Chapter 100: From Hogwarts to Azkaban (Edited)

Harry and Ron's faces were stunned after hearing the voice.

It took them a short time to come out of their dazed state.

Lockhart was already standing in front of them, he put on his aqua green robe and said in a confident tone, "Guys, we're going to Hogwarts!".

Ron's expression perked up, "Yes, Professor Lockhart! Your idea has worked, otherwise we'd be stuck at the train station for sure, and I really don't know what I'd do if we missed the opening ceremony."

Harry had a vague feeling that something was wrong, something unsettling, but he couldn't put his finger on it, so he just followed in Lockhart's footsteps in a daze.

When they arrived in front of the castle's two oak doors, Harry found Filch standing outside the castle with his cat named Mrs. Norris in his arms, staring at them with big red eyes.

"Take a good look around the castle, this may be your last night here," Filch said looking at Harry and Ron with a sly grin and a slight bow to Lockhart.

"Ha! No big deal." Lockhart bared his white teeth and stepped forward, as if to settle the matter directly.

"Sir, Professor Snape has said he would like to take the boys to his office, so, if you are with them, please escort them." Lockhart's words did little good, and Filch replied to Lockhart very respectfully, but in a very firm manner.

"Well, maybe Professor Snape can't wait to get my autograph, I have a large fan base," Lockhart shrugged, "And frankly, I should be allowed to take a shower before I meet him. It would hurt my image to go like that now."

Harry and Ron felt a pang of despair: they didn't think Snape was a fan of Lockhart.

Filch led them through the foyer, down the stone staircase, away from the food-smelling Great Dining Hall, and finally to Snape's office.

When they entered, Snape was reading the Daily Prophet.

"You've been spotted by at least seven Muggles!" When he saw them enter, Snape threw the paper down and slammed it hard on the desk.

"Perhaps one of you will have to explain why you didn't come on the Hogwarts Express. And you, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart! If you were with them, why didn't you stop them?" Snape's icy voice held a hint of fury,

Harry and Ron winced and sobered.

Snape closed the door with a wave of his wand, "Do you have any idea how serious this is? It will expose our world, not to mention the damage you've done..."

"Wow! Front page headlines." Lockhart picked up the paper and read it with glee, "Ha, too bad the picture isn't clear enough to show me driving..."

"You were driving?" Snape looked up immediately.

"Yes!" Lockhart gave Snape an extremely cheerful smile, "The three of us had a magical adventure with me behind the wheel! I drove the car, straight into the clouds, across half of England..."

"Shut up!" Snape stood up from the chair, rested his hands on the desk and turned to Lockhart, "I can promise you that I will exchange all my savings to make you a Slytherin student, so that you can be at my disposal and so that I can find you a suitable bunk in Azkaban tonight!"

Whoosh!

Snape conjured a rope and bound Lockhart tightly.

"Severus, I understand your feelings about chasing idols, but I expect you to be sensible..." Lockhart's mouth was sealed by Snape, and Snape was still a little worried, so he cast a petrification spell on him.

"Stay here honestly," Snape looked at Harry and Ron, "I'll be back later. Perhaps more than one person will be expelled from the castle tonight."

Snape left the office.

Harry no longer felt hungry, he was in a state of great unease, he knew that Snape had gone to see Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall was fair and impartial, but also extremely strict, and he feared that he and Ron were in grave danger. He could only hope that Professor Dumbledore would be kind; he was said to give people a second chance, and Harry would rather be locked up for a term than expelled.

Snape had disappeared for half an hour. It had been a torturous half hour for both of them. It was like arriving at the airport, the plane was two hours away and you still hadn't received your green code.

When Snape reappeared, he was accompanied by Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, and a man dressed as a Ministry of Magic official. Professor McGonagall's mouth was tight and she looked furious. She raised her wand as soon as she entered the room, startling Harry and Ron, but merely lit the fireplace and unfroze Lockhart.

"Professor McGonagall..." Lockhart tried to speak, but Professor McGonagall shushed him.

"Professor Dumbledore, is this the new professor you have hired this term? Taking students on your own initiative in flagrant violation of the International Statute of Magical Secrecy?" It seemed that Professor McGonagall was very angry, and took the rare step of reprimanding Dumbledore.

He remembered all too well that Lockhart was an obnoxious, attention-hungry man: he had spouted a lot of grandiloquent words during his school days, including, among other things, that he could make a Philosopher's Stone before he graduated, take the England Quidditch team to the World Cup, and become England's youngest Minister of Magic.

He had carved his name in meter-long letters on the quidditch pitch, and once projected his portrait into the sky, like the Dark Mark, and even sent himself eight hundred cards for Valentine's Day, to the point where the swarm of owls forced the cancellation of breakfast.

Professor McGonagall was already baffled by Dumbledore's decision, and now she found it even more outrageous.

Dumbledore looked at Lockhart and said, "So, is it true that you took them to Hogwarts?"

"Well, you could say that...," Lockhart replied, a little guiltily, but still answering bravely.

Dumbledore checked with Harry and Ron for more details, and it had to be said that Lockhart was really good at the charm (Obliviate), and the confessions of the two made a lot of sense.

So Dumbledore straightened up and looked at the Ministry of Magic official who had been watching the play beside him.

The official cleared his throat, "It seems to be the case, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, you are involved in a serious violation of the International Statute of Magical Secrecy and you need to come with me..."