158 Slave to fate.

Knocking out Filch, Draco and Theodore moved towards Lockhart's office.

"You sure he is still in there?" Theodore whispered with uncertainty, "I mean, it's already really late."

"We'll just have to see." Draco said, "Even if he isn't there I still need to search his office for something."

"What?"

"Something that is really necessary." Draco said vaguely as he suddenly turned quite when he heard murmurs from within Lockhart's office.

They moved in closer and slowly, suspecting if someone was in the office with Lockhart but the more they listened the more it seemed like Lockhart having a conversation with himself.

"You stay here." Draco said to Theodore, "In case something unexpected happens, be my backup."

Theodore nodded as he stayed in position with Draco preparing his wand out as he barged into Lockhart's office.

"Stupefy!" He chanted at the first sight of Lockhart, knocking him out.

The portrait around him seemed confused and shock but before they could react, Draco quickly chanted another spell and covered all of them up.

"You can come in!" Draco said as Theodore came in and locked the door from within.

Both of them tied Lockhart to a chair as Draco sat on top of the desk in front of him.

"Rennervate" Draco chanted as Lockhart woke up frightened and scared, he wanted to scream but before he could his tongue was tied by a curse, "Mimblewimble"

Draco stretched his wand to Lockhart's neck, "I will not hesitate to blow your fucking head off if you mumble a single unnecessary word. Do you understand me?"

Lockhart quickly nodded as if his life depended on it.

Draco undid the curse as Lockhart moved his mouth around, trying to feel his tongue again.

"I will not ask you more than once, just give me the diary." Draco said with seriousness, "It doesn't belong to you."

"How do you know about it?" Lockhart said with his eyes wide open, "Ho-How's that even possible?"

"Do you really want to make me repeat myself?" Draco said frowning as he raised his wand back up again.

"It-It's in the third drawer of that cabinet." Lockhart said pointing to a cabinet at the corner of the room, "I swear, Draco I didn't mean it. I mean... I know we have our differences but please I didn't really mean it."

Draco didn't say anything and just walked towards the cabinet and pulled the third drawer. In there was a black diary, Draco sighed in relief as he picked it up but he quickly frowned again as he noticed some strangeness in the diary. It wasn't a regular one but more of a wizard diary. As far as Draco knew Voldemort's or Tom Riddle's diary was a regular muggle diary which was later bewitched with magic.

Draco turned the pages to a random spot and as expected it wasn't the diary he was looking for as it was filled with words from the front to the last. The diary basically wrote about all about Lockhart revenge plans on Draco for tarnishing his reputation. From different ways of capturing himself to making him confess his wrongs with memory spells.

After losing the match, Lockhart had now already lost a lot of respect in the wizarding community. Though his hardcore fans defended him claiming Draco being too strong and abnormal, but still losing to a wizard who was still 12 was still a very shameful thing for someone who claims to be the strongest.

The reported Rita wrote the whole duel in an exaggerated way, bashing Lockhart to fullest. Draco didn't know what was going on between Lockhart and Rita, but from the looks of whatever it was, it wasn't really good for Lockhart as his reputation took even a deeper dive than before after the news came out. From what Draco had heard, even his old fans were now asking for a refund on the books they bought before because it was too unbelievable to them.

So now finding this sort of diary from Lockhart wasn't really too surprising but Draco was far from pleased. He threw the diary right across Lockhart's face, which caused him to cry out, "Not my face!" Since he couldn't do anything but squirm around.

"Where is the diary?" Draco asked clearly angry as he grabbed Lockhart's collar.

"I gave it to you!" Lockhart said nearly crying.

"Does this look like a joke to you?" Draco said as he released his collar and pointed his wand towards the chair, "Incedio!"

The chair quickly caught on fire as Lockhart began panicking but before he knew, he couldn't speak again as his tongue was tied up. The fire easily started spreading towards his robe and the rope Lockhart was tied in, as Lockhart kept squirming and mumbling words with nothing but fear in his eyes.

"Give me the diary or I'll burn you to death." Draco said as he watched Lockhart wail in pain as his clothes began to catch on fire too.

Theodore who was watching from the side sighed and released a spell, "Aguamenti"

Clearwater sprouted from his wand putting the fire out. "You're losing it again." He said looking at Draco, "I don't know what kind of diary you want from him but killing him isn't really a choice here."

Everyone was silent for a while, and the only thing they could hear was Lockhart breathing heavily. Draco didn't say anything back to Theodore as he went closer to Lockhart who was now drenched from head to toe.

"I am not really losing it right now but I guess I really am blaming my mistakes on others." Draco said taking a deep breath, "You know I could have prevented all these stupid things but then again I kept underestimating fate, who knew no matter what I did, these things were bound to happen sooner or later. I kept the elf in check, I did the same with my father as well. I thought I changed everything for good but in the end, I am still a slave to fate."

Draco walked around Lockhart, "I know you might just be an innocent victim in all this but I can't help but be angry-- Lockhart, as you said we both have our grievances but I tell you this, that cursed diary isn't going to help you in this. Though I don't really know when all this started with you but I now know that everything that happened wasn't completely your fault... you were just another victim to his sick games. I know I overreacted at times and made you suffer humiliation which you might not have deserved but that diary isn't going to help you solve all this. Lockhart, I promise you this, as long as you give me that diary back I will help you get back on track again. Hell, I will even help you be a better wizard but you need to get away from that corruption first."

Draco removed the curse, "Let me help you."

"I-I really don't know what you're talking about." Lockhart said in an unusually serious tone, "I really don't. If I knew, I would have given you what you wanted by now."

"So you're telling me that you suddenly being strong enough to duel with me in a couple of months is a coincidence? Are you seriously asking me to believe that you were willing to stay in this school for no purpose even after being humiliated after the duel?" Draco said frowning, "Lockhart, you've seen me angry and you've seen my lenient side but please don't test my patience."