"Harry Potter—his unique identity—you must be aware of it." A trace of concern flashed across Dumbledore's face, as if confiding in Lockhart. "I believe you're an excellent professor."
"That's why I think you should pay closer attention to Harry. He's a very promising student."
Hearing this, Lockhart nodded vigorously, fully agreeing with Dumbledore's assessment. "Indeed, Harry's family has made great contributions to the wizarding world."
Then—
As if suddenly remembering something, Dumbledore asked, "I recall you met Harry Potter a few days ago."
"What did you think of him?"
"Although a bit reserved, I could sense his bravery," Lockhart replied without hesitation, his voice full of praise. "Harry's magical level far surpasses that of the average young wizard."
"No doubt, he's perfectly inherited the Potter bloodline and Lily's intelligence."
Hmm, Lockhart could technically be considered a schoolmate of Snape and James Potter—just two years apart.
Back when James was already famous at Hogwarts, Lockhart was still a junior student.
As a Ravenclaw, he hadn't interacted much with the Gryffindor lions or Slytherin snakes.
Or rather, the original Lockhart had been a bit jealous of James Potter's popularity at school.
So, their relationship could be described as average at best.
But that didn't stop him from praising Harry Potter now.
"In that case, please keep an eye on Harry's safety," Dumbledore said casually. "I heard you gave him seven of your books—and a magical amulet."
"What does the amulet do?" Dumbledore asked with a hint of curiosity. "Can it block lethal attacks like the Shield Charm?"
Lockhart wasn't surprised by the question. He had deliberately demonstrated wandless magic and gifted Harry the amulet at Flourish and Blotts precisely to set the stage for this moment.
Though it was a bit disappointing that Dumbledore didn't seem impressed by the wandless spellcasting.
Lockhart answered smoothly, "No, Headmaster. The amulet merely acts as a warning device."
"I sensed a trace of dark magic on Harry earlier, so I gave him an amulet I crafted to suppress that energy. If he's in danger, the amulet will alert him so he can escape in time."
Dumbledore nodded slowly at the explanation.
He had heard about the amulet and had been concerned it might be dangerous.
Some recent changes in old acquaintances had made him wary of Lockhart.
So he'd quietly run some tests and found that the amulet functioned just as Lockhart had claimed.
But what truly surprised him was—
"I see. It seems you've come a long way over the years and can now craft magical items independently. May I keep one of your creations?" Dumbledore's tone carried a rare trace of genuine curiosity.
The amulet's function wasn't particularly impressive to Dumbledore—he himself could create something similar.
What intrigued him were the runes engraved on it.
They were unlike the ancient runes he had studied. Without more samples to examine, he couldn't pinpoint their origin.
However, his intuition—sharpened through years of studying Divination and prophecy—told him: something about this was... highly unusual.
Lockhart beamed at Dumbledore's request.
Perfect. Wonderful.
If Dumbledore hadn't asked, Lockhart would've had to find another excuse to introduce the rune system.
You couldn't promote an entirely new magical framework without the support of the greatest white wizard alive—Dumbledore.
With a smile that seemed to radiate sincere appreciation, Lockhart replied, "It's an honor to have the Headmaster collect one of my works."
With that, Lockhart gave a wave of his wand, and a piece of brown paulownia wood floated between them.
A deep blue magical energy surged from Lockhart's body, flowing through his limbs and into his wand.
Its tip lit with a beam of deep blue light, and as Lockhart moved his wand, two glowing, intricate runes appeared in the air.
Rune of Purification.
Rune of Banishment.
Under Lockhart's control, the deep blue runes slowly embedded themselves into the paulownia wood.
Soon, a magical amulet had formed.
With a gentle flick, the amulet floated over to Dumbledore.
Looking at it, Dumbledore's expression turned thoughtful.
He could analyze the runes later.
What had caught him off guard just now—
He had sensed danger from Lockhart's magical energy.
That was unexpected.
Since Voldemort's fall, it had been a long time since he had felt such a thing.
And today, he had sensed it... from a junior.
That greatly lessened his earlier suspicions.
Someone with that level of power wouldn't need to steal others' achievements or erase memories.
It wouldn't be worth it. A snow monster could be easily handled with such strength.
It simply didn't add up.
He had studied this—unless one was a true master of Memory Charms, it was nearly impossible to wipe someone's mind that cleanly.
Even he could only confirm that Needham's memories had been tampered with—nothing more.
Lockhart, meanwhile, had no idea what was going through Dumbledore's mind.
He only hoped the runes had sparked Dumbledore's interest.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have publicly demonstrated how to make them.
His goal was twofold: to accelerate the development of this rune system with Dumbledore's help, and to lay the groundwork for his long-term plans.
If he knew Dumbledore's doubts had been dispelled simply because of his transformed magic, he would've been thrilled.
His current magic was a fusion of the prototype Power of the Thunder God and his original wizarding energy.
It boosted regular spells by 80%—and lightning spells by 200%.
His magic also carried corrosive and reactive properties that went beyond standard wizard spells.
If a wizard was injured by one and didn't dispel the lingering energy, they'd suffer long-term consequences.
Moreover, as an early form of Asgardian thunder power, it also strengthened his body.
Though not quite as powerful as Kamar-Taj's melee fighters, he was far stronger than your average S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
"Lockhart, which branch of ancient runes do these belong to? I don't recall seeing them before."
Hearing the curiosity in Dumbledore's voice, Lockhart's eyes gleamed with delight.
The fish—
Had finally taken the bait!!