'What about my sister?' said Ron jerkily.

'Well, as to that – most unfortunate,' said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. 'No one regrets more than I –'

'You're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!' said Harry. 'You can't go now! Not with all the dark stuff going on here!'

'Well, I must say ... when I took the job ...' Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes, 'nothing in the job descrip- tion ... didn't expect ...'

'You mean you're running away?' said Harry disbelievingly. 'After all that stuff you did in your books?'

'Books can be misleading,' said Lockhart delicately.

'You wrote them!' Harry shouted.

'My dear boy,' said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. 

'Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a hairy chin. I mean, come on ...'

'So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?' said Harry incredulously.

'Harry, Harry,' said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, 'it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, Harry. It's not all book-signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog.'

He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

Amelia walked up to Lockhart pulled him down by his color and slapped him. 

'If you are even half the man you claim to be, you will go down there and save Ginny! Becouse she is my sister too! And NO ONE messes with my family! And if not, I will sue your sorry ass for EVERY penny you are worth! And trust me when I tell you this. I can make your life agony. DO. NOT. TEST. ME.' Harry had never seen such a fire in Amelia's eyes, but he knew one thing for sure: he never wanted to be on the receiving end. 

Lockhart quickly became unfazed and strained up.

'Let's see,' he said. 'I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left.'

He pulled out his wand and turned to them.

'Awfully sorry, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book ...'

Harry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, 'Expelliarmus!'