Chapter 118: Malfoy Senior? Come Over and Get Sprayed!
The oak floorboards of Flourish and Blotts groaned under the relentless pushing of the crowd.
Dylan deftly weaved through two chattering witches, tucking the ink-scented textbooks into Harry's arms.
—He still gave the set of books to Harry.
After all, these books would be textbooks once school started, needed for classes, completely saving Harry from having to buy them again.
And Dylan happily pocketed all the autographed books Harry had received from Lockhart into his space.
—Presumably to put on a show for the reporter, Lockhart had not only given Harry the textbooks they needed to buy.
He had even packed up and given away his entire collection of works in one go.
And with ten autographs per book, that was nearly a hundred!
He could go to the Forbidden Forest to read every day for more than three consecutive months!
Almost half a semester!
"Sweet!"
Dylan was content.
"Dylan, why do you want Lockhart's autographed books? Do you like him too?"
Ron looked at Dylan's cheerful expression, puzzled.
"I don't think he's handsome at all, and he always seems so slick. I don't like him one bit."
At this moment, Hermione, having already gotten her autograph from Lockhart, stepped back and happened to hear Ron's words.
She immediately frowned, quickly walking over to Dylan and the others, about to refute Ron and say what a talented person Lockhart was, but then she heard Dylan suddenly speak softly—
"It doesn't matter if he's handsome or not. The important thing is, didn't you hear what he just said?"
Ron was taken aback. "What?"
Hermione and Harry both looked over.
Dylan lowered his voice even further. "He's going to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"
"Oh! I really didn't expect that, it's such a wonderful surprise!" Hermione's eyes brightened. "You have no idea how surprised I was when I heard that!"
Harry blinked. "So, you want his autographed books because...?"
He paused for two seconds. "To sell them for a good price?"
Dylan shook his head. "How much could those sell for—"
"Each book could probably fetch dozens to hundreds of times the price," Hermione added.
(⊙o⊙) Nani?!
This time it was Dylan's turn to be stunned.
Lockhart's crummy autographed books were actually worth so much?
One book cost about five Galleons. If it could fetch 100 times the price...
That wouldn't be 500 Galleons?
For a fleeting moment.
Dylan suddenly had a slight urge to become a reseller.
One book might not earn much.
But what about ten, fifty, or a hundred books?
However, Dylan quickly calmed down.
Firstly, reselling wasn't an easy job.
Secondly, there simply wouldn't be that many autographed books for him to acquire.
Finally, scarcity drove up the price, but if the number of autographed books increased, the price would naturally fall.
Therefore, after collecting his thoughts, Dylan lowered his voice and said, "Actually, I want his autograph—for another purpose!"
Hermione tilted her head. "What do you want to do?"
"You know, to enter the Restricted Section, you have to get the professors' signatures," Dylan said with a soft smile.
Ron and Harry both widened their eyes. "You've already set your sights on that place?"
Dylan glanced at them. "Why do you put it so harshly? What do you mean 'already set my sights on that place'?"
"Didn't you sneak in there secretly when you were trying to find out Nicolas Flamel's identity?"
Harry smiled sheepishly. "In the end, we got chased out by Mrs. Pince with a feather duster because we didn't have a professor's signature."
Ron clicked his tongue. "Then I don't think Lockhart's signature will be of much use—anyway, I don't like reading."
Dylan rolled his eyes. "It's fine, go play somewhere else."
"Are you sure you want to use those autographs as Restricted Section passes? Won't you get caught?" Ron poked the stack of hardback books in Harry's arms with his wand, startling the small image of Lockhart on the flyleaf, which blew him a kiss.
Harry suddenly felt the gilded corners of the new textbooks digging uncomfortably into his hands. The small images of Lockhart blinking their watchful eyes made the back of his neck prickle with cold sweat.
—He really wanted to throw all these books away.
"Don't worry, I have my own arrangements," Dylan said with a casual smile.
After Ron and Harry learned Dylan's purpose for wanting Lockhart's autograph, although they didn't plan to go to the Restricted Section, they still prepared to go up and ask for another autograph from Lockhart for their friend.
Hermione, having already gotten her autograph, stood beside Dylan.
The cover of Voyages with Vampires in her hands had crescent-shaped indentations from her fingernails, the bronze-gilded title gleaming eerily under the chandelier.
Hesitating for a moment, Hermione whispered to Dylan, "You don't seem to like him very much?"
Hearing this, Dylan raised an eyebrow in slight surprise and turned to look at Hermione, astonished.
This girl was so perceptive? She even noticed that?
He couldn't help but smile. "Why do you say that?"
Hermione looked at Dylan seriously. "You're a very polite person. You've never shown impatience towards any professor, and you certainly wouldn't..."
She glanced at Harry and Ron, who were queuing behind Mrs. Weasley to get Lockhart's autograph for Dylan.
"Simply use a professor as a tool—even though he hasn't taken office yet."
So that was it.
Dylan instantly understood Hermione's meaning.
He had to admit, her mind was indeed very sharp.
Hermione had also been the first to notice how indifferent his attitude towards Quirrell was.
And now his attitude towards Lockhart, although not as intense as towards Quirrell, and even carrying a faint hostility, was completely devoid of any respect.
—He would even greet Professor Binns politely and seriously.
Dylan smiled and shook his head. "I just divined some things. This soon-to-be Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is a complete fraud—you'll understand soon enough."
Hermione's expression was somewhat blank.
A fr... fraud?
What kind of fraud?
Her first reaction to Dylan's words wasn't doubt, but confusion.
—Dylan's divination was notoriously accurate.
However, Hermione, who had read Lockhart's books and admired his talent, still wanted to struggle a bit.
"His writing is very engaging, so... I mean, what exactly did he deceive people about?"
Dylan blinked. "I don't know. I just saw a scene of his tricks being exposed."
Hermione fell silent.
The two didn't speak for a moment.
But the next moment—
"Hey! Stop arguing!"
"Wait, don't fight!"
Shouting and the sound of footsteps mingled. Dylan's ears twitched, and he looked up.
He saw a crowd had already gathered ahead, constantly pushing, looking around, heads bobbing, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
But Dylan recognized who was speaking: "Mr. Weasley?"
Just as Dylan and Hermione were wondering and about to push through the crowd.
"Bang!"
A bookshelf shook violently, the books on it rattling precariously.
"What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Dylan frowned.
Hermione rushed forward. "Don't just stand there, let's go see what's happening!"
At this moment, in the crowd.
Arthur Weasley's faded leather boots were stuck in a pile of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. His flushed face, illuminated by the cold gleam of Lucius's snake-head cane, looked like an enraged Hungarian Horntail.
Lucius patted his own arm, his chin slightly raised, his nostrils almost pointing to the sky.
Hagrid's fan-like hand hovered between the two, a few crumbs of gingerbread man icing still stuck between his fingers.
By the time Dylan and Hermione painstakingly squeezed their way in, they found that Arthur and Malfoy had clashed.
However, with Hagrid standing nearby, the nearly Take action Lucius couldn't gain any advantage—if he didn't use magic.
Mrs. Weasley and Harry also rushed over. Seeing this situation, they exclaimed in surprise, "Good heavens, what are you doing? Alright, I've got the autograph, let's leave quickly!"
Mrs. Weasley didn't want to clash with Malfoy and wanted to pull her husband and children away, but no one in the scene moved.
Hermione panic came to her parents' side, confirmed they were alright, then frowned at the young Malfoy beside Malfoy.
The sole of Dylan's sheepskin boots crunched over a piece of gold leaf on the floor, making a faint cracking sound. He cast a calm gaze at Draco Malfoy.
Draco's face originally held the usual Slytherin arrogance, but when he caught sight of Dylan striding out from behind the Curses and Counter-Curses bookshelf, his body shuddered, a barely perceptible flicker of panic in his eyes. The tips of his dragon-hide boots involuntarily turned towards the exit.
"Father!"
Lucius's platinum blond hair gleamed coldly under the chandelier, the emerald on the snake-head cane suddenly emitting an eerie light, making the Gryffindor crest on Dylan's robes look like ghostly fire.
He keenly caught his son's unusual behavior, followed his gaze, and instantly locked onto Dylan.
Lucius sized up Dylan for a moment, narrowed his eyes, and a cold, scrutinizing look appeared in his gaze. "Who are you?"
Draco whispered a reminder, "Father, that's Hockwood."
Lucius's gaze immediately slanted. "Was I asking you?"
Draco suppressed the urge to pout and fell silent again.
Lucius snorted softly, his gaze returning to Dylan. "So you're the little fellow called Dylan, the one the Hogwarts professors admire?"
He scanned Dylan up and down, as if appraising some merchandise.
"Hmph, listening to the professors' introductions, I thought he'd be some outstanding fellow."
He glanced at Hermione and the Weasleys beside Dylan, and the big oaf. A cold smile curled his lips.
"Actually mixing with this kind of riffraff, it seems you won't amount to much in the future either."
Dylan's gaze shifted from Draco, calmly meeting Lucius's eyes, his tone peaceful, yet with a hidden sharpness.
"You're right, I only got full marks in all subjects last year and won at least three hundred points for Gryffindor, surpassing all other houses."
"—Unlike some disobedient students who actually lost so many points for their own house and were even given detention—good heavens, when I woke up that morning and heard the news, it was truly shocking."
Dylan sighed. "I thought I had given this student enough lessons usually, but I didn't expect I still failed to educate him properly. Perhaps it really is my fault."
Draco suddenly coughed violently, a sickly flush rising on his pale cheeks. His hands involuntarily clenched into fists, gripping the sleeves of his robes tightly, the silver-threaded mandala pattern wrinkling into tangled vines beneath his knuckles.
What did he mean by that?
Failed to educate him??
Who did he think he was?
Did he think he was his father?!
"Oh, right, even in Potions class, the potions I brew are always far superior to those of some students with mediocre talent—or rather, I am the most outstanding student, so for me, everyone else is naturally mediocre."
Dylan raised his head, smoothed his hair, and a curve appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Sometimes, I really don't know why I'm so excellent. Maybe it's just talent—talent that doesn't need any bloodline to enhance it."
After he finished speaking, Harry and Ron both twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Good brother, why did it feel like we were also hurt along with you...?
The Weasleys around them were also shocked, looking at Dylan, who was talking eloquently and occasionally showing that smug little expression, with disbelief.
—Was this still the well-behaved and polite little fellow they usually saw?
Could he have been possessed by some evil thing?
Lucius's face also darkened. He hadn't expected this Muggle-born brat to dare to refute him like this.
—And he was even more arrogant than him!
A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
But Lucius, being the self-possessed and dignified man he was, having already almost acted improperly, wouldn't let himself appear ungraceful again.
Lucius snorted coldly, staring intently at Dylan. "I'll remember you."
Dylan still had that same deadpan expression. "Oh~ I understand. After all, I'm so outstanding, everyone who meets me will remember me."
"..."
Lucius choked again.
Where did this little brat learn all these words???
He took a deep breath. "True magic is far more than just the things you learn in class! Don't get too carried away!"
After dropping those words, Lucius flicked his robes, the tip of his cane scraping sharply on the floor. As he turned, his dark green cloak swept over a stack of Selected Writings of Medieval Sorcery, the demon image on the gilded cover emitting a pained hiss.
"Let's go!"
The departing figures of father and son actually looked somewhat flustered.
"Glug."
Ron swallowed hard.
Mr. Weasley, however, snapped out of his daze and couldn't help but grin. "Unbelievable, Lucius actually got riled up and left?"
Mrs. Weasley also opened her mouth slightly. "And it was by—a child?"
For a moment, everyone present turned their gazes to Dylan.
Dylan wasn't like Harry, who would become embarrassed and awkward when stared at. After Lucius left, he withdrew his gaze from the system notification of achievement completion and once again became shy and innocent.
"I'm sorry for making you all laugh. Actually, I'm not that outstanding."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione: "..."
The Weasley family: "..."
Only Hagrid chuckled heartily. "You really are outstanding!"
...
"When Malfoy and my dad were arguing just now, I noticed Lockhart was still asking the Daily Prophet reporter if he could report what happened, and include his name too!"
Ron leaned closer to Dylan and Hermione, whispering.
Hermione paused, thinking of what Dylan had told her earlier, and remained silent.
The group bought their things and said their goodbyes.
Dylan also proposed at this time that he was going to go home and wouldn't bother the Weasley family any longer.
"Oh, dear, was there something you didn't like about staying at our house?" Mrs. Weasley looked at Dylan anxiously.
Dylan's lips curved into a smile. "No, Mrs. Weasley, I had a wonderful time under your care. I just that my mum and dad have returned from their vacation, so I'm going back to spend some time with them."
"Alright, this is too sudden. I was planning to make a big dinner before you left—we haven't had a proper feast together yet," Mrs. Weasley said with regret.
"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley, I'll come and bother you again next holiday—if Ron invites me," Dylan said.
"He definitely will invite you!" Mrs. Weasley said firmly.
Ron also nodded repeatedly. "I'll write to you as soon as the holidays start!"
"...There's no need to rush it that much," Dylan's eyelids twitched.
The holidays were a good time for him to make Karthus famous.
—Even if he wanted to maintain his mystery, he had to pop out occasionally, right?
"Thank you again. I had a great time during this period. You're like another family to me, and you too, Harry—remember not to be late for school."
Dylan hugged Mrs. Weasley and the others one by one, then Instruct Harry and Ron before turning to leave.
Fred's voice came from behind—
"Remember to come stay at our place next time! George's bed is always ready for you to sleep in!"
"Hey! Why isn't it yours?"
"Mine is mine!"
"No, Dylan should still come and sleep in my bed!"
The twins started bickering as they talked.
Dylan smiled and waved his hand. "I hope you won't continue with your explosions at night next time."
"Of course not—"
George and Fred had just spoken.
But Mrs. Weasley suddenly said, "You were doing your pranks in the middle of the night? And there was an explosion? Why didn't I see any traces of an explosion when I cleaned your room?"
She grabbed George's ear.
"Ah! Crap, slipped up!"
"Mum, let us explain! Dylan helped us restore the room after he woke up during the day!"
"Good heavens, you actually had a guest clean up after you? Come home with me! I need to give you a proper lesson!"
Dylan's smile deepened as he listened to the commotion behind him.
"A big family is really lively."
He didn't go home using Floo Powder.
—Floo Powder couldn't help him get home.
After leaving the Leaky Cauldron, Dylan took the bus and leisurely wandered back home.
His mum and dad opened the door for him.
Dylan greeted them, and the family of three, having not seen each other for some time, sat down and chatted for a long while.
Dylan told them about his life at the Weasleys' during this period and what a wizard's house was like.
The two listened with longing. "I wonder if your mum and I will ever have the chance to learn magic."
Dylan blinked. "Not for the time being."
Hubert and Maeve both looked disappointed.
"But when your son's research in potions becomes more advanced in the future, he might be able to create potions that can be used even without magic."
Dylan thought of Ron's dad and added, "And many Muggle items can be enchanted to become magical items, so you might be able to use them in the future."
"Really? Then we'll look forward to it."
After the two sent Dylan back to his room, they went out again, not knowing where.
—Dylan had already told them in advance that they didn't need to call him out today. He would be researching some special things and couldn't be disturbed.
For this reason, the Hockwoods once again dismissed the servants.
The two of them also disappeared quickly.
Dylan went to his room, looked at the not-too-familiar bedroom, picked up his suitcase, opened it, and climbed inside.
After this period of cultivation, Dylan had bred another batch of cockroaches. The cockroach swarm wriggled, looking a bit disgusting.
Besides cockroaches, even the spiders had produced many offspring, forming a small spider nest.
It was now making a rustling sound like silk rubbing together as a group of spiders devoured the food Dylan had left behind earlier.
Seeing that there wasn't much food left, Dylan casually scattered a handful of minced meat, which landed on the spider web, causing a commotion.
Apart from these two kinds of insects, the others were basically all killed during Dylan's first practice.
Those species reproduced too slowly and weren't worth Dylan's time to cultivate.
"Not bad, keep breeding."
Dylan scattered a large handful of minced meat and vegetable leaves among the cockroaches again.
Looking at this large group of enclosed, densely packed cockroaches and spiders, Dylan smiled.
Due to the ample food supply, the number of these small insects, whenever it exceeded a certain limit, would be wiped out by Dylan, so they lived together relatively peacefully.
Dylan wasn't in a hurry to start grinding the mastery task directly. Instead, he first glanced at the achievement notification he had completed when he had a go at the Malfoy father and son.
————————
[Message]: Congratulations on achieving a new achievement!
————————
Dylan clicked on the small icon and entered the achievement page.
A newly achieved achievement was flashing with light, reminding Dylan of its existence.
(End of chapter)