Title: Time Warp: Year Two
Author: Laen
Chapter: (7) Lockhart
Summary: Lockhart's still an idiot, but how big of an idiot is he really? More hints about who has the book.
Disclaimer: All characters below belong to Joanne K. Rowling; the idea of Harry going back in time came from Back to the Future.
Beta(s): Linda, and eQuasarus
A/N: This chapter's dedicated to Courtney, remember to look both ways before crossing the road! LoL... inside joke...
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"I see that, once again, you've managed to make a scene before the feast even started Potter..." a taunting voice hissed from behind, and several heads from the Gryffindor table turned.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry retorted, getting to his feet and staring at the Slytherin eye to eye.
"Nothing Potter, nothing at all— just wanted to have a friendly chat, that's all," Draco smirked.
"Oh really?" Harry asked a curious expression appeared onto his face, "So Draco, how was your summer? Did you by any chance meet anyone interesting? I never did get a chance to have a proper, friendly conversation with you when I saw you a few weeks back."
Maybe it was because Harry had addressed Malfoy by his first name, or perhaps because Harry had been so friendly and kind to Malfoy, but looks of shock appeared onto the faces of everyone around him almost immediately.
"What?" Draco uttered at last, in pure disbelief. His face was turning rather red from shock and embarrassment.
"I said—"
"I heard what you said Potter!" Malfoy growled, composing himself again.
Harry stood there, staring at Malfoy for a moment, before a smirk appeared onto his face.
Malfoy frowned.
"Don't smirk at me you Gryffindork!"
"How original," Harry said as he continued to smirk.
Malfoy glared at Harry for a moment, before deciding to back away, but not before giving Harry a short message.
"Better watch your back Potter... never know what's... lurking around the corner..."
Normally, if Draco Malfoy had told Harry that, he wouldn't have put much though upon it, but due to the fact that it was the year that the Chamber of Secrets would be opened, Harry decided to talk Malfoy's 'suggestions' seriously.
"What was that about?" Ron asked as Harry shrugged, pretending to not know; beside him, Hermione frowned at him suspiciously, and Percy, who was two seats away, and had also overheard the conversation, frowned as well.
As Harry continued to eat away at his breakfast, he thought back to the contents of the book he had read the night before...
Your first animagus, truly depends on what your personality is. If you're the type to betray people, and talk behind other people's backs, you're most likely going to be a type of reptile, or small creature—examples, snakes and rats...
The rat comment had shaken Harry up a bit, and he couldn't help but think how easy life would be if he had turned Pettigrew into the authorities.
"Harry— Harry!" Hermione's voice suddenly cut into his thoughts. "Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"
He looked up at her, blinking away the thoughts. "What?" he asked. Hermione gave him a disapproving look.
"Hurry up and finish your breakfast, we've got Herbology first thing," Hermione noted. Harry nodded, and quickly finished the rest of his toast.
"Come on, let's go," Harry said as he walked ahead of his two friends, who had to run to catch up to him.
"Harry, what's your hurry?" Ron asked.
Harry turned around to answer. "Have to avoid bumping into—oof!" Harry said, suddenly crashing into something hard.
He fell to the ground, and when he looked up to see whom he had collided into, he couldn't help but groan.
"You again!" Harry muttered as Hermione and Ron hurried forward, and helped him to his feet.
"Harry! I was just looking for you—mind if I have a word?"
It was Lockhart.
Harry frowned.
"Actually, I do. It's the first day of the school year and I need to get to Herbology—"
"I'm sure Professor Sprout wouldn't mind if you're late—"
"I highly doubt that," Harry cut in rudely; Hermione elbowed him.
"Sorry Professor, Harry's not feeling that well—excuse his behavior," Hermione said in a sickening sweet tone.
A look of disgust appeared onto both Harry and Ron's face, and Harry suddenly felt the need to hurl.
"Excuse me," Harry whispered under his breath, as he walked around Lockhart and continued to head towards Herbology, his expression grim.
"Harry—Harry!" Ron shouted as he chased after him.
"Mr. Potter!" Lockhart's voice rang through the corridor loud and clear; Harry froze in his actions, and turned back.
"What?" Harry spat out, with as much hate and anger as he could manage.
Ron and Hermione looked shocked at Harry's behavior, and Lockhart frowned.
"A word, if you may," Lockhart said as he stared into Harry's eyes.
Harry sighed, and finally gave him.
"Fine."
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"Sit," Gilderoy Lockhart instructed. Harry frowned at him, he really didn't want to deal with Lockhart at the moment.
"I prefer to stand."
Lockhart returned the frown.
"You know Harry—"
"Potter," Harry cut in immediately.
"Excuse me?" Lockhart asked, looking confused.
"Other then the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, no other teacher has the privilege of referring to me with my first name." Harry snapped in a harsh tone. Lockhart's frown turned into a glare.
"That is enough Potter," Lockhart said while Harry glared back at him.
"Detention, tonight—"
"What for?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"For being rude towards the teacher— Professor McGonagall will be hearing about this—"
"Whatever, I'm going to class," Harry mumbled as he turned to leave.
Lockhart called after him, but Harry ignored him, and hurried off to class.
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"Mr. Potter, how nice of you to join us," Professor Sprout said as Harry stepped into the greenhouse.
"Lockhart prevented me from arriving at the scheduled time," Harry snapped with a tone of hate as several students stared at him in shock.
"What's wrong with Professor Lockhart?" one of the second year Hufflepuffs asked as Harry took in a deep breath, in hopes of calming himself down.
"He's a fraud," Harry muttered under his breath quietly, but Professor Sprout heard him, and Harry noticed the teacher nod her head in agreement from the corner of his eye.
"Anyways, continuing our lesson..." the professor cut in before an argument could break out.
"We're learning about Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"
Harry raised his hand, knowing perfectly well that beside him, Hermione had also raised her hand as well.
Miss. Granger."
"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as though she had swallowed the textbook just as usual. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Potter, can tell me why?"
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," Harry answered.
"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."
She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone moved forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows.
"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.
There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.
"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on."
Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.
Harry watched with slight boredom as looks of surprise appeared onto his classmates.
Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.
Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.
"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.
"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething."
She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined at their tray by Justin Finch-Fletchley; Harry remembered him because he was in the DA, but didn't bother to show it, knowing perfectly well Justin would be confused to know that Harry had known him already.
"Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry by the hand.
"Know who you are, of course, the famous Harry Potter... And you're Hermione Granger - always top in everything" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) "- and Ron Weasley. You were with him when the spiders attacked weren't you?"
Ron didn't smile. The spiders were still haunting him at night.
"That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "I remember meeting him at Diagon Alley... signed my book... you were there too weren't you? Started a fight with Malfoy—"
"You were at Diagon Alley that day?" Harry cut in suddenly as Justin nodded.
"Yeah, boy—the view of the fight was great from my perspective—I swear, I saw Malfoy Senior drop something when he crashed into the books—"
"What was it?" Harry cut in again as Justin frowned.
"Why's it so important to you?" Justin asked.
"Nothing, just—just wondering that's all..." Harry lied quickly while Hermione gave him a curious look.
"Oh... well... I'm sure Malfoy dropped the book—cause I—"
"Earmuffs on!" Professor Sprout's voice cried out through the green house.
"Picked it up see and well—better start," Justin finished as Harry's eyes flashed.
"What did you say before that? I didn't hear you that cle—" Harry was about to finish his sentence when a loud piercing scream reached his ears.
He raised his hands to cover his ears, but failed, for he fell to the ground, unconscious. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to put his earmuffs on when Sprout instructed them to...
A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! And also... TuxedoMac, not to disappoint you or anything, but I never said it was Lockhart. And as proved by this chapter, not only Ginny and Lockhart can be the person behind this.