Hogwarts Archaeologist Toby

It was easier than Toby imagined to contact Gilderoy Lockhart, who lived in the Leaky Cauldron at the entrance to Diagon Alley.

Toby wrote a letter to Lockhart. After receiving the reply, he threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace of the Ancient Magic Office and successfully arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Under the guidance of the boss Tom, he went to Room 12. At the door, Lockhart lives inside. ?

Toby knocked on the door twice, pushed the door open and walked in after getting an answer.

Lockhart looked exactly like he was pictured on the cover of the deworming book, handsome, with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hello?"

Lockhart subconsciously stood up and sat back on the chair. Judging from the expression on his face, he seemed to be quite frightened by Toby's appearance.

"Is there any problem?" Toby asked puzzled.

"Oh, no, no." Lockhart responded quickly. He showed the same hearty smile as in the photo, with shining teeth.

"I just thought the person who came to see me was Dumbledore—"

"The headmaster is very busy." Toby strode up to Lockhart, shook hands with him solemnly, and shook his body tremblingly: "I also have other things to be busy, so let's make a long story short. Come—Mr. Lockhart, I wonder if you are interested in coming to Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Lockhart pulled out his palm forcefully, his face was blushing, but it was miraculous that the smile on his face did not change at all, even the degree of the corners of his mouth was measured by a ruler.

"Sorry, I refuse."

"Then we will set the time for joining--what did you say?!"

Toby's face suddenly darkened, his hair drooped in front of his eyes, and he revealed a dark gaze: "Mr. Lockhart, this is what we agreed in advance in the letter. You can obviously reject me in your reply. Could it be that ...Are you kidding me?"

"Oh, nothing!"

Lockhart suddenly jumped up from his chair and backed away slowly, keeping a safer distance from Hemmer.

"I thought Hogwarts was just planning to use my published books as teaching materials. The letter didn't say anything about making me a new professor."

"This is just a euphemism. I believe you should be able to understand the meaning of these words. But, Mr. Lockhart, can you tell me why you don't plan to come to Hogwarts?"

"Oh, this is actually because..."

Lockhart looked left and right, and his eyes suddenly fell on the table in the room, where a large pile of parchment covered with writings was scattered around.

"It's because I'm busy with the new book!"

Lockhart seemed to have found a backbone. He picked up the pile of parchment and raised it in the air: "Look, this will keep me busy for a while. I will definitely miss the deadline for joining the job next semester."

But Lockhart realized that he seemed to have used the wrong method. After he raised the manuscript in his hand, Toby suddenly stared at him with bright eyes.

"New book? What a coincidence. I just have a new book to be published - wait, what is this?"

Toby walked to the table and picked up a book that had obviously been read through and looked at it - it turned out to be his previous book "Ancient Magic".

"I didn't expect you to be a fan of my books?"

Toby's eyes suddenly became much kinder: "How about it, Mr. Lockhart, do you need me to sign your autograph?"

"Oh... of course!" Lockhart immediately handed over a gorgeous quill, and he watched as Toby wrote a line of text on the cover of the book - [New book for Hogwarts] Professor—Gilderoy Lockhart].

Then Toby wrote his signature underneath.

Lockhart suddenly didn't want the book anymore, he stammered, "Mr. Highmore, I haven't agreed to go to Hogwarts—"

"What is this?"

Toby interrupted Lockhart's narration, and he found something new on the table—two daily prophets, one of which reported the news of Quirrell's murder, while the other was his own. The trouble he caused Lucius at the train station, and the article clearly shows that he himself is the most suspicious suspect.

"I see."

Toby finally understood why Lockhart had acted so afraid of himself from the start, and why he was so resistant to coming to Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

It's all written in the newspaper.

"I think there may be some misunderstanding." Toby said: "Not only about this position, but also about your misunderstanding about me. Well...Mr. Lockhart, have you ever thought about harming someone? Human? Or maybe it’s been done before.”

Lockhart was startled, and he quickly replied: "Of course not."

"Then you don't have to worry about what happened to Quirrell. It's entirely his own fault." Toby then said, "Besides, are you a pure-blood supremacist?"

"I...I am a Muggle-born." Lockhart stammered: "Like you, how could I support pure-blood superiority?"

"Then you don't have to worry about what happened to Lucius." Toby smiled: "Of course, it would be better if you wouldn't go against me. I believe you wouldn't do that. ,Right?"

The smile on Lockhart's face froze: "So, what happened at the train station is really your fault-"

"Oh, don't say that!" Toby interrupted with a wave of his hand: "I won't admit it. But, I believe that no one would want to encounter an attack method that can't be discovered by the Ministry of Magic. of."

Facing Toby's gaze towards him, Lockhart couldn't help but feel that the other party was threatening him, and that he would never end well if he refused.

"Okay, I promise." He finally had to say.

"That's really great." Toby didn't expect that his bad name could play a role in recruiting new professors, and now he can finally give an explanation to Principal Dumbledore.

But Toby did not leave immediately. Instead, he continued to ask: "Mr. Lockhart - oh, no, it should be Professor Lockhart now. Do you have time to share your experiences related to adventure? I have no idea about your travels." There is a lot of interest in some locations.”

Lockhart was stunned for a moment, then he avoided looking and quietly approached the table in the room - where his wand was placed - while still dealing with it.

At this moment, the door of the guest room was knocked again.

The editor-in-chief of the "Daily Prophet" - Barnabas Guffy walked in with a big belly, a philistine face on his face, and shouted with a laugh: "Dear Mr. Have you held a signing event yet? I highly recommend Lihen Bookstore—well, who are you? Toby Highmore? Are you Toby Highmore? Interested in an interview? I can send my best reporter -"

Toby had no intention of dealing with the owner of a newspaper. He ignored him and finally said hello to Lockhart: "Well, see you at Hogwarts."

After he walked out of the guest room, Al, who had never been seen, quietly appeared, holding a ring-shaped device in his hand, and kept quiet all the time.

Al jumped on Toby's shoulder: "Yeah."

"Didn't you find any traces related to black magic?" Toby nodded and said, "That's good."

Toby's performance just now was just a cover, and of course he had to check the foundation of this new professor when he got serious.

Naturally, he didn't want to introduce another wizard with evil intentions like Quirrell.

"But, will there be a book signing...?"

On the way to Gringotts, Toby suddenly thought this was a very interesting idea.

"Maybe, I should also hold a signing event."