This began as a sort of deleted scene from my previous piece of work, the Serpent of Slytherin. It's based off a scene in the original novel, but with a few dramatic changes. Combine Lockhart loosing his temper wth three young Gryffindors with Professor McGonagall's penchant for biscuits, and you have this story. Enjoy! Also, I have two multiple chapter fics based on Dumbledore's Army's exploits in the battles of the sixth and final books in the pipeline, as well as a couple of oneshots of varying genres.
BTW, Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Waner Bros.
May 10th
The next few weeks passed by like a blur for Harry and Ron. Unbelievably, exams were still on, and the combination of May 8th's double attack and Dumbledore's removal from the school had resulted in a state of terror for most of Hogwarts. Even many of the Slytherins walked in groups, subdued like the rest of the school, knowing that the future of Hogwarts was on a knife edge after Dumbledore's departure. The only ones impervious to the terror were Draco Malfoy and his gang, who revelled in the poisonous atmosphere.
For Harry and Ron, they thought that resumption of classes on Monday would provide a slight relief. They were mistaken.
First up was Defence Against the Dark Arts with Gilderoy Lockhart, and everyone's patience with him was growing thin. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sat at the back of the class cracking jokes, clearly smug about something. Harry suspected that Malfoy was boasting how his father had gotten one over Dumbledore. He noticed Ron, still slightly shaky after the experience in the Forest, had decided to simply sleep, not caring that his snores were rather conspicuous.
Lockhart finally stopped rabbiting on about his scuffle with a vampire in a Transylvanian phone booth, and paused to stare at the class, most of them pale and shaky, or else bored like Ron.
"What's got into all of you?" he asked, flashing his thousandth smile of artificially white teeth. Ron jumped awake with a loud snort, and groaned when he saw Lockhart at the front of the classroom. Harry was suddenly gripped by a desire to throw Voyages with Vampires at his face and knock his teeth out. He instead raised his hand, anger lashing every syllable.
"Well perhaps sir, it's because of the tiny matter of Dumbledore being sacked right when we need him the most, and an innocent man being put behind bars so the Ministry can pretend it's taking action." The entire class hissed inwards, waiting for Lockhart to reprimand Harry. But Lockhart faltered for a few seconds, then spoke condescendingly, as if Harry was five years old.
"Nice try Harry, but haven't I already told you that public stunts like that are not going to help your path to riches and fame? Frankly, you should be all happy. The man responsible has been arrested. The danger is over."
"Hah!" snorted Ron. "Tell that to the petrified students in the Hospital Wing! They'll know who attacked them…."
"And the first thing they'll say, Mr Weasley, will be 'It was Hagrid.' Mark my words."
Neville, who had been unusually quiet even for his standards, stood up, his fists clenched in anger.
"My Gran just wrote to me this morning. She reckons the Ministry's lying and trying to make a scapegoat out of Hagrid. I mean, why would he attack Muggleborns? We know Hagrid, unlike you, Professor Lockhart." Lockhart spluttered, scratching his head and looking flustered. Then….
"Detention to both of you, Mr Weasley and Mr Longbottom! I will not tolerate my authority being disrupted in this manner. Now then…."
Ron's temper only became worse when he turned round to see Draco Malfoy, pointing at him and Harry, then the empty seat beside them, grinning evilly.
When the bell finally rang, Ron leapt out of his chair, fuming, Harry, Neville, and Seamus in tow. None were apprehensive about Harry any longer- for them, Hermione's attack had been good as a verdict of not guilty for Harry.
Ron kicked the nearest pillar and swore.
"The smarmy git! Giving me a detention for telling it how it is to his stupid face? I can't wait for the Heir of Slytherin to prove him wrong and petrify him. Let's see how he feels about that."
They were half-way to the Greenhouses, Lockhart escorting them all to Herbology, when a voice called out "Potter, Weasley, Longbottom! I want a word!"
It was Professor McGonagall. They followed her to her office. She sat behind her desk, a bowl of biscuits sitting in front of her. Turning to Ron, she asked, "Is it true then, Weasley that you and Potter talked back to Professor Lockhart? Even after the very serious warning I gave you at the start of this school year about your behaviour?" Harry and Ron nodded, ashamed, nearly certain that points were going to be deducted off Gryffindor for this behaviour.
"And is it true, Longbottom, that you also rudely interrupted the same teacher?" Neville also nodded, his knees knocking against each other and staring at the floor in shame. "I'm afraid so Ma'am," he squeaked, finally staring at her full in the eye, anticipating the coming tirade.
Professor McGonagall stared at them, hawk like, for about ten seconds. Finally, she smiled thinly, and pushed forward her bowl of Ginger Newts.
"Have a biscuit. All three of you," she said, offering them around.