great-warnovel Chapter 102 The Path of Glory
Chapter 102 The Path of Glory
Chapter 102 The Path of Glory
"The Malachi Party has seized most of the best lands in Europe and Africa. Under the leadership of the Black Lord, they are invincible. Muggles and goblins must unite to curb his momentum."
"Actually, if Dumbledore and Grindelwald had joined forces, they could have reshaped this world," Lockhart remarked. It was a pity that the two most powerful wizards could not come together.
"But we all know the Order of the Phoenix's position. Dumbledore cannot tolerate Grindelwald's atrocities. Therefore, the wizarding world is effectively divided into two factions." More than just intolerance, Dumbledore will probably never forgive Grindelwald.
His short cane swept across the map, from England westward to North America, across a vast expanse of white, but this white was rather dull, like stagnant, murky water.
"The Hundred Wizards' faction is quite loose, and can hardly be called a faction at all; it's just a group of wizards who disagree with Grindelwald's ideas."
They were willing to acknowledge and elect Dumbledore as their leader.
Lockhart's expression was somewhat disdainful; he didn't think much of those power-hungry, high-sounding types.
"In my opinion, they just need someone who can stand up to the Dark Lord and continue to lord it over others in his name, while Dumbledore needs these guys to fund Hogwarts to cultivate fresh blood for the wizarding world."
"It's just a matter of both sides getting what they want. From Britain to North America, these aristocratic wizards don't care about the ideals of the Order of the Phoenix, nor will they appear on the road to conquest by the puss. They are just a bunch of lazy bums who hope that death will come a day later than pleasure."
Sitting in the audience were many children from Slytherin, whose fathers were the bookworms Lockhart had mentioned. They were blushing, but didn't know how to refute him.
"But Professor, aren't you from Malfoy Castle yourself? And you're even the Head of Slytherin now!" Daphne had to subtly remind the professor that his words in class could easily be relayed back to the children and become ammunition for the nobles to attack him.
Lockhart wasn't afraid. He didn't need the nobles' help; on the contrary, they wanted him to take over the Slytherin headmaster's duties until they compromised and chose someone who satisfied everyone. Otherwise, Hogwarts' thousand-year tradition might be broken. Dumbledore was happy to find a Gryffindor to serve as Slytherin's headmaster, and in his opinion, Lily Potter was a good choice.
"Miss Greengrass, as a member of Slytherin, I hope you can better understand where glory comes from, rather than simply enjoying it naturally," Lockhart said earnestly to the little girl. He wasn't angry or punishing her, but rather hoping to change the children's mindset. This might change the future code of conduct of Malfoy Castle, which was exactly what Dumbledore wanted to see.
"Indeed, the nobles, led by those of Malfoy Castle, established sanctuaries in the apocalyptic wasteland, allowing a large number of wizards and Muggles to survive. In terms of results, their contribution is immense."
He paused, looking at the little snakes below: "But children, do you realize that everything you've enjoyed since birth hasn't come from a very just cause?"
"In each of your households, there are a huge number of Muggle servants who have taken over many of the jobs that used to belong to house-elves, freeing them to do more difficult or dangerous jobs that require magic; even some wizards have become servants."
He looked at the confused expressions on the children's faces; they didn't seem to understand these things very well.
"If you hadn't been born into a noble family, would you have been willing to do what you consider lower-status jobs, helping other people's children get up, wash, and even use the toilet?"
What he described was the norm in Malfoy Castle. Even though nobles had convenient magic, they preferred to enjoy being served. Even though cleaning was quick and easy, and cooking magic was convenient and delicious, they preferred to have Muggle servants wax the floors again and again, and send servants who couldn't cook well out to feed the aberrant beasts.
"But if it weren't for Dad giving them a bite to eat, they would have starved to death in the wasteland long ago," one of the children muttered. In his view, it was fair; Malfoy Castle had saved their lives, and it was reasonable for them to repay that value by selling themselves.
Lockhart took a deep breath and told himself to be patient.
"Man should not be born to be enslaved, to gain glory and power. He should have a bottom line and a more just goal, like Salazar Slytherin. Although he believed in pure blood, he still contributed his castle and his knowledge, willing to create a safe haven for future generations."
He looked at the child: "Now, you enjoy the safety of Salazar Slytherin's castle and learn the profound and secret magical knowledge of the professors. Without these, you might only be learning outdated doctrines at home, clumsy like a swarm of booger-eating fluff. When you grow up, you would be powerless against guys like the Green Flames. This favor is immense. So, child, are you willing to become a slave of Hogwarts, serving us like a house-elf in the kitchen?"
The child was immediately speechless, not knowing what to say. Even though Lockhart's analogy had many flaws, the 12-year-old's mind couldn't process it so quickly.
"Compared to glory, how to obtain glory is more important," he emphasized.
"Alright, we've gone off on a tangent again." Lockhart forced a smile again: "Let's get back to the white wizards' camp. The Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore, advocates a new social norm of harmonious coexistence among wizards, Muggles, and goblins."
"Professor, even if the fairies want to exterminate us, should we still coexist peacefully with them?" Ron raised his hand to ask.
“Not all fairies think that way,” Lockhart replied with a smile. “In fact, fairies are divided into several factions, such as the reclusive faction, the coexistence faction, and the most extreme extermination faction, but these will be discussed in later lessons.”
"In fact, Dumbledore's early thinking still adhered to the original Law of the Secrets, believing that the wizarding world should not easily contact Muggles. Or rather, Dumbledore preferred to follow the existing rules rather than break them. However, with Grindelwald's blatant burning of Paris, the Law of the Secrets was effectively broken, and he had to change his thinking."
"Since the wizard's exposure is inevitable, choosing the gentlest way to deal with him is undoubtedly the best for everyone."
Lockhart himself is not a member of the Order of the Phoenix; he is similar to an independent, but in comparison, he is actually closer to the Order of the Phoenix. Although most people think that Dumbledore's ideals are just empty slogans with no hope of being realized, Lockhart himself is also an idealist. He travels the world and helps everyone he can, which is full of romantic heroism.
After the lesson, Hermione had gained a deep understanding of the world situation and the ideologies of both wizards and wizards. The other children may not have understood everything, but a small seed was planted in their hearts. Everything they encountered in the wasteland after leaving school would become a testament to what they had experienced today.
"I think everyone has learned quite a bit from this lesson." Lockhart looked at everyone, and although a few of the Slytherin students were still a little resentful, he didn't care.
"Finally, I have one more thing to announce, which I think will make you even happier." He smiled slightly.
He piqued everyone's curiosity once again.
"I've already discussed it with Dumbledore, and we'll dedicate a portion of our future Defense Defence class time to field practice." He smiled at everyone.
"In addition to practical classes, we will travel outside Hogwarts at appropriate times to observe dangerous mutated beast lairs, former war sites, and even areas where goblin caves may exist. This part will also be counted in the grade at the end of the school year."
Lockhart had traveled extensively over the years and was quite familiar with the current route to Hogwarts, as well as what kind of obstacles lay ahead.
Provided that thorough preliminary investigation and hazard assessment are conducted, this is not dangerous; on the contrary, it can help students better grasp this knowledge.
Sure enough, the next second, it was as if the ceiling of the classroom had been blown off. The children jumped up and cheered, and the heavy thoughts they had just had were instantly thrown to the back of their minds. At this moment, Lockhart was the best defense professor in the world, without a doubt!