Chapter 2- Rumors

Before Divination class was even over, word had spread around the school about how Lockhart had fallen off of Trelawney's ladder, and how Fred and George had bewitched him. It took Madam Pomfrey two hours to get Lockhart completely back to normal. At dinner, Alicia Spinnet, Fred, George, and several others discussed the incident at the Gryffindor table.

Ron laughed as he ate his meal. "I keep imagining Lockhart singing 'I'm A Little Teapot'- Oh I wish I could have seen it! That's worth losing 50 points from Gryffindor on the first day of school!"

Fred and George were positively beaming.

Hermione looked at them over her nose. "Well it seems to me to be a pretty foul trick to play on him- and a teacher!"

Fred grinned. "The only reason you care, is because you fancy him, just like all the other girls do." Hermione turned red, but did not respond.

Alicia and Angelina Johnson looked insulted. "I do NOT fancy him." insisted Angelina.

Alicia nodded agreement. "Neither do I!" Then she paused. "Hey, you know, I've just thought of something."

"Another trick to play on Lockhart?" suggested Fred, eagerly.

"A way to make Divination class more interesting?" offered George.

"No...just something curious." she said. "When I told Professor Trelawney about Lockhart being unconscious underneath the ladder...she didn't seem very surprised..."

Angelina cut her off. "She IS the divination teacher."

Fred stared. "You don't understand, Angelina. Trelawney's class is a load of rubbish- she never predicts anything correctly. Predicted last year that I was going to die...hasn't happened yet, has it?"

Alicia sighed. "I wasn't done, you guys. What I was trying to get at, was what Trelawney said back to me. I asked her what happened to Lockhart and she said 'He fell on his way down the ladder.' "

The rest of the nearby Gryffindors didn't seem impressed.

"So?" said Harry.

"SO?" said Alicia. "So- what I want to know is what was Lockhart doing up there in the first place?"

Fred looked positively gleeful. "Ahhh, I'm beginning to see...you think that TRELAWNEY fancies Lockhart."

"Or Lockhart fancies Trelawney." added George.

Hermione looked doubtful. "Alicia...are you sure? I mean, surely there was some logical reason for Professor Lockhart to go visit her."

"Yeah," said Ron. "He probably just wanted her to take one of his autographed pictures."

Fred grinned mischieviously "Well, either way, this is going to be so much fun."