Chapter 4 : Oh What Fun it is to Ride...

Harry and the others waved to Hagrid and sent Ginny on her way while they followed the rest of the school along the platform out onto a rough mud track. A pair of horrible looking horses stood at the front of carriages which the other students were getting on with no looks of disgust or terror. "What do you think those are?" Harry asked Ron, who was nearby. "What what are?" "Those horse... things." Harry looked at Ron who looked back at him like he was crazy. Hermione looked at him wide eyed, "You can't see those winged creatures at the front of the carriages?" Ron shook his head. Neville looked at Harry at Hermione,"What winged creatures? I don't see anything either." "To stop any argument, I see them too." Draco responded, "We'll figure out what those are later, we can always ask Professor Kettleburn." The group looked at him oddly and he smiled, "Care of Magical Creatures. We pick electives this year, I thought it'd be good to know who the Professors are."

They loaded up themselves onto an open carriage as Draco talked more about their electives and the professors. Besides Care of Magical Creatures, there was Ancient Runes taught by Professor Babbling which was used in warding, enchanting and other mundane uses. Arithmancy under Professor Vector studied the magical properties of numbers both in divination and connection between people, magic and other things. According to Draco's father it was very esoteric and there was a lot of philosophical essences to the math that was done. Divination by Professor Trelawney was a touchy subject amongst Wizards, while there were in fact true seers and prophecies, anything else seemed to be both scoffed at and praised depending on who you talked to. Finally There was Muggle Studies, Hermione raised her eyebrow at this. A brief argument sparked based on how that would work in the castle due to magical interference and how effective the class was. Harry kept his opinion to himself, not knowing how the majority of wizarding houses worked having seen only two. He couldn't imagine too many houses existing without light bulbs over candles, but wondered how in the world a radio network existed.

They finally reached the castle and Hermione and Draco agreed to do more research and experiments as even Draco was curious about doing work on a computer rather than with quill. They went through the main doors and headed into the great hall to the Gryffindor table. They sat for a bit and waited for the hall to fill in of the other students. The Professors talked amongst themselves, and the sorting hat was sitting on it's stool. Harry idly wondered if it would sing the same song as Professor McGonagall stood up and announced she would bring in the first years. The shaking new students stood in line looking extraordinarily nervous. The hat burst into song and Harry was surprised to find a new one, still with similar ideas about the houses and the sorting but with a different tune and different rhymes. When it ended, Harry whispered to Neville, "I wonder if it's job throughout the year is to write a new song..." Neville laughed quietly and they quieted themselves as the first student stepped up.

Harry only knew one student of all the new ones and waited for Ginny to finally step up. After what seemed like forever, Harry clapped with the others and cheered enthusiastically as she was sorted into Gryffindor. She managed to find seats across from them and smiled, red with embarrassment from the loudest welcome yet. The rest of the night was a joy, from Professor Dumbledore's new odd speech to the delicious food Harry had sorely missed. He and the other second year Gryffindors found themselves in their new dorm tired and tuckered out. If only they gave us more time to unpack... Harry thought to himself as he looked at his daunting schedule for Wednesday, two Double periods in one day, Herbology and Potions. At least at the end of the day they'd find out what kind of teacher Lockhart was going to be.

The next day was breakfast as usual, Neville got something in a big lumpy package remarking that he must of forgotten less than last year. Meanwhile, Hemrione was reading, or likely re-reading Voyages with Vampires. "Isn't it bad enough already that we have him as a Professor?" Ron remarked, "He's likely to just talk about the books in class!" "Be that as it may, I'd rather be prepared, after all Dumbledore picked him to be a Professor and he doesn't pick anyone." "Record shows that the previous Defense Professor was... crazy, you'll have to forgive me for some negativity." Ron replied and the others sighed, the official story missed out of the most critical fact. Harry still wanted to shout out that Quirrel was working with Voldemort but by now would be called crazy himself.

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout cheerfully, the students got excited themselves having only worked in greenhouse one before. Professor Sprout went up to a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. "Now," she began her lesson, "Who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"...

By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching and covered in earth. It had been a disgusting class but Neville was excited as usual, telling anyone who would listen about how similar to humans Mandrakes were but how very different indeed. They made it to Transfiguration with little time to spare due to washing up quickly or changing. Professor McGonagall put them through their paces with review and notes on last year. She then set them about their new task, turning beetles into buttons. Telling them that it would only get more difficult as the year went on. Ron sighed at that but they got to work, Hermione and Malfoy made several buttons while Ron and Harry managed to transfigure two. Neville wasn't so lucky, he had made one. The three griped a bit as they headed down for lunch.

As they ate lunch, a first year Gryffindor was walking up to him but was stopped by Ginny. The two seemed to argue a bit and then the boy walked off looking at Harry then looking embarrassed. "What was that about?" Harry asked Ginny, "Nothing..." she sighed then looked at the others knowing an explanation had to occur. "He wanted to take a picture of you. I told him there was no way that would happen. I knew you don't like being famous..." Harry smiled appreciatively at her, and Ginny smiled back. "Thank you so much." He said, "How're classes going so far?" "Ok, magical studies are far stranger than I thought." "Even being from a magical family?" "Oh yeah, our mom and dad make it look so easy!" They laughed and enjoyed the rest of the meal and left for their next classes. Potions was even more difficult than Transfiguration if possible, Snape set them to work almost immediately after a quick classroom discussion on the sleeping draught versus the Wiggenweld Potion. Snape made sure to discuss how the effect of slicing versus chopping worked on potions. "We will be discussing more theory this year, be prepared, your first year was talking about safety and procedure, now we get into more details."

The class was tiring, Harry and the others joyfully left after receiving good grades for the sleeping draught. "Just one class, Defense Against the Dark Arts." Malfoy said, "I really hope Lockhart doesn't push us as much as the other Professors." Ron replied. "Ron!"Hermione looked put off. They found their seats and as Professor Lockhart smiled at them all, Hermione seemed to calm down. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and grabbed the closest copy of one of his books, Traveling with Trolls, from Neville. "Me." he started and smiled, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most- Charming-Smile Award - but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" No one laughed and he carried on, making them take a thirty minute test on... himself.

Hermione earned them 10 points for her perfect score and she blushed as Professor Lockhart set up the next part of his lesson. "I am told that Professor Quirrel covered Ministry approved material, textbook drudgery and was all around boring." He reached under his desk, "It is MY job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind!"He pulled out a small cage with a cover on it. "We will start small, but know, that if you scream, it might provoke them." As the whole class caught their breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover. "Yes, freshly caught Cornish Pixies."

Seamus couldn't control himself, he let out a snort of laughter. "Yes?" Lockhart asked, "They don't seem too dangerous..." Seamus choked out. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" Lockhart smiled, "Let's see what you make of them!" He opened the cage and freed the Pixies. It was pandemonium, the pixies raged around the classroom causing more damage than even a rampaging rhino could. Harry wondered if he should try something as he noticed Lockhart sighing as all the students dodged and ran around but cast no spells. "Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. Hermione was counting on her fingers and muttering to herself and shaking her head. Draco was raising his wand but had to dive as a Pixie noticed him trying to cast spells. "Fine!" Lockhart shouted, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" The spell seemed to have no effect and Lockhart glared at his wand like it had betrayed him. One of the pixies took his wand and threw it out the window. "Very well then... Enchantrus Pulmious, Compulsa Hypnosa!" He gestured and suddenly all of the Pixies fell asleep. "Conjura Monstra, Cornish Pixies!" He incanted again and the Cornish Pixies were back in the cage. Finally he strolled over to the window and spoke one last time, "Sibru Incanterous Prestidigitorious!" His wand shot back up to him from wherever it landed. He faced the class, "First lesson, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE ACTION." He said sternly, then settled back into a smile, "Now help me clean up, would you?" Harry just gasped as he and his friends stared at Lockhart while the rest of the class began to pick themselves up. Was Professor Lockhart an ARCANE ARTIST?