The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 203 A Farce

Chapter 203 A Farce

The gloom that had shrouded Hogwarts for months seemed to have been dispelled by the gradually warming sunlight of early spring.

The atmosphere inside the castle became relaxed and lively, and people's attention eagerly flew elsewhere.

In the common room, discussions about Quidditch matches reignited; in the library, students buried themselves in their studies for the upcoming exams, the air thick with not just tension, but also the usual anxiety and focus of academic work. In the hallways, laughter returned, loud and unrestrained, no longer interrupted by sudden silences.

In this warming atmosphere, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart seemed more convinced than anyone of his indelible contribution to this transformation. His signature blond hair seemed to shine even brighter as he walked.

As Harry walked through the hallway, he overheard Lockhart speaking to Professor McGonagall in a loud, self-assured whisper: “Dear Professor McGonagall, you see, what did I tell you? The sun always shines after the storm! I foresaw this trouble wouldn’t last long. Professor Lynch, oh, of course, did a good job, very diligently, calming everyone down—but you know, some things require a more unique perspective, a kind of, well, intuition born of rich experience.” He dramatically patted his forget-me-not blue robes and winked at Professor McGonagall. “I’ve already glimpsed the core mystery behind those attacks, the truth hidden beneath. Yes, the truth is often stranger than people imagine, but also simpler. Soon, I dare say, at a moment no one expects, I will completely and cleanly resolve this little problem.”

Professor McGonagall's lips were pursed, her gaze so sharp it seemed she wanted to pierce through Lockhart's head to see what was inside.

But she clearly couldn't understand Lockhart's way of thinking. In the end, she simply responded with a short, noncommittal "humph" from her nose, then strode away with her textbook.

Lockhart, however, didn't take it to heart at all, instead viewing it as a tacit compliment.

He looked around with a beaming smile, feeling that as a hero about to save Hogwarts, he had the responsibility and the ability to boost morale in the castle and make the teachers and students truly happy.

The product of this idea arrived on February 14th in a way that caught all teachers and students, including and possibly even Pipi Ghost, completely off guard.

On Valentine's Day morning, when the students entered the auditorium for breakfast, they were stunned by what they saw. The four walls were covered with gaudy pink flowers, and even more embarrassingly, there were many golden Cupid statues flapping their wings, occasionally shooting pink arrows coated in sugar at the people.

Lockhart himself, dressed in a pink robe that perfectly complemented the decorations, stood at the door, beaming as he handed out handmade "Valentine's Day cards" to each student who entered, repeatedly saying, "Love is the greatest magic in the world, children! Express it bravely!"

However, this was only the prelude to disaster.

His true "masterpiece" was the twelve dwarves he called "little angels of love".

Their faces were so gloomy, as if they were going to a funeral, which clashed with the white robes they were wearing, which were barely able to fit into their clothes and were decorated with lace. The golden wings on their backs were also crooked, making them look more like a group of grumpy, mutated Cornish elves forced to work.

Each of them carried a small instrument that resembled a torture device more than a harp, and their task was to travel throughout the castle delivering Valentine's Day cards to the students. The worst, most infuriating part was that, at Lockhart's request, they would sing the contents of the cards in off-key, gruff voices while delivering them!

Throughout the day, Hogwarts was shrouded in an atmosphere of embarrassment and panic.

No one wants to be subjected to this kind of psychological attack in public.

Ron painfully stated that he would rather clean up all the goblins in the greenhouse than become the protagonist of this "shame challenge".

So Harry and Ron avoided Lockhart as much as possible all day, while Hermione kept a straight face and refused to comment on anything related to Lockhart.

Ron's two older brothers, George and Fred, thrived in the chaos, seeing it as a perfect, public stage for pranks and eagerly conveying their "love"—or rather, their carefully crafted, blush-inducing witty remarks—to as many "lucky" people as possible.

Unfortunately, just as they were enthusiastically carrying out their plan with the fourth "lucky victim," they were precisely captured by Professor McGonagall, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, and swiftly and decisively taken away from the scene.

It was amidst this chaos that a small incident occurred that secretly delighted all the onlookers.

Someone dared to send Professor Lynch a Valentine's Day card.

At that moment, Professor Lynch was coming out of the underground classroom into the lobby, preparing to go to his office on the second floor.

The twelve dwarves, clearly having received orders, marched in with menacing strides and blocked his path.

The surroundings fell silent instantly. Several students passing by, including Harry and his friends, held their breath, ready to witness this spectacle.

However, Professor Lynch simply stopped in his tracks.

He looked down at the dwarf at the head of the group, a warm smile on his face as usual.

He didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

The dwarf, who had been so aggressive, froze instantly.

The dwarf's already somber face turned ashen at a visible speed, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on its forehead. It opened its mouth, as if to begin its horrifying song, but in the end, only a grating sound, like someone being choked, escaped.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, the dwarf seemed to be whipped by an invisible lash, jerked violently, and swiftly fled the scene. The remaining eleven dwarves followed him, quickly escaping the scene as well.

The students watching let out a suppressed chuckle and whispers.

Ron grinned and silently patted Harry on the back, while Hermione's lips also curved upwards involuntarily.

Lin Qi acted as if nothing had happened, still wearing that warm smile, and calmly continued walking forward, as if he had just brushed away a speck of dust.

On such a day, Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts.