Chapter 1290: A Magical Speech Across the Century (1)
Inquisition day, Hogwarts, interrogation table in the center of the Quidditch pitch.
Gilderoy Lockhart stood on the stone platform, raising his head and looking at the countless faces above.
Many years ago, on the night when he engraved his name on the court, he looked up like this.
Compared to the young and naive self back then, I have obviously grown a lot now, but it seems like nothing has changed.
Mag is right, he is a person who desperately longs for the attention of others - but the gaze he really longs for is not this fleeting curiosity, but the sight that Miss Fool said can last for thousands of years and span the forest. The plains and the sea are imprinted in the praises of generations and the attention in the process of civilization.
"This world is fair and cruel, Mr. Hanged Man, if you want to get something, you must give up another part..."
Elena's voice rang in Lockhart's mind, and his eyes continued to wander above, finally landing on a woman in a white coat in the corner.
He did not fully tell Arcee the follow-up plan for this speech, or in other words, he did not tell her all the decisions of the Major Arcana Council.
The magical world lacks a spiritual leader to ignite the fire, but Lockhart can only serve as the igniter, not the leader.
In a sense, this may be his last speech in front of the world.
"What on earth do you want?! Gilderoy Lockhart!"
At this moment, Kingsley's angry shout came from the front.
Time is up.
Gilderoy Lockhart reluctantly withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and took a breath.
Now, he wants to cut off the past with his own hands and ignite the spark of a new era.
"Gentlemen, ladies, everyone from the Ministry of Magic, everyone from the International Confederation of Wizards, and of course, my colleagues and students..."
Lockhart opened his eyes again, a bright smile bloomed on his face, his white teeth shining in the sun.
"I'm very sorry that I have deceived everyone for so long."
"Yes, the Ministry of Magic's accusations and those rumors are not wrong. I am a big liar."
"The protagonists of the stories I write are not me. Some are old American wizards, some are Yorkshire witches, and some are Armenian witchers."
Lockhart said unhurriedly, looking calmly ahead, with a straight back and no guilt on his face, and his voice was steady and proud.
"That's right! I secretly attacked them, stole their memories, and wrote those wonderful autobiographical novels."
"And why? Well, obviously, no one wants to read about an ugly old witch or a tasteless witcher—"
Following Lockhart's voice, the surrounding stands were in an uproar, with many people shouting angry and contemptuous curses.
Cornelius Fudge's face was confused. He didn't understand what Lockhart was going to do.
However, he quickly calmed down and took the initiative to respond to Lockhart's words... Today's protagonist should be him, not Lockhart!
"Very well, Mr. Lockhart, it appears that you have admitted all charges, then—"
"No, Mr. Fudge, not all..."
Lockhart smiled, shook his head, raised his finger, and corrected seriously.
"In literary creation, the prototype may belong to a certain person, but the core of the story is the author's own."
"The insights, thoughts, and wishes in those novels are my own, and they are the creator's confession."
"...This is not a grammar class, Mr. Lockhart. Unfortunately, I am not interested."
Cornelius Fudge frowned and interrupted Lockhart somewhat roughly.
He took out a document from his arms, glanced at it, and cleared his throat.
"Well, Gilderoy Lockhart—I think it would be best for you to keep quiet now and wait."
"As the Minister of Magic, I declare that you will intentionally harm others, defraud, disrupt society, make improper profits, and collude with dark creatures..."
Connelly paused for a moment, turned his head and glanced at several senior magic commissioners from the International Federation of Wizards.
"Well, there are also many attempts to break the "International Confederation of Wizards' Secrecy Law" and provoke war..."
"A total of seventeen counts, sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban——"
"I just said I agree with all the penalties."
Before Connelly could finish his words, Lockhart suddenly spoke.
His voice was steady and calm, but it had a certain power that made people unconsciously quiet.
"Obviously, there is nothing worthy of justification for my past behavior from a moral or legal perspective."
"If a villain like me is not thrown into prison, that would be the biggest stain on the magical social order."
Lockhart took a long breath, stood up straight and looked at the countless faces above.
"However, the significance of legal judgments is to deter and warn..."
"As a former professor at Hogwarts, a well-known writer in the wizarding world, and the winner of Wizard Weekly's most charming smile——"
Lockhart grinned, showing a hearty smile, and looked at Cornelius Fudge and others and said seriously.
"I hope I can say something before I go to jail so that they don't become as stupid as I am now."
"...Hmph, I can't stop you now anyway, right?"
Cornelius Fudge snorted disapprovingly.
His eyes swept across the "amber" barrier next to Gilderoy Lockhart.
However, following Lockhart's voice, his expression improved slightly, and Fudge nodded to Kingsley to signal him to step aside temporarily.
Anyway, Lockhart confessed, and once "Amber" disappeared, the Ministry of Magic's Aurors could arrest him on the spot and take him directly to Azkaban Prison.
"Thanks--"
Lockhart nodded gracefully, raised his head, and looked across the sky.
After a few seconds, he regained his sight and stood up straight.
"I'm so grateful to have such an opportunity to come back here, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry——"
"Here, witness with everyone a fair, serious trial about freedom."
At the same time, Elena lightly tapped the crystal piece on the seat.
Invisible magic ripples spread along the sky, and the magic network was officially activated.
The magic crystal balls placed in advance lit up one after another, projecting a somewhat blurry light and shadow in mid-air.
As the magic ripples spread, a five-minute delayed magic video appeared in all public places in the magic society.
…………
"Hey, what is that-"
"Old John, does the Leaky Cauldron have new features?"
Diagon Alley, Leaky Cauldron, old London stores.
The drunken drinker looked at the magic light and shadow in the air and frowned slightly.
"Wait, I know him - isn't that Gilderoy Lockhart? The talker?"
"Oh, maybe so. Anyway, let's just watch it as a show."
John Abbott wiped the glass, slowly looked up at the shadow, and dealt with it nonchalantly.
"The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic came here a few days ago and installed this for me for free. They said they were going to publicize the trial of some criminal..."
"Oh, that's no ordinary criminal - he almost became Minister for Magic."
Another old witch said, she knocked on the shriveled cigarette bag and sneered.
"Let me tell you, the Ministry of Magic is having fun this time..."
"How can there be such a handsome and sunny criminal?"