The Professors reached the school before the students, as usual. It was still light outside when Gilderoy Lockhart arrived. He was thoroughly excited by his new job and was greeted eagerly by the other professors.
There were, however, two professors who had not joined the welcoming committee, Professor Severus Snape and Professor Minerva McGonagall. He hadn't expected Minerva to be there because of the frosty conversation he had with her a few days ago, but why Severus was not there he could not understand. He had heard that Severus Snape was a cantankerous man so he suspected that this was the reason for his absence.
Madame Hooch seized his hand,
"It's so good that I… uh… we finally get to meet you properly, Mr Lockhart!" she rushed. "Do you remember me? Madame Hooch. From Flourish and Blotts?" she said quickly, a hopeful look on her face. Gilderoy struggled to remember her face from Flourish and Blotts, though he did think she looked vaguely familiar.
"Of course I do," he said smoothly. "Great to see you again Madame Hooch!" He smiled winningly.
"He said it was great to see me!" she whispered squeakily into another female Professor's ear.
"Good afternoon, I'm Professor Flitwick. Nice to meet you Mr Lockhart" smiled a short Professor.
"Likewise, I'm sure, and none of this Mr Lockhart business! Call me Gilderoy."
A tall, thin, wizard approached from the back of the small crowd, his eyes smiling from behind his half moon spectacles.
"Good to see you Gilderoy."
"What a pleasure it is to finally meet you in the flesh, Professor Dumbledore." They both shook hands calmly.
"May I ask where Professor McGonagall is, sir?"
"You may. I'm afraid she has some business to attend to, but I will assure you that you shall see her later on today. Why such an interest in Minerva, Gilderoy?" smiled Dumbledore. Unbeknown to Gilderoy, Dumbledore already knew of Gilderoy's past relationship with Minerva.
"No real reason, Professor, just curious," he replied uneasily.
~~~
Minerva McGonagall was, in fact, with Professor Severus Snape in the Potions room. Earlier on that day he had overheard her talking to Dumbledore about how she loathed Gilderoy Lockhart, and that she didn't want to be there when he arrived.
Although there was a natural rivalry between Severus and Minerva, he had offered her the chance to seek sanctuary in his classroom. He didn't particularly wish to welcome Gilderoy to the school either. Although Severus didn't know Gilderoy on a personal basis he already loathed him, as the overgrown twit had taken the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher away from him. This was the second year that he had failed to achieve this post and he was obviously not happy about it;
"I cannot believe that Dumbledore gave that fake prancing ninny the job over me" he spat with contempt.
"I agree. It truly is unbelievable," agreed Minerva. Severus looked at her in disbelief. Had they actually just agreed on something? Minerva looked just as surprised, as they never seemed to agree on anything. Severus turned his back to her and started to brew a potion.
"Why do you loathe Lockhart that much?" he asked.
She had to think about this one. Nobody had ever asked her why she disliked him so much; apart from Dumbledore that is; did she mind him asking? She wasn't too sure. The fact that he'd taken her opinion seriously also amazed her.
"If you must know," she began coldly "We were once an item." She paused, waiting for a laugh or an insulting remark from Severus, but none came, so she carried on. "He was okay, before he became famous. He started to ignore me and after I left him, he never tried to contact me. I met him at Flourish and Blotts last week. He tried to talk to me as if we were old friends and as if nothing had happened all those years ago."
She had started to shake with anger at the recollection of this memory; she was glad that Severus was facing the other way. But why do I care what he thinks? I don't, at all, she reminded herself. Severus previously had no idea that they had had a relationship, and was quite shocked at the news. He glanced at her reflection in his potion vial.
She is quite pretty, in a strange way, he thought. I can see why he liked her. Severus had now shocked himself, he had never thought of her that way before, and he certainly wasn't about to make a habit of it.
They heard footsteps outside the room. Please don't be Gilderoy, please don't be Gilderoy prayed Minerva silently.
"It isn't Gilderoy," said a voice from behind the door. It was Dumbledore. "I have just received some news from the Ministry," he said, before they could speak. "It appears that Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley have sought a different method of travelling to school."
Both Severus and Minerva looked surprised.
"They have decided to travel by a flying blue Ford Anglia."
"What!?" Minerva exclaimed, more in shock than anger.
"A blue Ford Anglia, Minerva. It is a Muggle vehicle, used for travelling long distances by land, quite an ingenious invention really…"
"I know what a Ford Anglia is, Albus!" interrupted Minerva. "What I want to know is what absurd reason they have for this ridiculous idea; they have recklessly put our world in danger!"
Severus nearly smiled at her outward display of anger. This surely meant that they would be expelled, and that he wouldn't have to face that constant reminder of the person he loathed so much; James Potter.
~~~
Argus Filch was roaming the corridors, making sure that all the students' cases were in order. Mrs Norris was by his side sniffing all the cases undoubtedly searching for stink pellets. She stopped in front of Fred and George's, and hissed.
"Ooh, what's that, Mrs Norris? Stink Pellets? Who are the offenders…" he cackled eagerly.
"Fred and George Weasley; surprise, surprise. I'll get them for this one."
He started to write on his notepad when something outside, across the grounds caught his eye.
"What the devil?!" he exclaimed. As it got closer he could see that it was Ron and Harry in a flying car. He completely forgot about Fred and George.
"Oh my, Mrs Norris, they are going to be in trouble." He smirked. "Big trouble."
~~~
Severus left his lab after Minerva and Albus had, and instead of going straight to the feast, he stood on the stairs, in the shadows where he couldn't be seen. I've just got to witness this first hand, he thought. And as I shall be the only teacher not in the hall, I will have the pleasure of punishing them accordingly. No doubt that they will be no more trouble after this little fiasco. He smiled to himself and turned his concentration to the large entrance doors.
Which swung open.
~~~
"I think the feast's already started!" Ron said, panicked. "Hey, Harry come and look- it's the Sorting!" Both boys were now peering into the Great Hall.
"Hang on…" muttered Harry. "There's an empty chair at the staff table…where's Snape?"
"Maybe he's ill!" Ron said, with a little too much enthusiasm in his voice for Severus' liking. "Maybe he's left, because he missed out on the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again!"
"Or he might have been sacked! I mean everyone hates him."
He may have not liked Harry and Ron, but he still felt slightly hurt by their conversation. Did everyone really hate him? No, surely not, anyway, did he really care if everyone did hate him? Of course not, it wasn't as if it was anything new anyway.
"Or maybe, he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train." He looked condescendingly at Harry and Ron and gave a little smirk at their reaction towards him, wishing he had a camera.
"Follow me," He led them through the corridors to his office, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to cherish the guilt in their faces. This was a night that he was going to savour every minute of, the night that he got Harry Potter and his little Weasley friend expelled. He smiled at the thought, and then hid it as they approached the office.
"In!" he barked, opening the door.
"So, the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"
"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it, it." Harry stammered,
I'm not going to take any more of his ridiculous excuses. He's going to be sent away from here once and for all.
"Silence! What have you done with the car?" He un-rolled his copy of the Daily Prophet. "You were seen."
Oh how he would enjoy reading the report out to them: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car over the post office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Miss Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr Angus Fleet, of Peebles reported to police. Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?"
Severus turned to look at Ron and a wicked smile spread across his face "Dear, dear… his own son…" He paused a moment to let his words sink in to Ron's head; he could see the regret welling up inside of him.
"I notice that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow."
"That tree did more damage to us than we-" Ron blurted out suddenly.
"Silence!" snapped Severus again. "Most unfortunately you are not in my house and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here." He strode out of his office slamming the door behind him. A smile crept onto his face; he was going to love watching the downfall of Harry Potter.
~~~