Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman [96]
Neville was completely out of breath by now, barely keeping up.
As they hurried, Bruce got a rough idea of what was going on.
The whole conflict had started over something… strange. Apparently, the two girls had been fighting over none other than that hack, Lockhart!
Was this a case of fangirls throwing down for love?
Bruce didn't get it.
They reached the hall soon enough, and Neville leaned out from behind Bruce, yelling, "Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"
But once they got inside, it became clear Neville's reaction had been overblown.
The two girls hadn't even started fighting.
In fact, it was quite the opposite; they were getting along quite nicely.
Hermione and Ravenna were seated side by side, surrounded by a stack of books—all of them Lockhart's works.
"You have to read this one!" Hermione insisted, holding up Magical Me and describing it with enthusiasm.
"Just look at these amazing feats! It's so hard to find someone else so perfect and yet so humble."
Ravenna seemed dazed, as though being exposed to some strange, new knowledge.
Weird, yet somehow hard to look away from.
Bruce felt a sudden urge to strangle someone.
He set Neville down, gritting his teeth as he asked, "Didn't you say they were about to duel?"
Neville looked equally bewildered.
"Something's not right!" he protested. "I swear I heard Hermione say, 'I'll show you once and for all!'"
"What's going on, then?" Bruce pressed.
Finally, Neville had enough breath to explain.
Apparently, a group of Ravenclaw girls had been studying together in the Great Hall and ended up chatting about Lockhart.
All of them had very positive things to say—except for Ravenna, who voiced her doubts.
The group debated for a while, but none of them could win an argument against Ravenna, and they all eventually gave up.
At that point, Hermione, who'd been eavesdropping nearby, couldn't hold back and jumped into the debate.
And then—
Well, that's where Neville lost track of things, since he'd bolted to get Bruce's help before the "situation" could get out of hand.
"Oh, Neville…"
Bruce didn't know what to say.
Just then, a cheerful voice sounded from behind them.
"Well, hello there! Did I hear someone mention my name?"
Bruce turned around to see Gilderoy Lockhart standing behind them.
He was dressed in a blue robe, his wizard's hat at a rakish angle, looking as charming as ever.
Lockhart flashed a dazzling smile as he looked over at Hermione and Ravenna.
"Ah, looks like I've gained another little fan. Wonderful! Miss Ravenna was rather critical of me before."
Bruce stole a glance at Lockhart, noting his completely composed expression, as if the recent events had never happened.
Was he pretending, or did he truly not care?
After a brief appearance, Lockhart quickly departed, seemingly satisfied that he'd won over another admirer.
Bruce found it baffling—he just couldn't wrap his head around Lockhart's mindset.
After Lockhart left, Kathoom settled on Bruce's shoulder.
"Did you notice something strange about him today?" the owl remarked.
"He smelled much stronger than usual, like he'd bathed in perfume."
Bruce gave Kathoom a puzzled look.
What did Lockhart's cologne have to do with anything?
"That was Divine Magic Cologne," Bruce said. "It's the kind usually worn by someone going on a date."
Magic colognes were essentially diluted potions.
Bruce even knew how to brew the one Lockhart was wearing.
"He's probably meeting someone tonight—it's got nothing to do with us."
Bruce wasn't surprised; while Lockhart was publicly single, it didn't mean he was truly unattached.
After all, most of his fans were female, and having a girlfriend wasn't something he'd likely announce.
Seeing that Hermione was busy and seemed fine, Bruce didn't bother greeting her and slipped away quietly.
For now, his top priority was practicing Transfiguration.
---
In the study room, the clock struck.
Bruce looked up at the wall clock; the hour hand was on 9.
Nine o'clock. Curfew.
He stretched and closed the book in front of him.
It was a Transfiguration textbook recommended by Dumbledore, covering the lives and achievements of famous Transfiguration masters. After reading it, Bruce felt he'd gained a much wider perspective.
"Wake up, Kathoom; it's time to go."
He gave the owl a gentle nudge. Kathoom, who'd dozed off on the desk and was even drooling, groggily flapped onto Bruce's shoulder, eyes still half-closed.
A night owl who fell asleep this easily—Kathoom was probably one of a kind.
Bruce didn't mind. Tucking the book under his arm, he left the study room and started toward the Hufflepuff common room.
The hallways were mostly deserted by now.
He moved forward, about to round a corner, when a shadow suddenly appeared and bumped into him.
He stopped short, narrowly avoiding a collision.
"Are you alright? Wait—oh, it's you?"
Bruce's greeting was polite at first but shifted to surprise when he recognized the other person.
Ravenna Royle—the same girl who'd been with Hermione that afternoon.
"You know me?" Ravenna looked up at him.
"Of course I do. Hogwarts isn't exactly a sprawling metropolis." Bruce frowned. "It's nearly curfew—what are you doing out here?"
"I… forgot something in the classroom. Just going to grab it and head right back," Ravenna replied quickly.
The excuse was flimsy, and Bruce knew she was lying.
But he didn't call her out.
If she wanted to sneak around, Filch would catch up with her eventually.
They passed each other in the hall, the clock now reading 9:10, and most of the hallway lights had dimmed.
Past his usual bedtime, Bruce was feeling drowsy.
His routine at Hogwarts had become consistent, and as he followed it now, a familiar sleepiness crept in.
Bruce quickened his pace. The Hufflepuff common room was just around the corner.
Suddenly, his foot caught on something, and he stumbled, barely catching his balance.
"What on earth…"
Bruce pulled out the Elder Wand and cast Lumos to light the area around him.
And in that moment, his drowsiness evaporated.
Gilderoy Lockhart.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—who was supposedly off on a date—was sprawled on the floor, completely motionless.
He wore a strange smile, one that lacked his usual sunny charm and instead looked almost… unsettling.
His breathing was steady, and the faint scent of magical cologne still lingered in the air.
The third victim had appeared!
Bruce tensed, taken aback by how quickly another attack had happened after Snape.
He had to alert the others immediately!
With his wand still glowing, he turned toward the headmaster's office.
He could scream—someone would hear and come right away.
But after a moment's thought, he decided against it.
He moved quickly down the hallway, the ticking of nearby clocks accompanying his steps.
The time showed as 11:10 p.m.
Wait—
Bruce froze, staring at the clock hands, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Eleven ten.
But the last time he'd checked, it was only a little past nine!
How had two hours disappeared in the blink of an eye?
"Kathoom! Kathoom!"
He shook the owl awake on his shoulder.
"What's the racket for?" grumbled the owl, still half-asleep. "We're not at the common room yet?"
"Forget the common room!"
Bruce seized the chance for a little payback, swatting at the owl with an open hand.
But Kathoom, eyes suddenly wide, darted into the air, leaving a faint blur behind him.
"Knew you'd try that one of these days!"
Kathoom's drowsiness was gone, replaced by irritation. "I knew you'd get your revenge eventually!"
"I don't have time for this!"
Bruce pointed to the clock, his voice urgent. "Didn't you notice? Somehow, two hours have just vanished!"
"Two hours?"
Kathoom glanced at the clock, noticing the anomaly.
"Well, I'll be!" the owl exclaimed. "I just closed my eyes for a little snooze, and two hours went by?"
When had he ever slept that soundly?
"That's not the point!"
Bruce's heart was racing.
He felt like something big was happening.
Lockhart still lay unconscious in the hallway, but that wasn't the most pressing issue.
The real problem was that he'd lost two full hours of time, with no memory of what had happened!
"We need to find Dumbledore!"
This time, Bruce wasn't planning to go it alone—letting the headmaster investigate first was the safest bet.
He knew the way to the headmaster's office well by now.
But he hadn't even reached his destination before he ran into the very people he was looking for.
Dumbledore stood in his nightclothes, with a robe draped over his shoulders. Beside him were Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, both looking as if they'd been ready for bed.
They were standing outside a door, trying to open it, but with little success.
"Bruce?"
Dumbledore spotted him and frowned. "What are you doing here? All students should be asleep by now."
"I came to tell you something," Bruce said calmly. "I was on my way back to the dorm, but something strange happened."
Dumbledore's frown deepened. "Bruce, would this 'strange' occurrence happen to involve a sudden two-hour jump on the clock?"
What?
Was he not the only one who'd experienced this?
Bruce didn't answer, but Dumbledore saw all he needed in his expression.
"It seems so."
Dumbledore sighed. "Bruce, it would be best if you returned to your dormitory now. What happens next is out of your hands."
"Did something happen?"
Bruce glanced at the door they were trying to open. "Does someone live in that room?"
"That's not for you to worry about, Bruce,"
Dumbledore replied gently. "It's time for you to rest."
Bruce hesitated a moment before saying, "Understood, Headmaster."
He turned and walked away without another word.
Kathoom, perched on his shoulder, whispered, "I think I know whose room that is."
"Yeah, I have a good guess too,"
Bruce replied.
It was obvious.
That room was where Godric Gryffindor was recovering!
---
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