Name/Alias: Becca/Anaknisatanas or just Anakni for short
Rating: um…I'll go with PG
The Challenge I chose to use: Hide the veritaserum when he wants to ask Lockhart if he really and truly did everything in those books that he says he did, using its influence.
Well, I did my best. Oh yeah, this is set during Harry's Second Year so there's no confusion.
An excited Hermione Granger burst into the Gryffindor Common Room that afternoon. Several heads turned in her direction and then just as quickly avoided her sweeping gaze because none of them wanted to be forced into doing actual homework. Only Ginny Weasley looked at her with a frown of concern. Hermione came up to her quickly and sat beside her.
"Ginny you won't believe what I've just found out," Hermione was clearly upset. "It's awful!"
"What is it Hermione?" Ginny asked with a worried frown.
"Let's go somewhere a little more private," Hermione suggested leading the other girl up to the Second Year Girls Dormitories.
The two girls seated themselves on Hermione's four poster bed. Hermione drew the curtains around them and cast a silencing charm just to be safe.
"Professor McGonnagal bet Professor Snape 20 Galleons that he would never be able to get a straight answer out of Gilderoy, erm I mean Professor Lockhart if he really and truly did all the things he says he did in his books," Hermione explained. "And he plans to use veritaserum! We can't let Professor Snape do that, think of what other questions he might ask Professor Lockhart."
"How can we stop him though?" Ginny asked and she was now as worried as Hermione.
"We have to get Professor Snape's store of veritaserum," Hermione declared. "It's the only way."
The two girls came up with a plan. Hermione would borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak and together they would sneak into the Potions classroom and steal all the veritaserum.
In the end Hermione had to promise Harry that she would write his History of Magic essay for the use of the Cloak. It was well worth the trade off in her opinion even though she would have to write a three foot essay. Nothing was too much to do to keep Gilderoy Lockhart from Professor Snape's evil clutches, Ginny had even offered to help her write the essay.
The two girls crept through the castle late at night after everyone had gone to sleep. They managed to avoid both Filch and Mrs. Norris as they made their way down to the dungeons.
Hermione made quick work of the wards around the Potions classroom and then slipped inside leaving Ginny standing watch outside under the protection of the Cloak. She returned fifteen minutes later with four vials of veritaserum tucked in her pockets.
"Come on Ginny," Hermione said slipping back underneath the cloak. "We're finished here. Professor Snape won't get his hands on Professor Lockhart's valuable secrets."
"Good," Ginny said as they set off back to Gryffindor Tower.
The next morning….
Severus Snape willingly took a seat beside Gilderoy Lockhart at the Head Table. He just barely repressed the urge to shudder and call off the bet until he saw that annoying smirk Mcgonagal gave him. That alone made him bare an entire meal seated next to the pompus fool who was currently masquerading as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.
"Professor," Severus said to Lockhart.
"Yes Professor Snape," Gilderoy said admiring his reflection on the back of his spoon.
"I was wondering perhaps if you would care for afternoon tea in my quarters," Severus invited the annoying man.
"I'd be delighted old chap," Gilderoy gave one of his patentened smiles.
"Good then I'll see you at four outside my quarters," Severus stood and left the Head Table, no longer able to stand Minerva's knowing smirk and Gilderoy's dripping pomposity.
Just before tea time….
"Where is that blasted veritaserum?" Severus asked himself as he went through his personal Potions cubboard in the Potions classroom.
With a sinking feeling he realized that it had been stolen. Some little thief had stolen all his veritaserum! And to make matters worse he was going to have to sit through at least fifteen minutes of that sodding self-imposed fool's company.
The End.
