Chapter 12: All's Well That Ends Well

Professor Viridian confessed to everything; attempting to steal and sell off many pieces of valuable Hogwarts artefacts, and erasing the memories of two students. Needless to say, he was fired immediately and put on trial before the Wizengamot.

He confessed to Dumbledore where he had hidden all the rest of the things; the connecting cabinet was located in Borgin and Burkes, an old dilapidated closed-down shop in Knockturn Alley. They quickly found all the pieces hidden there, that Viridian had arranged in the spare times when he could go down to Hogsmeade and apparate from there.

However there was one piece missing. They drilled Viridian and even gave him Veritaserum to make sure he was telling the truth.

"Oh, I could never find that one," the professor said. "Must have been that dratted poltergeist."

"PEEVES!" Filch roared, his face going purple.

Alicia and Charlie were the only people who knew about the cabinets, besides the teachers, and the cabinet was safely put back in the Trophy Room and hidden safely. They were asked to remain silent about the cabinet by Dumbledore, simply because it could be used for idiotic things if it was discovered by students. It was soon forgotten.

And Professor Viridian came back one day late in June, as exams were finishing. And it was not a day he ever forgot.

He had hoped to sneak back into Hogwarts to collect his belongings secretly, whilst all the school were otherwise preoccupied.

He was, however, not so lucky.

"Professor Viridian! How spiffing to see you! So nice of you to drop in!" The loud voices of Fred and George Weasley greeted Viridian as he snuck down the stairs into the Entrance Hall, laden down with bags, his trunks hovering beside him.

"But surely you're not leaving?" George asked, feigning innocence. "Not so soon?"

Viridian looked uncomfortable, as if he knew where this was leading.

"And don't you want to say goodbye? To the whole school in person?" Fred asked, just as 'innocently'.

"No, no I…er..think I'll just-" Viridian muttered, hastily trying to head towards the door. But Fred and George blocked his way.

"Au contraire, we'd love to have a little 'leaving celebration' for you. For you to…go out with a bang, as it were," George said, the evil grin growing on his face.

Viridian looked worried. And with good cause. This was Fred and George.

And suddenly, as he was attempting to sidle past there, there was the most enormous bang. Then a sudden moment of silence and there was a great scraping sound, as if many benches were being pushed back in a hurry. And suddenly the great doors to the Great Hall opened and students began to swarm out to see what on earth was happening.

And they were not disappointed. An extraordinary sight met their eyes.

Professor Viridian, the disgraced and sentenced teacher, was sprinting down the lawn away from the castle, a great red firework in the shape of a dragon swooping after him. Fred and George Weasley ran after him, laughing in utmost glee.

"That's what you get for messing with a Weasley," Fred yelled, suddenly waving his wand high.

And Viridian's suitcases, bags and trunks proceeded to chase him from the castle, battering him over the head every now and then.

The students swarmed out onto the lawn, some giggling hysterically, some crying with laughter and all pointing and ridiculing the poor desperate professor who had reached the gates of the school and was hurriedly fleeing down the path towards Hogsmeade, his cloak flapping in disarray around him and his bags following, continuously rapping him over the head.

The students were in uproar. Even the teachers could not contain their laughter. And Alicia was sure she saw a hint of smile on Snape's lips. That's a first, she thought, dissolving into hysterical laughter again.

Well, you know what they say. Hell hath no fury like a Weasley scorned.

And so the Hogwarts Defence against the Dark Arts teacher curse upheld itself yet again. For the forty second year since Dumbledore had refused the post to a man named Tom Riddle…

A/N. End of first year… But don't go anywhere! Third Year on its way! Much more drama and excitement to come…