❝ i'm chaos walking . . . ❞
❝ then i'll walk with you.❞
「 Liliana Granger knew chaos like the back of her hand.
It confronted her, challenging her to find calm wherever she could.
But some days...
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❝ Training for the ballet, Potter? ❞
⋅☾☼☽⋅
Since the disastrous episode of the pixies, Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class. Instead, he read passages from his books to them, and sometimes reenacted some of the more dramatic bits.
He usually picked Harry to help him with the reconstructions, since Liliana had refused when he initially asked her. She had insisted that she learned better as an observer, then placed her headphones over her ears and cranked up the volume up on her walkman so that Lockhart had no chance to argue with her.
So far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured 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 dealt with him.
During their very next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Harry was hauled to the front of the class to act as a werewolf. Liliana pulled her headphones down to rest around her neck and cringed as she watched Harry and Lockhart up front.
"Nice loud howl, Harry — exactly — and then, if you'll believe it, 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 forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."
The bell rang and Lockhart got 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!"
The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Ron, Liliana, and Hermione were waiting.
"Ready?" Harry muttered.
"Wait till everyone's gone," Hermione said nervously. "All right. . . ."
She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry, Ron, and Liliana right behind her.
"Er — Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to — to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it — I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow-acting venoms —"
"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" Lockhart said, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?"
