"Harry Potter- Ravenclaw"Chapter 17: False Memories to Rattle the Snake
Lockhart always chose his targets carefully when stealing others' achievements. He preferred wizards who lived in remote, isolated places—those with little contact with the outside world.
Combine that with their own eccentricities, and even if someone came snooping and noticed something odd, the strangeness was usually blamed on a botched magical experiment or a potion mishap.
In his own way, Lockhart had gone to extraordinary lengths to cover his tracks.
If not for a stroke of luck—if Dumbledore and the others hadn't stumbled across him—Lockhart might never have been exposed, so long as he didn't draw too much attention to himself.
This made Wyzett wonder. "Headmaster Dumbledore... if Lockhart had just kept up the act and avoided showing off his real abilities..."
"Wouldn't he have gone unnoticed? Even if someone tried to check up on him, he could just claim he was 'gathering material' and disappear from the public eye for a while."
"Once people lost interest, he could return with a new book in hand—effectively sidestepping any previous doubts. So why did he come to Hogwarts?"
"Exactly... As long as he stuck to his routine, no one would've caught on," Dumbledore agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "But people always want more..."
"Making money from his books was just the first step. Once he had wealth and a horde of adoring fans, he set his sights higher—craving all those grand titles he's so fond of flaunting."
At this, Wyzett could almost hear that familiar, grating introduction echoing in his ears: "I... Gilderoy Lockhart... recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class..."
Lockhart never missed a chance to recite his accolades—especially before roping students into his classroom theatrics.
Dumbledore continued, "Once Lockhart felt he'd gained recognition and a comfortable fortune, he naturally wanted more."
"For instance, teaching at Hogwarts—earning Harry's approval, even his endorsement—would let Lockhart climb even higher and finally achieve what he truly craved."
"That's what I told Lockhart when I recruited him, and it's why he couldn't refuse. The chance to become the Chosen One's professor was simply irresistible."
The shadow of Voldemort still lingered in the wizarding world—even now, people called him "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "You-Know-Who" rather than dare speak his true name.
But Harry's defeat of Voldemort—the collapse of his followers, the restoration of order—had an influence just as profound.
With this in mind, Wyzett looked at Dumbledore. "Headmaster, am I right to think that, unless something truly unexpected happens... Lockhart wouldn't leave Hogwarts easily?"
"Correct!" Dumbledore's answer was crisp, his eyes twinkling with interest. "Have you thought of a plan?"
"Just an idea." Wyzett replied cautiously. "Since he's not likely to leave Hogwarts on his own, perhaps we could use Mr. Avakian to... shake things up a bit for Lockhart."
Dumbledore stroked his beard, a smile spreading across his face. "Last time you wanted to 'lure the snake from its hole.' Now you're planning to 'startle the snake in the grass,' are you?"
Wyzett nodded and explained, "From what I know about mental magic and memory, Mr. Avakian's confusion is actually a good sign."
Both Altom Avakian and Mallow Fang looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Dumbledore stepped in to clarify. "It means the memory hasn't been destroyed, but hidden—put away for safekeeping. Think of stored memories as a dessert cabinet..."
"Right now, one dessert—and the whole drawer it sits in—has been removed from Altom's mind. The empty space it leaves behind disrupts the rest of the cabinet."
"But if that memory had been erased, the cabinet would simply seal itself up again, abandoning the empty space and returning to normal."
He picked up a toffee finger biscuit, nodding at Wyzett. "Go on, please."
Wyzett continued, "Lockhart's magical theory is impressive. Now it seems he's able to master those theories precisely because the memories aren't destroyed."
"He has to revisit those memories regularly to keep his story straight—to avoid forgetting the details in his books and minimize the risk of being exposed."
"If Mr. Avakian suddenly appears before him, Lockhart will get suspicious—he'll worry that something's gone wrong with his stored memories and will want to check on them."
"I get it!" Altom Avakian grinned. "Once that bastard gets spooked, we'll know where he's hiding the memories!"
His smile faded just as quickly. "But I'm in rough shape. Even with Baruffio's Brain Elixir, I can't stay clearheaded for long."
Wyzett said, "Since the story in Wandering with Werewolves is your own experience, we can create a temporary compartment to stand in for the real one."
"Did I hear that right?" Altom Avakian stared at Dumbledore, incredulous. "You can really pull off something like that?"
Mallow Fang looked equally astonished.
"Magic is full of surprises," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "But... for something like this, we'll have to rely on Wyzett."
"When I brought you here, didn't I say I'd found a truly dependable helper?"
"I'm all for it!" Altom Avakian rubbed his hands together, grinning with excitement. "Having a student pull it off... now that's betting big with small stakes! My favorite kind of gamble!"
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I'll need your help," Wyzett said, turning to him. "I don't have enough experience to recreate all the details from the book myself."
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, pressing his wand to his temple. "Just a moment..."
A few seconds later, he drew out a shimmering silver thread and handed it to Wyzett.
Building on what Lockhart had said, Wyzett continued to refine his "fulcrum theory." This approach could do far more than just undo Memory Charms.
Wyzett recalled the famous words of Archimedes: "Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world."
The same principle applied to his theory. As his research deepened, the things he could move with a "fulcrum" would only grow.
Right now, he could use "the sense of achievement after winning chips" as his fulcrum—leveraging Altom Avakian's memory, and planting the false memory constructed by Dumbledore...
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