Felix Felicis is a magical potion, one might even call it the "main character template trial potion."
It has almost no side effects, is difficult to brew, expensive, and has a long cooldown, but there's no doubt, it's absolutely invaluable.
Its effects come in two types: first, when you're unsure whether you can succeed or not, it ensures that you will succeed. Second, when you truly can't do something, it finds someone nearby who can help you, increasing the chances that your actions gain that person's favor, triggering assistance.
Lockhart couldn't handle the situation himself, but Allen had already made the decision to help him. Lockhart would pay for this assistance later, but at this moment, he could proudly claim he had been perfectly "handled".
Even with Felix Felicis, though, forging steel requires strength, you can't make the impossible possible. It only increases the probability of unlikely events, not miracles, like Lockhart's actual skill.
A cute little rabbit attracting the attention of the girls is fine, but not explosive enough.
He wanted to make headlines, a newspaper photo of Lockhart conquering a rabbit in class? No way. As a master of self-promotion, Lockhart wouldn't allow such a thing. The rabbit might be cute, but it doesn't suit the title Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, especially one so handsome.
A fierce-looking man with a rabbit might be seen as "tough but sensitive," but Lockhart? People would just think he was playing with a rabbit. (Little did he know that in the ancient East, linking himself to a rabbit in the news would have caused an even bigger stir.)
So he decided to go bigger.
For example, a giant, eight-eyed poisonous spider.
Though it was only the size of a washbasin, far from the terrifying adult size, this hairy creature immediately drew everyone's attention.
With so many girls present, several screamed, and Allen noticed a few boys were about to shout but clenched their mouths for the sake of pride.
The spider was restrained on the podium by a defensive spell, unlike the free-moving rabbit, this one's size made it impossible to avoid the magical bonds.
It let out high-pitched cries of displeasure. How it made sound, or where its vocal organs were, Allen couldn't care less.
He only knew it was furious, its cries matched those of small pests he'd encountered before, but he had no intention of harming it. Too young, too little venom, worthless for selling.
"As you can see," Lockhart announced with his signature smile, ignoring the struggling spider, "this is no small creature. Honestly, getting one of these isn't easy." He knew this would make a perfect photo.
"Many people hate spiders, I hate them too. But you can read in my book the correct way to deal with them, where you'll see my expertise in handling pests. Though honestly, few people will encounter such fierce spiders at home."
"Today, I won't use ordinary methods. Harassing it with magic until it expends all its venom and capturing it would take too long and doesn't fit our lesson. Today, I will demonstrate the Forgetfulness Charm. Compared to a defenseless rabbit, this spider better shows the power of the spell."
"Obliviate"
With the spell released, the spider's memory was wiped. It no longer attempted to attack the defensive magic.
Thanks to Felix Felicis, the spell couldn't fail. Lockhart confidently deactivated the restraining spell, letting the spider fully reveal itself.
"Don't be afraid, its venom could kill, but now I have no worries. This once-aggressive spider has lost all memory; its danger is now about the same as that of the rabbit." Lockhart boldly extended a finger toward it. The spider immediately pulled in its legs as if frightened.
Gasps came from the crowd, cameras flashed, the professor's cool factor was rising steadily.
"Next, let's give it a little help, how about a dance?"
Before the students could react, Lockhart waved his wand. A dancing curse hit the spider, which began to awkwardly dance, eliciting chuckles. Seeing it harmless, the spider no longer seemed terrifying.
After a few playful curses demonstrated the creature's memory wipe, Lockhart announced it needed rest, and he had finally secured his "performer."
A brave little witch raised her hand:
"Professor, may I touch it?"
A bold request. Allen understood, some people like crawly creatures. He couldn't dictate personal hobbies. For him, the greatest gain from this lesson was the Forgetfulness Charm. Lockhart's meticulous teaching allowed Allen to memorize the technique after only two demonstrations.
Lockhart probably hadn't expected that just explaining the principle and performing it twice would be enough for a student to learn it. Allen may not have the Sharingan, but with Lockhart's skills, he had no choice but to record it.
As Allen waited for class to end, the daring little witch reached toward the spider. The spider, reacting instinctively, grabbed the girl's clothing with its front legs.
Instantly, her innate magical ability activated, the spider, lifted by her power, soared into the air.
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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