Armenian time, 6 PM.

The small town of Tsavd, the residence of wizard Aghasiyan.

After finally seeing off the Ministry of Magic officials, old Hashi frowned as he looked at Gilderoy Lockhart, who was preparing refreshments in the living room.

Lockhart looked much thinner than he had a few years ago. His style of dress was no longer as flamboyant as it used to be, with a touch of simple efficiency in his plainness.

Of course, even if he seemed to be deliberately keeping a low profile, his golden curls, handsome appearance, and the hearty smile that was always on the corner of his mouth still radiated a dazzling aura - if old Hashi had watched muggle shows a few decades later, he would know what was called idol self-cultivation.

This bastard could probably sell well just by writing a book with his photo on the cover, right? Sooner or later, he's going to fall into the hands of some woman.

Aghasiyan muttered hatefully in his heart, glancing unhappily at the refreshments placed on the table.

"Are you really planning to be a house-elf?"

"Temporarily, yes." Gilderoy Lockhart directed the kettle to fill the cup with hot tea, revealing a bright smile. "Considering my previous harm and offense to you, since you proposed three days of house-elf-level service, I will naturally abide by my promise."

Aghasiyan's eyebrows twitched as he looked around the living room.

The room, which had been covered in dust and cobwebs and was cluttered and disordered, had been completely transformed.

The dirty windows were now bright and clean. Even the mildew on the ceiling had disappeared. The yellowish-brown walls had been restored to their previous neatness. Every piece of furniture in the kitchen and living room was sorted and placed in order, and the choking black smoke in the fireplace had also been resolved...

"Okay, I didn't expect you to have this talent besides memory charms and lying?"

Old Hashi shrugged indifferently, walked to the table, sat down, and looked at the delicate snacks and tea.

"But I'll say it in advance, no matter how humble you are, I can forgive you... but if there are any subsequent publicity, live autograph sessions, or interview events, you'd better dispel the idea now - I won't help you recover your Galleons."

"Oh, to be honest, the book I sell best is actually 'Gilderoy Lockhart Teaches You How to Remove Household Pests'."

Lockhart skillfully used his wand to take the butter biscuits out of the oven, placing them on a plate like birds, and said with a smile.

"Compared to those thrilling adventures, witches seem to prefer reading these tool books - anyway, as long as the photos on the cover are taken nicely. Moreover, in the past year or so, I have also learned a lot of housekeeping-related knowledge."

"As for your worries, if you authorize it, I will revise it and continue to publish it. If you don't want to, I will have the bookstore remove it from the shelves and return the proceeds."

"This is not part of the compensation, sir. I placed an order with Gringotts Wizarding Bank. They will be responsible for calculating the approximate sales volume of bookstores in various places. At the latest by the end of this month, the results should be available. Then I will make a full refund based on the income..."

Aghasiyan glanced at Lockhart and snorted.

"Full refund? Hmph - do you think I care about money? Bake your biscuits properly!"

"Lockhart, your tone and expression tell me that you seem to have no desire for Galleons at all. But you've only graduated from magic school for less than ten years. Unless you haven't spent a single Galleon from the money you've made writing books all these years, otherwise, if some of those 'works' of yours - well, not many, let's say half - were written in a similar process to 'Wanderings with Werewolves', then even emptying three of your vaults wouldn't be enough to fill the holes these years."

Old Hashi always felt that the Gilderoy Lockhart who reappeared in front of him had an indescribable strangeness about him.

It wasn't just Lockhart's strange decision to "repent," but more importantly, the young wizard inadvertently revealed a certain aura, a certain... calmness that he had only vaguely seen in a very few top wizards, in his demeanor, behavior, and conversation.

As an old man who had experienced the last wizarding war, old Hashi initially suspected that Gilderoy Lockhart had been Imperiused.

However, as time passed, he quickly ruled out this guess in his conversations with Lockhart.

Could writing the first edition of a novel really be that profitable? Or did this guy marry into a wealthy old wizarding family?

Aghasiyan sized Lockhart up thoughtfully. Lockhart's eyes looked incredibly clear and pure, without the slightest concealment or calculation.

This kind of gaze was quite common among students in magic school - they hardly had too many distracting thoughts other than their ideals - but it would be too strange if it were placed on a con man who had been in the magical society for nearly ten years and had been constantly moving between the Ministry of Magic and the media.

Speaking of which...

If he remembered correctly, the last time he saw such a gaze was in... Ukraine?

Aghasiyan's eyes couldn't help but become dazed. He vaguely saw in Lockhart's eyes the figure of the old headmaster of Koldovstoretz, standing in the wizarding court, loudly refuting a group of magic government officials, and finally sentenced to be stripped of his headmaster position, his wand broken, and confined to death.

Ha, he must be getting senile - perhaps it's a common problem of old guys.

Old Hashi shook his head and glanced at Lockhart. This guy wasn't qualified to be compared with Mr. Nowart Iwanowicz.

Even himself... he no longer had this qualification since he refused old Iwanowicz's request a few years ago under the pretext of seclusion.

Noticing Aghasiyan's gaze, Lockhart took off his apron and draped it over the side of the chair, explaining with a smile:

"You don't have to worry about me at all about the Galleons. Writing books is much more profitable than you think."

"There are too few pastime novels in the magical world. There is often only one novel every four or five years - I have exclusive display shelves in many bookstores. If the price is five Galleons a book, after deducting printing, publicity, bookstore commission... these costs, at least three Galleons can still be earned from a book."

"And besides adventure novels, I also have practical family magic that I compiled myself. Even if it's not enough for now, I can slowly pay it back later."

Practical... family magic?

Aghasiyan raised his eyebrows and looked at the apron Lockhart had draped over the side of the chair.

"It can be seen that you have quite a wide range of involvement in the field of creation."

Even now, old Hashi hasn't completely accepted the setting that a male wizard has maxed out his domestic magic skills.

Lockhart grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the firelight of the fireplace.

"Whether it's writing books or making wizard robes, there's not much difference in essence, is there?"

"If you want to make money and become famous, you have to think about what people will pay for. I even considered writing a novel focusing on love, but considering the character setting, I finally chose to write a more interesting autobiography first. I've even thought of the title, called 'Me, with Magic' - of course, that was before I realized my mistake. Given the current public opinion pressure, it's estimated that it won't be published in a short time."

Not to mention the first edition of a new novel, given Lockhart's current situation, he may have to face trial after returning to England.

Old Hashi nodded noncommittally and once again carefully sized up Lockhart.

"I can give you story authorization. I'm talking about the fact that after 'Wanderings with Werewolves' has been revised, I think it can continue to be sold on the shelves of various bookstores. However, some of the content in the book has to be changed. I made up a lot of places when I told you about that experience at the time. But I hope that at least 30% of the subsequent income can be shared... Even after I die, I can specify the use. You have no objections, do you?"

Aghasiyan suddenly remembered that although he didn't have much need for Galleons, other families might not be so well off.

After losing the pillars of their families, the situation of many wizarding families has been somewhat difficult in recent years, especially a few months ago. At least dozens more wizarding families who responded to Iwanowicz at the time lost contact. Hopefully it's not too late for him to lend a helping hand now.

As long as that kid Gilderoy Lockhart didn't brag this time, even if he splits 30% of the income, he can earn a Galleon from a book.

If old Hashi remembered correctly, Mr. Iwanowicz's granddaughter was almost of school age...

"Of course, of course! No problem at all! I'm very satisfied with 30%."

Gilderoy Lockhart said excitedly, a smile instantly blooming on his face.

You should know that according to Miss Fool's arrangement, if he didn't get the authorization to adapt the corresponding original story, all of his previous works would have to be removed from the market - after all, he wrote them word by word. It would definitely be self-deception to say that he didn't feel bad.

"However, some creative skills may need to be discussed with you. Adventure novels are different from real records. Readers don't need 100% realism when reading stories. Sometimes, things that look fake don't necessarily need to be deliberately deleted in the story..."

Lockhart sat down, raised his fingers with great interest, and was about to say something.

But the rough knocking on the door interrupted him.

Lockhart stopped talking and looked at the old wizard in confusion.

"Outside, is there... a guest coming?"

"Uninvited guests. Obviously -"

Aghasiyan took out his wand and held it in his hand, squinting his eyes and looking vigilantly towards the door.

Gilderoy Lockhart stood up and reached out to stop the old man who wanted to approach the door.

"Don't go over there - it's not safe at the door -"

A few months ago, he had just experienced a "house call" from an "enthusiastic fan," and according to the subsequent indoor combat teaching case analysis of Destiny Group, when uninvited guests visit, rashly approaching the door to observe the movement outside is one of the most stupid things to do.

Crack, bang -

Accompanied by a somewhat sour sound and a violent impact.

The door of the room was suddenly knocked open.

"Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"

Lockhart and Aghasiyan roared in unison.

Two beams of crimson light flew forward, hitting the flesh and making a dull sound.

The tall figure outside the door swayed and staggered back a few steps before... he suddenly bounced forward like a pendulum, heavily falling onto the carpet in the living room. Four or five figures crossed over the guy who had been stunned by the spell and rushed in in one breath.

"Stupef-"

Bang! Shatter -

Before Lockhart and the two could move their wands again, a deafening gunshot suddenly rang out in the living room.

The window on the right side of the living room shattered instantly, making a harsh and chaotic sound of glass moving.

"Don't force me to shoot you, you two esteemed gentlemen -"

A man with a gray felt hat, who looked pale and somewhat haggard, said in a hoarse voice, holding a rifle that looked a bit dirty in his hand. He grinned, revealing teeth that were white to an unbelievable degree, and tried to squeeze out a smile.

"Sorry, we don't mean to offend you, but maybe only in this way... will you be willing to talk to us."

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Good!