Chapter 163: The Ambitious Young Man
Hogsmeade Village has a unique landscape. Situated among mountains and above the snowline, it is perpetually covered in snow.
Upon entering the village, one can see every building blanketed in thick snow, a vast expanse of white wherever the eye can reach.
The next day, Sunday, as Lockhart stretched and carried some herbs to his new home, he instantly fell in love with the two-and-a-half-story, pointed-roof building buried in the snow.
He walked around the small building, carefully observing every corner, searching for the most interesting views.
As he circled near the front door, he saw a tall, slender, red-haired senior student standing outside, his nose red with cold, breathing into his hands.
"Percy?"
Lockhart was surprised to see the student. "How did you find this place?"
Percy Weasley, upon seeing him, immediately straightened up, respectfully and somewhat stiffly, excitedly calling out, "Good morning, Professor Lockhart!" After exclaiming, he realized it was likely still early morning and many villagers were not yet awake, so he quickly clamped his mouth shut, a little embarrassed.
"I..."
"I saw the professor yesterday," Percy realized he needed to answer the question and quickly whispered, turning around and fumbling in the thick snow. He pulled out a large bag and gestured with it, "My father has some inventions for cleaning equipment; I thought you might need them."
P.S.: Percy calls Arthur "Father," while the other children call him "Dad," which makes his siblings and sister think Percy is being pretentious.
Oh~
An ambitious fellow.
Lockhart smiled faintly, took out his key, opened the door, and motioned for Percy to come in. "Come in and warm yourself by the fire. This village is quite cold."
Percy didn't rush inside. Instead, he took the herbs from the professor's hand to help carry them, then dutifully followed him in.
Once inside, he eagerly helped light the fire in the fireplace with his wand, skillfully adding firewood.
Regardless of how some of his classmates viewed him, Percy was always the one who quietly tended the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, serving everyone, and was very good at such tasks.
Lockhart didn't stop him. Seeing his diligence, he had him help open the package he'd brought and throw the herbs into the fireplace flames.
It was interesting; without any prompting, Percy still carefully inspected the herbs and then placed them on the inner edge of the fireplace, allowing them to bake without directly catching fire.
Immediately, some strange purplish-black smoke billowed from the fireplace, carrying a peculiar, pungent odor that rapidly spread throughout the room.
"You know how to use it to expel household pests?" Lockhart was a bit curious; Percy's method clearly showed practical experience.
Percy quickly turned around, trying his best to hide the smugness on his face, revealing a bright smile. "Yes, Professor. My mother really likes you; she has a copy of your 'Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests', which I used to read frequently."
Hmm...
In fact, Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let Percy, her proud and precious son, do chores. And an ambitious fellow like Percy wouldn't likely research household pest removal; he had just learned all this on the fly last night, cramming for the occasion.
Of course, being observant of daily life, he had previously noted how his mother put the book's contents into practice, which greatly helped his current performance.
The book, "Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests," described this herb. Although the purplish-black smoke was slightly toxic, as long as it wasn't excessively inhaled, it would actually benefit the body.
He remembered this point, so despite feeling a bit choked and his eyes stinging, he maintained an air of "I know the trick to staying in this smoke for a while."
Lockhart's expression was a little strange, because in his previous life, he had actually done similar things, but that was for graduate school entrance exams. At that time, he knew that his advisor's preference was more important than his grades. Desiring to change his life, he naturally had to perform.
Just like the young man before him, deliberate and clumsy in his presentation, but full of sincerity.
"Very good!" He smiled and patted the shoulder of the eager young man, offering affirmation and kindness, just like the respected mentor he had encountered back then.
The purplish-black smoke quickly took effect.
All sorts of strange little insects crawled out of the seemingly empty house, avoiding the smoke and scurrying towards the open windows and doors.
Lockhart gestured for Percy to wait outside with him. He curiously observed the young man, then, after some thought, said, "I know your aspirations, but I'm sorry, Percy, I probably won't be of much help to your future career in the Ministry of Magic."
Such blunt words immediately made the still-inexperienced young man's face flush red.
But Lockhart continued. He was no longer as subtle and coaxing with Percy as he was with second-year students like Harry and Draco. He would communicate using more direct language.
This was a form of respect, acknowledging the maturity of a student who was beginning to break free from a student's mindset.
Then, he used the harsh reality to tell them, "Child, welcome to the terrifying world of adults."
"Actually, I don't see much future for you in the Ministry of Magic. Wizarding politics has always been a game of different group representatives, and you were born into the Weasley family, a 'family that betrayed group interests,' which is despised by most of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families. Your path forward will be filled with various invisible barriers."
"If you truly want to advance in the Ministry of Magic, your only real chance is to take over your father's position, but I'm afraid you won't live to see that day. Arthur seems to be in the prime of his life and can likely work for at least a few more decades."
"I can speak to Fudge on your behalf, but it won't be very useful. Even if Fudge is willing to offer you some help, he won't arrange a position for you beyond clerical duties."
Percy's face showed a hint of confusion, with struggling anger, suppressed resentment, then sadness and disappointment, finally settling into a bitter, forced smile.
"Is there no way out for me?"
"Yes," Lockhart said with a guiding smile. "Auror is one path. From Head of the Auror Office to the Wizengamot to Minister for Magic, this is the most reliable promotion route in the Ministry of Magic. When the situation is turbulent and requires a strong leader for the Ministry, people will naturally lean towards considering supporting a pragmatist like the Head of the Auror Office."
"Joining international organizations is also a path, but this requires you to achieve astonishing success in a certain area."
"For example, our Headmaster, Dumbledore. During his student days, he published his papers in many academic journals, won the Barnaby Finkley Award for Exceptional Spell-Casting, became the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, received the Gold Medal for Pioneering Contributions at the Cairo International Alchemy Conference, and so on."
"At that point, he naturally entered the eyes of various organizations, gaining access to opportunities that ordinary young wizards wouldn't. "
"He quickly maintained frequent correspondence with the most famous magical masters of his time, including Nicolas Flamel, Adalbert Waffling, and Griselda Marchbanks..."
"Once you've accumulated a certain amount of experience and prestige, then consider joining the Ministry of Magic. By then, you'll have the support of international organizations, various factions, and the International Confederation of Wizards. This is also a path to becoming the Minister for Magic."
.....
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