It didn't take long for them to stop dwelling on Lockhart because Professor McGonagall's classes were always challenging. Not to mention, after a long holiday, it felt like all their previous lessons had leaked out of their brains.
That afternoon, Professor McGonagall tasked them with transforming beetles into buttons. This wasn't as simple as waving a wand; it involved the transformation of a living object into a non-living one.
The beetle on Orli's desk scurried around, avoiding her wand. Harry managed to transform his beetle into a button, but it still had six tiny legs. Ron, on the other hand, accidentally squashed his beetle, causing it to ooze a disgusting green liquid.
Although Ron's wand hadn't snapped this time, it was so old and worn that the unicorn hair inside was poking out of the tip, making it highly unreliable.
Only Hermione succeeded, even managing to add some swirling patterns to her button, earning Gryffindor five points.
Unfortunately, Lockhart was always looming nearby. The next morning, they had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the term. Apart from Hermione, no one had any expectations for the professor. Orli, her arms aching, was carrying seven thick books and could barely see the staircase ahead.
Once the class was seated, Lockhart stepped onto the podium, beaming, and cleared his throat loudly. He held up Neville's copy of Travels with Trolls, showing off the photo of himself on the cover, winking at them.
# Lockhart
"I, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League; five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—five times in a row, mind you. But I don't talk about that because I didn't defeat the Banshee and the Trolls with my charm alone!"
He paused, waiting for laughter, but the classroom remained silent.
# Lockhart
"I see you've all purchased my complete works—excellent. I think we'll start today with a little quiz! Don't be afraid, children; it's just to see how much you've read and how well you've understood…"
He handed out the test papers and returned to the podium.
# Lockhart
"You have thirty minutes. Now—begin!"
Orli picked up her paper, her eyes blurring at the sheer number of "Gilderoy Lockhart" mentions.
The first question: What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
The second question: What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
The third question: What do you think is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement?
And so on, filling three entire pages. Orli thought she might as well write down the titles of his seven books in every possible order.
Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and began flipping through them in front of the entire class.
# Lockhart
"Tsk, tsk—hardly anyone remembered that my favorite color is lilac. And several of you need to reread Wanderings with Werewolves; I clearly stated in Chapter Twelve that my ideal birthday gift is for wizards, Muggles, and Squibs to live in harmony. Though, I wouldn't say no to a bottle of aged Firewhisky!"
Orli couldn't help but feel he was subtly hinting for bribes from his students.
Harry glanced at him with a grimace, while Ron kept his head down, stifling laughter. Hermione, ever the diligent student, was listening intently to his commentary on the test answers—until Lockhart suddenly mentioned her name.
# Lockhart
"I must give special recognition to Miss Hermione Granger! She knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil—and to market my own range of hair care potions! Well done, a hundred points! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
He held up her test paper for everyone to see. Hermione's face turned scarlet as the entire class turned to look at her.
# Lockhart
"Splendid! Ten points to Gryffindor! And you're friends with Harry, aren't you? That must be Miss Orli Waters sitting next to you, right? It's wonderful to see how much you all admire me."
Lockhart said with a smile.
Hermione looked as though she wanted to sink into the pile of books in front of her.
# Hermione
"I just… read his books over the summer…"
She mumbled quietly, trying to explain herself. Orli exchanged a sympathetic look with Harry, and even Ron tried to console her.
# Ron
"Don't worry about it. At least we got ten points."