The Girl Who Had No Escape [1]

Year 2 - 12

When they got to the class Amelia went straight to the front of the class, and sat next to an equally eager Hermione. Cassiopeia looked to Draco and rolled her eyes. Together her, and the group of boys made their way to the back of the classroom. She sat beside Draco and got her things out, also getting out her half-drawn drawing. While she was waiting, she continued to draw. She didn't realise that Draco was watching her with confusion, she was putting the final touches on the ears when Professor Lockhart entered the room. She signed her name to the drawing and then put it back in her bag.

"Let me introduce you to your new defense against the dark arts teacher, me." Professor Lockhart said, from his balcony. He then started walking down the stairs. "Gilderoy Lockhart. Order of Merlin, third class. Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League. And five times winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award. But I don't talk about that..."

"He just did." Cassiopeia whispered to Draco. He chuckled.

"I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" He finished, smiling at everyone in the room. Making all the girls, except Cassiopeia swoon. He was also waiting for people to laugh at his joke, no one did. "I see you've all brought the complete set of my books, well done. Now, I thought we would start today with a little quiz." He says, picking up a handful of paper. Many people in the class look to each other. "Nothing to worry about, just to check how well you've read them." He starts handing them out. "Just to check how much you've taken in." When Cassiopeia and Draco get given theirs, they look to each other.

"All these questions are about him." Draco comments. "What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour? What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?" He then flipped the pages. "It keeps going like this until the last one: When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?"

"Self-centered much?" Cassiopeia replied. They all then started the test, Draco seeming not to know any answers. After half an hour of answering the questions about Professor Lockhart, he called the class to stop. He collected in the papers and looked through them.

"Tut, tut. Hardly any of you remembered my favourite colour is lilac. But Ms Hermione Granger and Ms Cassiopeia Reid, both knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own line of hair-care products." He said, Draco looked to Cassiopeia in disbelief, she shrugged. Professor Lockhart then looked through the two papers. "In fact both, Ms Hermione Granger and Ms Cassiopeia Reid, got full marks! Where are you both?" Hermione and Cassiopeia both raised a hand, the former shaking, the latter not caring. He looked to them both. "Good girls." He said, winking at the two. "In fact, take ten points to Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"Did he just wink at me?" Cassiopeia asked Draco quietly. He nodded. "Eww. He's like twice, if not three times my age. That's gross." She commented, making Draco laugh.

"Now, be warned. It is my job to arm you against the foulest of creatures known to wizard kind." Professor Lockhart said, walking towards a cage (covered in a red cloth), he tapped his wand on the cage and it shook. "You may find yourself facing your worst fears in this very room. Know only that no harm can come to you while I am here. I must ask you not to scream, or you might provoke them!" He said the last bit louder as he ripped the cloth off the cage. Showing a cage of Cornish Pixies.

"Cornish Pixies?" Seamus asked, laughing.

"Freshly caught, Cornish Pixies." Professor Lockhart replied. Seamus laughed. "Laugh if you will, Mr Finnigan. Pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters. Let's see what you make of them!" He then opens the cage and the pixies fly out. Everyone shrieked as he let the pixies fly out. They start moving through the room and ruining books. Cassiopeia quickly packed her things in her bag, just as one of the pixies grabbed her hair. She grabbed her hair, as the pixies seemed to be pulling to yank her hair off her head.

"Ow." Cassiopeia said. Draco rushed over, book in hand.

"Let go." He said.

"Let go? If I let go it'll pull my hair out!" She exclaimed.

"Trust me." He said. She nodded and let go of her hair, and Draco whacked the pixie away with a book. He then grabbed his things, and Cassiopeia grabbed hers. They looked around to see that most people had fled the classroom, along with Lockhart himself. Leaving the Golden Trio, and the Slytherin group. Cassiopeia grabbed her wand, and pointed up.

"IMMOBULUS!" She yelled, and with a surge of magic, all the pixies froze moving mid-flight. "Are you guys alright to put them back in their cage?" She asked the golden trio. They nodded. Together the Slytherins then left the room.

"Honestly, what was that man thinking? You do not release wild creatures into a classroom of underage wizards who have not been taught how to handle them." Cassiopeia complained.

"He was giving us some hands-on experience." Amelia replied, the group stopped and looked to Amelia in disbelief. "What?" She asked.

"You seriously believe that?" Cassiopeia asked. She nodded. "Alright then." She replied. They started walking, Cassiopeia and Draco shared a look and rolled their eyes.

~*~

The rest of the week was a boring one, Cassiopeia hated Professor Lockhart, but liked all her other lessons and teachers. Professor Sprout allowed her to step out of the lesson if they were ever doing mandrakes. The highlight of her week were her sessions with Professor Snape. On the Wednesday she told him she was an Animagus, he was shocked. After explaining her dilemma with her friends, he understood. Then on the Thursday session, they started doing defense against the dark arts. Mainly disarming charms, and then protection ones.

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe