“Excuse me, let me through!”
Bruce pushed his way through the crowd, finally glimpsing the scene at the center.
His heart sank.
A female student lay unconscious with closed eyes, her fate uncertain. Professor McGonagall had already arrived and was holding the girl gently.
Bruce recognized her—she was a fellow Gryffindor in his year, a lively girl named…
“Lavender Brown,” murmured Kathoom.
A cheerful girl who often expressed herself with big gestures, she possessed a youthful innocence and whimsy.
Next to her, someone was crying—Lavender’s friend, Parvati Patil.
“We were only apart for a moment!” Parvati sobbed. “We were just talking, and she said she…she likes someone.”
Bruce silently studied Lavender on the ground.
She lay there with her eyes closed, breathing steadily, a faint smile on her lips—serene yet unsettling.
She looked more like she was asleep than attacked, but Professor McGonagall had already tried every spell she knew, unable to wake her from the slumber.
At that moment, Dumbledore arrived, flanked by several professors—Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, among others. Notably, Lockhart was absent, as he tended to avoid such serious situations.
The crowd parted, allowing the teachers to approach.
“Minerva, let me take a look.”
Dumbledore knelt down, murmuring a series of strange incantations while tapping Lavender with his wand. Nothing happened.
Lavender’s eyes remained closed, with no sign of waking.
“A very powerful sleep curse.”
Dumbledore’s gaze flickered, and he straightened. “But there’s no need to worry. I know how to resolve this—though it will take some time.”
The crowd sighed in relief, reassured by their wise and experienced headmaster.
Kathoom whispered in Bruce’s ear—
“Dumbledore doesn’t actually have a solution. He’s just trying to keep everyone calm.”
“I can tell.”
Bruce replied in a low voice.
What kind of curse was this that even Dumbledore couldn’t break?
He raised his eyes, looking at the writing on the wall above—The Chamber of Ravenclaw has been opened.
It was only then that he noticed a smaller line beneath it, partially hidden by the crowd earlier.
The Fool Shall Find No Release.
The Fool? No release?
In that instant, an idea flashed through Bruce’s mind.
For some reason, he suddenly recalled the Defense Against the Dark Arts class that morning and Lockhart’s series of riddles—
“What is impossible to attain, yet impossible to relinquish? In my view, anyone who obsesses like that is just a fool…
“Most people live enslaved by their own obsessions…
“If you ever feel lost, just remember my smile…”
A smile!
Bruce turned sharply to Lavender’s face, taking in that eerie, faint smile on her lips.
With a sudden, powerful realization, his mind cleared.
Lockhart was involved!
—
With Kathoom at his side, Bruce strode down the third-floor corridor toward Lockhart’s office.
He knocked on the door. No answer.
“Alohomora!”
He cast the unlocking spell and pushed the door open.
Lockhart was pacing inside, visibly agitated.
At the sound of the door, he jumped. His expression shifted from relief to anger as he recognized Bruce.
“Mr. Wayne, this behavior is highly improper!”
“I knocked.”
Bruce closed the door behind him.
“Professor, I have a question for you.”
Drawing his Elder Wand, Bruce advanced step by step toward Lockhart. “I hope you’ll answer honestly—let’s be candid with each other.
“Also, just so you know, I’ve cast numerous defensive and counter spells on myself before coming in here—enough to withstand several attacks.”
He added, “And if you try anything, Dumbledore will be alerted instantly!”
Lockhart was visibly struggling to keep his composure, forcing a smile as he replied, “Why on earth would I attack you?”
But he was already raising his wand, trembling.
“Expelliarmus!”
Bruce disarmed him before he could make a move.
Lockhart shrieked, crouching down and shivering in terror.
“Please, no! Don’t! Not the Cruciatus Curse!”
Bruce’s expression shifted slightly.
Seriously?
Had he mistaken his target?
And why was Lockhart’s first assumption that Bruce would use the Cruciatus Curse?
Had he been tortured by it before?
Bruce grabbed him by the collar, pressing his Elder Wand to Lockhart’s throat—
“Seems like you have a guilty conscience.”
“I don’t! I’m innocent, I swear!”
Tears welled up in Lockhart’s eyes. “I know something happened, but I had nothing to do with it! I’m a victim too!”
Bruce pressed the wand deeper against his throat. “Explain. Now.”
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!”
Lockhart surrendered immediately, collapsing to the floor, babbling—
“I truly don’t know anything! You’re only after me because of what I said in class, right? You’re smart, but you’re focusing on the wrong things!
“Those weren’t even my words! Someone else taught me to say them. I’ll show you, I’ll show you the evidence!”
Lockhart stumbled over to his desk, reaching for a drawer.
Bruce stopped him, instead using an unlocking spell himself to open it.
Throughout, he kept Lockhart in his line of sight to guard against any traps.
Fortunately, there were none. Inside, he found a stack of parchment, the top sheet covered in the exact phrases Lockhart had used in class.
“Who taught you to say these things?” Bruce demanded.
“I have no idea!”
Lockhart was near hysterical. “As soon as I accepted the teaching position, a person broke into my house.
“They were wearing a black cloak, and I couldn’t even tell if they were male or female!”
“They took my wand and gave me a beating! If I hadn’t protected my face, my good looks would’ve been ruined!”
Lockhart grew increasingly distressed, his voice rising to a wail.
“They even used the Cruciatus Curse on me, forcing me to say those exact words!”
Watching him, Bruce felt a hint of sympathy. He began to believe that Lockhart might be telling the truth.
It wasn’t that Lockhart’s story was particularly airtight; it was his demeanor.
He looked genuinely pitiful. If this was an act, he deserved an award.
“So you’re really not responsible?”
Bruce lowered his wand.
“I swear, it wasn’t me! I’m not a bad person! If that person ever appears again, I’ll tell you right away.”
Alright.
Bruce withdrew his wand, deciding to let Lockhart off the hook for now.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
He left with that parting remark, slamming the door as he exited.
Just then—
Lockhart slowly stood, a cold smile creeping onto his face.
“So he bought it? Believes I’m innocent?”
He sneered, “Kids really are so easy to fool!”
BAM—
The door burst open again, and Bruce stormed back in, wand raised.
“Lockhart! I knew you were lying—caught you this time, didn’t I?”
Without hesitation, Lockhart let out a sigh, lifted his hands, and dropped to his knees.
“Sorry! I was wrong!”
—
T/N: Fucking dumbass
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