𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 6

After lunch they sit in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. The door to the office opens and Lockhart walks out.
Lockhart: Let me introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Me.
Sereia and Ron look at him disgusted.
Lockhart: Gilderoy Lockhart...
He walks down the stairs leading to the classroom from the office.
Lockhart: ...order of Merlin, Third Class honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League...
He leans onto a portrait of himself painting a picture of himself. The portrait smiles at him.
Lockhart:...and five times winner...
He walks to the students.
Lockhart:...of •Witch Weekly's• Most-Charming-Smile Award.
He smiles at them making the girls except Sereia look at him admirably.
Lockhart: But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the abandon Banshee by smiling at him.
He laughs. The boys and Sereia look at him weirdly while the girls look at him admirably.

Most look at the screen disgusted.

Lockhart: Now, be warned.
He takes his wand and walks around his desk.
Lockhart: It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind.
He taps a cage with a red cloth over it with his wand making it fidgety.
Lockhart: You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here.

Most roll their eyes at him making the ones who like him glare at them.

Lockhart: I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them.
He pull the cloth off and they see tiny blue creatures trying to get out of the cage.
Seamus smiles amused while the rest laughs a little.
Seamus: Cornish pixies?
Lockhart: Freshly cought Cornish pixies.
Seamus begins to laugh.
Lockhart: Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnigan but pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters. Let's see what you make of them.
He opens the cage making the pixies fly around the classroom. They all stand up and slap them away.

The ones who were not in the classroom look at the screen in disbelief.

Lockhart: Come on now, round them up. They're only pixies.
The pixies rip book apart and two pixies grab Neville by his ears and he screams when they lift him into the air.

They look at him worried.

Most run out of the classroom. The pixies drop Neville and he hangs on the Chandelier.
Pixie: You just stay there!
Neville: Please, get me down!
Sereia, Ron and Hermione kneel on the ground and a pixie grabs Hermione's hair.
Hermione: Get off me!
They look at her and Sereia grabs a book.
Sereia: Stop. Hold still.
She slaps the pixie away
Lockhart: •Peskipiksi Pesternomi!•

They look shocked and in disbelief. "That's not even a real spell!"

A pixie takes his wand and flys away. He looks up and sees the pixie with the wand, flying up to the dragon skeleton and taps the chain with the wand making it break and the skeleton falls to the ground. Lockhart runs to his office and his portrait self runs away. He grabs a picture of himself from the wall and three pixies grab it him from him. He turns to Sereia, Ron and Hermione.
Lockhart: I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage.
He smiles at them before running into the office and slams the door shut. They slam the pixies with the books away from them.
Ron: What do we do now?
Hermione takes her wand and stands up while pointing it at the pixies.
Hermione: •Immobulus!•
A blue light comes from her wand and the pixies freeze. They breathe out and Neville looks down to them.
Neville: Why is it always me?
Later in the afternoon, the Gryffindor Quidditch team walk through a corridor.
Oliver: I spent the summer devising a whole new Quidditch program. We're gonna train earlier, harder and longer.
He looks to the courtyard and groans.
Oliver: What-?
They follow his glance
Oliver: I don't believe it.
They walk into the courtyard and look at the Slytherin Quidditch team who walk their way.
Oliver: Where do you think you're going, Flint?
Flint: Quidditch practice.
Oliver: I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today.
Flint: Easy, Wood. I've got a note.
He holds out a note and Oliver takes it. Ron and Hermione who sit nearby look at them.
Ron: Uh, oh. I smell trouble.

They nod in agreement.

They place their books to the side and go to the teams. Oliver unwraps the note.
Oliver: "I, Professor Severus Snaps, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker."
They look at Flint.
Oliver: You've got a new Seeker. Who?
They step aside and Draco walks out from behind them.
Sereia: Malfoy?
Draco: That's right. And that's not all that's new this year.
He places his broomstick into his other hand and they all look at the black and dark green broomstick.
Ron: Those are Nimbus 2001s. How did you get those?
Flint: A gift from Draco's Father.
Draco: You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best.
Hermione: At least no one knows the Gryffindor team hat to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent.
Draco walks up to her.
Draco: No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood.

Everyone besides the Slytherin Pure-bloods, the Death-Eaters, the Gods and the Demigods gasp and glare at him. "Draco!" hisses Narcissa making him pale a little.

The others gasp while Sereia looks at them confused.
Ron: You'll pay for that one, Malfoy.
He pints his wand at Draco.
Ron: •Eat slugs!•
A green light comes from the wand and Ron flys back and lands on the ground. The Slytherin's laugh as the rest runs to him. Hermione and Sereia kneel beside him and the rest stands around him. Colin comes from behind them and pushes himself between the rest of the team.
Hermione: You okay, Ron?
He turns around and places his hands on the grass as he gags.
Hermione: Say something.
He spits out a slug and they groan.

They groan while a few gag.

Colin takes a picture making Sereia turn to him.
Colin: Wow! Can you turn him around, Sereia?
Sereia: No, Colin, get out of the way.
Sereia and Hermione help Ron up. She looks at Hermione
Sereia: Let's take him to Hagrid's.
He spits out another slug making Sereia pull her arm quickly away as the rest groans.
Sereia: He'll know what to do.
They leave the courtyard. Inside Hagrid's hut they sit by the Fireplace as Hagrid walks to them carrying a bucket.
Hagrid: This calls for a specialist's equipment.
He gives the bucket to Ron and sits down opposite them.
Hagrid: Nothing to do but wait till it stops, I'm afraid.
He spits out a slug making Sereia and Hermione groan.
Ron: Okay.
Hagrid nods.
Hagrid: Better out than in. Who was Ron trying to curse, anyway?
Sereia: Malfoy. He called Hermione...uhm, well, I don't know exactly what it means.
She looks to Hermione who's looking down to the ground with tears in her eyes. Hermione stands up and walks to the other side of the hut.
Hermione: He called me a Mudblood.
Hagrid gasps.
Hagrid: He did not.
Sereia: What's a Mudblood?
Hermione turns to her.
Hermione: It means 'dirty blood.' Mudblood' a foul name for someone who's Muggle-born. Someone with non-magical parents. Someone like me. It's not a term one usually hears in civilised conversations.
Hagrid: See, the thing is, Sereia, there are some wizards, like the Malfoy family who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood.
Sereia: That's horrible.
Ron spits out a slug.
Ron: It's disgusting.

"Are you talking about the slugs or-" asks Leo. Before he can continue Ron cuts him off. "Both"

Hagrid: And it's codswallop to boot. Dirty blood. Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half-blood or less.

The Slytherin pure-bloods and the Death-Eaters sneer.

Hagrid: More to the Point, they're yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can't do.
Hermione smiles at Hagrid.
Hagrid: Come here.
She goes to Hagrid and he takes her hand.
Hagrid: Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for one minute. Aye?