I don't have anything else to say except that I don't own anything the names that are unfamiliar to you all.  I can't reveal too much so here's chapter seven.

Chapter 7

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Harry and his friends woke up the following morning.  It was gloomy outside, which made the enchanted sky at the Great Hall to do the same.  Hermione was already at the Table eating toast and looking over her new course schedule. 

  "Good morning, here's the new course schedules," she said as she handed them the parchments.

  "Hmm…Double Divination first and then Herbology.  Not to bad," said Harry, looking over his schedule.

  "Yeah, and then we got Double Potions in the afternoons," said Ron as he spoon porridge in his bowl.

Just as he said this, hundreds of owl flew in to deliver mail to students.  Hedwig flew over to Harry and dropped a letter at his plate.  He opened it. It was from Remus. 

Harry,

Don't have much time to write.  We are headed to Hogwarts.  Send us the date for the first weekend visit to Hogsmeade.  Don't worry; we can take care of ourselves.  I can't tell you everything in this letter, as it may be intercepted.  Take care and say hello to Hermione and Ron for me.

Remus

  "They're flying here?" asked Ron; he was reading the letter over Harry's shoulder.  "Why?"

  "I don't know," shrugged Harry.  "But he wants us to tell the first date for Hogsmeade weekend."

  "It's the last week of November," replied Hermione.  "Here take my quill."

Harry scribbled the date on the parchment and tied it to Hedwig's leg.  She nipped him affectionately and flew out the window and out of Hogwarts. 

Harry and Ron made their way to the North Tower to Professor Trelawney's classroom.  Hermione separated from them as she made her way to Arithmancy.  Harry and Ron climb up the stifling hot classroom.  They sat in a table next to the window.  Harry opened it a little to let some air in. 

  "Good morning, children," said a misty voice that was Professor Trelawney.  "Today is an important day for all of you for today we are considering the stars.  But it's not just any stars: for Ursa Major is exactly parallel to the constellation of Perseus making people born in July to be in grave danger."

Harry knew who she was talking about.  As usual Professor Trelawney has just predicted Harry's horrific end.  Ron rolled his eyes at her as she seated herself in her usual armchair.  He also mouthed what Harry recognized as a swear word that he did not dare say in front of Professor Trelawney.  The rest of the class time they to predict their future for the coming month by using the tools that she provided. 

  "Ugh! This is so boring!" complained Ron.

  "Ssh! You are clouding my Inner Eye!" said Parvati, who was seated right across him.

  "Clouding your Inner Eye?  Do you really believe in this?"

Professor Trelwaney heard him and walked towards their tables. "Excuse me, child, but is there a problem here?"

  "Er, nothing much, Professor.  Er, Parvati here was just clouding my Inner Eye."

Harry and Dean sniggered silently.  Parvati gave Ron a severe look behind Professor Trelawney's back.

That afternoon, they went outside towards Hagrid's cabin for Care for Magical Creatures.  Harry wasn't really looking forward to this.  Last year, they were "taking care of" a horrid creature called the Blasted-Ended Skrewt.  But this time Hagrid was waiting for them outside his cabin with Fang, his dog, at his heels.  Right next to him was a medium-sized crate. It looks harmless, thought Harry, but knowing Hagrid, you may never know.

  "Hurry up now," he called,  "I got a real treat fer yeh."

  "What's in the crate, Hagrid?" asked Harry, as he looked in the crate.

  "Ohhh…" said Lavender Brown. 

The crate was filled what looked like puppies of different breeds.  They were all huddled together. 

  "They better not be those horrible creatures again," said Pansy Parkinson, who just arrived with her gang of Slytherin girls.

  "They're called Huppies," explained Hagrid, as he picked up a huppy that looked like little retriever.  "They look like puppies, but unlike puppies, these huppies never grow.  They just stay like this fer the rest o' their lives.  But what's so magical about 'em is that they have psychic powers an' can easily sense danger. See this upside-down triangle righ' there on their heads? Tha's where they get their powers.  They make very good pets, huppies."

  "Now today, yer jobs are to feed 'em.  These righ' here are on'y eight weeks old so mind 'em.  Yeh feed 'em goat's milk which are righ' here," he pointed at the little bottles next to the crate.

So they got right to work.  Feeding the Huppies was very easy.  Ever since the article about Hagrid last year, he was keen on giving them a bit of a break with what he called "interesting creatures."

  "So, I guess yeh three met yer new Professor Sullivan yet, eh?" asked Hagrid as they got to work.

  "Not yet.  We haven't had Defense Against the Dark Arts," answered Harry.

  "Why? Do you know her?" asked Hermione as she stroked the huppy she was feeding.

  "Yep, she used to go to this school, yeh know.  Used ter help me wit' my duties," said Hagrid.  "I reckon she'll have somethin' up her sleeve.  She's pretty clever."

 

  "Well, that was an interesting lesson, right?" asked Hermione as they climbed the stone steps of the castle an hour later.

  "Yeah, I think they're pretty cute, huppies," said Parvati right behind her.  "It's a good thing that he doesn't teach us about those ugly skrewts anymore."

They made their way down to the dungeons for Potions with the Slytherins.  They were waiting outside the dungeon when a voice echoed across the dark corridor.

  "Hey, Weasley, you're brother's on the paper!  Look!" said Draco Malfoy brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet at Ron. 

Ron grabbed it and read.

Gringotts' Charm Breaker Has Special Job?

Bill Weasley, a Charm Breaker at Egypt, has been found by a Prophet reporter to have a special job for the Ministry.  Bill, son of Ministry worker Arthur Weasley, was found to be at an anonymous place near a muggle town with certified aurors, Maria Costello and Andrew Kilton, who were apparently undercover.  The Ministry and his family were not available to comment on this report but Ministry did issue a statement that they did not hire Bill Weasley to do any kind of job.  What was Mr. Weasley doing there when he was supposed to be at Egypt?  We are still investigating this report.  Wrote by special correspondent.

  "Trying to earn some extra money for your family, Weasley?  Or maybe trying to bring a little bit of fame and glory to the family?" Taunted Malfoy.

Ron, who was shaking the newspaper with anger, was about to launch himself at Malfoy when Snape came down and let them in the Potions dungeon.  Ron's temper did not pass till they came out of the dungeon for dinner.  That's when he first spoke about the article.

  "I hate Malfoy.  I hope dad gets his family. But what do you reckon Bill was doing there? Mum's probably having a fit right now.  I thought you have a subscription for the Daily Prophet, Hermione?" he asked, spooning casserole on his plate.

  "Er, yeah, you're right.  I don't know where it went," answered Hermione, rummaging in her bag.

Just then Fred, George, and their friend Lee Jordan came in and sat down next to them.  They were talking excitedly about the lesson they just had.

  "What's going on?" asked Harry.

Fred and George looked at each other and grinned.  "We just had the most fun in Defense Against the Dark Arts class," exclaimed Fred. 

  "Yeah, even better than the one we had with Mad-Eye last year. She knows her stuff, Professor Sullivan," added George.

  "Why? What did you guys do?" asked Ron eagerly.

  "You just have to wait and see," grinned Lee. 

Harry looked for his schedule.  "We have her tomorrow!" he exclaimed. 

There was only one thing Harry was looking forward to, and that was their Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson tomorrow.