Rita Skeeter, though not exactly virtuous, certainly worked at an astonishing speed.
Despite only meeting on Saturday, by Monday morning, William found Rita's lengthy article in The Daily Prophet.
She was like some kind of insidious tentacle monster!
As for why The Daily Prophet would agree to publish this kind of news... in Rita's own words:
"The purpose of The Daily Prophet is to sell itself. As long as it makes money and the news is sensational, the content... well, it doesn't really matter."
Thus, during breakfast, all the young witches and wizards unusually quieted down, each holding a cup of milk and savoring their Daily Prophet.
The headline of the newspaper featured a photograph of Lockhart falling during the Duel Club meeting. Above the photo, a bold red headline screamed:
"Does Lockhart Have Any Decency?!"
Special Report by Rita Skeeter
Albus Dumbledore, the eccentric headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has always been known for his bold hiring choices.
Last summer, he hired Gilderoy Lockhart, a recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
As soon as Lockhart accepted the position, he immediately demanded the school replace the Ministry-approved textbooks with his own books, every single one of them.
It is common knowledge that Lockhart's books are significantly more expensive than standard textbooks.
"My family is so poor that we can barely put food on the table, and I have a whole group of younger siblings to feed," sobbed a young witch named Elena Caslana.
"To save money, I resorted to chewing on tree bark during the summer..."
(This reporter calls on everyone to pay more attention to the plight of impoverished young witches and wizards, so they don't have to eat strange things. If you wish to assist young Caslana, you can send your Galleons to me, and I will personally pass them on.)
Lockhart's blatant profiteering has naturally drawn the ire of many parents.
In a series of classes that many have described as "truly horrifying," Lockhart even forced students to role-play as werewolves and vampires to satisfy his unspeakable whims!
Lockhart also has a violent streak.
"I was attacked, it happened during a Quidditch match. He pulled my femur clean out!" said a student named Draco Malfoy.
"If it weren't for that, I'd have led Slytherin to victory... My good friend Potter privately told me that Ravenclaw's win was anything but honorable!"
However, instead of restraining himself, Lockhart became even more audacious.
He repeatedly boasted:
"No one knows more about the Dark Arts than I do."
"No one knows more about Hogwarts' headmaster than I do."
"I understand the role of Minister of Magic better than anyone."
Of course, considering how British wizards have long become accustomed to Minister Fudge's big mouth, Lockhart's grandiose claims didn't seem all that harmful. After all, what are politicians and writers if not full of hot air?
However, upon closer investigation by this journalist, it was revealed that many of the heroic feats Lockhart claimed to have achieved were nothing more than exaggerations and outright plagiarism of others' deeds, now, that is a serious problem.
…
"Good morning, everyone!" Lockhart entered the staff table, dressed in a flamboyant crimson robe.
"What's the matter?" Lockhart touched his face, noticing that every gaze in the hall was fixed upon him.
"The newspaper…" Professor Flitwick, ever the kind soul, couldn't help but point it out.
"Oh! Has Hagrid's verdict come out? Am I mentioned?" Lockhart asked eagerly.
"You are." Professor Snape grinned maliciously. "You're the headline."
Lockhart picked up Professor Flitwick's copy of the newspaper. When he finished reading the article with a dazed expression, the Daily Prophet trembled in his shaking hands.
"Slander! This is pure slander! Outright defamation!" Lockhart roared as he angrily tore the newspaper apart. "I'm sending a formal complaint to that woman Skeeter!"
Lockhart went berserk, snatching newspapers from the hands of the surrounding professors.
"By all means," said Snape, handing over his own copy as well, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes.
"Let Professor Lockhart have all the papers, after all, he needs to collect clippings, doesn't he…"
The Great Hall erupted with the laughter of the Slytherins, their voices echoing off the walls. Snape's thin lips curled into a smirk.
"If I ever find out who shared all these entertaining details with that detestable woman Skeeter... I'd be willing to offer up my entire potion storeroom for their personal use, anything they want," Snape added smoothly.
William glanced up and exchanged a look with Hermione at the Gryffindor table.
Well, that's an unexpected benefit, William thought. He was already planning to make Snape honor that promise by the end of the term.
Suddenly, a flock of owls flew into the Great Hall, and an avalanche of letters rained down on Lockhart.
"These must be letters of support from my fans!" Lockhart exclaimed, eagerly picking one up and tearing it open.
"—OUCH!"
As soon as Lockhart opened the envelope, a yellow-green liquid sprayed all over his hands, releasing a stinging, gasoline-like odor. Blisters immediately began to bubble up on his skin, forming large, yellow pustules.
Lockhart screamed in pain, tears streaming from his eyes.
He grabbed a napkin to wipe away the pus, but his fingers were already covered in thick, painful sores, making his hands look as if he were wearing a grotesque, bumpy pair of gloves.
It turned out to be a cursed letter from an angry reader.
"I want to go home... I want to resign... I'll never be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again!" Lockhart sobbed as he fled toward the hospital wing.
William shrugged. Bit late for that, isn't it? The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor wasn't something you could simply take or leave as you pleased.
Even if the current staff and students agreed, former professors like Robert, Quirrell, or Tywin, who was locked away in Azkaban, would certainly have something to say about it.
…
Lockhart fell ill.
Though it wasn't a physical ailment, but rather a sickness of the heart, as wizards from across the country continued to send letters filled with curses and insults.
Once again, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was without an instructor, left in a state of vacancy.
Since William had arrived at Hogwarts, the quality of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum had been questionable at best, with the position being unfilled for at least part of every school year.
With things like this… the British wizarding world really has no future.
For William and his friends, however, it wasn't a major issue.
William had essentially taken on the role of a private tutor, guiding his close friends through their studies.
With his current level of magical skill, teaching Cedric and the others was a simple task.
At the very least, he made sure their proficiency didn't decline.
By the end of March, no one was paying attention to Lockhart anymore.
That was because Dumbledore had left Hogwarts.
Naturally, this also meant that William and his friends had all but confirmed the location of the Chamber of Secrets.
As agreed, Dumbledore was temporarily removed from his position by the Board of Governors, thanks to Lucius Malfoy's machinations.
With Dumbledore gone, fear spread through the school like wildfire.
Every face in the castle was filled with unease, and even the sound of laughter in the corridors seemed jarring and unnatural, quickly stifled by the oppressive atmosphere.
During this time, William had been waiting for Fawkes, the old phoenix, to appear.
But Fawkes never came.
The diary had gone completely silent.