The Three Brothers: The Cure

Truth

29th November 1992

"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" Harry asked. He was absently playing with the grass on the ground, plucking out one blade at a time. The three of them were sitting in the shade of the big tree near the edge of the Black Lake, trying to figure out their next step with regards to the problem of Professor Lockhart.

"Absolutely. If we want to find answers, this is the best way to do it," she answered. Harry was amazed at the change in her once he had explained the suspicious records of Professor Lockhart.

"What will we need?"

"Firstly, we'll need to search the library for some advanced potions books," said Hermione. "One of them will have the information we need."

"Let me guess, these books will be in the restricted section of the library?" Ron turned to her with a sour look on his face. Hermione just nodded.

"We couldn't get in there last year when we were searching for Nicolas Flamel, Hermione," Ron said exasperated. "What makes you think we can get in there this time?"

"I don't know. Did you guys have the invisibility cloak then?" she asked and Ron nodded in reply. "I've learnt the silencing charm from Professor Flitwick. Perhaps that will silence those shrieking books," she pondered.

"What do you require to get in the restricted section? Normally?" Harry interrupted. A ghost of an idea was beginning to come to him.

"Since when have we done anything the normal way?" Ron scoffed.

"You'll need a signed permission slip from a Professor," Hermione answered, ignoring Ron. "They're informed of whatever books we check out."

"As if a professor would sign our permission slip in the first place," said Ron.

Harry wasn't listening to his friends anymore. His mind was running through the different scenarios that could take place. It could definitely work—if he could pull it off, that is.

"One professor might," Harry said finally, breaking up whatever bickering the other two had gotten up to in the meanwhile. Ron looked at him with interest, while Hermione looked with momentary suspicion—before she realised what he was implying.

"No. No, no, no—That's ridiculous Harry!" Hermione cried out. Ron, on the other hand, was still confused.

"What's ridiculous?"

"He's thinking of asking Professor Lockhart!" Hermione explained before turning towards him. "Tell him it's ridiculous!"

Harry watched with an amused expression as Ron gaped like a fish trying to digest this information, his face going through expressions that could only be summed up as comical.

"Harry," Ron said, his voice finally finding itself, "how exactly will you get Lockhart to sign the slip? 'Oh, Professor Lockhart, I was wondering if you'd sign this permission slip so that I can get the instructions for brewing an illegal potion—'"

"—technically it's a grey area," Hermione interrupted. Ron turned to look at her with an incredulous expression.

"Sorry," he said, "'—a potion-of-questionable-legality-to-brew, which'—wait for it—'we're going to use on you to conduct an investigation into your suspicious school records.' That's brilliant Harry. I wonder what Lockhart will say to that."

Harry waited patiently for Ron to finish, a bored expression on his face as he twirled a long blade of grass between his fingers

"Are you done?" he asked. "Look, all I'll need to do is get in detention with him."