Chapter 6: And the School Work Increases
Harry was glad to be back in school. At breakfast the next day, Professor McGonagall brought the Gryffindors their class schedules.
"I can't believe we have these together," Ron said as he dropped his schedule in his cereal.
"Let me see," Hermione said as she grabbed Ron's schedule. "You have double Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and then your free for the afternoon. That's really good."
"I know, can you believe it?" Ron said with a smile.
"I'll be in Ancient Runes while you two are on break." Hermione said as she looked down at her schedule.
"Ron!" Harry shouted making a few heads turn. "We have double Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"But with Slytherin," Ron said frowning.
"With who?" Harry said as he dropped his pumpkin juice on top of his eggs. "That can't be right!"
"Actually it is perfectly correct, Mr. Potter," Professor Draconis had walked up behind them. "Asked for it to be scheduled that way myself. You see, Mr. Potter, students tend to work more diligently when they are up against rivals. I'm sure you know Gryffindor and Slytherin are famous rivals not only in the past, but in the present as well."
He walked briskly away, his staff held at his side.
"That guy gives me the creeps!" Neville said as they all made there way to Herbology.
This year they were moved to Greenhouse Five. Professor Sprout was awaiting them as they entered the empty greenhouse.
"Welcome Gryffindors to Greenhouse Five," she said with a bright smile. "Now this year I decided to have a little project. It will be part of your final, so you will have all year to get ready."
Hermione almost fainted when she heard this. "She's giving us our final...now?"
"Now each of you must pick one plant from this list," Professor Sprout explained as she held up a piece of parchment. "I suggest one you will be able to control."
Control? Harry was not liking the sound of this exam one bit.
"Of which I will supply the seeds," Professor Sprout continued. "You will have one year to keep your original seed alive. Points can be deducted even if your plant reproduces but the parent dies. Another part will be a very well developed essay, three pieces of parchment, front and back, on your plant."
Professor Sprout was smiling as if this was her best idea ever, but the students looked horrified; except for Neville.
"Professor?" Neville had raised his hand, which he rarely did, even in Herbology, "What if we already have a plant?"
"Well, Mr. Longbottom," Professor Sprout answered, "you will have to start from a seed of course. Mind you it will be first come first serve. All you have to do is sign up on this–"
Before Professor Sprout had finished, she was bombarded by a horde of students. Neville had grabbed it first and scribbled something down. He then passed it to Ron and the list went around the room. The last two to get the list were Harry and Hermione.
Every plant that was on the list had been taken except for two. Harry and Hermione looked at the last two plants and were not too pleased.
"Devil's Snare and Venomous Tentacula?" Harry groaned.
"Well I'll take the Devil Snare and you can have the Venomous Tentacula," Hermione said as she wrote her name next to her plant and Harry's next to his.
Ron had signed up for Gillyweed. He said he thought it would be easy. Neville had signed up for Mimbulus Mimbletonia, and since he already owned one, he already knew how to take care of one. Dean Thomas was not lucky either because he had to raise a mandrake.
Professor Sprout went down the list calling out names and the corresponding plant. She told them that the seedlings will be ready next lesson and for today's lesson they were going to help her get a few things ready for the younger students.
They spent most of the class getting mandrakes ready for second years. Neville almost knocked one out of its pot. When he knocked the pot over, everyone covered their ears. After the mandrakes, some of them went to help trim the tentacles of a Venomous Tentacula while the rest of the students were setting up bouncing bulbs.
After class they all journeyed to their dormitories to change before Care of Magical Creatures. Although Hermione suggested they wait because they did not know what Hagrid had in store for them.
The sun was bright so they thought that it would not be so bad. They arrived at Hagrid's hut to see a large glass tank that sat on a large table. As they approached they saw large, blue insects scurrying around.
"These actually look decent," Ron said as he reached in to touch one.
"Careful, Ron," Hagrid said as he ran up to the tank, but it was too late.
Ron had gave a yelp because one of them had stung him. He felt funny and closed his eyes tight for a moment. He had not even realized he was floating three feet above the ground.
"Those billywigs weren't for you lot," Hagrid said as he pulled Ron from the air and held a gigantic hand on his shoulder so he would not float off. "For you lot, I got a real treat. Jus' got them in today. O'course, they had to have a Silencin' Charm put on them, but jus' in case I need you lot to put on these ear muffs."
He took them to the other side of his hut which had a cage full of bright colored birds.
"Fwoopers, jus' got 'em yesterday," Hagrid shouted so the students could hear through the earmuffs. "I'm not much on essays but Dumbledore said I should get you lot ready for your N.E.W.T.s, so I need one piece of parchment on these little critters. Can anyone tell me why they need a silencin' charm?"
Hermione's hand shot up, but another voice answered before Hagrid had even called on Hermione.
"Fwoopers are native to Africa and can only be sold with a silencing charm because their song can drive, not just anyone, but anything, insane," a boy answered from behind them.
Harry had never noticed him before until now. He was Harry's height, but with dirty blonde hair and had a strange accent about him. His blue eyes looked full of eagerness.
"That's right," Hagrid said a little bewildered. "An' who are you?"
"Sorry, Professor Hagrid," the boy explained as he pulled out a piece of parchment. "I have just transferred from the Advanced Wizarding Academy for Wizards to Hogwarts this year. My father was transffered to the Ministry in London. My schedule has to be changed a bit because of some classes I need to catch up on."
"Well, what's yer name?" Hagrid asked.
"Forgive me," the boy said with a smile. "My name is Joseph Erkling, but you can call me Joey." He looked at Hermione and gave a quick smile which made Ron look at him in disgust.
For the rest of class they all walked around the cage examining the fwoopers. Hagrid was yelling information so that they could hear through the earmuffs.
After class, Harry and Ron said bye to Hermione as she walked off to Ancient Runes with Joey.
"I don't like him," Ron said as he glared at Joey as he walked off. Harry could only laugh.
Needless to say Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to skip dinner and went straight to the library. Ron and Harry decided to work on their essay for Care of Magical Creatures while Hermione began on her Ancient Runes homework. They were in the library all evening, but they had all managed to finish at least one essay.
"You think they would go easy on us as we get older," Ron moaned as they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room.
"Well at least we have all year to work on our Herbology assignment," Hermione said as she smiled weakily.
"Yeah if you have a plant like gillyweed," Harry said as a suit of armor bowed to them as they passed.
"Actually, Harry," Hermione said with a grin, "gillyweed is very hard to keep alive. It needs to stay moist, but it needs the sun at the same time, and it can't stay soaked in water. You also need to keep a close watch on it for most of the day, and we have to keep these things alive for a year."
Ron's eyes were growing large and Harry could hear him groan.
"Ruining everything for everybody," Ron mumbled.
"Well I was only being honest," Hermione said forgetting that Ron was using gillyweed for his assignment. "Locomortis."
They entered the common room to see that is was strangely empty.
"Where is everyone?" Harry asked as he fell into a chair by the fire.
Suddenly the portrait hole opened and a horde of students ran into the common room.
"Where were you?" Ginny asked as she ran into the room. "You should have been at dinner. These two second years got in a fight, a fist fight, and the new professors showed up and they just stopped. One of them, Draconis I think, walked up to them and said something that only they could hear. Then they both ran from him looking horror struck."
"Well while you were admiring the new professor," Ron said darkly, "we were busy doing our homework."
"Well with an attitude like that, I guess I'll keep the food I brought up for you!" Ginny said as she handed a few cakes to Harry and Hermione.
Ron glowered at Ginny as she walked away to her dormitory.
"Well I'm tired, I'll see you both in the morning," Harry said handing his cake to Ron.
With the first day of school out of the way, Harry felt like he was at home at last. Although the thought of having double Defense Against the Dark Arts and double Potions with the Slytherins the next day troubled him, he fell asleep thinking about the fwoopers from early that day.
* * *
Professor Draconis's classroom was deep in the dungeons. When the students entered the classroom, they could not believe it. The room was lit dimly by a few torches, for there were no windows. The desk at the front of the class was long and made of a dark red wood. The bottom of the desk even had claws surrounding what looked like orbs made from rubies. The chair had two dragon heads extending from each side of the top with what appeared to be orbs of ruby in their mouths.
Professor Draconis sat in his chair, tapping his fingers together, watching every student study his room. He was wearing dark green robes and his staff was perched against his chair. He did not speak until they all were seated.
"Good morning, class," he said in a strong, young voice. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts for sixth years. I would like to begin the class by letting you all get to know me a bit better.
"I have been in Romania for the past five years studying dragons. I am a member of the Draconis family that I'm sure some of you heard about, but I'm sort of the 'black sheep' of the family. I was in Romania when I discovered that Dumbledore needed a new teacher for this position, so I decided to take the job. It took all summer to get the ministry to agree."
"Excuse me, sir," Hermione said as she raised her hand. Draconis nodded to acknowledge her. "Why did the ministry have a problem with you being a teacher?"
"You must be Miss Granger," Draconis said with an evil grin. "I've been warned about you. Always asking questions about things that do not concern you."
Hermione slid down in her seat so that she was hidden except for the top of her head.
"That matter is of no importance to any of you at this time," Draconis said standing to his feet and looking at the class more sternly. "I'm sure some of your parents were not pleased with the reading material required for my class, and I'm sure that some were pleased with the low prices."
"They should have jus' gave them to us for free," Seamus laughed.
"True," Draconis agreed before he continued. "Of course, this is one reason the Minister did not want me to teach. I had to explain my lesson plan, which is: to know how to defend against the Dark Arts, one must know the Dark Arts. Of course some of the spells you will not be able to perform. I will let you know which ones when we get there.
"My class will be divided into three parts, in which you shall be graded on three different levels. First, you will have a grade on your book smarts. This will include homework and essays as such. Second, you will have a grade for being able to perform the magic itself. Third, by next lesson, you will all be sorted into groups, and like the school houses, your group will be your family. You will work together and try to improve your skills.
"The reason for the groups is to keep students on top of things. Your grade will depend on your group. If one person can not perform a task, then it will hurt the group's grade. Unity will be the key to your grades. I suggest your house rivalry be put on hold if you are grouped with a member of a different house.
"Now, our first lesson will be split up into parts. The subject should be fairly easy seeing how they were at this school a few years ago. Dementors will be our first lesson. You will begin by researching the topic and giving me two pieces of parchment, or one piece front and back, on dementors. I grade harshly on essays by the way. When you write, you must put a part of your soul into it. When I read your essays I want to feel like I am the dementor. I want you to know what it thinks, how it thinks, how it acts, what it likes, what it does not like, and anything else you can find.
"Of course it seems like a lot of work but once you start, you will be amazed at how time flies. Now for the parchment to be used."
Draconis walked over to his desk and grabbed a piece of blank parchment from it.
"For any assignment I give you will have to use my special parchment," he explained waving the parchment in the air. "This can be good news or bad news for some of you. It is enchanted to format your paper in a certain format. You have the usual heading, title and name, and then the rest will move your writing around in the way I wish. On a different note, it will either shrink or enlarge your handwriting and space it in the way I wish. For those of you write very large and space your words largely, be warned because you are in for a rude awakening.
"Now then, please open Dark Arts for the Youth and begin reading chapter one until the end of class."
"But we have almost two hours left of class," Malfoy moaned.
With the excitement of the new teacher and his new techniques of teaching, Harry had forgotten that the Gryffindors shared the class with the Slytherins.
"Mr. Malfoy I presume," Draconis said with a sneer. "The last time I checked this was my class and what I say goes. If I wanted you to read all week without eating or sleeping you would do just that because I said so. Besides, you can begin taking notes for your report after you have read chapter one once.
"I almost forgot to add that you will need to use your other books as references with your essays. You may begin."
Harry thought that Draconis was going to be a good teacher until he began walking around the classroom a few minutes later.
"You are only on page two?" he shouted at Neville. "Have you been day dreaming, boy? I could have read the entire chapter by now. Five points from Gryffindor for you lack of concentration and devotion to the assignment."
Neville looked horror-struck and quickly began reading. Harry did not like the way Draconis took away the points for really no reason. Before the end of class, he had taken away a total of thirty points from Gryffindor and a total of fifteen from Slytherin. He made up excuses like, "Drawing instead of taking notes," or "You could have finished the essay if you weren't taking your sweet time."
By the end of class, Harry thought that he would never want to go back. It seems that no one in the entire school liked the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher except for Hermione.
"He did have some serious points," she had said as they made their way to Potions. "I admit that taking the points might have been a little extreme, but other than that, I think he's an excellent teacher."
If Harry thought Professor Draconis was hard on them, it was nothing compared to Snape. He, Snape, walked around with an evil grin as he insulted the Gryffindors on their potions. They were to make a Rooting Potion, a potion that would double the number and strength of plant roots.
Finally the class ended after Snape warned that if any of the potions were wrong, that student would end up cleaning out cauldrons for a month; without magic.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were happy to finally be able to go down to the Great Hall to rest after a long day of work.
