"Just tell me whether you agree."
"Yes, of course I agree, but why are you doing all this? I don't believe you're the sort to go all out just to lift the whole school's spirits!"
"I'm not, but the three people outside are!"
"What?!! Potter, Weasley, and Granger haven't left? Then... they heard everything!"
Lockhart's eyes darted about in panic, his hands fumbling helplessly until he touched something hard, thin, and round: his wand.
What was a wand good for?
Casting spells!! So... couldn't he tamper with those three's memories a little?
"Put those nasty ideas away. Before we spoke alone, I cast a Sound-Muffling Charm. They can't hear us!"
"Oh, good. You should have said so earlier! You had me worrying for nothing!"
He was as timid as a mouse, yet always loved to boast. What a combination. Luo Bin rolled his eyes, then waved his wand and dispelled the Magical Barrier.
"Luo Bin, open the door! Open it right now! You mustn't bully Mr. Lockhart! Dumbledore invited him here repeatedly! You can't..."
A hoarse voice rang through the room, penetrating the thick wooden door. It was obvious that she was furious and had been shouting for quite some time.
"Miss Granger... certainly is persistent!"
Lockhart gave an awkward chuckle.
"What do you think she'd do if she knew your books, your inspirational quotes, and your stories about being close to your fans were all fabricated? Pretend she'd never met you, or wave her wand and cast a Freezing Charm on you? Oh, just a reminder: last year, I came first in our year, and she came second!"
People often recognized only the person in first place, without even bothering to ask the runner-up's name.
For instance, everyone knew the world's highest mountain was Mount Everest, but they didn't