Harry stopped in front of his Head of House and began. "I am extremely sorry ma'am but if you are willing to listen, I wish to explain," Professor McGonagall. The Slytherins hooted in delighted amusement at his humiliation. When the stern Professor nodded silently, lips pressed tightly together, he continued, "We were already running late at Kings Cross Station and we could not cross the magical barrier there. We panicked and took Mr. Weasley's car hoping to catch the Hogwarts Express and get here on time. But the car went lopsided when we reached here and landed on the Whomping Willow."
"You say you could not cross the barrier, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "Could you elaborate?"
He did.
"You could have waited outside the barrier for some parent or staff to come back and sought their help," Lockhart said when the black-haired Wizard finished. He had followed the boy, dragging the other behind with a firm and painful grip on his arm. "You could have waited for Mr. Weasley to return, I'm sure he hadn't planned on staying at the train station all day. Or you could have owled your predicament to your Head of the House with your familiar, Hedwig, whom I see you had with you in the car.
"But no, that would have been smart. That would have been using you head for something other than a Bludger target. Instead, you stole Mr. Weasley's car. Instead, you flew straight ahead to Hogwarts, which by your elaborate and detailed tale you didn't know the way to. You could have killed yourselves or put someone in grave jeopardy. You understand that, boy?" This struck a nerve in Harry. The emotions the new D.A.D.A. professor brought up by sounding exactly like his Uncle Vernon, right down to that detestable tone, were devastating And, by his expression, Gilderoy let the boy know he knew just how devastating his tone had been. "Not to mention breaking the Statute of Secrecy and wasting hours of Ministry time as the Obliviators try to correct your dunderheaded error, boy." Professor Snape appeared startled, and then pleased, at the use of his favourite epitaph.
"I understand that now, sir," Harry said, visibly controlling his anger. "I am very sorry for any disturbance I, we, may have created. I also apologize for causing you, or anyone else, any trouble over this. I'm sorry, sir. Very sorry. I shan't do it again."
"I say what you did was very foolish of you, boy," Lockhart continued in the same grating "Uncle Vernon" tone.
The blonde-haired professor struggled to keep his face stern. It was clear from Harry's expression that no matter how angry he got and no matter how much he wished to punch straight through Lockhart's face, he was going to hold his temper and behave as he behaved with his uncle. He had unfortunately learned that lesson early in his childhood. "Then, yes sir, I am very foolish. I'm sorry, sir, I will try to do better. I am willing to take any punishment for my foolish act," he replied.
The professor smiled at hearing this. He beamed at the boy and looked up across the many students in the Great Hall. He said, "All learning begins when one accepts one is foolish. Especially as a child. It requires a good amount of thought and understanding of oneself to accept that. And for this understanding, you receive ten points. Given that you have no proper background in magical ways and yet you are quick to realize you're wrong and promptly apologized appropriately, I award ten more points. Approaching staff and teachers without any prevaricating or complaint when required in a situation such as this is also a good trait. For that, you receive ten more points. It takes a good amount of courage to admit one's wrongdoing in front of a gathering of your peers despite the fear of them mocking you for doing what is right, ten more points. For excellent presence of mind while on the Whomping Willow, I award you ten more. In addition, I reduce the original one-hundred point penalty to fifty," Lockhart finished, leaving everybody awestruck.
The smarter students had worked out that that meant Harry Potter had cost his House no points at all! Smiles were breaking out across the Gryffindor table.
Neither the students nor the teachers knew what was happening. Dumbledore usually took or awarded points for such misdeeds or accomplishments when in the Great Hall. This new professor not only had taken two hundred points, but also readily awarded fifty. Before the mass of students and professors could recover, Ron indignantly cried out, "Hey, I drove the car. Shouldn't I be awarded some points?"
With a smirk, Lockhart turned to the boy. "I don't assume you have a valid Muggle Driver's License, do you?" At the boy's blank look, he continued, "And yet you had the audacity to take one of your father's projects, misuse it badly, and put another student's life in hazard while breaking numerous laws which you, as a Pureblood, should be well aware of!
"And I had to drag you to the Headmaster's Table where you still haven't apologized for your irresponsible and poorly planned conduct. The original one-hundred points stand, your detention starts Monday next." And, conveniently, the night after Harry finished his last detention. Keeping the boys separated and preventing Ron from holding Harry back intellectually, romantically, and socially, was one of Lockhart's goals.
"And for both of you, your parents will be notified."
Ron stared at him, face white in shock and appalled that his ploy for points had backfired. Before he could say anything, though, Gilderoy turned him sideways and gave him a slight nudge towards the Gryffindor table. He caught the eye of the nearby sixth year, Percy, who had followed them up to the Headmaster's Table, "Here, take this fool and try to keep him out of trouble for the rest of the evening."
Lockhart turned back to Harry and nodded his head towards Hermione, "Go sit with your friend," he said softly, giving the boy his best 'I understand and forgive you, I know you didn't do it on purpose,' smile. "I think she was worried about you," he added in an undertone only Harry could hear. The hall watched in silence as Ron's older brother escorted the sullen boy to a spot at the Gryffindor Table while a relieved Harry quickly headed over to his anxious female friend.
"Now that our new Defence Against Dark Arts professor, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, has completed the task of awarding and removing points . . . ," Dumbledore announced, eyes twinkling.
At the confirmation of their suspicions about the Wizard's presence at the school — the Weasley twins had been guessing — the female students in Hogwarts' Great Hall sighed loudly. The male students, not nearly as happy, groaned — indeed, many showed faces of disgust.