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Over the objections of the Hogwarts faculty- including an angry rant from Professor Fisher about 'incompetent bureaucratic morons', little of which was really appropriate for the ears of his young students- Professor Reed is taken away on suspicion of theft.
Anti-American sentiment intensifies, with whispers spreading about "those Yanks spying on us" and "stealing the Silverlight spell." People start eying Professor Fisher carefully, in the halls. (He ignores it, rather pointedly.) People write in to the Headmistress complaining; why did they bring in those Americans in the first place, why does that man Fisher still work there, similar nonsense. She develops a curt form letter assuring parents that Hogwarts hiring standards are of the highest quality, with a strong undertone of none of your business. The letters continue anyway.
Students graffiti the Transfiguration classroom with insulting suggestions for places Professor Fisher can take himself. Filch catches those responsible and they clean it up as their detention. McGonagall makes a displeased speech that night at dinner about respecting faculty and innocence until proven guilty. Some students listen.
After a week's gone by- it feels longer to all involved, particularly Tamara, but only a week- there's a new article.
Gilderoy Lockhart Apprehends Silverlight Culprit
By Russell Peasegood
Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, has done it again!
Only recently released from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, most wizards would need rest, more time to recover from the horrors of a Memory Charm gone wrong, but not Gildery Lockhart. Known throughout the magical world for his daring feats of magic, Lockhart is back in the game with a bang.
"It never made sense to me," Lockhart told the Prophet. "Why steal a wand of someone you're chaperoning? Of course you'd be under suspicion! She couldn't have hoped to get away with it. So, of course, I had to investigate."
Lockhart used his famed powers of deduction to locate prime Ministry suspects. In the course of interviewing them, he was able to identify the janitor who had stolen the wand. "Poor man wasn't right in the head," according to Lockhart. "Thought the wand made him special, powerful- attacked me when I tried to get it away- just look what he did to my cloak! But I got it back from him, never fear."
The wand is now in the possession of Ministry Officials, and will shortly be returned to its rightful owner, Miranda "Silverlight" Swan. Tamara Reed can be expected to be released shortly.
When commended on his actions, Lockhart said, "Of course, of course. Couldn't let the poor girl go without her wand- couldn't let the Ministry officials bungle it like that- something had to be done!"
Asked about his future plans, Lockhart told us, "Why, doing whatever good I can, of course. Britain needs all the wizards it can get right now!"
If Lockhart's past adventures are any guide, that will be quite a lot of good indeed.
As promised, the next day, Hogwarts sees two arrivals: Professor Reed, released by the Ministry, and Gilderoy Lockhart, Miranda's wand in hand.
chanuphis
Who Miranda is certainly very interested to meet and receive her wand from.
Lockhart arrives in the Ravenclaw common room, guided by a rather starstruck-looking older Ravenclaw girl. He thanks her with a five-time award winning charming smile- "Memory's better but never the same, of course, I'd have gotten quite lost, you're so kind-" and leaves her blushing helplessly as he heads for Miranda.
"Ah, it's the fabulous Miss Swan!" he beams upon spotting her. "So good to meet you, I'm a great fan of yours, you know. I believe this is yours?" he offers it to her with a flourish.
"Ah, it's the fabulous Miss Swan!" he beams upon spotting her. "So good to meet you, I'm a great fan of yours, you know. I believe this is yours?" he offers it to her with a flourish.
chanuphis
"It is! Thank you." Miranda retrieves her wand and sticks it back in her hair crossed with the other where it belongs. She is too eleven to be charmed very much by his smile, but returning her wand counts for lots of points.
"So precocious, with that Silverlight spell! You remind me of myself as a boy," Lockhart says nostalgically. (Whether this is intentional self-delusion or a lingering effect of the Memory Charm he's barely recovered from is unclear.) "How is fame treating you, then? It's not all it's cracked up to be, you know, celebrity is as celebrity does. I'm sure you know of my own exploits," he beams proudly at this, "and I'd be happy to assist you with your own new-found celebrity! Book signings? Publicity photos? I'm the expert!"
chanuphis
"I haven't written any books to sign," Miranda points out. "I think I would like being famous more if I were not eleven and if it hadn't turned out that nobody else seems to be able to do my kind of Patronus."
"Being eleven is no obstacle! Why, just look at Harry Potter. He was in my class, you know, when I taught Defense Against the Dark Arts here- learned most of what he knows from me, said it was the best class he ever took," Lockhart brags. "I heard about that issue at the Ministry. It's a shame, really it is. If you can't teach anyone- do you know what you're doing next?"
chanuphis
"Well, I wanted an Auror to tote me around and make sure I can kill Dementors that aren't - giant, and to help me find them in the first place, so I can kill them, but I'm not sure if they'll want any Aurors near me after I wrecked their Patronuses. I'm not sure if they have spare Aurors with any Patronuses at all left."
Lockhart's eyes light up at this.
"Well, this sounds easily solved! I myself have a Patronus, of course, and daring deeds are rather my specialty. If the Aurors are shorthanded, why, why don't you just come with me?"
Visions of Dealing with Dementors are already dancing in his head.
"Well, this sounds easily solved! I myself have a Patronus, of course, and daring deeds are rather my specialty. If the Aurors are shorthanded, why, why don't you just come with me?"
Visions of Dealing with Dementors are already dancing in his head.
chanuphis
"That could work! Professor McGonagall would have to allow it if it's during school time though. Do you know a good way to find wild Dementors?"
"Oh, that's no trouble at all," Lockhart assures her grandly. (It is in fact no trouble, because the Ministry has already pinpointed a few spots with Dementors, noted as rural, low risk- to be handled, low priority. Lockhart feels no need to explain this.) "I'll make all the arrangements, of course. Talk to McGonagall- arrange for the photos- a press release, we'll need a press release," he murmurs distractedly. "Being famous is such a slog sometimes, you know. But ah, to be on the road again! Two weeks from now? Would that do?"
"Oh, to reassure people, you know. Lockhart and Silverlight are on the job! That sort of thing. Can't say too much, of course- overexposure, it's a problem, you never think about it until it's too late. But such a panic there was over your wand! It will do people good," he says sagely.
"Age before beauty," he jokes, then laughs. "I was quite famous in my day, you know! Order of Merlin, third class, and an honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, no less. I have a world wide reputation for taking care of Dark creatures." He leaves unspoken not just one Dark creature, once. "Don't worry," he says kindly, "you'll get there! Being seen with me will only help, of course."
chanuphis
"Okay, but we're going Dementor-killing, not - random other Dark creature hunting. Right?"
"Of course, of course. I did say so, after all." He smiles winningly at her.
chanuphis
"And you can't kill a Dementor, can you? I can't even try to teach you how because it might wreck your Patronus. So my name should be first or else it should be something like Lockhart escorts Silverlight."
Lockhart raises his eyebrows. Stubborn thing, isn't she? Ah well. He'll worry about it later. "Very true, I can't," he agrees easily. "Escorts it is."
"Until then, Miss Swan," he says with an extravagant bow, and off he goes.
He has plans to make.
He has plans to make.
chanuphis
Miranda returns to schoolish things. She considers apologizing to Professor Reed for something but can't quite think what; she never told anyone that she thought it was her in the first place.
She has a tutoring session with Hermione, though, and there is vague muttering about Lockhart - softened with a "I don't know much about his condition post-hospitaliziation, admittedly" but still enough to spook Miranda.
Miranda still really needs an escort, and the aurors aren't jumping to supply one. But...
Memory Charms?
Eegh.
She owls Lockhart. She needs to postpone. Academic reasons. She apologizes. She will let him know when she's available.
She talks to Hermione and she reads up on Occlumency.
If she was obsessed with Dementors, before, she is devoured by Occlumency.
She has a tutoring session with Hermione, though, and there is vague muttering about Lockhart - softened with a "I don't know much about his condition post-hospitaliziation, admittedly" but still enough to spook Miranda.
Miranda still really needs an escort, and the aurors aren't jumping to supply one. But...
Memory Charms?
Eegh.
She owls Lockhart. She needs to postpone. Academic reasons. She apologizes. She will let him know when she's available.
She talks to Hermione and she reads up on Occlumency.
If she was obsessed with Dementors, before, she is devoured by Occlumency.
witch_please
This does not go unnoticed. "I think you'd read that while walking if it wasn't likely to kill you," Alli observes. "More Dementor stuff?"
parental_guidance
"It doesn't look like homework," Emma contributes, curious. "Is that from the Ravenclaw library too?"
chanuphis
"It's not homework and it's not Dementors and some of it's from the regular library or Hermione. It's something called Occlumency," says Miranda. "It's a defense against mind magic, but I can't actually know if it's working until I let somebody try something and I'm putting that off until there's nothing else I can do."