I'm the King of Curry at Hogwarts

Chapter 164 The Fire Keeper of Hogwarts

The next day, the long-awaited Daily Prophet published a short article.

The title is: "Gidero Lockhart, a good writer, a good professor, a good man".

("Gilderoy Lockhart, Good author, Good professor, Good guy")

It also includes a black and white animated photo of Lockhart, in which Lockhart smiles with his white teeth showing. This time, no one finds him greasy anymore. Even those who usually dislike him will sigh "Alas" when looking at his photo because of the respect for the dead.

Of course, only they themselves know what this sigh meant.

The gist of it was a praise of Lockhart's rich adventures and bestselling works, with a side note on his excellent teaching skills.

He also emphasized that losing to Louis was not a problem with his form.

This was certainly Louis's idea, since belittling the opponent is tantamount to belittling oneself.

Only by elevating the opponent's image can one highlight how difficult it was to achieve victory.

On the day of the funeral, the entire Great Hall of Hogwarts was decorated in a different color scheme. The main seating area was removed and replaced with Lockhart's coffin. Behind the coffin hung a large black-and-white photograph, which was static to avoid making the students laugh.

The students also "spontaneously" changed into black and white clothes and came to the auditorium to participate in the memorial service for Professor Lockhart.

Louis, of course, was present; he attended the memorial service with his girlfriend and aunt.

Both girls were dressed simply today, in very traditional British formal wear. Catherine wore a black V-neck suit dress, a black mesh wide-brimmed hat, and her usual white lace gloves were now black.

Ye Ziyan wore a black dress and no hat, with only a simple yellow flower tucked behind her ear.

As the saying goes, a woman should be beautiful and dressed in mourning clothes. Louis admitted that he was now somewhat distracted.

My hands are always a bit restless in the office. If I weren't going to attend a funeral soon, I definitely would have indulged myself first.

Solemn and dignified, Hogwarts is, after all, a professional organization that has hosted various grand events for many important figures, including but not limited to weddings, funerals, promotions, and so on.

Since he was a substitute professor, he did not stand among the students, but instead stood among the professors with Catherine and Ye Ziyan.

Lockhart wasn't very popular; at least among the professors, only Professor McGonagall was genuinely sad, while the others were expressionless.

Professor Sprout, in particular, hadn't forgotten about Willow breaking his arm, and Lockhart had given him no shortage of trouble since. It was already quite kind of her not to make a huge scene over Lockhart's death.

Many people from the Ministry of Magic also came, and Fudge even came to Hogwarts in person to pay his respects to Lockhart—even if he disliked Lockhart, he had to put on a show.

After all, it's common knowledge that Lockhart is one of his men. If he were to show any signs of being forgotten now that Lockhart is no longer needed, he might as well quit his job as Minister of Magic.

Who else would genuinely follow him?

Louis stood next to Fudge, gave him a brief greeting, and then stood there solemnly.

Before long, everyone had arrived.

Catherine looked at Vitalie's beret with its black veil and teased her in a low voice with pity, "I don't think you'll ever be able to take off your beret, Vitalie."

"Mind your own business," Vitali retorted softly, glaring at her fiercely.

"The white flower on your chest doesn't look good," Catherine said, glancing at the small white flower pinned to Vitalie's chest.

"Hmm? Why?" Vitalie was a little bothered by Catherine's opinion. White flowers aren't pretty? How could that be? These were carefully selected over a long period of time...

"I think a small white flag would be more in line with your nationality," Catherine said, almost bursting into laughter, but thankfully managing to hold it back.

"You!" Vitalie stamped her foot. "We're allies! How could you insult me ​​like that..."

"In some ways, France is an uncertain ally for us," Louis chimed in, adding that these kinds of things only get interesting when the wife leads and the husband follows suit, a mixed doubles approach.

Vitali was so angry that she glared at him and didn't say anything more.

Catherine chuckled softly and took Louis's hand without saying a word.

After a while, the funeral ceremony officially began.

First, Dumbledore, as the headmaster, gave a eulogy, but he found it too difficult to utter, so he beckoned Lewis to come up and mourn Lockhart on his behalf.

Louis, of course, had no problem with it; being a man of deep emotions, he had absolutely no moral burden when it came to blatantly lying.

He composed himself for a moment, and almost instantly put on a sad face.

"Wow, how come you changed your expression so quickly?" Ye Ziyan asked curiously in a low voice.

"I put myself in your shoes and imagined how you would feel if I abandoned you." Before Louis could finish speaking, Ye Ziyan pinched him.

"Tch, you're so frivolous!" Ye Ziyan blushed with anger and spat at him in embarrassment.

Louis chuckled, only to be pinched by Catherine again out of the blue.

"What are you doing?" Louis rubbed his aching back, completely caught off guard.

Catherine snorted, "Let's deal with that scumbag together!"

"..." Louis's expression was complicated, and his face became even more sorrowful. In the end, he said nothing and walked up to the podium.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he sighed and began to speak.

"Today, we have lost a great writer, a great adventurer, a good professor, and I have also lost a good friend."

Gilderoy Lockhart's life was always filled with joy and energy, which made it easy for him to forget the daunting dangers of his adventurous career. He dedicated himself to banishing dark creatures, rescuing ordinary people persecuted by them, and bringing joy to the wizarding world—tasks that were arduous, demanding, and risky. Completing these tasks also required considerable strength.

Throughout Professor Gilderoy Lockhart's life, an ideal was embodied, which Arnold Bennett once called "a great theory that uplifts the spirit." His optimistic attitude and positive aspirations for life inspire many of us who follow him; his humor often transcends the meaning of humor itself; and his courage, like a torch, ignites a guiding light for our journey forward.

Today, we share Tifa's sorrow, and we share her pride. We can be certain that the great being in heaven will not forget those who remember him. This faithful pilgrim has emerged from the darkness and entered the dawn of paradise, and in Bunyan's words, "On the other side, the welcoming horns have sounded."

We are still walking in the twilight, but a lighthouse guides us—something Lockhart lacked, and he himself is that lighthouse, guiding our way. Today, let us give thanks to this man who dedicated so much to the wizarding world.

Louis's language was incredibly moving, and he was completely immersed in his eulogy. His heartfelt sorrow even brought to tears the classmates who didn't like Lockhart.

Not to mention Lockhart's die-hard fans, some of whom beat their chests and wept bitterly, while others knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

The Hogwarts professors were the exceptions: Professor McGonagall was expressionless, Professor Sprout had a blank stare, Professor Flitwick was daydreaming, and our Professor Snape looked as if he had used Potter shampoo.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set enough, Louis sighed softly, "In closing, let me use a short poem to mourn this poor professor."

Severn returned him to the River Ness—

His heart, which had stopped beating, had turned ashen;

People buried him on the beautiful riverbank.

The sound of water ripples can be heard there.

The Severn River experiences two high tides every day.

Then the salty seawater flowed by.

The murmuring Ness River became almost silent.

The mountains became completely silent.

Finally, Louis sighed softly and dispelled the amplification magic.

"Alas".

He was completely immersed in the role.

Tifa's legs went limp like noodles, and she collapsed completely onto Lockhart's coffin, unable to move for a long time.

Louis shook his head and waved his hand to indicate that the band could play.

The sudden sound of the suona startled the grieving crowd, especially Tifa, who was lying on the coffin. She even gnawed a hole in the coffin, exposing the yellow wood underneath, which looked so incongruous.

Of course, this was not what Louis cared about. He walked back to his original spot, intending to stand there for a while and touch Catherine to calm himself down.

But then he heard Fudge strike up a conversation with him.

"A deeply moving speech, Louis," Fudge praised without reservation. "I never imagined your writing was so outstanding."

Louis thought to himself, "This isn't my writing at all. This is a eulogy from the Iron Lady and Lady Meilingzong, who don't even exist in history, for Meilingzong..."

Of course, he couldn't say this aloud, so he could only laugh it off: "I'm sorry, Minister Fouché, I just let my true feelings show for a moment. Please forgive me."

"How could that be?" Fudge smiled like Maitreya Buddha. "Your Highness treats people with sincerity, a virtue that is precisely what people lack nowadays."

"You flatter me," Louis said, and the orchestra's suona music grew even louder, truly a sound that would move anyone who heard it to tears.

This also completely obscured their conversation.

In short, Vitali, who was standing right next to them, couldn't hear what the two of them talked about, but the atmosphere between them remained harmonious.

In short, everyone was happy; it was a win-win situation.

A world where only Tifa is injured has been achieved.

After Lockhart's funeral, the tense and exciting final exams began.

Since the basilisk hadn't caused any trouble for six months, the courses hadn't fallen behind.

Louis's exam was rather unique; he specially prepared a new scenario for the students to practice on.

Since the learning progress and magic level are the same for each grade, it doesn't seem to matter if the map is the same.

Of course, only Louis and a few deans were watching, and they were the ones who scored the students who were undergoing the Mirror World Trial.

There's no way I'll reveal any spoilers for the new scenes; I'll never do that in my life. I can only maintain the mystery this way.

Of course, the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam was scheduled last.

Before the exam, Louis had important things to do.

He first found Neville.

"Actually, you have a hidden talent that hasn't been developed yet," Louis said bluntly, his tone and expression sounding exactly like someone trying to sell something.

"Huh?" Neville was a little flustered. Was Louis kidding me? He thought to himself.

He was constantly ridiculed for his slow mind, not only by Slytherin but also by his own Gryffindor friends. Even his grandmother, who disliked his forgetfulness, bought him a Memory Ball.

Louis is truly the first person to say this about him.

"I wasn't joking with you, and in fact, I didn't need to," Louis said earnestly. To Neville's utter astonishment, he pulled the dark sword from his sleeve and handed it to Neville.

If he weren't afraid of scaring Neville, he would have taken it out of his pocket.

As Neville looked at the long, black sword in front of him, a strange longing welled up inside him.

"Try it," Louis said gently, persuadingly.

Neville nodded and solemnly picked up the great sword in front of him.

Strangely enough, after getting his hands on the sword, Neville felt as if he had encountered a long-lost relative.

He tried swinging it a couple of times and managed to chip off a small piece of the backrest from a chair in the Gryffindor common room.

"Alright, alright, Neville, put him down." Louis, with a 'Great Sage, stop your magic' expression, pressed down on the still unsatisfied Neville and took out a few pieces of paper.

It includes some basic sword techniques, as well as various combat skills, such as uppercuts, lunges, lion slashes, the mighty Kalia, frost stomp, and savage roars.

Neville is also amazing; he can learn all kinds of sword techniques and combat skills at a glance, making Louis feel a little ashamed of himself.

He's already mastered this so well after just a short time; truly, the younger generation surpasses the older, and life is unpredictable...

I tested it with an energy shield, and Na'Vi's sword swing was roughly between a level four and five spell.

That's enough, and combat skills can provide even greater bonuses.

Louis also attached a War Ash called Force Feedback Shield to his sword, which consumed his own mana.

As a forgetful and academically challenged student, Neville's magical power is less than a tenth of Ron's...

So it's enough to let him specialize in one spell; we'll get him some warrior skills when we go to Azeroth sometime.

What's a good name for a mage who can't charge? Druid?

The system also indicated that the task was completed.

A Fire Keeper was awarded as a reward.

Louise, left alone in the Room of Requirement, was staring at the Fire Keeper.

After a long pause, the Fire Keeper finally couldn't help but ask first:

"Lord Ashes, is this... the world after the fire was extinguished?"

"Put out the fire?" Louis was a little surprised. How did this turn into putting out the fire? And you act like we're old friends?

Wait a minute, this is the first time we've met, isn't it?

Louis's emotional intelligence is definitely not that low; he certainly couldn't ask directly.

He chose to ask the system what was going on.

The answer he received was that the woman in front of him was the Fire Keeper from his game save file in his previous life.

This is troublesome, since they are indeed acquaintances.

You can't be serious, Louise leveled up hundreds of levels by feeling her way through the darkness.

You see, Louis and she weren't really that familiar.

"Perhaps this is a world where the fire has not yet been extinguished. I feel a long-lost warmth..." the Fire Keeper murmured to herself.

Oh, Louis remembers now, the Fire Keeper was blind.

You know, Miyazaki Hidetaka is another example. The three main female characters from Dark Souls 3 and The Ring of Eden, when combined, make up a perfect pair of eyes...

Lani's eyes are still fake...

"Yes, this is another world," Louis nodded in response.

"It's amazing, I feel like I'm filled with new power." The Fire Keeper's voice was gentle; she truly is the dream girl of many players.

*System notification: The Fire Keeper can now unlock job inheritance. Anyone can inherit a job based on their own aptitude by consuming a certain amount of Anima. Currently unlocked: Wizard.

*To be unlocked: Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Warlock, Demon Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Druid, Death Knight.

Note: Anima can be obtained through the Trial Mirror World of units other than the host. Currently obtained Anima: 2000.

Louis glanced at the Fire Keeper, then telepathically told Christa to come and get him.

On the way, Louis saw Filch and, out of curiosity, whispered to the Fire Keeper, asking her how much anima would be needed to unlock Filch's wizarding legacy.

The result was a huge surprise to him; Filch... only required 100 points of energy.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking the system would ask for an exorbitant amount, but it turned out that's all it needed...

It's time to get some benefits for the workers at Moonberry Workshop. It should be said that, at present, only the workers at Moonberry Workshop are truly loyal to him.

Welfare should always be given to those who are loyal and dedicated, which is Louis's consistent principle. But it can't be given away for free. He's not a philanthropist; he's... the biggest reactionary feudal imperialist leader in the magical world.

In the late 18th century, they would definitely have received a decapitation.

Filch, of course, knew nothing of this; he simply looked at Louis, the savior of the Squirrels, with reverence.

Back in her office, Catherine's first words to the Fire Keeper were: "Looks like you're going to find me ten more sisters this year before you're satisfied..."

"How could that be?" Louis quickly went over and ruffled Catherine's hair. "Don't worry, Ye Zi was just an accident... I have the two of you, that's enough..."

"Hmph, I was just an accident, huh!" Ye Ziyan heard this as she walked in from outside. She crossed her arms, snorted, turned around and left, as decisively as flowing water, without taking a single cabbage with her.

This little rascal is infuriating! Ye Ziyan gritted her teeth inwardly, wishing she could bite him hard and teach him a lesson.

"No, hey, Ye Zi..." Louis realized that this was a classic case of pressing down one gourd only to have another float up; he really hadn't expected this to happen.

(End of this chapter)