Aerial Observer

It was the second Monday in March.

Six gilt-edged invitations appeared at the four house tables.

Lockhart delivered them personally.

He walked from the High Table to the Gryffindor table, handing three invitations to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Then he crossed half the Great Hall to deliver the other three to Gavin, Ernie, and Cordelia.

He shook each recipient's hand as he delivered their invitation.

When he reached Gavin, he even paused and murmured so only the two of them could hear:

"Don't worry, Mr. Gu. The invitation doesn't reveal your real identity."

Then he gave Gavin's shoulder a meaningful pat and walked away.

Gavin looked down at the envelope.

On the front, it read:

[To Mr. Gavin Gu, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart's chief secret informant among the students. Codename: "The Patient Badger"]

His real identity was very well protected indeed.

Justin glanced at it, set down his fork, and looked back and forth between Gavin and Lockhart.

"You're his informant? You betrayed the student revolution?"

"So you've found me out. Then I'll tell you another secret, but don't tell anyone—" Gavin said mysteriously.

Justin immediately leaned in.

"I'm actually a policeman!"

"Huh?" Justin stared at Gavin as if he'd lost his mind.

Gavin ignored him and opened the envelope.

Inside was a scented, pale-gold card. Moving scrollwork adorned its edges, and the name of the event appeared at the top in three different fonts:

[Gilderoy Lockhart's Hogwarts Crisis Investigation Special Task Force]

[Appreciation Dinner for Core Assistants and Loyal Readers]

It was scheduled for Tuesday at six thirty in the evening.

The venue was the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Two full paragraphs in the middle of the invitation thanked Lockhart himself. The invitees got the remaining half paragraph.

At the bottom was one final line in small print: