A year in the life of Harry Potter
Chapter 38: September, 2
"So, you're gonna wait for me?" Ron inquired as he sat down next to Harry who already was half-way through breakfast. "First we have McGonnagall."
Harry gave him an odd look. "Waing for you would mean being late for the end of the world." Hermione could't help suppress smile, and Ginny too half-smiled. It made Harry happy to see her smile, and it made him happy that he had made her smile appear.
"So, you're in Gryffindor, huh? Just like I predicted."
"Quentin!" Harry exclaimed, turning around to face his adoptive sister.
"So, how do you like Hogwarts so far?" she asked him.
"It's great!" Harry replied, but he didn't come any further.
"Miss Wintergarten, as much as I hate to interrupt your conversation with Mr. Potter, I strongly advice you to go to your own house table," Severus said appearing behind her.
"S-Since when do you look out for Gryfindors?" Ronald stammered, his jaw hanging down. The half-chewed eggs which had been in his mouth fell down onto the plate. Hermione and Ginny turned away in disgust.
Severus looked at him. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry," he said softly. Then his voice hardened. "But I haven't been told that you have the authority to tell someone like me what to do."
"Yeah, a Death Eater," Ron snorted, putting the egg back into his mouth. Harry gritted his teeth and looked down. Quentin looked away. Ginny looked with widened eyes at her brother, and Hermione looked confused.
"Detention, Weasley," Severus snarled as he turned around on his heels and walked away. "Eight o'clock. My office."
Quentin too walked way.
"What?" Ron asked, his mouth full of food, as he noticed Ginny who had explained to Hermione what a Death Eater is, Harry and Hermine glare at him.
Just then the owls entered to bring the morning post. Hedwig settled down in front of Harry who gave her a piece of bacon to eat. He took the parchment from her and read it.
Hope you read chapters 1-3 in your potion book. I'll hold a little quiz at the beginning of the lesson. S.S.
Harry put it into his school trousers and stood up. "You're coming?" he asked, looking at Ginny and Hermione.
"What 'bout me?"
"I told you earlier," Harry snorted. "I'd never want to miss the end of the world."
As they exited the Great Hall they ran into Lucy.
"Oh, Professor Wintergarten," Harry said, remembering last night. "The headmaster was talking about that every house has to do something to entertain our guests for the Triwizard Tournament, and I wanted to ask you if you would help Gryffindor."
"Yeah," Lucy replied. "No one else has asked me yet, so yes. What do you plan to do?"
Harry's eyes twinkled. "A play, or rather musical."
Lucy smiled broadly. "I'd love to help you."
Harry and the girls left. Just then Quentin walked out of the hall.
"Hey, Mummy," she said. "Glad that I found you. Would you help Ravenclaw for the entertainment for the guests of the Triwizard Tournament?"
Lucy shook her head. "Sorry sweetheart, but I'm already helping Gryffindor."
Quentin eyes darkened. "Harry just asked you, didn't he?"
Her mother nodded.
Ronald was bewildered when he entered the transfiguration classroom. There was no teacher - only his classmates and a cat sitting on the teacher desk. Where was McGonnagall? Just then the cat sprung down from the desk and, while walking towards him, slowly transformed into Professor McGonnagall.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley," she said. "Would you like it if I transformed you into a map of Hogwarts so that you could find the classroom easier? Or rather a clock so that you're on time for your lessons."
"N-Neither," Ron stammered, still taken aback from the transformation from the cat to his teacher.
"Then sit down and listen very carefully to what I say, otherwise I'll have to give you detention tonight."
"But I already have detention with Snape!" Ron yelled.
McGonnagal turned back to look at him. "Is that so, yes? Then maybe you'd like to have detention with me for a further week, of course after I sent a letter to your parents describing how you got into trouble even before the school year started properly."
"Well, maybe the next time you should get up with the rest of us," Harry said as Ron sat down in front of him. "Or would you prefer talking with Professor McGonnagall again about that transformation into a clock." Again Ginny smiled at his joke and his heart starting beating faster.
"What are you reading?" Hermione asked as she sat down at the Gryffindor Table for lunch.
"Potions book," Harry replied. "I have a feeling that Professor Snape will be holding a little quiz at the beginning of the lesson."
"Maybe we all should read through the first few chapters again," Ginny suggested. "Better be safe than sorry. Maybe we can even earn some points for our house."
"Dream on," Percy said as he settled down next to her. "Professor Snape doesn't give points to non-Slytherins, he only takes them away."
"Yeah, but what if you answer his questions all right?" Hermione inquired.
Percy looked at her. "He gives detention for knowingallism."
"Have you checked the list already?" Harry changed the subject. "For the play."
"When I did just before lunch there had only been on suggestion standing on there," he said. He looked at his younger sister who blushed. "And I don't really think there are going to be any more."
"So what suggestion was that?" Hermione asked.
Percy grabbed a bread roll and stood up again. "The Sound of Music."
"I wonder what Professor Wintergarten will say," Hermione said.
"Hey, Quentin!" Harry called as he saw the girl enter the hall. He waved but she ignored him.
After Lunch they had their first potion lesson. Severus held a lengthy speech about what he could teach them if they were good enough. While Hermione, Draco, Ginny and Harry scribbled down every word the other students listened bored.
"Mr. Potter," Severus suddenly said. "What is a bezoar?"
"A stone from the belly of a goat," Harry said without thinking. "It is an antidote to most poisons."
"Lucky guess," Severus said. "Mr. Weasley, what had my speech been about?"
Everyone turned round to face Ron who had his finger in his nose. His head and ears immediately turned tomato-red.
"Fifteen points for not paying attention," Severus said, continuing with his lesson. As the bell rang he set the homework.
"A foot length of parchment on the speech I gave earlier," the teacher told the students. He knew that most of the had not even listened to what he had said. "Mr. Potter, stay behind."
As soon as the last student had left Harry went to Severus' desk.
"Yes?"
Severus looked at him. "This morning I noticed that Quentin received an envelope with the mail."
"Isn't that normal?"
"With Tony's owl. I mean, why would he sent her a letter? They're in the same house. They could talk any time they want."
"So how does that concern me?" Harry asked.
"If I'd ask her she knew instantly that I watched her and she would do anything not to let me know. If you'dask her it might be that she talked too much, like when she accidentally mentioned the Sorting Hat in the holidays to you."
"So... you want me to try and find out what in that envelope is?"
"Yes," Severus said. "And now go or you'll be late for your next lesson."