Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 17: Luna Lovegood

The next day first years had the defence against the dark arts class.

Lockhart class became a joke after yesterday, but that doesn’t prevent him being loved by the girls. For example, Hermione is stubborn and says that Lockhart deliberately let the Cornish pixies out to give the students practical experience.

When Evan got to class, he didn’t feel surprised that all the girls were sitting in the front row of class.

After everyone was seated, Lockhart walked into the classroom and acted like he was the most brilliant person in the world.

“Hello everyone, I think all of you should know who I am!” said Lockhart, revealing a charming smile, “Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award, but I never talk about this, I didn’t get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him.”

‘So, cliché’ thought Evan.

“I see everyone bought my books, so I think I’ll give a little quiz today, you all probably have some answers from your seniors, but I regret to inform you that today’s exam is quite different from yesterdays.” said Lockhart while giving everyone test papers, “You have thirty minutes, start now!”

Evan looked at his test paper, it asked What is Lockhart’s favourite food? What is Lockhart’s greatest desire? and so on, there were more than fifty questions like this.

Evan had a headache from looking at so many stupid questions. Evan didn’t know the answer to a single question since he didn’t buy Lockhart’s books.

But it didn’t matter, he took his quill and thought about it for a while and began to write on the paper. He told Lockhart about the Hogwarts’ Magic newspaper and invited him to join, and of course, Evan asked it in a tone of absolute worship.

Evan tried to portray himself as an absolute admirer.

Although Evan was not even an admirer, it was effortless because many people around him actually admire him so he can just reference how they speak of him.

He tried to imitate Hermione’s tone, and in his description, he said the newspaper was dedicated to Lockhart himself, and Evan intended to pass the paper around at Hogwarts to expand Lockhart’s influence.

Evan spent a lot of time describing the benefits of Lockhart joining and by the time he finished the parchment full of exaggerated compliments thirty minutes were already over.

Then Lockhart took up the papers and looked at them.

“I’m a bit disappointed that there is no one in the first years like Miss Granger from the second year, who answered all the question, if you read through the books carefully everyone would have got everything right, for example in the book Year with the Yeti you would know my favourite food, and I also made it very clear in chapter four of Gadding with Ghouls.

Lockhart quickly flipped through the text papers until he saw Evan’s.

“Here’s an interesting test paper” whispered Lockhart while looking intently at the paper, “Yes, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do, further expand my influence, and become the most admired wizard, its written very well!”

All the students looked at Lockhart curiously.

People were wondering what Lockhart was muttering about, Vicky Frobisher who was one of Evan’s roommates, tried to see the content of the paper.

“Yes, I will!” said Lockhart while putting the test paper down, “One hundred Percent! Where is Mr. Evan Mason?”

Evan quickly stood up and as soon as he did everyone’s gaze turned to him.

“Great, Evan! I would love to share my stories with my most loyal fan.” said Lockhart with a smile, “Very good, ten points to Gryffindor!”

When Evan sat down, Colin whispered to him, “Evan, what did you write.”

“Nothing much, I just invited him to pose for a few photos, get your camera ready.” said Ian while smiling, “We don’t have long to take pictures after class.”

After the lesson, the rest of the time is relatively dull.

The defence against the dark arts class has almost become a reading class, Lockhart asked the students to stand up and read his books in order making the class boring. All the student left the classroom in a hurry except for Evan who dragged Colin to the podium.

Lockhart praised Evan and told him that if anything went wrong during the newspaper’s preparation, he would help.

Knowing that the novel section had yet to receive any manuscripts, Lockhart expressed his willingness to give some manuscripts he didn’t publish.

Afterwards, Lockhart did a variety of poses for Colin to shoot.

Evan was surprised that no matter what angle, Lockhart revealed a charming smile.

Evan could only admire this.

Because of Lockhart’s enthusiasm, they were five minutes late for the next class and when Evan learned that the next class was transfiguration class, his heart sank.

Unlike other professors, Professor McGonagall was very strict. All freshmen were warned not to cross her and Professor Snape, and if you do, you will be miserable.

Now that they were late for the first class, Evan became afraid to go. When the two arrived outside of the class, they saw a strange looking Ravenclaw girl standing outside.

She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. She wore a piece of Butterbeer cork as a necklace and Dirigible plum earring.

“What are you doing, it’s time for class,” asked Colin

“I’m looking for traces of a Nargle.” said the girl in a daze, her gaze was resting on the classroom door.

“Sorry, what are you looking for?”

“A Nargle.” said the girl as she fixed her eyes on Evan, “You are Evan Masson.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Luna Lovegood,” said Luna as she turned to look to Colin, “But I don’t know who you are.”

Before Colin could introduce himself, the classroom door was opened from the inside by Professor McGonagall who looked at them with eyes that could kill.

“Mr. Mason, Mr. Creevey, and Mrs. Lovegood, you’re late!” she had a very tight mouth, “If you’re not going to come in, never come again.”

Evan and Colin hurried into the classroom, and Luna sat next to them.

“What a bummer, we met Luna” whispered Colin, “She is a Ravenclaw freshman, everyone calls her crazy, I heard that she believes that Nargles and Crumple-Horned Snorkack actually exist.”

“But they do exist.” interrupted Luna

“How can they, they are just imaginary…”

“Quiet down, Colin!” said Evan, “don’t comment on things you don’t know anything about.”

“Very wise choice.” said Luna in a very low sing tone, “Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.”

Colin tried to say something but he saw that Professor McGonagall was glaring at him, so he hastily closed his mouth.

“Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous spells you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned.”

After that, Professor McGonagall turned her desk into a pig and back again to demonstrate transfiguration.

The students were all amazed and started learning immediately, but they soon realized that it would take a long time to achieve a feat such as turning furniture into an animal.

After a lot of complicated notes were written down, Professor McGonagall gave each of them a match and began to make them try to transfigure it into a needle.

It’s challenging for a new student to achieve it though. By the end of class Evan turned the match head into a needle tip, he was the fastest student in the class.

Evan noticed that Professor McGonagall’s mouth loosened slightly.