209) First day of the second year

My clone met Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, Hannah, and Susan on the way to Herbology class. They were all surprised to find out I'd be attending with them. Hannah was talking about what she had learned about the students at Castelobruxo. She had been asking questions about their school because, as someone going there in a few months, she wanted to be prepared. She told us everything she had found out, and we agreed to meet later to chat more in-depth.

Upon arriving at the greenhouses, we found Professor Sprout, who didn't have her usual pleasant expression, but rather a clear look of displeasure. She was covered in large bandages and various healing items, and standing behind her was Lockhart, with his characteristic dazzling smile, which contrasted with our professor's appearance. Lockhart wore a shiny, eye-catching, immaculate robe, while Sprout was covered in soil from head to toe.

"Hello, everyone!" greeted Lockhart, flashing his usual smile at the group of students. "I was just explaining to Professor Sprout how to heal a Whomping Willow. But I don't want you to think I know more than her in botany! It's just that on my travels, I've encountered many exotic species like this one, and…"

"We'll be going to Greenhouse 3 today, everyone!" Professor Sprout interrupted abruptly, clearly irritated, which was unusual for her.

We entered the greenhouse, leaving Lockhart behind, who held Harry back to chat with him a bit more. Honestly, I never paid much attention to Lockhart, and I barely even remember his presentation the day before. What I did notice were the expressions on my friends' faces. Unaware of Lockhart's true nature, they admired him for his supposed feats. Not all of them were equally impressed: Susan didn't show much interest, and while they weren't all-out fans, each had a different level of admiration. Hermione, of course, was the most enthusiastic.

"Today, we'll be replanting mandrakes. Now, who can tell me the properties of mandrakes?" Professor Sprout began the lesson.

The class was fairly routine. As expected, Hermione answered like an encyclopedia. For me, it was easy; I had worked with mandrakes and other dangerous plants before. At the [fief], farms could produce considerably if they were updated, and my clones had saved me from many deaths that any novice would have suffered. It's funny—and a bit terrifying—to see a clone explode like a balloon when it hears the scream of a mature mandrake.

It was time to put on earmuffs, and I managed to get the ones I wanted: pink and fluffy. A simple cleaning spell and they were ready to use. The others laughed, but I didn't mind; I had style, and they didn't.

The class was organized in groups of four, but I worked alone with Hannah and Neville. Professor Sprout gave us special attention, sharing more advanced knowledge than what she was giving the others. She took her time with the other groups but came back to us whenever she had a chance.

Our group stood out in skill. Hannah and Neville had a great talent for Herbology and they liked the subject, so they used to study a lot about it. As for me, I had experience and skills that helped. Applying a simple [Calm] spell to the plant allowed me to control its resistance to transplanting, something the other students were struggling with. I could also drain its vitality to weaken it, though that could harm the plants, so I avoided it unless absolutely necessary. I've experimented a lot with mandrakes, and I even have canned mandrake juices stored in the [fief].

Professor Sprout was delighted with our work and especially pleased that those representing Hogwarts in South America had skill in Herbology. That meant she assigned us more work after we quickly finished our initial tasks, giving us other plants from the greenhouse to work with. The other students looked at us with a mix of envy and relief: envy for our skills and the opportunity to travel, and relief that they weren't the ones getting all the extra work.

...

We finished the Herbology class sweaty and covered in soil and fertilizer. Our group gathered for me to cast cleaning spells on each of them, and soon they started debating over me teaching them those spells during our sessions in 'the hideout.'

We had another class after that before lunch. I don't have trouble with any subject in particular, except maybe History of Magic, but the rest are fine. During lunch, I spent some time with my sister, who had been talking more and more with the Slytherin girls lately and was giving me strange looks, as if something was bothering her. I would have liked to find out what was going on, but I was called over by the professors.

At the teachers' table, they introduced me to the visiting Brazilian professor. His name was Matheus… something. I didn't catch the last name well, especially since, although he spoke good English, he occasionally threw in Portuguese words. Great, another language to add to my learning list.

Our conversation was interrupted when Lockhart showed up to brag about his achievements to the foreign professor. It was awkward for both me and the other professors. Although the Brazilian professor was polite with Lockhart, since he was unaware of the reality, he seemed impressed. Since Lockhart's books weren't popular in Latin America, he didn't know him, but his boastful attitude and apparent recognition made him believe he was in the presence of a great wizard.

After lunch, we had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherin and Gryffindor students. I walked alongside Hermione, who wouldn't stop praising the professor, and every word put me in a worse mood. At that moment, I wondered if I should kill Lockhart or teach Hermione a lesson… in some sneaky way. It's strange—at another time, I would have already done something, but since learning of my parenthood, I've been trying to change my attitude toward certain things. I have a lot on my mind now, and while my patience has limits, I've learned to control myself more.

We sat in our seats. Hermione, of course, wanted to sit in the front row, but I convinced her to stay next to me, near the back. I suppose being her boyfriend has its perks because, though she disagreed, she complied. Not long after, Lockhart entered the classroom with his usual air of smugness, walking as if he were a peacock.

"I," he said, pointing to his own photo and winking, "am Gilderoy Lockhart, Knight of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. But I don't want to talk about that! It wasn't my smile that saved me from the banshee predicting death."

He waited for everyone to laugh, but only a few awkward chuckles followed.

"I see you've all bought my complete works. Well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Don't worry, it's just to see if you've read them thoroughly, how much you've absorbed..."

He started handing out the quizzes to the front tables, and they were passed back. We were among the last to receive ours, causing Hermione to look at me reproachfully, but I ignored her completely.

"You have thirty minutes. You may begin... now!"

The quiz was absurd, or funny, depending on how you looked at it.

[1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?]

There wasn't much I could do. I knew the answers to the first two questions and could maybe guess a few others just by knowing the plot. But I wasn't sure whether to leave the quiz blank, make up something funny, or doodle on the page. Meanwhile, Hermione next to me never let go of her quill, filling out each answer with complete dedication.

I glanced at her sideways, a bit resentful, not paying any attention to my own quiz. I was waiting to see if she would stop, noticing my gaze, or if she would keep writing. Depending on her reaction, there might be different consequences. What I didn't expect was that she would never look up to meet my eyes.

"Well, well. Very few of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac, as I mention in A Year with the Yeti. And it seems some of you will need to reread Wandering with Werewolves, as I clarify in Chapter Twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between magical and non-magical communities, though I wouldn't say no to a magnum bottle of aged Ogden's whiskey!" said Lockhart, flipping through the exams at that moment. "...but Miss Hermione Granger does know my secret ambition: to rid the world of evil and market my own line of hair care products! Good girl! In fact, perfect. Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

Hermione raised her hand excitedly, and I decided it was time to make some things clear to her.

"Excellent!" Lockhart exclaimed, smiling. "Ten points for Gryffindor! And as for..."

While Lockhart kept talking, I took Hermione's hand and pulled her towards me, making her turn around with a startled expression when she saw my angry face.

"Hermione," I said seriously.

"Y-yes?" She swallowed nervously.

"I don't like it," I said coldly.

"W-what don't you like?" she asked, puzzled.

"Your admiration for Lockhart. For him or any other man. I'm your boyfriend, aren't I?" I asked, staring at her with a penetrating, intimidating gaze.

"Yes... but that has nothing to do with this..." she began, but I interrupted.

"If I'm your boyfriend, don't you think it's a bit... forgive the word... bitchy?" I said bluntly.

"What?!" she whispered, offended by my choice of words.

"You don't realize how you look at him. Do you think I like seeing my girl starry-eyed over another man?"

"I... I just admire Lockhart for his achievements," she replied, more confidently, almost defiantly.

"Tell that to your mother. But let me make it clear, Hermione: I'm possessive. I don't let anyone touch what's mine. You're my girlfriend, and I don't want to see you fawning over that idiot. You can read his books, but you'd better control those feelings... no, eliminate them."

"I don't have any feelings for him..." she tried to argue, clearly nervous and upset by my tone.

"I'm warning you," I said as I leaned in closer, whispering in her ear and wrapping my arm around her waist. "You know what I'm capable of if I don't get your attention. If I can't get it naturally, I'll have to find another way to get it."

Hermione froze, her face completely red. She knew what I was capable of, and although she tried to hide it, she was embarrassed and fearful of what I might do. She imagined many things, not all of them decent, about the methods I might use to secure her attention.

For a while, Hermione was lost in her thoughts, while Lockhart revealed a cage covered by a cloth. He presented the Cornish pixies with his usual exaggeration, making the students laugh. However, his confidence quickly faded when he released them, and chaos ensued.

Those little blue devils attacked everyone but our group. I released a small portion of my aggressive aura, just enough to keep them away out of fear. Lockhart, unable to control them, ended up hiding with several of the students. When the bell rang, he fled the classroom, leaving the mess for those of us who stayed to handle.

With a simple full release of my aura and a spell, I incapacitated the pixies effortlessly. I didn't stay in the classroom; I had to prepare some things in the hideout. Before leaving, I gave Hermione a light, gentle slap on the backside. She gave a little jump, completely surprised and blushing like a tomato.

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1st Additional Chapter

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