Chapter 106: Congratulations, you're rich
During the next few days, I had been enjoying my time at Hogwarts. Except, of course, missing Dora from time to time.
About the thing about getting his face bashed in my me, Lockhart was too late to make his statements. He must have gone straight to Pomfrey in the lunch break right after I'd punched him, cause when he appeared in front of everyone for his next class with the Griffindor and Slytherin second years, he had his teeth grown back.
But, there were rumors about him seen crying and running towards the Hospital wing while he held a mirror in his hands as he examined his broken teeth's...
A smile without front teeth isn't something adults like. I know since I didn't have two of my incisors when I had reincarnated. So, how would some like Lockhart, who had always been obsessed with his appearance, specially his smile react? Haha, I made him cry for his mommy in a single punch! But of course, the fangirls had refused to believe any such absurd rumors. According to them, these were just absurd rumors spread my yours truly.
When Lockhart had finally come to know about all the rumors, he could only deny everything with a faltering fake smile. Most people could see he was lying while only the fangirls were like— 'He does all that awesome stuff in the books. He even got injured so many times! No way he's gonna cry from a single punch!'
The guy then started saying false stuff about me, which even Hermione knew was wrong. The only ones to believe were the truly crazy fangirls. And I didn't stop him. Him doing these things was only confirming the fact that he'd been hit by a kid and cried to the hospital wing. I just hope that I had punched him front of a bigger audience, but well, you can't have everything.
So, the first weekend had arrived like this. And since there was no rest for the wicked, on the Saturday morning, I was running around the grounds of Hogwarts for my morning routine. After knowing that I was seen as 'a lazy bum who had somehow still won at everything' from Daphne and Tracy, I had stopped Disillusioning myself before my morning run. Nowadays, I would be seen running laps and doing exercise in the grounds on every morning.
I looked back as I ran on a medium pace. "What? You guys are tired already? We still have about 5 more laps to go!" I called to my back as I kept running. Behind me were Andrea, Pierce Spencer, Ella Harper, and the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. When Andrea had known about me exercising everyday, she had dragged the rest of the team as well to workout today since it was weekend. It's her NEWTS year so she can't come daily. But obviously, they were no good. It only looks nice and easy to look from afar but difficult to actually do the same.
Now looking back at Andrea struggling to run, I shook my head. "Don't push yourself Andrea. It's your NEWTS year. You have go and study after this " I called out as I ran. I wasn't bothered much with helping them along since I can just exercise more under disillusionment after this. In fact, it's quite nice to have company instead my usual lonely workout.
Andrea shook her head as if she wanted to continue, but her knees buckled and we had to catch her to prevent her from falling.
"Alright, we're stopping here!" Announced Ella Harper as she supported Andrea by her shoulder. Ella herself had taken many breaks and so had the other team mates, but Andrea was running non-stop. So, it was no wonder that she couldn't continuenany longer. Everyone really respects this Captain of ours. She really gives her all to both Quidditch and studies. Too bad it's her last year at school.
I gave everyone a special Potion for body recovery which I have been using for a long time. This is the reason I didn't stop her from pushing herself. It should be alright with this. Otherwise, workout should always start slow.
Right as we were leaving, I saw Harry in his Quidditch attire running towards me while dragging...
"Colin Creevy?"
Why? I'm NOT going to have a picture with him. No chance. Harry should already know that. Then, why the hell is he bringing him?
Harry came running to me with a grin. "Chris, man you have to see this! Colin here got his pictures processed last night." He said as I held a picture in both of his hands.
Only then did I remember. In canon this day, when Harry was going to go for his Quidditch practice, Colin and come to him to show off his pictures.
I was curious now. What could it be? Harry wouldn't come to show me useless stuff.
And coming from a modern world, I've seen people get lucky and take some awesome snaps which could only have been possible if they were at the right place and right time with their camera ready. I took the photo from his hands and looked at it.
"Merlin's moobs... this... this is gonna make waves." I muttered as I looked at the photo in my hands, a malicious grin slowly spreading over my face.
It was Lockhart's picture. But unlike his usual photos, in which he's usually seen smiling while showing his perfect teeth, this one was quite different. I showed it to my teammates and —
"Wohhhow!"
"Damn!"
"Oh boy..."
"Hahahahahaha!!"
They all started laughing upon seeing it. Ravenclaw had the highest number of Lockhart haters. Specially fourth years and above. By then, the students have enough brains to see that Lockhart's a complete fraud. And don't even talk about the pitiful students who have their OWLS and NEWTS this year. Their future might be destroyed due to Dumbledore's whims, because the OWLS and NEWTS exams won't ask them what was Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color or how to wrestle with werewolves.
"Colin!" I said while heavily patting his shoulder, "I'm buying this from you for a hundred galleons!" I announced, young master style while everyone around me hoots and shouts and Colin's eyes fell out of his sockets.
"Now... another question." I said, not even waiting for everyone to calm down. A photographer would never just snap one picture and let the opportunity go. So I asked him, "Do. You. Have. More like this one?!"
"...."
The guy took out a bunch a pictures, which contained everything related to it and we all cheered.
"Congratulations Colin! You're rich!" I said as I snatched all the photos from his hands.
***
*PoV change*
It was nice weekend for Lockhart after such a hectic first week at Hogwarts. But being a teacher at Hogwarts had given him the push he needed, to become even more famous!
Just look at the sales figures of his books now. They're off the charts! And the teaching! He's begun to enjoy it now. It's was a bit difficult on the first day, what with that student attention seeking brat with the beautiful dragon punching and the students of the next class being too incompetent to even handle those little Cornish Pixies, but after that, things had begun to settle down.
He'll admit that for a few minutes after he'd let that arrogant brat had punch him in the face, he'd actually been quite panicked. He had thought that it was the end of his existence, with him not being able to smile. So he run to the Hospital wing while hoping beyond hope that some miracle could be done by that grumpy medi witch there.
But to his surprise and utter relief, the lady had just treated it as a daily occurrence and fixed him right up while grumbling about how brutal the spell was.
He had given the lifesaving lady his best smile with his brand new teeth along with his autograph on her apron, with she didn't to know the value of since she didn't seem to appreciate his generous gift to her... but, it's alright. She'll understand one day anyway, they always do.
"I'll definitely teach that brat a lesson one of these days. Thinks his inferior father is so great? I'll have to show him my superiority one of these. Maybe on the Dueling event that I've been planning to start this year."
Lockhart spent this free day answering his fanmails and reveling in their praises. He just ignored all the hate mails which he got, he knows that they were just pitiful ignorant people, and he can't please everyone.
Soon, the sky had turned dark and Lockhart realized that it was already time for dinner.
"Time sure flies fast when I'm answering my fan mails, Merlin! Being a Legend sure is difficult." He said, while swiping his wavy blond hair back with a flourish. He then spent the next half an hour getting ready for the dinner. Afterall, he can't be seen at anything but his best. He's always made sure of that.
As he stepped into the great Hall, a hush fell over while every pair of eyes looked at him.
'Well, I can't blame them... I'm just too handsome.' He thought as he waved at everyone while giving them his best smile.
But... something was off today. Why were the majority of people here laughing? He didn't tell them a joke, did he? He checked his appearance subtly as he walked towards the Teacher's table.
He noticed that every student had a bunch of cards in their hands and he was surprised to know that event all the teachers had them.
'Is this some kind of event?' He wondered, also wanting to be a part of it. Afterall, no event could be a successful event without his presence.
As he reached the teacher's table and saw that all the teachers were looking at him, then at the cards. McGonagall was as stern as ever, but Professor Flitwick, his former head of house was looking at him with...pity? No, maybe it's envy or longing. That's what the majority have. He glanced back at the students hear their laughter again. He glanced at his particularly ardent fans, and found them looking at him and then at the cards with disbelieving eyes.
'Oh, now they're wondering how someone can be so handsome?! Oh these fans.' He thought he brushed his wavy hair back.
He gave them his smile nonetheless and sat at his chair as he found the same cards placed on his table as well.
"So, what's going on? Let me join the fun as well!" He asked his fellow teachers as he picked up the cards and turned them around to see. To his surprise, they actually photos!
But upon looking at the photos—
"....!!!!!...."
His face went pale and his smile totally vanished.
Ba-dump Ba-dump
"This... c-can't be happening...It must be a dream....I don't believe this is happening.." He muttered as he tried to comprehend what's happening here as he started panicking.
There were four photos, all were his. One had the front view of him running running along the corridor with face covered in tears and snot as examined his broken teeth in a hand mirror. Other had the back view of him running. Then the seemed that the photographer had decided to follow him while he couldn't notice him since the next shot had him running into the hospital wing and the last had him coming out while smiling with his new teeth and wiping his tears and snot.
*Laughter*
He heard laughter from all around and jeer and catcall, and hoots. He had become a butt of jokes for everyone, making him panic.
'Who did this?!' He wondered as remembered the old days when he used to be bullied.
'No! I'm better now! I'm the great adventure and Hogwarts teacher Lockhart now!' I mentally screamed as he looked around the hall for the cause of all this all.
Among all the tables laughing, one table was particularly rowdy. On that table, in the middle of a crowd of students, he saw the cause of all this. Chris Martin! The guy was surrounded by a bunch of students from all houses, all complimenting him and patting his shoulder while he had a humble and innocent smile on his face. And the enviable and beautiful dragon was sitting in his lap as he stroked it's scales.
And then, Lockhart saw him turning towards him. Chris Martun's smile turned cocky and he raised his eyebrows at him as their eyes met.
*Flinch*
And Lockhart felt instictive fear, making him feel like he was back to being a week kid again who was being bullied.
Lockhart averted his eyes for almost instantly as a knee jerk reaction, but then cursed.
'No! He's nothing but a spoiled and arrogant brat! And I'm going to make him regret ever making me, Gilderoy Lockhart suffer.' He thought as he looked at the arrogant kid who was now laughing at something that one of his friends had said.
'Maybe I should move forward my dueling club event,' he thought as an idea began to form in his mind.
'What could a kid in second year do against me?'
Gilderoy Lockhart is going to have his revenge against that helion for making him suffer so much. And by the end of this year, Chris Martin is going to be sorry for ever going against the Gilderoy Lockhart.
***
A.N.: Leave the POWERSTONES here, ok? Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Pátreon.com/Snollygoster for Reading ahead.