"Okay, time's up, everyone stop writing."
"Rest for 5 minutes now. After 5 minutes, I will ask some simple questions based on the information you filled in."
After Lockhart finished speaking, he saw all the Squibs put down their quills. Then he waved his wand, and all the test papers and quills floated back to him.
He lowered his head and began to read the answers written by everyone. Since it was a questionnaire with a manageable number of questions, Lockhart made a rough judgment after scanning through them a few times.
The Squibs watched nervously as Professor Lockhart reviewed their test papers. None of them wanted to lose this opportunity. Some had even considered writing false information to improve their chances, but when the black writing suddenly turned red, they were scared into writing the truth. Strangely, when they wrote their true thoughts, the handwriting turned black again, making them marvel at the enchanted quills.
In fact, it would have been impossible for Lockhart to enchant so many quills individually. Instead, he had cast a general charm on the quills to create an effect similar to psychological suggestion, ensuring the basic authenticity of the questionnaires.
As time passed, the Squibs grew more nervous, clenching their fists and staring intently at Professor Lockhart. Soon, Lockhart had read all the test papers and made rough judgments about each Squib. It was now time for the on-the-spot questions.
"Okay, the 5-minute break is over. In the next 25 minutes, I will ask some questions. If you are willing to answer, you can raise your hand. Similarly, I want to hear your true inner thoughts. You can say less or even nothing at all, but you must not lie."
The Squibs nodded in understanding.
"The first question is, what do you think is the most essential difference between wizards and Squibs? What changes will happen when you become wizards?"
Ian, who was sitting in front, immediately raised his hand. Lockhart, recalling Ian's questionnaire, nodded slightly.
"Go ahead."
"Okay, Professor." Ian stood up, pondered for a moment, then said, "Professor, I think the most fundamental difference between a wizard and a Squib is the mastery of magic. For an ordinary wizard, if he wants to kill a Muggle or a Squib, it can be done easily. A random fire spell can take a defenseless Squib's life."
Speaking with a hint of emotion, Ian continued, "When we become wizards, the biggest change is that the previous contempt for Squibs will disappear. We will enjoy all the rights that a normal wizard should enjoy. For example, we can enter places that Squibs are not allowed to enter. We can practice spells, use magic items, refine potions, and more."
Ian's face was filled with longing as he spoke. The surrounding Squibs nodded in agreement, resonating with the shared experiences of discrimination.
Lockhart nodded noncommittally and motioned for Ian to sit down before continuing, "Do you have any other ideas?"
A well-dressed female Squib raised her hand. Lockhart gently tapped his wand, recalling her name: Rika.
"You, tell me."
"Professor Lockhart, I think the most essential difference between wizards and Squibs lies in the purity of wizard blood," Rika replied seriously. "My father is a potion master, and because of my situation, he studied this with me. The reason I don't have a magical outburst is that my wizard bloodline is not pure enough. When we become wizards, we can develop our own bloodline, purify it, and improve our strength. Then we can learn spells, alchemy, potions, and more."
Lockhart nodded slightly, neither praising nor commenting, and continued to ask, "Do you have any other ideas?"
Several Squibs raised their hands, and Lockhart took their thoughts seriously. He wanted to understand Squib perspectives to adjust his plans and to create a talent pool. While he mentioned recruiting only 100 Squibs, he knew he needed more to build a stable base.
The best way was to privately train some Squibs as his students, helping them grow and letting them secretly train new Squibs. These students would become the core pillars of the new magic system, allowing Lockhart to invest resources and cultivate talents for reforming the wizarding world.
Malfoy Manor, Great Hall
Lucius Malfoy sat on a sofa, holding a half-full glass of red wine. He raised it and motioned to the pure-blood wizard of the Parkinson family opposite him. Kane Parkinson, wearing a dark green wizard robe with the Parkinson family crest in light golden threads, exuded a touch of nobility.
Kane raised his red wine glass, shook it slightly, and took a sip. Then he asked expectantly, "Lucius, can we talk about your plan now? I've seen the effects of meditation. If we control it, the benefits would be immeasurable."
Lucius smiled and said, "Kane, don't worry. We have to wait for a lady to arrive. Our plan requires her cooperation."
Kane's eyes lit up, and he slowly sipped his wine without saying much.
After a while, the magic fireplace not far away flashed green light. With a slight burst of green flames, a figure quietly emerged. Lucius stood up and said to Kane.
"Let's welcome Ms. Rita Skeeter!"
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"Ms. Skeeter, welcome to Malfoy Manor."
Lucius Malfoy extended his hand to greet Rita Skeeter, who stood opposite him.
He never expected that a reporter known for slanderous reports could be so resourceful. The corners of Lucius' mouth curled up as he recalled what Rita Skeeter had said before.
"You are too polite, Mr. Malfoy." Rita stretched out her hand and shook his politely. She then looked at the wizard behind Lucius and asked doubtfully, "Who is this?"
Kane Parkinson, wearing an emerald green wizard robe adorned with the Parkinson family crest in light golden threads, had a slightly furrowed brow and a look of doubt on his face. He wondered why Lucius had involved Rita Skeeter.
Kane's thoughts flashed quickly, but he maintained a polite smile and extended his hand, "Hello, I am Kane Parkinson."
Lucius introduced the two to each other before leading them back to the sofas in the living room.
"Dobby!" Lucius called out, and a house elf wrapped in rags appeared before him.
"Dobby, prepare dinner. I'm going to have dinner with Ms. Skeeter and Mr. Parkinson later."
"Okay, Master," Dobby nodded vigorously and replied loudly before disappearing.
Lucius turned to Rita Skeeter, "Ms. Skeeter, did you bring what we discussed?"
"I did bring it," Rita nodded affirmatively, but hesitated when she glanced at Kane. "But... are you sure you want to take it out now?"
"Of course," Lucius nodded, "Kane is not an outsider, and we need the Parkinson family's help for our subsequent plans."
Hearing this, Rita hesitated but still reached into her space extension bag and took out a dark green notebook. Kane, curious about what had made Lucius change his attitude towards hybrids, watched closely.
Seeing Kane's curiosity, Lucius smiled and explained, "Kane, Ms. Skeeter was also persecuted by Lockhart, so she wants to join us."
Kane nodded slightly, understanding Lucius' point. Rita Skeeter quickly added, "Yes, in the past few days, Lockhart's fans have been sending me cursing letters, including many howlers. Someone even dumped excrement at my doorstep. This Lockhart has become too arrogant."
Kane smiled but said nothing, turning to see what Lucius would say next. As expected, Lucius continued, "Kane, our subsequent plans require Ms. Skeeter's involvement. She brings us a precious gift: a book on meditation studied by Gilderoy Lockhart."
Kane's breath quickened, "Are you sure, Lucius?"
Lucius nodded and extended his hand toward Rita Skeeter. Rita opened the dark green notebook, revealing some information about meditation written inside. Kane examined the handwriting, noting it was typical quill pen script. He asked thoughtfully, "Lucius, can you be sure of its authenticity? And how did Ms. Skeeter obtain it? Lockhart is at Hogwarts."
Lucius looked at Rita Skeeter, who understood and smiled, "Mr. Kane, I can assure you the meditation method is genuine because I personally sneaked into Lockhart's office and copied it on the day he proved his research results on the Quidditch pitch."
Kane raised an eyebrow, "Ms. Skeeter, with all due respect, even on that day, Hogwarts' defenses would still be strong. How did you evade them and successfully copy his research?"
Kane, as a member of the school board, found the situation suspicious. Rita Skeeter was known more for her skill in distorting facts than for any exceptional magical abilities.
Seeing Kane's skepticism, Lucius smiled, "Kane, let me reintroduce you to Ms. Rita Skeeter's other identity. She's an Animagus."
As if on cue, Rita transformed in front of Kane, disappearing and reappearing as a small beetle. Kane's expression changed to one of realization and envy. Animagus forms were rare, and a beetle was the perfect form for gathering intelligence unnoticed.
Returning to her human form, Rita explained, "Mr. Kane, my Animagus form allowed me to sneak into Lockhart's office undetected. Once inside, I found his meditation research records on his desk. Concerned about triggering any magical traps, I only copied the records he had left out."
Kane, now understanding, nodded, "Impressive, Ms. Skeeter. This explains a lot."
Rita continued, "Though the records are not complete, they provide enough information about the meditation method. We can glean a lot from what I copied, including an almost complete meditation technique."
Lucius interjected, "Kane, with this information, we can develop our own meditation methods and enhance our standing. Lockhart's arrogance will be his downfall."
Kane, seeing the potential, smiled, "Lucius, Ms. Skeeter, this is indeed valuable. Let's proceed with our plans."
The three continued their discussion, laying the groundwork for a new power dynamic in the wizarding world, with the knowledge of the Meditation Method as their foundation.
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[Up to 50+ Chapter available and 10 chapter Weakly Update at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
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