The three of them fell silent. Ron returned carrying two cups of pumpkin juice and set them in front of Harry and Hermione. The juice was cold, with a fine layer of condensation clinging to the sides of the cups. The droplets glittered in the candlelight like shattered glass.
He sat down and looked at Harry and Hermione with an expression that said, "You two are hiding something from me." His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he said nothing. He merely picked up his own pumpkin juice and drained it in one gulp. Then he wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
"Harry, who else did Professor Dumbledore mention?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Uh... Professor Lockhart. Dumbledore said Professor Lockhart had shown both ability and responsibility lately, and that if there was any trouble, we could go to him..." Harry said uncertainly, offering the other possible choice.
Hermione's eyes lit up. She had always been a Lockhart fan and had felt proud of his recent changes and his acceptance of the Order of Merlin at the end of term. Now that she had heard Dumbledore's approval of him from Harry, she was clearly delighted.
"Professor Dumbledore's judgment can't be wrong. Professor Lockhart is someone who earned the Order of Merlin! Maybe—maybe he'd be willing to help. Even if he—even if he isn't as powerful as Dumbledore, at least when we need him, he can keep the people who don't want us investigating out of our way."
A complicated expression crossed Ron's face, a mixture of suspicion and disgust. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again. "Lockhart? That—Lockhart, who turned the Dueling Club into an opera performance? You expect him to help us investigate the Chamber of Secrets? Last time, he named Harry outright as