That afternoon marked Lockhart's first class. Before it began, he headed out into the courtyard to relax a bit.
A crowd had gathered nearby. Curious, he walked over and saw Colin snapping photos of Harry Potter, while Draco Malfoy seemed to be mocking him.
"What's all this? Taking pictures? Come on, let's take one together!" Lockhart wrapped an arm around Harry. "Who else wants in?"
"Me!" Hermione was the first to rush forward, hugging Lockhart's arm and flashing him a sweet smile. Soon, a group of students crowded around him.
Grinning, Lockhart said to the boy with the camera, "A photo of Lockhart and his students! How about it? I can even give you an autograph."
Colin trembled with excitement as he snapped a photo. Just then, the bell for afternoon classes rang.
"Alright, everyone, off to class. There'll be plenty of chances for photos later."
Once the class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat and stood silently for a moment. Then he stepped forward, picked up Neville's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up, displaying the cover—his own winking, smiling portrait.
"I," Lockhart said, pointing to the image and winking as well, "am Gilderoy Lockhart—recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class; honorary member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—though I hardly like to mention it. After all, I once smiled so charmingly at a lovestruck witch that she vanished entirely."
The class burst into laughter. The girls gazed at him dreamily. Lockhart gestured for silence.
"Now, a short quiz—to assess your understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts… and your familiarity with my books."
What is the most important principle in Defense Against the Dark Arts?What should you do when encountering a ghoul or a werewolf?What do you consider the most difficult creature to deal with?What are vampires most afraid of?What is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement?
"Twenty questions total—all answers can be found in your first-year textbook and my books. You have ten minutes!"
Ten minutes later, Lockhart collected the papers and began flipping through them.
"Why have so many of you left the first question blank? The most important principle in Defense Against the Dark Arts is vigilance! Only then come spells and courage! It's on page three of your first-year textbook."
…
"Someone actually wrote that silver weapons are used against werewolves. Let me clarify—this rumor comes from Muggles. In the Middle Ages, some silver weapons used by the Church were indeed effective against dark creatures. But the key wasn't the silver—it was the anti-dark enchantments placed upon them. Unfortunately, that magic has been lost."
"Miss Granger answered everything correctly! Though I'd like to add—if you're not a powerful wizard, the best thing to do when encountering such creatures…" he paused, "is to turn around and run."
"Ten points to Gryffindor for Miss Granger's perfect score! Now, let's get to the main lesson…"
With a flick of his left hand, a large covered cage floated up from beneath the desk and landed on the podium.
A wandless, silent Levitation Charm—something he had practiced all night. The display immediately stirred excitement among the students.
"Now—let me warn you! My job is to acquaint you with the most troublesome creatures in the wizarding world, so you'll be prepared in the future. What you're about to see may be the most terrifying thing you've ever encountered. But don't be afraid—with me here, nothing will go wrong. Stay calm—no panic."
Harry poked his head out from behind his stack of books, eager to see.
Lockhart placed a hand on the cloth covering the cage. The classroom fell silent. Neville shrank nervously into his seat.
"You must promise not to scream," Lockhart said softly. "That might provoke them."
Everyone held their breath.
With a swift motion, he pulled off the cloth.
"Behold," Lockhart declared dramatically, "freshly caught Cornish pixies."
Laughter broke out across the room.
"Oh, don't laugh. You didn't expect me to bring in a werewolf or a Dementor for class, did you? Today, we're learning how to deal with small, fast-moving targets—using the Stunning Spell!"
"There are forty pixies inside. Your task is to capture them all using only the Stunning Spell—no harming them. A reminder: the incantation is Stupefy!"
"One point for your House for each pixie captured. Wands out!"
The moment Lockhart opened the cage, it was like unleashing chaos.
The pixies shot out like rockets, scattering in every direction.
The classroom erupted into a storm of spells. Pixies zipped around wreaking havoc. Ron had just finished casting when his broken wand backfired, knocking him unconscious. Meanwhile, the Boy Who Lived methodically cast Stunning Spells with decent form. Hermione was even better—combining Stupefy with Impedimenta to slow them down first.
Lockhart stood calmly at the front, observing.
A pixie darted toward him. Without a wand, he cast a silent Stunning Spell with a flick of his hand. The creature dropped instantly. For such weak beings, wandless magic was more than sufficient. The stunned pixie was promptly collected by Hermione in the front row.
The students clearly weren't used to this kind of practical exercise. Even after all the pixies were subdued, it took a while for the chaos to settle.
"Alright," Lockhart said, "those who've captured pixies, bring them up and put them back in the cage. Let's tally the points."
Hermione rushed up first, carrying four pixies and stuffing them into the cage.
"Well done, Miss Granger—four captures!"
"Let's see… Gryffindor earns 12 points, Slytherin 8, Hufflepuff 7, Ravenclaw 11. Two escaped through the window—clever little things."
"I want you to remember this lesson," Lockhart continued. "When facing a dark wizard, they won't stand still like a target dummy. They'll transform, fly, disrupt you, attack you. Training against fast, unpredictable targets is essential."
"There's still time left, but I believe students should have more opportunities to practice spells they're interested in. So—I'm ending class early."
"In the future, as long as you complete my class tasks—no matter how quickly—I'll dismiss you early."
"I suggest those who couldn't even cast a single Stunning Spell practice more. Mr. Weasley—I strongly recommend you replace your wand. That thing might get you killed."
Ron looked miserable, clutching his broken wand.
"Class dismissed. Try not to disturb other classes still in session."
Cheers erupted.
As Lockhart stepped out of the classroom, Hermione ran up with Harry and the others.
"That was the most interesting class I've ever had! Goodbye, Professor!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Goodbye."