Chapter 277: Copying Homework is Wrong
Cedric's experience had left Kyle and Kanna a bit wary about the upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts class. But there was no avoiding it; it was a required course, so they had to go.
In the afternoon, the two arrived at the classroom assigned by Lockhart. The walls were plastered with oversized photos of him, displaying his various awards and accomplishments. In each picture, Lockhart's sparkling white teeth gleamed like spotlights, giving the room the look of a press conference rather than a classroom.
Though Kyle and Kanna had arrived on time, the room was already packed, with only a few empty seats remaining in the last row. They made their way over, sat down, and the bell rang, marking the start of class.
Lockhart cleared his throat loudly, commanding everyone's attention. He picked up a Gryffindor student's copy of Voyages with Vampires, holding it high so everyone could see his own face on the cover, eyes wide open in a dramatic pose.
"I..." he said, pointing first to the image on the cover and then to himself. "Gilderoy Lockhart, recipient of the Order of Merlin, honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award... but I don't go around bragging about that. I don't rely on my smile to keep vampires at bay."
With a grin, he held the book aloft once more, winking in sync with the image on the cover.
Kanna frowned, whispering, "He really received the Order of Merlin, like you? Why do I feel like he's... a bit unreliable? And what exactly is the Dark Force Defence League?"
"A once-famous organization," Kyle murmured in response. "The legendary Auror Alastor Moody and Barty Crouch, the current head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation, were once members. But..." He lowered his voice and continued, "Over ten years ago, after Harry Potter became the Boy Who Lived, the organization began to fade."
"Their focus shifted from combating dark magic to more of a social club, and a few years back, they even let in a suspected Death Eater—because he made a large donation."