88 - Poor Lockhart

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Two vampires, Dracula and Tesla, emerged beneath the dim glow of the moon and appeared together in front of a modest wooden house. Though simple in structure, the house had clearly been maintained with great care.

Not far from the house was a lettuce field. Half of the lettuce plants had already been harvested, while the rest still thrived under the soft moonlight.

The familiar sight of the lettuce stirred deep emotions in Tesla's heart.

He remembered how, during a time of extreme hunger, he had survived on these very lettuces for a whole week. It was this small supply of nourishment that gave him the strength to drag his frail body from Serbia to Romania, ultimately delivering crucial information back to Dracula's castle.

"Robert!"

Tesla couldn't contain his emotions. Overcome by memories, he stumbled toward the house and called out loudly,

"Robert, are you here? I've come to see you!"

He shouted several times, but there was no reply. Tesla's hopeful expression began to falter, slowly turning into confusion, and then despair.

Just as he was about to force the door open in panic, a window creaked open.

"Who's making such a ruckus at night?" an elderly voice grumbled. Robert's wrinkled face appeared in the window, clearly annoyed. "I came to live in seclusion in this remote place—why can't people let me be? What kind of forest has visitors this late at night?"

Tesla's face froze in disbelief.

As a vampire, being active at night was completely natural, so it hadn't occurred to him that Robert might be fast asleep.

Robert, lacking the night vision of vampires, squinted out of the window for a long time but saw no one. The two vampires were dressed in dark clothing, blending with the night. Seeing no visible intruder, Robert muttered a curse under his breath and slammed the window shut.

Dracula stepped forward and placed a hand on Tesla's shoulder. "Well... even though Robert doesn't remember you, at least he seems quite well," he said comfortingly. "Clearly, the effects of the Forgetting Curse haven't harmed him physically. You don't have to worry about his safety."

Tesla nodded vaguely, but disbelief clouded his expression. He couldn't accept that a friend who once shared such hardship could forget him so completely.

Determined, Tesla approached the window again and gently knocked.

"Robert, it's me—Tesla," he said softly. "I've come to visit. Could we talk for a moment?"

The window flew open again.

"Are you the one shouting out here just now?" Robert asked, shirtless and visibly irritated. "Why on earth are you disturbing me in the middle of the night? Who even are you?"

"Don't you recognize me?" Tesla replied anxiously. "It's me—Tesla! Your friend, from the journey we took together!"

Robert stared at him intently, as if trying to recall something. Tesla's heart lifted with hope.

But the next words crushed him.

"I don't know how you found my name or this hidden place," Robert said sternly. "But let me give you some advice—don't think you can skip the hard work and take shortcuts to success!"

He waved his hand dismissively. "I've long retired as the Auror Captain of the Serbian Ministry of Magic. If you're here trying to curry favor or gain connections, it won't work!"

"Take my advice: work hard at the grassroots level for a few more years. When your time comes, it'll come naturally. I started out as an ordinary trainee myself. Took me over thirty years to become captain, and I never once complained!"

"If you develop that same hardworking spirit, one day someone higher up will notice you too. Then, with experience and dedication, you'll make it—just like I did."

Tesla twitched at the never-ending lecture.

From a distance, Dracula leaned against a tree on a hillside, watching the scene unfold like theater. He couldn't help but smirk at the situation. Who would've thought that bringing his subordinate to visit an old friend in the wilderness at midnight would turn out to be such great entertainment?

Robert, unaware of the true nature of his visitor, continued his speech. He was convinced Tesla was just another young Auror trying to climb the ranks by cozying up to a retired captain.

"Young man, I'll let it slide this time that you disturbed my sleep," Robert concluded solemnly. "But remember—only through hardship can you truly rise!"

He gave Tesla's shoulder a firm pat and shut the window with a thud.

A heavy silence fell.

Tesla stood before the window, momentarily stunned. The earnest lecture had been almost comical—but his heart ached. He now knew for certain: his friend, who had once saved his life and floated with him on the Danube, truly no longer remembered him.

Dracula approached slowly, taking in the odd mix of amusement and sorrow on Tesla's face.

"So, Tesla… what now?" he asked gently.

Tesla turned to him and discreetly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, trying to collect himself.

"I must've seemed ridiculous, Lord Dracula," he said quietly. "But… do you have any clues about the villain who erased Robert's memory? I swear, I'll make them pay—blood for blood."

Dracula gave a soft chuckle. "Not only do I have clues… I actually found the wizard responsible. That's how I even learned Robert existed at all—apparently, the idea that he would befriend a vampire was simply unacceptable."

"And you don't have to worry about searching. I already captured the wizard—"

Dracula suddenly stopped mid-sentence. A realization struck him.

Earlier that evening, he had received an urgent message from Serena. In his rush to respond, he had completely forgotten about Lockhart—who had been trailing along behind him. Dracula had left the banks of the Danube and gone straight to Brown Castle in Romania…

In other words, the amnesiac wizard—Lockhart—had likely been left behind on the riverbank.

Forgotten.

Just like Tesla had been.

---

At night, the Danube River appeared slender and broken beneath the star-filled sky.

Countless stars shimmered and scattered across the rippling water. A soft breeze stirred the surface, creating gentle waves one after another. A few leaves drifted aimlessly on the river, adding small imperfections to the sparkling reflections.

Right beside this serene river lay a filthy man, dressed only in a pair of shorts.

His face and hair were crusted with dried, coarse khaki dirt, and his entire body was coated in dust, as if he'd been rolled on the ground countless times.

Yet, if you looked closely, you could faintly discern his handsome features and golden hair slicked back with wax.

When Dracula and Tesla arrived at the Danube's bank, this was the sight before them—

Lockhart was collapsed on the ground, covered in grime, occasionally groaning in pain. Because Dracula had forgotten to lift the silencing spell, Lockhart's lips remained sealed, preventing him from crying out in relief — making the scene feel even more desolate.

"Lord Dracula, I don't understand why you brought me to see such a pitiful, destitute man," Tesla said hesitantly, staring at Lockhart on the ground.

Even Dracula struggled to recognize Lockhart beneath the dirt and disarray, feeling at a loss for words.

"Well…" Dracula said gloomily, "It's hard to explain, but this miserable man is actually the wizard who erased Robert's memory…"

Looking at Lockhart now, even Dracula couldn't fathom how he had fallen into such a state in only a few hours.

"What?" Tesla shouted in disbelief, "You mean Robert's memory was wiped by this sorry excuse of a man?"

The thought of Robert being deceived by such a wretched figure unsettled Tesla.

At that moment, Lockhart lifted his head after hearing Tesla's outburst and saw Dracula approaching.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh! Uh-huh—"

With his lips still sealed, Lockhart could only muffle his cries. He staggered to his feet, tears streaming down his face.

Disgusted, Dracula raised a hand, placed one foot firmly before Lockhart, and simultaneously lifted the silencing spell from his lips.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Lockhart's heartbreaking wails were raw and agonizing, stirring sorrow in anyone who heard them.

"Alright, alright, tell me what happened tonight. How did you end up like this?" Dracula softened his tone, feeling sorry for the broken man.

After sobbing for a while, Lockhart trembled and began to explain.

"Where did you go earlier? Why did you leave me alone?" he cried, tears and mucus dripping into his mouth. "Not long after you left, I got very hungry. But I was afraid to wander far, worried I wouldn't find you again. So I only dared to look nearby for something to eat…"

Though he'd lost his memory, Lockhart's storytelling remained vivid—an echo of his fame as a wizarding world writer.

Earlier that day, at Mrs. Puddy's Tea House, Lockhart had kept up appearances, not eating from morning till afternoon to maintain his image in front of his fans.

Now, after a day without food and memory lost, he still felt hunger but knew no one and dared not stray far from Dracula, his sole support.

When Dracula was urgently called away from the Danube, Lockhart panicked and stayed close, only venturing near to find something to eat.

His luck briefly improved when he spotted some young men picnicking on the riverbank. Timidly, he gestured, hoping to beg some food.

But these youths were bullies—street gangsters who demanded money instead.

Lockhart had no Muggle coins but found a handful of gold galleons in his pocket, hoping they could be exchanged for food.

Instead, the gangsters' greed was triggered by the pure gold coins.

They surrounded Lockhart, beating him viciously and searching him thoroughly. Finding dozens of gold and silver coins, they were thrilled.

Seeing that Lockhart's robes were of modest quality, they cruelly stripped him bare, leaving him with only a pair of shorts before walking off.

---

Hearing this, Dracula was deeply disturbed.

Who would have imagined that a proud, famous writer and dreamer adored by many witches in the morning could become a miserable, beaten man at night?

He looked at Tesla beside him.

"This wizard's mind is probably badly damaged, having lost all his memories," Dracula said. "I leave him to you. Do what you will. I won't interfere."

Tesla looked at the embarrassed, frozen Lockhart and stayed silent for a long moment.

"No," he finally sighed, "he's learned enough. Taking revenge on such a fool would only tarnish my dignity as a vampire."

"Are you certain?" Dracula asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, I'm sure," Tesla nodded. "I have other matters to attend to and won't waste time on a lost cause."

He turned and headed toward Robert's cabin.

"Master Dracula, thank you for telling me this," Tesla said, pausing and bowing. "Otherwise, I might not have known until Robert passed away, forgetting everything about me."

"Also, may I ask for some leave to handle personal affairs?"

Dracula chuckled at Tesla's determination and nodded.

"Thank you, Lord Dracula!" Tesla bowed deeply again.

Then he strode toward Robert's cabin with a determined gaze.

---

Tesla waited beneath Robert's cabin eaves until dawn.

The sun rose slowly over the eastern hills, casting a glow that reflected off distant clouds and shone through Robert's wooden window.

Robert, a solitary old man living quietly, woke on schedule, stepped outside carrying a sickle, and yawned sleepily in the sunshine.

He felt rested despite being woken by a stranger last night.

Robert felt a bit annoyed.

How could someone disturb a person's rest at night? Such a clueless young man would never please his master without effort.

Robert was pleased with the lessons he'd given the previous night and smiled, humming an old tune while walking to harvest the rest of his lettuce field.

The sight of the green crops brought him comfort.

"Robert." Suddenly, a voice called out.

He turned to see a figure in formal clothes with neatly styled hair and a goatee, standing in the shadowy eaves.

"Young man, didn't I say I'm no longer the Auror Captain?" Robert said helplessly. "No one should get that close to you. Even if you're bad, stay away for a few days until the boss forgets you!"

"Young people should work hard from the bottom up to hone their skills…"

"I'm not here to get close to you," Tesla interrupted with a smile.

Robert was momentarily surprised.

"I'm a little hungry and haven't found anything to eat," Tesla said softly, looking at Robert.

"Robert, may I have two lettuce?"