The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

Last year, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom always had a musty smell, along with the pungent smell of garlic.

But this year they changed classrooms, and there was an added layer of sweet perfume. The classroom is divided into two floors, with a small loft on the upper floor for teachers to prepare for class (getting ready - Kayson).

The entire classroom was transformed into Lockhart's personal exhibition hall. The walls were covered with large photographs of him, in which Lockhart was busy winking at the camera, fixing his blond hair, or showing off his perfect profile.

Julien leaned against the window, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the magic wand in his sleeve, his gaze fixed on the figure on the podium who was striking a pose.

Gilderoy Lockhart.

"I heard he received the Order of Merlin, Third Class," Hermione said, squeezing into the seat next to Julien with a stack of books in her arms, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red.

"I read all of his works over the summer, and 'Travels with Ghouls' was absolutely brilliant! It's a pity we have to start with his second book this year, 'Travels on a Boat with Vampires'."

Kayson, who had been pushed aside, and Rocher and Lyria in the front row all glanced at Hermione with displeasure on their faces.

At Professor Lockhart's request, today's class was held simultaneously in all four colleges, supposedly to facilitate better presentations. What exactly was being presented remains unknown.

Julien secretly popped a piece of beef jerky into his mouth and mumbled a reply. He knew, of course, what kind of person Lockhart was.

Just then, a "ding!" sounded.

A notification sounded in his library: "Memory magic fluctuation detected. New book generated: The Thousand Layers of Oblivion Spells: From Memory Erasure to Personality Overwrite."

Oh? If Lockhart can actually learn some forgetting spells or something, then this NPC does have some value.

"Very good, very good!" Lockhart stood in front of the podium, waving a wand inlaid with turquoise gemstones—it looked more like a decoration in a jewelry store window.

"With so many people here, it seems everyone is very enthusiastic about my course. But before we officially begin, let's have a short quiz!"

Parchments flew in like snowflakes.

Yu took the test paper and glanced at the questions:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday?

3. What gift does Gilderoy Lockhart most want to receive?

……

Holy crap! How utterly perverted is that?! Julien's lips twitched.

He turned to look at Hermione, only to find her writing furiously, her face showing an almost devout seriousness.

Hermione, without looking up, muttered to herself, "I know this one! It's peace and tranquility! He mentioned it in 'Walking with Trolls'! I know this one too..."

Julien sighed, scribbled a few circles on the test paper, and then quietly opened the book "Traveling on a Boat with Vampires" on his lap. He had no choice but to bring this one book, the so-called textbook for second grade.

This was a skill he had honed in his previous life, and it usually wouldn't be discovered.

Perhaps by coincidence, he happened to turn to an illustration: a wizard, undoubtedly Gilderoy Lockhart, was standing in front of a huge stone portico with doors that opened inwards, and a line of Latin text above the doors, probably a place name: Transylvania-Brown Castle.

Transylvania?!

Oh, right, that map! A rubbing of "The Source of Magic in Europe".

One of the markers is in central Romania, and the caption next to it is the word Transylvania.

Julien was taken aback. Could this place be special, just like Falling Star Bay?

Julien then flipped through the pages again and found another illustration, an oil painting.

Amidst towering mountains, a black castle stands perched on a cliff edge, its spire piercing the dark clouds, with a winding river flowing below. The painting's perspective is that of looking up at the castle from that river.

In the lower right corner of the painting is a very faint, almost erased signature: "Victor Paulus Krum 1943".

Victor? Krum? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.

"Alright, it's time to hand in the papers." Lockhart waved his hand, and all the papers returned to his grasp. At the same time, the quill pen for automatic grading began to swish and tap.

"However, Mr. Black, while I understand your attraction to my book, it's not good to 'cling to Merlin's feet' at the last minute." He then winked mischievously at Julien.

This disgusted Julien. However, Lockhart's performance wasn't over yet; he stretched out his right hand downwards and struck a cool pose.

In that instant, Julien noticed a black mark on Lockhart's right wrist—a crescent moon entwined with thorns!

"Hooray, Miss Granger got it all right. She even knows that my ideal gift is harmony between all magical and non-magical worlds."

Lockhart looked quite pleased with himself and once again displayed his humor, "Of course, Miss Glenmorangie. Actually, I wouldn't refuse a case of Ogden Firewood. Hahaha."

Hermione smiled and nodded in response, then turned to Julien, "His ideals are noble, aren't they?"

Julien gave an awkward smirk. "Yeah, yeah. Obviously."

"Alright, open your textbooks, 'Sailing with Vampires'!" Lockhart flashed his dazzlingly white teeth again, his voice as sweet as honey. "Today we're going to learn how to deal with those elegant gentlemen who live in castles."

A rustling sound of pages turning filled the classroom. "I've read it three times already," Hermione whispered to Liam. "His methods for fighting the vampire horde in the book were absolutely brilliant, using seven different protective charms..."

Lockhart then began his storytelling, progressing step by step, with vivid expression, thrilling and witty moments.

To be honest, as a listener, Julien felt that Lockhart's storytelling was better than most novels from a certain point in his previous life.

However, this is, after all, a classroom, and story time can never replace textbooks. Many young wizards are quite intelligent, especially the Ravenclaw and Slytherin students.

The buzzing from the audience finally broke Lockhart's train of thought. "Miss Greengrass, I noticed you've been talking to your deskmate. Is there a problem?"

"Just curious, Professor," Daphne Greengrass looked up and gave a knowing smile.

The Greengrass family is a long-established, pure-blooded aristocratic family. Daphne and Astoria, the sisters, are also well-connected and knowledgeable.

"Where exactly in Romania is the vampire castle you described in your book located? I've studied the terrain there, and my family has even taken me on an adventure through the Carpathian Mountains, but I still don't know where you're talking about."

Lockhart's smile froze for a moment. It was a fleeting flaw, so quick it seemed like an illusion, but Julien saw it—a flicker of wariness crossed his grey-blue eyes, like a hunter discovering that his prey was also observing him.

“Oh, it’s a… very secluded place,” Lockhart straightened up, unconsciously tugging at his cuffs, “deep in the Carpathian Mountains, the exact coordinates are a secret, you know, to prevent my fans from going there to carry out some reckless actions.”

"Professor, can we have something practical?" Seamus Finnigan asked, clearly more impulsive than Gryffindor.

"Practice? Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do next." Lockhart clapped his hands, changing the subject. "Suppose you encounter a vampire, what's the most important thing? Mr. Potter, you answer that."

"Sunshine Charm? Silver weapon?" Harry answered tentatively.

"No, no, no!" Lockhart shook his head dramatically. "It's—smile! Remember, what vampires hate most is seeing someone more attractive than themselves!"

A few scattered laughs rang out in the classroom, and for a moment no one knew whether he was serious or just being humorous.