FicWad

Chapter 04: Lessons and Life

It was four o’clock in the morning; everyone was in bed attempting to get sleep for their lessons. Harry was not one to waste more time sleeping than he needed to and as a result he was deep into the Slytherin library. One would think he would be researching some complex spell work, in an attempt to make himself more knowledgeable. These people would be dead wrong. Harry was plotting ways to make Gilderoy Lockhart's at Hogwarts very miserable.

In front of Harry, he had the Simple Potions for Every Day Pranking by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs spread in front of him. Hermione finding that book underneath a seat cushion in the Gryffindor Common Room had been one of the best things that ever happened to Harry. Skimming through it for some potion to cause maximum mayhem, Harry still had no clue whom these honorable pranksters were. Perhaps he would find out some day but he needed to stick to the task.

Also in this book were many ripped pieces of parchment with spells and descriptions of the spells written upon them. As luck would have it, Harry would not wait to brew some potion as he found a jinx, which would be perfect to use against Lockhart. Smirking, Harry felt this would be the perfect use as it said in small print, "use this jinx against people who talk about themselves way too much."

In other words, this jinx was tailor made for someone like Lockhart. Harry made plans to jinx Lockhart at the soonest possible attempt. If he could do it in the middle of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry would snatch the opportunity by the throat.

Later that morning, Daphne, Theodore, and Harry were walking to the first class of the year for Slytherins, Transfiguration. McGonagall was her usual strict self. It was nice to see some things never changed. Harry thought he did well enough in the review exercise of transfiguring a beetle into a button.

"Well, that was quite simple enough, although knowing McGonagall, the workload will only get tougher," said Theodore after class.

"Come to think of it, I would have to agree with you for once, Theodore," said Daphne. "Still it felt good to see Malfoy struggle slightly but at least the three of us completed the work."

Before Harry could stay anything, an excited looking Gryffindor first year boy with mousy looking hair ran up to him, looking rather excited.

"May, I help you," said Harry coolly to the first year boy.

"Hullo, Harry, I'm Colin Creevey, a first year Gryffindor and I heard about your tale of course," said Colin excitedly. "I mean you must be so powerful if you were able to vanquish You-Know-Who when you were only a year old. The boys in my dorm room were talking about you and said you were a Slytherin. I mean, no one in my family is magic, it was a big shock when I got my letter. So, I was wondering, if I could get an autographed picture."

Harry looked at Colin like he grew two heads. Anyone attempting to publicize Harry's fame was extremely taboo to him but Harry felt as the boy was muggleborn and thus probably had his opinions formed by other people so he would let him off easily.

"Could you repeat that, please?" asked Harry, attempting to clarify what the first year said.

"It would be cool if you gave me a signed picture, so I could prove I met you," said Colin as he was bouncing up and down, looking all excited as if he was on a sugar high.

Harry put his head on his forehead, shaking his head.

"Colin, let me set one thing clear, I do not give out signed photos, ever. I hate my fame. I despise my fame. I want nothing to do with my fame ever, I would rather have my parents alive and well" said Harry grimly. "If you want a signed photo of someone in the Wizarding World who is vain enough to do something like that, there is always Lockhart. So, as for giving out signed photos..."

"Potter's giving out signed photos," drawled a voice behind Harry. Harry turned around, cursing.

Malfoy along with Crabbe and Goyle were walking up. A smug look laid enough Malfoy's face, and Harry felt he may have to use that jinx he planned to use on Lockhart on Malfoy if the blond boy kept it up.

A group of students, first and second years were gathering around. Ginny had just shown up at this very moment, looking at Harry curiously before turning to Malfoy and getting a dark look on her face.

"Everyone line up, famous Harry Potter is giving out signed photos," said Malfoy.

"Malfoy, I doubt Harry would give out signed photos, now you on the other hand..." said Ginny but Malfoy cut her off.

"Perhaps you would like a signed photo too Weasley, I daresay it would fetch more than your house," said Malfoy who then spotted Ron and smirked. Harry did not like the look on Malfoy's face. "Then again, perhaps latching onto Potter was perhaps the most intelligent thing anyone in your family has ever done. If that is you were under you own power, because I doubt anyone would like a scar headed blood traitor like Potter unless they were enchanted."

Malfoy put extra emphasis on the word "enchanted" which caused Ron to draw his wand out. There seemed to be a bit of turmoil in Ron between attacking Harry and attacking Malfoy.

"You’re just jealous," piped up Colin suddenly, who was only about half the size of either Crabbe or Goyle.

Malfoy looked at Colin with a sneer.

"Jealous of Potter," said Malfoy in disgust. "I don't want a cut on my forehead thank you very much. Believe it or not, I am not vain enough to give out signed photos and I know for a fact that better girls would like me than some little blood traitor who will probably be turning tricks on a Muggle street corner for money by the time she is fifteen."

That last little comment by Malfoy made Harry see red. Malfoy may be able to insult Harry but insulting one of his friends in such a vile manner is where Harry drew the line. Ron also looked enraged but Crabbe and Goyle stepped in front of him, preventing any attack on Malfoy. Harry felt it would take him about twenty seconds to take out Crabbe and Goyle, wand or not, before making Malfoy pay for his slanderous comments. Harry pulled out his wand but a new presence put his revenge on hold. Thankfully for Malfoy, Gilderoy Lockhart walking up to the crowd spared him sudden death or at least the removal of his tongue.

"Signed photos, who is giving out sign photos?" asked Lockhart curiously before spotting Harry and his face lighting up. "Ah, should have known, come this way Harry and Mr..."

Lockhart turned to Colin with a confused expression on his face.

"Colin Creevey, sir," piped up Colin, smiling.

"Yes, Mr. Creevey, this way," said Lockhart. "A double photo of us can do no better and then we can both sign it. Truthfully, you can't get a better deal anywhere and we can both sign it when it develops."

Lockhart pulled Harry into focus and Harry had a look of pure disgust upon his face. He made a mental note to burn the robes he was wearing due to Lockhart befouling them by touching them.

"Get your hands off me, you arrogant prat," hissed Harry under his breath but Lockhart seemed to not hear him.

Colin took the picture eagerly as Harry gritted his teeth in fury. Both Malfoy and Lockhart were not going to escape from this little incident without retribution.

Harry walked up to Ginny, attempting to keep the anger out of the expression on his face. Theodore and Daphne followed closely behind Harry and a few seconds later, Hermione joined them.

"So Ginny, how was your first class," said Harry, in an attempt to swing his mood away from his urge to rip Malfoy into little pieces.

"Kind of boring really, as it was History of Magic," said Ginny. "I thought Fred and George were exaggerating when they were talking about the class but it seems Binns wants to put as many students asleep as possible. He just drones on and on, nothing stopping him."

"Well considering he was not stopped even by his own death, I would imagine so," said Theodore. "Seriously, I am at a loss why they don't just shelf the class and teach something useful, like dueling."

"The class is not that bad, it's important to learn from history, so we don't repeat our past mistakes," said Daphne, who was one of the few students in the entire school whom enjoyed History of Magic. "Pity the Ministry of Magic did not do that, because You-Know-Who would have never happened if they would have learned some of the mistakes from the first war with Gridelwald."

"The Ministry of Magic should do a lot of things, such as actually have a competent Minister but that is not about to happen," said Theodore.

"So, Hermione," said Harry turning to his friend and away from the conversation of dark lord uprisings. "I believe the second year Gryffindors have the uh, pleasure of being the first students of being taught by Professor Lockhart."

"Yes, Harry, it's so exciting," said Hermione excitedly. "He wrote all those books and dealt with all those dark creatures, he must have a wealth of invaluable knowledge to share with us. I read all of his books, at least twice."

Harry resisted every bit of urge to roll his eyes. The books had been filled with only common knowledge that anyone could have researched and it was a grand struggle for Harry to even skim the books without losing his lunch at Lockhart talking about himself every other sentence and sometimes twice in a row.

"Yes, thrilling," said Daphne. "Of course, I got through about two pages of one of his books before tossing the thing across the room in disgust. Lockhart does have an art for storytelling, but only if the story is about himself. Still, Hermione, I respect your opinion about the man, if I don't necessary agree with it."

While the students were busy at there lessons, the Headmaster was in deep thought. A line of thinking he had approached many times in recent months. How his plans regarding Harry Potter could have went so far off the course? Those wretched reptiles and that bothersome rat ruined everything by taking Potter in. Dumbledore could find little to indicate what those things exactly were. He obviously knew they were turtles and a rat and had some kind of genetic alteration to them, but Dumbledore had never seen anything like it, Magical or Muggle.

He needed to get Potter under his thumb and may have partially achieved this to some extent, had the Weasley girl not be sorted in Slytherin. Dumbledore wished she had the fanatic dislike for Slytherins like her brother, Ron. Dumbledore also recognized the bond beginning to form between Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter, and it unnerved the Headmaster to an extreme degree. Nothing that powerful had been seen in some time, not since many centuries ago. United, that kind of power could threaten the Headmaster and Dumbledore could not have that happening. The power hungry nature of the Headmaster to manipulate everything to benefit his own gains would be quite alarming to the general public had they been aware. Thankfully for Dumbledore, those uninformed fools were quite ignorant.

Breakfast the following day proved to be an eventful encounter. Hermione had joined the Slytherin table and Malfoy had smartly refrained from saying anything snide.

"So, Hermione," said Harry. "How was the Lockhart lesson?"

"It was eventful," said Hermione shortly.

"What I heard was this, Lockhart gave everyone some stupid quiz about himself, then he unleashed pixies in class, and then he fled, leaving students to collect them," said Theodore.

Hermione reluctantly nodded his head. Daphne and Theodore burst out into laughter and Harry attempted to keep his expression neutral.

"It's not funny," said Hermione irritably. "I am sure he was just giving us some hands on experience."

"Sure he was, at dealing with incompetent teachers," said Daphne who looked at Harry. "Uh, I do not like the look Harry is getting in his eyes."

"Harry Potter, you better not be planning to make Professor Lockhart miserable," said Hermione, glaring at Harry. "He is just nervous, it was his first class, I’m sure he will improve."

"Perhaps he may," said Harry, humoring his friend.

Ginny walked up to the Slytherin table at this time. She was writing to Tom in the diary late into the night after her first day of classes and about Harry, although she would take exactly what she wrote about Harry to the grave. She suspected she over slept a little bit.

Ginny sat down next to Hermione, at the Slytherin table. When she walking up to the table, the others seemed to be talking about Lockhart and his questionable teaching credentials.

"Good Morning, Ginny," said Hermione. "So what have you been doing that caused you to be late?"

"I overslept slightly because I had been reading my textbooks late into the night," said Ginny, who at the last second when she was about to say writing in my diary, felt the sudden urge to embellish the truth slightly. She was certain the feeling was nothing.

Ginny's attention was diverted by the Weasley family owl, Errol flying into the Great Hall, with a red envelope which Ginny recognized to be a howler clutched in it's beak.

"Ron's going to get it," muttered Ginny under her breath.

"What's that?" said Harry curiously looking at the red envelope although Daphne and Theodore spied the envelope and began to cover their ears.

Ron looked horrified as Errol landed in front of him. The youngest Weasley boy took the envelope with trembling hands and gingerly tore it open. As it opened, all, magnified nearly a hundred times, heard the voice of Mrs. Weasley.

RONALD WEASLEY, I WARNED YOU SEVERAL TIMES TO QUIT MAKING UP STORIES ABOUT THAT POOR BOY. YOU NEVER MADE AN ATTEMPT TO EVEN HAVE A DECENT CONVERSATION WITH THE BOY SO HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT HE IS LIKE. I KNOW FOR A FACT I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS! IF I EVER HEAR ANYTHING OF THE SORT AGAIN, I AM BRINGING YOU STRAIGHT HOME. THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING. AS FOR GINNY BEING IN SLYTHERIN, YOU BETTER SUPPORT YOUR SISTER AND NOT MAKE HER LIFE OR THE LIFE OF ANY OF HER FRIENDS MISERABLE. THIS INCLUDES HARRY POTTER. NOW, BEHAVE!

Ron had a rather sour expression on his face and he glanced down into hands, having the decency to look ashamed at his recent behavior.

"Well, he asked for it," said Hermione lightly, looking pleased that Ron got put his place.

The second year Slytherin Defense Against the Dark Arts class was Thursday Morning. Lockhart walked into the classroom. Harry grinned evilly, thinking about what he was going to do in this class and Lockhart looked at him.

"Ah excited about my class, are you Harry?" asked Lockhart, misinterpreted the reason for Harry's grin entirely. "Well, fear not, we are to begin in a couple moments."

The rest of the Slytherins filed into the class. Lockhart turned away for a moment to check to see if anyone else was coming. Harry pulled out his wand and muttered the jinx he found earlier in the week. Lockhart was none the wiser; the fool could not even see a jinx coming. If it was a dangerous dark wizard, Lockhart would have been dead at straight away.

"Greetings, I am sure you all know who I am," said Lockhart, beaming at the class but only getting sneers back from the majority of the class. "I am Gilderoy Lockhart, five time winner of..."

Talking about his achievements when he made a sound like one commonly made by a donkey stopped Lockhart. A bewildered look spread of the features of the teacher, but he still did not quite grasp the situation.

"I do apologize, must have been something I ate," said Lockhart. "Now, I am sure you read many of my wildly acclaimed..."

Another Donkey like sound came out of the mouth of Lockhart. Daphne and Theodore were snickering under their breath while Malfoy seemed to be doing his best not too. Crabbe and Goyle did not seem to grasp anything was the matter. Harry looked rather pleased at his handiwork. Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson looked horrified.

"I wonder what's wrong with him," said Pansy in a low voice to the trollish looking girl sitting beside her.

"I always thought Lockhart acted like jackass," said Blaise Zabini under his breath, but looking amused.

"Okay so you read my books," said Lockhart, seemingly catching on he had been jinxed. "And we will have a little quiz on them to see how well you have read them."

Lockhart stopped, not wanting to have any more embarrassing barnyard sounds coming out of him. He handed out the quizzes to each of the Slytherin students, looking uneasy as if he expected to sound like a donkey at any second.

"You have thirty minutes," said Lockhart. "Begin."

Harry looked at the quiz, in disgust. He wished he had jinxed Lockhart before he started writing up this piece of claptrap.

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favor color?

Dipping his quill in his ink, with a mischievous smirk on his face, Harry began to write.

I believe the real question is, who cares!

Smirking at his response, Harry looked at the next question.

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

Attempting to fight the urge to laugh, Harry began writing his response.

To blind as many people off the glint of his teeth as possible.

Harry looked at the next question. This was just too much.

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

Harry responded, a mischievously glint appearing in his eyes.

The fact he was able to sell so many books, despite the fact he is an all out fraud.

Many questions later, all containing the words Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry gazed upon the fine question.

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday and what would his ideal birthday gift be.

Harry raised his quill, to give one last response.

Who cares and a swift kick right up where the sun does not shine.

A few minutes later, Lockhart collected the quizzes.

"Excellent, I will mark them and we will discuss them, once my...ailment clears," said Lockhart. "You may have the rest of the class period to yourselves."

Theodore, Daphne, and Harry left the class, laughing at Lockhart's condition. However, there laughter was cut short by the Slytherin Quidditch Captain and all around prick, Marcus Flint.

"Potter, I have been wanting to have a word with you for some time," growled Flint. "Recent events have called upon your status as Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch Team. As you were originally a reserve last year, you will have to try out this year. I trust to see you this Saturday Morning, Six Thirty AM sharp."

Flint was to the point as usual but Draco Malfoy had a smirk on his face.

"Potter, you really think you are going to stay on the Quidditch Team after I try out," said Malfoy. "The gift my father so generously provided for the Quidditch Team will ensure my spot on the team and your spot as a spectator."

"So, your father attempting to buy your way on the team, Malfoy," said Daphne angrily.

"Well, when you put it that way, Greengrass, in a roundabout way, you would be correct," said Malfoy. "The new Nimbus Two Thousand and One racing brooms were promised to the team should I get the Seeker position. Good luck Potter, you'll need it once I sweep you off the team with my better broom. But don't worry, I am sure your little girlfriend Weasley will comfort you after the embarrassment I lay upon you. Do cherish the little tramp Potter, while you still can."

Harry attempted to make a lunge towards Malfoy's throat, but Daphne and Theodore held him back. Malfoy sure knew how to push all the right buttons.

"Harry, he's really not worth it," said Theodore. "Just let him go, on Saturday you can show Malfoy that the better broom does not make the better player."

"The smell is getting kind of foul in here," said Daphne, looking at Malfoy with a look of distain. "Let's go, Harry, Theodore."

The three Slytherins walked off although Harry gritted his teeth and made plans to "accidentally" knock Malfoy off his broom at tryouts.

So this Harry friend of yours, he seems to be a pretty decent bloke.

It was late into the night and Ginny was writing to Tom in the diary.

Decent is an understatement, Harry is exceptionally loyal and patient, I would have hexed Ron into pieces by now if he said some of the things about me that he did about Harry. Pretty modest too, although he really does not like people bringing it up.

The writing sucked into the page and a moment later, Tom wrote back.

Interesting. So what did this Harry do to get this fame?

Ginny felt pleased Tom seemed generally interested in her friend and she could not help but trust him, so she began to tell Tom an abridged version of Harry's story.

Well, there was this really evil dark wizard who was killing everyone and on Halloween Night eleven years ago, he attacked Harry and his parents. Harry managed to survive and vanquish this dark wizard.

Ginny raised her quill from the diary and after a few seconds, Tom responded.

What was this Dark Wizard's name, Ginny?

Hesitating for a minute, as it was taboo to write Voldemort's name in the Wizarding world, Ginny managed to muster up enough courage to do so.

Well, he was known as Voldemort.

The diary did not respond for a moment. Ginny feared it had stopped working so she raised her quill, hesitantly writing.

Tom, are you still there?

The diary did respond a few seconds later.

Yes, it's just a lot to process, even for a magical object such as myself. Could we please pick this up tomorrow night, Ginny?

Not thinking anything unusual about what the diary wrote back, Ginny wrote back, agreeing to the diary's suggestion and closed it, before putting it away for the night.

Tom was bewildered. How could a mere child defeat him? He must have done something wrong in his rise of power and it cost was great. Tom would have to find out what, so he did not make the same mistake once his ultimate plans took hold. The girl seemed to trust him more and more on each night. His plans would be fully operational soon enough.

Harry was walking the halls at night, after a trip to the Slytherin library. He heard footsteps and ducked behind a suit of armor. For some reason, Malfoy was wandering the halls alone.

The opportunity was too good to pass up. Normally, Harry would never do anything so underhanded, as his sense of honor overwhelmed him. However, Malfoy's comments about Ginny had crossed the line of good taste and Harry felt for his soul to be at ease, he needed to teach Malfoy a lesson in manners.

"Petrificus Totalius," hissed Harry before rolling out of his hiding place as Malfoy's legs and arms snapped together in the full body bind.

Malfoy had a fearful look in his eyes, as it appeared he was about to freefall down a flight of stares. Harry grabbed Malfoy's shoulder, preventing him from falling.

"Malfoy, I do not appreciate some of the comments you have been making recently," said Harry in a deadly tone of voice. "Say whatever you want to about me but if I ever catch you insulting my friends again, what I am about to do to you seem like a walk in the park."

Harry slowly removed his hand from Malfoy's shoulder and allowed him to stagger, before he pulled him back.

“You’re not worth it Malfoy, but insult my friends again and you will be going for a long trip down,” said Harry dangerously, before he dropped Malfoy, leaving him in the body bind before he walked off into the shadows, with Malfoy unable to move at all.