The Golden Snitch is the most important ball in a Quidditch game. It is a small, golden ball about the size of a walnut, with silver wings. Its high speed and difficulty to catch make it crucial in the game, as capturing it brings a significant advantage.
At this moment, Lockhart's eyes were on the Golden Snitch. Each of the three Quidditch balls in the box had its own significance. The Quaffle demonstrated that Filch could successfully cast spells. The Bludger showed that Filch could use magic items. And now, the Golden Snitch...
Lockhart turned his gaze to Filch, who waved his wand, drawing light golden lines in mid-air. Slowly but powerfully, a simple rune pattern formed, floating in the air. The wizards watching were puzzled, unsure of what Filch was doing. But as the runes were completed, a pale golden energy shield appeared out of thin air.
Simultaneously, Professor Flitwick released the Golden Snitch, controlling it to fly around the runes. The Golden Snitch flew within the energy shield, trapped by the magical barrier. This unique way of casting spells, coupled with the distinct spellcasting effects, surprised many wizards. Most were accustomed to loudly chanting spells, and seeing rune patterns being used was rare. Only some powerful wizards or pure-bloods could perform similar magic.
Under everyone's gaze, the light golden energy shield disappeared, and the Golden Snitch returned to the box. Lockhart, standing on the high platform, used magic to amplify his voice, ensuring it reached the entire Quidditch pitch.
"Wizards and future wizards, you have seen that Filch is no longer a Squib. He has become a wizard. In the future, more Squibs will cast spells, ride broomsticks, and become wizards like Filch. I believe that the word 'Squib' will disappear completely in the near future. Our families and friends will all have the chance to become wizards if they are willing to work hard."
The Squibs in the audience were more excited than ever, shouting and screaming with joy. Some even cried with excitement, as if a terminally ill patient had suddenly received news of a cure. The excitement was palpable.
Lockhart continued, "Seeing this, there should be no doubt about the authenticity of my research results. Next, we will randomly select some wizards and future wizards in the audience. If you have any questions about my research, feel free to ask."
He waved his wand, and a pale golden light beam appeared in the sky, moving through the audience. The wizards eagerly awaited its landing on them. The beam eventually stopped on a middle-aged wizard.
"Congratulations. What question do you have?" Lockhart asked, amplifying the wizard's voice.
"Professor Lockhart, how does this method turn a Squib into a wizard? Is it useful for wizards too, or only for Squibs?"
"Of course it helps," Lockhart replied. "The method I studied is called meditation. In short, it enhances mental power and magic through meditation. Squibs become wizards after meditating. Wizards can also improve their mental and magical power through this practice. It's most helpful for Squibs, but beneficial for wizards too."
Understanding dawned on the audience. Lockhart nodded with satisfaction. All problems were within control.
The light beam moved again, landing on a young Squib. Lockhart asked, "What's your question?"
"Professor Lockhart, I am a Squib. Can this method of turning a Squib into a wizard be popularized? Will it cost a lot of money?" the Squib asked anxiously.
The question brought many back to reality, all looking to Lockhart for his answer.
"Of course," Lockhart replied decisively. "I believe that research should benefit the majority of wizards, not just a few. So, I can clearly say it can be popularized and won't cost too many galleons. If you have talent and work hard enough, you can gain magic power for casting spells without spending any money."
The Squib nodded excitedly, expressing gratitude. Lockhart smiled, comforted him, and continued to move the light beam.
This time, it fell on a pure-blood family member—Hanson Avery, whose son was in Slytherin House. He was also a pure-blood wizard Lockhart had met at the Blackstone Auction.
"Professor Lockhart, what was the magic Filch cast at the end? Why is it different from what we have learned before?"
Lockhart replied, "The magic Filch cast was my own creation, similar in principle to the meditation method. It's a magic paired with meditation, usable by both Squibs and wizards who practice meditation."
"In that case, Professor Lockhart, if I let my children join your experiments as research assistants, will you teach them these meditation methods and matching magic?" Hanson Avery asked again.
His question drew the attention of many pure-blood families and caused some dissatisfaction. A pure-blood family publicly offering their child as a research assistant implied strong support for Lockhart's methods.
Hanson knew the other pure-blood families' thoughts but ignored them, focusing on reviving his family's prestige. Lockhart responded in an enticing tone, "Of course, I can promise all wizards here that as my research assistants, not only will there be no danger to their lives, but I will also fully teach them meditation methods and various self-created magics. They will receive the same treatment as Hogwarts students."
"I have even discussed with Principal Dumbledore the possibility of arranging for them to enroll in school, take exams, receive certificates, and find jobs like wizards or become Aurors after graduation. Let them be the first batch of lucky ones in the new era."
The announcement caused a stir among the audience. The prospect of transforming Squibs into wizards, providing them with equal opportunities, and the potential support from pure-blood families signaled a significant shift in the wizarding world.
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Lockhart's words seemed to detonate the entire Quidditch stadium at once. Many wizards began discussing fervently. The benefits of being a research assistant were beyond anyone's imagination.
In the current wizarding world, there was no technology to accurately judge Squibs and wizards. Therefore, they could only rely on rough methods. Before the age of 12, everyone was regarded as a potential wizard, just waiting for their magical power to outburst and awaken their bloodline. Only after the age of 12, if there was still no change, would they be considered a Squib.
The age of 12 was the final deadline. After this age, there was basically no possibility of awakening. Consequently, after becoming a Squib, there was essentially no chance of attending Hogwarts. Even with the meditation method, many Squibs were years past the school entrance age.
In the entire wizarding world, except for some basic service jobs, Squibs were usually responsible for them. For other jobs, employers would always choose wizards, mostly those from Hogwarts.
It can be said that in the British wizarding world, almost all positions that required wizards were filled by Hogwarts graduates. One can imagine how troublesome it would be for a wizard who practiced alone or studied abroad to live in the wizarding world.
Of course, this kind of employment environment stemmed from the fact that all wizards in the British wizarding world were Hogwarts students. Anyone with wizard qualifications would be detected by Hogwarts and invited to attend. Ordinary wizards would never refuse because entering Hogwarts was the best choice for them.
This effectively meant that Hogwarts monopolized all wizard qualifications in the British wizarding world. Such an employment environment naturally formed as a result.
Now, what Lockhart said meant that their older Squib children would be able to enjoy the most orthodox education. For some pure-blood families, it might not matter much. But for ordinary mixed-blood wizard families and some declining pure-blood families, it would be a huge benefit.
Moreover, they could also enjoy the full guidance of Professor Lockhart, the founder of the meditation method. In an instant, all the families or pure-blood families with Squibs decided to seize the opportunity to become Lockhart's research assistants.
Lockhart saw everyone's eagerness and the corner of his mouth curled up. Hansen's voice then echoed loudly, "Professor Lockhart, I will send two of my children to Hogwarts to serve as your research assistants, is that okay?"
"Of course," Lockhart replied immediately. "However, to further test the meditation method, I would like to recruit Squibs. Currently, we are only recruiting 100 children who are Squibs or suspected to be Squibs."
Hanson expressed his gratitude at Lockhart's reply and sat down, knowing his child would certainly be one of the 100 candidates. His statement had been to pressure others as per Lockhart's instructions.
Lockhart then found a few more suitable candidates to ask questions, fully demonstrating the allure of meditation and the urgency of the opportunity. For example, he mentioned that the first batch of Squibs who practiced meditation would likely be recorded in the history of magic and remembered by everyone, or they might enjoy the dividends of the new era.
The more the wizards and Squibs listened, the more they felt that this was an opportunity they couldn't afford to miss. They couldn't wait to apply as soon as the event was over.
Soon, Lockhart controlled the beam of light to fall on a young Squib. This Squib was the last person to ask questions in Lockhart's plan.
"Professor Lockhart, if we are not selected as research assistants, when can we learn the meditation method? We Squibs can't wait," the Squib asked anxiously.
Lockhart answered directly, "I will write relevant papers on meditation methods and other research results and publish them in journals such as 'The Philosopher's Stone' and 'Magic Words.' If you are interested, you can purchase them directly. They will introduce meditation practice methods and precautions for practice."
"Thank you, Professor Lockhart, I will definitely buy it. Of course, I also hope to learn meditation from you," the young Squib immediately replied.
Then, he asked again, "Professor Lockhart, I personally think that your research results are a great kindness to Squibs. However, I would like to ask, what do you think the significance of your research results is?"
Lockhart pondered for a moment before answering. "I believe that the existence of meditation will solve the dilemma faced by our wizarding world."
Seeing the confused faces of many wizards, Lockhart waved his wand, drawing a line chart and a large number of numbers in mid-air. The magic projection revealed it to the many wizards.
Lockhart started to introduce directly, "As a researcher and writer, besides writing books, I enjoy reading very much. After joining Hogwarts as a professor, I learned a lot from the books in the Hogwarts library, which also answered a question for me. You may not understand what I'm talking about regarding the difficulties facing the wizarding world, but look at this line chart and the numbers on it."
"My investigation of Hogwarts' admissions record data revealed a surprising fact. In the past 100 years, the number of students enrolling has been on a downward trend. With the two Dark Lord periods, enrollment dropped off a cliff. Overall, the numbers have been trending downward."
At this point, some wizards began to look concerned, as if they had realized something.
Lockhart analyzed calmly, "If the number of new students at Hogwarts continues to decrease every year, it means that in the future, we will be able to train fewer and fewer wizards. It's very possible that when we grow old, the wizarding world will face a crisis of extinction."
Unlike Lockhart's calm demeanor, most of the wizards present were a little panicked. Their analysis matched Lockhart's, especially some pure-blood families. When they recalled their family histories, they showed signs of fear.
Lockhart continued in an inciting tone, "This is the greatest significance of meditation. It turns Squibs into wizards, increasing the number of wizards. The children of wizards will no longer risk becoming Squibs. As long as they work hard, they will become wizards, ensuring that wizards can reproduce easily without the threat of producing Squibs. The number of wizards will increase, making the wizarding world more prosperous."
With excitement, Lockhart waved his wand and spoke passionately. "This is, in my opinion, the greatest significance of meditation. Make wizards great again!!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, their enthusiasm reaching a fever pitch. The future looked bright, and the wizarding world seemed poised for a renaissance.
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