bioinnovel Chapter 107 Goddess Minerva
Chapter 107 Goddess Minerva
Chapter 107 Goddess Minerva
"Disarm you!"
The same curse, the same flash of red light, and even the exact same ending.
Gilderoy Lockhart was defeated by the disarming charm once again; he flew backward off the stage, crashed into the wall, and then slid down.
Curled up on the floor.
Apart from a few die-hard fans, the attitude of all students in the school was unprecedentedly unified. Slytherin students cheered and applauded, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw also gave their applause.
Even the Gryffindor students, who had always disliked Snape, were clapping, though their faces showed a hint of regret—Giddon Lockhart, you really are a disappointment!
Lockhart, who was given a chance but couldn't use it, stood up from his knees. His hat fell off, and his wavy hair stood on end.
Since arriving at Hogwarts, Gilderoy Lockhart's image of being wise and mighty has steadily declined.
He staggered back onto the stage, saying as he went, "Disarming spell, a very useful spell, what a brilliant idea!"
Professor Snape. But your intentions are far too obvious; if it weren't for the desire to broaden everyone's horizons, I could easily stop you.
Lockhart first praised Snape, then criticized him, in order to elevate himself.
His mastery of this rhetoric can be described as consummate.
However, the applause Lockhart had anticipated did not occur. More than half of the students looked at the shameless Lockhart as if he were an idiot, as if they were about to spit on him.
It's only been a few days since he was accurately hit by the Disarm Curse at the Quidditch pitch, and now he's been hit by it again at the Duel Club. How dare Gilderoy Lockhart say such things? How could he possibly do that!
Okay, even if that was a silent disarming spell at the Quidditch stadium, an unsportsmanlike sneak attack, what about tonight?
Snape's casting of the Disarming Charm was like a slow-motion video at eight times the speed of a still image, releasing an entire Atlantic Ocean's worth of water. Even an old lady could dodge it, but Lockhart couldn't.
With this kind of behavior and reaction, have the vampires and werewolves become vegetarians?! How did the snowmen and ghouls manage not to kill him?! Why didn't the female ghost and the she-devil strangle him?!
Anyone who still believes Gilderoy Lockhart's nonsense should get their brain checked at St. Mungo's Infirmary for Magical Injuries. The therapists will definitely give you very pertinent advice: Don't bother with treatment. Even if you are cured, you'll still be drooling.
The auditorium was completely silent. Lockhart on stage finally showed an embarrassed expression, but that expression came and went quickly.
Lockhart quickly revealed two rows of clean teeth.
Lockhart glanced at Snape, but the Potions Professor's murderous aura made him dare not continue arguing.
Lockhart then looked at the students present, but when his gaze swept across the audience, he was met with disdainful or mocking looks.
Lockhart felt as if the air around him had frozen.
"Ah—um—this one."
Lockhart stammered, unable to utter a single coherent sentence. He felt as if he had been stripped naked and hung on a flagpole.
Lockhart's mind raced, but he couldn't think of a way to extricate himself from the predicament, so he had no choice but to forcefully declare the demonstration over.
Have students practice in groups.
So he said, "The demonstration is over! Now I will come to you and divide you into pairs. Professor Snape, if you would like to help me—"
"Wait a minute," Professor McGonagall interrupted Lockhart.
She said, "I don't think it's a good idea to let students practice directly, Lockhart. It's dangerous, especially for younger students."
Professor McGonagall didn't even address Gilderoy Lockhart as "Professor," which clearly shows the catgirl vice-principal's dissatisfaction.
Professor McGonagall was against it from the beginning. She didn't think opening a dueling club would be effective, since the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets wouldn't duel with a young wizard.
Moreover, the dueling club was founded by Lockhart, which gives Professor McGonagall even more reason to object. What dueling skills could Lockhart possibly teach his students? Could he just laugh at his opponent by boasting during a duel?
"This—that—I—" Gilderoy Lockhart panicked even more, gripping the wand that the student had returned tightly with one hand and his other hand gripping the seam of his pants so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Professor McGonagall suppressed her anger and said, "Professor Dumbledore agreed to open the Duel Club so that everyone could learn self-defense skills and have the ability to protect themselves, not so that some people could use it as a way to gain attention."
His words were impactful and clear; although he didn't name names, everyone knew who "certain people" referred to.
"Since you don't want to properly run the Dueling Club, then find someone more responsible," Professor McGonagall continued. "It will also let the students know that not all Hogwarts staff are just empty boasts!"
If the previous sentence was somewhat restrained and showed some consideration for Lockhart's feelings, then this sentence was a direct attack on Gilderoy Lockhart, and Professor McGonagall was practically pointing her finger at him and cursing him out.
Besides being the Vice-Headmistress and Professor of Transfiguration, Minerva McGonagall is also the Head of Gryffindor House—she's a Gryffindor! Not immediately pulling out her wand and firing a shot at Lockhart was already the greatest restraint she could muster.
On stage, Gilderoy Lockhart's face was deathly pale, even paler than the snow falling outside the window.
He now deeply regrets accepting Dumbledore's invitation and being seduced by the fame of "Harry Potter".
At this moment, even Lockhart's most die-hard fans were filled with disappointment. If he had just stood up and refuted Professor McGonagall, his die-hard fans wouldn't have been so disappointed.
But Gilderoy Lockhart just stood there, motionless and silent, his cowardice making even his only redeeming quality—his good looks—appear unsightly.
In just a few minutes, Lockhart, who had been full of vigor just moments before, suddenly looked much more haggard.
At this point, Professor McGonagall spoke again, but not to Lockhart.
She said, "Belvina, please demonstrate for everyone with me. Felius, Pomona, have the children stand further back."
Upon hearing this, Belvina pointed to herself in surprise, but still obediently walked onto the gilded stage and stood opposite Snape.
Professors Flitwick and Sprout also sprang into action, clearing the area around the gilded stage with the help of the other professors.
Instead of mingling with the students again, the professors stood in front of the students, forming a barrier between them and the stage.
For the past three months, the professors of all subjects had had enough of Gilderoy Lockhart, enough of his inexplicable self-confidence, enough of his terrible vanity, and even more enough of how he single-handedly lowered the magical level of the entire teaching staff.
On the gilded stage, Belvina and Snape locked eyes, sparks flying instantly.
One person said silently: "Disarming spell, that's pretty mean!"
The other person replied silently: Oh, not at all, you didn't mean any harm!
Professor McGonagall, who had just stepped onto the stage, sighed inwardly. Luckily, she hadn't let Belvina and Snape demonstrate. What if the two, who were already at odds, really started fighting? The key was that it would be difficult to handle the situation.
Professor McGonagall was overthinking it. Although Belvina and Snape didn't get along, they wouldn't kill each other when they stabbed each other in the back. Leaving room for each other was also leaving room for themselves.
When Professor McGonagall stepped onto the gilded stage, Snape stepped down, casually taking Gilderoy Lockhart, who had been out of the loop, with him—it wasn't much harder than picking up a chick.
Belvina looked at Professor McGonagall, her eyes asking the vice-principal what to do next. Should they conduct a practical exercise to broaden the children's horizons, or should they just have a friendly, perfunctory approach?
Perhaps due to a lack of understanding, Belvina received no response.
Professor McGonagall looked at the students below the stage again and said loudly, "I don't intend to slowly demonstrate the casting motions, nor do I intend to recite the incantation word by word. I simply want to tell you that your professor is still trustworthy!"
With that, Minerva McGonagall raised her wand to her chest like a knight.