Harry Potter: Reborn as Lockhart

Chapter 18



Title: Quidditch Match...



….


One week passes after my confrontation with the Marauders and since that day I have been having my guards up against their pranks. I guess this will be like my new training method. 

I am walking alone, along the Hogwarts hallways as I go towards the Quidditch field with my broom in hand. The game will be in another half an hour. 


Well, the game between Gryffindor and Slytherin has already happened, I wasn't there to watch it and I don't really care about it. I mean, why would people even waste time on a sport like this when you literally have a whole world full of magic to explore. So many hidden things, so many different things to discover, in a way it is an unending journey.


Quidditch in comparison seems quite… disappointing to say the least. 


….



Anyway, none of that matters as I arrive at the Ravenclaw locker room of the Quidditch fields. When I open the door, and enter the locker room. I see the captain and the other members of the team, there are six members speaking about something between each-other, most likely planning a strategy. But when they notice that I have entered the room they stop and look at me. 


One of them looks at me and frowns. "Lockhart, you are late."

I notice that he is the Seeker, but I don't pay any attention to him as I look towards the captain, who is our keeper. "Captain, leave this to me. Don't worry I will win us the game."


The captain uncertainly nods at me. From his surface thoughts, I understand that he knows how good I am from my so-called match between the previous chaser, the one I replaced. But he also seems to think that at the same time got a big head and I am being too arrogant saying stuff like that. The others also seem to have similar thoughts too.


Well, it doesn't matter what they think. The difference between a great man and an arrogant man is that the great man accomplishes what he says that he will do, and the arrogant man just says empty words. But me? I know what I am doing, I have used Legilimency on a lot of the Quidditch teams of Hogwarts and made a copy of their memories in my head. I use Occulumency and different mind potions to make myself live those moments that they did. It could be said that in a way, I am the most experienced Quidditch player in Hogwarts. I obviously don't train harder than them, but I do train way smarter than all of them put together.


In the end I just decide to put them at ease by saying. "Don't worry guys, I have been training privately. The captain knows this, he was there for one of the sessions. I know that training with a team is way better. But my schedule didn't match up with our training times, and I didn't want to bother you and change your schedule for me. Also if we somehow lose this game it will be my fault completely and I am willing to accept that. So don't worry, leave everything up to me guys."



They obviously didn't know how to make a comeback when I say something like that. They don't have the experience of an adult like I have. Most kids like them, even when the oldest amongst them are sixteen, they are still kids in my eyes. Anyway, just like kids they find it embarrassing to apologize, to kids that is like admitting a mistake, which is embarrassing. But to adults an apology is like a weapon to get out of certain situations.


My seemingly heartfelt apology left them speechless, and didn't know what to say without sounding mean. But in the end the captain just sighed and said. "Okay.. okay… just if we lose this match, no need to be so high strung about it, there is also no need for a first year student like you to take full responsibility for it. We will just train harder for our next match… yes you too will train with us Lockhart."


I smile politely and nod at him. No need to tell him that I am above 90% sure that we will win this match. I have already taken some fairy dust before entering the room, my thought process is going crazy and it's honestly a little hard to talk due to how fast my thoughts are going at the current moment. Yay! Doping for the win, I guess…


Anyway, I stay there with them. Hearing the talk about strategies and such…


….

-General POV-



Thirty minutes later and bothered teams from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, the stands were filled with students of different houses, but they were mostly from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.


The participants were waving at the crowds as each player came out. But the one who stood out most was Lockhart, his wavy blond hair and gold colored Quidditch uniform gave him a distinct appearance from the others, though all of the Ravenclaw players were wearing the same outfit, he stood out the most.


..

And at the teacher's stands, there was Dumbledore, Flitwick, Mcgonagall, Sprout and many teachers. But the Sprout excused herself and went back down to go be with the commentators, who were Hufflepuff, and to stop them from saying anything bad about the Ravenclaws. 


Dumbledore was sitting down to Flitwick as he whispered to the half-goblin. "Seems like young Lockhart is quite talented at charms."


Flitwick isn't sure whether he should nod his head in pride or reprimand Lockhart. The usage of a wand or any other magic material to cast magic is generally forbidden in the Quidditch field. But Lockhart is doing it wandlesly, he wanted to go and congratulate him for using the young Lockhart for his mastery over charms, but he also wanted to reprimand him for wasting time on learning how to cast a wandless cosmetic only charm.


In the end Slughorn took Sprout's seat which was next to Dumbledore before she went away. He haa a glass of wine in his hand as he takes a sip from it and then he whispers to Dumbledore. "I told you that the kid is a genius. Remember this Dumbledore, old friend. This kid will accomplish big things."


Dumbledore smiles when he hears Slughorn say that. "C'mon now Slughorn, calling me d is rude."


Flitwick snorts while trying to hold back the laughter from this. But he couldn't as chuckles escaped him. "Hahaha…"


Dumbledore smiles at this too. "Well, I guess I am quite old aren't I…."


Slughorn also takes this time to whisper to Dumbledore and say. "I have been hearing some very troubling whispers as of lately."


"Hm?" Hums Dumbledore, mentioning for Slughorn to continue.


"You-Know-Who will be making another move now. I have heard that he will be personally showing up during this attack. But we must take this information with a grain of salt, as it was told from one of my connections to the ministry as they used Veritaserum (Truth Serum) on a Death Eater." Explains Slughorn as a smile appears on his face. "Now 'coincidentally' that Death Eater was killed the  next day, but that is not important. What is important is that even if You-Know-Who doesn't show himself at that place this shows that soon he plans to not just sit back and let his lackeys do his dirty work anymore. He plans to get involved personally… and you know that you are the only one person who can deal with You-Know-Who."


Dumbledore has a calm look on his face as he nods at this. "We will discuss this later Horace. Now, let us enjoy this game and think about such things later on. One must always know how to find a balance between joy and hard-thinking, that is how we keep ourselves on our toes."


He says that with a face of complete nonchalance, but he looks at Minerva McGonagall in the eyes and uses a low level of Legilimency and puts some words on her head. {Notify the Order about this, we will have another meeting soon.}


As soon as McGonagall 'Hearst's the words in her head she gets up and politely says to everyone. "Excuse me."


She then gets up and leaves.



….
AUTHOR NOTE:
Even though the MC is doing something else. The world around him is still moving and even though we see only what the MC is doing and what he is concentrated on. That doesn't mean that the world stopped moving and everything around him came to a halt.