Flourish and Blotts.
"Ladies, don't push, don't push! Mind the books!"
A wizard shouted wearily, trying to calm the middle-aged women, but Lockhart's popularity had already driven them into a frenzy.
The wizard was also quite frustrated, unable to understand what kind of magic that fellow Lockhart possessed. He was practically a ladies' man. Aside from being handsome, having a charming smile, and being well-traveled, there did not seem to be anything else particularly remarkable about him.
Inside the shop, a handsome man wore robes the color of forget-me-nots.
His blue eyes shone with a friendly warmth, and his wavy golden hair, partly hidden beneath a pointed wizard's hat, added a touch of playfulness to his mature elegance.
As soon as he appeared, the witches waiting in line immediately began cheering.
"Gilderoy Lockhart!"
"Lockhart!"
"I bought all your books!"
"…"
Lockhart waved to his admirers, putting on his signature smile and revealing exactly eight sparkling white teeth.
This immediately triggered another wave of cheers from the witch fans.
Lucien, standing in the crowd, observed the man.
Hmm, he looked good. Probably exactly the type middle-aged women liked.
For some reason, Lucien was reminded of a certain "scholar" from the internet in his previous life.
It was just that his magical core was truly weak, even comparable to some underage young wizards.
He was indeed as useless as in the original story, but the precision of his magic, reflected in his magical core, was decent. That was probably one of the reasons he was so skilled with the Memory Charm.
But Lockhart only had one trick up his sleeve: the Memory Charm.
Unlike Quirrell last year, Lupin next year, or Barty disguised as Moody later, those people had genuine ability. One could actually learn real things from them.
But Lockhart… there was simply nothing to learn.
If the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor were truly occupied by Lockhart for an entire year, it would be far too much of a waste.
If this great writer and great swindler could leave the post early…
Lucien was pondering whether Lord Voldemort's curse on the position was powerful enough, and whether he should add fuel to the fire, when a loud voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Out of the way, everyone, out of the way!"
"This is for The Daily Prophet!"
A short man shouted irritably while holding a huge black camera. He jumped around in front of Lockhart, trying to capture flattering angles of the Most Charming Smile Award winner from every direction.
The short man paid no attention to the crowd behind him. In his twisting and jumping, he was about to collide with Aunt Penelope standing beside Lucien.
Aunt Penelope was watching Lockhart pose and did not notice the man rushing toward her.
Lucien, standing beside her, noticed the situation but did not react.
Because just as the short man came within half a meter of Aunt Penelope without slowing down, a faint red light flashed briefly from one of the rings on her hand.
Immediately afterward, the short man inexplicably slipped, falling straight forward and landing face-first, seeing stars.
Lucien did not even glance at this insignificant figure, instead contemplating the effect of the alchemical ring he had given his aunt.
The speed of the magic activating was quite good, and the degree of the countermeasure could also be adjusted depending on the situation, neither too weak nor too excessive.
Combined with other alchemical accessories, her safety should not be a problem.
He had also set up warning and communication magic. If anything unexpected happened, he would receive an alert immediately.
In the coming year, whether through selling alchemical tools and potions or publishing magical papers, Lucien knew he would rise to prominence in the wizarding world.
If there were malicious competitors or Dark wizards seeking revenge, they would not dare cause trouble for Lucien at Hogwarts, but they might target his family to threaten him.
Perhaps the current era was relatively peaceful, with fewer villains daring to challenge the authority of the Ministry of Magic, but Lucien did not like to gamble on such chances.
So he made several sets of alchemical accessories for his aunt, each imbued with magical effects sufficient to handle any situation.
If danger truly triggered the warning, a single Apparition in a flash of golden light could bring him back. At that time, those who had acted had better pray that they had already been dealt with by the magic on the accessories. Otherwise…
As the short man fell face-first, the large camera in his hand also flew out, landing in front of Lockhart and immediately becoming a battered wreck. Lockhart's smile stiffened for a moment, and a trace of embarrassment and displeasure flashed across his eyes.
Lockhart looked at the Daily Prophet reporter sprawled on the ground. His lowered gaze revealed a hint of disdain, but he quickly put on his signature smile again.
The moment he looked up, Lockhart felt a gaze—two dark green eyes.
Lockhart quickly spotted the owner of that gaze in the crowd: a handsome young man with dark golden hair.
The young man and the beautiful lady beside him were both looking at him, yet there was none of the admiration or envy seen in the eyes of others. There was only calm scrutiny and observation in their gazes.
This made Lockhart slightly uncomfortable, and he instinctively turned his head, shifting his attention elsewhere.
Wait… those glasses, that messy black hair, that face…
Lockhart's sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of someone: the Boy Who Lived.
"Harry Potter! Isn't that Harry Potter?"
Lockhart shouted excitedly, even jumping up.
This was a major star in the wizarding world, born with a level of fame and prestige that ordinary people could never achieve.
Lockhart had worked so hard, stolen the experiences of so many people, and written so many books just to reach his current status.
Yet compared with Harry Potter's popularity, his own was like a firefly beside the bright moon.
Lockhart quickly walked to the front of the crowd, but intentionally avoided the handsome young man. He did not like the other person's gaze, nor did he care for such an unknown young wizard.
Lockhart knew very well that good looks alone could carry him for a while, but not forever. He still needed rich experiences, an impressive resume, and lasting popularity to ensure a lifetime of comfort.
Grabbing Harry's arm, Lockhart felt as though his own fame and popularity had increased by several points.
He could not help feeling pleased that he had chosen to hold a book signing today. He had actually encountered the legendary Saviour of the Wizarding World. He could not miss this opportunity to ride the wave of publicity.
Harry, suddenly pulled forward by Lockhart in front of everyone, felt extremely embarrassed and his face flushed.
Harry glanced at Lucien, who gave him an encouraging look.
Remembering Lucien's earlier warning that Lockhart might try to use him, the Boy Who Lived, to boost his own reputation, Harry was amazed by Lucien's accuracy and also felt nervous about what he needed to do next.
When Lockhart pulled Harry onto the stage, the reporter who had been lying on the ground suddenly came to his senses and found his camera perfectly intact in front of him.
"Mr. Reporter, please help me record this."
Hearing Lockhart's whisper, the reporter did not bother asking questions and quickly began taking photographs.
Lucien, standing in the crowd, quietly withdrew the wand hidden in his sleeve. Such a rare promotional opportunity could not be wasted.
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