fynovel Chapter 160 Strange Sounds
Chapter 160 Strange Sounds
Chapter 160 Strange Sounds
Lockhart paused, enjoying the puzzled looks from the crowd, before slowly explaining:
"That wasn't a mistake, but a carefully designed test. I wanted to see what your most authentic, instinctive reaction would be like without guidance. The result was regrettable, but it also fully demonstrates the necessity of teaching."
He cleverly repackaged his past failures into a meticulously planned teaching experiment.
"And today!" he raised his voice, a dramatic turn of events, "I've shown you how a truly trained wizard, one who knows the weaknesses of a particular magical creature, should properly deal with it!"
Lockhart stood on the podium, his radiant smile exuding confidence.
"The key is that not every situation requires waving a wand and chanting spells. True masters come from understanding—deeply understanding—their opponents, their habits, their fears, and what they hate most!"
His gaze swept across the entire class, as if imparting a supreme secret, "Take these noisy little creatures, for example. They communicate and bolster their courage through screams. So, a sharper, more piercing noise that they can't tolerate is the most effective weapon! This isn't a trick, but wisdom! It's the most efficient solution based on a deep understanding of magical creatures!"
He patted his chest, the Order of Merlin, Third Class, gleaming on his chest.
"This is precisely the core message I have repeatedly emphasized and practiced in all my works, including 'Breaking Up with the Female Ghost,' 'Walking with Ghouls,' and 'Walking with Trolls'!"
"Understand them, and you will subdue them; know their weaknesses, and you will strike with certain victory! All my successful adventures are based on this ironclad rule! This little lesson today is just another testament to it!"
This extremely shameless yet seemingly self-consistent explanation left the students in the classroom looking at each other, unable to refute it for a moment.
Could it be that he did it on purpose the first time?
Some students began to waver.
Hermione's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, her gaze shifting back and forth between Lockhart's confident smile and the now quiet cage.
A growing unease began to clash with lingering admiration—after all, Lockhart's books did contain some genuine knowledge, and now, he had indeed subdued the elf. Perhaps, just perhaps, he truly was a hidden expert? Perhaps, as he claimed, the first failure was indeed a carefully orchestrated teaching method?
Ron rolled his eyes dramatically and mouthed silently, "He's talking nonsense."
Another night of detention, Harry was once again in Lockhart's office, which was piled high with autographed photos and gifts from fans, writing replies to his admirers with a pained expression.
The rustling of a quill pen on parchment, Lockhart's contented hum as he polished his little golden horn, and the distant sound of the wind outside the window all blended together to create a monotonous, drowsy background noise.
Suddenly, a cold, sticky whisper, filled with the most primal killing intent, pierced through all this noise without warning and clearly entered Harry's ears.
"Hunger is plentiful, time to tear apart and kill—it's time—"
Harry jolted, and the quill in his hand snapped with a "crack," completely staining the cheesy thank-you note with ink. His face turned deathly pale, and a chill ran down his spine to the top of his head.
"Oh dear, Potter?" Lockhart looked up from his precious megaphone and saw Harry's unusual expression and the mess on the table.
Instead of being angry, he put on a very concerned expression, his brows furrowed with worry. "Merlin, my child, you look like a vampire! It seems that this heavy paperwork has really worn you out, and you can't even concentrate."
"No," Harry shook his head, "didn't you hear that sound?"
What was that sound?
Lockhart looked quite surprised. He turned his head and looked around, noticing the clock on the wall.
"Oh my goodness, we've been here for four hours! No wonder you're getting sleepy." Lockhart stood up and patted Harry on the shoulder with an overly exaggeratedly caring gesture. "I think that's enough for tonight. You need rest, not to be worrying about parchment here. Go back and get a good night's sleep, hmm?"
Harry hadn't quite caught Lockhart's feigned concern; all his senses were on edge, trying to catch that chilling voice again, but it never came. He nodded almost mechanically, mumbled "Thank you, Professor," and left the office somewhat absentmindedly.
Back in the Gryffindor Tower, the common room was almost empty.
Harry climbed the stairs and found Ron sprawled on the bed, complaining to the ceiling about having to deal with the perpetually clogged toilet on the third floor again tomorrow.
"Ron," Harry's voice was a little dry as he interrupted Ron's complaint, "I just—I heard a very strange sound in Lockhart's office."
Ron glanced at the ceiling and asked nonchalantly, "Sound? What sound? Did Lockhart force you to listen to his admirers' cheesy praises of him again?"
“No, not that kind.” Harry climbed onto his bed and lowered his voice. “It was a—very cold, very scary voice. It was coming from inside the wall, saying something like—‘Hunger,’ ‘Kill’ or something like that.”
Ron turned to the side and saw Harry's pale face. He immediately sat up, his face showing confusion and a hint of curiosity: "Inside the walls? Are you sure it's not Peeves playing tricks in some pipe again? Or is it just the normal creaking sound of the old castle? This place always makes noises."
“No, Ron, it’s not the same,” Harry insisted. “Although the voice was muffled, I could hear malice in it.”
The two of them discussed in hushed tones for a while, guessing at various possibilities, but after a long discussion, they still couldn't figure out who made that sound or why it seemed like only Harry heard it.
Ultimately, lacking clues and being extremely tired, they decided to go to sleep and deal with it tomorrow.
The next morning, on his way to breakfast in the hall, Harry told Hermione about it.
Hermione's expression immediately turned serious upon hearing this: "Harry, this is very unusual! There are many strange sounds in the wizarding world, but to hear something so—so violent and terrifying—is definitely not normal!" She said decisively, "We should tell the professors about this immediately! Professor McGonagall, or Professor Dumbledore! Oh, and Professor Lynch, isn't he your uncle? He'll definitely be more concerned about the strange things you've encountered!"