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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.
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chanuphis
And she's waiting, wands crossed in her hair, nervously checking them every now and again. "Where are we going?" she inquires.
"Somewhere north of Leeds?" he says, rather dismissively. "Not too far, as the owl flies. We could even fly, if you liked."
chanuphis
"I like flying. It's a lot more comfortable than Apparating, anyway."
"Whatever you like, of course!"
Lockhart arranges to borrow them brooms from the school. Fortunately Hogwarts does have a couple nicer ones than the training brooms lying around, a legacy of a professor in years past with a horrible phobia of Apparating and a tendency to wander the nearby countryside. Lockhart presents one to Miranda with a bow.
Lockhart arranges to borrow them brooms from the school. Fortunately Hogwarts does have a couple nicer ones than the training brooms lying around, a legacy of a professor in years past with a horrible phobia of Apparating and a tendency to wander the nearby countryside. Lockhart presents one to Miranda with a bow.
It is, as promised, a reasonably short flight. They wind up in a forest, with a couple Muggle villages on the outskirts and not much else. He has them land in a clearing outside the forest. "Not safe to be on brooms near Dementors. Just in case, you know, if they sneak up on you- Harry Potter told me, he fell from his broom once- well. We'll walk from here."
He's not sure exactly where they are- the Ministry hardly has GPS coordinates- but he should be able to at least get them close enough to follow by the cold.
He's not sure exactly where they are- the Ministry hardly has GPS coordinates- but he should be able to at least get them close enough to follow by the cold.
chanuphis
"Okay. And I suppose I had better not cast till we're close or it might notice and escape."
"On point as always," he approves, though he looks rather nervous. "Shouldn't be long, I'm sure. After you."
He might be sweating a little.
He might be sweating a little.
After about ten minutes of wandering, the woods begin to feel noticeably colder. If you look carefully, and don't mind the dark, there is a fluttery shape up ahead.
chanuphis
Miranda squints.
And takes two long steps forward while she casts: "Expecto patronum!"
And here is her shiny person, much taller than its prey, advancing faster than its caster.
And takes two long steps forward while she casts: "Expecto patronum!"
And here is her shiny person, much taller than its prey, advancing faster than its caster.
The Dementor makes something of a shrieking sound, and turns away- but is clearly not faster than the Patronus.
Meanwhile, as the Patronus heads away from them after the Dementor ahead of them, another approaches from behind them. It is, obviously, silent, but the aura of cold is beyond its control.
Meanwhile, as the Patronus heads away from them after the Dementor ahead of them, another approaches from behind them. It is, obviously, silent, but the aura of cold is beyond its control.
chanuphis
Miranda looks over her shoulder and trips. She maintains her hold on her wand, and her Patronus continues to chase the first Dementor, but it can't multitask.
"There's another one, behind you, hold it off!" she shouts at Lockhart.
"There's another one, behind you, hold it off!" she shouts at Lockhart.
This was not in the plan, this was not in the plan, there was supposed to be one of them, this was not in the plan at all.
Shaking, Lockhart pulls out his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" he ventures.
Nothing happens. He backs away as the Dementor approaches, clutching his head. "No," he whimpers, "I'm smart, I'm talented, Mother said."
Shaking, Lockhart pulls out his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" he ventures.
Nothing happens. He backs away as the Dementor approaches, clutching his head. "No," he whimpers, "I'm smart, I'm talented, Mother said."
chanuphis
"Lying was a bad idea!" hisses Miranda.
And she pulls her second wand out of her hair and tries, unable to cross her fingers with a wand in each hand:
"Expecto patronum!"
Oh thank goodness - now there are two.
The little one streaks past Lockhart at the second Dementor.
And she pulls her second wand out of her hair and tries, unable to cross her fingers with a wand in each hand:
"Expecto patronum!"
Oh thank goodness - now there are two.
The little one streaks past Lockhart at the second Dementor.
Once there's a Patronus between him and the Dementor, he starts to recover, but slowly. "'m famous, 'm..." he mutters, as the color slowly bleaches back into his skin. "...five-time winner..."
The Dementors, meanwhile, are encountering the Silverlight Patronus charms Miranda sent after them. It's not going well for them. They don't vanish quite instantly, but they get visibly small much faster. After only a second or two of contact with the Silverlights, there's nothing left of them but cloaks.
The Dementors, meanwhile, are encountering the Silverlight Patronus charms Miranda sent after them. It's not going well for them. They don't vanish quite instantly, but they get visibly small much faster. After only a second or two of contact with the Silverlights, there's nothing left of them but cloaks.
chanuphis
When the Dementors are dead Miranda dismisses the big Patronus. The little one drifts towards Lockhart, hopefully comfortingly.
Miranda herself is disinclined to be comforting. "You can't cast a Patronus?!"
Miranda herself is disinclined to be comforting. "You can't cast a Patronus?!"
"This has all been awfully embarrassing," Lockhart mutters. "Don't think it should-"
Out comes his wand. "Obliviate!"
Out comes his wand. "Obliviate!"
chanuphis
Rrrrrrg - that's harder than the little Confundus and it's harder than the Veritaserum.
She wrestles with the charm for a minute - then shakes her head.
"Hermione said you might try that," she says conversationally, putting her regular wand back in her hair and drawing the chimaera again. "Score one for paranoia. Don't try it again."
She wrestles with the charm for a minute - then shakes her head.
"Hermione said you might try that," she says conversationally, putting her regular wand back in her hair and drawing the chimaera again. "Score one for paranoia. Don't try it again."
Today has not been going according to any plans. Lockhart is very obviously distressed by this.
"That girl," he sighs, almost snarling. Then he plasters back on a smile. "Well, then. Miss Swan, breaker of Patronus charms." No reason to admit he's never had a Patronus, she's broken them before, hasn't she? He didn't say- "What comes now, then?"
"That girl," he sighs, almost snarling. Then he plasters back on a smile. "Well, then. Miss Swan, breaker of Patronus charms." No reason to admit he's never had a Patronus, she's broken them before, hasn't she? He didn't say- "What comes now, then?"
chanuphis
"I didn't break yours. I didn't tell you the thing that breaks them."
"I saw your Patronus," he points out. "There's a thing I have to be told? You know this? Confirmed it with the Ministry? Tested it out between classes?"
"Neither Dementors nor Patronus casters are common, Miss Swan. Tragically, the man who taught me died in the war."
He's rather grateful that this is, in fact, true. Except for the part where he succeeded in learning it, of course, but he did at one point try, and the teacher in question was one of the Auror casualties in retaking the Ministry.
(He's tried anything considered "for exceptional wizards only" at some point in his life. It's just that only if he immediately succeeded that he would continue.)
He's rather grateful that this is, in fact, true. Except for the part where he succeeded in learning it, of course, but he did at one point try, and the teacher in question was one of the Auror casualties in retaking the Ministry.
(He's tried anything considered "for exceptional wizards only" at some point in his life. It's just that only if he immediately succeeded that he would continue.)
chanuphis
"If I ask Slughorn for another dose of Veritaserum can you say you had one before?"