Harry was beyond pleased to be back at Hogwarts. Life was so dull at home - here, at least, he knew things would change.
Of course, one of those changes was a pompous, self-styled windbag named Gilderoy Lockhart. Seriously, could someone come up with a more pompous name?
Harry figured at least this one would be more entertaining than the last. Quirrel had been so preoccupied with "looking harmless" that he hadn't done his job. Lockhart, who wanted respect, would at least try to do his job.
And if second year students could run circles around his abilities? well, wasn't that what Defense was all about? It didn't necessarily mean that the teacher had to know a ruddy bit of defense, not really.
The girls, however, seemed to be going gaga over Lockhart - even Hermione, who seemed to take what she read with such religious fervor that she hadn't noticed the logical inconsistences. Harry knew she would notice eventually. It just might take a bit.
In the meantime, Harry was content to look around and feel content again, as if Hogwarts fit him like a glove.
Lockhart seemed to have a compulsive need to give everyone advice, from Harry's hair (yes, it was messy. Harry wasn't fixing it because a dandy asked him to!) to Sprout's fanged geraniums. Professor Sprout took the "corrections" in good humor - though she made sure that someone from each class explained Lockhart's stupidity to the rest of us.
Flitwick had his usual good humor, using Lockhart's advice to good affect - if not ever in the way Lockhart had meant it. "Can anyone tell the class why it's such a bad idea to add a flourish to a Stupefy?"
Even Harry knew that one - because it becomes a completely different spell! One that was considered Dark for nearly no reason, Harry thought. So it was vital, if one wanted to stay on the right side of the law, to Not Flourish Your Wand unnecessarily.
Harry had to wonder if Lockhart was capable of spell-casting at this rate. Surely there was some sort of test? For teaching?
Those who cannot, teach.
[a/n: Lockhart is aggravating, even to those who are more philosophical about horrid teachers.]