Chapter 16: 16 A Sinister Plan
It would have been hard getting Draco away from the swarm of people, lucky for Lucas he wasn't after him.
Once the people started to leave the Slytherin table, Lucas walked out of the giant doors and waited for his two unsuspecting victims.
Draco was still surrounded by a few other students as they walked out, which led to Goyle and Crabbe being pushed to the back.
Lucas observed the group moving by him and could almost smell the envy and jealousy emanating from those two in the back, which was nothing knew to him. They pretty much were always envious of Draco, but normally to a much lesser degree and blanketed by a feeling of necessity.
Their unstable emotions coupled with Lucas' improvement meant it was far easier to penetrate their rudimentary Occlumency shields. They were far too simple minded for a sophisticated defence. He send a probe, a small quantity of targeted Legilimency. Once the probe reached the first one he could feel the connection forming between their minds. He didn't have to look at him directly, but Lucas still had to see his eyes. If he had a clear state of mind and well practiced Occlumency, then this probe and the resulting connection should still be undetected, unless he was more proficient in the mind arts than Lucas.
Crabbe's fate was sealed once he appeared in his mind-space. Here he could either 'dominate' or 'influence' his mind as the book put it. Lucas was here for the latter. The liveliness in Crabbe's eyes vanished for a split second before returning to normal, a sign everything worked out just fine.
One second later Goyle underwent the same process.
Smiling, Lucas went back into the great hall and sat down.
"Where were you?" Hannah asked curiously.
"I just visited the bathroom."
——-
Back outside, Harry and Ron made their way towards lunch, when they crossed paths with a group of Slytherins.
As they were hungry and late, as always, they picked up their pace and tried to briskly walk past them. Harry was pretty sure any encounter with Slytherin students would not be pleasant, let alone a short one.
But unfortunately one Slytherin girl spotted them.
"Isn't that Harry Potter?"
All heads snapped towards them. Not letting the stares get to him, Harry confidently stared back.
The group of Slytherin parted in the middle and Draco made his way out.
Seeing an opportunity to regain their position as his left and right hand, Goyle and Crabbe quickly shoved their way to him.
"Coming back for another beating, Potter?" Goyle keeping in line with Draco's story lied through his teeth.
"Yeah, you scared, Potter?" Crabbe added his two cents.
Astonished by their blatant lies Harry just stared at them not knowing what to say.
Draco on the other hand appreciated his lackeys' action and confidently added "What are you gonna do? Run to your bitch of a sister and that filthy mudblood?"
Snapping out of his stupor, Harry bit down on his tongue in order to cool down and not erupt in anger.
Ron being Ron, didn't consider the crowd behind those three and was about to charge at Draco, but before he could, Harry started talking. "At least I don't run to my father for every single inconvenience."
He continued in a joking tone "Daddy, help me, a bee stung me. Daddy please, I stubbed my toe. Looking at your behaviour someone might assume you were raised by two mothers, which wouldn't be that unthinkable considering how much time your father wastes every morning in front of the mirror. I mean just look at his hair. He uses more products every day than I have in my live."
Draco's face was as red as a tomato. Crunching his teeth he barely kept it together. A confrontation here would definitely bring him detention. But he also couldn't do nothing, the whispers behind him boomed in his ears.
He walked a few steps forward in order to speak with Harry without the group behind him listening. Crabbe and Goyle walked with him, which Draco appreciated, they would make what he wanted to do so much easier. Coming to a halt a meter in front of Harry he said "Crabbe, Goyle, show him what it means to disrespect me."
Both boys stepped forward quickly with their hands raised in a fist.
Harry took a defencive stance, shielding his face with his arms, but the expected hit never came. Confused he peeked through his block only to see Draco laying on the floor.
Crabbe and Goyle 'accidentally' had missed a stationary target and also 'accidentally' couldn't stop their punch, which landed on Draco, nocking him to the ground.
Both looked incredulously at their outstretched fists, one moment they were about to hit Harry and the next they were standing over Draco.
"What the hell? What do you think you are doing?" Draco yelled with his hand rubbing his hurting head.
Ron and Harry taken aback by what they had just witnessed looked at each other baffled. But not letting this opportunity slip past them they swiftly made their way past the rest of the slytherins. Not being able to keep their composure they broke out into a laughing fit.
"Hahahah, 'show him what it means to disrespect me' hahaha" Ron mockingly said in a mafia-like voice. Harry couldn't keep it together, laughing histerically.
With tears in their eyes and with their cheeks hurting they eventually reached the great hall and could finally eat lunch.
----
A week later it was time for Lucas to start with his plan. So after Defence Against the Dark Arts he stayed behind and after every other student had left the classroom he walked up to Lockhart "Professor, I heard you might need some help with your fan mail. I would love to be of assistance to you."
Lockhart, moving one of his golden locks out of his face, beamed at the eager student in front of him. "Yes, I happen to have been getting more mail than usual, but that is my burden to carry. You see not everything about fame is as dreamy as you might expect, but what wouldn't I do for my fans. I will gladly take you up on your offer."
'Dumbass' "Yes that would be lovely, when should I meet you." Lucas asked with a smile of his own.
"How about later today, in my office. You don't have to worry about curfew, if you get caught I will get you out of any punishment." he flashed his pearly whites back at him.
"Splendid, then see you later, professor." Lucas said his goodbyes. 'First part: Success! Now I just need to find someone suitable, let's go with a slytherin for starters.'
He made his way down towards the great hall, while being deep in thought who he should choose. There were a few suitable ones that caught his eye present during dinner. Eventually he landed on Bridget Quaid she would be his first victim.
As a half-blooded irish witch she wasn't the most liked slytherin, on top of being excluded from the pureblooded circle. She was mostly used as an errand girl by the others.
Perfect for Lucas.
She had low self esteem thanks to her house's mentality and frequented the castles corridors mostly alone. She also had not learned any mind arts.
Once he had his target he left the great hall at the same time as her and 'accidentally' bumped into her, where she for a split second looked into his eyes, before angrily walking away.
'Second part: Success!'
Now with an hour to dawdle away left, he made his way to the room of requirements, to get in some training.
After said hour he found himself back inside the now empty Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. He walked to the back, up the small stairs and knocked on the old wooden door.
"Come in." came from the other side.
"Good evening professor," Lucas greeted as he entered the room, "I was looking forward to this."
"Yes good evening, please take a seat." Lockhart said, pointing towards the chair next to him.
And so Lucas started helping Lockhart reply to his fan mail. At least at the start, after all he had to make sure he had enough influence over him. But once he did he swiftly took action.
With another probe he dove into his mind, deeper and depper, until he reached the place his old one had dissolved. There with a pulse of magic Lockharts eyes turned glazy, empty looking.
"Professor?"
"Yes dear?"
"Could you help me with something?"
"Of course, I would do anything for my students."
"Fantastic, I need a pass for the restricted section of the library, could you write me one?"
"Sure, I just need your name."
"Splendid, the name is Bridget Quaid."
"Oh, Ms Quaid wonderful. One pass for the restricted section of the library coming right up."
"Thank you professor, I knew I could count on you."
Now Lucas just needed to replace his appearance with that of Bridget and tweek Lockharts memory a little bit and he was done.
With another wave of magic Gildory's eyes regained their lively look. "Oh, Ms Quaid I seem to have missed what you said, could you repeat yourself?"
"No problem professor, I just said how much I appreciate my time here." the student, who in Lockharts eyes looked like Bridget Quaid, said, bringing Lockhart's signature smile back onto his face.
"Wonderful, I also enjoy my time with you students. But oh, would you look at that, how the time flies when you have fun. It is best you get back to your dorm, I wouldn't want to keep you here all night." the professor sadly remarked, while looked at a wand mounted clock.
"It was a pleasure working with you." Lucas said as he walked out of the room. Once outside a sinister smile formed on his face.
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