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"Immobulus!" Hermione shouted, hitting two pixies with the freezing charm. Harry and Ron were quick to copy her and soon had all the pixies frozen and levitated them back to their cage. As they closed the cage they heard clapping coming from the back of the classroom. "Very good, very good indeed! 15 points to Gryffindor!" Lockhart exclaimed from where he was standing. He then began to walk over to where the trio were standing.
"How did you get back there?" Harry asked.
"I've been back here all along; I disillusioned myself and casted an illusion spell in order to make it seem as though I was at the front and then ran away when attacked by pixies" Lockhart replied with a smile that dwarfed his earlier ones.
"But, but why!?" cried Hermione.
"Because I wanted to see how everyone acted under pressure. I mean come on, did anyone think Peskipiksi Pesternomi was a real spell?"
Hermione couldn't decide if she was relieved that her crush was not as pathetic as he had seemed or upset that he was lying.
"Come and see me Harry, once your classes are finished. I think you will find that we are more alike than you think."
"Mr. Lockhart?" Harry called as he entered the office, noticing that, in contrast to the classroom, it was very simply decorated.
"Harry, my boy! Come in, come in and have a seat." Lockhart was smiling warmly, Harry couldn't help contrasting it to the overly wide smiles he'd seen before. "Now, you've been thinking I was nothing more than an arrogant self-centered jerk am I right?"
Harry blushed, but Lockhart continued unfazed, "That's all right Harry, I am an arrogant self-centered jerk and my ex-wives can attest to it, but we are here to talk about you. What do you want Harry?"
"I don't understand sir, what do I want for what?"
"No, my boy! I mean what do you what out of life? What do you want to do? What do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered?"
Harry looked Lockhart right in the eye and said "I just want to normal."
Lockhart looked like that he was going to laugh "Normal, Harry Potter, is the one thing that you'll never be." Noticing Harry's downcast expression Lockhart quickly added, "It's our curse my boy, the curse of the exceptional. Now I know you didn't ask for it but when you became famous this burden was placed on you. I can show you how to deal with fame, if you don't claim it and make it your own it will turn on you. Let me show you how to defend your reputation, and you body. I don't expect you to answer right away, if fact, let's consider this a free lesson: never trust arbitrary time limits, people will always use them to force you into a bad decision. Take your time, maybe talk to you little bushy girlfriend and see if you want what I'm offering."
Harry left for the dorms, his head spinning so much that he didn't even protest that Hermione was just a friend.