The Chamber Of Secrets - Hermione Granger x OC

Pixies

Oliver walked into the classroom and quietly sat down in his next class, feeling the weight of uneasiness on his shoulders. He put his head down on his desk, seeking shelter in the temporary refuge it offered, hoping it would help him hide from the world.

After a few minutes, Oliver's ears perked up as he heard the sound of someone settling into the seat right next to him. He lifted his head and caught a glimpse of Harry's face beside him.

"Everything go alright with Hermione?" Harry inquired.

"Pff, yeah, we're fine," Oliver replied dismissively, attempting to brush off any further discussion.

"Really? Because she seemed kind of switched off when she came back to sit with us," Harry said.

"Yup, all good," Oliver replied, his voice lacking conviction.

Not long after, the sound of Hermione's voice reached Oliver's ears from behind. He could hear her engaged in conversation with Ron as they entered the classroom, soon taking a seat directly behind Oliver and Harry.

Oliver kept his head down, silently praying that Hermione somehow wouldn't notice him. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when Hermione's gaze fell upon him, her expression filled with concern, as Harry and Ron began to engage in their own conversation.

"Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: me," said a voice called out from the front of the room.

Hermione enthusiastically gave a round of applause, as did all the other girls in the room.

Finally, Oliver picked his head up to look at the teacher.

"I am Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, third class, honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, and, of course, a five-time winner of the Witch's Weekly Most Charming Smile Award," he boasted, flashing a charismatic smile in Hermione's direction.

Oliver and Harry rolled their eyes.

"But I'm not here to talk about all that," he said. "I didn't get rid of the Brandon Banshee by just smiling at it." He laughed, expecting everyone else to as well, but no one did, and silence filled the room.

"Now, I am warning you," he continued with a confident tone. "It is my esteemed duty to prepare you for encounters with the darkest creatures known to wizardkind. All I ask is that you maintain composure and refrain from screaming. Rest assured, no harm shall befall you while I am present."

As the students observed with curiosity, Lockhart retrieved a cage filled with tiny blue pixies.

"What are those little devils?" Oliver asked, letting out a laugh.

"Cornish pixies," Ron replied.

Oliver's laughter grew louder. "Oh, I'm so scared of some tiny pixies," he said, turning around to face Ron. However, his amusement was short-lived as his eyes unexpectedly locked with Hermione's captivating eyes. Quickly, he turned back around, a hint of blush creeping up his cheeks. It seemed the pixies were not the only things capable of capturing Oliver's attention.

"Laugh if you will, dear boy," Lockhart said, pointing a finger at Oliver. "Pixies can be quite tricky. Let's see what you make of them," he added,releasing the pixies Into the classroom.

In no time, the tiny creatures scattered in every direction, causing an uproar among the students. Chaos ensued as everyone stood up and began running in different directions, desperately trying to avoid the pixies' destructive wrath.

"Come on, everyone, round them up! They're only pixies!" Lockhart commanded.

Underneath a table, Oliver found refuge, cautiously peeking out to spot any approaching pixies. Armed with a book, he swung it at any pixie that dared come too close, attempting to ward them off and protect himself.

Oliver looked towards Lockhart, desperately hoping he would take action. To his surprise, he saw Lockhart swiftly booking it out of the classroom, leaving the chaos behind.

"Is he really running away?!" Oliver shouted in disbelief.

As it became apparent that the teacher wasn't going to do anything, Oliver turned towards Hermione, seeking an alternative solution.

"Got any fancy spells up your sleeve to help us out?" he asked Hermione.

Hermione stood up, as she firmly grasped her wand.

"Immobulus!" she proclaimed with conviction.

In an instant, a wave of magic surged from her wand, causing all the mischievous pixies to freeze mid-flight, suspended in the air. The classroom quickly transformed from a scene of pandemonium to a moment of stillness, as the frozen pixies remained motionless.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room as the students realized they were finally safe from the pixies.

Lockhart suddenly came running back into the room.

"Good job, children. It seems you were able to stop the pixies. I was just testing to see if you could do it. Of course, I would have been able to stop them faster, but that's not the point," Lockhart said, trying to play off the fact that he ran away, terrified.