The woman in the mirror (Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter 2.17 (Liar, liar, pants on fire)

The question isn't who is going to let me: who is going to stop me? ~ Ayn Rand

"So what's the plan?" Artemis asked, as she tried to follow the boys. They had broken into a sprint and seeing as every step Artemis took, hurt her...it was hard to keep up. "I mean, you do have a plan, right? Cause I knoe you two are list without me and Hermione but-"

"We're gonna go and tell Lockhart what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him where you think it is, and tell him it's a Basilisk in there."

"So no plan?" Artemis nodded curtly, pursing her lips. "Great."

Darkness was falling as they ran to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps and hurried footsteps. Harry knocked and there fell a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering out. "Miss...Miss Lupin." Lockhart said, stunned, opening his door a bit wider. "You're normal again. Well, I'm sorry I can't talk right now. I'm rather busy at the moment...if you would be quick..."

"Professor, we've got some information for you." Harry said. "We think, it'll help you."

"Er...well...it's not terribly..." The side of Lockhart's face they could see, looked very uncomfortable.

"Move away, twinkletoes!" Artemis snapped.

"I mean...well...all right." He opened the door and they entered. His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight-blue, had been hastily folded into one of them. Books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk. "Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry, he's just putting all of his stuff in suitcases because he likes the space. Nice to know that you have other coloured robes than just blue. It never really suited you to be honest..."

Lockhart glared. "Well, that may be your opinion but-"

"Weren't you running away? If I were you, I would do it quickly before Snape comes and pushes you down the hole to the Chamber. In case you haven't noticed...he doesn't like you very much. No one likes you."

Lockhart ignored her but started packing even quicker than before.

"You are the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!" Yelled Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!"

"Well...I must say...when I took the job..." Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "Nothing in the job description...didn't expect..."

"You're a coward! That's what you are!" Artemis snapped. "And going on and on about everything you've achieved in life...'I didn't defeat the Hag by smiling at it.' But when push comes to shove...you run. Did you even do half the things you described in your books?"

"Books can be misleading." Said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" Harry shouted.

"My dear boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. "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. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a hairy chin. I mean, come on..."

"Wow, Ron," Artemis said, surprised, turning to the ginger. "You totally called that before...I'm impressed." She turned back to Lockhart. "I should probably not have stopped Effie from rearranging your face." Artemis said as she took one of Lockhart's books and jammed a quill right through his face on the cover. "I'm the preview." She smiled wickedly, throwing the book back at Lockhart. He dodged it and resumed packing. She shrugged at Harry and Ron. "Effie has better aim....and my shoulder hurts..."