Zaneta: Sorry all, I hadn't accounted for three assignments turning up before I finished overviewing the chapters I have left, but Omega's sent me more and next week I'll be home for Easter.

Chapter-13 The new term.

The first day of the term was, ironically, the same day of the week as September the second.

The first two lessons went quickly for Harry, but then it was time for defence against the dark arts.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning Seras!"

"My, my, you're awfully cheerful. Today we are starting a project."

"What kind?"

"We are going to be comparing Muggle belief about Midians with our own knowledge"

"Midians?"

"'Creatures born in darkness': vampires, werewolves, hellhounds and the like. Those creatures that people assume to be murderous monsters."

The class stared at her, she had put a lot if impact in that sentence and it hit hard.

"Now you know why I set all those books, if you haven't read the books then you will not do well. I want four thousand words minimum, you may start."

"Words?"

"You have plenty of material and you can't cheat by making you're handwriting bigger."

The class looked at each other, Hermione looking particularly at Ron.

"What does this have to do with defending ourselves?"

"Simple, if you make the mistake of believing a stereotype, it could prove fatal."

There was another awkward silence.

"I said you may start."

At this the class, particularly the Slytherins, pulled out a lot of books and started to plan their essays. Not wanting to get her mad.

"So in Dracula the book it was a hunting knife."

"That's right Ron."

"So why is it a stake in the film?"

"After the film Nosferatu, which was changed to evade copyright issues, since while Stoker had died, the state still owned the right of the book. In the end stakes became the stereotype."

Ron jumped as Seras answered his question.

"Stereotype?"

"An assumption about a group or situation based on other sources. For example saying the Irish drink Guinness is a stereotype."

"What sort of other sources?"

"Anything and everything that is relevant." At this she walked of to check on another student.

"Her hearing is scary." Ron whispered to Harry.

"Is that a complement Mr. Weasley?"

Ron jumped again and turned round, "Uh… um… what I meant to say is…"

Seras held up her hand, sighed, and started talking to the other student.

"Clever Ron." Hermione murmured.

"Very." Seras added over her shoulder.

Peeves was wandering down a corridor, "Now, what kind of mischief will Peevsie get up to today?"

"If he cares for his health, nothing involving breaking things."

"A… a m…m…m…mister Al… l… lu…c…card"

"Is that clear?" the nosferatu asked the poltergeist

"As an invisible ghost!"

"That was appalling."

"I was saving it."

"You needn't have bothered."

"He…he…he, right."

The poltergeists promptly zoomed off in a random direction.

"I wonder were he is headed," the nosferatu queried, "Well I'm going to bed," he finished, yawning.

During lunch Hermione was going over her essay plan.

"Hermione you have gone over that four times."

"Planning is an essential part of essays."

"That's not planning Hermione, it's being pedantic."

Hermione gave Ron a very sharp look. Which caused him to look rather nervously at Harry, obviously looking for backup.

"I'm staying out of this one," as he left he saw Hermione bearing down on a now cowering Ron.

"How pathetic," Ginny said.

"Where did you come from?" Harry replied, jumping.

"The door."

"When?"

"Just now."

"Well, it's kinda true."

"Kinda?"

"Okay, he is being rather pathetic."

"What's it about anyway."

"He called her pedantic."

"Idiot."

Meanwhile, Neville was walking down a corridor towards the common room, when he met Peeves rearranging the suits of armour into various poses, and switching limbs in places.

"Err… what are you doing?"

"Planting dandelions."

"Wha…"

"What do you think I'm doing!?"

At this point Seras walked down the corridor.

"You do know it won't be Filch you will be annoying." She said looking at one in a ballerina pose.

"I'm just having fun!"

"Mischievous fun."

"Fair point."

"I wonder what Sir Integra will think of it."

"I haven't broken anything, or played pic'n'mix with parts."

"Fair enough," with that she left.

Peeves zoomed off in a random direction, leaving a rather confused Neville.

"What was that about breaking things? Pic'n'mix?"

Neville continued to talk to himself as he walked down the corridor.

Harry decided to go back to the common room. No one was there when he arrived, so he sat down in the comfy seat in front of the fire.

"Let's see," he took out a Quidditch timetable "Our next match is against Hufflepuff, shouldn't be too much trouble."

"Talking to yourself Harry?"

Harry turned round to see a rather shaken Ron standing by the door.

"You survived then?"

"Of course I did!" although Ron's voice sounded confident, his knees were shaking.

"Right," Harry replied sarcastically.

"You betcha!" Ron answered, oblivious to the sarcasm.

Harry sighed; he got up and threw the booklet to Ron.

"What's sis?" he asked, dropping it.

"Quidditch timetable, practice is tomorrow and you better not catch like that."

"Right." Ron answered feebly with an equally feeble smile.

Then the door opened and Neville, Ginny and Hermione all walked through the door.

"Hi Harry."

"Do you know where Ron is?"

"He's right…" he looked around to see that Ron had gone "…here."

"Oh well," Hermione replied "Next time you see him tell him I've got something for him."

"I will."

Hermione left for the girl's dorm, as she and Ginny left Harry noticed that a particularly long sofa had grown an extra set of feet.

"She's gone Ron," Harry whispered to the boy under the sofa, "You're lucky she didn't spot you."

Ron crawled out from under the sofa, "I hope she forgets."

"Hermione? Forget?"

"Good point," Ron replied with a whimper.

"Ron you are pathetic."

"Don't need to rub it in."

Neville stood, blinking, "What did you do?"

"Called her pedantic."

"Even I know that's stupid and that's saying something."

"Never call a girl pedantic Ron."

"Rule no. one."

"Why are you to ganging up on me?"

"I'd advice you be quiet."

"Hermione is upstairs you know."

It was then that there was a tapping noise at the window.

"Hedwig!"

Hedwig was at the window tapping it.

"Be a moment," Harry opened the window and Hedwig flew in, "What's up?"

Hedwig dropped a letter on the table.

"Thanks Hedwig."

"Who's it from?"

"Doesn't say." Harry opened the letter.

Authors' rants

Zaneta: Thinking about it, yeah, this served as a trivia thing more than contributing to the plot for the most part.

Omega: So why did you keep it?

Zaneta: I thought it would spark some interest.

Omega: Heh…

Zaneta: You sure abused Ron this time, fortunately I'll be home a week Monday so we can discuss these things more freely.

Omega: Yeah, I hate the filter on the computer, and as for abusing Ron, it's fun!

Zaneta: (moan) well, it's time for the preview!

Next time

Mysterious letters, exploding cauldrons, it can only mean trouble is brewing, but who sent the letter and what do they want?

Find out in Chapter 14: Another Letter

Zaneta: Sorry for the delay

Omega: We will make up for it this Easter.