The Great Hall – After Lunch
Lockhart sat at the far right end of the staff table, folding his napkin beside his empty plate and gently wiping his hands. To his left, Professor Flitwick spoke quietly with Professor Sprout, while Professor McGonagall sipped her tea silently, her eyes following the scattered students.
As Lockhart pushed back his chair to stand, Flitwick quickly turned to him and said softly,"Professor Lockhart! Just a moment, please."
Lockhart stopped and smiled briefly."Yes, Professor Flitwick?"
McGonagall looked up over her glasses at them, saying nothing.
Flitwick hesitated for a moment, then waved his small hand."I thought we might go to Hogsmeade for a bit. A quiet session at The Three Broomsticks... It would be nice if you joined us."
McGonagall spoke firmly but quietly,"Your company would be better."
Sprout added calmly as she adjusted her green scarf,"And a warm butterbeer won't hurt."
Lockhart looked at them for a moment, then nodded in agreement."Sounds like a good idea."
Flitwick smiled and said lightly,"Then we'll meet by the gate in a few minutes."
McGonagall raised her cup once more, her voice steady,"Five minutes, no more."
Less than ten minutes later, they were walking together through the paved streets of Hogsmeade. Patches of melting snow gathered along the road edges, and small stone houses puffed smoke from their chimneys. The scent of warm bread mixed with sweet apples from a nearby stall.
Flitwick walked with quick, short steps beside Lockhart, occasionally looking up to match his height."Believe me, Professor Lockhart... I don't think I've ever seen you here before. You rarely leave the castle, do you?"
Lockhart smiled quietly."I never found the time."
Flitwick shook his head with amusement, then turned to Pomona on the other side."I think I personally wasted half my pocket money here when I was a student."
Pomona chuckled softly."You bought all the sweets at once, Flitwick?"
He spread his small hands."Almost... I wasn't the only one!"
McGonagall sighed softly but said nothing, watching the younger students rushing past with small bags of sweets or warm cakes.
Lockhart looked around slowly."The village seems quieter than I expected."
Flitwick answered quickly,"Hogsmeade is only quiet to those who don't know it well... During holidays, it gets louder than the castle itself."
Pomona added as she adjusted her gloves,"And at the end of term, half the students are here instead of their classrooms."
McGonagall spoke steadily, looking ahead,"At least here they don't hide behind statues or secret passages."
Flitwick laughed softly, waving his wand toward a narrow alley."You think they don't know the passages here as well?"
The four exchanged quick glances, as if they all knew the truth but said nothing.
Lockhart shook his head with a faint smile, then turned to Flitwick in a calm voice."By the way... just 'Gilderoy', Professor."
Flitwick paused a moment, then laughed."Then call me 'Filius'!"
Pomona looked at him simply."And I'm Pomona."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow without changing her tone."Minerva will do."
The four smiled quietly without another word, and their steps slowed slightly amid the sounds of students and the cold wind.
Flitwick pointed his wand toward a side alley with an old wooden door and a chimney sending out the warm scent of butterbeer."Ready for your first butterbeer, Gilderoy?"
Lockhart responded with a short smile,"Ready, Filius."
Pomona pulled off one glove."You won't regret it."
McGonagall opened the door without a word, and the cold Hogsmeade air mixed with the warmth of The Three Broomsticks and the soft laughter drifting inside, along with the smell of warm butterbeer.
Inside The Three Broomsticks
They pushed open the heavy wooden door together, and the cold air slipped in before Flitwick closed it quickly behind them. The scent of warm butterbeer and sweet spices greeted them, along with the tapping of wooden mugs on tables amid muffled laughs and scattered conversations.
Madam Rosmerta looked up from behind the wooden bar when she spotted them, smiling broadly as she wiped her hands on a white cloth."Welcome, Professor McGonagall! Professor Flitwick! Professor Sprout! What a rare sight to see you all together. Haven't seen you in here like this for a long time."
Flitwick stepped forward cheerfully,"We thought a change of air might do us good, Madam Rosmerta."
Pomona nodded, removing her gloves,"And your butterbeer is the best reason to come."
McGonagall stood behind them as usual, nodding slightly."A quiet table please, Rosmerta."
Rosmerta turned to Lockhart, who simply gave a slight smile. She said with friendly curiosity,"And this is a new guest, oh! Professor Lockhart! I thought you never left the castle."
Flitwick chuckled softly, looking at Lockhart,"We managed to get him out tonight."
Rosmerta smiled wider and pointed to a cozy corner by the fireplace."Then your favorite spot it is. Warmer and less crowded. Sit down, and I'll bring you four butterbeers right away."
Pomona thanked her and gestured toward the table Rosmerta had chosen. The four walked slowly through the warm tavern hall, some patrons glanced briefly at them before returning to their conversations.
Flitwick sat first, followed by Lockhart, then Pomona, and finally McGonagall at the end, near the stone wall that radiated some warmth.
Flitwick rested his arms on the table and smiled at Lockhart,"I think you'll regret being away all these years."
Lockhart replied quietly, looking at the fireplace,"Maybe…"
Pomona looked out the small window at the snow piled on the roofs and whispered,"Nothing beats Hogsmeade in winter."
McGonagall simply removed her glove slowly, saying without turning,"The important thing is not to be late."
At that moment, Rosmerta appeared carrying a small tray with four steaming mugs. She approached them with her usual smile,"Here's your butterbeer, just how you like it."
They placed the mugs in front of them, and the sweet steam rose into the warm tavern air. Flitwick raised his small hands around his mug and smiled."To your first visit, Gilderoy!"
Lockhart smiled faintly, raising his mug in return,"And to good company."
They all took sips, then Pomona leaned back and said,"How was your last class, Minerva? I heard the third years caused some trouble."
Minerva answered in a steady tone without smiling,"'Trouble' is a kind word. If anyone tries turning a rat into a cup again, I'll give them extra detention every evening."
Flitwick chuckled lightly, glancing at Lockhart,"As for me, I'm fairly satisfied. I had two first years surprise me this week... one is too quiet, the other never stops talking."
Pomona laughed,"I like the students who don't keep quiet; they remind me of some greenhouse plants that never let you forget they're there."
They all looked at Lockhart, who remained silent for a moment. Pomona smiled and asked,"And you, Gilderoy, how were your classes?"
Lockhart stirred his mug slightly and said,"Fairly good. Some are a bit too curious, but curiosity isn't always a bad thing."
Flitwick raised a small brow and asked,"Do you have favorite students yet?"
Lockhart gave a brief smile,"Not yet. I'm still watching."
Flitwick leaned back, then placed his small hat beside him and laughed while looking at the fire."And now... if each of us could change one thing about the castle, what would it be?"
Minerva rested her mug on the table seriously,"I would remove all the secret passages."
Flitwick raised his eyebrows and smiled,"Why deprive the students of their little adventures?"
She answered firmly,"Because those little adventures waste my time and Filch's, and end with them stuck in places no one should reach."
Pomona laughed,"Sometimes I wish I could go on an adventure in a secret passage, just to see what they find there!"
Minerva sighed and shook her head,"You'll find only dust or old chewing gum, but the students don't believe that."
Flitwick looked at Pomona and asked,"And you, Pomona, what would you wish for?"
She smiled, bringing her mug closer to her lips,"If it were up to me, I'd put the kitchens next to the Great Hall. Those long stairs waste the students' and house-elves' time."
Flitwick laughed, nodding,"You're right! Sometimes I feel sorry for the house-elves more than the students."
Minerva asked lightly serious,"And you, Flitwick? What would you choose?"
He answered, waving his small hand in the air,"Bigger fireplaces in every tower. We're tired of cold noses!"
Minerva said practically,"And what about excuses? Students will just sit there sleeping near them and neglect their lessons."
He laughed,"I wouldn't mind if they sleep warm!"
Flitwick turned to Lockhart and said,"You're last, Gilderoy. What would you change if you could?"
Lockhart hesitated a moment, folding his hands on the table and said quietly,"I don't think I'd add anything to the castle."
Pomona and Minerva exchanged a quick glance, then Pomona teased lightly,"Not even a private wing just for yourself away from the students?"
He answered with a brief smile,"I'd rather stay among them, at least for now."
Flitwick leaned slightly and said quietly with a faint slyness,"So what about sharing a wing with someone? Haven't you ever thought about marriage, Gilderoy?"
Lockhart looked at him without answering directly. He put down his mug on the table and said calmly,"I never found the right time. And things didn't go as I expected."
Minerva remarked with curious tone,"But you never once said you're attached or even tried to be."
He said more quietly, as if choosing his words carefully,"Maybe because I never found exactly what I wanted. And because my life changed years ago."
Pomona leaned forward slightly and asked,"How did it change?"
Lockhart ran his fingers along the rim of his mug and said,"About ten years ago, I adopted a small child."
Surprise showed clearly on Flitwick's face, while Minerva raised an eyebrow silently. Pomona's tone softened warmly,"Really?"
Lockhart nodded firmly,"He was 2 years old then. He's twelve now."
Flitwick said lightly to ease the surprise,"And carries your name, of course?"
Lockhart smiled faintly,"His name is Tom... and his middle name is 'Nouvelle Aube'... which means 'New Beginning' in French — so I was told. His surname, of course, is Lockhart."
Why didn't he attend Hogwarts? Filtwick asked.
He had a problem with his innate magic.
The three exchanged quick glances. Flitwick leaned forward slightly and said with quiet curiosity,"May I ask... what was the problem exactly? I'm no doctor, but if it's magical-related, I might be able to help."
Lockhart sighed softly, then moved his mug between his hands and said,"I appreciate your concern, Filius, truly. But the problem is mostly resolved, and if the Headmaster agrees, Tom will be coming to Hogwarts soon, joining the second year."
The three exchanged quick looks, while Lockhart continued quietly,"As for the problem... it was that his magical talents — the Parseltongue — appeared very early. Along with it came a lot of accidental magic. Worse, sometimes he completely forgets English... and starts whispering in hissed sounds."
A short silence fell over the table. Minerva gently put down her mug and looked at him for a long moment,"Parseltongue... so, a Slytherin bloodline."
Flitwick said slowly, as if recalling an old fact,"Not many in Britain possess that ability. It's always been linked to Slytherin's heirs."
Pomona raised an eyebrow, her voice cautious,"Or those who claim a distant kinship."
Lockhart shrugged slightly and asked quietly, almost neutrally,"Why Slytherin? Why not say India, for example? There are quite a few who speak Parseltongue there as well."
Minerva replied, adjusting her cloak's collar,"That's true, in the East there are magical families who inherit the gift, but here in Britain it's very rare. All the stories passed down through centuries link it to Slytherin's line or those who follow his path."
Flitwick added calmly,"Parseltongue is tied to the old image of Slytherin: pureblood, power over others, and sometimes dark magic. Not a fault in itself, but it always raises questions."
Lockhart looked at their mugs and said firmly, as if concluding,"Anyway... Tom is just a young boy who needs a safe place to continue what he started. If the Headmaster agrees, he'll come soon... and learn to use what he has better."
Pomona nodded lightly, speaking with her usual practical tone,"He'll be fine here... under all our watchful eyes."
Flitwick raised his mug again with a small smile, easing the weight of the moment,"To Tom... and to every new beginning."
They clinked their mugs softly, while Lockhart paused for a moment staring at the fire, watching the sparks... as if he could hear the hissing again in his mind alone.
Pomona smiled softly and said,"I hope he finds the new beginning you wished for him truly."
A short silence settled between them before Flitwick raised his mug again,"To Tom... and to the new beginning."
They raised their mugs together once more, and as they sipped, Lockhart stared into the fire, a faint smile playing on his lips unnoticed by anyone.
Lockhart thought quietly to himself,"To my dear son... I hadn't planned this conversation tonight, but that doesn't mean I won't make use of it."
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