Harry arrived at the class next and joined me at the desk I'd chosen far from what I guessed was Lockhart's. He gave me a worried smile, rubbing my back as he piled up the books to hide himself. The rest of the class came in soon after and Ron sat on Harry's other side while Hermione was on mine.
"You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron, more than amused at the situation. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club."
"Shut up," snapped Harry.
Once everyone was seated, Lockhart loudly cleared his throat silencing everyone. Then he picked up one of Neville's book.
"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most- Charming-Smile Award,
("-and complete dickhead-" I muttered loud enough for Harry and Ron to hear which made them snicker.)
But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"
It was silent, as though he was waiting on a laugh but it never came. Now I wanted to laugh.
"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books - well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in -"
I crumpled up my quiz in disgust after reading it and then tossed it high enough for it to soar over the desks and into the bin. Harry high fived me.
"Tut, tut - hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully - I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples - though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Fire whisky!" Lockhart announced after collecting in all the papers. ". . . but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions - good girl! In fact-" he flipped her paper over "-full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
I slouched in my seat and hid my face as Hermione raised her hand, flushing red.
"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so, to business-" He lifted a covered cage onto the desk. "Now - be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard-kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm. I must ask you not to scream, it might provoke them."
It was quiet with anticipation as Lockhart dramatically whipped off the cloth to reveal small electric blue, eight inch long creature with pointy faces and shrill voices.
"Freshly caught Cornish pixies," Lockhart announced proudly and Seamus Finnegan let out a snort of laughter. "Yes?"
"Well, they're not - they're not very - dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.
"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, and waggled his forefinger. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be! Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.
The pixies were everywhere, two had even lifted Neville by the ears and held him in the air. Some smashed through the windows, others sprayed the class with ink, tore up books and threw things everywhere. Most of the class was under their desks, Neville was hanging from the chandelier and I was remaining calm, relaxed in my seat.
One of the pixies came within a meter of me and got zapped by a white jet of light i had shot from my wand, which warned the others to stay away. I was not in the mood. And i think my hair flashed red again as well going by the way Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had no effect and as soon as the bell rang, everyone dashed for the door to get out, and Neville fell from the chandelier. Lockhart spotted, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I and gave a sheepish grin.
"Well, I'll ask you four to just nip the rest of them back into their cage," And he closed the door behind him.
"Can you believe him?!" Ron yelled as he was bit on the ear.
"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, using the freezing charm to immobilise two pixies long enough to get them in the cage.
"He wants hands on? He gets it," I stated, "Epoximise!"
Swishing my wand in a semi-circle, every pixie seemed to be drawn magnetically to each other. I smirked and flicked my wand in the direction of the cage, causing the ball of glued-together pixies to fly into it. Hermione locked the door quickly.
"Nice job," Harry grinned, high fiving me again.
"Why thank you, dear sir," I gave a dramatic bow.
"Can you teach me that?" Hermione asked as the four of us left the class.
The next few days were spent avoiding Colin and Lockhart who seemed to pop up at the most inopportune moments. Also, it turned out i was what people called a metamorphmagus meaning i could change my appearance at will.
We asked McGonagall about it and she said since i was late coming into my abilities that they'd play on my emotions until i got control, so i spent most nights working on it. I could easily turn my hair and eyes different colours by now, but my emotions still played a heavy part in it. And i had yet to try body modification.
By the weekend, we were all grateful for the break but I had been rather comfy in the Gryffindor common room on Saturday morning waiting on Harry when he came down dressed in his quidditch robes.
"Practice?" i asked a little bummed we couldn't just be lazy, "I'll come watch."
I sat near the side of the pitch, not wanting to go all the way up into the stands where Hermione and Ron were. Eventually the Quidditch team came out, but it had been at least three hours.
"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously.
"Haven't even started, Wood's been teaching us new moves," Harry explained.
They mounted their brooms and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. I watched for a while but was immediately on my feet when i saw the Slytherin team crossing the pitch toward us.
"Plenty of room for all of us, Wood," Flint, the captain, was saying when i got there.
I noticed the Slytherin Team was male and rolled my eyes, well i wouldn't be trying out.
"But I booked the field!" said Wood, spitting with rage. "I booked it!"
"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."'
"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"
Draco Malfoy stepped forwards with a smirk, it was all over his face and Harry and I shared an irritated look.
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Angelina asked, glaring at the boy.
"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint and the team smiled. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."
They all held out brooms, the new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. I scoffed.
"Very latest model. Only came out last month," Flint said, "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps-" he smiled nastily at Fred and George, "-sweeps the board with them."
"Well, that was original wasn't it," I muttered, "You do realise a broom's potential can only be brought out by the rider?"
"Oh, look," said Flint, ignoring me. "A field invasion."
We all looked round to see Ron and Hermione coming over, the former glowering at the blonde prat not a foot from Harry and I. How the hell did it take them that long to reach us?
"What's happening?" Ron asked, "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?"
"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Ron's jaw dropped.
"Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." The Slytherins howled.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."
The look on Malfoy's smug face wavered and I had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.
I remembered that word, Malfoy explained it's meaning last year. Flint dived in front of Malfoy to stop the twins beating him to a pulp, Angelina shrieked "How dare you" and Ron pulled out his wand.
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" he yelled, pointing it under Flint's arm.
There was a loud bang but the green light came through the bottom end of the wand and hit Ron in the stomach knocking him backwards.
"Ron!" I exclaimed.
"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.
Instead of words, slugs poured out of Ron's mouth and I cringed, disgusted by the sight but still rushed to help Harry lift him off the ground.
"We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry and i nodded.
"What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?" I shot Colin a look as he tried to get in front of us, camera held high as Ron spat out more slugs, "Oooh, can you hold him still, Harry?"
"Colin piss off before i hit you with a beater's bat!" I snapped, and my glare - and most likely sudden flash of red hair - made the boy yelp and run for his life.
"Nearly there, Ron," Hermione encouraged as Hagrid's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute - almost there."
We were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out and i shoved the others into a nearby bush to hide without a care for Ron's slug vomit.
"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one - I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.
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