Charmolypi

Chapter 77

The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.

"Not that lunatic!"

"What is he smiling about?"

"Things just got a hundred times worst..."

"So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?" He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" Remus sighed, shaking his head.

"No it's not," Marlene answered.

"Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I — well, I —" sputtered Lockhart.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall —"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

"I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —"

The Marauders burst out laughing, and by consequence, many people joined along.

The professors smirked to one another, proud of how they handled such a failure of a professor.

The blonde Ravenclaw sunk down in his seat, embarrassed by the roaring laughter that was happening around him.

Snape was still looking at the screen, not really believing that his future self had such confidence and sarcasm.

Barty and Evan were laughing hysterically and patting Severus on the back, while the others were chuckling and cheering for their friend.

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll — I'll be in my office, getting — getting ready." And he left the room.

The laughter in the room only increased, happy to see that Lockhart was finally going to be revealing his true colors.

Some of the older witches and wizards turned and started scolding Dumbledore for his poor choice of teachers.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."

The scene changed showing Thea kissing Fred and George goodnight before they went up to the dormitories. They looked extremely shaken by the news they had received about their sister. Thea quickly rejoined her brother and friend, worried they would do something stupid without her.