Chapter 2 Road to Perdition? How we got to Haeretaeum Fields
As Harry Potter lay on his bed in the small room he shared with Ron, he wondered just how exactly he and some of his closest friends came to be stuck in this scenario. Had this been left up to his least favorite Professor, Severus Snape, then perhaps the circumstances might not be so rough. If anyone were to blame, it would surely be Headmaster Albus Dumbledore who thought that this might be a good reconciliatory experience for all those involved. Certainly he, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Lee Jordan weren't to blame for that happened in their latest clash with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson during that day in their music class. Why did he even have music class? Why did he get into it with them?
Harry turned to one side of his bed and he recalled the events of the last few days that were by no account lacking in quantity. Professor Reginald Ghent was assigned the post of music instructor for the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In fact he was Hogwarts' first music teacher in nearly a generation. Headmaster Dumbledore had thought of Ghent as the builder of a new music program, something to add a little bit of life to the school, not that it needed it or anything. Since it already past the Christmas holidays, Professor Ghent would merely be laying the foundation of a new program, getting it ready for the next term beginning September 1st.
He felt a cold breeze blow through one of the cracks in the lodge that was barely big enough for a small fireplace and a bunk bed. Ron was snoring as loud as ever below. Harry then remembered how this all really began. One day he and Ron were walking down the halls of the castle after classes had adjourned for the day when all of a sudden a crowd was gathering in the Great Hall. In his up to now 3 years at Hogwarts Harry and Ron had seen many things going on at the school. As the two walked past a curios painting of the marquis de Rouen, they noticed that Professor McGonagall was addressing the greater part of the school. Despite nearly being drowned out by the sound at first, McGonagall explained that a new music program was going to be established at the school and that volunteers would be needed for the new class. Of course, she reminded them, it would be an add- on to their schedule, but alas it would be quite an enriching experience since music was a great diversion, then she fondly gave the children a brief anecdote about her earlier days...As was the rule, Hermione was the only one who dared volunteer, despite her strenuous schedule as it already was. McGonagall asked for more brave souls, all the while watching some of the little wizards walk away to their common rooms. No one would leave McGonagall talking to herself or looking like a fool, so she decided to "volunteer" some of the students by pointing them out and pulling them in, much to their chagrin. The volunteers numbered about 62, among them Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Lee Jordan. Professor McGonagall gave the kids their information and sent off on their merry ways – Hermione skipped to Gryffindor Tower as Harry and Ron sulked at their latest predicament.
As it turned out, only a few hours passed until the kids had their first music class with Professor Ghent. After having a brief breakfast, the young wizards were duly informed that those who were to partake in the new class would have to report right away to their classroom in the second floor hallway located in the northern wing of the school. Fortunately, the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione went on their clandestine missions about the school so often that they knew most o fit by memory, though as Hermione always reminded them "if my reading is correct, then we've only touched the tip of the iceberg as far as this school is concerned. We might still be finding new passages when we have children coming here!" As far as Harry and Ron were concerned, though, all they knew was that whenever they found a new passage in the endless labyrinth that was Hogwarts it usually meant something serious was going on. Their thoughts on this ended as they reached the aforementioned classroom and the inseparable three took a table right across Malfoy in the front row.
Given that this class was by no means going to be a permanent one (to Hermione's disappointment), the walls of the chamber were bare so much, in fact, that all there was inside the confines of the room were the wooden tables for the students, slightly larger one for the teacher, a blackboard that appeared it hadn't been used since perhaps even Merlin's times and a large cabinet. It was at that moment that Professor Ghent entered. Dressed in what appeared to be comfortable, but classy wizard attire, Professor Ghent deposited his small satchel and took off his pointed hat, leaving them n the bland desk that was his. The teacher prepared to speak and the small group was patient to listen. Malfoy and his cohorts quieted down to be better able to criticize the professor later, Neville stopped talking to a sixth year girl from Hufflepuff, Harry and Ron ceased to vex Hermione and the class, not numbering more than perhaps 17 gave the professor their attention.
"Good morning young students. My name is Professor Reginald Ghent and I will be the new Professor of Music for Hogwarts School. Or I might not. It really depends on how this brief session of ours goes. Headmaster Dumbledore has agreed to let me take on the post, should the students receive this well. My hopes, actually, are that this may be a successful venture as I would like to work here," said the professor. "Now, since I don't want to waste any of my time, I will begin by asking the lot of you to stretch out your wands." As the neophytes readily extended forth their wands the Professor Ghent used a flick of his own wand to get the articles of the cabinet out.
The cabinet in the rear of the class stored some old instruments. Harry remembered from his bunk bed that most them looked like the ordinary kind that the Muggles used, albeit the instruments were prone to playing by themselves at times. Others, nonetheless, appeared as if they were from an unearthly realm. One particular musical instrument resembled a harp but its noises sounded almost like howls from the werewolves in the Forbidden Forest. Harry got a trumpet that looked the part of the types that Renaissance royalty used, Hermione got a small flute that produced the sound of a deep brass instrument, and Ron got a drum set that could produce various pitches depending upon who played it, though they didn't yet know it. Malfoy and his friends had what resembled a mix between clarinets and trumpets, Juxtaphone.
Everyone in the class was talking about his or her instrument when Professor Ghent told his students that he did not wish for them to play until he told them otherwise. Reminding them that it was only a test-out session, he went on to state how he loved playing with magical music groups, like the Edinburgh Metrognomes. In fact he spent nearly a half hour explaining his fascination with his former group, albeit most of the pupils appeared as though they would rather explain their frustration with his dreary, monotone methods, notwithstanding that they weren't as interested in the class to begin with. Professor Ghent pointed out to them that the sound an instrument produced relied heavily upon the "attitude" that the musician emitted into the object and moreover various spells could be used to alter them and their various characteristics. Before he could finish explaining, Hermione interjected that for example the tone of a piece could be changed using an incantation at a particular point. These spells could be the very same ones that are used on a day-to-day basis by wizards and witches. Professor Ghent, instead of looking angry as Severus Snape or as impressed as Minerva McGonagall in that moment shrugged it off, apparently indifferent to having a group of successful students and positivism. As it was nearing his time for his daily medicinal herbs, he instructed the class to experiment with the instruments whilst he briefly departed. Before any sort of protest could be made he left, though no one, Harry remembered, cared much whether the Professor was with them at all.
Most of the students began fiddling with their respective instruments way before the Professor left, even though it was in defiance of what he had instructed them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione eventually pulled out a harmonic chord that sounded in tune; Malfoy and his boys would by no means degenerate themselves like that; Neville tried to impress the Hufflepuff girl next to him but only got laughs from Lee Jordan who sat next to him and the girl. Neville's instrument was like small horn that produced various sounds based upon the movements of his mouth. Given that he was nervous he made many funny noises that only made Lee Jordan laugh louder. By now Malfoy had turned to eye what was going on with Neville and his table. It was then that he remembered what the Professor had told them about using spells on the instruments. Harry didn't really remember that much about the dialogue spoken around the happenings of these events, but Malfoy's words at this point escaped that circumstance. "Hmm. I'm bored. Chumps, let us see what Loooongbottom will do if I do this...Lumos!"
He swiftly outstretched his wand into the horn and set Neville's horn on fire. Neville panicked and the horn produced one last note that sounded much like a shriek. Lee Jordan pulled him to safety as the Hufflepuff girl took a few steps back. The fiery horn ignited the table while Harry and Ron got up and raised their wands straight at the perpetrators of the latest attack on Neville – Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Unleashing a stunning vex on the attackers, Harry and Ron went and began hitting Malfoy, as Crabbe and Goyle lay stunned temporarily. When they got back on their feet they lunged at Harry and Ron. Lee Jordan and Neville – who briefly emitted a flame from his mouth – thrust themselves at the bullies. Hermione tried to break up the raucous by casting another spell, but Pansy Parkinson, an old enemy of Hermione, pulled her hair and a fight worthy of Muggle attention ensued all through the room so much that the non-belligerent students were at a void as to which fight they should witness. Professor Ghent walked in and he let out a high-pitched scream. He went out to the hall and called the nearest other staff member to aide him at once. Ghent performed a spell that briefly stunned the fighting pupils and peace was restored. As Harry and the other fighters slowly regained control of their bodies they saw who Ghent had summoned – Professor Snape.
Within minutes the nine were in Dumbledore's office awaiting their sentence, something that readily excited Argus Filch. As he petted Mrs. Norris, he wore a face of joy. With an offense like this, he said, surely he might just get to torture the children, even if it were just a little. Considering how Snape had just blamed the Gryffindors for the melee in a long and overt yelling, Harry wondered whether Filch's sinister acts would appear light. Headmaster Dumbledore walked in and by the time the story had been recounted his face shown of the usual understanding it always emitted. Also, he seemed unsurprised as to what had happened, although according to Snape Harry and Ron and told Neville to feign the fire so that they could have an excuse to hit Malfoy. As for Pansy Parkinson and Hermione, it was explained by the potions teacher that Pansy was acting in self-defense – although Hermione let out a bit of a growl at this. Professor Ghent looked as if he was asleep at most of the meeting and he said little, especially in regards to how he left the students unattended.
Dumbledore arose and he began to speak, words which to Harry actively recalled, after all, this WAS Dumbledore that was being talked about. "My young students. It seems as if your ongoing feuds are going to be a permanent occurrence within these chambers. Although I could judge between who did what who did not do what, I won't. Also, I feel that regular punishment won't do the trick this time around. All that I can do, I believe, is foster a, how you say, positive environment for all of our pupils. It is because of this that I recommend that the nine of you spends the next 7 days with only yourselves deep within the Forbidden Forest and with no one else."
Filch looked incredulous, but at leas the might get some diversion. "I'm sorry. You said what?" asked Malfoy in an expert-sounding voice. "The nine of you will spend seven days with each other in a remote pasture that belongs to the school," said Headmaster Dumbledore. "Known as Haeretaeum Fields, it is much need of maintenance and I'm sure Hagrid will be more than happy to give you a list of what to do there since he is shorthanded. This might also be a good time for him to focus more his academic work. Those Hipograffs look exhausted." Malfoy eyed Snape for help, not that there would be any since everyone knew Dumbledore's words were always final. Next he gave an angry glance at Harry and his friends who in return looked at the Slytherin students who did this to them with utmost contempt.
Caretaker Filch let out an unusual song of joy as he expressed how happy he was to go to the Haeretaeum Fields with the miscreant students. Professor Dumbledore told him that he was currently needed at the school grounds for a certain project and that the kids would be on their own. "This," stated Professor Dumbledore in eloquent diction ", be the nine students alone so that they may learn of themselves. Hopefully this will produce character and camaraderie amongst them all. Good day, my students. I am late for an appointment with the Ministry regarding our upcoming banquet with Mr. Fudge." As he motioned for the parties to leave the chambers, he told the convicted nine that Hagrid would be waiting for them the next morning to take them to their destination of the Haeretaeum Fields.
Harry had all of these thoughts in his head as Ron fell off his bed ending the silence of the night.