Khaos

Let it be mentioned that Natrix was an extremely good judge of character, or rather her instincts were.

Gilderoy Lockhart was someone who, from the first second Natrix saw him, she immediately did not like. He was narcissistic, full of himself, a fame seeker, and creeped her out quite a bit. The first class that she’d had with him had been a disaster. He’d quizzed them on all of his books, entire life story, and anything else about him that he could have possibly thought of. The second the werewolf question came up on the test, the question being, “Which spell did I use to turn a werewolf back to his human form?” She immediately knew he was a fraud.
She also threw her copy of “Wanderings with Werewolves” at him the second he was in range, gaining herself a detention with him. There was one thing she hated more than misinformation from frauds, and it was misinformation about werewolves being put out that could result in them getting worse living situations and more inhumane laws put on them.

It was safe to say that Natrix hated Gilderoy Lockhart with a passion. It was also safe to say that Professor Flitwick had been concerned when he found out she’d thrown a book at Lockhart. Filius knew that violence wasn’t usually something she would immediately resort to.

Of course, there had been the tidbit that Hannah had known immediately that he was a fraud the second Natrix had thrown that book at him. There was also the tidbit that Hannah had tried to get detention alongside Natrix but had ended up being told she’d be getting detention with Professor Flitwick instead.

Hannah had muttered something about telling Flitwick about the situation and Natrix knew that she would most likely gain another detention during the detention because she wouldn’t be able to hold back her hatred for what Lockhart had possibly done to so many different creatures that already lived under inhumane laws.

Of course, that was all in the past, now it was the present. A week after Natrix had thrown the book at Lockhart. Hannah was in detention with Filius at the moment and Natrix was at the door to Lockhart’s office. She didn’t want to knock because her instincts were telling her to turn around right then and go straight to the charms classroom, where Filius was undoubtedly scolding Hannah about the destruction of property when there were witnesses. Filius would probably lightly scold her about throwing a book at a professor's face, but would undoubtedly understand the second he knew why she’d done it.

Natrix rotated her cane in her hand before knocking despite everything inside her telling her not to. She immediately wished she’d listened to her instincts the second Lockhart opened the door. He was still in his teaching robes and had a clearly fake publicity smile on his face. A smile with too many teeth to be natural.

He nearly dragged her into his office and to his desk, where another chair had been set next to his own chair. He told her to sit and went over to a box on a shelf, pulling it down and bringing it to the desk. He also sat down and pulled out two quills and a pot of periwinkle ink before saying, “You’ll be helping me answer my fan mail because you have such lovely handwriting!” Natrix thought that was weird and the feeling in the pit of her stomach just got worse as he split a pile of letters in half, handing her one half of them. He outlined how she would be writing the letters, starting with “Dear *insert name here*” and ending with “Sincerely, Gilderoy Lockhart” for every single one.

It only took three letters for her to realize why she felt uneasy. Because that was when he kicked her cane over, sending it across the room. Her heart dropped when he did it, but felt as though it would be stupid of her to say anything about it. She felt a tad nauseous when his hand rested on her knee before he asked, “Miss Nightlock, why did you throw that book at me?”
She bit her tongue before saying as politely as possible, “Well, sir, there is no spell that reverts a werewolf back to their human form on a full moon, that can only be done at will by a very skilled werewolf who has an extremely strong connection with their wolf side. I also do not like the spread of misinformation whatsoever, but find it especially unacceptable when the misinformation is about a species that faces inhumane laws on their lives and horrible stigmas.” Lockhart’s hand tensed on her knee and she desperately wanted to pull her dagger out of her boot and stab his arm, but had a feeling that wouldn’t end well for her.

Lockhart raised an eyebrow and said, “You know an awful lot about werewolves, why is that?”
Natrix said simply, “I have a vested interest in them.”
Lockhart hummed and asked, “How so?”
Natrix responded, “I knew someone when I was very young who was a werewolf, he was a sort of uncle to me, and the kindest person I’d ever known before coming to Hogwarts. He suffered greatly because of some of the laws surrounding werewolves that were put into place by the ministry.”
Lockhart looked surprised but said nothing about it, instead saying, “I’d rather you not throw my own books at me from now on, no matter how full of lies they are.”
Natrix couldn’t help it when she looked over at him, her teeth bared angrily. This prompted a snort to come from Lockhart before he said, “Look at that, your little werewolf uncle rubbed off on you, feral aren’t you?”
Natrix wanted to stab him but instead returned to the letters, only outwardly reacting when the hand on her knee moved up a little higher, at which she said politely, though with an annoyed edge to her voice, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me, fraud.”
Lockhart looked angry at that and said, “Do not call me a fraud, it will not end well.”
Natrix responded hotly, “I will call you what you are, a fraud. I bet you stole the adventures of others and erased their memories.”

Lockhart actually growled and suddenly there was a wand at her neck while he asked, “How did you know about that!?” Natrix knew that Flitwick and Hannah would worry if she didn’t go to the charms classroom after detention as she’d promised.
Natrix said calmly, “You seem the type, but not the type able to kill.”
Lockhart was shocked at that, and Natrix discretely fingered the blade in her boot while staring into his eyes and making sure he wouldn’t notice the action. She knew better than to try running because she’d been feeling dizzy all day and wouldn’t be able to get far without her cane, which was across the room. She kept her hand ready on the hilt of her dagger as Lockhart stared in silent anger. Natrix let out an amused puff of air and said, “Look at that, I was right, now kindly remove your wand as well as your hand before I remove your hand for you.”
Lockhart suddenly looked nervous, “You wouldn’t, you’re just a little girl.”
Natrix bared her teeth again before asking, “Didn’t you just say I was feral? Wouldn’t something feral act violently without reason?”
Lockhart said, “I’d get you put in prison!”
Natrix then asked, “Who are they going to believe? The famous man, or the little girl from a pureblood family who took veritaserum? What are you going to say? That I attacked unprovoked? I know what I’ll say because it’s the truth. “Professor Lockhart put his hand on my thigh during detention after he kicked my mobile aid across the room! I was scared, and he had a wand to my neck!” I may be an emancipated child, but you know what side Amelia Bones would be on as well as the Wizengamot.”

Lockhart finally backed away and toward the wall Natrix’s cane had been kicked to before kicking it back over to her and saying, “You’re dismissed for tonight, you’ll be doing the next three of your detentions with Flitwick.” Natrix bent to grab her cane and got up, leaving immediately, heart pounding in her chest as she walked calmly out of the office and classroom before nearly running to the Charms classroom.

The only thing she could think as she hurried to the Charms classroom, was that at least the torture had given her one good thing. She didn’t freak out during high-stress situations, only after. She figured it was the only thing she’d be able to thank the Nightlocks for.

The second she saw Filius and Hannah after entering the Charms classroom, she burst into tears, collapsing onto the ground, clutching her cane close. Hannah got to her first and was on the floor with her within seconds. Natrix was shaking as Hannah made her look her in the eye and asked, voice firm, “What happened?” Natrix responded shakily, knowing she had to tell Hannah and Filius because they’d help fix things, “My torture training paid off.” Filius’s face darkened at that and he asked firmly, “How so?” Natrix swallowed before saying “I stayed calm even as he had his hand on my thigh and his wand to my neck after he’d made it so I couldn’t access my cane. I managed to scare him off so I could leave. I have three more detentions now but they’re with you, so it’ll be ok.” Filius then said, “I’m going to grab a specific piece of paper, I’m going to ask you to read the paper, then sign the paper, so that I can kill Lockhart legally once we have you calmed down.”

He grabbed his sword from under his desk, putting it in his hilt after grabbing the paper and handing it to Natrix. She read through it. It was a contract that stated Filius was to become her legal “Patron” a thing created by Goblins to place goblin protection on the children they emotionally adopted. This was important because of how the sixth Goblin War had started. The half-human child of the Goblin King’s son had been raped by a wizard before being murdered. The war had started as a result of the harming of a goblin child, so after the war ended, a law was put in place stating that anyone with goblin blood who claimed a child as their own, no matter the age or if the child was legally emancipated according to the wizarding law system, the goblin blooded person would be allowed to exact revenge of their choice should their claimed child be threatened, sexually harassed, or assaulted in any way.

Natrix immediately signed the contract and gave Filius her memory of the entire situation.

⭑⛤★☆★⛤⭑

The next morning, Gilderoy Lockhart was dead in his office, his right hand cut off and decapitated. In a definitely unrelated matter, Filius Flitwick was sitting in his classroom braiding the hair of a certain ravenette with silver eyes, relaxed even as he heard the clamoring outside and the yelling about someone calling Amelia Bones. Hannah was sitting nearby, all three of them on the floor, doing homework for Transfiguration.

Suddenly, Minerva McGonagall burst into the classroom and said, “Filius! Lockhart is dead!”
Filius raised an eyebrow and said, “I know.”
Minerva gaped before asking, “What do you mean you know!?”
Filius responded, “I killed him, he touched one of my Liberi”
Minerva gasped and said in horror, “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU’D GAINED LIBERI! HOW DARE YOU!”
Filius raised an eyebrow and said, “It was extremely obvious, I was gushing about how Natrix’s cane was turning out and telling you all about Hannah’s first vandalism!”
Minerva huffed out some air and said, “You should have told me straight.”
Filius gave her a look before saying, “You know I can’t do anything straight, I’m Aroace, not a ruler.”
Minerva did not contest that.

When Amelia Bones entered the room, Filius pointed to the first desk in the classroom before saying before she could even open her mouth “Copy of Liberi paperwork and the memory of what happened that triggered the Pueri law. I admit to killing Gilderoy Lockhart and must tell you I’ve recently been informed one of my Liberi was tortured regularly by those that were found to have kidnapped her. I will happily murder them for what they’ve done.”
Amelia gaped and asked, “Warnings for the memory?”
Filius said simply, “Inappropriate touching of a minor and nonverbal death threat after my Liberi’s mobility aid was kicked away from her, which made her unable to get out of there because she wouldn’t have made it two feet before collapsing without it due to chronic dizziness.”
Amelia nodded and said, “I will get back to you with a copy of the report for your records and to ask any questions I have.” Filius nodded in acceptance and Amelia left.

Minerva looked over and asked, “Why was she alone with him?”
Hannah responded, “Nat threw his misinformation-filled book at him the second our quiz asked what spell Lockhart used to turn a werewolf back to their human form on a full moon. Nat hates anything that can cause the inhumane laws that species like werewolves are forced to live under to be added to.”
Minerva immediately said, “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I approve. I’m assuming she was given a detention?” Hannah nodded.