bacchusnovels Chapter 201 Clear Confusion
Chapter 201 Clear Confusion
Chapter 201 Clear Confusion
A resolute glint flashed in Filch's eyes. He took a deep breath and made a decision that could change his life.
"I'm willing to serve the principal," he replied.
In fact, Sean had already sensed something from his behavior today.
He realized that Sean's ambitions were far greater than the simple plans on the surface.
Behind Sean, there seems to be a more complex scheme and a far-reaching goal.
But what does all this have to do with him?
Before today, he was merely a warehouse keeper, an unknown Squib whom no one in the wizarding world would pay attention to. His life was uneventful, and his future seemed bleak.
It was Sean who gave him the opportunity to be a normal wizard.
It was Sean who showed him the many possibilities of the future.
Therefore, no matter how grand Sean's ambitions were, or how complex his plans were, he was willing to follow in Sean's footsteps.
Because Sean is his hope for the future.
"Very good, Filch." Sean nodded in satisfaction. "I like your straightforwardness; this directness suits my taste."
"However, you must understand that this magic potion is no ordinary item. It contains powerful magic, and I only have a few in stock. It's not something you can just get for free." Sean's eyes deepened, as if he were weighing something.
Filch's heart tightened; he could sense the weight of Sean's words and realized that this would be a test.
He swallowed hard, trying to remain calm, and waited for Sean to continue.
"I have something I need you to do to prove your loyalty," Sean said in a deep, powerful voice.
"What do you need me to do?" Filch asked eagerly.
"I need you..."
The flames in the fireplace leaped and illuminated two figures, their silhouettes appearing and disappearing in the firelight.
After Filch left, Sean was alone in his office, staring at the empty magic potion bottle in his hand, lost in thought.
Given his current somewhat sensitive position, anything he does will attract attention from the outside world.
Moreover, he didn't have time to supervise the production line.
He needs someone with industry connections and resources to do these things for him.
Who should we contact then...?
A name popped into his mind.
I've decided on you:
Lucius Malfoy.
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the sheer curtains and gently swept across the room, the whole world seemed to be bathed in a warm golden glow.
The sky was a clear, deep blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by, foreshadowing a sunny day.
On such a beautiful day, even the air is filled with a sense of freshness and hope.
Lockhart slowly woke up in bed, blinking his eyes as they adjusted to the gradually brightening light around him.
The blankets still carried a trace of the night's warmth, making him feel exceptionally comfortable and at ease.
He stretched, listening to the occasional birdsong coming from outside the window, and a thought suddenly welled up in his mind... No!
Where...is this?
He looked around, and although his photos were hanging on the walls, he had no memory of this place.
He put on his clothes and shoes, walked quickly to the window, and looked out.
What comes into view is the spacious Quidditch pitch and the Forbidden Forest, gently caressed by the morning mist.
This is... Hogwarts!
As a student who had lived here for seven years, Lockhart was naturally familiar with Hogwarts.
This place holds his childhood memories.
But at this moment, standing in front of this familiar yet unfamiliar window, a strange feeling he had never felt before welled up in his heart.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the doubts in his mind.
He clearly remembered replying to enthusiastic fans in his study at home last night, so how did he suddenly find himself at Hogwarts when he woke up?
A sudden knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
Lockhart paused for a moment, then walked toward the door, his heart filled with curiosity and a hint of unease.
who can that be?
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
Standing outside the door was a familiar face—Mr. Filch, who looked somewhat anxious.
"Professor Lockhart, you have classes for third-year students at Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw today. You're late, and we were worried something might have happened to you, so..."
"I have a class?" Lockhart's eyes revealed a clear sense of confusion.
"Yes.::" Filch said something else to Lockhart.
"What? Professor Lockhart has lost his memory!?" A gasp rang out in the Gryffindor common room, followed by a cacophony of voices.
"How is this possible?" Hermione's roommate Lavender said incredulously.
"Yes, I remember he claimed in class last time that he remembered every performance he had when he was a child," another second-year wizard chimed in, her brow furrowed, seemingly also trying to process this sudden news.
"Could it be some kind of curse?" Lee Jordan whispered, his voice tinged with unease.
"He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, so who could possibly harm him?" Lavender retorted.
"The monster in the locked room..."
"You mean the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts was opened, I encountered a monster and was so frightened that I lost my memory?" Lockhart, lying in the school infirmary, questioned Madam Pomfrey in front of him.
Standing before him were the four deans and the principal.
Upon hearing the news of Lockhart's amnesia, Sean urgently summoned the four deans to the school infirmary to visit Lockhart, hoping to obtain some clues about the monster in the locked room.
"It seems so," Madam Pomfrey nodded, confirming, "You have no external injuries, just like the other students who were attacked."
Lockhart's eyes widened in confusion. He pointed blankly to a row of neatly arranged beds next door, where petrified students lay, his voice trembling slightly: "Then why wasn't I petrified by that horrible monster like them? Was I just incredibly lucky, or..."
At this moment, Professor Snape, who had been silent and cold-faced all along, could no longer tolerate this meaningless self-doubt and questioning. He curled a sarcastic smile at the corner of his mouth and said in a mocking tone, "Professor Lockhart, I thought you would be like the characters in your books, easily dealing with monsters with a wave of your wand."
As he spoke, he glanced warily at Sean standing beside him and continued sarcastically, "On another note, if you were lying in a hospital bed with those students, you would truly be disgracing Hogwarts."
"You are the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."
"If you can't even run away when you encounter a monster, I really don't know who in this world could deal with it. Merlin himself, perhaps?"
Snape rarely spoke so much in one breath, his tone filled with sarcasm and dissatisfaction, and Sean naturally knew the reason behind it.
Yesterday, Snape had a heated argument with him over something, and the atmosphere between the two became extremely tense.
The argument had left Snape with a lot of pent-up anger and resentment, and now, facing the amnesiac Professor Lockhart, Snape seemed to have found an outlet, unleashing all the anger he had accumulated from arguing with him the day before onto Lockhart without reservation.
Poor Lockhart.
Lockhart chuckled upon hearing Snape's words.
Only family members know their own affairs.
He was well aware of his own limitations.
Encountering a monster and managing to escape is already incredibly lucky; how could you possibly defeat it?
At this moment, Sean, trying to smooth things over, asked Mrs. Pomfrey, who was standing nearby.
"So, last night Professor Lockhart encountered that monster, got terrified, managed to escape from it, fainted back in his office, and then woke up with amnesia?" Sean turned and glanced at everyone. "Is that a fair interpretation?"
Everyone nodded.
Although there are still many logical flaws, such as where Lockhart encountered the monster, why there were no signs of a fight, and why there were no other witnesses, it seems that there is no better explanation than this at the moment.
Professor McGonagall's gaze was fixed on Lockhart. He spoke slowly, "Professor Lockhart, can you recall any fragments from last night? Not all of them, just some. Perhaps you can remember anything unusual, or some unusual conversations?"
A look of confusion crossed Lockhart's face as he tried to recall last night, but to no avail. He shook his head helplessly. "I don't remember."
Professor McGonagall frowned slightly; she was clearly not satisfied with the answer.
She pressed further:
"You don't remember anything at all? Not a single fragment, not a single detail, that reminds you of what happened last night?"
Lockhart shook his head again, his eyes filled with confusion: "I really don't remember." Then he covered his head and made a pained expression.
Seeing this, Mrs. Pomfrey quickly advised, "Professor McGonagall, the patient needs rest. His brain needs a break."
Excessive stimulation will only worsen his condition.
Professor McGonagall was filled with resentment and worry after hearing Mrs. Pomfrey's words, but she also knew that now was not the right time to press for answers.
She gave Professor Lockhart a long look. "If you remember anything, be sure to contact us immediately," she said, then sighed softly.
Soon, only Lockhart and Mrs. Pomfrey remained in the small compartment.
To allow Lockhart to get enough rest, Mrs. Pomfrey pulled the curtain down.
But the moment the curtain was drawn, Lockhart's eyes suddenly became very clear.
It seems that everything that just happened was just a pretense he put on to avoid Professor McGonagall's questioning.
For some reason, Lockhart felt a jolt in his heart whenever Professor McGonagall mentioned the word "locked room," as if he had missed some crucial information or that something important was about to surface.
This feeling made him both uneasy and curious. He tried hard to search his mind for memories related to the "locked room," but each time he came up empty-handed.
Lockhart began to wonder if he had ever really been connected to the "locked room".
Why does his heart involuntarily clench every time he hears this word?
He felt as if a secret was hidden in his mind, a secret about the "locked room".
And this secret is part of his lost memories...: