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"What guarantee I have you will respect your part of the deal?" The gossiper of the Patil Twins was plaintive.
The green-eyed witch had a violent envy to curse the Gryffindor witch here and there. How typical of the Lions to doubt the oaths of a person when they themselves did not respect neither the school laws nor the privacy of their schoolmates. This arrogance proved there was something deeply wrong with the House of Godric in her opinion.
"My word. Along with the promise I will make you pay one way or the other if you try to cross me." Alexandra looked the Indian-born girl directly in the eyes. "Do we have a deal?"
Valentine's Day. Fourteenth day of February in the Year of Grace 1993. A day which was going to live in shame and infamy in the annals of Hogwarts history.
Alexandra first thought when she saw the disaster which had replaced the Great Hall on Valentine's Day was that she had been too sleepy and entered the wrong Scottish castle on this fine morning of February. It was the most rational explanation. Her second thought was to blame Gilderoy Lockhart for the millionth time. Her third was to curse with all her heart the man to be eaten by the Legendary Monster of Slytherin. Their idiot of a Defence Professor deserved no less in her opinion. The voice of Morag MacDougal on her left interrupted these murderous thoughts.
"Alex, if you decide one day to wear that much pink..."
"Yes?"
"Know that I will kill you." Morag affirmed in a tone which left no doubt she would carry the threat. The red-haired Ravenclaw was the best of the group of four, not surprising given her status in the nobility of the Wizarding World, and she seemed to take this affront to Valentine's Day personally. "This goes for you too Hermione."
The threat was not given to Nigel: there was no way a boy would wear the kind of pink clothes Lockhart wore voluntarily.
"Please." Huffed the genius resident of Gryffindor Tower. "I dress better than Alexandra, and there's no way we will be caught in the pink dresses Professor Lockhart loves."
Alexandra nodded vigorously in approval. That she loved wearing jeans plus shirts and other non-magical clothes at the first opportunity didn't mean she would approve to wear THAT!
"But if we do, it will be the sign we are under Lockhart's trance or that he has brainwashed us." The Potter Heiress remarked in a mournful tone as they marched towards the Ravenclaw table. "In that case, you have my benediction to terminate me." Alexandra sighed as they sat at their usual place. "Or what will be left of me in my head, I suppose. So much pink..."
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was completely unrecognisable this morning. Instead of the classical colours one expected from a medieval fortress, the walls had taken a very pinkish tone, covered by pinkish flowers in indecent quantities. The candles which provided warmth and light when the sun did not shine enough had been replaced by thousands of hearts. There were pink hearts, silver and pink hearts, red and pink hearts and golden-pink hearts. The hearts came in all size and form, from the mini-ones the size of a nail to the huge balloons floating above their hearts. There were thousands of hearts confetti falling from the enchanted ceiling, the rare paintings present had had their cadres surrounded by hearts. Everywhere Alexandra's gaze turned, there was only hearts. Mini-angels in pink and gold song horrible love songs. The cups, plates and tables had been charmed to reveal pictures of medieval women fawning before gentlemen who may or may not have a strong likeness with Gilderoy Lockhart. It was horrid. It was an abomination. It was...the words failed Alexandra in front of so much pinkness.
And in the middle of this, was standing Gilderoy Lockhart defying the laws of human decency and intelligence with flashy and lurid pink robes, a smile so neat and shining it was almost frightening and a pink hat which shape in from of heart had a good chance to traumatise half of Hogwarts until their last breath.
Alexandra had to fight the urge vomit at the sight of this nauseating spectacle. Halloween was already bad, but at least this mockery of Samhain was done in good spirit. But this... with this debauchery, Hogwarts had really reached a new low in their defiance of the non-magical traditions. Only motive of satisfaction, at the Head Table all the Professors save Lockhart were stone-faced and made several tics at irregular intervals proving how close to their moral limits they were. The audience of students present for breakfast was divided between the disgust, the shock and the fan-girls. The latter were giggling, ignoring the hateful glares of the former two factions. The Slytherins as a whole showed faces of funeral. The majority of the Ravenclaws were muttering and whispering angrily how it was against tradition. The others Houses were trying their best to pretend it was a normal day, that nothing was out of the norm...and failing miserably.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted, a monumental flash of pink in front of the gobsmacked assembled students. "And may I thank the three hundred and forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!"
Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched...dwarves? But they were not the dwarves of the Lord of the Rings. They were not even cheap, smaller and uglier versions of the noble race imagined by Tolkien. They were all wearing wings and harps. They were positively and truly ridiculous. They were the alive, downgraded versions of the garden dwarves littering around Privet Drive and the neighbouring blocks, and one look was enough to see why the goblins were feared and this magical species was not. Oh, and they were all harbouring smiles as big as Lockhart.
"Not good..." Morag mumbled, putting her hands over her eyes.
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