The Will of Gil (Gilderoy Lockhart SI)

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Chapter 96- Still the MC!

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Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, its wheels rolling forth, knocking spiders aside. Several arachnids were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air as they tried to reorientate themselves. Amazingly, the car was not the only thing- person- to come to the boy's rescue because somehow standing straight on top of the car was none other than their Professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, wielding his wand like a dangerous weapon.

"Die, you long-legged monstrosities!!" He bellowed, swishing his wand and letting off a fiery spiral of deadly magic that imploded on contact with the spiders behind Harry and roasted them alive, flames spewing off and setting others alight. The spiders ran around screeching in pain, spreading the fire to others whilst in their death throes, and Harry took the opportunity afforded to him to rip all of the webs off of Ron and free him from his captivity.

"Arania Exumai!" Harry shouts, lashing out with his wand at a spider that was roasting and sprinting straight at them. Thankfully, Harry knew the spider-repelling charm, which he used to blast the burning arachnid away and into another group of spiders. "Well done, Harry! Attaboy!" His Professor shouted, still in the midst of killing as many spiders as possible, having seemingly taken their very existence as a blight on this earth.

"Stop! Leave my children alone!" Aragog cries, his clicking mouth irritating Harry's ears fiercely, and when Harry turns to look at the giant spider, he is horrified to find that Aragog is charging forward, his big leg about to come down on Harry and Ron and crush them to death. "Oh no, you don't! Arania Exumai!" Professor Lockhart roars, and a giant blast of bluish-white light leaves his wand and slams into Aragog, throwing the massive spider back and blasting him straight back through his own webs and into numerous trees. Aragog's anguished cries ring out, and Harry knows they are not out of pain.

Not out of physical pain anyway, but emotional pain. Aragog's massive body had just crushed hundreds of his children both on the web and around him as he was thrown back, and Harry couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. That was before he remembered all of these spiders were trying to eat him, and he made the conscious effort to stop caring about any of them, no matter how precious they were to Hagrid. Harry was brought back to his senses when the car screeched to a halt in front of Harry and Ron, and the doors flew open.

"Get in! That will only hold him back for a moment!" Professor Lockhart yelled, somehow still standing straight up on the hood of the car. Harry seized Ron around the middle and lugged him along into the front of the car, Ron yelping, having not expected it. The doors slammed shut of their own accord, and neither of the boys touched the accelerator, but the car didn't need them to; it was sentient. The engine roared, and they were off, hitting more spiders.

Gilderoy Lockhart stayed on the hood of the car, Harry and Ron looking at the back of his robe through the windshield. They only managed to make out spider limbs and flashes of spells and explosions as the car continued to accelerate. Lockhart continued to attack every single spider surrounding them, sending firestorms, tsunamis and lightning barrages at them, slicing them with wind and crushing them with earth. The man was putting his all into exterminating every single spider that was after them.

"How are you still standing on the car!?" Ron couldn't help but shout and question how their professor was defying gravity and physics without any actual overt magic helping him. "Sticking charms, boys. A whole lot of sticking charms." The teachers replied, and that's when Harry noticed how rigidly the Professor's robes were stuck to the roof of the car and were keeping him attached to it, along with the robes themselves looking to act more like stone than the cloth they were made of.

"You will pay for this! My children will feast on your bones!" An angry roar sounded behind them, and the boys looked out of the back of the car to see Aragog charging forth. Even blind, the gigantic spider was a menace, managing to track them through other means and running after them. Ron looked like he died right there, and Harry wasn't feeling much better. Making them feel somewhat better, their Professor showed no fear. "Buckle up, boys; it's gonna be a bumpy ride!" Saying so, Lockhart cast some spells and then dropped down to hug the roof of the car and slowly crawled along the top until he was at the back of the car.

The Professor cast more spells to attach himself there with no worries since all of the spiders were now behind the car, and he began to cast even more spells. And then, he pointed his wand straight backwards, and fire burst out in a continuous stream that seemed to give the car a boost, and then they rocketed off, the car reaching speeds that had never before been seen before. It also had the added benefit of roasting the spiders behind them and licking at the massive legs of Aragog that still continued to chase, even with the flames burning the bottoms of his legs.

The car sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew. It wasn't long before the car was going back into the cave that Harry had gone through before, and the flames allowed them to see that the car was navigating it brilliantly, even at such a speed. However, the light also revealed the size and depth of the cave and made it abundantly clear that it was big enough for the spiders to follow, including Aragog, who chased them into the tunnel.

Harry looked sideways at Ron, whose mouth was still open in a silent scream, but his eyes were blank, as if he was unable to process everything. "Are you okay?" Harry asked, but Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak. Harry let him be, knowing now was not the time to deal with the boy's trauma and whatever had happened to him whilst he was kidnapped. Harry instead turned his attention to Aragog, who was still determinedly chasing them through the tunnel.

"Professor? Can you do something about him?" Harry asks nervously, seeing the spider gaining on them and completely ignoring the fire that was now spreading across its legs, its pain threshold unbelievably high, most likely out of anger. "Yeah, I'll take care of him in a moment. We are nearly out of the cave." Lockhart replies calmly as if a gigantic spider wasn't coming to feast on their bones, and that actually made Harry calm down. If his professor was fine, then things were in hand, and everything would work out.

The light at the end of the tunnel was becoming brighter, and they would soon be out, which made what the professor did next all the more concerning. Lockhart cut off the flames he was spewing from the back of the car, and their speed slowed down considerably, so much so that Aragog actually began to gain on them and was getting closer with each passing second, hundreds of his children following along behind him. Before Harry could ask what the hell his professor was doing, they burst out of the cave and into the forbidden forest proper.

Aragog was right on their tail and was following out of the cave behind them, but that was when Gilderoy Lockhart made his move. "Confringo!" The spiralling firey explosion spell hit the roof of the cave that they had just left behind, timing the impact exactly as Aragog was nearing the exit. Harry watched in awe as the entrance was immersed in colours of red, orange and yellow, and fire exploded and dust blew out, debris shooting everywhere with a few rocks smashing into the back of the car, Lockhart shielding himself with a spell. Still, Harry didn't care about the rock that hit the back window, more focused on the aftermath of the spell.

Far away in the distance, once the surroundings had cleared, Harry could see the devastation left behind. The cave had collapsed, and Harry could just about make out the head of Aragog sticking out of the ruins, just the front of it. His eyes were closed, and Harry did not know whether he was dead or just knocked out. However, some of his limbs were also sticking out, and they were twitching rapidly. "I-Is he dead?" Harry couldn't help but ask, trepidation in his heart, and he might have been an accomplice in the murder of one of Hagrid's friends. Admittedly, the spider was trying to kill them, but Harry still knew how mortified the friendly giant would be, and he didn't wish for that.

At that moment, a pained roar made itself known, the sound piercing through the forest with its volume, and Harry went to cover his ears and the loud sense. "Well, I guess that answers that." Harry heard from inside the car, and it wasn't the voice of a boy; it was the voice of a man. Harry spun around, only to let out a sigh of relief when he realised it was just his professor who had somehow gotten inside the car without anyone noticing. Lockhart was in the driver's seat, Ron was in the passenger seat, still in shock from everything that had happened, and Harry was in the back.

"So... Aragog is going to be okay?" Harry questioned, for some reason still caring about the wellbeing of the spider. Harry very much did not want to have Hagrid come back from Azkaban only to find out that his friend of decades was now dead, and it was partly his fault as he sent Harry to the spiders in the first place. "Maybe." The professor replies. "Either he will manage to get out and go back to his lair, or he will stay stuck there, and his own kids will feast on him or other creatures. Either way, he's old and won't survive more than a few more years, so I wouldn't worry about it, kid." Lockhart says, putting his hands on the steering wheel even though he isn't actually driving.

Harry remained silent for the rest of the journey back to the castle. They smashed their way through the undergrowth of the Forbidden Forest, Ron whimpering quietly in the passenger seat the whole way back. Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak, and he felt bad for Mr Weasley, who had put a lot of time and effort into this car that was now very broken after its foray into the forest. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could again see patches of sky, at which point he could finally relax, having definitely escaped the danger.

When they had finally reached the edge of the forest, the car stopped so suddenly that Ron was nearly thrown into the windshield; only Lockhart putting his hand out and stopping him saved the redhead from an impact with glass. Meanwhile, Harry bruised his head on the back of Lockhart's seat. Harry opened the door and got out of the car; Ron quickly did the same and then shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, wanting to get out of the trees as quickly as possible, and Harry didn't blame him.

Professor Lockhart also got out and moved forward, and Harry followed, his hand trailing along the car that had saved them and finally giving the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and began to disappear from view. "Not so fast; I can't just let you go, can I?" Lockhart said and waved his wand at the car, which began to shrink so quickly it was nearly instantaneous; the vehicle, getting scared, tried to drive off at full speed, but with it being so small, that speed was meagre. Lockhart waved his wand again, and the car froze. He calmly walked over to it and reached down to pick it up, his hand like a claw.

A noise of confusion leaves the professor's mouth when he can't seem to move it before a noise of realisation leaves his mouth, and he casts another spell before picking the car up with ease and putting it into his pocket. "Even with it being smaller, it is still a car and heavy, so a featherweight charm was needed," Lockhart explained as he joined Harry, walking back to the castle, looking pleased to now have a magical car in his pocket. When Harry reached near Hagrid's hut, he found Ron being violently sick in the pumpkin patch.

"Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive." Harry winced, seeing the truth in his words. "I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Harry, trying to defend the big man who kept bigger, perhaps unwise, pets. "Yes, Hagrid doesn't exactly have the same common sense being a half giant, and creatures that aren't a problem for him are definitely problems for the average wizard," Lockhart spoke up, shaking his head.

"Everybody heard what he said to you, and I understood what he meant, but I didn't think you two would be foolish enough to listen and even go on this unwise adventure at night. You are lucky I was awake and managed to spot you going into the forest. You are also lucky I stumbled upon that car, which helped lead me to you and save you from being spider food. The creatures in this forest may be okay for Hagrid to frolic with, but you two will get eaten up." Lockhart said to them sternly, explaining his current presence.

"That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!" He was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know?" Harry raced to answer and prove that this trip was not for nothing at Ron's point.

"We learned that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing an arm over Ron and prodding him to make him walk and go back to the castle. "He was innocent." Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent. "That should be enough to get him out of Azkaban and look for the real culprit, right, professor?" Harry asks Lockhart, who shakes his head in the negative.

"Everybody already knew that, Harry, but it doesn't change a thing. The ministry wants to be seen doing anything, and the last thing they want is for the school to close, so they arrested Hagrid. It doesn't matter what proof you dredge up unless you get the actual culprit; Hagrid will remain in Azkaban to quell the frustrations of the parents and citizens of magical Britain." Lockhart said before grabbing both boys by the shoulders and beginning to march them back to the castle, increasing the pace. "Now, it's time you got back to bed. I won't mention this to anyone as I don't particularly want to get hounded by the MSPCMA for what I did to that hive of Acromantula." Lockhart cringed.

Harry looked confused until Ron clued him in. "The Magical Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Magical Animals. Charlie is always complaining about them trying to get the dragon reserve where he works shut down. Those people are a bloody nightmare, and they won't let you go once they find you doing something they find wrong." Ron shuddered just at the thought, having witnessed their drastic protests when visiting Charlie in Romania once.

As the castle loomed nearer, Lockhart taped his wand on all of them and used the disillusionment charm to make sure they were hidden; Harry couldn't help but notice how much better the Professors were than his own. They pushed the creaking front doors ajar and walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase; the boys held their breath as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last, they reached the portrait of the fat lady, where the professor finally left them. The two boys retreated to the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash.

They climbed the winding stairs to their dormitory, and Ron went straight to fall onto his bed without bothering to get undressed. Harry, however, didn't feel very sleepy. He sat on the edge of his four-poster, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said. The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, he thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort—even other monsters didn't want to name it. But he and Ron were no closer to discovering what it was, or how it Petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry swung his legs up onto his bed and leaned back against his pillows, watching the moon glinting at him through the tower window. He couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere. They would have died if Professor Lockhart hadn't shown up to save them, and even after their dangerous trip, they had nothing to show for it. There was nobody else to ask. Harry lay down, still thinking about what Aragog had said.

He was becoming drowsy when what seemed like their very last hope occurred to him, and he suddenly sat bolt upright. "Ron," he hissed through the dark, "Ron—" Ron woke with a yelp, stared wildly around, and saw Harry. "Ron—that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Harry, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?" He said a smile on his face.

Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too. "You don't think—not Moaning Myrtle?" Harry nodded his head.

Not all was lost... Harry could still figure this whole thing out.

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I should be doing my uni assignment this week, so expect an uptick of work next week for my other work. Other than that, I am liking GOW Ragnarok. I enjoyed the new Wallace and Gromit movie, hilarious. Also, a happy late Christmas and holidays to everyone. I hope you had a good one.

Upcoming Chapters:

Hero: Chapter 97- It Was Me, ***!

Super: Chapter 99- The Suicide Squad!

Legendary: Chapter 101- Gilderoy Lockhart and the Chamber of Secrets.

Galactic: Chapter 105- Wizards Renovating Houses!

Mythic: Chapter 106- The Lockhart Gala!

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That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will see you in the next one!

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