Hermione Granger and the Chamber of Secrets (Completed)

Chapter 5 - Professor Lockhart

They finished lunch and went outside. Thankfully, the weather hadn't turned wintery yet. Hermione opened Voyages With Vampires and engrossed herself in it, while Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch, a complicated sport played on broomsticks. She had no idea how they could have anything to talk about, as they talked about it almost every day and, as Harry had spent most of the summer at the Weasley's house, they would've been taking about it all through the holidays.

She suddenly had the strange feeling that she was being watched. She looked up to see a small boy watching them eagerly. He had mousy brown hair and seemed to be holding a muggle camera. He was staring at Harry through wide, ice blue eyes. Harry looked up and spotted him. He blushed furiously. Hermione wondered how he could be so interested in Harry without knowing what he was like. She hoped she would never be that naive

The boy opened his mouth and started to speak. He spoke so fast, it was very hard to tell what he was saying
“All right, Harry? I’m — I’m Colin Creevey,” he said, cautiously taking a step towards Harry “I’m in Gryffindor, too. D’you think — would it be all right if — can I have a picture?” he said, raising the camera
“A picture?” Harry repeated, confused. He didn't seem to understand why, which made Hermione smile
“So I can prove I’ve met you” said Colin Creevey breathlessly “I know all about you. Everyone’s told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you’ve still got a lightning scar on your forehead and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures’ll move!”
He took a deep breath. Hermione found Colin's lack of punctuation exhausting
“It’s amazing here, isn’t it?" he continued "I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad’s a milkman, he couldn’t believe it either. So I’m taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it’d be really good if I had one of you” he gazed at Harry “maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?”

“Signed photos? You’re giving out signed photos, Potter?”
Draco Malfoy swaggered up to them and stopped right behind Colin, who glanced nervously at him
“Everyone line up!” Malfoy shouted “Harry Potter’s giving out signed photos!”
“No, I’m not,” said Harry, seething “Shut up, Malfoy”
“You’re just jealous” squeaked Colin
“Jealous?” said Malfoy, sneering at Colin “Of what? I don’t want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don’t think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself”
Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's thuggish cronies, chuckled stupidly
“Eat slugs, Malfoy” growled Ron
“Be careful, Weasley” sneered Malfoy “You don’t want to start any trouble or your mummy’ll have to come and take you away from school” he imitated Mrs Weasley's voice very insultingly “If you put another toe out of line —”
A small group of people had appeared to watch. Several Slytherin's in the crowd started laughing

“Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter” taunted Malfoy “It’d be worth more than his family’s whole house —”
Hermione clenched her fists. She didn't normally have violent tendencies, but she wanted to slap Malfoy for insulting Ron. Ron got out his wand, which was a bad idea in itself. Ron's wand had broken on his and Harry's journey to Hogwarts, and now the only thing holding it together was some Spellotape. This meant that it mucked up with the simplest spells. Thankfully, Hermione noticed Professor Lockhart walking towards them
“Look out!” she hissed, closing Voyages With Vampires

“What’s all this, what’s all this?” Professor Lockhart said when he reached them “Who’s giving out signed photos?”
Hermione was going to explain what happened, but then Professor Lockhart turned around and spotted Harry
“Shouldn’t have asked! We meet again, Harry!”
Harry's face turned scarlet
“Come on then, Mr. Creevey” said Professor Lockhart “A double portrait, can’t do better than that, and we’ll both sign it for you”
Colin took pictures of the two of them until the bell rang
“Off you go, move along there” said Professor Lockhart, and Hermione was forced to leave along with the large crowd
"What do you think Professor Lockhart’s telling Harry?" Hermione wondered aloud
"Probably tips for photograph signing" said Ron. Hermione was amazed how jealous he sounded, seeing as he had just seem his best friend humiliated. However, when he next spoke he seemed totally fine