Copies of The Quibbler arrived at Hogwarts on a Tuesday morning in front of all students. They appeared in the Great Hall just as breakfast was beginning, with stacks of newspapers dropping in front of every student. The students who reached for them did so with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, and the murmuring that followed was different from the usual morning chatter. It was sharper and more urgent, and it spread through the hall like wildfire.
Gilderoy looked at Xenophilius with shock because it seemed he had sent everyone a free copy of today's Quibbler. He thumped Xeno's shoulder as thanks, and Xenophilius smiled back.
Gilderoy then took his seat between Pandora and Amelia at the table, brought the fruit platter closer, and picked up a toast. He did not reach for a copy of The Quibbler because he already knew exactly what it said.
Amelia took the copy of The Quibbler in front of Gilderoy. She opened it and her eyes moved quickly across the pages. Pandora sat beside him, finished her banana, and pulled over her own copy with an expression of barely contained satisfaction. Xenophilius was at the end of the table as he watched the reactions of the other students with a calm, knowing look.
"You did well," Amelia said without looking up from the paper.
"I did nothing," Gilderoy said. "Xeno did the work."
Xeno raised his orange glass in a silent toast. "You gave me the truth, and I just printed it."
Pandora turned a page. "I still cannot believe you said that about the Prophet. 'Ask yourself who benefits from your fear.'"
"Be careful, Gilderoy. I heard Rita Skeeter is vicious." Pandora looked concerned as she warned him because she had heard rumours about the journalist.
THE QUIBBLER — SPECIAL EDITION
THE TRUTH ABOUT HOGSMEADE: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GILDEROY LOCKHART
By Xenophilius Lovegood
Last week, the Wizarding world was shocked by the arrest of Gilderoy Lockhart, a seventh-year student at Hogwarts, following a brutal attack in Hogsmeade. The Daily Prophet ran a sensational story filled with anonymous sources and unsubstantiated claims. This publication believes in the truth, and so we sought it directly from the source.
I sat down with Gilderoy Lockhart in the Hogwarts library to hear his side of the story, the story the Prophet refused to print.
Xenophilius Lovegood: Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Gilderoy. Let us start at the beginning. What happened in Hogsmeade?
Gilderoy Lockhart: It was a normal day. We were shopping and enjoying ourselves, and then the attack happened. Masked wizards appeared out of nowhere and started casting curses at students. I defended them and fought back because that is what anyone would have done.
XL: The Prophet suggested you were somehow involved in the attack and that you were "performing" rather than defending.
GL: Performing? I was trying to stop children from being killed. The Prophet can believe what it wants, but the truth is that I was in the middle of a fight and casting spells to protect students and attack the masked wizards back.
XL: What about the Dark artifact? The Prophet claimed it was found in your robes.
GL: I had never seen that artifact before in my life because someone planted it on me during the chaos. The Aurors conveniently arrived the moment the attackers disappeared because they had a tip, they said, that led them straight to me. They searched me, found the artifact, and arrested me before I could even explain myself.
XL: And could you tell me about your trial?
GL: I was given a full-scale criminal trial just for defending students. I was tired, so I requested Veritaserum because I had nothing to hide. Under the truth potion, I answered every question honestly and was cleared of all charges. The Wizengamot found me not guilty.
XL: Yet the Daily Prophet has not printed this.
GL: The Prophet prints what it is told to print, but I am not interested in what they think of me. The people who know me know the truth, and that is enough.
XL: What would you say to those who believed the Prophet's story?
GL: I would say ask yourself who benefits from your fear. The next time you read a headline, ask who wrote it and why. The truth is usually simpler than the story they want you to believe.
XL: Thank you for your time, Gilderoy.
GL: Thank you for asking the right questions.
-
The article was accompanied by a photograph of Gilderoy taken in the library. By the time breakfast ended, the copies of The Quibbler had been read by most students, who looked uncomfortable. Others looked guilty, and a few had the decency to look ashamed.
Dumbledore rose from his seat at the staff table, and the hall fell silent.
"Before you all head to your classes," he said as his voice carried easily across the room, "I have an announcement to make. The Ministry has confirmed that Mr. Lockhart was cleared of all charges by the Wizengamot because he is innocent of the accusations made against him."
A murmur rippled through the hall, but Gilderoy kept his gaze fixed on his plate.
Dumbledore continued as his voice remained warm. "I would also like to thank Mr. Lockhart for his bravery during the Hogsmeade attack because he defended his fellow students without hesitation, and his actions likely saved lives. For that, Ravenclaw is awarded one hundred points."
The hall erupted into applause. It was not enthusiastic, but it was genuine. Gilderoy looked up and saw some of the students who had been staring at him with hostility a few days ago now looking at him with something closer to guilt.
Dumbledore smiled as a glint of amusement appeared in his eyes. "I would have awarded Mr. Lockhart an Order of Merlin, First Class, but I believe the Wizengamot has to make that decision."
A few students cheered, and Gilderoy recognised them as members of his United group and his Quidditch team. He had not needed the approval of the hall, but it was nice to have it all the same.
Xenophilius stood up with a smile and addressed everyone. "The Quibbler, three Galleons for three months, twelve Galleons for an annual subscription."
Damn, did I promote his business for free?
Some people from the far end of the hall stood up from their seats and intended to approach Xenophilius. Gilderoy stood up, looked directly at him, and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Did my roommate use my interview to boost his business?"
Xenophilius smirked. "He did."
Such cunning, Xenophilius. You would do well in Slytherin. But I will let this go as a gift.
"Well, you owe me one now."
"I did the interview for free, didn't I, Gilderoy?"
"Yeah, yeah, okay. We are getting late to class. Let us go."
The rest of the day passed quietly. Gilderoy attended his classes as usual, and the students who had once avoided him now seemed uncertain of how to act around him. They gave him guilty stares, but he ignored them because he had not needed their approval before, and he did not need it now.
In the afternoon, he made his way to the library for his revision session with Bathsheda. She was already there with her ink-stained fingers moving across her notebook while her dark hair escaped its loose knot. She looked up as he approached and set down her quill.
"How are you?" she asked. "With everything that happened?"
Gilderoy sat down across from her, gave her two chocolates, and pulled out his notes. "I am fine," he said. "I am completely fine."
Bathsheda studied him for a moment before she opened the chocolate bar and broke it in half, giving the other piece to Gilderoy.
He accepted it, and they both took a bite of their halves. The rich, velvety sweetness melted on their tongues as they closed their eyes and savoured the moment. The deep cocoa notes gave way to a subtle hint of caramel. They finished their chocolate in comfortable silence before Bathsheda cleaned both their hands with Lavare Manum, which seemed to be a cleaning spell because Gilderoy saw his hands get rid of all the chocolate.
She pushed a parchment toward him. "Now," she said. "Then let us get back to work because you have a month before the NEWTs, and you are still struggling with the context translations."
He laughed. "Is that your way of saying I am not as good as you?"
"That is my way of saying you are improving, but you still have a long way to go."
He picked up his quill and began to work. They spent the next hour reviewing Ancient Runes, and for a while, Gilderoy forgot about all that had happened. Now he was just a student studying for his exams, and there was something comforting in that because he was learning magic, not the nonsense taught in school back in his previous world that would not have been useful if he had studied further.
When the session ended, Bathsheda packed her things and gave him a small smile. "You are going to do fine," she said. "On the exam, I mean."
"Thank you. You can join study sessions sometimes because I do most of the time with Amy, Pandora, and Xenophilius," he said.
"Maybe I will." She nodded and stood up, bidding Gilderoy goodbye as she disappeared between the towering bookshelves.
Later that evening, Gilderoy met Amelia, Pandora, and Xeno in the library for a larger revision session. The room had transformed into a comfortable study space, with a large table in the centre and enough chairs for all of them.
Amelia spread her Potion notes across the table. Pandora and Xenophilius shared a Charms textbook. Gilderoy had his Potions notes in front of him.
They worked in comfortable silence for a while because each of them focused on their own subjects, but they occasionally paused to ask questions or discuss difficult concepts.
Amelia looked up from her notes. "How about we have our final United session before the exams start in a month? I think it is time."
Gilderoy nodded in agreement with her.
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