A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 99: Handling

Felix Harp became serious. "What's happened?"

He even suspected whether Ron had been discovered by Lockhart and taken away directly.

Lockhart was, after all, an adult wizard, and being an adult wizard meant he had undergone a full seven years of magical education – even if his current performance was ridiculously weak.

But it couldn't be ruled out that he had delved deeply into a certain branch of magic.

Hermione's words put him at ease. "Ron is fine for now and hasn't been found out. But during Friday night's detention, Lockhart acted very strangely."

"Strangely?"

"Yes, Lockhart suddenly jumped up and cursed Rita Skeeter in the evening. Ron said that the way he looked was something he had never seen before, and his expression was terrifying." Hermione repeated Ron's description.

In fact, Ron was almost scared out of his wits at that moment.

Lockhart vented for over ten minutes, warned Ron not to talk about today's events, and then sent him away.

"Hmm..." Felix Harp pondered, connecting Lockhart's recent odd behavior, his encounter with the flustered Rita Skeeter, and Lockhart's intense hatred towards Skeeter displayed the previous night...

On the second day after the Christmas holiday ended, Minister Fudge was injured during his visit to the serpent creature. He accidentally came across the frantic Rita Skeeter, who happened to be walking from the castle's underground upwards, and that direction coincidentally led to Lockhart's office.

He seemed to have connected the dots.

It was clear that she had done something to Lockhart.

It was possible that their conversation had gone sour and then turned physical.

Lockhart's memory had been failing lately, he was irritable, and his speech was incoherent...

So, could this be the aftermath of the Obliviation curse?

Lockhart was hit with Obliviation?

This would explain why over a week had passed and Rita Skeeter had not mentioned a single word about that day's incident in the newspaper, even letting Lockhart, her arch-nemesis, off lightly.

He had only hinted for her not to create a rhythm, distort the facts, but that didn't prevent her from causing trouble for Lockhart.

This wasn't characteristic of that woman.

"So, tonight, Weasley is going to the detention?" Felix Harp grasped the key point.

Judging from Lockhart's behavior, he had clearly regained his memory. If Ron rushed to confront him, it was hard to guarantee that something wouldn't happen.

"No, he said he had a stomachache and asked Professor McGonagall for leave." Hermione said.

Felix Harp nodded; that was quite clever.

Whether it was Lockhart discovering Ron stealing information or thinking that Ron had seen too many secrets, either scenario could lead to extreme actions.

"I understand your point. I will talk to Professor McGonagall and take charge of Weasley's upcoming detention."

"Professor, is this appropriate?" Hermione inquired.

"Of course, detentions don't have strict guidelines on how to be carried out. As long as I provide a suitable reason, like needing some young wizards for testing my new teaching tools, I should be fine." Felix Harp winked.

"Some young wizards?" Hermione had doubts about the phrase 'some'.

Wasn't the goal to solve Ron's problem?

"Yes, but I can't make it too obvious. After all, the investigation will still take time. I plan to gather all the young wizards who have been given detention recently."

Felix Harp showed an expression of resignation.

"Professor, the teaching tool you mentioned, could it be?" The young witch stared at him with wide eyes.

"Oh, it's the one you saw during the Christmas holiday. But if you don't tell, and I don't tell, who would know if it's already completed?" Felix Harp smiled gently.

Hermione suddenly felt that Professor Harp was smiling quite cunningly.

After she left, Felix Harp fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he wrote down his speculations on a piece of parchment and then waved his wand to summon his Patronus – a swallow.

"Dumbledore, I think you need to take a look at this."

The silvery, small swallow held the rolled-up parchment in its beak and flew out of the window.

Felix Harp leisurely tapped the table with his fingers, "Tap-tap, tap-tap." Just a few minutes later, a phoenix with golden-red feathers all over its body abruptly appeared in his room.

On its claw was a tiny note that read:

"Please hand over the information to Fawkes, and leave the rest to me."

After seeing off Fawkes, Felix Harp curiously gazed at the spot where it had vanished.

The phoenix truly deserved its reputation as a top-tier magical creature; its various magical talents made him eager to study it further.

Early the next morning, Felix Harp found Professor McGonagall.

When he mentioned that his research on the new teaching tool was at a critical point and that he needed some students' assistance, Professor McGonagall was very supportive.

"Do you need me to arrange for Gryffindor students to help?"

"No, just hand over all the currently detained young wizards to me. It would be good to involve them in the process and let them learn something as well." Felix Harp presented his idea.

With hardly any effort, Professor McGonagall agreed.

She handed Felix Harp a list. "This is the latest list of students under detention, and all the names are on it."

He thanked her politely and left.

On his way, in a secluded spot among some bushes, Felix Harp encountered Percy Weasley; he had a vague recollection of Percy.

"Professor Harp?" Percy looked somewhat guilty as he looked at Felix Harp, with a girl standing beside him.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Crevette. What are you doing here?"

This place was rather remote and not commonly visited.

"Uh, Professor, Percy... I mean, Mr. Weasley, and I were patrolling. We were exercising our prefect authority." Percy stammered.

"You two wouldn't mind helping me out, would you?" Felix Harp looked at the young couple without giving away his suspicions.

"Of course!" Percy answered.

Felix Harp took out the list of students. "Could you inform the heads of houses for the corresponding houses about the names on this list? Ask them to change the detentions for tonight and afterward to my office."

Percy nodded, and the two of them swiftly departed like co-conspirators.

Gryffindor Common Room.

Yesterday, Ron had stayed in the dormitory the whole time, pretending to be sick. To make the effect more convincing, he had boldly taken the enhanced version of 'Ice Mice,' and his face turned a deep shade of blue.

He looked as if he had been buried in icy snow for hours.

In the end, he had indeed fallen ill and had spent the night in the infirmary. He had just returned.

Ron was wrapped up tightly, sitting with Harry and Hermione at a table.

Ron asked in a low voice, "Hermione, did Professor Harp really agree?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation, "You've asked seven times already. To answer one last time: yes!"

Ron said, "I really can't figure it out – what happened with Lockhart that night? He acted so... " He thought for a moment before uttering a word, "mad."

Just as they were discussing, Percy walked in.

Approaching the trio, he handed Ron a message from Professor Harp.

"That's great!"

Ron jumped up excitedly, his troubles were finally over.

Whether it was Lockhart himself or Lockhart's supporters, he had finally rid himself of them all!

Percy looked at his youngest brother in confusion, wondering if the twins had frozen Ron's brain – being in detention was all the same anyway!

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