Chapter 158: Overcoming Fear
After receiving this praise, Harry could not keep the corners of his mouth down.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
He completely ignored Tamara's gritted, eerie tone and took it only as a uniquely awkward Slytherin expression.
To him, this was even more pleasing than earning fifty points for Gryffindor.
Looking at Harry's foolish expression, Tamara only felt her headache worsen.
She did not want to dwell on this ridiculous misunderstanding for even a second longer. With a cold face, she immediately turned her malicious gaze toward Lockhart, who was cowering to the side.
"Since the professor enjoys practical exercises so much..."
Tamara quickly shifted the topic, turning around to look down at Lockhart on the ground. A cruel smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
"Then please continue to fulfil your duties."
"Potter, pick up his wand, but don't give it back to him."
Tamara pointed her wand toward the darkness ahead, her tone as gentle as if she were inviting someone to a dinner party.
"Our professor must walk at the very front. After all, as a hero, one must always look the part, mustn't one?"
"No... I'm not going! You can't do this to me!"
Looking at the pitch black tunnel ahead, deep and filled with the smell of decay, Lockhart's fear triumphed over his reason.
He no longer cared about his image. He scrambled backward on all fours and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I am Gilderoy Lockhart! I am a recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class! This is kidnapping! I'm going to tell the Board of Governors..."
"Obliviate."
A precise spell lightly struck the back of Lockhart's head.
Lockhart's shouting stopped abruptly.
His eyes instantly became dazed, as if someone had suddenly cut the power. He blinked vacantly.
"Oh dear, Professor, whatever is the matter?"
Tamara immediately put on a look of concern.
"You were fine just now. Why did you suddenly fall down? Were you perhaps too excited?"
"I... fell down?"
Lockhart clutched his head, looking completely bewildered.
"Of course!"
Tamara spoke nonsense with a straight face, her tone filled with convincing allure.
"Have you forgotten? You were just asking us for material."
"You said this place down here is an excellent spot for exploration. As long as you take a few photos inside, your new book, Voyaging with the Basilisk, will surely double its sales, perhaps even surpassing your famous works."
"Sales... double?"
Hearing this keyword, Lockhart's originally dazed eyes instantly lit up with a desire etched into his very bones.
"Surpassing... famous works?"
"That's right. This is Hogwarts' greatest secret in a thousand years."
Tamara continued to bluff.
"As long as you take the lead and walk in, tomorrow's front page of The Daily Prophet will definitely feature a large, heroic photo of you."
"Front page headline!"
Lockhart was like a man injected with adrenaline, instantly revitalised.
He tidied his messy hair, and his trademark smile returned to his face.
"Ah! Yes! I remember now! I'm here for material! That's right! For art! For my readers!"
"Lead the way, children! Let the great Professor Lockhart lead you to witness a miracle!"
After saying that, he actually puffed out his chest and strode boldly into the depths of the darkness, as if the person who had just been frightened out of his wits had not been him at all.
Watching this scene, Harry and Ron, who were following behind, nearly let their jaws hit the floor.
"This..." Harry swallowed and asked in a low voice, "is this really all right? Will his brain be damaged?"
"His brain wasn't very useful to begin with," Ron said, rolling his eyes as he looked at the back of the man now acting like a proud rooster. "It wouldn't make much difference if it broke, would it? Besides... don't you think he's much more tolerable now?"
On the other side, Draco was looking at Tamara with an expression of worship.
His grey blue eyes were full of stars, as if he wanted to pull out a notebook and record this right now.
"This is the Slytherin art of manipulation!"
"Without any violence, using only a few words and a spell, one can turn an enemy into an obedient puppet!"
However, Lockhart's bravery did not last long.
A few minutes later, when the group turned a massive corner and saw a twenty foot long, shiny green Basilisk skin shed on the ground ahead, Lockhart let out a scream.
"Merlin's smelly socks!"
The fear etched deep in his memory once again overwhelmed his vanity.
"That's... that's a monster! That's a real monster!"
He turned and ran, even faster than before, even losing one shoe in the process.
"I'm done! I want to go home! I'm going to forget all of you..."
Tamara did not even stop walking. She merely raised her hand casually.
"Obliviate."
That familiar voice rang out again.
Lockhart froze in his fleeing posture, his eyes once again becoming clear and foolish.
"Professor?"
Tamara's voice was as cold as shards of ice.
"Where are you going?"
"I..."
Lockhart looked around vacantly.
"Didn't you just say you were going to find a good angle for a photo?"
Tamara pointed at the terrifying snake skin and lied without blinking.
"That is a prop we prepared for you, a backdrop to highlight your heroic stature."
"If you leave now, tomorrow's headline will be, Lockhart Flees in Terror from Fake Snake Skin."
"A prop? Fake?"
Lockhart looked suspiciously at the snake skin, then at Tamara's face, which was full of sincerity.
"Of course it's fake," Tamara said with a smile, though her eyes were cold. "How could Hogwarts have such a thing? It is only there to add dramatic tension."
"Go ahead, Professor. Your fans are waiting to see your heroic bearing."
"Oh... I suppose so."
Lockhart nodded in realisation, his confidence returning.
"I knew it! How could there be such a large snake? Haha! This prop is quite realistic! I'm going to touch it!"
With that, he excitedly ran over again.
[Ding. System has detected that the host is frequently using the Memory Charm to control the professor's mind!]
That annoying electronic voice finally could not help but jump out.
[Warning! This behaviour seriously violates the principle of respecting teachers and honouring truth! Host, how can you treat a respected professor like this? This does not fit your kind image!]
Tamara sneered in her heart.
Respect?
Was this useless fool even worthy?
She did not just want Lockhart to be cannon fodder.
More importantly, she was taking revenge.
Revenge for this incompetent waste stealing the position that should have belonged to her.
If she were teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, the students of Hogwarts would have learned how to use Avada Kedavra long ago and become her Death Eater reserves, rather than listening to this clown talk about knitting sweaters for snowmen.
But facing the system's questioning, she had already prepared a set of grand rhetoric.
"System, this is where you don't understand."
Tamara followed the group forward while bluffing righteously in her mind.
"I'm helping him overcome his fear."
[Overcoming... fear?]
The system clearly glitched for a moment.
"Exactly. Although Professor Lockhart is a bit... timid, deep down, he desires to be a hero."
"I'm merely using this special therapy to help him block out unnecessary fearful memories, allowing him to focus on completing his mission as a hero."
"Isn't this a high level form of psychological counselling? Isn't this so he can stand up at the critical moment and protect the students?"
"I'm helping him achieve his dream, system."
[This...]
After a series of complex logical calculations, the system actually felt that the host's words made some sense.
[Although the method is somewhat radical... if the original intention is to inspire the professor's Courage... Judgment: Barely passed.]
[However, please be careful with the dosage, Host. Do not actually turn the professor into a fool.]
"Don't worry."
Tamara looked at the back of the man posing beside the snake skin, a demonic smile curling at her lips.
"I know what I'm doing."
Even if he really went mad, at worst she would just throw him into St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
After all, for a liar full of falsehoods, perhaps living forever in a dream of his own making was the best ending.
"We're here."
Harry, walking at the very front, suddenly stopped.
Before him stood a circular stone wall carved with two intertwined giant serpents, their emerald snake eyes shimmering with an eerie light in the darkness.
The true entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.
Tamara took a deep breath. That familiar Slytherin magical resonance caused the sleeping power within her to begin boiling.
"Go on, Potter."
She spoke softly, her voice carrying a trace of almost imperceptible excitement.
"Open it."
.....
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