Author's notes: Sorry it took me so long to post this! I'll try to do better next time. Now this chapter doesn't have much action, but in next one things will happen, and we'll have Draco as well (angsting...)!
About Harry's Gryffindor year mates: I don't think there are other except Ron, 'Mione, Seamus, Dean, Neville and Parvati. Am I right or wrong?
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 3
"Humph! Transfiguration, Divination, Defense against the Dark Arts and Potions," said Ron, analyzing his timetable over a plate filled with breakfast. "Could have been a lot better, if you ask me."
"It also could have been a lot worse, you know," Hermione pointed out from across the table.
"She's right there, Ron! Imagine Potions, History of Magic, Divination and more of Hagrid's hybrids from last year!" added the one member of the Gryffindor trio that hadn't said anything that far.
"Urgh!" Ron made a face at the mere mention of the creatures and continued. "Don't say that, I'm losing my appetite! What now?" he asked when his two friends started laughing at his predictable reaction.
It felt good to be back, Harry decided through his gales of laughter.
~ ~ ~
After Divination and Arithmancy respectively, the trio reunited and went to Defense against the Dark Arts together. The moment the bell rang, the new teacher came through the door, attracting all of his students' gazes. He didn't look like Quirell (to everyone's relief), nor like Lockhart (to some of the female students' chagrin), nor like Lupin (to the trio's regret). He was a rather tall, strong man, not-quite-fat and not-quite-slim, with bushy eyebrows and icy light-blue eyes that instead of regarding a person pierced him or her.
"Now then," he thundered, "this is *my* Defense against the Dark Arts class, so you will be silent and carve every word I say on your brain, or else..."
The forth-years were all struck silent and neither of them dared open his or her mouth, let alone move.
Siegfried Marsch launched into the lesson without any other introduction.
"Today I'll tell you about the Etmod. It's one of the few magical animals that can kill a person using magic. Basically, it's a large green and yellow lizard-type animal with two horns you should avoid ("The horns or the lizard," whispered Ron to Harry) unless you have the power and the experience necessary to fight it, like me. ("Uh, another Lockhart," Harry whispered in his turn) Now, write!"
The forth-year Gryffindors scrambled for their quills and parchments and hurriedly took down the details their professor gave. When the bell rang, Marsch curtly told them to be near the Forbidden Forest next time, to study a live specimen and dismissed them.
"Hey, this lesson wasn't so bad. I think I liked it!" Ron said, having turned cheerful as soon as they had emerged without homework.
"I'm not sure," frowned Hermione. "It wasn't really that an interesting class..."
"Eh, who are you trying to fool? You're just cross that Marsch didn't give you a chance to tell about the Etmod yourself, aren't you?"
"Humph!" said Hermione, turning her head to one side in a fast, fluid motion.
"C'mon, admit it! Admit it!" chanted the red-haired teen, teasing his friend.
Harry kept himself out of it, all-too-used to Ron and 'Mione's apparent squabbles. Out of nowhere, one of those strange pains grasped him, the boy having to bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. As soon as the pain came, it went away, leaving him panting, worried and some way behind his friends.
"Hey, Harry! What'cha doing back there?" yelled Ron.
"I'm coming!" "Sorry about that," he added when he caught up with them. Other than that, nothing was said and they all let it pass.
The next class was Potions and, as usual, it was with the Slytherins. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to any of the people involved, but just as usual, everyone was glad to see it done and over with.
"Well, Snape was his ordinary charming self today," Harry commented as they left.
"And that git, Malfoy, behaved as bratishly as ever," said Ron.
"That word doesn't-"
"I know, Herm," and "He knows, Herm," left the mouths of the two boys at the same time, making them all laugh. The discussion then shifted to Defense against the Dark Arts - the new teacher and live Etmod. The next class happened to be exactly the next day, and it came as if flying at the unsuspecting students.
~ ~ ~
The forth-year Gryffindors were all where their professor had instructed them to be. He came only moments after the bell, wearing an almost smug smile.
"Class - observe!"
Without any other words, he took out a dead chicken and threw it into the forest, near its edge. Not five minutes later, the Etmod emerged and gobbled up the dead animal. It was large for a lizard, but it wasn't taller than Marsch and couldn't have been even if it were able to stand on two feet. However, it was quite devious, despite its not looking very intelligent. At that particular moment, however, its hunger was clouding its mind.
Marsch strolled towards it, looking very confident and stopped right in front of the creature. Having finished its snack, it hissed at him warningly, fully expecting the wizard to get the hint; the man, however, stood firm and, reaching out, slapped the monster across its face.
The students and the Etmod acted as one, drawing in a sharp breath; the first ones forgot to breathe and the latter forgot to think, as it rushed head-long into Marsch. The wizard quickly and efficiently avoided it by stepping to the side. The creature turned with blood-shot eyes, a clear sign of the rage it was in and tried to crush him, with the same lack of success as before. The Etmod's eyes narrowed as they caught sight of the wizard again. It lowered its head, its horns started glowing and for the first time the people there could hear its voice, as it hissed a short spell that directed a yellowish-green beam of light at its attacker. Drawing his wand in a fraction of a second, the teacher yelled out the counter-spell, completely pulverizing the Etmod's magic. The creature hissed again, then turned tail and ran off into the forest.
Harry was speechless. The man was incredibly foolhardy, he didn't know what was good for him! Apparently, Hermione thought the same thing, for she said nothing and kept her lips pursed together. Ron, on the other hand, was enthusiastically clapping and cheering, like Seamus and Dean; Neville stared in mild disbelief; and Lavander and Parvati were going 'Oh, Professor, that was *so* brave!...'.
End Chapter 3
Feedback is the reason I'm posting this story! (That, and wanting to show off ~_^) Please make a quick click and write a few words about my story! Thanks!
About Harry's Gryffindor year mates: I don't think there are other except Ron, 'Mione, Seamus, Dean, Neville and Parvati. Am I right or wrong?
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 3
"Humph! Transfiguration, Divination, Defense against the Dark Arts and Potions," said Ron, analyzing his timetable over a plate filled with breakfast. "Could have been a lot better, if you ask me."
"It also could have been a lot worse, you know," Hermione pointed out from across the table.
"She's right there, Ron! Imagine Potions, History of Magic, Divination and more of Hagrid's hybrids from last year!" added the one member of the Gryffindor trio that hadn't said anything that far.
"Urgh!" Ron made a face at the mere mention of the creatures and continued. "Don't say that, I'm losing my appetite! What now?" he asked when his two friends started laughing at his predictable reaction.
It felt good to be back, Harry decided through his gales of laughter.
~ ~ ~
After Divination and Arithmancy respectively, the trio reunited and went to Defense against the Dark Arts together. The moment the bell rang, the new teacher came through the door, attracting all of his students' gazes. He didn't look like Quirell (to everyone's relief), nor like Lockhart (to some of the female students' chagrin), nor like Lupin (to the trio's regret). He was a rather tall, strong man, not-quite-fat and not-quite-slim, with bushy eyebrows and icy light-blue eyes that instead of regarding a person pierced him or her.
"Now then," he thundered, "this is *my* Defense against the Dark Arts class, so you will be silent and carve every word I say on your brain, or else..."
The forth-years were all struck silent and neither of them dared open his or her mouth, let alone move.
Siegfried Marsch launched into the lesson without any other introduction.
"Today I'll tell you about the Etmod. It's one of the few magical animals that can kill a person using magic. Basically, it's a large green and yellow lizard-type animal with two horns you should avoid ("The horns or the lizard," whispered Ron to Harry) unless you have the power and the experience necessary to fight it, like me. ("Uh, another Lockhart," Harry whispered in his turn) Now, write!"
The forth-year Gryffindors scrambled for their quills and parchments and hurriedly took down the details their professor gave. When the bell rang, Marsch curtly told them to be near the Forbidden Forest next time, to study a live specimen and dismissed them.
"Hey, this lesson wasn't so bad. I think I liked it!" Ron said, having turned cheerful as soon as they had emerged without homework.
"I'm not sure," frowned Hermione. "It wasn't really that an interesting class..."
"Eh, who are you trying to fool? You're just cross that Marsch didn't give you a chance to tell about the Etmod yourself, aren't you?"
"Humph!" said Hermione, turning her head to one side in a fast, fluid motion.
"C'mon, admit it! Admit it!" chanted the red-haired teen, teasing his friend.
Harry kept himself out of it, all-too-used to Ron and 'Mione's apparent squabbles. Out of nowhere, one of those strange pains grasped him, the boy having to bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. As soon as the pain came, it went away, leaving him panting, worried and some way behind his friends.
"Hey, Harry! What'cha doing back there?" yelled Ron.
"I'm coming!" "Sorry about that," he added when he caught up with them. Other than that, nothing was said and they all let it pass.
The next class was Potions and, as usual, it was with the Slytherins. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to any of the people involved, but just as usual, everyone was glad to see it done and over with.
"Well, Snape was his ordinary charming self today," Harry commented as they left.
"And that git, Malfoy, behaved as bratishly as ever," said Ron.
"That word doesn't-"
"I know, Herm," and "He knows, Herm," left the mouths of the two boys at the same time, making them all laugh. The discussion then shifted to Defense against the Dark Arts - the new teacher and live Etmod. The next class happened to be exactly the next day, and it came as if flying at the unsuspecting students.
~ ~ ~
The forth-year Gryffindors were all where their professor had instructed them to be. He came only moments after the bell, wearing an almost smug smile.
"Class - observe!"
Without any other words, he took out a dead chicken and threw it into the forest, near its edge. Not five minutes later, the Etmod emerged and gobbled up the dead animal. It was large for a lizard, but it wasn't taller than Marsch and couldn't have been even if it were able to stand on two feet. However, it was quite devious, despite its not looking very intelligent. At that particular moment, however, its hunger was clouding its mind.
Marsch strolled towards it, looking very confident and stopped right in front of the creature. Having finished its snack, it hissed at him warningly, fully expecting the wizard to get the hint; the man, however, stood firm and, reaching out, slapped the monster across its face.
The students and the Etmod acted as one, drawing in a sharp breath; the first ones forgot to breathe and the latter forgot to think, as it rushed head-long into Marsch. The wizard quickly and efficiently avoided it by stepping to the side. The creature turned with blood-shot eyes, a clear sign of the rage it was in and tried to crush him, with the same lack of success as before. The Etmod's eyes narrowed as they caught sight of the wizard again. It lowered its head, its horns started glowing and for the first time the people there could hear its voice, as it hissed a short spell that directed a yellowish-green beam of light at its attacker. Drawing his wand in a fraction of a second, the teacher yelled out the counter-spell, completely pulverizing the Etmod's magic. The creature hissed again, then turned tail and ran off into the forest.
Harry was speechless. The man was incredibly foolhardy, he didn't know what was good for him! Apparently, Hermione thought the same thing, for she said nothing and kept her lips pursed together. Ron, on the other hand, was enthusiastically clapping and cheering, like Seamus and Dean; Neville stared in mild disbelief; and Lavander and Parvati were going 'Oh, Professor, that was *so* brave!...'.
End Chapter 3
Feedback is the reason I'm posting this story! (That, and wanting to show off ~_^) Please make a quick click and write a few words about my story! Thanks!