Chapter 1

"Welcome to another great year my dear young students and before I make further announcements, Let me introduce you our new Defence Against Dark Arts professor Mr Gilderoy Lockhart." Dumbledore announced and the student gathering, especially the female group cheered loudly. The said professor slowly rose from his chair and smiled at the student body putting all his flawless teeth to display. Dumbledore continued, "Let me remind to all those who have heard this and to those who are new, the forbidden forest is strictly out of bounds to all students and none should venture into it without the aid of any professor. And the most important announcement you are all eagerly waiting for is, Dinner is ready." And with a wave of his hand the tables are filled with food and students attacked the plates with vigour.

The feast was going on nicely with students talking about their summer and generally gossiping about the new professor. Suddenly, Lockhart jumped onto the teachers table and pulling out his new 'NIMBUS 2001' to the shocked students, climbed on and rode over the heads of awestruck students. Everybody was shocked at it and one red headed student Fred or George, but definitely a Weasley stated, "Well, usually, our new DADA professors take an entire year to rush out of the castle. This one is pretty fast." The males laughed out loud at the comment the females shrieked in horror. It took two minutes for the commotion to die down that too, only when the headmaster made a loud bang with his wand.

"I think there is a proper explanation for this" The Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall stated. Just before she could begin her next sentence, the DADA professor walked into the dining hall with his hands on the shoulders of two students covered in tree debris. He cleaned their robes with a simple spell and the gathering could identify them as the legendary Boy who lived and the notorious Sixth Weasley going by the name Ronald. He causally asked them, "Now that we are nice and safe, Would you like to eat something," showing his pearly white teeth with a smile.

"I am not hungry, sir" the boy-who-lived replied and with great amount of restraint, Ron nodded.

"That's excellent. Now that the pleasantries are finished, ahem" he cleared his voice and shouted, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S BEARD ARE TWO STUDENTS DOING ON THE TOP OF THE WHOMPING WILLOW IN A DERANGED CAR? " The professors who were waiting uneasily for the said two when they have not appeared in the great hall and their only friend who was nearly sobbing for finding her friends missing, gaped at them with horror. Snape grimaced covering his face with the evening version of The Daily Prophet which clearly showed a flying car over the Kings Cross Station. Ron gulped at that and took a step back.

Lockhart quickly summoned him and caught him by his shoulder and shouted again. "When I asked a question, it means I need an answer. Speak out!" When either of the students didn't speak out and found the floor of the great hall very interesting, Lockhart asked the nearby prefect who happened to be Percy Weasley "Which house these two idiots belong to?" and gained a prompt reply, "Gryffindor, sir".

"Then a Hundred points from Gryffindor for escaping the dinner and the most important announcements by the Headmaster himself and venturing into the forest at this hour, EACH". He declared and the whole hall gawked at them in wonder and the Gryffindors eying them murderously for losing a mighty two hundred points before the beginning of the year.

"We never ventured out, sir" the boy with black hair replied, "We were just coming back to school."

"In that case, Mr Potter, kindly fill us with your fantastic tale of coming back to school." The DADA Professor snapped.

"I don't mean any disrespect sir, but " Harry potter tried to speak only to be cut in by the Potions Professor, "You students have breached the Statute of Secrecy by flying a stupid car infront of muggles".

"Ah, very well, in that case, Mr Potter, please come with me to the headmaster table and announce your little act of mischief before the entire hall. Students would be learning a very important lesson form that" Lockhart pushed the two students towards the raised platform. Both the students were horrified at that but within a moment Harry Potter got to his wits and walked slowly towards the platform while a horror stricken Ron stood rooted. Harry reached his Head of the House and began, "I am extremely sorry ma'am but if you are willing to listen, I wish to speak." When McGonagall remained silent he continued, "We were already running late at the Kings Cross and we couldnot cross the magical barrier there, we panicked and rode in Mr Weasley's car hoping to catch the Hogwarts express and reach here, but the car went lopsided when we reached here and landed on the Whomping willow."

"You say you could not cross the barrier, Potter" McGonagall pointed out, "Could you elaborate?" That resulted in Harry potter explaining her in front of the great hall the way everything happened.

"You could have waited outside the barrier for some parent or staff to come back and sought out their help. Or you could have owled your predicament to your Head of the House. But no, You flew straight ahead to Hogwarts which by your elaborate and detailed tale you didn't know the way to. You could have killed yourselves or put someone in grave jeopardy. You understand that?" Lockhart jabbed Harry.

"I understand now, sir" Harry said controlling his anger.

"I say this is very foolish of you, boy" Lockhart continued. This stroke a nerve in Harry with this new person, might be the new DADA professor sounded like his uncle Vernon. No matter how much anger he got and no matter how much he wished to punch straight through his face, he kept his calm and behaved as he behaved with his uncle. "Then yes sir, I am very foolish. Could I go now, I mean I am willing to take any punishment for my foolish act." He replied.

The professor who seemed to be satisfied with this, smiled gently and said, "All learning begins when one accepts one is foolish. It requires good amount of thought and understanding of oneself to accept that and. And for this good trait, you receive ten points. Given that you have no proper background in magical ways and yet you are quick to realize your wrong I award Ten more points. Now readily approaching staff and teachers and obeying a direct command is also a good trait. For that You receive ten more points. It takes good amount of courage to accept ones wrongdoing infront of a gather without the fear of getting mocked for doing what is right, ten more points. For excellent presence of mind while on the Whomping willow, I award you ten more." Lockhart finished leaving everybody awestruck. Neither the students nor the teachers knew what was happening. It is usually Dumbledore's to award points for such trivial deeds in the great hall. Not only had this new professor had taken two hundred points in a whim but readily awarded fifty more. Before the mass of students and professors could recover one voice called out, "Hey, It is me who drove the car. Shouldn't I v=be awarded some?" Ron indignantly cried out.

With an evil grin Lockhart turned to the said student and asked, "I don't assume you to have a valid Driver's License and Yet had the audacity of driving one of your fathers take-home-to-work projects and misusing them badly and also putting another students life in hazard while breaking numerous laws which you should be well aware of, I am taking fifty points away with four weeks worth of Detention with me starting from the next week."

"Now as the task of awarding and removing points have done with and the appropriate punishments will be discussed by the respective head of the houses, I bid you all a very good night." Dumbledore announced dismissing the dinner. Everybody was dazed with what happened and even Snape could not understand who this new Lockhart is.