The next morning, the first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Allen had no choice, he could only attend Mahoutokoro's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. As for Ilvermorny's? Haha, no way he was volunteering for that.
After all, as he had seen with his own eyes, Ilvermorny hadn't changed professors, and unfortunately… he had already fought that professor.
How to put it… in Allen's judgment, that professor wasn't bad. At the very least, both in terms of knowledge and personal ability, they far outshone Gilderoy Lockhart. (Although Lockhart wasn't exactly weak either.)
You have to understand, even if Lockhart embarrassed himself in class, he had defeated many formidable opponents, albeit from behind the scenes.
Think about it: first, you have to gain their complete trust; then, extract the story from them; and finally, strike unexpectedly and alter their memories. Could the average wizard pull all that off?
So why do people call Lockhart a fraud?
He made a living with skill, writing books based on real feats. Why label him trash?
At Hogwarts, students probably weren't choosing Lockhart's class anymore anyway, his recent performance wasn't exactly inspiring.
But Allen was wrong. He had forgotten Lockhart's diehard fangirls. And, by the way, Lockhart had readers in Japan and America too. The British wizarding world's influence was widespread; bestsellers naturally circulated in other magical communities.
That morning, the school gate was swarmed.
Not just fourth-year boys, many young witches, probably on break, crowded the path leading to Lockhart's classroom.
"Is the world collapsing?"
"No… looks like we underestimated our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Suddenly, his class seems profound."
"Exactly. I think we still haven't grasped the essence of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Agreed. Let's attend Professor Lockhart's lessons, after all, we are his students. Now's the time to support him."
Many nodded below.
How could they miss their professor showing off his brilliance to outsiders?
Exactly, they were supporting him purely out of loyalty, nothing else.
"Allen, are you coming?"
Haha, what's so great about that loser Lockhart? We're here to see new magic, not revisit his antics. But abroad, you must maintain Hogwarts' dignity. Who else will support him? As for other Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, sneaking in is fine, Allen had one fewer elective, so he'd catch up later.
So off they went, cheering proudly:
"Support Professor Lockhart with action, uphold Hogwarts with performance!"
Along the way, they passed the Gryffindor boys, Hufflepuff boys, and Slytherin boys. Everyone smiled at each other, displaying determination before continuing to their target.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Today would probably be Lockhart's happiest day.
Though yesterday and the day before weren't bad either, over those days, his hand nearly trembled from signing. Female witches from other schools came with his new works, demanding autographs. Lockhart even found some pirated books, poor-quality Japanese translations, but graciously forgave the witch and signed them anyway.
Amid the cheers of admirers, Lockhart even considered releasing an official translated edition of his book, personally revising it to prevent his fans from buying faulty translations.
If there was one regret, it was that yesterday night, no cameras were on him. For safety and logistical reasons, Japanese reporters hadn't attended. Lockhart was furious. He, the five-time winner of the Most Charming Smile Award, had shown his perfect white-toothed grin to a fan, and it went unphotographed!
Especially that flawless smile he gave to comfort a female fan while gifting her signed books, he felt it alone could earn him a sixth Most Charming Smile award! Of course, he wouldn't refuse if the local paper offered it.
To make up for this, he contacted a newspaper yesterday, and their prompt and professional response delighted him:
"Respected bestselling author and popular Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Mr. Lockhart:
We are honored that you granted us the right to interview you. Tomorrow morning, a professional reporter and photographer will visit Mahoutokoro for an exclusive feature.
— Your friend, Morishita Yōto"
This was wonderful news, nothing could make Lockhart happier.
Still, he had a small concern. Unlike at Hogwarts, his class at Mahoutokoro was required, with students from three different schools present. He wasn't sure if anyone would choose his lessons.
Selling books was one thing, but if no one attended, the reporters' accompanying commentary would definitely not be flattering. Lockhart knew the media well, they wouldn't hesitate to harshly criticize him to sell papers.
Realizing this, he felt nervous. Why had he been so careless? If only he could confirm attendance before alerting the newspaper… but it was too late. He had to face it head-on.
"Come on, Lockhart. Remember, this is your chance to shine on the world stage. Today could make you famous!"
After repeating this to himself countless times, Lockhart strode briskly toward the classroom.