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"Why do I have a bad feeling?" Whispered Nigel. The three girls uncomfortably looked at each other, not wanting to reveal their feelings out loud. Such an affirmation was tempting Fate. And Fate hated to be tempted.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" Beamed Lockhart, confirming the most nightmarish scenarios the stunned children had been able to imagine. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Alexandra had a feeling her Head of House had repressed a need to burst in tears. As for Professor Snape, well the Slytherin Potion Master was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison. And it went without saying that the antidotes would not be distributed any time soon. Too bad Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't present today. Alexandra somehow wished the silver-haired old wizard would have been present to see his expression. The 'grandfather' persona against the infuriating Gilderoy Lockhart would have been an interesting match.
"Something has to be done..." Grumbled Alexandra. "Do you think that should I kill Lockhart here and now, the Professors would cover up the murder?"
Not one of her three friends looked to have heard her, fortunately or unfortunately.
Nigel in the mean time was pronouncing "unbelievable" wordlessly more than a dozen times, eyes staring to an invisible point in the Enchanted Ceiling. Morag was shaking her head absently. Hermione was reciting passages of Hogwarts: A History by heart to give her serenity and calm.
"So that's what he intended when I heard him speak with Professor McGonagall last week." Intervened Hermione.
"He announced one week ago he was going to destroy Valentine's Day forever? I must have missed this conversation." Alexandra told, dazed from too much insults to rationality in such a short amount of time. "I would have killed him before he could put his plans to execution." She added in a low growl.
"No, he said the school needed a morale-booster now that the Heir has ceased his attacks in fear of him. To wash away the bad memories of last term, I think he said."
"I don't know what the worst in this conversation is." Murmured Alexandra, her voice only high enough to be heard by her three friends. "That the Heir could be afraid of Lockhart the Narcissist Fraud or that one single day in the year could make everyone forget an entire term of fear, angst and nasty pranks."
"What are we going to do?" Demanded the red-haired Ravenclaw. "We can't let Lockhart go away with such an insult to fashion sense. And don't say doing nothing, this time Alexandra." Morag said in a severe tone. "We have let the time for the curse to do the job, but if he doesn't want to teach or do something intelligent, then I think it's our duty to force him out of the castle."
"Fine. But you're buying the fireworks and the materials I want." Sighed Alexandra. To say the truth, the green-eyed Ravenclaw had a violent wish for pay-back too. There were limits which shouldn't be crossed, and Lockhart had joyously trampled them.
"Agreed."
"I will give you the list once the day over. Lockhart has really rumbled you, doesn't he?"
The MacDougal Heiress not replying was all the confirmation Alexandra needed.
"I propose we do not wait here for long. Eat fast." Advised Nigel.
"Why?" Asked the three girls in interrogating tones.
"Do you want to receive Valentine's poems in front of the whole school?" The auburn-haired boy asked rhetorically.
Alexandra could not help it. She laughed.
"Who in the name of the goblin armies could have the stupid idea to send me Valentines?" The Potter Heiress managed to articulate.
A gesture of the Gryffindor boy attracted Alexandra attention to the Gryffindor table, where the Weasley Twins and the New Marauders were busy making great signs to the dwarves with vindictive smiles. Alexandra immediately stopped grinning and blanched. Their group had totally avoided any retaliation from Longbottom, Black and Weasley for the Polyjuice incident, the Gryffindors involved having clearly taken the message Parvati Patil relayed very seriously. But here the second-year group had been given a golden opportunity for free vengeance. Something told Alexandra a Lion like Leo Black was not going to let it pass. Hearing the rhymes the Boy-Who-Lived and the rest of the prankster leadership of Hogwarts was not how she wanted to pass her Sunday.
"Never mind. I propose we retreat to our studying room." Luckily, it was a day where there were no classes and they had not to be in Lockhart's presence – it would have amplified the mental damage they had just received. "Before the dwarves or Lockhart horrible clothes choices catch up with us. Nigel and I have information we need to discuss."
"What kind of information?"
"The one other students really don't need to hear in public. It might cause riots. Or worse."
A new rain of pink hearts in confetti accelerated their escape out of the Hall.
We will really have to tidy up and clean our headquarters after this session, thought Alexandra. Multiples hours of search in the Daily Prophet archives, obscure magical creature books and centuries-old lore had created a veritable mess in the room which was serving as their headquarters, place of refuge and studying centre. The table where the two Ravenclaws and the two Gryffindors were seated was crumbling under large piles of parchments.
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