"Finally, class is over. That was dreadful."

Gilderoy Lockhart murmured to himself, gazing at the empty classroom bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

As a newly established course, Grammar lessons were naturally a bit shorter than others. Even with an average of two classes per week, the total time barely equaled a single Potions lesson.

With the sound of the dismissal bell, the first week of the new semester at Hogwarts came to an end.

From now until Monday morning, Professor Lockhart had some time to rest.

Of course, this only applied to his work as the "Grammar Professor."

As an O5 member of Destiny Group, and one of the few Memory Masters in the current magical world, Gilderoy Lockhart had another task from "Miss Fool" to complete: go to Academy City to learn non-magical knowledge and try to use magic to quickly imprint that knowledge into his brain, to see if it could accelerate learning.

The theoretical basis for this magic naturally came from the advanced application of the Obliviate charm: memory modification.

In fact, Eileen originally intended to hire some volunteers from outside to complete the experiment together, but Dumbledore believed that this would easily lead to ethical and moral risks, and even cause some extremely bad consequences.

Therefore, in the initial stage, Gilderoy Lockhart took on all the responsibilities.

Well, that was actually quite good – as both the caster and the receiver of the spell, his feedback would be more direct.

The only risk was that if Gilderoy Lockhart made a major operational error and accidentally erased or caused irreversible damage to his own memory, there would likely be no way to recover.

Of course, this small hidden danger seemed to have been unfortunately overlooked by Dumbledore and others.

Perhaps it wasn't entirely unfortunate...

Gilderoy Lockhart picked up his thick notebook and walked out of the castle, watching the carefree students skip past him towards the Great Hall to enjoy their leisure time. He thought absentmindedly, lost in thought.

"A step that will completely change magical education. I wonder how future generations will evaluate me if it succeeds?"

Even without much experience in education-related thinking, Lockhart was well aware of the impact that memory inheritance, this unusual teaching method, would have on the future – the amount of content that future students could learn in a single day might be more than what Hogwarts students learned in an entire year in the past, perhaps even more than a year.

Even if there was a difference between memory and mastery, it could greatly shorten the learning time for wizards.

And at that time, the meaning and requirements of the word "professor" and the position in magical schools might not be simply divided into explaining textbooks, standardizing operation methods, and training posture pronunciation.

Complete, systematic knowledge input, and comprehensive memory activation and mastery, both were indispensable.

"Hey! I am a professor at Hogwarts, you guys! Don't... don't do that! You can ask any student or professor in the castle, they all know me. I was here last year – let me go –"

"Oh, a wizard? Then show us some magic."

Just then, a commotion erupted not far in front of Gilderoy Lockhart.

It was accompanied by some scuffling and the sound of robes tearing, as if people were fighting over autographed books at a signing event.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Gilderoy Lockhart's thoughts were interrupted by the noise. He frowned, looked up, and glanced forward.

Unknowingly, he had already reached the castle gates.

Standing in front of him was a thin, young wizard. His shiny bald head gleamed like a mirror under the magical torches beside the Hogwarts iron gates. The man's pale cheeks were also a little red, whether from the reflection of the firelight, the embarrassment of being stopped at the school gate as a suspicious person, or both.

Bald head, haggard face, wrinkled black wizard's robes...

After looking at him for a while, Gilderoy Lockhart suddenly recalled a name.

"... Hmm? Wait, aren't you... Quirinus Quirrell?"

"You're – Lockhart, that legendary Ravenclaw... uh... the special Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart? What are you doing at Hogwarts? I thought you were traveling the world and writing after graduation?"

The young wizard was Quirinus Quirrell, who had just been discharged from the Salzburg Hospital.

Having lost his magic, he could only travel by Floo Powder or Portkey. He couldn't use magic-driven tools like brooms. Quirrell realized for the first time how difficult it was to get to Hogwarts.

He finally managed to walk from Hogsmeade to the Hogwarts entrance, dragging a large suitcase. Before he could step through the gates flanked by winged boar statues, he was surrounded by a group of Muggle madwomen calling themselves "Hogwarts-Academy City Researchers," and was almost turned over to the temporary security point next door.

"Professor Lockhart, is this gentleman... well, is he really a professor at Hogwarts?"

Arkhipovna, wearing a white coat, crossed her arms and looked at Quirrell suspiciously.

As the researcher working with Lockhart, she had carefully reviewed the latest faculty roster of Hogwarts. In Arkhipovna's memory, there was no such thin, pale wizard.

More precisely... she doubted whether this man was even a wizard.

After all, if this young man was really the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at that magical school, as he claimed, how could he not cast even the most basic spell?

"Oh, of course, of course –"

Lockhart gave a bright smile and quickly walked forward, warmly patting Quirrell's shoulder.

"Quirinus Quirrell, the pride of our Ravenclaw! Although I was about to graduate when he enrolled, I still heard rumors about him even when I was outside. He's the only one in nearly a century who has stayed on directly after graduation. Even that cold new Head of Slytherin isn't as good as him."

"Is that so? But..."

Arkhipovna still looked at Quirrell with suspicion.

How could such a frail, balding, weak wizard be the pride of any house? If Professor Lockhart had arrived a little later, she might have beaten him to the ground and dragged him to the little black room next door.

Back in the Soviet Union, even the interns in the research institute were stronger than this guy.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Quirinus and I met when we were in school. I remembered his clumsy and naive look the moment I saw him... Ha! Povna, don't forget, I'm a wizard."

Lockhart winked mischievously and said with a smile.

"Don't underestimate a wizard's memory. If conditions permit, I can even remember how many sesame seeds were on a slice of bread in a breakfast from over a decade ago – Quirinus, you should still remember your dear old prefect, right?"

"Uh, Senior Lockhart..."

Quirrell glanced at the overly enthusiastic Gilderoy Lockhart and began to recall.

Quirinus Quirrell enrolled in 1981. In the winter of that year, Voldemort's seemingly invincible magic failed at the Potters' house, and he disappeared. Gilderoy Lockhart was already a sixth-year student.

As a popular figure in Ravenclaw, that year was also Lockhart's last term as a prefect.

However, what left a deep impression on Quirinus Quirrell was not the prefect's erudition or enthusiasm.

It was more the dramatic methods that shocked all the Hogwarts teachers and students, the damned desire to show off, and the unprecedented ability to cause trouble – perhaps only second to Eileen last year.

In Quirinus Quirrell's memory...

Gilderoy Lockhart once carved his name in 20-foot-long letters on the Quidditch pitch (which earned him a week's detention), projected his own portrait into the sky like the Dark Mark, and sent himself eight hundred Valentine's Day cards, forcing the cancellation of breakfast because a large amount of owl droppings and feathers had fallen into the cereal.

As a Ravenclaw freshman that year, most of Quirrell's shameful experiences occurred during that time.

When Gilderoy Lockhart graduated from Hogwarts, almost the entire school breathed a sigh of relief.

"In short, sorry, Povna... I probably won't be able to come and cooperate with the research tonight."

Lockhart sighed helplessly and briefly explained to Arkhipovna – mainly about how he had to temporarily "coo coo" one day of "non-magical world learning" to guide a new colleague.

After these few days of getting along, he found that these researchers were not as difficult to deal with as he had imagined.

Apart from being a bit stubbornly academic, they were much better than most Muggles. As long as he could explain magic and life problems, they could mostly accept them quickly and propose some feasible solutions.

For example...

"Alright, then I'll organize the lecture notes and give them to you later."

Arkhipovna nodded noncommittally and released her right hand from Quirrell's collar.

"But I'll say this in advance, I'll write today's leave record into the experiment log as one of the reference factors for subsequent memory recording tests. If you have any extra time or experience to invest later, please tell me truthfully."

"No problem, I'll make it up tomorrow, definitely make it up."

Gilderoy Lockhart watched the departing former Soviet female scientist and breathed a sigh of relief.

He never expected that after so many years of graduation, he would re-experience the feeling of asking for leave when he was in school.

If he hadn't run into Quirinus Quirrell, he really wouldn't have been able to find a suitable reason – in Destiny Group's wiB action guidelines, the consequences of lying are quite serious... As for whether the reasons are sufficient, that's a matter for the subsequent review process. This level of skipping class would at most result in a slight deduction of salary and a few more tasks.

As a senior member of Destiny Group, Gilderoy Lockhart was becoming more and more accurate in grasping the scale in this regard.

"Let's go, Quirinus, Hogwarts has changed a lot now."

Lockhart turned around and patted the shoulder of his junior, who was still reminiscing.

"... Huh? What's going on? Your expression seems a bit strange? Oh – I forgot to ask, what subject are you teaching this time? If it's Defense Against the Dark Arts, you need to be a little careful..."

Due to his youth, Gilderoy Lockhart was almost completely unable to integrate into the circles of those older people.

The appearance of Quirinus Quirrell was obviously very exciting news for Lockhart, reminding him of the good old days when he was still in school, guiding the freshmen.

Most importantly, as a loyal subordinate of the third generation Dark Lord, Lockhart was very clear about the personnel changes in the organization.

Quirinus Quirrell had not joined Destiny Group or the Special Containment Procedures Foundation... nor did he have any employment relationship with Gringotts Wizarding Bank – in other words, he was a "ordinary wizard" as blank as a sheet of paper.

Apart from those intricate Dark Lord forces, Lockhart hoped to have a "normal" ordinary friend.

"Muggle Studies."

Quirrell, who had just freed himself from a female bear, was very tired. He answered casually.

"As for why I didn't cast a spell: First, she's a Muggle. According to the *International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy*, I shouldn't do that. Second, in order to better understand the lives of Muggles, I decided to avoid casting spells as much as possible."

The fact that he had lost his magical abilities was not yet known to many wizards.

According to the advice of Eileen, Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and others, this was clearly the most appropriate excuse.

After all, Quirinus Quirrell had previously taken a year off to explore the Albanian Black Forest in order to obtain practical materials for Defense Against the Dark Arts, so this performance art for Muggle Studies was also reasonable.

After a slight pause, Quirinus Quirrell raised his third finger and said calmly.

"Third, this is the gate of Hogwarts. As long as I take a step forward, she will trigger an expulsion curse."

"But you didn't seem to be able to move forward just now..."

Gilderoy Lockhart glanced at Quirrell's wrinkled robe collar, shook his head, and said with a somewhat mischievous smile.

"Quirinus, Quirinus, Quirinus."

Quirrell glanced at the senior student next to him, who had been a bit strange since school, and didn't reply.

In fact, he just wanted to get back to the castle as soon as possible and ask Albus Dumbledore about everything – whether it was the changes in Hogwarts or his subsequent arrangements, he had too many doubts.

"Oh, of course, I completely understand. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Gilderoy Lockhart reached out and grabbed his shoulder, showing a kind expression like an older brother.

"But I have to warn you, you'd better not have any thoughts about those women! It's not easy to find a partner as a professor at Hogwarts, I understand you – young people are always impulsive, but those scholars are different. Your behavior just now was quite rational. If you hurt them, even I might not be able to save you."

"The current Hogwarts is very wonderful, thriving, and also very dangerous."

He winked kindly at Quirinus Quirrell, meaningfully and mysteriously.

"I know, I only hit. You may not understand this for the time being, but as someone who has been through it, I can give you some advice: say less, look more, ask less. Ask me if you have any questions, it's always right."

"..."

Quirinus Quirrell rolled his eyes helplessly.

He had already decided in his heart that after rejoining Hogwarts, it would be best to maintain a non-interfering distance from Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. It would be best to find a way to remind those two Dark Lords indirectly.

After all, Quirinus Quirrell now knew too much dangerous information.

It was too unsafe to have such an unstable chatterbox wandering around him.

If Quirrell remembered correctly, when he was in the hospital, the young Gringotts goblin queen, the third generation Dark Lord, had promised that after he arrived at Hogwarts to teach and participated in the "Big Plan," she would specifically assign him a very reliable and experienced "Dark Lord Executor" as a partner.

On the one hand, it was to restore his lost power, and on the other hand, it was to serve as a bodyguard and guard.

Once that "Dark Lord Executor" was confirmed, Quirinus Quirrell's first request would be to find a way to keep this annoying Gilderoy Lockhart away from him... This vain former Ravenclaw prefect was simply a nightmare.

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Hooray~ Big chapter~ Big chapter~