Standoff

Gilderoy Lockhart - darling of ravenclaw tower - was tired of being pursued wherever he went by the annoying gryffindor who seemed to have caught his scent. Normally, Gilderoy didn’t mind being chased, especially by attractive older students, but the chase was starting to pose a problem to him. Of course, he could tell Pettigrew the truth. But no. No, that wouldn’t do. He could not expose the truth behind the cologne.

Gilderoy Lockhart was a star, or at least that was what his dear mother always told him growing up. He was both exceptionally talented and handsome, with wavy blond hair and deep blue eyes. His jawline was prominent and he made sure to angle his face in conversation so that this point was put to good use. When he smiled, his dimples would appear, giving him a youthful and boyish look that attracted many admirers. Because of his position as seeker on the ravenclaw quidditch team, he had a slightly more muscular build than most of his peers. But not too muscular either, as he still needed to look elegant.

Squinting at himself in the mirror, he painstakingly combed his hair back with his enchanted comb. It was a birthday gift from his mother that had served him well since he’d received it, during his second year at Hogwarts. The comb had been spelled to make sure that any hair it was used on would stay in place for twelve hours after use.

Finally getting his hair right, Gilderoy moved on to his eyebrows. Mondays were eyebrow-trimming days. On such days, Gilderoy awoke thirty-five minutes earlier than usual so that he would not be stressed and accidentally mess up his perfectly manicured appearance.

Right as he raised his eyebrow scissors to make the first cut, someone burst into the bathroom. It was a girl in his year with pale blonde hair and an even paler complexion. Pandora Lovegood stopped as she saw what he was doing.

“Good morning Gilderoy,” she smiled sleepily, “I seem to have misplaced my silver necklace.”

Gilderoy flashed her the smile that he’d spent weeks perfecting in the mirror that summer before school started.

“But Pandora, what are you doing in the boys dorm? No wait- how did you even get in here?!”

Pandora tucked her messy, sleep-tousled hair behind her ears and continued, “I dreamt of it last night. The necklace was here somewhere, in the boys dorm.”

He stiffened imperceptibly, before hastily getting his bearings back. Putting down the scissors, he gave the girl a placating smile.

“How about this? I’ll have a look around here while you have breakfast, and if I find the necklace I’ll hand it back to you during charms. Does that sound okay?”

Pandora gave him a knowing smile before nodding and turning back to the door.

“Thank you, Gilderoy.”

He watched her leave in the mirror, before quickly getting back to trimming his eyebrows, making sure they were perfect, he then checked his watch, not wanting to miss breakfast. He had fifteen minutes to make his way down to the great hall. That was plenty.

Gilderoy slipped back into his dorm, eyes roaming over the four beds, confirming his solitude before darting over to his chest drawer, inserting the key attached to a string strung around his neck. The lock gave an imperceptive click, allowing him to smoothly pull out the drawer, revealing a shiny silver necklace with small inlaid sapphires at even intervals.

Sighing, Gilderoy withdrew the necklace and dropped it into a beautiful navy silk pouch, which he proceeded to put in his pocket.

Unawares to many, Gilderoy Lockhart had an unfortunate affliction. Ever since he was young, he’d had problems with stealing. It was instinctive - if he saw something beautiful, he took it. His mother had noticed. Of course she had, he was her golden boy, how could she not? She dragged him around the country in search of a doctor that could help her tragic son. Eventually Gilderoy got so good at stealing that he no longer left any traces. This successfully deceived his mother into believing that her precious son was cured. He was not, in fact, cured.

His urges had only developed further when he arrived at Hogwarts. The castle was so vast that a disappearing item here and there was not entirely unusual. This opened many doors for the boy, causing his resistance to grow weaker and weaker, until he started stealing items belonging to students as well, one such item being Pandora’s necklace. He really had to get better at resisting his urges.

Before leaving the dorm, Gilderoy made a pit stop at his bedside table, picking up the cologne lying there and spraying some on himself.

He hurried down to the great hall for breakfast, almost running straight through the Grey Lady, who was floating idly past the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, humming an unknown tune.

When he arrived, the Great Hall was almost empty, only a few stragglers left, eating the last crumbs of their breakfast. Gilderoy walked over to the Ravenclaw table, dropping himself onto a chair next to a gangly boy with chestnut brown hair.

“Mornin’, Gil,” the boy mumbled through a mouthful of toast.

Gilderoy reached over, grabbing his own slice of toast, before replying, “Good morning Barty. You wouldn’t happen to have seen a gryffindor, about yea tall?” He lifted his hand, indicating a height similar to a house elf’s.

Barty Crouch Junior snorted, almost choking on the bite of toast he was chewing on.

“If you mean Pettigrew, that bastard, he’s already left.”

Gilderoy visibly relaxed, sinking more comfortably into his chair, “Oh thank Merlin! I’ve been dreading him all weekend,” he turned to face his classmate, “Did you know? He’s been trying to get a hold of me since last Sunday - chasing me all through school.”

Barty shook his head ruefully, “Some people just don’t know when to give up.”

Gilderoy nodded in agreement, pouring himself a glass of ice-cold pumpkin juice.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention, coming from behind. Fully prepared for a confrontation, he turned around, coming face-to-face with what seemed to be a first year, clutching a piece of parchment in his trembling hand.

Gilderoy eyed the boy suspiciously, searching his brain for a reason for this little child to approach him. Maybe he was an admirer?

His fantasies were shattered when the boy handed him the note and scuttled away as fast as his little legs could carry him. On the note, in a penmanship that was unfortunately quite familiar to Gilderoy, there was written only a few words:

I know where you sleep.

-P

Gilderoy glared down at the note. How Gryffindor of him to threaten me.

Barty read the note over his shoulder and couldn’t keep himself from bursting into laughter.

“Haaah, mate, you have to mess with him a bit. You know- to get him back.”

Gilderoy only snorted, transfiguring the piece of parchment into a butterfly, watching as it unsteadily fluttered up among the candles illuminating the Great Hall.