Lockhart folded the letter and gently placed it into the envelope, the rubbing and scratching of the paper as it slid inside filled the current deafening silence in the room. Most of the other patients had gone to sleep, with quietening charms muffling their snores. The celebrity wizard would glance at the clock, the second hand would turn clockwise slowly but surely. Lockhart wished he could for just a couple of moments slow down that clock hand, so that he could live this day for just a little longer before bedtime.
Watching the second hand turn around as each second passed. Lockhart would blink as his eyes stung from dryness. Lockhart would focus on the hands before the wooden creak of a door was heard, snapping his focus immediately away from the clock.
"You still need to sign some autographs Mr Lockhart. Wanna stay up for another hour or wait for tomorrow?" Asked the nurse as she walked in with the visitor. Lockhart's face would brighten nearly instantly.
"Of course I am willing to! These are my adoring fans, it is my duty Stacy," Lockhart replied enthusiastically as he wrote his signature on a device unfamiliar to him.
"Thanks Mr Lockhart. My wife has always dreamed of meeting you but she is quite busy, so I did this for her," replied the man.
"That is absolutely fine dear sir, I hope your wife is doing well. What might this peculiar contraption I am holding be?" Lockhart asked the man out of curiosity. Turning, twisting, all whilst pressing and pulling on it here and there Lockhart examined the seemingly alien device.
"Oh, this is a muggle instrument. They call it a smartphone; they are very useful. You should get one too Mr Lockhart. But I am late for dinner so I would have to go home in a moment," the husband smiled. Gilderoy's arms would reach out to return the man's phone however there was some resistance and hesitation.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Mr Lockhart. I'll let my wife know that you are doing well," he said before closing his eyes, his body abruptly disappearing, and a small pop would follow.
"Farewell young man!" Gilderoy waved as the man apparated away. However, much to the horror of Stacy a bloody patch of skin dropped to the floor.
"Ahh! The man got splinched!" Stacy yelled. It was fortunate there were charms placed to prevent the asleep from hearing this and waking.
"Don't worry! I will get rid of this," Lockhart haughtily declared as he waved his wand and vanished the grotesque object. Stacy and two people outside clapped as they saw the wizard in action, it was a shade of what the famous wizard once garnered. Lockhart would bask in the meagre applause, latching onto it as it acted as a small but existent gateway to the extravagant past that which he lost. It wasn't much, even a 1st year at Hogwarts could accomplish such a mundane feat but for one of the lined-up visitors it was phenomenal, seeing the wizarding legend in the flesh.
Lockhart's supposed exploits were known globally, he had fans from all around the world from Africa, Australia to even the United States. Every day he would have people travel to St Mungo's in order to meet him. But year after year it became more apparent that he was a has-been rather than an enduring figure. The average age of his visitors increased steadily until most became too busy with responsibilities such as children and their career, resulting in cases like before where they needed someone else to visit on behalf of them.
"And… Lucky last!" Stacy exclaimed as she pointed to a girl in the ever-so-familiar Ravenclaw robes holding her mother's hand, her smile was warm and felt genuine. It had been so long since he met a fan from a newer generation, a tear would begin forming on the corner of his eye as he greeted them both.
"And what might your name be, young lady?" Lockhart smiled with his always iconic smile, one so legendary that it won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times. The most number of times any wizard or witch had ever won.
"Oh no no sir! I am just a 5th year at Hogwarts, we're just about to start school. It is my mum that wants your autograph," she scratched her head, aiming to be polite to him. Lockhart dropped like a dying plant, at first the girl seemed like a genuine fan. Part of him knew that younger people only visited him with their parents but another part of him wanted to believe in his current relevance.
"She isn't here for me? That is quite sad, this has been happening a lot lately. It has been happening more and more often. How could I be forgotten after all the great things I've done for this world?" he thought as the mother walked up to him.
"Don't worry about her Mr Lockhart, kids these days do not know much about past great wizards like you…"
"What are you saying mum? We learn about all sorts of important magical figures such as Harry Potter, his friends such as Ronald Weasley, Hermione the current Minister for Magic, Severus Snape, Jarleth Ho…" the girl was suddenly interrupted as her mother glared back at her with eyes she only pulled out when the girl was caught playing muggle games at night or her dad was caught consuming obscene materials.
"Past…" Lockhart internally reflected on the word. After his memory erasure he had lost all his magical experience, he was an empty husk only given meaning and identity by the past things he accomplished. He had read his own books and was thankful for them, not every wizard has written material on their life and accomplishments. He had throughout his years at the hospital yearned for more though, he would spend hours and entire days thinking hard in order to salvage whatever wreckage was left of his earlier life. No matter how hard he tried he never got even a snippet of his past. His past self for him was essentially an entirely different person. He couldn't help but think that the accomplishments in his books were those of not him but someone else.
"I am sorry about that sir, perhaps they only learn about you in more advanced classes. She is only starting 5th year, it has been a true honor to meet you," the woman said as she showed her phone to him.
"Of course a fifth year student would not have heard about me! They are only studying the basics," Gilderoy smiled, relieved at this explanation he happily signed yet another smartphone. With that Lockhart yawned, very tired from signing all those autographs. The woman would strike a conversation with her hero, restoring Lockhart's energy. They would begin conversing, about Lockhart's books, about how he inspired her. The discussion would be led to all sorts of topics including what he remembered of his past, a subject which pained Lockhart. The wizard would desperately try to prolong the discussion, finding new topics, asking more questions whilst trying to maintain respect and not be too intrusive or forcing. Eventually they would run out of topics to discuss, it didn't help that around half of Lockhart's life and virtually all his most adventurous years were but destroyed. It was getting late and the woman needed to sleep to stay on top of her own responsibilities now. The woman frowned as she was reminded of her childhood from this interaction. She apparated away along with her daughter after saying a tearful goodbye, the meeting had ended with a small pop. The sound Lockhart had now always dreaded to hear. Looking around Lockhart would see that the hospital wing was now empty save for the staff and the other patients.
"You know what impresses me Mr Lockart? After all these years people still come to see you. Not every wizard has that," Stacy remarked.
"Every year I see less and less people, that is what I have noticed," Lockhart frowned. His sadness was accentuated by his tiredness.
"Well… Not everyone can be remembered forever you know? You can't expect everyone to know you after 100 years,"
"Dumbledore is remembered, Merlin is remembered, Hobart is still remembered…"
"Well, I guess there are some wizards who get remembered for a long time. But… I think that you should be proud about how much you have achieved, how many wizards are even famous let alone still known after so many years?"
"I am not 'known'. Today was my birthday Stacy, this is an annual event where my fans meet up with me at this lousy hospital. There are supposed to be more people today than any other and I only saw about one hundred. There used to be a time when every ten minutes I would have the same amount of fan mail arrive,"
"Don't be sad it ended, be happy it happened. I sure wish I was one tenth of what you were Mr Lockhart! Now it is time for bed," Stacy smiled.
A sudden voice was heard at the entrance to the hospital room. A sandy-haired man wearing a brown coat and a green fedora.
"I have a warrant for Mr Lockhart's arrest." The man spoke firmly as he showed the document, the hair on the back of Stacy's neck rose. Lockhart was merely confused, he did not recall doing anything wrong.
"But… It can't be true, he is such a nice man." Stacy whispered, Lockhart, turning towards Stacy, would be ignorant of what she was saying.
The auror would place his hand on Lockhart's shoulder, transfiguring Lockhart's clothes into prison ones, he would then apparate both of them. Lockhart felt his face and body twist and turn in a hundred directions all at once before landing in what looked like a dungeon. A dark hallway lit by wooden torches. Gilderoy's body slumped as he began vomiting on the floor.
"It's reckless to apparate the accused, Seamus" Said the voice of another auror, standing next to Gilderoy's arrester as he stared at Lockhart's vomit before making it disappear with a wink.
"He deserves it Wicker. The man is an overall jackass and a rapist. And believe me, I'd know…"
"Because he taught you in 2nd year. But every wizard is entitled to a trial." Seamus' partner interjected.
"Yeah, but the evidence we have collected is solid. He's done." The former student of Gilderoy said as he raised out his hand, moving Lockhart into a cell and closing and locking the door. Gilderoy was too nauseated and dizzy from the apparition to properly hear their conversation.
"A couple of months of work, finally done." Wicker breathed out a sigh as the pair of aurors walked across the hallway, out of the prisoner's sight.
"It would have been far easier if we were allowed to investigate earlier. The man is clearly a narcissist."
"But his fame is now mere embers. I cannot believe that he was ever popular. Must have been his good looks."
"Yeah, the girls were swooning over him all the damn the time. Minister Granger as well." Seamus smiled at his colleague. Wicker let out a loud laugh, echoing across all cells of the hallway.
"I won't tell her you said that!" Wicker replied as they both exited the dungeon, to finish their trial preparations.