"Haha…"
Gilderoy Lockhart let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob, his heavily wrinkled face scrunching up so much that Eve suddenly thought he resembled a Shar Pei puppy.
"M-Mr. Von Draugr?" Lockhart stammered, forcing a smile as he cautiously tested his words. "You might not have heard yet, but once the holidays are over, I will officially be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! I'm sure we can get along splendidly, don't you think?"
"I already heard," Nolan replied coolly. Without warning, he pressed his unicorn wand forward again, making Lockhart jolt backward. "And I must say, I'm deeply disappointed in Professor Dumbledore's decision."
"This is the best decision!" Lockhart declared with his most dazzling smile, as if it might somehow charm Nolan into submission. "Perhaps you aren't aware of my achievements! I, Gilderoy Lockhart, am an internationally renowned wizard, a celebrated author, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class—"
"How wonderful," Nolan cut him off with a dry chuckle. "A man of great honor, indeed."
He finally withdrew his wand, brushing past Lockhart with an air of disdain. "I sincerely hope that, once we return to Hogwarts, you'll deliver an exceptional Defense Against the Dark Arts class," he added, his voice thick with sarcasm. "I'm very curious to see what exactly you plan on teaching us. After all, last year's Professor Quirrell was quite the disappointment."
With that, he turned to Eve and intertwined their fingers, leading her and the other two Slytherin girls toward Flourish and Blotts. They still had books to buy.
—
As they walked past a furious Daily Prophet journalist, the man suddenly shouted after them:
"I have the right to report and take photographs! The entire wizarding world is waiting for my firsthand coverage! And, for your information, Hogwarts students aren't allowed to use magic during the holidays—you'll be expelled for this!"
Nolan paused, tilting his head slightly before glancing at the man with mild amusement.
"I wasn't using magic," he said flatly. "Did you hear me cast a spell?"
The reporter opened his mouth, only for Nolan to raise a hand and snap his fingers again.
Suddenly, the unfortunate journalist tripped with a loud thud, his arms flailing wildly before he was inexplicably lifted into the air—his legs kicking helplessly as though an invisible force had grabbed hold of him.
The man let out a panicked howl, desperately grabbing at thin air as he dangled upside-down above the ground.
Nolan, watching with a neutral expression, muttered, "What a shame."
—
"Hoo…"
Gilderoy Lockhart exhaled, patting his heaving chest, before breaking into a forced, somewhat manic smile.
"Ah… yes… well! He certainly is a powerful young wizard, isn't he?" Lockhart said, brushing imaginary dust from his robes as he tried to recover some dignity. "But! I am absolutely delighted to be his future mentor! Under the great Gilderoy Lockhart's guidance, I have no doubt that young Nolan Von Draugr will become even stronger—not only in magic, but in kindness as well!"
Lockhart dramatically placed a hand on his chest.
"And perhaps, in time, I shall even earn the title of Hogwarts' most beloved professor!"
Outside Flourish and Blotts, Lockhart's adoring fans exploded into cheers.
None of them seemed to think that Nolan had just openly threatened Lockhart—oh no—instead, they viewed it as the gracious patience of a great wizard toward an angsty, rebellious young prodigy.
Just imagine—a temperamental, sharp-tongued boy genius, tamed by the wisdom and charisma of the legendary Gilderoy Lockhart, eventually growing into a wizard as great as Dumbledore himself!
The sheer drama of it made their hearts swell.
—
"My Merlin…"
Hermione clutched her chest, still trying to calm herself. "That was terrifying! Nolan seemed furious today! I don't know why he was so—"
"Honestly, Von Draugr's always had a bad temper. Didn't you know?" Ron interrupted grumpily, his voice tinged with jealousy as he watched Nolan casually hold Eve's hand. "I heard from George and Fred that he pranked Filch and the bat back in first year."
The Weasley twins, standing nearby, perked up immediately.
"Wait, wait, wait—did I just hear that right?" George's eyes gleamed with interest. "Von Draugr's got his eyes on Lockhart?"
Fred smirked. "I guarantee it—Lockhart's about to go down as Hogwarts' biggest kiss-up in history."
Ginny, curious, turned to them. "Why do you say that?"
George tapped his chin. "Well, Nolan is pretty self-absorbed—but he's fair."
Fred nodded. "He almost never badmouths a professor. We all know the bat's a nightmare, but even he said Snape's got real skill."
George shrugged. "So if Nolan Von Draugr hates a professor? Then that professor is definitely a fraud."
"Or a blithering idiot!"
"But why would Hogwarts hire someone incompetent…?" Ginny muttered in confusion.
—
Meanwhile, inside Flourish and Blotts, Nolan and his group had finally located The Collected Works of Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Eight books!" Eve sighed, flipping through the neatly stacked pile with a look of exasperation. "The owner of Flourish and Blotts must be thrilled. They're about to sell three hundred sets this year—more than two thousand books in total."
Alicia leaned in and whispered, "I'm starting to believe that rumor… You know, the one that says Flourish and Blotts has some shady dealings with Hogwarts?"
Nolan shrugged. "It's obvious. Hogwarts isn't exactly rolling in Galleons. They don't charge tuition, so how do you think they afford to hire professors? If they weren't taking a cut from textbook sales, they'd probably have gone bankrupt by now."
As he glanced toward the entrance, he noticed Lockhart had once again latched onto the Boy Who Lived, dramatically wrapping an arm around him while continuing his self-aggrandizing speech.
"At the very least," Nolan mused, "Gilderoy Lockhart's appearance fee must not be cheap."
—
With their books in hand, the trio made their way to the checkout counter—only to unexpectedly run into a familiar face.
"Malcolm?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "If you're looking for the Lockhart Collection, it's over there."
"Oh… uh, thanks, Nolan," Malcolm Baddock mumbled, looking noticeably uncomfortable. His gaze flickered toward Eve and Alicia before he quickly tucked something into his robes and hurried out of the store.
Alicia frowned. "What was Malcolm buying?"
"A monster book—probably for Care of Magical Creatures," Nolan replied casually. Then, after a moment, he shook his head. "Looks like even pure-blood families aren't doing too well these days."
Eve tilted her head. "Why do you say that?"
"I noticed the book he bought was secondhand." Nolan's voice was quiet, but firm. "The Baddock family doesn't have much wealth. That's probably why Malcolm didn't buy the Lockhart Collection—the new books this year are ridiculously expensive. A lot of families are struggling."
Both Eve and Alicia looked puzzled.
How could the Baddock family not have money?
Weren't they a well-known pure-blood family?
Despite their lingering questions, the three Slytherins finished their purchase and stepped out of the bookstore—
—only to be met with an absolutely bizarre scene.
—
"Oh, Merlin's beard! 3.5!" Alicia screamed, immediately diving behind Eve. Eve, in turn, clutched Nolan's sleeve, her fingers tightening as she, too, reeled in shock.
Because right in front of them—
Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy were rolling on the ground, locked in a full-body scuffle.
—
The entire Weasley family stood frozen in absolute horror, their mouths hanging open.
Well—except for the twins, who were jumping up and down cheering for their father.
Draco Malfoy, meanwhile, was busy arguing heatedly with Harry Potter in the corner—an unsurprising sight.
Nolan's expression remained neutral as he observed the chaos—then, after a brief pause, he murmured, "Maybe Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy have… some very particular hobbies?"
—
While the brawl continued, Gilderoy Lockhart bounced excitedly on his feet nearby.
"Quick! Get a photograph! This is perfect for tomorrow's Daily Prophet!" he announced, his voice positively gleeful.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, he declared, "Let's title the article—'Two Esteemed Wizards Engage in a Public Duel Over Gilderoy Lockhart's Autograph!'"
Lockhart clutched his chest with a faux expression of guilt.
"Ah! This is all my fault! I'm simply too famous!"
~~~-----------
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