CHAPTER TEN: Alforth really is a Slytherin at heart!

Back in our common room we all discussed the resorting of Alforth.

Paul was in shock by it. "In all my years here I've never even really heard a student complain about the house he or she was put in, yet alone complain so much that they got swapped into another house!" He said, shaking his head like he couldn't believe what the world was coming to. "I know the Malfoys are a bad lot of course-probably threatening the headmistress or something!"

"I can't see McGonagall being scared of the Malfoys!" argued a female prefect.

Paul blushed. "No, of course not. I didn't mean to imply that she agreed because she was scared!" He bustled.

"I can't say I'm disappointed about it." Greg said. "I thought he was a sly looking thing, a typical Malfoy! And I bet you first years aren't complaining?"

Martin snorted. "Celebrating not complaining." He said. "After the terrible things he said about being put with us and all!"

Jenny sighed, and looked up from the book she was reading: 'Garlic and other myths.' "I don't get it. Does this mean the hat made a mistake when it put him in Gryffindoor?" She asked perplexed.

I shrugged. "I guess."

"But it's never done that before." Jenny argued.

"Well there's a first time for everything isn't there?" Martin said. "Even a bookworm like you-"

"Hey Martin how about another game of Wizard Chess? Feel like getting your butt kicked again?" I asked quickly.

Martin, of course, was up for it. "You just got lucky Sam." He told me. "I'll whip you this time!" And he raced upstairs to get his set. I knew that I should probably begin on the assignment Snape had handed out in that afternoon's DADA class ("There is no way to kill a vampire completely." Discuss in no less than two rolls of parchment.) but I couldn't be bothered with it. Interestingly enough Snape had been relatively mild in class, not taking points off any Gryffindoors, and for some reason he hadn't even glanced at me. Not that that made me feel any better-it was almost like the calm before the storm!

I saw Francine looking at me impressed, as she got up and went upstairs. I wanted to tell her that her conversation had nothing to do with my actions!



"Listen," Jenny said in a low voice to me, taking the opportunity to talk to me while Martin was upstairs. "I'm going to spend some time in the library after flying lessons tomorrow and see whether I can find any information on Merlin. If you want to help me I'd like your help."

I frowned thoughtfully. We'd only been at Hogwarts three days now, and for some reason Jenny hadn't annoyed me quite as much as I had thought she would. I wasn't saying she was great fun or anything, but she hadn't been a complete pain! "I guess I could help." I said slowly.

Jenny's eyes lit up. "Great! With the two of us we're bound to find something about Merlin!"

"What are you two whispering about?" Greg asked leaning over to us.

"Nothing." I said at the same time as Jenny.

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. I believe you." He said.

We didn't have to reply to that because Martin was bounding back into the room with the chess set. "Ready Sam?" He called. "This is revenge."

I grinned, and went over to the table where he was setting it up. I remembered my Dad telling me about the first time he'd played Wizard chess and he was shocked to see how the figures were so violent when they took a piece. He also told me that Uncle Ron had kicked his butt every single time they played. In seven years Dad had never been able to beat him!

*****

When we entered the greenhouse the next morning I was surprised to see that Professor Sprout wasn't there. Instead Professor Selwyn was there.

"Your teacher felt ill this morning, so I've been asked to take over for her." He told us.

I heard the Slytherin girl, Patty, and her friends all snigger. I saw Alforth smirking and leaning back in his chair. He still had his sly look, but he seemed a lot happier than he had been with us.

Jenny glared at them. "Stupid fools." She muttered angrily. "I hope they feel happy."

"Quiet!" I shushed her. "You know Patty isn't the sort of enemy you need. We've got flying lessons this afternoon and the last thing you need is her doing something like she did the other day."

"I'm not scared of the stupid little-"

"Okay class!" Professor Selwyn said. "According to Professor Sprout in your first lesson you discussed basic herbs and-yes?"

Patty Parkinson's hand was waving in the air. "I was just wondering Professor whether or not you knew about how Sprout killed those two students and a lot of others got ill?"

Professor Selwyn frowned. "Firstly, it's Professor Sprout, not Sprout." He said.

"And secondly yes I've heard about it. My brother was here at the time, and I was actually on an exchange program over at Beauxbatons at the time. But I think you've got your facts rather wrong. The wrong dates were on the seeds which were delivered, so it was hardly Professor Sprouts fault. In future before accusing innocent people of things they didn't do perhaps you should work out what you're actually talking about!" The potions teacher said disapprovingly.

Patty looked taken aback, and Jenny looked triumphant. I noticed one of Patty's friends glaring at Jenny. She nudged her friend, and Patty turned around and her eyes locked with Jenny's. They both stared at each other for a moment, and then Jenny smiled and looked away.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, shall we get on with the lesson?" Professor Selwyn asked. "Today we're going to discuss some of the plants we have here in the greenhouse number one. As you are well aware none of these are particularly dangerous and.."

I tuned out of his lecture.

*****

As we were walking to charms Jenny muttered something about needing to go the bathroom, and I noticed that many of the other girls said the same thing, including the Hufflepuff girls. I looked after them curious, but Martin was laughing.

"I bet they've all gone to fix their hair and make themselves look pretty for Professor Horing." He said. "As if a grown man would be interested in eleven year old girls!"

"How stupid." Alex said, and I had to agree with him.

Most of the charms lesson was taken up with Professor Horing's lecture on himself, with all the girls acting like it was the most interesting thing they had ever heard!

Henry leant over to me. "Did your Dad ever tell you about Gilderoy Lockhart?" He asked.

I frowned, trying to recall whether or not I had heard the name, and then shook my head.

"Well he was a teacher here in their second year, taught DADA apparently. Dad said he was a shocker-loved himself. He even gave the class a test on him! Makes me think this guy is similar."

"If that's the case," I whispered back. "This is going to be a long year. How many more weeks do we have until Christmas and holidays?"

Suddenly I realised that the class was silent, and they were all looking at us. I gulped and looked up towards the front.

"Glad to have your attention back Sam." Professor Horing said, with a grin. "I guess I did get a little carried away, didn't I?"

I shook my head. "No Sir, it was all very interesting." I lied.

"Really? Well tell me then, which was your favorite part?" He asked.

I swallowed. "My uh.my favorite part was..well I liked all of it..so um, picking a favorite is hard.."

The bell rang then and Professor Horing laughed. "Saved by the bell Sam." He told me. "For the next class can I ask you all to read the chapter in your text on making a perfect levitation charm? I noticed the other day we didn't seem to be very good on it."

We escaped to lunch. Jenny and her friends were speaking about Professor Horing. "Not only is he cute," Kathy said. "But he's so smart!"

"And he's been everywhere and done everything!" Alana agreed. "Jenny, can you help me with my wingardium leviosa spell? I want to do it well for him!"

"Of course I will." Jenny said happy to help. "It's basically all in the way you pronounce the words though. It's really very simple once you get the hang of it!"

Martin snorted, and even I had to hide a smile. While the girl's attitudes annoyed me generally they still made me laugh!

*****

"I hope that Professor Janson is back." I said, as we walked down towards where flying lessons were held that afternoon.

"It'd be nice," Jenny agreed. "But she said it was more than likely that she wouldn't be back for a few lessons didn't she?"

Unfortunately Jenny was right. Snape was standing by the brooms watching as we all hurried over.

"In future do try and be a little bit punctual." He said coldly, as we arrived.

I saw Alforth grin nastily.

"Miss Weasley are you planning on putting on another display like last time?" Snape asked Jenny.

Jenny's face went red. I'd seen her reading a few books on Quidditch since the last lesson obviously determined not to be embarrassed again!

Alforth laughed openly now. "But Professor, it did make the class a little more entertaining didn't it?" He asked.

Snape smiled at him. "Yes, you're quite right Mr. Malfoy, it did make the class very interesting. I'll not forget the look on Miss Weasley's face for a long time!"

The Gryffindoor students glared at Snape, but the Slytherin students were all laughing and grinning.

"Okay," Snape snapped suddenly. "Next to your brooms please."

As we lined up next to our brooms I dared a whisper to Martin "Well at least we know Alforth really is a Slytherin don't we?"

Martin grinned at me. "Thank god." He whispered back.