I'm the King of Curry at Hogwarts

Chapter 114 Lockhart: The Advantage Lies With Me

"Look at you, Professor." Louis shrugged. "My standard for doing things is to unite all forces that can be united."

"Including Muggles too?" Dumbledore asked abruptly.

"We all come from Muggles, and we will all return to Muggles," Louis replied with great emotional intelligence.

Dumbledore nodded approvingly: "It seems you are different from Gellert and Tom."

"I'm a Muggle, Professor," Louis said somewhat dismissively. "I don't know much about Grindelwald, but Tom... well, you could say he's a convert fanatic? Something like that."

"To be honest, I kind of regret not correcting things sooner." Dumbledore shrugged, but his expression didn't betray any regret.

"You really are a very dedicated teacher." Louis's words were more sarcastic than complimentary.

But Dumbledore began to sigh.

"I hope you won't become the next Dark Lord, Louis," Dumbledore remarked to Louis for the first time ever.

"Who can say what will happen in the future?" Louis shrugged. "Don't forget that saying: the uncertainty of the future is the driving force behind our progress."

Dumbledore didn't answer directly, but instead said, "If all goes well, the Board of Governors will come to Hogwarts tomorrow with Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. Whether you get what you want depends on their decision tomorrow."

"To be honest, I don't really like the feeling of being controlled by others." Louis felt a little uncomfortable, but since he was under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to bow his head.

"So, son, you'd better sit still. I'm old and have seen too much of life's ups and downs. Sometimes it's not a good thing to have it too easy when you're young," Dumbledore advised his lovable son.

"You have to eat one bite at a time, just like Emma said, you can't rush hot pudding."

"You're worried I'll flip the chessboard, aren't you, Professor?" Louis said meaningfully. "Don't worry, Professor. Winning what I want within the rules is what I enjoy."

"Then I'm relieved." Professor Dumbledore then took out a honey candy: "Want one?"

Louis knew that this time he was truly relieved.

He took the honey candy, twisted open the packaging, and popped it into his mouth.

"Why does it smell like chives?" Louis asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I put a green Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean in there." Dumbledore was clearly in a good mood and even started joking.

Louis was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond, and could only give Dumbledore a thumbs-up.

"I've been tricked, Professor. You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Dumbledore laughed heartily, his mood lightening. "Actually, I've always trusted you. What I did just now was a setup to get you to eat this Bean of Flavor." He then winked mischievously. "Too bad this bean doesn't taste like booger, oh well."

Louis thought it wasn't raining, but it turned out Dumbledore had left him speechless.

"You must be careful of Fudge." Professor Dumbledore put on a serious face. "Although I promoted him, he is very ambitious. Gilderoy Lockhart was the one he assigned to teach me, perhaps as preparation for opening the door to Hogwarts through the Ministry of Magic."

"Now you're trying to strip his people of some power, but you're unlikely to get away with it... While I'm still here, he probably won't make any big moves against Hogwarts—but once I'm gone, he'll swarm like a fly to blood and take a bite out of that fat piece of Hogwarts."

"Unfortunately, you've misjudged someone again," Louis said meaningfully.

"It's not that I misjudged you, Louis." Dumbledore shook his head. "The human heart is complex, like water. On the surface, it may seem calm, but beneath, undercurrents surge, and you can't possibly know everything."

Louis sighed like a little adult and said with emotion, "But one thing is certain: water flows downhill, but people's hearts always want to go higher."

"You see things more clearly than I do," Professor Dumbledore said, sparing no praise.

"Alright, Professor, it's getting late. I should head back to the Slytherin common room. Catherine is waiting for me." Louise stood up and prepared to leave.

"Oh, I haven't even congratulated you on successfully shedding your bachelor status yet," Dumbledore teased Louis with a mischievous tone.

Louis's skin was as thick as his armor; he wasn't easily embarrassed. Without blushing or turning pale, he said to Professor Dumbledore, "Then shouldn't you do something?"

Dumbledore exclaimed "Ah!" and gestured for Fawkes to come over: "I suddenly remembered, I'm still making soup in the kitchen. I'll be going now, bye-bye—"

After saying that, he and the phoenix disappeared before Louis's eyes.

Understanding the meaning of the word "润" (run) perfectly is what it means.

Louis was speechless, gaining a new understanding of Dumbledore.

The next day, while in class, Louis was summoned to the principal's office.

When he entered the headmaster's office, he found many people there, including Lucius, who was subtly nodding at him, and four heads of departments. Professor Snape was looking at him with an expression that said, "I have high hopes for you."

There were several others he didn't recognize, including Gilderoy Lockhart, who was looking at him with a displeased expression.

"Our distinguished Mr. Mountbatten has arrived," said a middle-aged man with a somewhat bureaucratic air. Judging from his portly appearance, he was at least a bureau chief.

"Alright, Louis, come this way." Dumbledore beckoned Louis over and introduced him to everyone.

The portly middle-aged man we just saw was none other than the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

Unlike Lockhart, who wore his heart on his sleeve, this man was clearly very shrewd and always maintained a friendly demeanor with everyone. Even towards Louis, he repeatedly praised his youthful talent, saying that given time, he would surely grow into an outstanding wizard who could rival Dumbledore.

Look at them, they accomplished both flattery and sowing discord in the blink of an eye.

His skill level is much higher than Lockhart's.

"Alright, enough of the small talk. We've all gathered here to vote on Mr. Lewis's decision to teach second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore said, and the room fell silent instantly.

He glanced at the school board members and Ministry of Magic officials staring at him, and said, "As a school with a long history, our school has always adhered to a people-oriented educational policy. Therefore, we cannot ignore the students' wishes. Now... those who support Mr. Louis, please raise your hands."

Most of the board members, including Dumbledore and the four deans, also raised their hands.

"It seems there are still quite a few people who support Louis," Dumbledore nodded. "And how many are against him?"

Nearly a third of the school board members, along with officials from the Ministry of Magic and Lockhart, unanimously raised their hands to vote.

Unfortunately, it's a draw, 10-10.

"I actually have a suggestion," Fudge, who had been smiling and playing the role of Maitreya Buddha, spoke up: "How about having Mr. Mountbatten lead two second-year students from each house, and Mr. Lockhart also lead two second-year students from each house, and arrange an inter-house duel after Christmas to test their teaching results... What do you think?"

Fudge's eyes held a deeper meaning as he looked at Louis.

No matter how outstanding a student may be, he could never be a match for an adventurer wizard like Lockhart.

People from Muggle families should just stay in the Muggle world. They're trying to expand their influence in the magical world. We should take this opportunity to teach them a lesson, even if we can't stop them from reaching out.

Fudge didn't take Louis seriously at all; in his mind, the power behind Louis was what he needed to be most concerned about.

The Muggle world, after all, couldn't resist the temptation to recreate the subjugation of the Ministry of Magic that existed before the 17th century. Fudge, accustomed to being Minister of Magic and having the final say, was unlikely to seek a superior.

Lü Bu said it well: A true man lives between heaven and earth; how can he live a life of melancholy and subservience to others?

If Fuji knew of Lü Bu, he would probably have considered him a close friend long ago.

"Minister Fudge's suggestion is excellent, I think it's very reasonable," Lucius quickly chimed in, his tone clearly aimed at sealing the deal.

He knew Louis's teaching abilities all too well; even his own piece of rotten wood had almost been sculpted into a dragon by Louis.

Draco: Don't cue me, even if you're my dad... Oh, Dad, please continue.

Others who opposed him couldn't find fault with him either, but everyone—those who supported Louis, except for the four heads of the house, Dumbledore, and Lucius—doubted whether Louis could succeed, while those who opposed him were waiting to see him fail.

But Louis offered a different opinion: "Headmaster, Deans, Board Members, and... Minister," he deliberately placed the Minister last, "There are four houses that have submitted applications. I can't possibly favor one over the other, can I? So, I suggest that I take charge of the second-year students from all four houses. Then, at Christmas, Professor Lockhart can choose our opponents from the fifth-year students. What do you think of this suggestion?"

This time, even Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick's expressions changed.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Louis, but rather that they didn't trust a second-year student... A three-year age gap isn't so easy to bridge.

They didn't know why Louis said that, but they instinctively felt it couldn't be right.

Professor Sprout even tried to stop him: "No, Louis..."

But Fudge quickly finalized the decision: "Great! Mr. Mountbatten is indeed confident; it's settled then!"

Lockhart's expression was still somewhat bitter. After the incident with the Cornish elves yesterday afternoon, he began to doubt his teaching abilities—he had secretly decided never to bring any living creatures to class again.

But when he heard Louis's almost reckless request, he was overjoyed.

This is like a pillow coming right when you're sleepy! He was overjoyed. What do you call this? This is fifth grade against second grade! The advantage is mine!!

He looked at Louis with a beaming smile; this unexpected victory made him extremely happy.

Fudge had already hinted to him that after the victory and establishing himself at Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic would offer him an honorary position.

For the vain Lockhart, this was a fatal temptation.

It's alright, as long as it's not the temptation to go home.

"However, I should add that Hogwarts professors are not allowed to interfere with the teaching of the two," Fudge added.

Before coming here, Fudge had done a general investigation into Lewis's teaching situation last year. He only assumed that Lewis's performance was due to Professor Snape's secret help and did not associate it with Lewis himself.

It's not really Fudge's fault. No one could have imagined that a first-year student could be so extraordinary; it's completely illogical.

But many things in this world cannot be judged by common sense.

"Of course." Professor Dumbledore nodded in agreement to Fudge's request. He looked around and said in an unquestionable tone, "Then, with all the professors, the school board members, and the officials of the Ministry of Magic as witnesses, this wager... is hereby established."

"If Mr. Lewis wins the bet, he will become the associate professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at his school and will be in charge of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum for this year's students... The Ministry of Magic will have no objections." Minister Fudge made the decision for Lockhart with a smile.

"If Mr. Lockhart wins, I will never mention teaching again during my time at the school," Louis said calmly.

"It seems you haven't lost much, which isn't fair to Professor Lockhart, since... this incident will also affect his reputation if it gets out," Fudge said with a sly smile.

Snape, who had been silent all along, suddenly retorted sarcastically: "If you had used your keen eyesight, you might have noticed that this match itself was unfair to Mr. Mountbatten."

In the end, it still comes down to Snape; he always protects his good student when it matters most.

Louis thought to himself, "Thank you for protecting me, Professor. I will definitely work hard to find different ways to persecute you."

Snape: Are you being polite?

Fudge showed no embarrassment upon hearing Snape's words, and replied without batting an eye, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to say that Mr. Mountbatten is so outstanding that I momentarily forgot about his age."

As he spoke, he gave Louis a polite smile.

"Good that you remember. I hope you won't go back on your word." Snape gave a forced smile, his tone cold.

"Of course, of course, I certainly won't go back on my word." Lockhart, having gained an advantage, still tried to play innocent: "Sigh, if that's the case, it's really a bit unfair to win." As he spoke, he even sighed as if he was reluctant: "But this is everyone's request, so I can't really object. I can only reluctantly respect everyone's opinion."

As he spoke, he winked at Louis with a smug look on his face, believing that he had the upper hand and victory was assured.

(End of this chapter)