CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MEMORY RESTORATION

The effect of Fudge's words caught Harry so off-guard, he was forced to sink back down into his chair in order to fully absorb them.

Gilderoy Lockhart has the other half. The statement floated around inside Harry's head, echoing each time Fudge's voice repeated them. This presented an unforeseen obstacle for Harry and the others. If Gilderoy Lockhart possessed the other half of the map and the location of it was known only to him, finding it was now impossible. Seven years ago, Lockhart's memory had been completely erased as a result of a faulty wand and as far as Harry knew, Lockhart was still in his amnesiac state and therefore unable to divulge the information they needed.

"Do you have any idea how big of a problem that presents?" Harry asked dryly.

Fudge heaved a great sigh. "I'm sorry. But what I can do is give you the half I have."

Without even waiting for a response from Harry, Fudge snapped his fingers and with a loud crack, his trademark green bowler hat materialized out of thin air, along with a small silver knife. Fudge caught both in each of his hands and immediately flipped his hat so that the inside was directed toward his face.

Harry observed with inquiring eyes as Fudge carefully started to tear away at the lining of his hat. Once the task was complete, Fudge discarded the torn shred of lining and reached inside his hat to produce a folded-up piece of parchment. It was colored a brownish yellow, as if years of being preserved inside of a hat had done nothing to interrupt the aging process of the paper. Gently, Fudge placed the parchment on the table between him and Harry and sat back in his own chair.

For what seemed like an hour, Harry just stared at the parchment as if looking away would cause it to vanish. Finally, he took out his wand and pointed it at the parchment, performing a slight movement so that the parchment rose up into the air, unfolding itself in the process. Once Harry could see what the parchment held properly, he began to notice the sort of markings that were typical of Muggle treasure maps. Minute writing showed indicators of certain pieces of land, some of them cut off because of the tear that had occurred down the middle. Harry attempted to use what was in front of him to determine exactly where it was the map was showing, but he simply couldn't. The markings were too general.

"So what now?" asked Fudge rather nervously.

Harry made the half-map glide effortlessly into his hand. He refolded it and held it with as little pressure as possible after having put back his wand. "You wait here. Someone will escort you back home and put up protection for you."

"Protection?"

"The people looking for The Book are dangerous people, Fudge. You're at risk as much as anyone else who knows about it. If Lucius Malfoy were to find out you helped us, it wouldn't be pretty." Harry got up and went to the door and opened it. "Don't even try Disapparating. These rooms have jinxes in them to prevent that."

Harry exited the Interrogation Room, properly securing the door behind him. He then entered the Observation Room directly beside it. He hurried over to Hermione and Draco, the half of the map still in hand.

"So what do you want to do?" said Hermione, getting right to the point. "Restoring memories isn't as simple as snapping your fingers."

"Do you think Fudge is even telling the truth about Lockhart?" Draco inquired. "I mean, would he have any reason to lie?"

"No," replied Harry as he handed the map half to Hermione. "Fudge will do anything to get back into the Ministry's good graces. He's not about to send us on a wild goose chase if it hurts his chances of getting back in."

At that moment, the door opened and in walked Ian and Ann.

"Then we have to find a way of regaining Lockhart's memories." Draco smirked. "And just when I was getting used to having the community free of egocentric dolts."

"Lockhart? Gilderoy Lockhart?" Ann's voice contained both surprise and disgust, which indicated that she too hadn't been a big fan of the author.

"What did Fudge tell you?" Ian asked as he stared at the man in question through the one-way glass.

"Half of the map leading to The Book is in Gilderoy Lockhart's possession," said Harry exasperatedly. "Which means we have to find a way to restore Lockhart's memories so he can tell us where it is."

"But Harry, bringing back a person's memories requires time, time we may not have." Hermione handed Harry back the half of the map Fudge had provided, and Harry tucked it safely away in his pocket. "Lucius Malfoy has already proven that he has good resources, who's to say they won't get to Lockhart first?"

"True," Harry agreed as he cupped his chin inside his hand in a thoughtful gesture. "But St. Mungo's is practically impregnable after hours, even if you're Lucius Malfoy." Harry gave his watch a quick glance and saw that it was currently 1:40 in the morning. Like a jackhammer to the head, a wave of exhaustion suddenly overcame Harry. "We'll have to wait until morning, when they open."

"So in the meantime?" Draco crossed his arms.

The instructions came tumbling out of Harry's mouth so fast, it was as if what he said was a preprogrammed response. "We need to track down a method of memory restoration that doesn't take long, preferably an instant one. There are only a few hours to do so." Harry pushed his glasses up onto his forehead and rubbed his eyes wearily, fatigue threatening to settle into his bones. The prospect of sleep looked bleak at the moment.

"You know, I could handle that with Ian and Ann," Draco offered. "You and Hermione should get some sleep."

Harry was still getting used to Draco's new outlook on life, so it took him a while to realize there was no hint of sarcasm or insincerity in his voice. "No, that's alright. We don't mind--…"

"You've fought more battles over this mission than any of us," Ann cut in firmly. "If you want our help in this, then give us the opportunity to lend it."

"Okay," Harry acquiesced before he managed to stifle a yawn. "Look through whatever sort of records relate to Memory Charms in any capacity, but find me an answer." Harry looked back at Fudge. "And get a few Aurors to escort Fudge back home. Make sure he's given all the necessary protection."

"Harry, what makes you think there's a shortcut to all this?" asked Hermione.

"This can't be the first time magical security has hinged on restoring someone's memories," he answered simply.

"We'll find a way," Ian assured Harry and Hermione before he left the room accompanied by Ann and Draco. This left Harry and Hermione alone.

Hermione was giving Harry a look that clearly expressed her mixed feelings about the whole plan. This prompted Harry to reply, "I just don't see any other option right now." He moved closer to her. "Look, I know you're all about verifiable facts, but sometimes you have to take leaps of faith and hope you're doing the right thing."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

Harry smirked. "So what d'you say? I think we both could use some sleep. We'll need to be alert tomorrow."

With that, Harry slipped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and guided her out of the Observation Room. Seconds later, they were back in the bullpen which was abuzz with activity, despite the late hour. It was safe to presume Barnes had as many people working on recovering The Book as possible.

"Harry," Ian called out from across the bullpen, "Barnes said you can use his office."

Harry and Hermione crossed the room to the set of stairs that led up to Barnes' office. Barnes himself was hunched over an Auror's desk at the moment, most likely conversing over something involving The Book. Once Harry and Hermione had entered the office, Harry closed and locked the door, along with closing all the blinds, with a flick of his wand. Meanwhile, Hermione set about conjuring up a singular bed small enough to fit inside the office, yet big enough to hold two people.

Neither of them wasted any time climbing in between the soft cotton sheets and settling into the warmness such a comfort provided. Hermione nestled herself in Harry's arms and Harry pulled her closer to his chest. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep.

Harry observed his surroundings with keen eyes, but it wasn't that difficult for him to realize he was back inside The Burrow. More specifically, he was standing in the kitchen, in exactly the same spot where he and Hermione had discovered the bodies of Ron and Ginny. Indeed, the two dead Weasleys were lying where they had been a few days ago. But what happened next caught Harry totally off-guard.

Ginny's body suddenly started stirring and pretty soon, she stood up. Harry backed away a few steps out of impulse as Ginny walked slowly toward him with an expression as serene as a Goddess. As Ginny came to stand directly in front of Harry, Harry was rooted to the spot. Ginny looked at Harry as if she was contemplating something, and then she leaned in and locked lips with him. The kiss was entirely one-sided, as Harry was still overcome with shock to react that much.

But when Ginny pulled back, Harry felt something solid and cylindrical appear between their mouths. It was Ginny who took it in her hand and held it up for Harry to see. It was the memory vial that had been in Harry's possession ever since that night.

With a steady hand, Harry reached out to claim it, but Ginny kept the vial just out of his reach. Before Harry could do anything else, Ginny unscrewed the miniscule top of the vial and tipped the contents out into her hand. The milky white streams of vapor spilled across her palm much like solid water, becoming firm the instant they came into contact with her pale skin.

"Loving her will endanger everyone." Ginny's unwavering voice echoed as if she were speaking into a microphone inside a large stadium.

With that, Ginny gripped the misty white memory vapor tightly and threw it in the space between her and Harry. As a result, a blinding light overtook the kitchen and when it finally settled, Harry found himself in a new setting.

But unlike The Burrow's kitchen, this place was impossible to distinguish. This was due to the fact that everything except a small circle of light in front of Harry was shrouded in shadows. What was inside the light, though, made Harry's blood run ice cold.

Sitting chained to a chair was Hermione, her mouth gagged and tear streaks making her cheeks shine. The look she was giving Harry made his heart shatter and without hesitation he ran to her aid. However, he was blocked from doing so by an invisible wall that had erected itself between him and Hermione. All of Harry's efforts to break through this barrier were useless; he was physically impeded from getting to Hermione.

Out of breath from his thrashing about, Harry rested his hands on his knees and panted heavily. With despair in his eyes, Harry looked deeply into Hermione's fearful ones. That was the last he saw of her before a surge of green light obscured Hermione from view.

Harry's eyes jolted open to find Hermione's concerned face over his once again. Not missing a beat, Harry sat up and embraced her tightly, kissing her in relief.

"Harry…?"

"Another dream." Still holding on to Hermione, Harry explained what he had seen. When he finished, Hermione gently extricated herself from his grasp and stared at Harry with concern.

"What does it all mean?"

Harry reached into the pocket that held the memory vial of Ginny's and pulled it out. "It means whatever this memory contains may be important."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Of course. Maybe there's something more vital than the identity of the assassin that Ginny wanted you to know about."

"She wanted us, Hermione," Harry clarified. "She wanted us to know about." Harry stared sullenly down at the glowing vial. "But I'm not sure I can."

"Harry…"

"This memory may show her getting killed. I can't see that, I can't bear to witness my failure."

"If Ginny meant for you to see this memory, then don't you think you should oblige her last wish?" Hermione took Harry's free hand in hers and squeezed.

At the same time, Harry clenched the hand holding the vial into a fist and pressed it against his forehead. He could feel tears begin to well up underneath his eyelids. "Not just yet. And only if you view it with me."

Hermione smiled a crooked smile. "I wouldn't let you see it otherwise." She was pulled back into Harry's warm embrace.

When Harry had recounted his dream to Hermione, he had purposely left out the message Ginny had given him. Clearly, it was an omen that his relationship with Hermione might somehow be a mistake, but Harry didn't care. He needed Hermione to be there for him now more than ever and he wasn't about to give her up anytime soon.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the office door, followed by the sound of Ian's voice. "Harry, Hermione. We've found it."

The abrupt proclamation caused Harry and Hermione to hasten in straightening up. Harry replaced the vial in his pocket and walked over to the door as Hermione made the bed vanish. Once it was gone, Harry opened the door.

Ian darted in, with Ann and Draco close on his heels. Once they were inside, Harry shut the door once more. "What did you find out?" he asked.

"You were right," said Ann. "There's a more expedient way of returning one's memories." She handed Harry a folder, which he opened to find a piece of paper with what looked like ancient text. Hermione came up beside Harry to look over his shoulder. "Combing through magical records, we came across this. Over the years, there have been instances where witnesses to various crimes have had their memories wiped of the event before Aurors could get to them. Obviously, this would prevent testimony, so the Ministry began looking into ways to counteract this. No spells or potions proved effective, so they began looking into more practical methods…and they found one."

When Harry's eyes found what Ann was getting at, his face slackened in disbelief. He looked up at her with a neutral expression. "A near-death experience?"

"They say your whole life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die," Ann replied coolly. "That implies that you would see memories of your past life."

"Ann…I died myself a few years ago. That didn't happen to me."

"Actually…," Hermione began hesitantly, "you did see the ghosts of your family."

"Exactly," said Ian. "It works different ways for different people. In the case of amnesiacs, you introduce a big enough pre-death shock, they'll be flooded with past memories."

"So you're saying we should nearly kill Lockhart." The fact that Hermione didn't phrase it as a question conveyed the fact that she was starting to open up to any possibility at this point. "Did you run this by Barnes?"

"We did," replied Ann. "Predictably, he isn't too keen about it either, but he still agrees it's our only option at the moment."

"But it's going to have to be an off-the-books assignment officially," Ian noted. "If we get caught, it's game over."

"Okay," Harry said as he closed the folder. "We need to come up with a way to almost kill a man without anybody else noticing. And here I thought we weren't going to need to break the rules anymore. Any ideas?"

"We already have one," said Draco as he stepped away from the window.

The Janus Thickey Ward of St. Mungo's Hospital is a part of the Fourth Floor of the building dedicated to treatment of patients who have suffered permanent damage from spells. In this ward reside patients of misfired Memory Charms, more specifically. This was where Gilderoy Lockhart was located.

However, The Janus Thickey Ward is kept locked at all times as a preventive measure to keep its patients from wandering around the Hospital. To gain access, you either need to be a family member of a resident or have permission to accompany the Healer tasked with overseeing the patients. One couldn't just walk in on a whim and not fall under one of those two categories.

That was the only obstacle left for Harry and the others to conquer. Having slipped inside St. Mungo's undetected by means of Invisibility Charms, Harry's team had stealthily navigated their way to the Fourth Floor and were currently standing outside the double doors that led into the ward. They were waiting for the ward's Healer to start her shift for the day. Due to the time crunch, Harry and the others only had enough time to study the Healer's schedule so that they could have a definitive time window for what they needed to do. The time was now 8:59 in the morning; the Healer's shift began at 9 a.m.

Sure enough, about thirty seconds later, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and traditional lime green Healer robe appeared in front of the double doors with a key in hand.

Harry didn't waste a second. Still disguised by the Invisibility Charm, he raised his wand and half-whispered, "Stupefy."

A thin jet of red light quickly encased the Healer before she slumped motionless to the floor. Moving quickly, Harry and Draco momentarily lifted their Invisibility Charms and rushed toward the Healer . They stood at opposite ends of her and lifted her body up as best they could; Harry being tasked with the arms and Draco the legs. Harry and Draco hauled her over to the wall and set her back down.

In the meantime, the others had become visible. Ian had his wand out and positioned himself beside the doors so that he could see anyone coming down the hallway. Ann was bent over the Healer and was busy removing a bit of her hair before placing it in a small glass of Polyjuice Potion. The Auror Department kept a large sample of the potion on reserve in case a mission ever called for disguises.

Draco was donning a lime green robe of his own, which even had a name tag on it which read: Burbank. Harry and Hermione followed suit, putting on similar robes.

By now, Ann had taken the Polyjuice Potion and she now looked like the Stunned Healer. Harry motioned at his green robe as a reminder for Ann to put on hers. Ann obliged, hurriedly slipping the garment off the still body, leaving the Healer in a white blouse and Navy blue skirt.

With everything in place, Harry put a hand on Ian's shoulder. "Don't forget to reactivate your Invisibility Charm."

Ian nodded silently and a second later, he had disappeared from view and Harry's hand was hanging in midair.

"Go. Go!" came Ian's urgent voice.

Harry didn't need telling twice. With Hermione and Draco by his side, he used the key to enter the ward as calmly and confidently if it were his own home.

The ward was just as Harry remembered it. Incredibly bland overall, with barely an object that wasn't white, save for whatever personal belongings the patients had at their bedside. Most of the patients were already awake and were busying themselves by finding various forms of entertainment. A few looked up at the three new people in the ward, with some waving kindly at Ann and calling out the name of the Healer she was impersonating: Judith.

Ann turned to Harry. "What do I do? How do you handle amnesiac patients?"

Harry shrugged. "Just ask them how they're doing and if they need anything. Try to keep their spirits up."

Ann nodded and went over to the patient closest to her. Harry, Hermione and Draco meanwhile, made their way over to the bed which held their former teacher of many years ago: the once-famous Gilderoy Lockhart.

Overall, Lockhart didn't look too shabby. The years had been pretty kind to him, with only tinges of his boyishly blond hair flecked by gray. He was buried in one of his own books when Harry, Hermione and Draco came up to him. Some things never change, Harry thought to himself.

When Lockhart noticed he had company, he gazed at the three of them with his signature toothy smile. "Can I help you with something? Are you here to see me? Do you want an autograph?" He reached over to his bedside table to pick up a quill. "Apparently, I'm famous."

Not surprisingly, Lockhart's condition wasn't any better than it had been when Harry had last seen him. Harry exchanged a quick look with Draco.

"Mr. Lockhart, my name is Norman Burbank." Draco was able to sell the name convincingly. "I'm here to conduct a little experiment."

"Experiment?" Lockhart straightened up. "What kind of experiment?"

"One involving your memory. If it works, then you'll have them all back."

"Is that so?" Delight seeped into Lockhart's voice and his eyes brightened. It was a relatively easy task to convince a long-term amnesiac of something like this. "And your research on this is solid, is it?"

"I've run numerous tests. The results have been entirely positive." Draco managed a reassuring smile as support.

"And, um, Judith knows about all this, right?" Lockhart glanced down the room at the disguised Ann and waved.

Harry and Hermione shared a smirk. Harry had to admit, Lockhart was asking the right questions.

"Of course," replied Draco. "And she approves. Now, why don't you put on something more…appropriate and accompany my assistants and me. We need to go elsewhere for this."

It took Lockhart less than two minutes to slip into a pair of pants underneath his thin hospital gown. Once he was ready, Draco led them all toward the door, where they would then travel to the spot chosen by Harry to ensure that the plan worked. On the way, they passed Ann.

"How long?" she murmured to Harry through barely parted lips.

"Twenty minutes at the most," Harry replied as he walked by her. He sensed Ann give an imperceptible nod.

They exited the ward and traveled the hallway secretively, making sure that no wandering eyes would notice Lockhart. Fortunately, every Healer of staff member seemed too preoccupied with other matters to pay Harry and the others much attention. But Harry soon realized it wasn't just sheer dumb luck: Hermione was furtively using her wand to cast an Illusion Charm around them that would make them appear simply as unimportant people. Finally, they came to the stairway leading up a few floors.

Draco continued to lead the way, with Lockhart sandwiched between him and Harry and Hermione. Harry and Hermione, though, were climbing the stairs backward because they had their wands leveled just in case any of Lucius Malfoy's associates appeared. They only lowered them when they had reached their floor.

At this early hour, nobody was using the Hospital Pool, as was ascertained not only from careful review of the schedule but also from there being no one inside when Harry peered through the glass rooftop overlooking it. He and the rest of the little gang were currently on the roof of St. Mungo's itself, where they were about to carry out their completely unconventional method of memory restoration. Since they needed to introduce a big-enough shock to Lockhart in order for the plan to work, Harry figured there was no bigger shock available than thinking you're about to plummet many feet to a watery death.

Draco made sure to keep Lockhart's gaze averted from the glass as Harry set about opening one of the panes in order to provide an access shaft. Next, Harry cast a Silencing Charm in the area below, so that no one would get wind of their actions. Once it was ready, Harry gave a quick nod to Draco.

Draco pulled a tan blindfold out from his pocket. "If you'll oblige me, I need you to put this on." When Lockhart took the blindfold and began to stare at it questioningly, Draco added, "It's essential to what I'm going to do."

"Well, as long it's safe," replied Lockhart.

Harry, Hermione and Draco each exchanged glances as Lockhart slipped the blindfold around his eyes and secured it tightly.

Draco took him by the arm. "Walk with me." Draco slowly guided him over to the open ceiling window and stopped just short of the drop.

"By the way," Lockhart said, "what sort of magic is involved here?"

After Draco had conjured up a rope secured around Lockhart's waist and grabbed some of the trail leading out of the knot, he gave his answer: "More of the…practical sort."

Without wasting any more time, Draco shoved Lockhart over the edge, letting the rope slip through his hands just the right amount. At the same time, Harry used a spell to remove the blindfold from Lockhart's head. The end result was Lockhart being abruptly and forcefully pulled back by Draco the moment he saw the sight below him. The instant Lockhart became suspended in midair, his screams of fear and protest immediately filled the air.

"HELP! SOMEONE! HELP! PULL ME UP! PLEASE!"

As Lockhart continued to cry out in vain, Harry and Hermione approached the open window through which Lockhart was hanging, observing him carefully. Time was of the essence in case the rope snapped.

"Lockhart!" Harry called down.

"HELP!" Lockhart screamed in return.

"Listen! I need your help before I can lend you mine."

"Okay, okay! Hurry!"

Harry shot a quick glance at Hermione, then at Draco before proceeding. "Can you tell me anything about yourself? Anything about your past?"

At this point, Lockhart was dangling in circles. "What…what are you talking about? Of course I can't remember anything! I was victim of a Memory Charm!"

Harry sighed as Hermione covered her mouth worriedly. Harry looked at Draco, silently giving him the order to let the rope slip a few more inches. Draco did so, but gripped it firmly once again before Lockhart could fall too far. The air was once again punctured by Lockhart's panicked screams.

"Harry, what if the rope breaks?" asked Hermione, her voice slightly shaky.

"It won't." Harry's tone suggested that he was trying to convince himself as much as Hermione.

"He's getting very heavy," Draco grunted through gritted teeth. His arms were visibly shaking from the strain.

Harry looked back down. "Lockhart! Same question! Do you remember anything from your past?"

There was a slight pause before Lockhart's answer, during which Harry's heart pounded in his chest from anticipation. "YES! YES, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!"

Harry's heart now became caught in his throat. Did he dare believe that this actually worked? In order to be sure, Harry posed a question to Lockhart, a question that stemmed from his past experiences with the author. "Seven years ago, you were our professor at Hogwarts." Harry paused. "What were the creatures you brought to our first lesson?"

When Lockhart failed to answer, Harry became worried. A whole lifetime seemed to pass in anticipatory silence as everyone's breath became bated. With each passing second, Harry grew more and more worried, fearing that their long shot gamble had been in vain. But finally, Lockhart proclaimed his reply. "PIXIES! CORNISH PIXIES!"

That was good enough for Harry. "Pull him up!" he said to Draco.

Gratefully, Draco began pulling on the rope, bringing up Lockhart with all his might. Things went well until there came the sound of snapping rope. This caused Draco to be pulled forward a few feet, but he halted himself by placing his feet against the rim of the window.

"Harry!"

Thinking fast, Harry made a huge plastic slide materialize below Lockhart, all the while keeping an eye on the portion of the rope that was breaking. There were only a few remaining strands connecting the two separated pieces of rope, and those solitary strands were quickly snapping under the strain of all the weight. Harry figured they had maybe ten seconds at best.

All the while, Draco was gradually being pulled forward by the weight of Lockhart. He was mere inches from going through the open window.

Before Harry knew it, it happened. All other sounds except for the straining rope faded into nothingness and the breaking cords alone filled Harry's ears as if amplified by some invisible speaker. It was because of that the sound of the final pieces of rope disconnecting with each other echoed inside Harry's head. And it was in slow motion in which Harry observed Lockhart drop like a sack of bricks through the air and eventually connect with the slide of Harry's, which led safely into the pool below.

Reacting without thinking, Harry jumped through the ceiling window, making sure to aim for the slide he had conjured. Successfully, his lower half made contact with the smooth, angular surface and immediately gained momentum as he slid after Lockhart. Behind him, Harry heard the thud that signified that Hermione had followed his example. He imagined Draco had been shoved backward as a result of the rope snapping and was currently lying on his back on the roof, scrambling to get a view of what was happening beneath him.

The sudden splash of water against his body brought Harry's thoughts back to the event at hand and after a brief submersion underwater, Harry broke the surface of the pool to gulp in air. After performing a quick charm to keep his glasses both dry and secured on his face, Harry saw Lockhart a short distance away with his head resting on his arm and his arm resting on the side of the pool.

Another splash beside him told Harry that Hermione had joined them in the pool, and as Harry turned his head he saw her head come up for air. Together, Harry and Hermione swam over to Lockhart, who turned to face them the moment they reached him.

"What…what did you do to me?" Lockhart asked breathlessly as the reflections of the dancing water cast his astonished face in a bluish green hue.

"We gave you your memory back," Harry replied plainly while attempting to catch his own breath.

"Harry," Lockhart said in surprise, clearly just recognizing whom he was speaking with. His gaze turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger. But…I don't understand."

"There's no time to explain," Harry pressed. "Lockhart, it's absolutely imperative that you listen. Do you recall being honored with the Order of Merlin award?"

"Why, yes, of course," answered Lockhart as his eyes darted back and forth between his interrogators. "But why would that--…?"

"How about any…duties that came with the honor?" asked Hermione. "Anything regarding a specific artifact?"

Lockhart looked down at the surface of the water as he visibly started to search his newly restored memory for the answer. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lockhart gave his reply.

"The Book of Merlin." He said it in a hushed whisper.

"You were entrusted with one half of the map showing its location," Hermione continued. "Where did you hide it?"

"The one place that matters to me most."

Harry and Hermione waited eagerly for Lockhart to finish, but during that time, Harry figured it out for himself. The one place that mattered most to a person like Gilderoy Lockhart wasn't too hard to ascertain.

"Flourish and Blotts."