I am still looking for a Beta Reader. Disclaimer: As you should know by now, I do not own Harry Potter.
A week after Neville's party, the Hogwarts letter for Harry came. Inside was a reminder that term started on September First as well as a booklist that contained seven books written by someone called Gilderoy Lockhart. All seven books had a title that included some sort of magical creature or beast, Harry guessed that they contained information on them, any cousin type creatures, and how to defeat them, although he wasn't sure because the titles were a little strange. As soon as the letter arrived, Harry contacted Neville and Hermione and they arranged to meet at Diagon Alley later in the week to do their shopping.
After being dropped off yet again by his uncle, Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron with a bit of money that he had earned and been lent by his uncle. Harry immediately saw Hermione with her parents and greeted them while waiting for Neville to show up. He did appear with his grandmother a couple of seconds later from green flames in the Leaky Cauldron fireplace. As they walked to Gringotts, Neville explained to them both about Floo Travel; Hermione was as excited as ever to learn more about magical travel, but Harry didn't feel so good about it. Hermione's parents must have felt the same because they looked uncomfortable as Neville talked about it.
At Gringotts, Harry and Hermione exchanged the Muggle Money they brought into Galleons, Sickles, and Kunts, and then Harry and Neville went down to their trust vaults. Like last year, Harry removed some of his trust money and put it into his account, there was no telling what the Potters would do now since they knew he was a wizard. Afterwards, they went shopping, first to Flourish and Blotts, the bookshop. Outside of the bookshop they saw a sign which read: GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Hermione was very excited to meet the man who wrote almost the entire booklist, however, Neville managed to persuade her not to as the Longbottom Family had a low opinion of Lockhart. Apparently he was a year or two ahead of Neville's farther in Ravenclaw as was very studious, very extremely horrible with spells, not even able to do the simplest.
As it was still relatively early in the book signing, they were able to get in, grab their books, and get out rather quickly and without being spotted. After that they were able to get their shopping done, almost running into the Potters and Weasleys outside Quidditch Quality Supplies. When they were done Harry treated everyone, even the Grangers, to some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. As they were passing Flourish and Blotts to leave, they saw what looked like a small scuffle inside the shop. The adults, not wanting any part of it, had them quickly go by the shop back into the Leaky Cauldron. There, the three friends said their good-byes, and promised to meet each other early on September First before going their separate ways.
The next day, Harry was reading the Daily Prophet; a subscription was a birthday present from Neville and Hermione, a saw that the front page was about Lockhart and his brother. Not long after they left, the Potters and Weasleys had entered Flourish and Blotts and Daniel was spotted. He was brought forward, shook hands with Lockhart, photographed, and then presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart free of charge. Lockhart then made a very special announcement, he was going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts this year, 'a real treat' said the Daily Prophet.
The article then had a few quotes on what several women thought about Lockhart. The fight they saw was even included, something about publicity. Harry knew Hermione would be excited that she would get to meet Lockhart after all, maybe even get her books signed. Harry however, wasn't too pleased with his books. He had opened and read only the first couple of chapter of Lockhart's books before realizing that they were little more than story books. Even though, he had read through them all and discovered that they were a semi-detailed account of Lockhart's adventures and his defeats of a handful of dark creatures. He found it hard to believe considering what Neville had told him yesterday, but maybe Lockhart improved after school.
On the morning of September First, Uncle Vernon once again dropped Harry off at Kings Cross Station thirty minutes after ten. Wheeling his trunk onto platform nine and three-quarters Harry found Hermione first and they claimed a compartment together and waited for Neville. He showed up twenty minutes till eleven and joined them in their compartment. They then said good-bye to the Grangers and Neville's grandmother. About five minutes until the train left, Harry noticed the Weasleys and Potters come through the barrier, though Harry didn't see his brother. Soon the train left and they were once again on their way to Hogwarts.
Soon after the train left, the door to the compartment opened and a little red-headed girl Harry recognized as belonging to the Weasleys entered. She immediately locked eyes on Harry and started talking a mile a minute, "Daniel, Mon, Dad, and your father couldn't find you and Ron on the platform and were getting and I got scared, then I couldn't find you on the train, so do you mind if I seat with you?" The entire time she was talking her face was very red.
"That's not Daniel, it's his brother Harry. I didn't see your brother on the platform either, but you're welcome to set with us." This came from Neville and he pointed to the seat next to him. Once Neville had said this, the Weasley girl looked once more at Harry, saw her mistake, and turned even redder.
Taking the seat Neville offered, she said, "Thanks, my name's Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister and I'm a first year. I didn't know that Daniel had a twin."
Lowering the book she had been reading since they left, Hermione answered. "Not many people do, though we're trying to correct that. Hello Ginny, my name's Hermione Granger, that's Neville Longbottom, and Harry of course. What house do you hope to get into?"
With Hermione leading the questions, Ginny slowly got used to them, though every once and a while she would look quickly at Harry, turn red, and look away. He quickly got the idea that Ginny may have a crush on his older brother and was very shy around him. They were interrupted again by the door opening, this time a blond girl entered. She was a little shorter than Ginny, had a dreamy look in her grey eyes, wore a necklace of corks, and had her wand stuck behind her left ear like a pencil. See took a seat next to Hermione, pulled out a magazine and began to read it upside-down.
"Hello Luna, how have you been?"
Without lowering her magazine, she said in a dreamy voice, "Hello Ginny, I've been fine. You're still infested with Nargles though."
Harry and his friends starred at the girl until Ginny introduced them. "This is Luna. Luna Lovegood. She's a bit strange sometime, believes in weird creatures, but a good friend. We live near each other near Ottery St. Catchpole." Despite this, Harry continued to stare. Ginny left twice to look for her brother, but returned both times saying she couldn't find him. Even the twins didn't know where he and Daniel were.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, and Neville left Luna and Ginny to ride the boats across the Black Lake with the other first years and Hagrid. They followed the rest of the school away from the Hogwarts Express platform to a small fleet of horseless carriages. They claimed one with Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil in it and rode up past the gates of Hogwarts to the main entrance. The Great Hall looked the same as it did last year, except the four house tables were slightly empty, awaiting this year's first years, and Gilderoy Lockhart sat in Professor Quirrell's old spot, wearing aquamarine robes.
Saying good-bye to Neville, Harry and Hermione joined Lisa and Padma at the Ravenclaw table with Harry sitting next to Hermione and across from Lisa. They waiting for only a few minutes, but it felt like hours, for Professor McGonagall to bring in the new first years. The Sorting Hat sang a different song than it had last year, and the Sorting started. During it, Harry noticed that Professor Snape was absent. Not really worried about the Potions teacher, Harry went back to the Sorting.
They were in the C's when Harry felt the strange urge to look towards the front of the hall. There, peering through the semi open doors to the Great Hall, were Daniel and Ron, watching the Sorting hidden. Harry watched as Professor Snape snuck up on them and dragged them away. The strange girl Luna Lovegood joined Harry and Hermione at Ravenclaw. She sat down on Harry's right smiling while Lisa sent an unnoticed glare. Ginny Weasley however, joined Neville at Gryffindor table.
At the end of the Sorting, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "I'll make this quick, as I have something very important and unexpected to do. First, a reminder, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, second, no magic in the corridors between classes, and third, please welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. Now, I must be off, so tuck in." And with those words Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lily Potter went out side door in the Great Hall, all three looking quite mad.
Dinner was a noisy affair as the students were talking about three things; what drew away the three professors and mad them so mad, the new professor Lockhart, or friends and housemates asking each other about their summers. Harry talked mainly with Luna, learning about strange creatures that he wondered that excited or not like Nargles, Wrackspurts, and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. He also talked briefly with his other housemates. He noticed that Lisa reminded him of Ginny, sneaking looks at him, and going red either when caught or he spoke to her. The three professors returned, still looking quite mad, along with Professor Snape near the end of the feast. Daniel and Ron weren't with them, but Harry knew that they hadn't been expelled yet. He actually felt sorry for Daniel; their mother must have ripped into them greatly for whatever they had done.
I know some of you will be unhappy with how I portrayed Lockhart so let me explain. He really was in Ravenclaw, but that doesn't mean he can actually do the spells, Merlin knows how he graduated from Hogwarts. Remember, Harry is twelve, so he wouldn't really like or dislike Lockhart until he actually met him. Also, I have read many fics where Lockhart's books aren't factual because supposedly he's in two places at once. Although the wizarding world may not be very smart at times, if this was true someone (like Dumbledore) would have caught on. Also, don't forget that he wrote seven books and an autobiography, Lockhart may be stupid, but even he's smart enough to fix errors like that. Don't worry however, he is still the useless moron we all know and love that he was in the books.