Charmolypi

Chapter 60

The scene changed showing Harry knocking on the DADA classroom door. The door flew open, and Lockhart beamed down at him.

"Ah, here's the scalawag!" Lockhart said. "Come in, Harry, come in-" Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lay on his desk. "You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Harry, as though this was a huge treat. "This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her - huge fan of mine -"

James groaned and rubbed his temples. "His voice gives me a headache."

The minutes snailed by. Harry let Lockhart's voice wash over him, occasionally saying, "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."

They had been at it for a while, when Harry heard a voice. It was a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.

"Come... come to me... let me rip you... let me tear you... let me kill you..."

A sudden chill set down in the Great Hall. No one would have had expected a voice like that to be heard at Hogwarts.

Harry gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street. "What?" he said loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"

"No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment. "What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott — look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it — the time's flown, hasn't it?"

"Four hours? You've got to be kidding me, he spent four hours listening to that dufus talk?" Sirius exclaimed loudly.

Harry didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling him he mustn't expect a treat like this every time he got detention. Feeling dazed, Harry left. It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. Harry went straight up to the dormitory. Ron wasn't back yet. Harry pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and waited. Half an hour later, Ron arrived, nursing his right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room.

"My muscles have all seized up," he groaned, sinking on his bed. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch Cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for Services to the School. Took ages to get the slime off...How was it with Lockhart?" the scene faded, showing the two boys talking in hushed whispers.

The scene changed, showing Thea walking alongside her Slytherin friends. The weather had obviously gotten colder and the students' uniforms were a visible manifestation of that. The group were walking down a hallway when they saw a sad looking ghost floating by.

"Hello, Nick," Thea greeted the ghost who instantly perked up at the sight of the young girl.

"Hello, hello!" He answered in a cheerful way, although it was obviously a fake happiness. He suddenly frowned, looking at Thea quizzically. "You look troubled, young Potter."

She laughed slightly, "so do you." She looked him over. "Should I assume you were, once again, rejected from joining the Headless Hunt?"

"He's still trying?"