Harry's Pen Friend
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing; Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I am only borrowing them for a while

Chapter Four - Goodbye London, Hello Hogwarts

The trip to Hogwarts was almost anticlimactic, when compared to some of their previous trips. The trio, along with Hermione's parents met up with the Weasleys at King's Cross. They had no problems crossing the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. After an uneventful train ride, they disembarked at Hogsmeade and rode in the horseless carriages to the castle. They watched the sorting ceremony, and ate their fill at the feast. While the others chattered up a storm, Harry sat quietly, taking it all in.
"Something the matter there, Harry?" asked Ron, reaching for another helping of roast beef. "You seem to be a bit quiet tonight."
"No, nothing's the matter, it's just, well, I think this is the first time we've ever come to school where something hasn't happened either on the train, or here at school. I'm just enjoying everything, that's all."
"Well, I find it rather relaxing," said Hermione. "No Dementors, no time turners, no supporters of You-Know-Who sitting at the teachers table. Maybe this year will go by without any problems!"

The three friends laughed, and finished their meals. The soiled plates disappeared, and were replaced by every type of dessert imaginable. Harry helped himself to treacle tart, and a slice of apple pie. While he ate, Dumbledore stood at the head table, and tapped his knife on his water glass for silence.
"Welcome students, to another year at Hogwarts. At the request of the faculty, we will dispense with singing the school song today. The faculty applauded loudly, while Fred and George booed and hissed.
"Yes, yes, I quite agree," said Dumbledore. "Class schedules will be handed out tonight, as some of the Sixth Years have a sunrise class to attend. After your prefects pass out your schedules, you may return to your common rooms. I wish all of you a happy and successful school year."

Dumbledore sat down, and the prefects stood up and began to pass out the schedules for the new school year. As soon as they received their schedules, Hermione, Ron and Harry began to study them intently.
"Damn," said Ron. "We still have Potions with the Slytherins. That's five years running. Do you suppose someone has it in for us? I mean, Snape's bad enough, but add the Slytherins to the mix and it's just rotten."
"Oh, Ron," said Hermione. "I know Professor Snape is perfectly awful, but,"
"Perfectly awful!" said Ron. "He's a slimy git, that's what he is."
"Hey!" interjected Harry. "Who's this teaching Muggle Studies?"
"Professor M. Pennyfeather," read Ron. "Hmmm, I never heard of him."
"Well, maybe he's new," said Hermione as she stood up and began to leave the Great Hall. Harry and Ron jumped up and walked beside her, continuing their conversation.
"I didn't see anybody new at the Professor's table," said Harry. "But that doesn't mean anything. Trelawney hardly ever eats down here."
"I guess you'll find out tomorrow morning," said Hermione. "You have Muggle Studies first thing."

The next morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione were among the first in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry and Ron were up early because they were curious about the new Muggle Studies teacher, and Hermione because she couldn't wait for classes to start. The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was tinged with a faint pink, as it mimicked the sunrise that was occurring outside. As the sun rose higher on the enchanted ceiling, the candles that floated above the tables extinguished themselves, leaving the Hall bathed in golden sunlight. Harry made short work of his eggs, and bacon and fried mushrooms, while the room filled up with filled up with hungry students. A handful of Sixth Year Ravenclaws walked in, their robes streaked with dirt from their early morning Herbology class.

Harry stood; ready to leave when the Hall was filled with the rush of wings as the morning post was delivered. Hedwig swooped down and dropped a small letter on Harry's plate and landed on the table next to Harry's plate. Pigwidgeon careened downward, and crashed into a platter of scrambled eggs. Ron reached over and picked him out of the eggs, and removed the letter that was strapped to Pig's leg.
"That bird is positively mental," said Ron. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear he needs glasses. He and Harry looked at the letters they had received. Both were identical. The address read:

Mr. H. Potter
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Please do not open until further instructed


Harry looked at Ron's and saw that it was addressed in a similar way.

"Oh," said Hermione, as she leafed through her copy of The Daily Prophet.. Look, there's an article about the new Muggle Studies Professor!" She skimmed the article quickly and sighed. "It says no picture is available."
"Does it say anything else?" asked Harry as he fed Hedwig a piece of bacon rind.
"No, it's just an announcement saying Hogwarts is pleased to announce the appointment of M. Pennyfeather to the post of Muggles Studies Professor."
"Well, there's no point in wasting time wondering," added Ron. "We have Muggle Studies next.
"Oh, and I have Arithmancy," said Hermione, her eyes shining at the thought. "I have some wonderful theories to discuss with Professor Vector. I worked on them all summer." Hermione grabbed her books and hurried out of the Great Hall.

Ron shook his head in disgust as he watched Hermione rush out of the Great Hall.
"She's positively batty," he said. "I just don't understand how anyone could love schoolwork as much as Hermione does."
"We both should be happy she does," said Harry as the two boys left the Great Hall and began to climb a staircase that would bring them to the South Tower. "She's helped both of us more times than I can remember."
"I know, I know," said Ron. "But the way she loves school work, it just isn't natural."

The two boys arrived outside the entrance to the tower classroom, and waited, along with a handful of Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs.
"Gee, no Slytherins," whispered Harry to Ron with a grin. "I wonder why that is?"
"Right, could you see Draco Malfoy taking Muggle Studies. He'd probably drop dead at the mere thought of it."
"Come in, come in," a voice called from the classroom, and the door swung open. "Welcome to Muggle Studies. I am Professor Milton Pennyfeather, and I will be instructing you in Muggle Studies."

Harry walked into the classroom and stopped dead in his tracks and stared. There in the front of the classroom stood a man, dressed in a Muggle three piece suit, and wearing a shirt and tie. This man looked nothing like any witch or wizard Harry had ever seen. Most of them had no idea of how Muggles really dressed.
"Sit down, sit down," said the Professor. "And welcome to Muggle Studies. This course has been completely redone, and my goal is to teach you to be able to exist in the Muggle world, completely unnoticed. You will learn about electricity, and grocery shopping. You will learn how Muggles do laundry, and what they do for fun. In short, you will become Muggle!"

The students whispered among themselves, suddenly excited at the prospect of Muggle Studies.
"I live in the Muggle world," said Professor Pennyfeather, and I am going to teach you to do so as well."
"But why Professor?" asked a third year Ravenclaw that Harry didn't know. While the Professor explained the reasons for being able to exist in the Muggle world, Harry smiled to himself. He started feeling very confident about Muggle Studies.

"One of our projects this year will be to correspond with a student from a Muggle school. They will be your pen friends for the school year. You will write to them at least once a week, and your job is to convince them that you attend. St. Edmunds School. You will converse with them about your hobbies and schoolwork. You will give your letters to me to be mailed in Muggle fashion, and your letters from your pen friends will come to me, and I will deliver them to you.
Harry smiled at Ron, in excitement.
"This is going to be the best year ever," he whispered. "We can do this, no problem."

"You will have received an envelope from me this morning. In the envelope is the name and address of your pen friend. Before you open them, I will tell you now, that there will be no changing of pen friends. You will keep the name you are assigned. Are there any questions?" Professor Pennyfeather waited for several moments before continuing. When I count to three, I want you to open your envelopes. One, two, three."

Harry tore into his envelope, his hands shaking with excitement. At last, he had something besides flying in which he would do well! He reached into the envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment.

Dear Harry,
Your pen friend will be: Dudley Dursley
The Smeltings School.


Harry shook his head and laid it on the desk before him. It was going to be a very long year.

The End.