Chapter Four: The OWL Class Timetable Pt.1
On the morning of the first day of classes each student received their class timetables. Fran was particularly concerned about hers as fifth year was OWL year. Ordinary Wizarding Levels were needed in each subject a student wanted to take further to NEWT level. During breakfast Fran nervously nibbled at her toast while Monty squirmed on her lap, trying to eradicate the crumbs falling onto his fur. Professor Garrit was making her way down the Ravenclaw table handing out the timetables. The professor had large dark bushy hair that was greying slightly, students said that the bushiness came from a transfiguration experiment gone wrong when she was younger, but no one dared to ask if it were true. As she reached Fran she gave Monty a quick tickle under the chin and handed over two timetables. "Here's your timetable, Amanda's too. Some of you're classes have changed this year because of clashes with other subjects, so you'll have to join the other houses when they have the subjects. Sorry about that dear, but with the amount you're taking on it can't be helped." she gave a kind, apologetic smile and carried on down the table. Professor Garrit always had a soft spot for all her Ravenclaw students, though she never let it affect her teaching and handing out of points, to the students' disappointment.
"What've you got?" asked Betty, who was sat across from her, Amanda was always late getting up and only ever made it to breakfast with minutes to spare. Fran scanned her timetable and relayed it to Betty.
"Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Transfiguration with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, History of Magic, Runes, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy with Slytherins and Gryffindors. Great, my worst subjects are with the other houses, that's going to make this year enjoyable." she grimaced.
"You have 'worst subjects'?" questioned Betty absently. Though all Ravenclaws were studious, Fran was one of the ones who attempted to achieve in everything she did.
Breakfast was soon over and the plates were magically wiped clean as students slowly and reluctantly made their way to lessons. Fran said goodbye to her fellow Ravenclaws, including a very put-out Amanda, and headed to the second floor classrooms for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
The DADA classroom was a large room with windows on the left and right walls, the students' desks were set up in a large 'U' shape around the sides of the room with an open space in the middle. It seemed that they would be doing practical work this year. Fran took a seat that had the best view of both the blackboard and practical area. A Gryffindor girl named Alice joined her. Though the two houses had few lessons together, there was little if any rivalry between them and she and Alice had had Herbology together the previous year. After explaining her timetable predicament the subject soon changed to something else.
"I wonder what he's like." Fran was momentarily caught off guard and wondered who she meant, "I bet he's good at this subject though, Durmstrang supposedly teach the Dark Arts." It was then that Fran realised Alice was talking about Eric Warner, the new boy. As if this wasn't enough to remind her, Eric walked into the classroom at that moment and joined a group of fellow Slytherins in the corner. Professor Lumley soon followed. He was quite young for a Professor, tall, well built and most importantly he was passionate about his subject. As the class settled he wrote one word on the board: Dementors.
The class fell into silence and Lumley began. "For years Dementors have been on the decline. Then 'why bother to learn how to defend yourself against them?' I hear you ask. Well, just because a species or piece of dark magic is rare, doesn't mean it doesn't exist and if it exists, it can be used against you! Always be prepared! Not only for dark beings and magic, but also for your exams. The Patronus Charm, the anti-dementor spell, is one of the hardest spells that may come up on your OWLs and is likely to do so as it has been made a permanent addition to the syllabus ever since⦠well, you all know what happened." he then wrote another two words on the board: 'Expecto Patronum'. Then, without warning he turned back to the class and said the incantation clearly and loudly with his wand raised.
Gasps of admiration were raised around the class, even the Slytherins were impressed. A large silver boar trotted soundlessly around the classroom, a few inches from the ground. "To conjure a patronus you have to fill yourself with the happiest memory you have, don't just think it, feel it, let it consume you. You won't be expected to produce a corporal patronus the first time, but you will be by the end of this year." Lumley picked up the register of names of students in the class and summoned them up in turn to attempt the charm.
Lumley was right about the lack of fully formed patroni. The most anyone could do was eject a wisp of silver from the end of their wand. When it was Fran's turn she stood in front of the class, wand raised. She had wondered what her happiest memory was. She had flicked through some in her mind, birthdays and christmases were considered, but the one memory that was able to fill her with happiness: the time she first held her wand in Diagon Alley. She pictured the eight inch willow wand she currently held, only now the magic of it was filling her from head to toe. Then, she said the incantation, "Expecto Patronum!" a silvery shadow of a small, four legged creature emerged from it's tip. It was difficult to tell what it had been, since the silverly shape was short lived, but it was enough to earn five points for Ravenclaw from Lumley.
Next it was Joe Hunter's turn. There he stood, shoulders back, wand arm raised. Though his efforts were impressive, he still lacked the presence that other boys like Eric seemed to have in abundance. It was mainly due to his height, or lack of it. He wasn't ridiculously small, but he was still a few inches shorter than girls like Amanda. Nevertheless, Joe said the incantation with more gusto than anyone and produced what looked like a silver blur of a lion.
"Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor! You make our house proud, Joseph! Imagine that, a lion from a Gryffindor!" There was a scattered round of applause from Joe's fellow housemates, which led him to look extremely pleased with himself.
As he passed by Fran back to his seat he stooped over and said in a low voice, "you wouldn't mind telling Amanda about that would you?" Fran smiled and nodded, Amanda would definitely hear about it.
Professor Lumley was in an exceedingly good mood for the rest of the lesson, like the other heads of houses he tried not to be biased towards his own house, but the pride of seeing one of his own produce such a good patronus and have it be the house mascot too was too much for him to ignore.
Finally the end of the register was reached and the last person had every pair of eyes on him as he stepped to the front. "Expecto Patronum." muttered Eric in a surprisingly british accent, his arm lazily pointed forward. A full, corporal patronus lept forward; the large grizzly bear padded around on all four of its furred paws as the other students' jaws dropped. After it made a full circuit of the class it raised onto its hind paws and let out a rumbling roar and disappeared in a wisp of silver.
The stunned silence was broken as Lumley quite happily said "Twenty points to Slytherin," though his tone faltered slightly when he continued, "I suppose they're a little ahead with the syllabus at Durmstrangā¦" Eric merely nodded in reply and returned to his seat.
The news of the success in the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson travelled like wildfire amongst both students and teachers. Fran was in Charms class second lesson with Amanda, telling her everything from her own shadowy creature to Eric's bear, including fulfilling her promise to Joe.
"Inflatus!" the sorry looking frog on their desk bloated slightly, "so Joe produced a better patronus than you? Inflatus!" the frog exploded and green slime covered the surrounding area.
"Calm down, you need a clear mind when practicing charms," the first frog to burst had caused a mild sensation in the class, but now the popping sounds could be heard every few minutes from different desks as the students got frustrated, "but yes, he did."
"He must've been practising-" she muttered, almost to herself, but an usually loud pop from the table next to them distracted Fran. Danielle and Betty had not only covered their desk in slime, but also themselves. Now they were squirming restlessly in their damp robes.
"It's a good job we're using charmed frogs." Professor Temmin the eccentric old charms teacher waddled over and tapped his wand on the slimy desk. The frog reappeared, seemingly fine. "Don't forget to wash those robes though, the slime leaves a nasty smell."
