Bab 133: Chapter 133: Harry Potter Was Heartbroken and Threatened
Hogwarts, dining hall.
"Harry, several professors have been praising you recently. How did you do it?" Ron asked exaggeratedly, taking a bite of his chicken drumstick, his tone full of envy.
"Yes, Harry, I heard from Ron that you've been out on night walks several times recently. Are you up to something?" Hermione, sitting next to him, also looked suspicious. She had noticed that Harry's academic performance had improved significantly in recent times.
Especially in Potions class, where Snape's presence used to make Harry nervous and prone to mistakes. Previously, Harry would fail repeatedly under Snape's watchful eye. But recently, he managed to brew potions successfully, even with Snape standing nearby. This had to arouse Hermione's surprise and curiosity.
Especially since the last time she saw Harry returning from Lockhart's office, he had a silver bracelet on his wrist, and she had some guesses in her mind.
Hearing the questions from his two friends, especially Ron's envious tone, Harry subconsciously touched the silver bracelet on his wrist, a bright smile spreading across his face. The bracelet given by Professor Lockhart was powerful. As long as he injected a certain amount of magic daily, he could study in a more focused state and not be easily distracted. The ability to comprehend magical knowledge constantly brought him great pleasure. He found that he actually liked reading and studying. He wanted to be a top student like Hermione, add points to Gryffindor every day, and receive praise from professors.
Thanks to Professor Lockhart, with this bracelet in his hand, even Snape no longer frightened him. When Snape stood nearby, Harry only needed to inject a large amount of magic power to enter a relatively calm state, allowing him to ignore Snape's gaze. Whenever he successfully brewed a potion and saw the look in Snape's eyes, he felt extremely satisfied.
Ron, noticing Harry touching the bracelet, said somewhat flatteringly, "Harry, let me see your bracelet." As Harry's best friend, Ron had his suspicions. Especially in the past few days, hearing Harry constantly praise Professor Lockhart, Ron was curious. "Did Professor Lockhart give you this bracelet? Let me see it."
Hearing Ron's pleading tone, Harry hesitated. He treasured his bracelet so much that he couldn't bear to part with it, even for a moment. However, with Hermione joining in, Harry said reluctantly, "Ron, Hermione, this was indeed given to me by Professor Lockhart. But you can only take a look." With that, Harry reluctantly took off his bracelet and placed it on the table, keeping a close eye on it as if afraid it might disappear.
Seeing Harry's protective attitude, Ron muttered "stingy" under his breath. He took the bracelet and felt the cold touch of the silver. He examined the row of runes carved on the edge but couldn't understand any of them. Then, Ron poured a little magic into the bracelet. Instantly, a cool sensation arose in his mind, and the joy and curiosity in his heart suddenly weakened. To Harry and Hermione, Ron's expression changed from grinning to a sudden calm.
Soon, as the magic power in the bracelet dissipated, Ron returned to normal. The whole process seemed inexplicably weird to an outsider. "Wow, Harry, what an amazing magic item," Ron exclaimed in surprise. "I want one too."
Just then, Hermione eagerly said, "Let me try." Without waiting for Ron's reply, she took the bracelet from his hand and, like Ron, poured a lot of magic into it. In Ron and Harry's view, Hermione's curious and eager expression turned calm and composed. If she shaved off her fluffy brown hair, she would look almost ladylike.
With the bracelet's calming effect, Hermione observed the runes but didn't recognize them. Turning to Harry, she asked, "Harry, how did you get Professor Lockhart to reward you with this bracelet? It makes me more focused and calm, perfect for studying and research. I want one too; I'm feeling great right now." As she spoke, Hermione raised the corners of her mouth in a slight smile.
Seeing the transformed Hermione, Harry knew the bracelet was working but wasn't concerned. Professor Lockhart had warned him that overuse could have side effects. Since Hermione was using it for the first time, it didn't matter much. Facing Hermione's question, Harry thought for a moment and said with a hint of excitement, "This is a reward from the professor for joining Professor Lockhart's research project."
"What project did you join?" Hermione asked calmly.
Thinking it over, Harry felt it wasn't a big deal and said, "Professor Lockhart wants to study how to make ordinary wizards use Parseltongue."
"Oh, so you are being studied!" Hermione's short and calm comment made Harry's excitement sink. She saw Harry muttering, "I'm not an experiment. Professor Lockhart just has me translate Parseltongue in front of a dictionary. That doesn't count as being studied. The professor also said he would write a paper and add my name to it."
Hearing this, Hermione calmly said, "Oh, as an experimental subject?"
"Hermione," Harry said with some dissatisfaction, taking the bracelet from her hand. Hermione, losing the bracelet, quickly returned to normal and excitedly chirped, "Harry, Harry. This bracelet is amazing; I want one too."
"I want it too!" Ron said enviously.
After carefully putting the bracelet back on his wrist, Harry proudly said, "This is what Professor Lockhart rewarded me for my contribution."
Hearing this, Hermione asked thoughtfully, "Harry, do you know what other research Professor Lockhart has? Maybe we can help."
Harry hesitated. He seemed to know of one. Ron, sensing something was wrong, urged, "Harry, there's only one bracelet. If we can help, maybe we can get one too. Then I won't have to borrow yours anymore." His tone carried a hint of threat.
Hermione nodded quickly, looking at Harry expectantly. Seeing his friends' expressions, Harry looked at his bracelet again and, feeling helpless, recalled, "I remember Professor Lockhart is studying some kind of meditation method recently. He told me that once this research is successful, it will allow Squibs to master some spellcasting ability, which will shock the entire wizarding world and might even win the Merlin First Class Order of Merlin."
"He mentioned before that if I meet Filch, I should observe his meditation effects. He also said he would find some young wizards to experiment with later. If you want to join, you can ask Professor Lockhart."
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