Chapter 14 | Heart of a Lion

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     Harry, Ron and Lexi dashed into Professor Lockhart's office, "Professor, we've got some information for you..." Harry panted but stopped dead.

     Professor Lockhart's office was stripped to the shelves; two large trucks stood open, "Are you going somewhere?" Ron snapped.

     "Um, well, yes." Professor Lockhart stuttered, "Urgent call, unavoidable. Got to go..." he mumbled still stuffing his things into the trunks.

     "What about my sister?" Ron roared.

     "Well, as to that..." Professor Lockhart stuttered, "Most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I..."

     "You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" Lexi roared angrily, "You can't go now! You're supposed to crave adventure or did you lie in all those stupid bloody books you made us read?"

     "I must say, my dear," Professor Lockhart snapped, "When I took the job, nothing in the job description..."

     "So you're running away?" Lexi snapped back, "You bloody coward."

     "After all that stuff you did in your books?" Harry said sounding just as angry as Ron and Lexi felt.

     "Books can be misleading..." Professor Lockhart countered.

     "You wrote them!" Ron snapped irritably.

     "My dear boy!" said Professor Lockhart, "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian Warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all..."

     "You're a fraud!" Lexi snapped accusingly, "You've been taking credit for what a load of other wizards have done!"

     "Alexis, Alexis, Alexis." Lockhart sighed heavily, "There was work involved. I had to track these people down and ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did,"

     "So above being a complete fraud and coward, you're a bloody stalker too," she said exasperatedly, her hand inching towards her wand.

     "Yes, it's not all book signings and publicity photos. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog." Professor Lockhart continued not even noticing Lexi drawing her wand.

     "Is there anything you can do?" Ron spat.

     "Yes, now that you mention it," Professor Lockhart said, "I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would've gone blabbing and I'd never have sold another book. I'm afraid I'll have to do the same to you three, lest you do the same." As Professor Lockhart lifted his wand Lexi yell out the first spell that came to her mind, being rather quicker than the professor himself.

     "Expelliarmus!" Lexi called out, the professor was blasted backwards and toppled over his open trunks, his wand flying across the floor, Ron deftly caught it.

     "Looks like those Dueling Lessons came in handy after all, Professor." Harry snapped, "It just so happens that we know where to go, get up." He said and Gilderoy got to his feet.

-----

     Gilderoy walked ahead of Harry, Ron and Lexi, their wands pointed at him. Moaning Myrtle floated above the cistern, "Who's there?" she said when the door swung open and they enter the bathroom, "oh..."

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