Hogwarts Bastard Professor

Lockhart's entire body suddenly went rigid, unable to move a muscle. His eyes darted rapidly in their sockets, his facial muscles twitching between tension and relaxation, giving him an eerie appearance.

The silvery threads of memory floating in the air finally drew closer, but just as they were about to touch him, they veered off, drifting aimlessly around the office. Eventually, they gathered above the Pensieve, swirling into a shimmering silver orb.

The memories couldn't find the one who had just cast a spell on them!

Yes!

Lockhart was horrified to realize that the last remnant of a powerful wizard's memory lingering in his mind was swiftly taking over his body.

This magical memory was far stronger than any ordinary Muggle memory or soul—immeasurably so!

He cursed inwardly, but his thoughts soon plunged into darkness.

The office fell into an indescribable, deathly silence.

"Guji?"

The little golden creature, toying with a magical eye, let out a confused squeak, unsure if this was the emergency its master had warned about.

Should it act now?

With a flick of its tiny paw, the magical eye vanished. It scrambled up a coat rack until it was level with Lockhart's head, peering curiously into his eyes.

But what it saw was an unfamiliar glint.

"Guji?"

It tilted its head, puzzled.

Just as it hesitated, its master finally moved.

"Who am I?" Lockhart muttered, pacing a few steps around the office, glancing around in confusion. "And where is this?"

His movements were nothing like the elegant Lockhart's. They were more like those of a witch, with a habit of daintily raising her pinky while holding the wand.

Flicking off his shoes with a grimace, he stood barefoot in the office, radiating wariness.

He quickly waved his wand.

A vibrant green light burst from the wand, transforming into a dazzling stream that danced through the air.

In an instant, the large oak desk in the center of the room sprouted buds, rapidly growing and unfurling tender green leaves. The trunk thickened at an astonishing rate, as thick as an arm, stretching up to the ceiling before snaking sideways and sprouting branches.

And it wasn't just the desk.

The ancient mahogany cabinet, the high-backed chair made of rosewood, the teak bookshelf—even the faded red wooden box containing a Boggart—sprouted branches. The box, now a peach tree, bore a cage with Cornish Pixies, its sturdy branches prying open the bars and setting the pixies free.

The pixies went wild, ready to wreak havoc in the office.

"Hmph, pesky pixies!" 

"Lockhart" snapped angrily. "You won't cause trouble in *my* forest!"

With a flick of "his" wand, a dried fruit in the dish on the desk split open, sprouting vines and long tendrils.

The vines grew at an alarming rate, rising like a giant hand into the air. Their whip-like strands instantly ensnared the pixies, gripping them tightly like claws.

The vines coiled back, slithering like serpents around the oak branches, dangling the captured pixies like wind chimes.

This was one of the powerful wizards Lockhart had "hunted" in the past—the "Forest Witch," a wizard raised by wolves in the Amazon, abandoned at birth.

She was the true source of wisdom behind two of Lockhart's bestselling books, *Wanderings with Trolls* and *Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests*.

Dealing with her had been easy. Lockhart's handsome face and plenty of alcohol had quickly charmed her.

Using one's appearance as a tool was a common tactic among dark wizards—and even some dark magical creatures. Banshees, for instance, often disguised themselves as beautiful witches to lure victims, and a young Voldemort had used his good looks to charm wealthy witches.

…

The witch was clearly pleased with her spellwork, tiptoeing through the "forest" she'd created, feeling a sense of safety as she tried to figure out where she was.

And who she was.

After all, she only had a fragment of memory—not enough to form a complete personality.

Lockhart's original self, greedy and foolish as he was, had only stolen fragments of others' adventures and knowledge, not their entire memories. He couldn't possibly reconstruct a full personality in his mind.

Now, this memory was controlling his body, mimicking the Forest Witch's behavior rather than truly being her.

As she wandered through her "forest," she soon encountered danger.

A pair of eyes glinted from the dense foliage of a tree.

No matter—she could handle surprises like this with ease.

But she miscalculated.

Before she could react, an overwhelming wave of terror surged through her, flooding her mind and paralyzing her thoughts.

It was as if some *unspeakable* horror had frozen her in place, her body rigid, her mind sluggish, unable to think.

Yet her senses remained sharp, acutely aware of a pair of furry little hands forcefully prying at her head.

The creature, with its glittering golden eyes, stared obsessively at her blue ones.

But it hesitated, wavering for a moment before pulling its furry hands away from her eyes. Instead, it grabbed her head, trying to drag her somewhere else.

Where?

She didn't know.

The creature wasn't strong, struggling with all its might to drag her behind a peach tree.

There, a Boggart cowered in a tree hollow, trembling and muttering, "Don't notice me, don't notice me!"

Behind the peach tree was a large crystal basin made from a bird's skull. The furry creature, with great effort, shoved her head into it.

After a long pause, nothing seemed to happen.

"Guji?"

The creature sounded puzzled.

After another wait, it dragged her body again, positioning her head above the crystal skull basin. Soon, she was immersed in a cool, slippery silver light.

The silver light seemed to think, swirling around her head as if making a judgment.

As a fragment of her memory merged back into her mind, the silver light surged wildly toward her head, as if summoned.

Was she returning to normal?

Would she remember who she was?

No!

She didn't.

Her vision went black, and her ability to think vanished completely.

It wasn't until ten minutes later that—

"Phew!"

Lockhart let out a long breath, collapsing onto a slanted tree trunk behind him, gasping as if he'd just escaped death.

"Guji!"

The little golden creature leaped excitedly into his lap, squeaking as it recognized its true master.

"Good job," Lockhart said gratefully, ruffling its tiny head, making it squeak happily.

He twisted his neck and winced in pain. When the creature had dragged him, its tiny claws had left scratches all over his neck.

No big deal.

He raised his wand toward the tree trunk above, chanting a spell from the Forest Witch's memory: "Kindly flower, heal the wound!"

Instantly, a vibrant purple flower bloomed on the trunk, its petals radiant and fragrant. Honey-like nectar dripped from its center, landing perfectly in his open mouth.

In moments, his minor scratches healed completely, and a larger wound faded to a faint mark.

"See? Not a total loss, right?" Lockhart said, his expression brimming with delight.

Though he hadn't unleashed the spell's full power, he'd finally managed to cast magic!

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