Okay. I got really sidetracked because of auditions for school plays, plus I started band. (Snare drum, drives mum crazy!) I've got mid-terms soon so I'm trying to study for those and have some fun too, which is a bit hard. :-) I'll live. I'm very optimistic, you know.

Okay. Back to the subject. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Myth and friends have all met each other and gotten to know everyone. Myth is just about to get a real surprise... ;-) Happy Reading! Hope you like the ending better! ::Grins sheepishly::



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The Basilik

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Transfiguation was the hardest subject we had at Hogwarts. Herbology was the most boring, Potions the foulest. But Defense Against The Dark Arts was easily the most exciting.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I bustled down the hall, me in the lead, with our wands and bags so as not to be late for our first day. Entering the room, I stopped dead and stared. There, sitting behind the wooden desk in front, was an old, balding man who seemed to be in his sixties. He had long white hair (though it as no where near as long as Dumbledore's) and a short beard, and the brightest blue eyes I'd ever seen. The most shocking thing about our professor was probably the way he was clothed.

Covered in robes of deep turquoise, with a darker hat, he looked like a man I'd seen only in books.

"An older Gilderoy Lockhart?" Ron asked, disgusted. I shook my head. "He does look like him, but that was only a few years ago, and unless he tried to cross an Age Line with an Aging potion,"-Hermione giggled.-"then it's not him." We laughed with her.

"Welcome! Come in, come in, and have a seat!" The professor cried when he spied us lingering near the door. We entered and took four seats at the front of the room. Pulling our books from our bags, we watched as the professor shuffled papers around on his desk, obviously searching for a list of the class members.

"He's very... enthusiastic.... " I said, turning slightly to face Harry. He grinned.

"That's good in a teacher, though, I thought you all knew that! You saw how good Lockhart was.... " Hermione said, glancing up from her book. We sniggered. "If he's as enthusiastic as Lockhart, I'll eat Pig." said Ron, rolling his eyes skyward. "Yeah, Lockhart was out of his league. Maybe this one will be better, I wonder who he is.... " Harry added, looking intently at the new teacher.

Moments later the bell rang and everyone fell silent as the Professor pulled the register and started calling names off. He lingered for a moment at mine and Harry's names, and though I could see why he looked at Harry, what was so great about me? I guessed I'd figure out later.

"Well, welcome to a new Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I am Professor Michael Storm. I will be here for a few years, I hope." He looked around the classroom, once again looking strangly at Harry and me. I kindly ignored the stare as Storm continued.

"You've done the Unforgivable Curses, correct?" We nodded, and he smiled his approval. "Then we will go back to Dark creatures. Starting with- " And here he motioned towards a covered cage to the side of his desk, resting on a wodden stand, with his wand. The cover flew off - "the Basilik."

The class gasped as one as the cover slid to the side, revealing a tinted glass cage with a very large python-like snake inside. As soon as the cover came off , the Basilik raised its head and glared at the class with large, black glinting eyes.

Hermione's hand quickly shot up. Professor Storm aknowledged it with a steady wave of his hand, and she spoke.

"Professor Storm, I thought that the stare of the Basilik was deadly. Why isn't.... " At a loss for words, Hermione looked at the teacher in inquiry. He nodded.

"As some of you may know, from earlier years, the Basilik's glare is deadly to all. However, because of the tinted glass on the tank, its eyes won't even Petrify you, thank goodness." Hermione blinked and nodded silently.

"Back to the subject, though we were not far from it. I will be teaching you all a tinting charm to darken the air around you so that the Basilik's eyes will not kill nor Petrify you. Then each of you in turn will fight the serpent."

Sighing softly, I pulled out my wand and placed it gently on my desk.

"Alright... who would like to go first?" Storm asked, looking around the room for volunteers. There were a few raised hands, those of Dean and Seamus. I grinned. It was just like them to go first, and maybe even make fools of themselves.

"Hmm... Finnigan, up here, if you will.... "

Seamus snatched his wand and headed to the front of the class. Storm took his own wand and whirled it around.

"Seamus, is it? Well, point your wand straight up. You've got to make sure you don't miss your target, otherwise it could be deadly." I saw Ron grimance slightly.

"Okay. Aim for the torch over there. Focus on it."

Seamus did as he was told. He had his tongue stuck through his teeth in concentration.

"Repeat after me, class, and you too, Seamus. Dimitro!"

Seamus repeated the words, and instantly the torch flicker and died down, but didn't go out. Storm nodded in approval.

"Okay. That was the Charm to dim lamps and fires. To create a tint in the air, we use a different Charm. Now point your wand straight in front of you. Tintous!"

Seamus repeated the words, and then blinked.

"The air just got darker! Cool!"

Storm grinned.

"I'll let out the Basilik now. Class, please look under your desk and put on the pair of sunglasses. This way if the Basilik looks at you, you won't be affected."

Storm took the top off of the tank and tipped it over. The Basilik slithered out, and some of the girls gasped.

"All you need to do is make the Basilik immobile. No need to do away with it." Storm said.

Moments later Seamus had knocked the huge snake out with a series of charms. Storm grinned and sent someone else to fight the Basilik, and another, and another, until only I was left.

"Okay. Good job, Lavender. Myth... Myth, you next."

Nodding, I grabbed my wand and stood up. Nearing the Basilik, I performed the Tinting Charm. Then I began to think of a curse to use. I didn't want to use the Charms the rest of the class had done....

"Stupefy!" I cried, and the Basilik froze. I knew it wasn't permanant, but it would hold until I thought of a curse. But as the green ray of light reached the tinted air... it dissapeared. The Basilik advanced. Slowly I began to back up, but tripped over the empty aquarium. Crawling backwards and pointing my wand at the snake, I performed the first curse that entered my mind.

"MitoDraco!" I declared. Sudennly I realized I didn't even know what it was, just that it was real. It was the first thing that came to mind, so I used it... and before my very eyes, the Basilik began to shrivel, and slowy it disappeared, no more than a speck of dust.

The class was speechless, but just then the bell rang. Reaching out and grabbing my shoulder, I was held back by Professor Storm, who waited until the rest of the class left before speaking to me.

"Myth! Do you know what that spell was?" Storm asked, looking at me intently. I shook my head.

"Wow! This proves it. I thought your last name sounded familiar, but I know you're a Magic because of that curse!"

"Wha...?" I stared at him in bewilderment.

"I'm your mother's father! Myth, I'm your Grandfather!"






OKAY! I love this part, I think it's kinda cool to have a relative as a teacher! I'll write some more soon! :-þ