People, Harry decided, were fickle idiots incapable of thought.
By the time he had finished eating breakfast the day after Dumbledore's announcement, he had already told the story of the slaying of the basilisk at least fifteen times. More than that, at least twenty different students, mostly Hufflepuffs, had come over to apologize for wrongly suspecting him. Granger had come as well, with Weasley trailing behind her, and by the time that conversation was done Harry was more than sick of the fake smile he had plastered over his face. It was all well and good that he was no longer suspected, that people weren't cringing at the sight of him anymore, but their constant attention was just so incredibly tiresome.
He had shouted at that stupid mudblood Creevey to get out of his way and just let him get to class when the brat wouldn't stop talking his ear off after breakfast. Not only that, but he had an annoying habit of sidling in front of the person he was talking to, so Harry kept having to stop walking down the hallways to answer another one of his stupid, non-stop questions.
He actually lost points for Slytherin for coming late to Defence! It was almost enough for him to wish Creevey was still there so he could practice some of his recently learned curses on him.
After class, as everyone was filing out, the grinning fool called for Harry to stay back.
"Mr. Potter? A word, if you please?"
Harry turned around and walked past the rows of desks to where Lockhart stood. He didn't notice the classroom door closing and locking itself behind him.
For a long few minutes, Lockhart simply stared at Harry. Stared hard, smile having fallen from his face.
"Do you think I wouldn't be able to see what you're doing?" The man whispered
' What the hell is this lunatic talking about?'
"Sir? What-"
"You thought I wouldn't realize, didn't you?" With growing horror, Harry saw the hate lined on the man's face.
"Sir, I really don't know what you mean. I-"
"Don't lie boy! You're trying to steal my fame, aren't you?!"
Harry was so taken aback by the utter incomprehensibleness of this, that he did something that may have been quite unwise.
He giggled quite nervously.
"You are! You knew that I had the third class Order of Merlin, and you were so set on beating me that you had to do something to one-up me! How dare you!"
Harry simply goggled. Lockhart was running his hand through his hair and looked most deranged. He continued to rave.
"Simply because you know that otherwise there's nothing you can do that will come close to my accomplishments! So you opened the Chamber, and made sure that you could join the task force!"
"I'm already more famous than you," Harry said, blurting out without even thinking. This stopped Lockhart dead in his tracks, and he focused on Harry, eyes bulging.
"What?"
"I'm already more famous than you. Every witch and wizard in Britain actually knows my name. Probably all over the world too"
Lockhart looked unable to speak, his throat working furiously but no noise coming out. And Harry, with months of pent-up rage and frustration and hate, simply exploded at the man.
"And what have you actually done? Oh, you claim to have saved this village and that village, but you've been the most useless Defence teacher here in years! You haven't successfully shown us a single spell, always just talking about how you fought this werewolf and that vampire. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all lies!"
Harry stopped at the startled and guilty look on his teacher's face. The man had paled ominously and was trembling slightly.
"I'm right, aren't I? It's all lies"
And Lockhart took a deep breath and smiled at him.
"Not quite. I must say, it's a relief to actually be able to discuss it"
Harry's brow knotted as he tried to work out what the fuck the man was on about now. But as before, Lockhart seemed to want nothing so much as to hear his own voice.
"All the stories are true. The only false part is that I did them. Of course, it was a public service. The stories deserved to be heard, and the public would not be interested in hearing about the useless witches and wizards who actually did those deeds"
"So you, what, just pretended it was all you? And they were fine with that?" Harry said, beginning to feel trepidation.
"Fine? I wouldn't say that. They just don't remember any of it. Just like you won't remember any of this conversation"
' What'
"You see, Harry, I've always been particularly skilled at memory charms. Served me well over the years. I deserve the fame, and a witch with a harelip doesn't, no matter how many werewolves she fought"
Harry was about to say something, but Lockhart had raised his wand.
"And so, Harry, you're going to forget all about this. Hopefully, I won't take too much, one time in Eastern China. Well, it doesn't matter. They don't know. Obliviate!"
His Quidditch training and spell practice with Draco came into good use. Harry managed to twist out of the way of the green spell coming his way, albeit crashing hard into a desk, bruising his knee.
"No!"
"Harry, just stay still. It really isn't so bad. Obliviate!"
Reacting almost purely on instinct, Harry managed to cast the Protego, for the first time in earnest, and not merely in a friendly duel. The Memory charm crashed into it, giving off a ghostly green light as it splashed against something invisible.
Fire burning in his skin, Harry faced Lockhart. "Serpensortia"
Four large snakes appeared between him and Lockhart. One of them began saying something, which Harry frantically interrupted.
" $Help me! Stop him!$"
As one, the snakes slithered towards Lockhart, hissing and spitting as they drew nearer.
With a flourish of his wand, Lockhart blasted one of them a good ten feet back. Based on its cursing though, it was unhurt and slithered back into the fight.
"Expelliarmus!"
Lockhart's wand came flying through the air into Harry's outstretched arm.
" $Don't let him leave!$" Harry shout-hissed at the snakes as he ran to the door, ignoring Lockhart's exclamations behind him.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Harry screamed into the empty hallway.
"ANYONE?! LOCKHART'S GONE-"
"Mr. Potter? What's going on?" Professor McGonagall seemed to come out of nowhere, looking pale. Relief flooded through Harry.
"It's Lockhart. He's-He's gone mad. He was trying to Obliviate me, saying I'm stealing his fame and-"
"Where is he now?" She jutted in, face set and hard.
"In the classroom. I left some snakes guarding him. Here's his wand" He said, handing it over to her.
She looked at it for a second, taken aback before waving her own. A silver, almost translucent cat shot out her wand and began preening.
"Find Albus, tell him Lockhart has attacked Harry Potter. He should bring his Pensieve to the Defence classroom. Then find Severus and tell him the same"
With that, the angry teacher strode into Lockhart's classroom and now prison.
She stopped dead at the sight that met her. She would deny it if asked, but Harry would be willing to swear he saw a smile spread across her face for a second at the sight of Lockhart cowering on the floor, hands over his head, as four angry snakes surrounded him and hissed. The man in question looked up at the sound of their entrance.
"Minerva, thank God! Potter's gone mad, set these snakes on me! Stole my wand too, give me a hand".
Harry had to admire the man's attempt. He sounded almost completely unfazed, and like he really believed what he was saying. It was incredible.
"I think not, Gilderoy. Dumbledore's on his way, we should soon ascertain the truth"
"The truth?! What did the boy tell you?! He set these snakes on me, look! It must have been him, Minnie. He opened the Chamber, and-"
"Don't. You. Dare. Call. Me. Minnie" The words came out, slowly enunciated, in furious tones. Her nostrils flaring, she looked ready to turn him into some type of bug and squash him underfoot.
"Sorry, sorry. But you can't tell me that you actually believe him?! The boy is clearly touched!"
"Oh, I would believe Harry over you if he told me that an invisible horde of Hippogriffs rampaged through the classroom without my noticing while you denied it. I would believe Harry over you if he even went so far as to claim that you were somewhat suitable as a teacher. I would believe Harry over you-"
What else, exactly she would believe Harry over Lockhart was not made clear, because it was at that moment that Dumbledore burst into the room, radiating power and rage. He was followed moments later by Snape, who seemed to take the scene in with a glance, and whose wand hand kept twitching ominously.
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry told the story, aware that he was bungling it up, jumbling Lockhart's exact wording up, but Dumbledore seemed to get the gist of it.
"Harry," he said, pointing to the odd stone bowl he had placed on a table. "This is a Pensieve. Do you know what a Pensieve is?"
Harry shook his head, mute.
"It is a device that allows one to view memories. I would ask if you would allow us to view your memories of what transpired here"
"Yes. How do I do it?"
Dumbledore raised his wand until it was touching the side of Harry's head.
"Simply focus on what happened. Focus hard on the exact scene in question"
A horrible thought occurred. "I'm not going to lose the memory, am I?"
"No. It-makes a copy of the memory, so to speak"
Harry nodded and thought about what had happened. He thought on the conversation with Lockhart, and how the man had started sending spells against him. He almost didn't notice when Dumbledore pulled the wand away from his head, trailing a wispy, fog-like substance from it, which he dropped into the strange liquid in the Pensieve.
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore left Lockhart tied up. "Harry," he asked, gently, "Would you like to join us in reviewing the memory?"
' No. I'm not living that again'
He shook his head.
"Very well. Minerva, Severus. If you please"
With that, the Headmaster and two Heads of House stuck their heads into the Pensieve.
Harry waited nervously, ignoring the gibberish Lockhart was spouting at him. Mingled threats and bribes, along with pleading to let him go and forget about it all.
After a short while, the memory seemed to have finished. Dumbledore looked absolutely furious, something so incongruous that Harry wasn't even sure what he was seeing for a few seconds. Snape looked like he wanted to kill Lockhart. McGonagall was actually trembling with rage.
"We must contact the Ministry. If the implications are correct, there are many victims left in his wake"
"Never mind that, Albus. We must examine the students!"
Dumbledore seemed to shrink into himself.
"I fear you are right, Minerva. If he is as unscrupulous with Memory charms as he has proven to be, I dread to think of the damage he may have caused"
Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Harry, when the Aurors come, you will have to recount the events to them. Do you feel up to this?"
"Can't they just use the Pensieve?" Harry said, hating the whining sound his voice gave off.
It was Snape who answered.
"Legally, a Pensieve can only be used to check up on something a witness or suspect has already given testimony about. It does not stand on its own"
Harry looked at their set, serious expressions.
"Yes, I will"
"And, Harry. I apologize in advance, for having to ask this. But if it comes to trial, you will probably be called as a witness. Will you be able to do this?"
Harry closed his eyes.
' The rigamarole never fucking ends, does it'
"Yes"
"Take the rest of the day off, Harry. Relax. You have just been through a most stressful and intimidating experience. If you wish, Madam Pomfrey has potions that will help…"
"No thanks, sir. I'll just go to the library"
And so, Harry left the room and found solace in books.
By lunchtime, everyone in the school seemed to have found out that something had happened between Lockhart and Harry. It was common knowledge that Aurors had come to the school and arrested Lockhart, and interviewed Harry. It was also common knowledge that a message from Professor McGonagall had interrupted a potions class to tell Snape that Lockhart had attacked Harry Potter.
Everything else, though, was unclear. Again, person after person had come over to ask Harry what had happened. After telling his friends the story, Harry had shut his mouth and just ignored everyone peppering him with questions.
Even after Dumbledore made an announcement that anyone who had noticed any discrepancies in their memories should report to their Head of House, and faces turned towards Harry, Harry kept silent.
Harry left the Great Hall, Colin Creevey once again following him and pestering him with questions.
"Is it true you dueled Lockhart? And that you summoned Gargoyles to fight him? How did you do that, Harry? It must have been amazing-"
Harry left Creevey with his legs tied together and pimples erupting all over his body. The little wanker really couldn't take a hint.
Having been given the rest of the day off as well as the morning, Harry decided he would spend it all in the library.
' Fuck it. If there's something that cheers me up, it's those books in the restricted section'
He had his invisibility cloak on him, so it shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem to sneak in. It would be good to get away from everyone for a bit.
' Only a few more days till break. Thank god for the Malfoy's. I'd lose my mind if I had to spend it here'
And that is how Harry Potter came to be walking past an empty classroom, and to hear soft crying coming from inside it.
Barely giving it a second thought, he walked in.
There was a girl, a Ravenclaw first-year, huddled on the floor. She didn't seem to be wearing shoes and had a really weird hairnet on.
"Uh, are you ok?" He asked, feeling stupid.
' Of course, she isn't ok. She's crying in an empty classroom. Why you seem to think that's your problem, though…'
The girl pulled her hands away from her face, revealing large silver eyes. They widened when she looked at him.
"You're Harry Potter," she said, almost accusingly.
"Uh, yeah. You're… Lisa?" He said, uncomfortably.
"Luna"
"What's wrong, Luna? Where are your shoes?"
She was crying again, softly this time.
"The other girls took them. They say that I'm crazy and that I don't need shoes because my Nargles can carry me. Even though I told them they're not my Nargles, and they don't carry people, they still took them"
' What the hell are Nargles?'
But Harry felt pity fill his body. Pity for this girl who reminded him so much of himself at the hands of Joseph and his friends.
' Good thing you killed Joseph hey? Now you'll never know-'
' SHUT UP! HE DESERVED TO DIE! IM BETTER THAN HE WAS, AND HE DESERVED TO DIE'
He slid down the wall until he was sitting next to the strange girl on the floor.
"You know," He said conversationally, "A wise man told me something interesting"
This seemed to pique her interest
"Did you find him on a hilltop?"
"What?"
"The wise man. Did you find him on a hilltop? That's where the wisest men stay"
"No. I found him in a castle"
"Oh"
"Yeah. You wanna know what he told me?"
"Yes, please," she said, voice oddly stilted.
"He told me that people get afraid when they see someone better than them. They get jealous when they meet people who can do things that they can't"
"Really?"
"Really really. And you know what they do?"
"What?" she asked, eyes wide
"They try to put them down. Because if they can hurt them, it means they're not actually better. But you mustn't mind, because they're just jealous. They know you're better, so they try to hurt you"
"I don't think I'm better. I just think I can do some things they can't. They can do things I can't" She all but whispered
"Like what?"
"Make friends"
' Ouch'
"You'll make friends"
"Will you be my friend?"
"I'd like to, but it will be hard. We're in different houses, and different years…"
"That's ok. Maybe we can talk sometimes. It would be nice to have someone to talk to who doesn't think I'm crazy"
' I do think you're crazy though. This is what I get for trying to be nice'
"Ok"
"You know, you have a very clear head. The Wampwots must not be bothering you much"
"I'm sure they aren't"
"Well here," she said, rummaging in her pockets, "If you wear this, the Wampwots won't bother you, and you'll be able to keep a clear head always. Won't that be nice?"
"I'm sure it will," He said, taking the proffered bracelet from her. It seemed to be multi-colored peas, on a piece of string.
"And if you want, I have an extra necklace to ward off Hishgrabs"
"That's ok, I don't wear necklaces"
"Oh"