This one stumped me... "Just stumble and fall into a world that's overcrowded. You will find me, won't recognize me. I won't recognize myself."
Lockhart woke with a start, words swirling in his head. He blinked rapidly, trying to wipe them from his mind. When they refused to leave his mind he grabbed his quill and scribbled them on a piece of parchment.
He put them in his coat pocket and spared a glance at his pocket watch. Five o'clock. He should get ready for his first class.
With a heavy grunt he rolled out of bed and walked over to his desk. Pushing aside a pile of fan mail he found his lesson planner. "I should finish replying to those..."
With a yawn he flipped through the planner and found his lesson plan. "Oh this one's good." He smiled at himself and rested his book on his class desk.
With a flick of his wand his hair was tidied. He stepped into his wardrobe and headed for the great hall. He was greeted by Severus, the potion's master.
"Morning Lockhart," Snape said in his nasally voice, regarding Gilderoy as if he were replicable.
Lockhart smiled gently. "Morning Severus." He stretched before pushing the doors open.
"-the school is unsafe," McGonagall was saying. "We must send the children home, what if there's another attack?"
"There will not be another attack. If there is then we send the children home."
"And what do we do until then?"
"We keep an eye on them of course!"
"Have them escorted to class." Filch said.
"Post guards at the entrances to the dormitories." McGonagall piped up.
"That sounds like a wondrous idea!" Gilderoy clapped his hands with a smile. "Anything to protect the students." He took his seat beside Severus and slipped the piece of parchment under the other's plate.
Snape raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, simply slipping the parchment into his pocket. The first students started entering the great hall not fifteen minutes after Gilderoy sat down.
His gaze immediately flicked to Harry and Ron. He thought back to the note and started wondering what it meant.
When breakfast was over they started escorting the students to class. Then McGonagall suddenly stopped them. "Back to the great hall, now."
The children, confused and curious, started back for the great hall, unsure of why. Harry and Ron lingered.
"What is it?" Gilderoy asked, peaking over shoulders.
"One's been taken." Snape said.
"'Her bones will lay in the chamber forever.'" McGonagall read.
A hushed gasp was heard and they turned, finding no one.
"I will save her." Lockhart said. "Who am I saving?"
"I could've sworn we had everyone in the great hall..."
"Who are we missing?"
"It's Ginny." Ron spoke up, stepping out from behind a statue. "Ginny is missing. She left to use the loo, she hasn't returned since."
"Ron," Harry said through grit teeth. He stepped out beside his friend.
"Can you really save my sister?"
"Sure I can." Gilderoy smirked.
Gilderoy glanced back at Harry. "Are you sure about this? We could just go back and-"
"No." Ron scowled. "My sister is down there, you said you could save her."
"I know what I said but I-"
"Go down." Harry nodded to the open chamber entrance.
With a gulp Gilderoy turned, glancing over his shoulder. "Now, or I'll push you." Ron snarled.
He jumped, yelping when he tumbled over the bones of small creatures. "It's filthy down here!" He huffed out a breath as Ron tumbled into him, his fall broken by the blonde haired teacher.
Ron scrambled away, having landed atop Gilderoy in an extremely embarrassing position, just as Harry tumbled into the chamber. "Come on," Harry said, glancing between Ron and Gilderoy. He started off down the tunnel.
With a heavy sigh Lockhart stood up and followed after. They came across a giant snakeskin.
"Fascinating," Harry said, brows furrowed as he walked along it, running a hand across the scales. "This basilisk must be enormous."
"A what now?" Lockhart blinked.
"Basilisk, a giant serpent." Ron said.
Lockhart's eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground.
"Is he alright?" Harry asked, stepping over the basilisk's skin.
"I think so." Ron knelt beside their professor, laying his wand beside his knees.
Lockhart jumped up, grabbing Ron's wand. "Ha!"
"Hey!"
"Brace yourselves, memory loss can be..." He twirled the wand slightly. "Horrible."
"That's how you got your stories." Harry scowled. "You're a fraud."
"Bingo." Gilderoy touched his own nose. "Now stay still." He raised the wand. "Obliviate!" The spell backfired, hitting him and sending him back into the wall of the tunnel.
A loud crack sounded and the tunnel caved in.
"Ron!"
"I'm alright Harry."
"What about Lockhart?"
Silence. "I think he's alright. Go get Ginny, I'll try to move the boulders so you can get back."
"Alright."
Rustling. When he opened his eyes and looked around he found a red haired male stooped by a pile of large rocks.
He looked at him, his face was covered in freckles and dirt. "Oh good, you're awake. Help me move these rocks."
He blinked and looked around. "Me?"
"Yes you."
"Um... Alright?" He scrambled to his hands and knees. "What a peculiar place, do you live here?"
"No, what are you- oh..."
He tilted his head. "Exactly who are you?"
"I'm Ron."
"And... Who am I?"
"You're Gilderoy Lockhart, my professor."
"I teach?" Lockhart asked. "What do I teach?"
"Never mind." They scrambled at the rocks for a long while until the screeching of a creature rang through the air.
"Ron! Get Lockhart, we're leaving!"
Ron stood up. "How?"
"By Phoenix of course!"
Ron tilted his head but didn't question. "Hold onto me."
Lockhart nodded and wrapped his arms around Ron's waist. Suddenly their feet were no longer touching the ground. He let out a wild laugh. "It's like magic!"
Upon reaching the ground again Lockhart stumbled, coming to lay in the grass. The one called Harry went off and returned with several cloaked figures.
The one with long black hair and a large nose stopped suddenly. "Gilderoy? What happened to him Potter?"
"He used Ron's wand to cast a memory charm. He doesn't even remember who he is."
"Like the parchment said..."
"What was that Severus?" A female asked.
"He slipped me a note this morning." He pulled a slip of parchment from his pocket. "'Just stumble and fall into a world that's overcrowded. You will find me, won't recognize me. I won't recognize myself.'" He put it back in his cloak pocket. "Overcrowded world, Hogwarts. He obviously doesn't recognise us and he looks like an insane person."
Harry nodded. "Very much so."
"She we contact the Minister?"
"Yes."
Next thing Lockhart knew, he was being put into a straight jacket. He was thrust into a cell. "We will help you. Don't worry."
"Who are you?"
"The Minister." With that said the man wandered off. Lockhart tilted his head and stared at the floor.
Well... That was different... I'm so sorry about this, I watched Chamber of Secrets and sat down to write for this quote and he popped into my head, in a straight jacket looking around and mumbling nonsense. So... Yeah... I also think I turned into Remus because I was eating chocolate bars as I wrote this. I normally eat something like scones and a cup of tea... ~Cat.