Chapter 184: Chapter 184: "Return to Hogwarts"
As the holidays drew to a close, Harry found himself both relaxed and eager to return to Hogwarts. The time spent honing his studies, enjoying family gatherings, and going on outings had flown by, and soon it was time to board the Hogwarts Express once more.
In the days leading up to the new term, Dumbledore had made a bold announcement in the Daily Prophet, declaring that the basilisk had been slain and Hogwarts was once again safe for all students. It was a well-intentioned lie to calm the scared parents and make them confident enough to send their children back to school. Dumbledore wasn't worried about the basilisk arising again and the truth being exposed. He was confident that the wards he had placed around the basilisk's lair would ensure that didn't happen.
Little did Dumbledore know, he didn't have to worry at all. The basilisk had indeed been slain, and its important parts had helped Harry gain a magical animagus form. The other harvested parts had filled Harry's vault with a substantial number of galleons.
The journey on the Hogwarts Express was as lively as ever, filled with excited chatter of students sharing holiday stories and speculating about the upcoming term. As Harry settled into a compartment with his friends, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry that there wouldn't be any excitement at Hogwarts this term. It was going to be boring since he had taken care of the danger. He couldn't wait for this term to pass quickly and for the next year to bring more excitement. He had grown a little attached to the trouble, he admitted to himself.
Upon arrival at Hogwarts, the Great Hall buzzed with energy as students filed in for the welcome feast. This year, the spread seemed even more lavish than usual, perhaps as a gesture to assuage any lingering concerns about the school's safety. As Harry scanned the room, his eyes fell upon Colin Creevey, the enthusiastic first-year who had been petrified during the basilisk attacks. Harry was relieved to see him back, surmising that the school must have sourced Mandrake Restorative Draught from external suppliers to revive the affected boy sooner.
His gaze then drifted to the Gryffindor table, where he spotted Evelyn Rosier. She appeared to have returned to her normal self, free from the dark influence that had possessed her. However, Harry noticed that nothing had changed about her situation in the Gryffindor house. Despite the sympathy she should have gained from being dragged to the chamber and then rescued, she had gained no friends. Her housemates were still wary, due to her family's reputation. Harry felt a twinge of sympathy but decided against intervening. Some situations, he mused, needed to resolve themselves naturally.
As the feast neared its conclusion, Dumbledore rose to his feet, a familiar twinkle in his eye as he prepared to address the students. The Hall fell silent in anticipation of his words.
"My dear students," Dumbledore began, his voice carrying easily across the room, "I am delighted to announce that with the return of safety to our hallowed halls, we shall be reinstating the Quidditch Cup!" A roar of approval erupted from the students, with Oliver Wood's voice rising above the rest, his dream of securing the cup as captain reignited.
Dumbledore allowed the excitement to settle before continuing, "But that is not all. The Duelling Club, which proved so popular last term, will continue to meet on weekends. For those interested in honing their defensive skills, I encourage you to participate. And to add a touch of excitement, we will be holding a Duelling Championship near the end of the year!"
This announcement was met with another round of enthusiastic cheers. Harry, however, was not excited. He, an under-17 duelling champion, participating in this local tournament would reduce the excitement for other students. Also, there would be no fun as no one would be able to give him a good battle. Anyway, he had his first adult-level tournament coming up during the summer; he could have all the exciting duels there.
"Professor Lockhart will continue to oversee the Duelling Club," Dumbledore went on, gesturing towards the flamboyant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "However, as Professor Snape has other commitments, he will be assisted by our very own Charms master, Professor Flitwick!"
The mention of Flitwick's involvement drew the loudest cheer yet. Harry grinned, knowing full well the students were excited to learn from an actual master and not a fraud. He caught Flitwick's eye and noticed a mix of resignation and determination in his master's expression. Clearly, Professor Flitwick was not thrilled about working alongside Lockhart.
As the applause died down, Lockhart rose to his feet, his trademark smile dazzling as ever. "Thank you, Headmaster!" he proclaimed, his voice dripping with false modesty. "I assure you all, under my expert tutelage, you'll be duelling like professionals in no time! Why, had Professor Dumbledore requested my assistance with the basilisk, I dare say the matter would have been resolved even sooner!"
Harry had to stifle a snort at Lockhart's claim, knowing full well that Lockhart would be the first to run at the sight of danger. Harry let Lockhart have his fun. His days at Hogwarts were numbered. The timer was ticking down.
During the holidays, Harry had set in motion the plan to expose Lockhart's true nature. It was a scheme long overdue, delayed only by the more pressing matters of the Chamber of Secrets. Now, with those dangers behind them, Harry was ready to unveil Lockhart's illegal memory charms and his theft of other people's achievements.
As the feast concluded and students began to file out of the Great Hall, Harry found himself walking alongside his friends Roger Davies, Reggy Whitlock, and Cedric Diggory. The excitement from Dumbledore's announcements still buzzed in the air.
Roger turned to Harry, his eyes alight with curiosity. "So, Harry, are you going to participate in the dueling tournament?"
Reggy chimed in, "If you do decide to enter, the rest of us might as well not bother showing up. It'll be hopeless for anyone else to win."
Cedric nodded in agreement, adding with a grin, "He's right, you know. You'd probably have us all disarmed before we could even raise our wands."
Harry looked at their crestfallen expressions and couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I've decided not to participate this time," he said, watching as surprise replaced their previous expressions.
"Really?" Roger asked, clearly surprised by Harry's response. Winning Hogwarts' first dueling tournament was a tempting honor.
Harry nodded, "Yes, I have another tournament to prepare for during the summer. It'll require quite a bit of my focus and training time."
At this news, all three of his friends visibly brightened, exchanging excited glances.
"Well, in that case," Reggy exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air, "the rest of us might actually stand a chance!"
Roger laughed, "I wouldn't go that far, Reggy. Some of us still have to contend with Cedric here."
Cedric grinned at the compliment before turning back to Harry. "Don't get me wrong, mate. We'll miss seeing you in action, but I can't say I'm not a little relieved. Whatever this summer tournament is, I'm sure you'll do brilliantly."
"Thanks, guys," Harry replied, appreciating their support. "I'm looking forward to seeing all of you compete, though. It should be quite the spectacle. Hope the tournament is split by year; otherwise, you guys will have a difficult time defeating the 7th years."
They talked about the topic until they reached the point where they had to separate – Cedric heading towards the Hufflepuff common room and Harry and the other two headed towards Ravenclaw tower.
Tomorrow was going to be exciting. Harry hoped the things he had put in place to surprise Lockhart would give him some enjoyment. It would be a good way to start this term and a present for all the students.
Chapter 185: Chapter 185: "The End of a Celebrity"
The following morning, the Great Hall buzzed with the usual breakfast chatter as students filled their plates and discussed their upcoming classes. Harry sat at the Ravenclaw table, casually buttering his toast while keeping an eye on the staff table. Professor Lockhart was there, beaming as always, completely oblivious to the storm that was about to break over his carefully coiffed head.
As if on cue, the familiar sound of fluttering wings filled the air as owls began to swoop into the hall, delivering the morning mail. Harry watched as several students unrolled their copies of the Daily Prophet, their eyes widening in shock as they took in the front page.
Within moments, excited whispers spread through the hall like wildfire. Harry took out his own copy of the Prophet to see how the wizard reporters had crafted this explosive story.
GILDEROY LOCKHART: A FRAUD!
Bestselling Author and Hogwarts Professor Accused of Memory Charms and False Claims
The article, spanning several pages, detailed a shocking exposé:
"In a stunning turn of events, evidence has come to light revealing that Gilderoy Lockhart, famed author and current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has built his entire career on lies and magical deception.
Anonymous sources have provided the Prophet with irrefutable proof that Lockhart's heroic deeds, as described in his bestselling books, were in fact performed by other witches and wizards. Lockhart allegedly used memory charms to erase the real heroes' recollections of their achievements, then claimed these feats as his own.
Among the evidence are sworn statements from the true vanquisher of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf and the actual savior of a Transylvanian village from vampire attacks. Both individuals had their memories recently restored by skilled healers from St. Mungo's, revealing the extent of Lockhart's deception.
Additionally, magical law enforcement officials have uncovered a trail of obliviated victims across several countries, all corresponding to the locations and times of Lockhart's supposed adventures.
The Wizarding Examinations Authority has announced that they will be conducting a thorough review of Lockhart's academic credentials, which are now suspected to be falsified.
Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was unavailable for immediate comment on Lockhart's position at the school in light of these revelations.
As this story develops, many in the wizarding community are left wondering: If Lockhart's heroic deeds were all fabricated, what else might he be lying about?"
The article continued with more details, including interviews with some of Lockhart's former classmates who expressed skepticism about his abilities, and statements from publishing industry insiders hinting at doubts they'd had about the veracity of his stories.
Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. The evidence had been surprisingly easy to find. All he had to do was search for excellent wizards and adventurers who had suddenly lost their memories. Then, he arranged for them to be taken to St. Mungo's for treatment. None of these wizards had been treated until now because they couldn't afford it. Reversing memory charms needed skilled Legilimens who were rare, hence the high cost of treatment. Harry had paid for these treatments and sent the recovered victims to Sirius to take their testimonies and press charges against Lockhart.
The Daily Prophet had also done its own investigation, it seemed, since they had uncovered more of Lockhart's victims and gathered additional testimonies. It looked like Lockhart would be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban.
Some might wonder why, if it was so easy to find proof of Lockhart's fraud, nothing had happened to him yet. Well, this was because Lockhart had been careful in choosing his victims. He targeted wizards who were poor and didn't have a pure-blood family's backing. This way, people weren't bothered to look into it. On top of this, Lockhart must have spent a lot of galleons bribing ministry officials to not investigate the unauthorized obliviation cases. However, now with Harry involved, and through him, Sirius and Arcturus, everything was out in the open.
As the news spread through the Great Hall, all eyes turned to the staff table. Lockhart, who had been cheerfully buttering a crumpet, seemed to finally notice the commotion. His ever-present smile faltered as he caught sight of the newspaper headlines being thrust in his direction by shocked students.
Lockhart tried to make a run for it, but someone was ready for him. Snape, with a smile that shocked many students, stood in the path of Lockhart's escape and had him quickly disarmed and tied up. Many students were dumbstruck at Snape's expression. For the first time ever, they saw a genuine smile on Snape's face.
Within minutes, Aurors were at the school to take Lockhart away. Harry had already informed Amelia Bones about his plan, and she had her Aurors ready to put Lockhart behind bars and send him for trial after a proper investigation. She hoped to uncover some corrupt ministry officials through him.
With Lockhart gone, the people who were most happy were surprisingly the Professors. For the rest of the day, the professors were in a good mood and awarded many house points for the littlest of things. Professor Flitwick looked the happiest. He no longer had to deal with Lockhart for Duelling Club activities.
The only people sad were Lockhart's die-hard fans who couldn't be consoled. They were crying, angry that their trust had been betrayed. Other than them, all students were happy. They had hated Lockhart's DADA classes and that cringe-worthy smile. Now all they hoped was that a replacement DADA professor would come soon and teach them some actual Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The excitement of Lockhart's arrest died down in a few days, with everyone returning to their usual routines. Lockhart had his trial and, as expected, was locked in Azkaban. His books were removed from shelves and later republished by the real heroes. The publishers were quick to reach out to them as the books still had a high demand among witches.
A temporary DADA professor came to Hogwarts and took over the class - another retired Auror. Decent at teaching but not great. However, this was enough for students since they had faced far worse.
The rest of the Hogwarts term passed by quickly. No exciting incidents occurred. Harry was busy with classes, his training under Flitwick, his apprenticeship duties (which also included helping Professor Flitwick with the Duelling Club), and his extra studies. This already busy schedule kept him occupied for the whole term, and he hardly noticed the days flying by.
As for the results of various tournaments at Hogwarts: In Quidditch, two teams tied for the top with two wins and one loss each - Slytherin and Hufflepuff. In the end, due to the high score difference Slytherin had gained during their first match against Gryffindor, Slytherin won the cup.
The Duelling tournament was divided into under-13, under-15, and 17-and-under categories. The under-13 was won by Charles Potter. His training at home before coming to Hogwarts played a huge role, as he outclassed the rest of the participants in his age group. Cedric won the under-15 tournament. Harry's friends had had some training sessions with him in the past and more this year. Cedric had performed the best during those sessions, and the same was shown during the tournament. Roger was the runner-up. The tournament for 17-year-olds and under was won by the Head Boy of this year.
As for the House Cup, it was won by Ravenclaw, thanks to the 200 points Harry had gained for his part in saving Evelyn Rosier from the Chamber. This ensured that Ravenclaw was way ahead in the points table.
As the term came to a close, Harry found himself looking forward to the summer. The upcoming adult-level dueling tournament, The All-English Dueling Tournament, loomed on the horizon, promising to test his skills in ways Hogwarts never could.
While packing his trunk, Harry thought about everything that had happened this year. He'd made a lot of big changes compared to the canon timeline. He'd exposed Lockhart as a fraud, dealt with the Chamber of Secrets early, and become much stronger. Harry was really happy with how things had turned out.
He knew that all these changes might cause unexpected things to happen in the future. It was like throwing a stone in a pond - the ripples could go in any direction. But Harry wasn't worried about this. He felt he was now powerful enough to handle whatever came his way.
As Harry closed his trunk, he smiled to himself. He didn't know exactly what the future would bring - there might be new problems or new chances to do good things. But whatever happened, he was ready to face it. He was looking forward to seeing how his actions would change the magical world in the years to come.
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