He could not even be bothered to explain. Facing the attack, he merely flicked his wrist, moving too fast to see clearly.
"Protego!"
Cast instantly and silently, a solid-looking silver shield appeared again, effortlessly annihilating the two Disarming Charms. The backlash sent Harry and Ron staggering backward, their wands nearly flying from their hands!
Lockhart looked at the three panicked children, and the trace of feigned "fatigue" on his face vanished completely, replaced by a cold, amused mockery, like a cat toying with mice.
He slowly raised his wand. The dark green stream of magic had not dispersed; under his deliberate control, it gathered and leapt at the wand tip, radiating an even more terrifying aura. A completely warmthless smile curled his lips. He first cast what seemed like a casual glance toward Dumbledore and Severus Snape, who had long since taken up positions in the corner under an Invisibility Charm, before sweeping his gaze over the three children as though they were minor nuisances about to be erased.
"Oh, Harry, you curious little lions always stumble into places you should not be," Lockhart said with a chilling smile, his voice low and dangerous. "It's far too dangerous here. Since you've seen things you shouldn't have... a little 'memory adjustment' would be for your own good too~" The dark green light at his wand tip suddenly flared, locking firmly onto Harry and the other two!
This was no healing or calming spell, but the opening gesture of a standard, powerful Memory Charm!
Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt icy fear clutch their hearts. Death had never seemed so close! They wanted to resist, but under Lockhart's powerful magical lock, their bodies seemed frozen stiff!
Just as the miserable green light was about to burst forth and wipe the three of their