Professor Lockhart didn't keep everyone waiting long. Soon, the students found out what the surprise was.
February fourteenth was Valentine's Day.
That morning, Harley had just walked into the Great Hall when she stopped, wondering if she'd wandered into a wedding.
The walls of the Great Hall were covered in huge, dazzling pink flowers. A shower of colorful, heart-shaped confetti drifted down from the pale blue ceiling, landing on the bread and bacon.
The students scowled as they swept the confetti off and hesitated over whether to eat the food in front of them.
They felt as though the delicious food had been contaminated, and they couldn't bring themselves to eat it.
Harley found a seat and snapped her fingers. A patch of glittering Spider Silk appeared above her, catching all the confetti.
Then she looked across the table at Seamus. "What's going on?"
"Professor Lockhart's little stunt, of course!" Seamus shrugged helplessly and gestured toward the High Table.
Harley followed his gesture and almost burst out laughing.
At the High Table, Professor Lockhart wore a pink robe that matched the decorations, along with a pink pointed hat festooned with flowers.
The other professors, including the youthful-looking Ancient Runes professor, Bathsheda Babbling, were wearing, at most, light blue wizarding robes.
Professor Lockhart's taste was twenty years ahead of its time, to say the least!
"Professor Lockhart's whole vibe is so weird. He's nothing like the other professors!" someone complained, drawing nods from many others.
Professor Lockhart didn't care in the slightest how out of place he looked. He stood up and waved for everyone to be quiet.
"Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!" Professor Lockhart called out.
"To liven up the gloomy atmosphere at school, I took the liberty of arranging today's Valentine's Day surprise!
"So far, thirty-two people have given me