The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 88 The Girl in the Red Cloak

Lockhart didn't know what the others were doing, but he was probably the worst off.

Because when he opened his eyes, he saw the cold iron bars.

Yes, he became a prisoner in jail.

He grabbed the railing with both hands and tried to shake it to see if it was sturdy, but unexpectedly a bunch of electric sparks suddenly appeared on the railing, shocking him so much that he almost started tap dancing.

After the electric shock, he collapsed to the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

"You damned thief, you actually dared to dream of escaping?" A tall, burly figure looked down at him, the collar of his ornate clothes revealing a wolf's head that was even uglier than that of a typical werewolf.

"You'll be locked up until you die of old age, spending your entire life repenting in prison!"

Lockhart ignored it, lying on the ground convulsing. The powerful electric current kept stimulating his nerves, causing him to completely lose all ability to move.

Finally, the big guy with the wolf's head left, and the prison fell silent again. He didn't know how much time had passed before he regained consciousness.

Lockhart struggled to his feet, lost in thought. "The scene I feared most? Or a mockery of life itself?"

He quickly mobilized the memories in his brain, searching for something that matched the state of being influenced by this dark magic creature.

The prior knowledge of the "magic cloak" greatly narrowed down his options.

But this still doesn't provide a very accurate answer.

Further observation and analysis are needed.

Now, he must first find a way to get out of here.

It was at this moment that he had such a profound realization—Animagus really is a great way to escape from prison.

But now, not to mention Animagus, he even felt that his body had become somewhat unfamiliar, as if something else had been added to it.

He looked at his hands with some confusion, moving his fingers and shoulders, but he didn't feel anything special. He just felt inexplicably that his magic had also changed and become very unfamiliar, which made him suddenly lose contact with his dark magic creature companions.

My connection with the forest seems to have become much stronger, and I inexplicably feel a greater affinity for it.

What happened?

He was not quite sure what was going on.

Fortunately, this did not actually happen to his body; everything before him was merely a 'phenomenon' within the black magic creature, a matter of perception in his mind.

"This is no problem for me!"

Lockhart didn't start out with magic; he had a complete understanding of every step of the process from nothing to something, feeling the magic come alive in his body, and he knew exactly how to adapt.

However, this will take some time.

He couldn't take it slow because the students he brought didn't know what was going on.

He began to survey the cell from all sides. Well, all he could see was a toilet with a strange smell. There wasn't a bed, not even a straw.

However, there was a small ventilation window high up on the wall behind.

His expression shifted, he stretched his body, took two quick steps and jumped up, gripping the ventilation window tightly with both hands, tensing his body and peering out.

In an instant, a powerful electric current surged from the window again, washing over his body.

slap~

He fell heavily to the ground, convulsing as if he were having an epileptic seizure.

While convulsing, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Very good!

Outside the window stretched an endless forest!

The second electric shock seemed to be even stronger than the first, and it took him a long time to recover.

Calming himself down and adjusting his state of mind, he gazed out the ventilation window.

"Forest, forest, help me!"

This was the call of the forest's darling, and the forest responded quickly.

A giant eagle glided across the sky, its wings outstretched, a venomous green snake clutched in its talons. Just as it passed the window, the snake suddenly raised its head and bit it. The eagle was so pained that it flung the snake away, tossing it right into the cell.

The venomous snake slithered swiftly across the ground, coiled its body, and flicked its tongue at him.

"Hiss hiss hiss~" — You can't make demands of me again before you've repaid me.

Lockhart paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that when he encountered Voldemort in the cave of the Eight-Eyed Spider, he had prayed to the forest for help and summoned Lady Autobots to solve the problem of the plasma wave being unable to break free.

Before he could speak, the snake hissed again, forcing him to listen intently. He had only learned parroting from Harry Potter and his friends' research, and didn't really understand it. He couldn't comprehend it as easily as he could with human speech, so he had to put aside his thoughts for the time being.

"Hiss hiss hiss~" — Now it's time for you to repay me.

No!

Did I call you to the wrong place?

Lockhart almost lost his composure. "I'm in TuTu's trap right now, and you had to choose this time, didn't you?"

But what could he do? He had no way to refuse, otherwise the forest would never respond to him again.

"Go ahead and tell me," Lockhart said, somewhat exasperated. "What do you need me to do?"

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

This forest is cursed, and you must find a way to break the curse.

Good guy!

Lockhart exclaimed, "Wow!"

The forest is getting involved in his fairytale adventure, isn't it?

Is this really fun?

He looked at the venomous snake with a hint of helplessness. "I'm willing to make the effort, but forest, are you sure you want me to do this? You need to understand, this is just a manifestation of a dark magic creature; it's fake!"

"Hiss hiss hiss~" How do you judge what is real and what is fake?

Okay, okay, whatever you say.

There's no point in arguing with the forest about these things.

Lockhart sighed and nodded. "Alright, but you've seen my situation, haven't you? I don't need your help, but could you at least give me a hint?"

The venomous snake remained silent for a while before raising its head again and flicking its tongue.

"Hiss hiss hiss~" — You can wait until the night of the full moon to act; you will have greater power then. After giving this hint, the snake's raised neck fell to the ground like a rope, completely dead. After all, its head had already been half-clawed off by the eagle's sharp talons; it was beyond dead.

"A night of full moon?"

Lockhart blinked; this timing felt all too familiar.

"Werewolf?"

He clearly realized something, gasped, and looked down at his hands. "Wolfsbane? I've turned into a werewolf?"

Do not!

and many more!

Lockhart suddenly realized the problem.

For a Muggle like him who longed to become a true wizard, being infected with wolfsbane and turned into a werewolf was truly an extremely vicious curse—you're excommunicated!

Of course, if he didn't deeply understand that he was merely a thought entering a phenomenon, and if he weren't a time traveler who genuinely accepted werewolves, he might have truly despaired.

"Interesting~"

A smile crept onto his lips; he had roughly figured out what this dark magic creature was!

In modern black magic biological defense science, this monster should be called "Sack Sheath," and its shape is a large magical cloak.

The name "Sack Cover" comes from a classic cult fairy tale about a reclusive, socially anxious farmer who was afraid of contact with others. So he cut several holes in a sack, put himself inside, and when he met other people, he would shrink his head and limbs into the sack, pretending to be an inconspicuous sack.

Then one day, a thief took him away. The farmer hid in the bag and dared not make a sound, and along the way, he encountered all sorts of strange and unusual things.

First, the thief was eaten by wolves in the forest. Then, a passing carriage, thinking the cargo had fallen off, lifted him up. He overheard an affair through the carriage. Next, a rebellion led to the carriage owner being killed by a group of soldiers. Finally, he was rescued from the sack.

Those who rescued him took him for the owner of the carriage, an earl, and from then on the farmer and the earl's lover lived happily ever after.

emmm*.."

Regardless of what this fairy tale is actually about, now that we know what dark magic creatures are, the corresponding methods are quite clear.

The simplest way is to find a red robe, a bright red one with a hood.

The intense and glaring presence will cause the 'sack cover,' or rather the magic cloak, to instinctively feel fear and choose to flee.

Lockhart quickly spotted the bright red robe.

It was worn by a young girl.

The skin beneath the hood was as white as snow.

She seemed to possess no magic whatsoever, and although her voice sounded nervous, she resolutely told the burly werewolf, "Let my father go, and I'll take his place!"

The werewolf was clearly furious. "He's a thief! He stole many of my precious things! Don't think I can't see through him—the robe you're wearing is mine!"

The girl took a step back in fright, glaring at him through gritted teeth. "But my grandmother told me that if I wear this red robe, you have to agree to my request!"

"Yes, yes!" The werewolf angrily wagged his thick tail, pacing back and forth at the prison gate. "That wretched old witch, of course she knows!"

Finally, the werewolf relented, leading her to the prison cell. He ripped open the door and yelled at Lockhart, "Get out here! You may be a despicable thief, but you have a good daughter now!"

Lockhart blinked, looking at the girl in disbelief, "Hermione?"

Moreover, Hermione looked a little more mature, as if she had aged several years overnight.

"Dad—" Hermione was saying when she suddenly looked up at him, stunned. "Professor Lockhart?"