Chapter 101
Chapter 101
In Defence Against the Dark Arts, Lockhart had turned performer. He had moved the lectern aside and was brandishing his wand, though not the slightest trace of magic stirred at its tip. All the while, he delivered his lines and paced first one way, then the other.
Below the platform, Suer yawned and laid his head on the desk.
With lifeless eyes, he watched Harry, whom Lockhart had ordered to play opposite him. Harry’s movements were stiff, and the whole performance was painfully awkward.
“Awooo…” Harry held out both hands, fingers slightly curled, and tried his best to look ferocious. He was not frightening in the least.
Suer could hardly bear to watch…
Lockhart, however, was delighted with Harry’s performance. He flashed his trademark eight-toothed smile.
“Excellent howl! That’s exactly it, quite uncanny–then I pounced–like this–”
Thump…
Harry’s slight body disappeared beneath Lockhart.
Oh, is this really a show I get to watch for free? Suer rubbed his forehead.
Lockhart had clearly slipped into the role of a great actor. He pinned Harry’s slender body beneath his lower half, held Harry’s head down with one hand, and gripped his wand in the other, jabbing its tip hard against Harry’s neck.
“Hiss…”
The young wizards all sucked in a breath at once.
Anyone could see how much pain Harry Potter was in on the platform. Even his face had gone white…
Lockhart, though, took their reaction as proof that he had transported them into the scene. He became even more animated.
“Then I gathered myself and, with the last of my strength, performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm–he gave a most agonising moan–”
Lockhart applied more pressure, and Harry immediately cried out in pain.
That must hurt. May Merlin bless you, Harry. Let’s hope you can still walk off that platform afterwards… Suer silently pressed his palms together.
“Marvellous, Harry–keep crying out–”
“Higher, now, and more wretched–you must understand, this charm causes a werewolf tremendous agony. The pain is excruciating.”
“Splendid!” Lockhart’s face glowed scarlet with excitement.
“Yes–I had done it–the hair vanished from his body–his great fangs shrank away–and he became a man once more.”
“Simple, yet effective.” Lockhart stood, then kindly helped the white-faced, gasping Harry to his feet. He wrapped one arm around Harry’s shoulders and gave him a shake.
“And so–another village would remember me as its great hero, the man who freed them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks.”
Clap, clap, clap…
The young wizards applauded. Whether they admired Lockhart’s courage or were merely celebrating Harry’s safe departure from the platform was anyone’s guess.
Suer curled his lip. It was not as though he had never read a book about werewolves. If that so-called Homorphus Charm truly worked, Lockhart would not have received only a Third Class Order of Merlin.
It was the sort of thing that could only fool young wizards who knew no better.
The bell rang. Lockhart faced the class, panting; the long performance had genuinely exhausted him.
“Homework: compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga werewolf! The best entry will receive several personally signed copies of Magical Me.”
Harry returned to the back of the classroom. Suer was about to leave with the others when he noticed that Ron and Hermione had made no attempt to pack their things.
So he slowed down.
He waited outside the classroom after letting his dorm mates go ahead.
A while later, Hermione and the other two emerged. Harry followed behind them, gritting his teeth as he rubbed the arm Lockhart had twisted behind his back during the performance.
“What did you stay behind for…?”
The unexpected voice made all three of them jump.
Hermione shuddered, then saw that it was Suer. She walked over and gave him a playful swat.
“What are you doing? You frightened me.”
Ron and Harry exchanged a look, then nodded.
“We’re going to the library,” Harry said hurriedly, interrupting Suer and Hermione’s flirtatious exchange.
As they walked, Hermione quietly explained why they had stayed behind.
“You want to borrow a book from the Restricted Section?” Suer said in surprise. “You should have said. I’ve got plenty of permission slips signed by professors.”
He opened his satchel as he spoke and pulled out a stack of blank slips.
Lockhart’s flamboyant signature stood out clearly on every one.
Harry and Ron stared, dumbfounded.
“Why do you have so many?” Ron stammered.
Suer shrugged. “I went to his office at the start of term and asked for them. The fool thought I was collecting autographs for other people, so he signed a whole stack.”
“Professor Lockhart is not a fool!” Hermione protested. Her devotion as a fan had kept her from noticing that Lockhart had spent his lessons behaving like a complete incompetent.
“Just because he said you were the best student in the year?” Ron muttered.
“So, what book are you borrowing?” Suer asked.
“Ask Hermione.” Harry jerked his chin towards the sulking girl.
…
Ten minutes later, Hermione emerged from the library with her satchel bulging.
“Come on. Let’s find somewhere no one will disturb us. How about Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom?”
“No. Absolutely not!” Ron leapt in with a vehement objection, and Suer nodded in agreement. It would be a disaster if that monster happened to come out.
At Suer’s suggestion, they instead gathered in the little room behind the third portrait along the left-hand corridor on the second floor.
“Moste Potente Potions?” Suer asked, looking at the thick, mouldy-looking book Hermione had taken from her bag.
“What potion are you trying to brew?”
Hermione pursed her lips. “Polyjuice Potion.”
“Polyjuice Potion?” Suer repeated. His expression changed. “Are you mad? Professor Snape said in class not long ago that if this potion is brewed incorrectly and someone drinks it, the consequences can be extremely dangerous. You might never change back.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t brew it after all, Hermione,” Harry said. Suer’s warning had worried him too. “We can think of another way to test Malfoy.”
“Malfoy? What does that boy have to do with any of this?” Suer narrowed his eyes.
“It’s like this,” Ron explained. “We think Malfoy might be the Heir of Slytherin. He started the rumour that Harry was the Heir to draw everyone’s attention away from himself. Then he could secretly open the Chamber of Secrets and let the monster out…”
Suer was rather lost for words.
It was true that the diary capable of opening the Chamber had come from the Malfoy family…
“So you absolutely have to brew this potion? Do you really understand what could happen if it goes wrong?”
“We’ve already borrowed the book.” Hermione avoided Suer’s eyes, plainly guilty.
“All right.” Suer sighed, knowing he would not be able to stop her. He remembered that Hermione had successfully brewed the Polyjuice Potion in the original story. “Then give it a try.”
In any case, he had already worked out how to deal with the basilisk. Until then, it would be best not to interfere too much. If the plot changed, it could produce consequences far worse than he could predict, and then he would have a real catastrophe on his hands.