The Small Matter of Getting Rid of Two Defense Professors in One Year

When Friday's dinner began, everything was as usual.

The enchanted ceiling hung beneath a deep-blue night sky. Hundreds of candles floated overhead. The aromas of roast lamb, gravy, and butter mingled as cutlery clinked against plates, the sound occasionally drowned out by a sudden burst of laughter from one of the long tables.

The Great Hall was always more relaxed on Fridays.

Quidditch, weekend plans, and unfinished essays had reclaimed the conversation. The blood-red writing and the Chamber of Secrets, discussed so often over the past few days, were barely mentioned anymore.

Gavin ate his dinner quietly, his gaze occasionally passing through the candlelight toward the High Table.

Lockhart's Gold-Rimmed Goblet sat beside him. Not far away, Snape kept his head down and cut the meat from a lamb chop, slice by slice. He never once looked Lockhart's way.

The calm lasted until halfway through the main course.

Two House-elves suddenly appeared out of thin air, carrying a long table draped in pale purple. They set it at the front of the Great Hall.

Then three stacks of new books appeared, each half as tall as a person.

On the cover, Lockhart wore golden robes and stood alone before a dark figure. His right hand raised a Wand, while his left shielded six animals behind him—

Patient Badger huddled in the shadow of his cloak; Archive Squirrel clutched a roll of parchment; Spectacled Lion Cub kept looking back; Curly-haired Owl stared at something in the distance; Silver Snake held a Black Wooden Box in its mouth.

Round-faced Fat Eagle hung upside down at the very top.

Of the seven members of the team, Lockhart was the only human.

The title filled every bit of space across the top of the cover in gold lettering—

"Hogwarts Crisis: Gilderoy Lockhart's Silent Victory"