The slacker professor at Hogwarts

Chapter 98 The Call of the Wild, and the Deal

"You are the future!"

The forest witch said this to Lockhart.

As a witch who is arguably more old-fashioned among wizards, she longed for the prosperity of human society in her youth and followed trolls from the forest to Muggle society. She lived in Manhattan for most of her life and even went to Hollywood under an assumed name to work as a movie star for a time. She undoubtedly has a very profound understanding of the current state of society.

"The great Dringerwright is right. Wizards must find a way to coexist with Muggles, and that time has come long ago. No one can escape it."

The Forest Witch was a saint in her youth, and in that era, almost all wizards who longed for Muggle life were Grindelwald's saints.

"Dumbledore, this traitor, won't last long. The International Confederation of Wizards under his leadership hasn't done much."

"He neither guided the wizarding community to try to understand Muggles, but rigidly adhered to the Law of Secrecy without understanding how to adapt, leading to a rift between wizards and Muggles in society. Can you believe that in this modern age, when Muggles have already launched satellites into space and the internet is increasingly developed, wizards still retain the same arrogant contempt for Muggles as before?"

"He also failed to influence the leaders of the Muggle Kingdom to bring about positive effects on the division. The upper class of the Muggle Kingdom generally maintained a superficial cooperation with wizards while secretly being wary and antagonistic, deliberately guiding ordinary people in Muggle society to have a stereotypical image of wizards as evil and unintelligent."

When asked about these things, she shook her head with a look of disgust.

"Dumbledore was undoubtedly powerful, yes, no one could defy his will, but what happens after he dies?"

She gestured for Lockhart to try her mushroom soup, took a sip herself, and continued, "He's just one of those stupid politicians."

He likes to set up a foolish target, then influence those who oppose him to walk under that target, and then destroy it by brute force.

She chuckled. "If you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who caused it?"

"Didn't he consider that perhaps the person who raises the question is the one who might solve it in the future?"

"Mr. Grindelwald said that true wizards are the future." She gestured in the direction Hermione had just left. "You saw it too, didn't you? She doesn't look like a wizard at all, more like a Muggle, even though she seems so magically gifted."

"But magic was always just a means for her, not the oxygen she needed in her life."

"She won't go far. She can never become someone like Dumbledore or even Grindelwald. It's very difficult for her to become a true wizard."

"Giddon, you are a true wizard." She looked at Lockhart so earnestly. "On that basis, you are full of goodwill towards Muggles and yearn for harmony between Muggles and wizards."

"Oh, it's not right to describe it as harmonious coexistence; it's the kind of cooperation after conflict that politicians like to talk about." Her expression was so serious. "We are all human beings. Wizards are human beings, Muggles are human beings. We are just different groups within the same kind."

"The future of the wizarding community is suited to someone like you, walking the path of wizards while highly recognizing Muggles as your kind."

Such a discussion

Lockhart swallowed the oddly-tasting soup, his face contorted in a grimace. "Ms. Benitez, you can't do this. Trying to exert political influence on me when I feel guilty towards you."

The forest witch was momentarily speechless with embarrassment.

She looked at Lockhart somewhat shyly. "Is it that obvious?"

Lohat nodded, gesturing to his facial expression, "It looks too sincere, like casual conversation between friends before a long journey."

It was more like a speech.

"Well, I'm not Grindelwald after all, I can never convince others." The forest witch shrugged helplessly.

She gulped down the soup in one go, as if sulking, then let out a long sigh. "Let's make a deal!"

She actually grew accustomed to this narrative, often making deals with the forest and its animals.

"You're so close to not becoming a werewolf, you're almost there, but you tamed the beast within you too early, so you're always standing outside the threshold of mysticism."

"Before I disappear from this world completely, I can still have one last impact on your mind!"

She spoke with the enthusiasm of a salesperson enthusiastically promoting their product, saying, "You just lack a real feeling. I can take you on a journey through the 'Call of the Wild,' which I believe will completely open the doors to all paths of occultism and magic for you!"

"You know, this will bring you more than just turning you into a werewolf; that's just a side effect."

"The modern wizarding system is too foolish, always treating the negative effects of black magic as a disadvantage, but how could that be a disadvantage? It's very useful in battle."

She spoke of this with particular pride, saying, "The premise is that everyone must understand, like old-school wizards like us, how to put the wild in a cage and then call it out when needed."

That's true, but the ancient wizard population was even smaller. It was a system of inheritance that relied on talent, so it couldn't adapt to the current situation where the number of modern wizards is increasing dramatically and the quality varies greatly.

The more fantastical her story sounded, the deeper Lockhart shrank into his chair, his face contorted with frustration as he stared at her. Finally, he couldn't help but interrupt, "This sounds like I'd have to pay a huge price to get it, Lady Benitez. Could you please tell me what the terms of your deal are?"

The forest witch immediately gave an embarrassed smile, gesturing with her hand in a very small gesture, "It's just to solve a small problem. You know, Dumbledore is too foolish. The peace he forced is full of division. If the future is dominated by non-wizard wizards like those just now, Muggles and wizards will ultimately bring no peace—"

Lockhart stared at her seriously. "Get to the point!"

"Go to Nurmengard and release the great Grindelwald!" The forest witch finally gave this answer.

"!!!"

Lockhart was stunned.

He stared at the forest witch in disbelief. "Even if Dumbledore is as foolish as you describe, he's still the most powerful wizard of our time! Are you sure that if I do this, he won't tear me to pieces in his rage and flush me down the toilet?"

The Forest Witch just grinned, a somewhat awkward smile. "What can I do? The great Grindelwald once saved my life, and I owe Ms. Venda Rozier a huge favor. I can't die with regrets and indebtedness."

Vinda Rosier, the Black Rose of France, an admirer and follower of Grindelwald, a powerful witch capable of casting the Silent Killing Curse. She's comparable to McGonagall by Dumbledore's side or Bellatrix by Voldemort's, but unfortunately, the man she loved wasn't worthy of her.

Lockhart looked at her with a hint of helplessness. "So you didn't have the courage to do something this crazy while you were alive, and now you've come to me after you're dead, wanting me to do it for you?"

The forest witch was instantly enraged. She pointed a slender finger at the book "Walking with Trolls" on the table, leaned forward, and said, "Giddro Lockhart, you owe me!"

Lockhart fell silent; he had to admit that he had received far too much from the Forest Witch.

The gifts that fate bestows always come with a hidden price tag.

Some things don't actually need to be said. The most powerful magical ability of the forest witch is curses, the kind of curses that old-fashioned witches use to turn people into werewolves for life, or to put them in a deep sleep for life, or even bring misfortune to their descendants.

He had to carefully consider the forest witch's proposal.

"I can't guarantee I can do it, but I can guarantee I'll try my best." Lockhart didn't finish his sentence. "If you're willing to make this deal, I must remind you that this is all I can do."

The forest witch smiled, clearly pleased with the outcome of the negotiation. "If you had agreed immediately, I would have suspected you were just giving me the runaround."

"Let's begin."

She seemed impatient, snatched off her somewhat tattered pointed wizard hat, stood up, combed her long hair with both hands, and leaned back. Instantly, she transformed from an old and decrepit witch into a fair-skinned and beautiful mature witch.

Then, she extended her long, slender arm from the sleeve of her wizard's robe, her long fingernails painted with black nail polish. She gently cupped Lockhart's cheeks, pressed her forehead against his, and began to whisper extremely complex ancient runes.

Soon, Lockhart changed again; his body began to lengthen, and his head rapidly swelled into a giant werewolf.

The moonlight seemed to condense into dewdrops on the wolf's fur, sparkling and shimmering, causing the fur to sway gently in the forest breeze.

Haha~

The forest witch laughed and took a step back, looking up at the werewolf in amazement. "Look, your heart is filled with too much violence and cruelty. We shouldn't discipline these things. We just need to lock them up when appropriate and release them when necessary."

She raised her long neck to the moonlight, "Come, tear me apart, make a blood pact with me, and I will also walk towards death and embrace another wonderful journey of life."

Lockhart didn't move. He found that his rationality could still influence his restless and wildly surging body, which prevented him from tearing apart his prey like a wild beast.

"You must complete the final bloodbath, igniting the violence within you with the power of death, or it will forever remain your tamer."

Unable to access the mysterious power.

The forest witch raised a hand, gently placing her fingertips against the werewolf's chest, and licked her bright red lips. "Let me help you!"

boom!

Lockhart felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, as if everything before him was bathed in blood, and his intense primal instincts were fully awakened.

He finally transformed completely into a werewolf, a werewolf symbolizing evil, a werewolf symbolizing terror in the night. He suddenly stretched out his claws, grabbed the witch's shoulders, and forcefully bit down on the witch's fair neck.

Blood splattered everywhere!

Life is gone!

"Grandma, I forgot to tell you, I ran into Dad." A hurried voice suddenly came from around the corner in the distance. The werewolf raised his head, his scarlet eyes fixed on the young witch who looked even more tender than before.

"Oh my god! Grandma!" Hermione stared in disbelief at the scene before her, covering her mouth and widening her eyes.

"Roar~~~" The werewolf threw away the corpse in his hand and roared loudly at her, which suddenly startled the white horse beneath her, causing it to turn around and run away with her on its back.

However, the werewolf was not willing to let go of the delicious food in front of him and roared as he chased after it.

"Grandma~" Hermione cried sadly on horseback, clutching the glass bottle to her chest, and looked angrily at the werewolves chasing after her.

"Horse, hurry! I need to find Mr. Beast. I need to make a deal with him. I need him to kill the monster who killed Grandma!"

Snowflakes drifted down under the moonlight.

Hermione didn't notice that the white horse beneath her was gradually turning silver, running faster and faster, with the silver smoke characteristic of the Patronus Charm swirling around it.

Meanwhile, the werewolf that kept howling and running wildly behind them began to erupt with large amounts of black flames.