Chapter 15: A New Year
"Please tell me that you saw the paper last week?"
"Yeah… they were saying that Gilderoy was trying to convince the reporter that they were all fighting over his newest book. As if Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy would be fighting over that idiot's book…"
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to know what they really fought about."
"How much you want to bet that Lucius started it?"
Albus smiled to himself as he listened to his staff talk about the Daily Prophet in the otherwise empty Great Hall on the morning of September 1st. They
were all talking about the large picture of the winking and beaming Gilderoy Lockhart, whose arm had been clamped firmly around the shoulders of Harry Potter. Harry seemed to be making every attempt to escape and, though the black-and-white picture didn't show it, his face beet red behind his glasses.
Albus felt pity for the poor boy. At that moment, Minerva said to him from his right, "I still can't believe you hired the useless hoax as a teacher!"
"Now, Minerva, there's never been any evidence that Gilderoy is a fraud." Albus smiled at her over his orange juice though it was a forced one. "Something tells me this will be a difficult year, but we'll just grin and bear it."
At that point, the double doors to the Great Hall burst open to reveal the very blond wizard in that they were all talking about in disgusted tones. When he strolled in, a few of the teachers groaned, a couple others rolled their eyes, Severus Snape actually bared his teeth.
"Good morning, all," Gilderoy Lockhart greeted the now silent hall in a loud, cheery voice. "So sorry that I'm fashionably late. I got a bit delayed in London by a troublesome ghoul who—"
"Yes, welcome, Gilderoy," Albus interrupted, waving a hand in hopes of cutting off the story before the rest of his staff could kill him. "Breakfast is here if you haven't had it yet. Most of the rest of us arrived last night. You left your luggage in the Entrance Hall I'm guessing?"
"Hmm?" Gilderoy said with another showy grin as if he hadn't been listening. "Oh, yes, yes, of course. I trust the house elves will take care of it? I must say they're dead helpful little buggers aren't they? Did I tell you about the time I freed at least a hundred of them from the clutches of the dark wizard? They all wanted to serve me after I freed them! But no I said… I told them that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. If I recall correctly—there were also at least a dozen goblins enslaved as well. They all thanked me generously for freeing them and put in a good word for me at Gringotts—"
Albus cleared his throat as he stood up. "Yes well, Gilderoy, why don't you take a seat if you'd like some food. As for the rest of you, you have until this
afternoon to finish getting settled in. Our first staff meeting of the term will be at the usual time. Make sure that you all have everything you'll need and be ready for when the students arrive. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be sure that everything is ready for tonight."
With these words, he quickly strode out of the hall, giving Minerva an apologetic look as Gilderoy attempted to engage her in conversation.
The day passed quickly enough as Albus dealt with problems in organization and the last-minute crises that always seemed to pop up in the hours before the students arrived. Peeves had to be expelled from the kitchens, several of the ghosts were reported missing from the castle and had to be found, the giant squid had it's tentacles all tangled together—a feat that Hagrid had sorted out in no time—and a few boggarts that had slipped into the castle over the summer had to be taken care of.
It took them all the entire day, but at last, everything was finally ready just as the students were all arriving.
At that time, Albus, who had been resting in his office, heard the tapping of an owl on the window; with a copy of the Evening Prophet in its beak. When Albus had paid the owl, there was a knock on his door. Minerva and Severus entered, who—to Albus, both looked quite uptight. They kept interrupting each other every other sentence as they tried to get their point across. Albus's looked from one to the other like he was watching a game of tennis.
"Dumbledore—"
"Headmaster—"
"Lockhart has just been to my dungeon requesting that I make a potion that would whiten his teeth—"
"I refuse to have that mindless idiot assisting me in my Transfiguration class—"
"I don't care how many awards he's won for that ridiculous smile of his—"
"—he is a nightmare, he'll drive us all mad before the end of the year."
"I couldn't care less if he—"
"—and if I hear him keep going on about him replacing me as deputy head, I'm going to—"
"—pathetic excuse for a wizard! If he comes near my office again, I want the right to curse him!"
Albus raised his hands up defensively, "I understand your frustration. But please don't threaten him again, Severus. And Minerva, I assure you that there is no way that Gilderoy will become a deputy. I personally will join the stop eating lemon drops when that happens."
The two looked rather discouraged that they couldn't threaten the new professor… if you can call Lockhart one.
Minerva's lips became a thin line before she asked, "Are you absolutely certain about Lockhart's appointment, Albus? Please… there must surely be someone else who can do the job!"
Severus glared at Dumbledore but didn't speak.
Albus picked up the paper that the owl had delivered. "I'm afraid the appointment for this year is final, Minerva. But if you would…" He broke off suddenly, for he had just noticed the front page. He held up the front page for the other two to see. "Do either of you know anything about this?"
Flying Ford Anglia Mystifies Muggles, the heading read. The page included a picture featuring a turquoise Ford Anglia launching itself into the clouds above King's Cross station in London. Two heads were just visible in the front seat, one of them with flaming red hair… and the other with messy, jet-black hair.
Both Minerva's and Severus's jaws dropped in amazement. But before either one could comment however, several portraits made outcries of alarm as they came dashing through their frames.
"Dumbledore! Dumbledore!"
Albus glanced up at the portraits and asked, "Yes? Is there something wrong?"
"He's not here, Dumbledore! Harry Potter isn't here! He didn't arrive with the other students!"
"We all must've double-checked several times!"
"But I repeat that he's nowhere to be seen!"
"But a few of us did see that Hermione Granger looking worried! Do you think—"
"Dumbledore, you don't think anything happened to the boy do you?"
"You don't suppose he's in danger, do you?"
Severus rolled his eyes and suppressed a sigh. "Wonderful more Potter fans."
As the portraits all made loud and rude remarks to Severus, Minerva squinted at the photograph in the paper. "That's… Arthur Weasley's car, isn't it? I remember hearing Molly talk about Arthur recently coming across an old Muggle car…"
Severus's eyes gleamed. "Did Potter and Weasley just decide not to come back to school this year?" he asked in an unmistakably hopeful voice.
In one of the portraits above, Dexter dropped his wand in horror.
Minerva scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Severus. If anything, they're on their way to the school right now. Though it appears that they decided to… err… come another way."
And as if on cue, there was an almighty crashing sound from the grounds, accompanied by the definite sound of screeching brakes and a car backfiring. They all snapped their heads towards the window, and Albus ran over to it. Though he couldn't see any trace of a crash from this side of the castle.
"How much do you want to bet that's them now?" asked Phineas.
Albus sighed as he ran a tired hand over his eyes. "Severus, will you make sure they are unharmed? Minerva, you and I must attend to the sorting; we are late as it is. And I'm sure that the students are impatient for the feast to start." The three of them hurried out of the room, ignoring the portraits that followed, them.
*Half an hour later*
After the sorting, Albus knocked at Severus's office door. And almost immediately, a happy looking Potions Master answered the door and showed him inside…
Albus knew that look anywhere… Severus was hoping for a punishment. Albus entered Severus's office to face a terrified Ron Weasley and a clearly remorseful and ashamed Harry Potter.
Feeling grave that Harry might have done it for desire of more fame, he stared down his long nose at the two second-years. He saw that Harry put his head down, unable to meet his eyes. He stood there without saying a word for a long time, until at last he asked them, "Please explain why you did this."
Harry kept his head down and spoke to his knees. The details were confusing, since Harry refused to look at him. But Albus did gather from a subtle use of legilimency that Harry and Ron had been unable to get through the barrier at King's Cross Station.
And panicked by the emergency, Harry had not thought to use his owl, but had immediately grabbed at the only other available resource in his desperation to return to school. Albus breathed an internal sigh of relief. So this exploit was not a stunt for more fame, after all.
Once Harry had finished talking, he noticed that the boy still didn't look up.
Albus smiled guiltily to himself, he never tried to do that to his students. He just could never find it in him to be angry at his pupils, although the disappointed silences did seem to work better than anger.
'The car had disappeared, and it's what is important in the situation,' thought Albus, so he didn't ask any questions.
"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron Weasley in a discouraging voice.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall from next to him.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" asked Ron. Harry finally looked up and stared at him in desperation.
Albus fought down a smile. The situation wasn't particularly serious, of course. James and Sirius Black got into far worse trouble almost on a daily basis. How seriously first and second years seemed to take the rules—these two were truly convinced they were about to be expelled!
Albus was also aware, of course, of the ministry's detection of magic in Little Whinging that summer and the ministry's warning of expulsion at the first sign of more magic. Albus hadn't been able to help chuckling at that. Students were only expelled from Hogwarts if the underage magic that were preformed were harmful.
Albus could think of one expulsion in Hogwarts history…
Truthfully, he'd expected Harry, as James Potter's son, to test the rule on underage magic long before this. Yes, the younger students certainly took the rules far more seriously.
"Not today, Mr. Weasley," he said calmly. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Relief spread over Harry's face. But at that moment, Severus, who looked as though he had been slapped in the face, cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —"
Albus suppressed another laugh, he knew that Severus hated that tree.
"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility."
To prove his point, he turned to Minerva and said, "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample —"
He pretended not to notice the look of pure detestation Severus had given the two boys before he left with him. Albus returned to the feast with Severus in tow, and as he left, he noted a few relieved-looking portraits hiding in the paintings.
It was just the start of the year—and already it started off with a bang.
Yes, something told him that this year was going to be an interesting one.
