While quidditch took up Ginny, Harry and Ron's time in many ways it was a less exciting year than their first. Without Fluffy locked up in the third floor corridor or Quirrell letting dark creatures into the castle there were less reasons to sneak out and explore the castle. While the twins were rarely out of the Forbidden Forest themselves the sextet knew that if they went exploring without the twins, Percy and Mrs Weasley would quickly be informed putting an end to their fun with howlers and constant observation.
They were also familiar with the castle and teachers in a way they hadn't been in first year; they could predict when the staircases would move or doors wouldn't be there and knew which passages were useful shortcuts and which would leave you halfway up the astronomy tower on a narrow ledge in the pouring rain.
Yes, Snape was unfair but after a year they knew when he would be at his worst and nothing would please him and when he was just being demanding. They had also obtained a copy of 'Three Thousand Reactions - A Potions Primer' after Malfoy's bag had unfortunately ripped in front of them after potions spilling it in addition to the assigned books. Knowing why ingredients reacted made it much easier to spot which were the critical steps.
Charms was endlessly interesting, they were now working on spells that effected humans and animals and the ethics of using them. Flitwicks's teaching method of organised chaos hadn't changed at all. It felt magical in away that transfiguration with its clearly defined steps didn't even though transfiguration had more impressive results as a lowly second year than charms. It was hard not to be excited and active in Flitwick's classes although Neville and Ron's poorly matched wands made them often wish to sink in to the ground. As much as Luna liked her rainbow coloured hair it wasn't the intended result of a tickling charm.
McGonagall was strict but turning beetles into buttons wasn't much of a stretch from mice into snuffboxes which they covered in first year. Neville struggled with his father's wand and Luna and Ron were indifferent about the subject but with her new wand Hermione had joined Ginny and Harry in excelling. The three of them were eager to move on to something more complex.
One of the books Harry had found when he and Ron missed the train tucked into a book on using Arithmancy to identify spells he thought Ginny would like was an unassuming dirty green book called 'Discovering the Animal Within'. When Luna had started reading she got to the first chapter title 'So You Want to Become an Animagus' before she grabbed the others. Ginny, Hermione and Harry were now working through the basic exercises as the best of the group at transfiguration.
Their extracurricular transfiguration activities had by Halloween progressed to the point that Ginny, Hermione and Harry had each identified their animal and were prepared to teach the others. In their eyes a far more useful thing to be doing on than attending the feast and far more capable of distracting Harry from the unpleasant half memories the Halloween stirred up.
"Magically this stage is simple. More about focus, desire and concentration." Hermione explained. "There are two methods to become an animagi. The most common involves collecting tokens relating to you and your animal and brewing a potion with them. It's easier but more likely to go horrifically wrong and either kill or permanently transform an unsuitable candidate."
Neville cringed and Ginny took over. "Which is why we aren't using that method. The other method is pure transfiguration. You identify your animal and gradually teach your body how to transform in to it. If you are unsuitable you will fail the initial transfigurations. Either they won't take or it will be mutated. But fixing an arm or leg is easy for McGonagall and Pomfrey and you know once the first transfiguration fails that you are unsuitable."
"I'm not that good at Transfiguration." Luna said.
"But Ginny, Harry and I are." Hermione said. "You won't be attempting anything until we've mastered it and can help you."
"Right'" Ron said, "how do we do this?"
"With a spell and a mirror." Harry said, he flicked to the position in the book and flipped a hand mirror over in his lap. "The book says, 'Cast Novi on the mirror using the standard reflecting form then Naturae Meae on yourself using the standard transformation form modified for human to animal. Gaze on to your animal self.' Which meant naff all to me."
"The standard forms are all runes. The standard reflecting form comes from the Elder Futhark and is Kenaz. That's a downward diagonal stroke from left to right connected to an equal length downward stroke from down to up." Hermione explained. "So Novi is cast thus." She flicked her wand quickly across the surface of the mirror intoning, "Novi."
"The standard transformation form is also from the Elder Futhark and the modification for human to animal uses Elder Futhark runes. The basic form is Thurisaz, an odd rune that can be two standard forms and is always modified. It is transformed by Mannaz, for human, and Ehwaz, for animal or horse. That makes the initial rather difficult form a mess. You want a clear downward stroke then pull your wand back. Draw an upward stroke over your downward stroke, connect it to a left to right stroke, and then a downward stroke. Draw your wand back again draw another upward stroke over your previous, draw a dipping arc from left to right and then a down ward stroke." Ginny flicked her wand drawing the shape slowly and then fluidly casting "Naturae Meae" on herself.
Looking down at the mirror Ron, Luna and Neville could see a hawk like bird preening where Ginny's face should have been. "She's a red kite." Harry said looking down at the image the look on his face was more commonly associated with Luna or Hagrid when they saw a particularly dangerous animal.
"If you can each get the casting of Natuae Meae right then you can safely practice this alone every night until you find your form."
"What if we don't find our form?" Neville asked.
"Then Harry, Ginny or I will look at what you're doing wrong." Hermione said firmly. "We all have a form. The risk in becoming an Animagus relates to our inherent ability at transformation magic. Every pupil at Hogwarts has sufficient ability to complete the transfiguration OWL and therefore has a form. The ability to transform requires more transfiguration skill."
Neville gulped at her fiery look and let her take out a hand mirror and demonstrate both spells before removing them and gesturing at him to try.
Halloween dawned cold and foggy. There was a spate of colds going round the school that had Madame Pomfrey handing out Pepperup Potion to anyone who sniffed in her direction. Hermione and Harry both had to visit the Infirmary everyday take their Nutrient Potions and spent most of October with their ears smoking.
The school was a hive of excitement about the upcoming feast; Hagrid had been seen bringing in gigantic carved pumpkins and rumours that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons had topped Marietta Edgecomb not remembering anything from entering her detention with Lockhart to being found by Penelope Clearwater, the 6th year Ravenclaw prefect, wandering the halls near the Ravenclaw common room as the most popular topic of conversation.
Harry hadn't been looking forward to the feast as much as last year. Luna went to see her mother's grave with Mrs Weasley over the Easter holidays last year and it had clarified to him how little he knew about his parents. He didn't know where Godric's Hollow was or where his parents were buried to ask to visit their grave but he was expected to take part in a massive feast where the defeat of Voldemort was always celebrated without acknowledging his parents death.
He dragged his feet down to breakfast. Lavender was holding court with the third year girls and having been slow coming down the only place was between her and Luna who was absorbed in a book and mostly ignoring her breakfast. Sitting down he couldn't help but hear, "Ethel had detention with Lockhart yesterday. I heard from Grace, who heard from Elsie that she was found wandering the halls on her own late. Not even in the right part of the dungeons."
"McGonagall's done." Ron called across the table. Luna dropped her book into her bag and stood pulling Harry up with her.
They reached the door to the Great Hall as Professor McGonagall did. "Professor," Ginny said, "we were wondering if we could ask you a favour?"
"About the feast?" Professor McGonagall asked, gesturing that they should walk with her.
"Yes ma'am. Would it be possible for us to skip it and eat in the common room?" Ron asked in a rushed.
Professor McGonagall looked pained at his delivery, "Harry?" She asked.
Harry looked at his shoes, "It would be easier." He said quietly.
"I will arrange it." She said, "Next year I would appreciate more warning, Mr Weasley, if you wish me to make the same accommodation."
The weather took a bitter turn as October became November. The sky was always grey or an ominous yellow warning of more snow, the weak sun barely seen and unfelt. A south westerly wind blew the remaining leaves and weaker branches from the trees, tossed the lake up until the giant squid could be seen moving unwilling towards the north west a bank. There was no rain but golf ball sized hail mixed thick snow storms with intermittent breaks to wonder which one would be next. The thick wool of their school uniforms so stifling in September and the summer months could barely keep them from shivering in the courtyards and hallways.
The atmosphere at the school also took an uncomfortable turn. Normally concerned with their own lives and only attentive to the lower school when there was an unmistakeable problem the upper school were hovering. The first, second and third years would find themselves herded into one courtyard or into their common room whenever they were on break or after lessons, only organised clubs like quidditch were immune. The fourth years seemed aware of what was going on as they would willing turn up in wherever the lower school were being watched by the upper school.
One particularly cold and windy break time the upper school Gryffindors and Slytherins had the same idea about which courtyard to use. The courtyard was fully sheltered on three sides by the castle walls stretching three floors up and partially open to the elements on the remaining side which nestled against the astronomy tower. There were two entrances on the open side through which the Gryffindors and Slytherins entered. The position of the pillars and entrances contrived to prevent the opposing upper school students from noticing each other until all their lower school students were in the courtyard.
"Hey." Two seventh years said simultaneously. "We were-" "Find your-" They said talking over each other.
The rest of the upper classmates pressed up towards each other flexing muscles, sneering and scowling, generally posturing without the risk of drawn wands until the same two seventh years shrugged. Then the upper classmates disengaged to flow through the crowd collecting groups together.
Hermione ended up in a group with two fifth years she didn't know and a shy first year girl. The two fifth years were transfiguring parchment in to an elaborate glass jars into which Hermione cast bluebell flames and helped the fifth years make hover.
Harry and Ginny were pulled into a group with a sixth year friend of Percy and Eric to write runes in charcoal and wax on the pillars. Once they were finished the sixth year took them to three Slytherins, a seventh year and their groups. With complex wand movements the sixth and seventh years raised shimmering iridescent shield that the snow hit with a wet splat.
Ron and Luna were pulled in to a group with a fourth year, three third years, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. They were set to heating the stone benches to melt the snow and then drying them. Ron and Malfoy's rivalry led to them overheating several benches until they cracked with an impressive bang that drew the attention of the upper classmates and scattered stone fragments through the courtyard.
Neville was placed with a fifth year Slytherin girl who gathered together a large mixed group of anxious looking first years. She alternately cajoled and scolded them until they were calmer and giggling at the simple spells Neville was weaving together to make a multicoloured display of sparks, sliver figures and animals who danced under the sparks.
It seemed that in no time the courtyard was filled with the eerie blue light of the bluebell flames, insulated from the biting wind and worst of the snow the grey sky reflecting off the jars and people jostling for space on the cleared benches. Their work done the upper classes separated from the lower school keeping a watchful eye on the entrances.
Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna and Neville found a sheltered corner with a nearby a floating vase. Harry took out the latest Marvin the Mad Muggle, Luna opened this month's Quibbler and Hermione opened a worn copy of New Magician. Ron and Neville pressed in slightly behind Harry so they could read over his shoulder and Ginny pressed between Hermione and Luna to split her attention between the two magazines. It was a warm and relaxed break.
After the excitement of Lockhart's first lesson Defence had settled into a far calmer and more normal standard. Professor Lockhart informed them that "as your previous teacher seemed to ignore the required curriculum I will be spending the first term covering the first year syllabus. This will leave you a term behind on the second year syllabus at the end of the year. Due to the overlap between lower order Dark Creatures and higher order household pests it will be possible to catch up in third year without leaving you behind entering fourth year."
As a result they were set at least three chapters of reading every week and four feet of parchment minimum. It was as tough a requirement as Snape and McGonagall's classes which they had not been expecting from Quirrell's ineffectual teaching or Lockhart's foppish attitude.
Lockhart was a stickler for complete homework and continual grade improvement. At the start of every lesson he went round and collected each piece of homework with a yard stick in hand, detentions were received for lack of homework and ten house points deducted for under length work. Then he handed out the previous weeks assignment giving points for marks above ninety, deducting points for marks between fifty and forty and assigning detention for marks below forty.
The lesson after Gryffindor's victorious match against Slytherin was an odd lesson. Harry, Ron and Luna each handed in under length assignments, it wasn't easy to stretch "Define and Justify Lawful Magic Use in a Large Muggle Gathering when Unthreatened" to four feet. Ginny and Hermione had started speculating on possible magical threats that might appear and they were fairly sure Neville had restated the same reasons three times making sure to never use one word when four could do the same job. They were beginning to hope that they would start the second year syllabus soon, although they could see how not having covered the history they were taking this term and had taken last year it would have required a full year to cover and understand the material.
"Ten points from Gryffindor," Lockhart said as he held Harry's parchment to the yard stick. "Make that thirty." He corrected holding Ron and then Luna's assignments up. Malfoy snickered which pulled Lockhart's attention to him. "If you are so certain you can do better would you like to show the class yours Mr Malfoy."
Lockhart walked to the front of the class and held out his hand until Malfoy stalked up to hand him his scroll. "Thank you Mr Malfoy. Let's see how Mr Malfoy has done." Lockhart unrolled the scroll. "Oversize letters, double spacing between paragraphs and large gaps between words. Not your normal style Mr Malfoy." With a casual wave of Lockhart's wand the parchment halved in size. "A useful little spell for reading contracts, writing manuscripts and now teaching." He said in an upbeat tone enjoying Malfoy's mortification. Lockhart held the now significantly shortened scroll of parchment to the yard stick. "That is one foot and eleven inches, less than half the minimum length I asked for. That will be ten points from Slytherin and a detention for your attitude. You may return to your seat."
Malfoy's face was carefully calm but the blotchy red of his cheeks gave his anger away as he walked back to his seat.
Malfoy's detention set the tone of the lesson with Lockhart handing out detentions almost as freely as Snape with no distinction between houses. Seamus and Dean were given detention for not reading the assigned chapters, which have normally lost them points. When Lockhart was questioning them on the lesson topic he became even more irritable.
"Mr Potter," Lockhart said sharply, "under what circumstances is it acceptable to use restricted spells on a muggle?"
There was a minute pause as Harry opted against a generic answer of when large scale loss of life is expected or if you are a DMLE officer and tried to word the more specific examples he thought Lockhart wanted. His mouth opened as Lockhart spoke again, "Detention for not answering when called upon. For your information Mr Potter, an officer of the DMLE may use restricted spells on muggles at any time otherwise their use is restricted to when in the presence of an XXXX creature or known dark wizard."
The bell rang and everyone who hadn't received a detention breathed a sigh. "I want at least five feet on the use of restricted spells around muggles. Review your notes as there will be a test next lesson." Lockhart said as they gratefully escaped. "Anyone who does not get an Acceptable will be taking remedial defence with me."