In the early morning, Rosmerta awoke from her sleep.
The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was instinctively glance at the spot beside her pillow, only to find it empty, and the adjacent pillow and bedding were neatly arranged as if untouched.
Sure enough... was last night's frenzy just a dream?
Rubbing her temples, she slowly sat up, preparing to get out of bed to tidy the counter and wait for opening time.
However, she immediately noticed a glass of water on the bedside table, with a note tucked underneath. The letters on the note were written in a flourishing, elaborate script—Lockhart's signature cursive calligraphy.
"My dearest Rosa: You were truly magnificent last night!
Seeing you were sleeping soundly, I didn't want to wake you. However, I have an appointment to go home and see my mother today, so I had to leave early. It's a pity I couldn't give you a smile touched by the morning sun and dew.
I added two drops of Baffy's Brain Elixir to the water by the bed, and your breakfast is waiting on the bar counter. I used a Concealment Charm to prevent the cats outside your shop from stealing it; just use a Revealing Charm to make it appear.
I look forward to an even more wonderful rendezvous next time, perhaps by the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss or in the hot springs of Pamukkale.
Yours lovingly, Gilderoy Lockhart."
"Hmph, smooth talker, saying things as if he means them!"
Rosmerta finished reading the message, crumpled the note while muttering to herself, and walked toward the wastebasket in the bedroom.
After a few steps, however, she hesitated, smoothed out the paper, folded it neatly, and tucked it into a hidden compartment deep within her wardrobe.
Next, she hastily threw on a jacket, skipped breakfast, and went straight up to the attic of her shop to start writing a letter to the goblin Ragnok... As a dutiful public servant, Lockhart's true nature was quite similar to the original owner's—loving the limelight and being unscrupulous in achieving goals. However, the current Lockhart considered his own moral baseline to be slightly higher, and he was certainly more intelligent and skillful than the original.
Since Rosmerta enjoyed the feeling of maneuvering among important figures, Lockhart decided to give her what she wanted. After all, women who act as social butterflies are never in short supply, and he didn't find such women difficult to handle.
Compared to women involved in fleeting romances, another woman was far more important to him now: his mother, Mrs. Lockhart.
On the way home, driving his "Lotus" sedan—expanded using an Undetectable Extension Charm—Lockhart pondered how to deal with the "mother" of this body.
It could be said that the original Lockhart's attention-seeking personality was entirely the making of Mrs. Lockhart.
This was because Lockhart's father was a Muggle (non-magical person), his mother was a witch, and among their three children, only Lockhart was a boy and possessed magical talent; his two older sisters had none.
Naturally, as both the "only wizard" and the "only son," Lockhart received the majority of his parents' affection from a young age, and his attention-seeking and vain personality developed during that time.
Unfortunately, when he entered Hogwarts, he was sorted into Ravenclaw, a house filled with geniuses... which could only be described as a tragedy.
Frankly speaking, he wasn't stupid, otherwise, the Sorting Hat wouldn't have placed him in Ravenclaw. However, his cleverness seemed entirely focused on "how to stand out," and his academic performance was merely average. This disparity made his personality more extreme.
Consequently, after graduation, he became unscrupulous in his pursuit of fame, seeking out the deeds of famous people and using Memory Charms to brazenly steal and claim their achievements as his own—wasn't this simply a result of the character he had developed since childhood?
This also highlighted another point: Hogwarts might not be very proficient in the "nurturing" aspect of "teaching and nurturing," and Lockhart wasn't the only example.
In the eyes of the reborn Lockhart, seeking the limelight was actually a good thing; it fostered a greater sense of honor and motivation to move forward. However, the original Lockhart didn't understand the difference between being "worthy of the name" and "unworthy of the name," and among all forms of reputation, he chose the least valuable kind.
Or, to put it bluntly, without actual skill, trying to show off just makes you look like an idiot.
Regardless of Lockhart's bragging, Mrs. Lockhart chose to believe him, telling every witch and wizard she met what a great person her son was—a common trait among mothers.
Parking the car at the door he remembered, Lockhart shouted toward the house.
"Mum, I'm home!"
Mrs. Lockhart heard the call, moved quickly, and pushed the door open.
"Oh, my little Gilderoy! You're finally back! Why didn't you Apparate? Or use Floo Powder?"
Lockhart stepped forward and embraced the clearly delighted middle-aged woman.
"That would be impolite, Mum. Besides, Cailleach and Selkie are also coming back to celebrate your birthday, and they'll need to go home afterward. I should drive them."
"Their husbands both have cars; they can pick them up. You must be tired from the long journey," Mrs. Lockhart said dismissively, waving her hand.
She allowed Lockhart to help her inside.
Lockhart thought to himself that her favoritism was a bit too blatant; if his two sisters heard that, they would probably... "Oh, my dear sisters, you're already here... How have you been lately?"
Seeing the two women in the hallway whose expressions had slightly darkened, Lockhart instinctively flashed a wide smile and stepped forward to greet them—this had gradually become second nature to him.
"We're fine."
Cailleach forced a strained smile, squeezing her cheeks.
It seemed that no matter how much they endured it, they could never get used to "a mother's blatant favoritism."
But Lockhart knew this was caused by his mother's psychological disappointment.
Cailleach's name came from the Giant Queen in Scottish mythology, and Selkie was named after the Swan Maiden in Scottish mythology, while his own name, Gilderoy, was taken from a famous Scottish outlaw.
Just based on the names, Mrs. Lockhart might originally have had higher expectations for the magical talents of her two daughters.
During the birthday dinner, Mrs. Lockhart couldn't put down the magical ruby necklace her son had given her, but she was completely indifferent to the Chanel handbag and silverware presented by her daughters. Seeing the unpleasant looks on his sisters' faces across the table, Lockhart felt even more awkward.
However, he couldn't spoil his mother's mood, so he continued to say things she liked to hear, finally managing to get through the difficult birthday celebration.
Even though Mrs. Lockhart said it wasn't necessary and his sisters politely declined, Lockhart insisted on driving them home in his car.
"The security in Britain is getting worse, and since we just won the Falklands War against Argentina, those ruffians are running wild under the guise of celebration. I wouldn't dare let them go home alone," Lockhart explained to his mother.
Lockhart's reasoning was sound; no matter how biased Mrs. Lockhart was, she wouldn't ignore the danger facing her two daughters, so she conceded to Lockhart's "whim."
Sitting inside the car, which had been magically expanded and decorated to resemble a presidential suite, Cailleach and Selkie, despite still feeling annoyed, couldn't suppress their curiosity.
"The roof... it's not transparent! I thought we might be able to see the stars in London again!"
Selkie poked it and realized it wasn't a sunroof but a magically enchanted ceiling.
Furthermore, like the Ministry of Magic cars, Lockhart's vehicle had received other modifications besides the Extension Charm. Although it couldn't fly like the Weasleys' car, gliding over the terrible gravel roads of the English countryside without a bump was effortless.
"If you want, I can get two cars like this for you. It would make taking the children around and grocery shopping easier, and you definitely won't get carsick," Lockhart offered.
Hearing this, Cailleach narrowed her eyes.
"...Alright, what scheme are you cooking up now? Just tell us. You don't give us favors for no reason; I know you too well, little brother."
"Good heavens!" Lockhart exclaimed dramatically. "I'm suspected of having ulterior motives just for showing concern for my sisters once in a while? What kind of image do you two have of me?"
"You know what image you have. Don't change the subject... just tell us, or we won't feel comfortable."
Lockhart knew that changing people's perceptions wouldn't happen overnight, so he decided to settle for the next best thing.
"While I believe there must be some misunderstanding between us, I actually do have a favor to ask this time..."
As Lockhart spoke, he glanced backward through the modified rearview mirror and saw both his sisters wearing an "I knew it" expression.
"...Here's the thing: I recently spotted an opportunity. I plan to dabble in the gold, sterling, and dollar markets, so I want to speak with William," Lockhart said.
William was Cailleach's husband, and hearing Lockhart mention him immediately put Cailleach on guard.
"What are you trying to do? He's just a business manager."
"That's enough," Lockhart replied. "Go tell him that the pound sterling is highly likely to lose its value soon. I happen to know someone—who might not exactly be a person—who has a large amount of sterling. The currency is useless to him; he just wants to exchange it for gold. We can team up for a big transaction and both get what we want."
Cailleach looked at him suspiciously for a moment before speaking.
"I can mention it to him, but I don't understand finance; you'll have to discuss the details yourselves."
She didn't agree immediately, clearly still harboring suspicion.
On the surface, Lockhart remained focused on driving, but inwardly, he was delighted.
"That's enough, my dear sister. Once this big deal is done, you can start deciding whether your holiday this year will be in the Maldives or Hawaii."