Lockhart's Secret (Part One)

"Professor Lockhart, what brings you here?" Severus Snape pushed open the office door and coldly greeted the uninvited visitor outside.

"Nothing, nothing, Severus!" Gilderoy Lockhart shook his head repeatedly. "It was just that a lovely young lady told me you seemed to be disciplining a student I'm rather fond of in your office, so I came over to see what was going on."

"A lovely young lady?" Snape repeated mockingly, shooting a cold glare at the girl standing behind Lockhart.

Astoria Greengrass stood there awkwardly, not daring to meet the Head of House's eyes.

"You did very well, very well indeed, Miss Greengrass!" Professor Snape's voice carried no emotion. "Disciplining... no, I merely invited an ordinary student from my Potions class to help me with a small matter, and to have a cup of afternoon tea while he was at it... Now, it is over!"

"You may leave, Hart!" With that, Severus Snape roughly hauled Jon to his feet and shoved him out the door.

"Then I won't disturb you, Severus." Lockhart's voice remained as cheerful as ever.

The moment Professor Snape shut the office door, Astoria hurried over in a flustered little run.

She stammered, "Jon... I heard Daphne say that Professor Snape had summoned you to his office to be punished... I didn't know what to do... I wanted to find Professor Sprout, but I didn't know where her office was... Professor Lockhart ran into me and said he could help..."

"Of course!" Lockhart said smugly from the side. "I came across a troubled-looking Miss Greengrass, and she told me what had happened... I was more than happy to help a lovely young lady resolve a tiny bit of trouble."

"Astoria, thank you..." Jon said gratefully, gently stroking the girl's golden hair.

"I..." The girl's face flushed red in an instant.

"Forgive the intrusion..." Professor Lockhart's voice rang out at an inopportune moment. "But Mr. Hart, would you be interested in joining me for another cup of afternoon tea... My time is running short..."

Lockhart's last sentence was very quiet, utterly unlike his usual frivolous tone. Instead, it was exceptionally steady.

Afternoon tea again...

Jon frowned, glanced at Astoria, then at the serious-faced Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

He lightly patted the blonde girl's shoulder, then turned and said, "I think I have time, Professor Lockhart!"

This was not Jon's first visit to Gilderoy Lockhart's office in the fourth-floor Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

But this time, the Lockhart photographs on the walls and desk no longer wore their usual frivolous smiles. Instead, they all seemed to be deep in thought, their expressions remarkably solemn.

"Thank you for your help, Professor!" Jon said calmly as he followed Lockhart into his office.

"It was nothing." Lockhart shrugged. "Just this morning, Professor Snape asked me about something. He asked whether I had checked out three books from the Restricted Section of the Library on September fifth last year: Close Your Mind, Vile Disfigurement Spell, and Powerful Potions..."

Jon's brows drew together, and he could not help taking several steps back.

"Then I told Severus that I had indeed borrowed them, and eagerly discussed the contents of all three books with him. I'm certain he thought I was talking nonsense!" Lockhart gave Jon a light wink. "And he will never suspect you."

"Why are you helping me, Professor Lockhart..." Jon's left hand had slipped into his pocket and was tightly gripping the PSM pistol inside.

Lockhart lazily tossed his Wand onto the bed beside him, then nodded at Jon. "Jon... I told you long ago that you were my finest student... No teacher would mind helping his finest student!"

Jon pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"In all of Hogwarts Castle, among so many students... only one student listened seriously to every one of my lessons, and that was you. I'm no fool, Jon... though I act very much like one." Professor Lockhart burst into laughter, as though he had heard a particularly amusing joke.

"I don't understand, Professor..." Jon suppressed his curiosity and put on a confused expression.

"There's something even more surprising!" Professor Lockhart continued.

"Actually, I'm a fraud. My books, my accomplishments, all of them are fake!... You don't seem as surprised as I imagined you would be, Jon. I suppose you must have guessed long ago, at least part of it."

"That is true, Professor!" Jon said hesitantly. "Your behavior is indeed very different from the descriptions in your books..."

"It was indeed easy to guess. I think almost every student noticed it, but you still listened seriously to every one of my lessons. That is what I admire most about you, Jon!" Professor Lockhart picked up a suitcase beside him and began stuffing photographs, clothes, and other things into it bit by bit.

"The hero who freed a village from the scourge of a Werewolf was not me, but an ugly old wizard from the United States. And the one who drove away the Wanlun Banshee was a hare-lipped witch from Scotland. The one who travelled with a Ghoul, vacationed with hags, and lived alongside a Yeti... none of them were me..." Gilderoy Lockhart spoke at length.

"My task was merely to track down these exceptional wizards, earn their trust, and ask them exactly how they had accomplished those things... Then I would cast a masterful Memory Charm on them, so they would forget the matter entirely."

"Why are you telling me all this, Professor Lockhart!" Jon had quietly flicked off the safety on the PSM pistol.

Lockhart banged the suitcase shut and locked it.

Then he dropped heavily onto the sofa.

"It makes no difference, child..." He looked somewhat dejected. "In a few hours, the Daily Prophet will publish the truth behind my once-glorious accomplishments. The entire world will know that I am nothing more than a fraud who abused Memory Charms; the Ministry of Magic may even consider me a criminal and send me to Azkaban."

"So, Jon, even if I didn't tell you now, you would find out very soon..." Gilderoy Lockhart said faintly. "Do you think... I accepted this damned job for no reason?"