Lockhart sat in a café,
petting a cat while staring at the New York Sanctum not far away.
His hesitation gradually turned into determination.
He hadn't come to the Marvel world to get involved in the plot.
He came to study magic and improve his magical abilities.
That's what he was good at—and what he loved.
And when it came to magic in the Marvel world, Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One were unavoidable.
If he truly wanted to steer clear of them, Lockhart could easily do so.
As long as he didn't cause any major disruptions on Earth, in his current state, Kamar-Taj—or even the Ancient One—probably wouldn't pay him any attention.
But if that were the case, then he shouldn't have gotten involved in Thor's storyline.
Nor should he have created a persona as a scholar and professor.
Everything he'd done so far had been for the sake of magic.
Befriending Thor—for the magic of Asgard.
Creating a persona—for the magic of Kamar-Taj.
Lockhart understood the importance of first impressions early on.
A good first impression could make everything go much smoother.
That's why he had consistently portrayed himself as a scholar and professor—so that when he met Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One, he would earn their favor and possibly their guidance.
The Sorcerer Supreme was one of the most powerful mages in the universe, constantly battling dark dimensional lords to protect Earth.
That alone spoke volumes about her power—and character.
Compared to her, even Dumbledore was trash.
And if she could supposedly see the future—so what?
If she truly could, even better.
It's not like he was some supervillain trying to destroy the world.
In his past life, he was a pure man—an esteemed university professor dedicated to academic research.
Now, in this new life, he was deeply obsessed with magic.
He just wanted to study magic, seek truth, and explore the mysteries of the arcane.
People as pure as him were rare.
If the Ancient One got to know him, she should accept him.
He had no doubt about that.
Still—
Everything carried risk.
You should always have a Plan B.
Being cautious, he wasn't dumb enough to just walk into the New York Sanctum, call out the Ancient One's name, and introduce himself.
That would be insane—or stupid.
His Plan B was...
> "Thirty days have passed since arriving in the Marvel world. You have 24 hours to voluntarily return. After that, you will be automatically returned to the Harry Potter world."
Staring at the glowing screen in front of him, Lockhart's gaze deepened.
If he truly faced an unstoppable threat, he'd have no choice but to retreat to the Harry Potter world.
After that—who knew what he might do to survive?
Because—
He didn't know how far he might fall if despair overtook him again after being granted a second chance at life.
---
New York Sanctum.
Lockhart stood at the gate, magic suitcase in his left hand, wand in his right.
He knocked softly.
Knock, knock, knock.
Click, click, click.
With a crisp knocking sound, footsteps slowly approached. The door creaked open.
A young white man in a short robe appeared.
Lockhart's gaze dropped to the Sling Ring on the man's right hand.
He smiled warmly and said,
"Hello, I'm Lockhart, a wizard planning to settle in New York."
"I sensed the magical energy radiating from here, so I came to visit fellow practitioners in the city!"
He waved his hand, summoning a light green potion into the air.
"This is a magic recovery potion. It restores internal energy."
"A small token of goodwill."
The young sorcerer seemed stunned, clearly not expecting such a polite introduction—or a gift.
He quickly recovered and hurriedly took the floating potion.
"Mr. Lockhart, I'm just a sorcerer apprentice."
"Please, come inside."
"I'll let my mentor, Kaecilius, know."
At the mention of Kaecilius, Lockhart raised an eyebrow.
If he remembered correctly...
That name belonged to the future follower of Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension.
Looks like he's still a standard Kamar-Taj sorcerer—for now.
Lockhart tucked away those thoughts.
He followed the apprentice into the Sanctum and sat on a nearby sofa, quietly waiting.
---
Inside a room deep within the New York Sanctum—
Kaecilius was reading a magical tome.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Come in," Kaecilius said with a slight frown.
"Mentor, a wizard named Lockhart came by. He says he wants to settle in New York and brought a gift—a potion that restores magical energy."
Kaecilius raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting. Lead the way."
It wasn't unusual for someone to move to New York.
But someone visiting the Sanctum specifically to see him? That piqued his curiosity.
Soon, Kaecilius entered the hall and saw Lockhart seated on the sofa.
Sensing the aura around him, a flicker of doubt—or confusion—crossed Kaecilius's face.
He walked over and introduced himself.
"Hello, I'm Kaecilius, guardian of the New York Sanctum. How can I help you?"
Lockhart replied,
"I'm a wizard planning to live in New York. I sensed strong magical energy from here."
"So I thought I'd stop by and greet the local hosts, to avoid any misunderstandings later on."
"Also, I'd like to ask—are there any places in New York where sorcerers gather?"
"If there's somewhere to exchange magical knowledge or trade items, that would be even better."
Kaecilius studied him again, his eyes complex.
Then he waved the apprentice away.
Once they were alone, Kaecilius said quietly:
"Mr. Lockhart… if I'm not mistaken, you're not from this world, are you?"
Lockhart nodded calmly.
"You're right. I'm not from this world."
"I ended up here by accident while experimenting with space magic. So I figured I'd settle in New York for a while."
"I also want to exchange magical knowledge with wizards and sorcerers here."
He paused, his voice slightly tinged with doubt.
"Why? Are visitors from other worlds not welcome here?"
Kaecilius was surprised by his honesty.
After thinking a bit, he said,
"It's not that you're unwelcome. It's just… the New York Sanctum's duty is to protect this world from evil dimensional invaders."
"In your case, I'll have to report to the Sorcerer Supreme."
Lockhart nodded without protest.
He watched Kaecilius open a flaming portal using his Sling Ring and step into it.
Once the portal vanished, Lockhart returned to his seat.
Since he'd chosen to approach Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One, he had planned for every scenario.
If they hadn't noticed he was from another world?
Then he'd just be a local wizard making connections and trading gifts—simple.
If they had noticed?
Then honesty was the best route.
He wasn't evil. He wasn't a villain.
He radiated the aura of a scholar—a professor.
Sure, maybe not completely harmless—but definitely a good guy.
Best-case scenario?
Just like now. He could smoothly meet the Ancient One—and maybe even ask to join Kamar-Taj.
Worst-case scenario?
Don't forget about his Plan B.
Soon, a fiery portal opened again in front of Lockhart.
Kaecilius stepped out and said,
"Mr. Lockhart, please come with me to meet the Sorcerer Supreme."
He motioned for Lockhart to follow him into the portal.
Lockhart gladly obliged.
Kamar-Taj's magic… here I come!!!