A Broken Slytherin : Serpent Secrets (Book 2)

The Con-Man Professor

Ron's legs give way from shock and Harry only just catches him before he falls to the ground. Ron's tortured face meets y/n's tear stained one. Everyone is silent. y/n can't bear to look at the wall, the fresh gory blood dripping down the stone painfully slowly, but she turns away from the boys to recollect herself. She has to stay hopeful. For Ron. y/n wipes away her tears and turns back to Harry and Ron who is now back on his feet.

"We can't just give up," she says as strongly as she can, forcing her voice to stay even, "We know where to go to get to the Chamber, now is as good a time as any,"

Harry kept his hands on Ron as if he was the only thing keeping his friend standing. "C'mon. Let's go see Lockhart. He may be a brainless git but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can at least tell him what we know," he said, trying to create an air of hope.

Ron nodded slowly, still reeling from the shock. He looks up at his raven haired friend, "Harry, do you think there's still a chance she's not, you know..."

Harry and y/n look at each other, both no more hopeful than the other.

"We'll find her, Ron," Harry reassures, but even he knows he can't be positively certain. They break off in a sprint to Lockhart's office.

------)OOO(------

The three friends came careening into the classroom, their black school shoes smacking on the ground and robes flailing behind them. They were up the stairs and burst through the office door in a flash.

"Professor!" Harry announced their presence very loudly, "We have some information for you!" y/n and Ron came rushing in after him and were met with an unexpected sight.

A very flustered Professor Lockhart was scurrying about his office, stuffing his belongings into dozens of different suitcases and trunks. Almost as if he were packing to leave. y/n took one look around her and at Lockhart's surprised and fearful expression and knew something was awry.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked sternly with conviction.

Lockhart slammed closed a case full of combs, shampoos, and other hair care items, "Well I-I y-yes, uh, urgent call. Unavoidable. Got to go," he spluttered out.

"What about my sister?!" Ron shouted taking a step forward.

"W-well um," Lockhart continued to pack away his things, "As to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I,"

"You're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Ron shot back, his face turning red with anger.

"Well, I must say," he stuffed a wig into a brown leather bag, "When I took the job, there was nothing in the job description about-"

"You're running away?!" Harry exclaimed, blocking off Lockhart's advance on the exit, "After all that stuff you did in your books?!"

"Books can be misleading..."

"You wrote them!"

"My dear boy, do you use your common sense?! My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!" Lockhart shouted, confessing his act with no hint of remorse.

"You're a fraud," Harry said through his teeth, "You've just been taking credit for what other wizards have done!"

"Is there anything you can do?" Ron asked with vile.

"Yes. Now that you mention it. I'm rather gifted with memory charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would have gone blabbing and I wouldn't have sold another book," Lockhart paced casually over to a pile of his trunks, "And I'm afraid I'm going to have to do the same to you!" He turned around quickly with his wand raised, ready to erase their memories, only to come face to face with the end of y/n's wand aimed right at him.