𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

Ch 71 - Fooling Lockhart

On Thursday

Since the disastrous incident that was the Cornish Pixies, Gilderoy Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class.

Instead, he opted to read passages from his books to them, and sometimes reenacted some of the more dramatic bits.

He usually picked Harry for the reconstructions in previous classes.

So far in this specific lesson, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian Villager whom Lockhart had claimed to cure of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had supposedly dealt with him.

Hermione obviously didn't believe a single word of this, but decided it wasn't worth wasting her breath to refute the claims.

She had more difficult issues to deal with.

Today, Harry was again hauled to the front of class immediately upon walking into their next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting as a Werewolf.

If he didn't have a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood for today in particular, Harry'd refused it without a second thought.

Lucifer and Hermione were at the back of the class practicing disillusionment charms.

The magic was intricate, beyond anything Hermione'd studied so far, but Lucifer knew it would be useful.

Being able to turn himself invisible would be crucial if he didn't want to use Harry's cloak.

He was much ahead, when being compared to Hermione.

The most she'd managed so far however was making everything below her waist faintly translucent, as if she was a ghost from her skirt down.

“You'll get it,” Lucifer said  reassuringly as Hermione threw her wand down onto her desk in frustration, “This is fifth-year magic. It's already impressive you've even gotten this far....”

“Not good enough...” Hermione grumbled in a very bad mood.

“Nice loud howl, Harry - exactly - and then, if you'll believe, I pounced - like this - slammed him to the floor - thus - with one hand, I managed to hold him down - with my other, I put my wand to his throat - I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm - he let out a piteous moan - go on, Harry - higher than that - good - the fur vanished - the fangs shrank - and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me for forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of Werewolf attacks.”

The bell rang and Lockhart sprang to his feet.

"Homework - compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!" He yelled out to them as they began to trickle out of class.

As the bell rang, Harry slid back through the class towards them.

“What happened to you?” Harry asked, looking at the girl's spectral legs.

“Lucifer got sick of my teasing....so he  killed my legs...”

“Potter, don't take her seriously....”

“We should go.....” Harry chose to ignore both of them, his eyes upon other students leaving.

Hermione snarled her nose up, glancing over at Lockhart.

She had always let the man know of her detest for him, so playing the nervous fangirl would not be easy in theory.

Keeping the remorse act up is going to be very difficult.