harry Potter?" he said, stepping forward and pulling Harry out of the crowd.
"Is Mr. Weasley alright?"
"He's fine. That was just a displacement spell… You're Harry? Harry Potter? James Potter's son?"
"Yes, sir. You knew my father?" Harry asked excitedly.
"He was my bravest comrade! A true hero! He faced the Dark Lord without fear!" After all, James and Lily weren't around to deny it. "And your mother—she was a beauty."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Lockhart suddenly raised his voice. "Though today had some unpleasant moments, it is also a fortunate day! Our hero—the one who defeated the Dark Lord—Harry Potter, has come to Flourish and Blotts to purchase my autobiography. I am deeply honored—I will gift this book to him!"
Applause erupted.
"He doesn't know it yet," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake, "but he will soon receive something far more valuable than my humble work The Magical Me—a truly magical me! I shall become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts!"
The crowd cheered wildly as cameras flashed nonstop.
As Lockhart held Harry tightly for photos, he caught a glimpse of Lucius Malfoy out of the corner of his eye—quietly slipping a small yellow diary into Ginny Weasley's pile of old books.
So, giving that diary to Ginny had been his plan all along… not a spur-of-the-moment decision.