A year in the life of Harry Potter
Chapter 42: September, 6
Trying to get his breath back Ronald slumped down at the Gryffindor table next to Harry. His head was tomato-red.
"C-Can't breathe!" he gasped, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice.
"You nearly missed Professor Dumbledore's speech," Hermione said angrily. "He had told us to be here at five o'clock sharp!"
"W-what time is it?" Ron asked, breathing more easily.
"Four minutes past five," Harry chuckled.
"As the last student seems to have arrived," Dumbledore said, standing up, "we can begin." He gave Ronald a hard look. In return the boy shrank down in his seat. The headmaster looked at each table. "On my request that each house should think of something to entertain out guests next spring, every single house did think of something, going from obvious things like Quidditch games"- he looked at the Ravenclaw table -"to abnormal things like Magic Shows -" his eyes wandered over to the Slytherins -"and body prop performances -" his eyes set on the Hufflepuffs -"and lastly to musical shows." Finally he looked at the Gryffindor table. Then his eyes wandered from one teacher to the other. "Each house has found a teacher who will help them." He gave Lucy, Severus and Madame Hooch a look. "These teachers asked me if they could use the Great Hall to practice. So I have worked out a timetable saying when which house will be able to pratcice here." He gave Severus, Madame Hooch and Lucy a piece of parchment, keeping one for himself. "Each teacher will give a duplicate of this timetable to the housemembers."
"I object," Severus said, looking thoroughly at the parchment. "You took the best times for yourself, Headmaster."
Albus glared at him. "Does that affect you in any way?" he asked sourly.
"Oh, no," Severus said, smirking. "Not at all. I don't have to play Quidditch at five a.m. and I don't have to act and sing at ten in the evening."
"This is an outrage!" Lucy exclaimed. "The students need their rest! After a day's work you can't possibly expect them to have enough energy left for acting!"
"And at five a.m. the Qudditch players will be too tired to play," Madame Hooch added.
"Students, you are dismissed," Albus called out, but none of the youngsters moved an inch.
"Maybe you just want the Hufflepuffs to be better than everyone else for a change," Severus suggested.
"I made the timetable and you will follow it whether you like it or not," Albus said furiously. "We start tomorrow. Ravenclaws at five a.m., Slytherins after breakfast, Hufflepuffs after lunch and Gryffindors at ten p.m. And now, all leave."
"He can't do this!" Hermione exclaimed as they left the Great Hall. She, Ginny and Harry walked towards the library. There were still two hours left before dinner. "We are all still growing, we need at least ten hours sleep a day!"
"Try telling that to the headmaster," Harry muttered. "I'm sure that he gave the Slytherins one of the better time periods because he knew Sev- Professor Snape would cause some kind of trouble, bu I guess that Lu- I mean Professor Wintergarten is going to do something about this too."
"Why do you keep trying to call the teachers by their first name?" Ginny asked.
Harry shook his head. "Long story," he said.
"Hey Harry," Quentin said, appearing next to him out of nowhere. "We Ravenclaws ar going to protest against this stupid schedule for practicing hours, you Gryffindors wanna join? Mum and Da- Professor Snape already started working on a new timetable with Madame Hooch."
Hermione gave her an intensive look. Then she nodded. "Yeah. Anything to keep this injustice from happening. I'll talk with Percy later."
"Hey, Professor McGonnagall!" Harry called as his Head of House walked by, however she ignored him.
"Seems it hurt her feelings that you chose Mum over her," Quentin chuckled. Harry was irritated that she wasn't angry at him anymore. He would really have to find out for Sevus what she was hiding.
"What for homework do you guys have to do?" Quentin continued to ask.
"Professor Binns, essay on the grounding of Hogwarts," Hermione replied instantly.
Quentin pulled something out of her school bag. "Thought so," she said, pressing a pile of parchments into Harry's hands. "Binns always gives the same homework at the same time." Then she walked away. Harry stared at the spot she had been standing at. Something about her smell was familiar to him.