Chapter 30: 30: Gilderoy Lockhart, and Workshop
[3rd Pov]
Alaric, Daphne, Blaise, Tracey, and Theodore walked together down the castle's corridors. They held the new course schedule in their hands.
Their first class was Charms with the Ravenclaws, which meant they had to arrive early to avoid getting the worst seats.
As the group chatted amiably, Alaric appeared aloof, quietly muttering something to himself.
Noticing his pensive mood, Tracey playfully slapped his back. "Come on, Al. He won't be as bad as you think," she said. "Otherwise, Dumbledore wouldn't have picked him to be a professor."
As they neared the charms classroom, they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Flitwick.
They had only just joined them when the Professor came striding into view across another hallway, accompanied by none other than Gilderoy Lockhart.
Flitwick had some of his fingers bandaged, with some cuts on his face, an expression tinged with annoyance.
"Oh, hello there!" Lockhart called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Flitwick how to properly animate some wooden figures! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Charms than he is! I just happen to have met several wizards who taught me a few things..."
"Into the class, students!" said Professor Flitwick, looking distinctly disgruntled, different from his usual cheerful self.
There was a murmur of interest between the students. Alaric quickly tried to enter the class, as he felt a sense of foreboding.
However, before he could, a hand shot from behind, grabbing his shoulder.
"Alaric Grindelwald! I've been wanting to talk to you — you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Flitwick?"
From the scowl on Flitwick's face, he did mind, but Lockhart took that as the signal and closed the classroom's door on his face.
"Alaric," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Alaric, Alaric, Alaric,"
The boy in question looked at the man in front of him and tried to refrain from doing something that would get him in deep trouble.
"When I heard — well, I could've done it myself,"
Alaric had no idea what he was talking about, but the more he looked at Lockhart's face, the more he wanted to cast a curse on him.
He was about to say he didn't have time, but Lockhart continued.
"Getting the highest grades ever recorded in the first year, you must've studied hard! — who am I kidding, of course you did! And I know why. Stood out a mile, right?"
For a few seconds, Alaric forgot his thoughts of malice against the man and stared with pure confusion at him. It's remarkable how he could speak so much, but not say anything at all.
"It even made on the papers! Front row! — of course, only because I wasn't on it. It's addicting, isn't it?"
"What the fuck are you—"
"Alaric, Alaric, Alaric," said Lockhart, reaching out and grasping his shoulder once again. "I completely understand. Once you get the first taste, you only want more! It isn't as good as winning the Witch's Weekly Most Charming Smile five times in a row — but it's a start!"
Lost in his self-gloating, Lockhart failed to see the growing smirk on Alaric's face.
"Of course, Professor, I could never be as good as you!" Alaric clasped his hands in front of his face, feigning his excitement about meeting Lockhart.
"Oh, please," Lockhart dismissed the compliment, failing to see the sarcasm behind it. "You'll have plenty of time when you're older, yes yes — But worry not! I was just as a nobody as you are when I was your age! — and I didn't have my grandfather's name backing me up!"
Hearing the comment at his grandfather, Alaric's eyes turned lifeless for a second.
Seeing Lockhart's occlumency shields, he knew he could turn the man into a brain-dead husk in a matter of seconds, but he refrained from doing so.
Watching him suffer and slowly descend into the pits of despair would be much more pleasurable.
Alaric took out a box from his expanded pouch, presenting it to Lockhart. "Here's a gift, Professor," he said. "To commemorate your arrival at Hogwarts,"
"Oh, you didn't have to!" Lockhart quickly grabbed the box, opening it. Carefully arranged, the box had a variety of candies, each with a different effect. "Well, thank you, Alaric! — but I have to go! Duty calls me!"
Giving the boy a hearty wink, he strode off. Alaric stood in place for a few seconds, watching as the man's turquoise robes slowly disappeared.
As soon as Lockhart left his field of vision, Alaric covered his face, trying to hide the wicked expression on it.
With a grin from ear to ear, he let out a burst of ominous laughter that echoed through the castle walls.
"I can't wait to see his face," he said, entering the classroom.
__________
[Alaric's Pov]
The first class of the year wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
Flitwick recapped some of the stuff we learned last year and then had us charm a flute to sing a certain melody.
Before the class ended, the professor called for me.
"Mr. Grindelwad, if you could stay back for a moment, please,"
As the students slowly left the classroom, my friends told me to join them later in the Quidditch field, as the tryouts were close.
After everyone was gone, Flitwick waved his wand and a piece of parchment folded into a scroll came floating to his hand.
"The headmaster approved of your request," he said with a smile, opening the scroll. "The faculty will provide you with a room to your liking, however — you are required to complete a set of extra tasks for each subject. In other words, more homework,"
Chuckling a bit, he handed me the scroll of what could only be the extra Charm's homework.
"Thank you, professor,"
"Don't fret over it, Mr. Grindelwald," Flitwick said. "Now, follow me. I'll take you to the room we allocated for you,"
Strolling beside Flitwick, we walked past the Great Hall and the house hourglasses.
Gradually, our footsteps became the sole sound echoing in our surroundings as we ventured further into the desolate corners of the castle.
We stepped into the Grand Staircase, as it slowly changed positions, taking us to the fifth floor.
Intricate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the path and adding a touch of elegance to the surroundings. Wide corridors adorned with exquisite tapestries depicting magical scenes from the wizarding world's history.
Numerous classrooms, untouched for decades, if not centuries, were present in this corridor.
Behind the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered, there was also a special bathroom only used by prefects.
As the afternoon sun was reflected on the polished stone floor, I and the professor finally came to a stop in front of a door.
"Here it is," Flitwick said, with his hands on his hips. "Classroom 5B, reserved for whatever endeavors you may have,"
He waved his wand, causing some complex defensive runes to dispel from the door.
"Once again, Professor, thank you," I said, looking at the half-goblin.
"Seeing as you intend to use it to further your academic abilities, it was the minimum we could do," he said. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to class. A good day to you,"
After Flitwick left, I entered the room.
It was filled with long tables and chairs, covered by a fine white cloth, which in turn, was covered in dust. An old chalkboard was hung on the wall, filled with cracks all over.
At the back of the classroom was another door, which could only lead to an office-like room.
"This will do," I muttered.
Sticking my hand into my pouch, I took a miniature-sized suitcase from it. Throwing it to the ground, the suitcase grew to its normal size, before laying open on the floor.
With a flick of my hand, I summoned my wand into my grasp, ready to transform the room before me.
To start, I employed expansion charms, magically enlarging the room from its ordinary size to match the size of the Slytherin common room.
The once-weathered chairs and tables diminished in size, gliding into my suitcase. Following suit, the worn chalkboard detached itself from the wall, joining the furniture.
With another swish of my wand, I cast a multitude of cleaning and hygiene spells, illuminating the once-dirty floor like a radiant pearl.
Once the room was rid of clutter, I aimed my wand at the suitcase, transfiguring it into an imposing double door. The entrance swung open, unleashing a flurry of diverse furniture and workstations, catering to every need—alchemy, potions, charms, transfiguration, and beyond.
But I didn't stop there. Wielding my wand once more, I divided the room into three rooms with raised stone brick walls, with a hallway connecting them.
The first and largest compartment was to become my workstation. Though I had a functional one within my suitcase, the opening of the Emporium necessitated more space, which the expanded suitcase couldn't accommodate.
The second compartment would serve as a dedicated storage room, housing the majority of the materials required for my work, except the rarer ones, which would remain securely stored within my suitcase.
As for the third room, its purpose was reserved for certain... experiments. This particular chamber would require utmost secrecy and concealment magic.
"Now only the office remains,"
As I swung open the final door along the newly created hallway, I was greeted by an empty room. The room stood devoid of any furniture or adornments, offering a blank canvas for my creative vision.
With the same meticulous attention I had bestowed upon the other rooms, I performed a thorough cleaning, banishing any lingering dust or traces of neglect.
__________
After some time, I was done with the office.
The walls were adorned with dark panels, giving the room an elegant yet solemn feel. Silver symbols, reminiscent of ancient magic, were etched into the walls, casting a soft glow.
A grand desk stood proudly in the center, made of polished ebony wood. Its surface shimmered with silver accents, with the symbol my grandfather proudly once used, carved into it — the Deathly Hallows.
In front of the desk, there were comfortable chairs with sleek black velvet upholstery that welcomed visitors. Silver details on the chair legs and armrests added a touch of elegance.
Behind it, was a great black armchair, also with silver linings decorating it.
The ceiling boasted a similar illusion as the Great Hall, showcasing the sky above.
On the side, bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books from my collection. The less dark ones, of course. In one corner of the room, some enchanted glass displays showcasing a number of artifacts of mine.
Satisfied with the outcome, I retrieved my suitcase and reduced its size before tucking it into a pocket.
As I made my way through the workshop hallway, I approached the door and diligently casted a series of defensive spells and protective wards.
Although I would have loved to spend more time there, I had to attend my classes. Lucky me, it was Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors.
To ensure the success of my little plan, I enchanted the box I gave Lockhart with a strong Confundus spell. This would prevent Lockhart from realizing the true effects of the 'candies' I had gifted him. Not that a fraud like him would have been able to figure it out anyway, but it never hurts to be prepared.
While my boots sounded against the cold castle floor, I couldn't hide my grin.
I was going to enjoy this... very, very much.
**********
A/N: I think a workshop to continue developing his business is appropriate, but let me know stuff I could do there.
And, for some reason, writing Lockhart's dialogue is extremely fun.
Also, I was going to explain it in a few chapters but decided to do it here. As stated in the books, there are numerous invisibility cloaks. Of course, these are worst than Deathly Hallow, as it's considered the true one.
Meaning the only Deathly Hallow Alaric knows of is his uncle's wand.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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