I know that I haven't written this story for a while, but I haven't gotten reviews for this story in a while either. Plus, I wanted to even out Tom Riddle and the Spellbooks of Slytherin. But please review. Reviews make me write quicker and give me extra confidence. Also, I'd like to thank my friend William for giving me the basic idea for this story.
Chapter 8
Harry and Ron took their seats next to each other in their first class of the year, Transfiguration, when a heavily breathing Hermione ran through the door and sat down next to Harry.
"Done with your article yet?" Ron teased.
Hermione seemed not to hear him, as she had run all the way to the classroom from the Great Hall.
"Nice to see you all again," said Professor McGonagall, standing up in front of the class. "I hope you had a nice summer, but now its back to work. This year is a very important year for all of you, as you are taking your O.W.L.'s. Have any of you begun to prepare yet?"
There was a loud "Yes, ma'am," from Hermione among all of the groans.
McGonagall frowned. "These tests are almost vital to your future. You will be required to know advanced magic to pass, when few of you have yet to turn a frog into a newt!"
Half of the class hung their heads in shame, while the others, Harry and Hermione among them, became very smug.
"Well, that said, let's get to work."
McGonagall, as usual, began the year by making them take notes, and lots of them.
As they headed towards their next class, Potions, Harry felt a slight feeling of dread, as he always did walking into his first potions class, with the Slytherins no less. The teacher Professor Snape, hated everyone outside of the Slytherin house, Harry in particular, and would dock House Points at the drop of a hat. Literally.
"Longbottom! Pick up your hat!"
A very frightened Neville picked his pointed hat, which had slipped off his when he sat down.
"That will be five points from Gryffindor, you clumsy oaf! How can you even pass for a wizard when you can't even keep your hat on?!"
Harry couldn't tell if Snape was in the worst mood he'd ever seen him in, or if he had just forgotten how mad Snape could get.
"In the past, I've gone easy on you," Snape preached.
"Yeah right."
"Five points, Weasley!"
Snape began to pace around the room, while Ron cowered back, also frightened.
"You are in your fifth year now, and you are expected to look," he glared at Neville, then shifted his horrible gaze to Ron, "and act appropriately. Those who don't will pay the penalty."
The class was completely silent as Snape gave his explanation of a Paralytic Potion, and no one but Malfoy dared to speak when they were assigned to make one themselves. Of course he wasn't punished; he was Snape's favorite student.
It was not long before Snape shifted his attention to Harry.
"Potter! I specifically said NOT to add Bollek's Powder! That's another five points from Gryffindor!"
Harry sighed and continued working. If it hadn't been for the fifteen points Hermione had earned them for demonstrating how to transform iguana into a skrewt in Transfiguration (for which she was the only volunteer, and for a good reason), Gryffindor would be in the negative points range.
When he left the Potions dungeon, he was extremely relieved. He, Ron, and Hermione headed over to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.
Hagrid was a very big man, thanks to his half-giant blood. He had a knack for growing attatched to some of the strangest, and often worst creatures possible, such as dragons and blast-ended skrewts. Harry could only imagine what Hagrid had in store for them this year.
But when they got to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was passing out newspapers.
"Hey 'Arry," Hagrid as he gave Harry the morning's issue of the Daily Prophet.
"Hi Hagrid."
After everyone had arrived and gotten a newspaper, Hagrid stood up in front of them.
"I wan' ya all ter read the article that I have circled, and we will discuss it later."
Harry looked down to see that the circled article was the same one that Hermione had been reading that morning at breakfast.
Immortals Endangered
By Aaron Derall
HOGSMEADE, Great Britain- Phoenixes, the most magnificent creatures in the world along with dragons and unicorns, were practically immortal- until recently.
Phoenixes live a few months, gradually getting weaker and weaker, until they burn down to their ashes. After a few hours, the ashes regroup into the phoenix, which is now as good as new. The problem is, that not a single phoenix Burning Day has taken place for months, and there has even been a phoenix death reported. No one knows what has caused this, but if it doesn't stop soon phoenixes could become endangered quickly.
"We're trying very hard to get to the bottom of this," says James Falon, Head of the Animal Department in the Ministry of Magic. "Hopefully we will get some information soon, but until then, I don't know what to tell you."
And also until then, we don't know what to tell you either.
"Now," Hagrid said when he was sure that everyone had finished, "Professor Dumbledore has been kind enough ter let us use his pet phoenix Fawkes, since this year we are studyin' phoenixes."
Hagrid pulled showed them a cage, containing Fawkes, who looked less than completely energetic, but not close to death, his red feathers still glowing as beautifully as ever.
Harry then felt himself in those feathers, flying through the air, with not a care in the world. But then his wonderful vision ended abruptly, and he was pulled back down to Earth.
"Ya can all go back ter ya common rooms, now. We'll get started to work next class," Hagrid boomed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed back to the Gryffindor common room, chatting excitedly about the upcoming lessons on phoenixes. Harry could not wait to learn even more about the creatures that flew through the air so gracefully.
Chapter 8
Harry and Ron took their seats next to each other in their first class of the year, Transfiguration, when a heavily breathing Hermione ran through the door and sat down next to Harry.
"Done with your article yet?" Ron teased.
Hermione seemed not to hear him, as she had run all the way to the classroom from the Great Hall.
"Nice to see you all again," said Professor McGonagall, standing up in front of the class. "I hope you had a nice summer, but now its back to work. This year is a very important year for all of you, as you are taking your O.W.L.'s. Have any of you begun to prepare yet?"
There was a loud "Yes, ma'am," from Hermione among all of the groans.
McGonagall frowned. "These tests are almost vital to your future. You will be required to know advanced magic to pass, when few of you have yet to turn a frog into a newt!"
Half of the class hung their heads in shame, while the others, Harry and Hermione among them, became very smug.
"Well, that said, let's get to work."
McGonagall, as usual, began the year by making them take notes, and lots of them.
As they headed towards their next class, Potions, Harry felt a slight feeling of dread, as he always did walking into his first potions class, with the Slytherins no less. The teacher Professor Snape, hated everyone outside of the Slytherin house, Harry in particular, and would dock House Points at the drop of a hat. Literally.
"Longbottom! Pick up your hat!"
A very frightened Neville picked his pointed hat, which had slipped off his when he sat down.
"That will be five points from Gryffindor, you clumsy oaf! How can you even pass for a wizard when you can't even keep your hat on?!"
Harry couldn't tell if Snape was in the worst mood he'd ever seen him in, or if he had just forgotten how mad Snape could get.
"In the past, I've gone easy on you," Snape preached.
"Yeah right."
"Five points, Weasley!"
Snape began to pace around the room, while Ron cowered back, also frightened.
"You are in your fifth year now, and you are expected to look," he glared at Neville, then shifted his horrible gaze to Ron, "and act appropriately. Those who don't will pay the penalty."
The class was completely silent as Snape gave his explanation of a Paralytic Potion, and no one but Malfoy dared to speak when they were assigned to make one themselves. Of course he wasn't punished; he was Snape's favorite student.
It was not long before Snape shifted his attention to Harry.
"Potter! I specifically said NOT to add Bollek's Powder! That's another five points from Gryffindor!"
Harry sighed and continued working. If it hadn't been for the fifteen points Hermione had earned them for demonstrating how to transform iguana into a skrewt in Transfiguration (for which she was the only volunteer, and for a good reason), Gryffindor would be in the negative points range.
When he left the Potions dungeon, he was extremely relieved. He, Ron, and Hermione headed over to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.
Hagrid was a very big man, thanks to his half-giant blood. He had a knack for growing attatched to some of the strangest, and often worst creatures possible, such as dragons and blast-ended skrewts. Harry could only imagine what Hagrid had in store for them this year.
But when they got to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was passing out newspapers.
"Hey 'Arry," Hagrid as he gave Harry the morning's issue of the Daily Prophet.
"Hi Hagrid."
After everyone had arrived and gotten a newspaper, Hagrid stood up in front of them.
"I wan' ya all ter read the article that I have circled, and we will discuss it later."
Harry looked down to see that the circled article was the same one that Hermione had been reading that morning at breakfast.
Immortals Endangered
By Aaron Derall
HOGSMEADE, Great Britain- Phoenixes, the most magnificent creatures in the world along with dragons and unicorns, were practically immortal- until recently.
Phoenixes live a few months, gradually getting weaker and weaker, until they burn down to their ashes. After a few hours, the ashes regroup into the phoenix, which is now as good as new. The problem is, that not a single phoenix Burning Day has taken place for months, and there has even been a phoenix death reported. No one knows what has caused this, but if it doesn't stop soon phoenixes could become endangered quickly.
"We're trying very hard to get to the bottom of this," says James Falon, Head of the Animal Department in the Ministry of Magic. "Hopefully we will get some information soon, but until then, I don't know what to tell you."
And also until then, we don't know what to tell you either.
"Now," Hagrid said when he was sure that everyone had finished, "Professor Dumbledore has been kind enough ter let us use his pet phoenix Fawkes, since this year we are studyin' phoenixes."
Hagrid pulled showed them a cage, containing Fawkes, who looked less than completely energetic, but not close to death, his red feathers still glowing as beautifully as ever.
Harry then felt himself in those feathers, flying through the air, with not a care in the world. But then his wonderful vision ended abruptly, and he was pulled back down to Earth.
"Ya can all go back ter ya common rooms, now. We'll get started to work next class," Hagrid boomed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed back to the Gryffindor common room, chatting excitedly about the upcoming lessons on phoenixes. Harry could not wait to learn even more about the creatures that flew through the air so gracefully.