Hermione, join me as Minister of Magic!

Lockhart thought for a moment and decided to trick Dumbledore into revealing part of his future

planning.

Throughout the millennium of Hogwarts, the political structure of the British wizarding world is almost a history of the struggle between the Lion House and the Snake House: the battle of pure blood and the fight between educated and non-human beings started from Slytherin and Gryffindor. started.

Afterwards, they also brought the academic controversy into the political arena, and survived in the wizarding council as the conservative (snake) faction and the left (lion) faction in the wizarding world, until the wizarding council was later abolished and the Ministry of Magic was established.

Relatively speaking, Yingyuan and Guanyuan are more like soy sauce in politics.

People in the Eagle Academy tend to pay more attention to academics, while the Swelling Academy supports the mainstream productivity in the magic world. They are not very interested in political struggles. Sometimes they support lions, sometimes they support snakes, and jump around repeatedly depending on their own interests.

If it weren't for Voldemort who was too aggressive and killed innocent people indiscriminately, the Hawks and Sarpas would not have completely fallen to the Lions in the end.

Another point that must be emphasized is that the political position of wizards has nothing to do with blood.

Although the standards of the Snake House are "pure blood" and "ambition", this is more of a political attitude, and many mixed-bloods have actually mixed into the Snake House, such as Snape and Voldemort.

In fact, the pure blood in the lion house is no less than that in the snake house, such as the Potter family and the Weasley family.

Leaving aside the Weasley family, they have been hardcore lions for generations.And Ralston Potter has been a member of the Wizengamot Court since 1612, and firmly supports the "International Wizarding Secrecy Act", and opposes the conservative Malfoy family who opposes the "Secrecy Act".

Therefore, the hostility between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy is actually a kind of tradition, a kind of "inevitability in chance".

If you want to be in politics, you can usually only join the Lions or the Snakes. It is not impossible to form a middle school yourself, but don’t be a fool, because people on both sides will look down on you.

After Lockhart asked Dumbledore for the connections of the Lions, Dumbledore decided to agree to him after thinking for a while.

It's not just about compensation.

Although Lockhart came out of the Eagle Academy, his current public image is that of an "adventurer" and an iconoclastic wizard who "fights against black magic". He does not discriminate against Muggles, and he is a mixed race. His political stance is naturally similar to that of the Lions. Closer, Dumbledore felt that supporting such a politician to fight with Fudge and knocking Fudge a little, the effect might be better than it is now.

At the beginning, in order to get the upper hand, Fudge kneeled and licked Dumbledore without limit, and almost always sent letters to ask Dumbledore for his opinion, in order to gain the support of the Lion faction.

At that time, Voldemort had just fallen, and the prestige, status, and activity energy of the Order of the Phoenix were in full swing, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix didn't care much about power, so Fudge was able to take this express train.

But the desire for power made Fudge unwilling to be Dumbledore's puppet forever. He began to seek a way to get rid of the influence of the Lion faction, so he got on the line with Lucius Malfoy, the big benefactor of the Ministry of Magic, and switched to a more powerful society. Wealthy and powerful snake faction.

Looking back, the reason why Fudge refused to admit Voldemort's return for more than a year was actually because he was afraid that after the return of the Order of the Phoenix, he would regain power by fighting against Voldemort, and then replace him who had betrayed the Lions .

How much politicians can ignore the facts for the sake of power, I believe everyone can see from the current affairs news of various countries, no one can hide Fudge's little thought.

Now that Fudge had betrayed the Lions, Lockhart naturally focused on these vacated Lions' political resources.

There are two main political resources of the Lion faction: one lies in "political correctness", which is what Dumbledore often said about love, and there are slogans and ideas such as "teaching without discrimination" and "wizards are equal"; the other is Because of their combat effectiveness, they shouldered the responsibility of eradicating black magic.

"Political correctness" seems nonsense, but occupying this moral high ground can allow the Lions to unite far more wizards than the Snakes, and can naturally gain the sympathy of the good camp.It's like having to be called the emperor of Shangluo after you have military power and status. This is a necessity called "righteousness".

But at the same time, the Lion faction is weaker than the wizarding conservatives in terms of "law and order", that is, those who adhere to the "tradition" in the Snake faction.

If law-abiding is not an advantage, then the foundation accumulated by adhering to tradition, that is, wealth and connections, the Lion faction is far inferior to the Snake faction.For older wizards, they pay more attention to interests than ideals, so they will gradually tend to think of snakes in the end.

But Dumbledore is an outlier. When he was young, he crazily pursued the idea of ​​the Snake School, but after breaking up with his beloved Grindelwald because of the death of his sister, he discovered that the simple emotions of people are more precious than any benefits. The wealth, from the Dark Lord Miaozi transformed into a representative of the Lion faction.

So you will see Dumbledore doing things in the way of thinking of the Snakes, but what he does is in line with the thinking of the Lions.The headmaster of Hogwarts is not only a headmaster, he is also a politician.

"Although I have already asked Snape this question, I still want to ask you, Gilderoy, I can help you and give you the resources you need most, but what can you give us in return?" Dumbledore said ask him.

Lockhart has already thought about the answer to this question: "Justice is not cheap, and those who uphold justice should also be paid reasonably. I will devote myself to building an order where "good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil." "

"for example?"

"Since we protect the lives and properties of Muggles, we should obtain corresponding transaction profits from Muggles; since we are committed to defeating the dark magic world, then "the safest wizarding country in the world" should also Become the best immigration choice for wizards all over the world; since Hogwarts is willing to dedicate its knowledge to all wizards, it should naturally become the best destination for studying magic for wizards all over the world...Of course, these are not free , as I said earlier, justice is not cheap. "

Dumbledore knew what Lockhart was going to do as soon as he heard it-this is a typical snake thinking mode.

But he didn't intend to refuse.

"I sincerely hope you can stay at Hogwarts longer," he said to Lockhart.

Dumbledore stood up and shook hands with Lockhart, who seemed to have finally decided to let himself out.

"I'm monitoring Miss Weasley's situation from almost all directions, and I've also checked the location of the pipeline with a tracking spell. The target has been locked in the dilapidated girls' bathroom, your office. I also set up alarms through portraits around you, so you don’t have to worry about your own safety. Moreover, I heard that you ordered the goods from Greece through Gringotts, I believe that as long as you have that, there should be no more problems.”

"Really? What a reassuring guarantee." Lockhart seemed relieved.

Dumbledore smiled: "It turns out that you still care about your own life, Gilderoy, I thought you were an outlaw who didn't care about your life for the sake of power!"

"In some cases, life can be given up, but it must be given up meaningfully," Lockhart said solemnly.

Chapter 74 Protecting students' daily life

Probably knowing the content of Lockhart's meeting with the headmaster, Snape came to him the next day.

"I didn't expect you to be so stupid!" He scolded Lockhart face to face, "How dare you accept the benefits of that old bee? You will be squeezed out of all the value by him, and then thrown away like a used-up shriveled fig peel .”

"It's an impressive metaphor, but don't worry." Lockhart poured him a glass of wine. "Power is not such an easy thing to manipulate. It is precisely because Dumbledore knows that he cannot control power, so I need to find a spokesperson. Until I find someone more suitable, I will be fine... You see, even that fool Fudge can get rid of him."

"That's because Fudge knows how to judge the situation." Snape said in a muffled voice, "He jumped out of Dumbledore's control early, and then accepted Lucius' kindness, but you still jumped in on your own initiative. "

"Following Dumbledore, I will gain more prestige."

"Forget it, that's because he can only give you this." Snape laughed,

"In fairy tales, the warrior who defeats the dragon can always get a mountain of treasure, the favor of a beautiful woman, and even the inheritance of the throne. But in reality, the person who finishes his work will only be killed by the old king with a cup of poisoned wine. "

"I'll just pretend I didn't understand." Lockhart didn't care.

Seeing that he didn't get in, Snape didn't bother to continue to persuade him. Anyway, he was completely stuck in Dumbledore's place and couldn't get out. If one more fool jumped in, he could be regarded as having a company.

He moved his nose twice, as if he smelled something.

"I think I smell hellebore syrup... demulcent?" he opened his mouth.

ask.

"Good nose, Miss Know-It-All sent it, she should have brewed it herself, but due to some accidents, I accidentally spilled some on the carpet, and I haven't asked the house-elf to wash it yet."

"Really? At first I was worried that my materials might be wasted. If she can make a moderating agent, then it seems that it won't be completely wasted."

As Snape spoke, he squatted down to look at the carpet of an obviously different color

"Moonstone powder is not processed well enough, she should be sieved with ordinary sackcloth, and the temperature of the flame is not perfectly controlled when boiling... If it was in my fifth grade class, I would give it at most, but considering it is a Sophomore work, should I praise her for her audacity?"

"What material is wasted?" Lockhart was intrigued.

"African tree snake skin, combined with what they're boiling in that girl's bathroom, it should be Polyjuice Potion," Snape said with a straight face.

"Because of this thing, Potter still made trouble in my class and threw fireworks into the swelling potion, hoping that I wouldn't find it. Hmph... I don't need Legilimency at all, I can tell who it is just from his expression What the hell, that little fool not only can't close his brain, he can't even control his expression well."

"You didn't fire him?" Lockhart showed his "surprise" in a timely manner

Snape's sneer grew louder.

As a way, the principal hoped that the savior would show more initiative, even though the place where they made the soup was right at the door of the snake. "

When Lockhart thought about it, it was really outrageous:

The place where the three saviors made the compound potion was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and it was impossible for Voldemort to miss it.

In theory, Ginny Weasley or Tom Riddle only need to secretly add some colorless and tasteless poison to the pot of compound soup while they are in class. The hp series novels will be completed after two books end.

Snape obviously thought so too: "I'll take the time to look at the potion before it's ready, so they don't drink something they shouldn't, you little fools!"

No matter what the saviors planned to do with the compound potion, they obviously went in the wrong direction, but since Dumbledore allowed them to make mistakes, Lockhart and the others could only be patient and wipe their butts for the savior trio.

Just as Lockhart was about to say something about suggesting that professors take turns on duty, a portrait suddenly broke into the empty picture frame hanging on the wall of his office.

Lockhart recognized him because he was the author of "Principles of Magic"—Adobert Waughlin, who had a portrait at Hogwarts because of his outstanding academic achievements, and was also a member of the chocolate frog picture.

Originally, his portrait was hung over the Gryffindor Tower. Because he was often awakened by the little lions swimming in the night when he was sleeping, he felt a little disturbed, so Dumbledore changed the portrait. One place hangs outside the abandoned girls' bathroom, and it's quiet enough here.

Now that Wu Fulin's portrait came to him, he must have something to say.

Dear Professor Hart, the principal wants you to go downstairs immediately, which is the corridor on the second floor. said Waughlin to Lockhart.

"What's the matter?" Lockhart stood up.

"Went there to evacuate a second grader named Justin Finch, who was near the bathroom, and 'that' was coming out again. "

"I see."

Lockhart sighed, and popped his wand.

"Lingkull, take me downstairs!" he yelled.

— A house-elf appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the hand that Lockhart gave him, snapped his fingers, and Lockhart and the elf disappeared into the office.

Because Lockhart's actions were too swift and swift, Snape was a little dazed, and didn't realize that he should go and stare until everyone disappeared.

To apparate, even the magic of the house-elf was used... This guy is really for the benefit, he has no dignity as a wizard!

In the corridor on the second floor, Justin Fletcher of Hufflepuff was hiding in the dark corridor reading a book, but suddenly he was startled by a hand on his shoulder behind him

He yelled in a panic, then raised an amethyst amulet in his hand, and his whole torso lay on the ground.

Lockhart did not expect his reaction to be so great.

"Mr. Finlaye? Why are you hiding here reading?"

As he asked, he picked up the book on the ground, but the title of the book made his expression suddenly become a little weird.

"Queen Maeve and Her Lovers o One o Ireland's Love History"

Looking at such an explosive title, and the moving picture on the cover of the book, which is quite reminiscent of Italian oil paintings in the Renaissance period (of course, the style of painting is not similar, the main similarity is that the women in it don’t like to wear clothes very much), what does Lockhart think? Still don't know what kind of book this is.

At this time, Justin Fenriery finally saw who it was. After seeing Lockhart flipping through the book he was reading with great interest, his face suddenly turned purple like a pig's trotter.

"Sir, I think I can explain... this is when I bought an old textbook at a second-hand bookstore, the owner said that he could send me another book and deliver it with other textbooks

Come to the door..." He said in a panic.

Lockhart interrupted him, because time was limited, and the snake would come out if he chatted any longer

"Ah, totally understandable. If we didn't come to Hogwarts, but went to Eton College, you young children in the budding stage should be in the school bicycle shed by now, exchanging the same types of books to read... Come to my office and I'll show you something better."

Chapter 75 Reverse Osmosis in the Muggle World

Justin Finlayry followed Lockhart to his office with a trace of apprehension.

He noticed that there were still two wine glasses on Lockhart's table, both of which had some residual wine - obviously, some guests here had just left.

Lockhart pointed with his wand, and the wine bottle and glass disappeared from the table, replaced by a plate of sweets and a pot of black tea.

Seeing these things, Justin Fenley was a little relieved, but he was still a little uneasy after all.

"Professor... the next class is Transfiguration, I dare not be late for Professor McGonagall's class... and I haven't previewed yet."

He just wanted to use the excuse of taking a class to get away with it, but then he remembered the herbal medicine class that was canceled because of the blizzard, and the time freed up for this was enough for them to have free time to do something else, so he had to make up for it again.

But Lockhart didn't look like he wanted to pursue anything.

"Mr. Finlayley, this is not what I want to talk about. This book is still yours. What I want to talk about is about your family." Lockhart handed him a cup of tea.

Justin Fenliery obviously didn't expect this to be what he asked.

"My family? They're all Muggles," he replied honestly.

"It doesn't matter who they are, the key is whether you, as a wizard, want to give them something in return." Lockhart said solemnly, "They are your parents, Mr. Finlayley."

"Uh...yes. I'm going to take back some magic pictures for the summer, and some novelty gadgets, my dad loves the fang saucer that squeals when shot with a shotgun, and my mom... ah, she loves it so much Your book, let me take the whole set back

It.

JJ

Lockhart knew this during the summer vacation, after all, having female fans in the Muggle world satisfied his vanity.

"It's a great honor." He said, "It's a good thing that things from the wizarding world can also benefit your family. But if it's just a little trouble, it seems a little unreasonable... You know that the first-year Sarah Mr. Muir Mason?"

Everyone has heard that his family seems to be in the construction business, and they can get a lot of government public construction work every year. "Finlayly said the truth.

"Great, they recently set up a Muggle-born wizarding club: I heard that in addition to some group activities, the most common thing they do is to find ways to buy things from the wizarding world and bring them back to their families , and at the same time get some things from the Muggles to bring into the school and sell them to those little wizards."

Justin Finlieri smiled after hearing this: "I have also participated in two activities in that club, professor."

Lockhart looked a little surprised: "Really? I don't know what you are doing... But I'm curious, what do those wizards need from Muggles?"

"Too many, Professor."

When it comes to this, Justin Fenlieli looks a little proud:

"For example, kerosene lamps are brighter than candles, but they are cheaper than magic lamps. Many wizards will buy one. Principal Dumbledore discussed with us and said that he wanted to use them to replace the candles on the ceiling of the auditorium. Otherwise, Every year during the Sorting Ceremony, there will be candles dripping wax oil from the ceiling where the protection magic has expired.

Another example is the sale of imported astronomical telescopes—that was my idea—it has a magnification effect of 720 times, and the entry-level product of German Baoshide. Professor Sinista, who teaches astronomy, said that this telescope is better than the yellow ones sold in Diagon Alley. The brass telescope was much clearer, and so precise that she could use it to see the sandy soil on the surface of Mars with just one magnifying spell.