The Potter Timeline
Chapter 24 - Old Classes, New Faces
Nearly every Gryffindor lumbered into the Great Hall in a tired stupor. George and Fred's House party, held at the start of every first term and end of every second, lasted far into the night leaving those in attendance completely knackered and plum full of butterbeer and more sweets than you could shake a wand at. Harry and Hermione were a few exceptions to this.
As the party got underway not long after the end of the Start-of-Term banquet, Harry recalled his first day at Hogwarts one year previous: staying up for the twins' party, getting to bed late, waking up late, pranked by Peeves, then scolded by Professor McGonagall in front of the class. He wanted to avoid that humiliating experience again if he could help it. So, heeding Hermione's advice only an hour into the party, the pair slipped away to their respective dorms to get to bed early. And it paid off. Rising well before his dorm mates the following morning, Harry quietly made his way to the common room to join Hermione. The two second-years went off for breakfast bright and early, ready to start their first day of classes.
As Hermione ate her porridge, while reading Lockhart's Voyages with Vampires, and Harry enjoyed a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon, in walked Seamus, Dean, and Neville dazed and disheveled, like shellshocked soldiers returning from an intense battle.
Harry and Hermione both snickered.
"Good morning," Hermione spoke to them pleasantly with a smile.
"Morning, guys," Harry uttered equally pleasant.
"Mornin'," Dean muttered groggily.
Seamus grunted. Neville stared off into nothing. The three friends plopped down opposite Harry and Hermione. Dean placed his face in his hands while resting his elbows on the table, Seamus buried his face in his crossed arms, and Neville stared at the table squinty-eyed, unable to stop yawning. Lavender, the Patil twins, Angelina, Katie, Fred, and George all stumbled in looking like they'd barely survived a hurricane. But there was one exception to this.
"Hiya, Harry! All right there?"
Harry looked up and threw a faux smile at Colin Creevey. With his wavy blond hair, mousy face, bright-eyed expression, and cheery mood, the smallish first-year exhibited the same energetic, upbeat attitude no matter the situation. He beamed at Harry in awestruck wonder as his large camera dangled from his neck.
"Good morning, Colin. Fine, thanks," Harry responded quickly before refocusing on his breakfast, hoping the kid didn't want yet another photo of him.
During the Gryffindor party, Creevey zoomed around taking pictures of the common room and his fellow House mates like a tourist in a foreign country. Colin took several of Harry and requested one together so he could send his father proof the first-year had not only met the famous Boy Who Lived but shared the same House as well. Colin took one of Harry and Hermione together and promised to give each of them the moving picture as a memento. Harry appreciated that gesture as he had no picture of him and his best friend thus far.
To Harry's relief, Colin, still bedazzled by the Great Hall, ran off to take more photos of the place.
"Good morning," a high-pitched voice chimed across the table.
The five Gryffindors looked at the other arriving first-years. Luna Lovegood, wearing a pair of sunglasses with rampant lions on its frame as well as a necklace of butterbeer caps, made from the previous night's party no doubt, gazed at the second-years with a pleasant smile.
"Good morning, Luna," Harry answered while the others waved at her.
"Hi, Neville," Luna then said, tilting her head while beaming at the boy. The four friends saw Longbottom's face turn a bright shade of scarlet, his eyes trying not to make contact with the loopy first-year.
"Hi..." he answered breathily, looking quite embarrassed.
The four snickered.
"We saw you two sitting on the sofa last night," Seamus threw at Neville, "looks like things are going well."
Longbottom's face turned redder.
"But...we didn't do anything!" he protested, "she sat down next to me and was going on about three-legged...Plimpernogs, or something, crawling on the common room walls!"
The Gryffindors burst out laughing.
Harry now felt eyes on him and glanced back at the first-years to find Ginny Weasley staring at him. When he made eye contact, she quickly looked away and resumed her meal. Harry chuckled.
After everyone else finally settled and dug into their breakfast, Professor McGonagall made her way down the Gryffindor table handing a parchment to each student, starting from the seventh-years near the High Table and moving to the first-years taking residence at the very back.
"Second-years, this is your course schedule for first term," she informed them while giving them each a sheet of paper.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to read the parchment in their hands.
Second Year Courses - First Term
1st Session - Herbology - Grade 2, Pomona Sprout
2nd Session - Transfiguration - Grade 2, Minerva McGonagall
3rd Session - History of Magic: Medieval to Renaissance Era, Cuthbert Binns
4th Session - Lunch
5th Session - Defence Against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart
6th Session - Potions - Grade 2, Severus Snape
7th Session - Charms - Grade 2, Filius Flitwick
There was a buzz of conversation now about the courses, especially Lockhart's.
"I can't wait for 5th Session!" Lavender said with a gleam in her eyes, "Professor Lockhart is so handsome!"
The Patils nodded.
"It's hard to believe he's our DADA teacher," Padma threw in.
"Yeah, I wonder how Dumbledore pulled that off?" Parvati added.
"I don't know," Hermione said excitedly, "but just reading half of what he's done, the man must be one of the most accomplished wizards ever!"
The boys rolled their eyes at the girls' enthusiasm. Harry wasn't looking forward to 5th Session at all.
Once breakfast was finished, everyone headed to class. The Gryffindors joined their fellow Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins on the way to the greenhouses tucked inside one of the largest courtyards on the castle grounds. The group waited patiently for Professor Sprout in front of Greenhouse One where their classes were held the year before. Suddenly, the door to Greenhouse Three popped open and Sprout popped out of it. The squat, plump witch with greying black hair, who always wore the same, burlap-textured robes and a small, pointed hat, motioned to the students.
"Second-years, this way! Inside Greenhouse Three, chaps," she told them.
The students complied, most of them curious as they'd never set foot inside Greenhouse Three before. As they entered, the smell of soil, fertilizer, and a pungent almost intoxicating scent coming from enormous flowers overhead filled the atmosphere. Spreading out among several rows of troughs with leafy plants set in dirt, the professor told them they would be re-potting Mandrakes this day.
"Who can tell me the defining characteristics of the Mandrake and what it's used for?" the professor asked.
Naturally, Hermione was the first to raise her hand. Harry smiled. She was starting off term in form.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Sprout asked.
"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed back to their original state. And the cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," Hermione answered as though reading directly from their textbook.
Professor Sprout beamed at the girl and gave her a single clap of delight.
"Quite right, Miss Granger! Ten points to Gryffindor!"
The Slytherins, standing in the back, groaned.
"Mandrake cries aren't the only sound fatal to the ears," Millicent Bulstrode muttered. Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, Zabini, and Parkinson all laughed at the hefty Slytherin's snarky comment. Professor Sprout threw them an ugly look.
"Ten points deducted from Slytherin! I'll have no derogatory remarks in my classes!" she said angrily.
"WHAT?" Malfoy complained wide-eyed and the snakes groaned yet again. No one had ever heard of a House starting off term with negative points before. The other students snickered before the professor cleared her throat to get their attention. She resumed by having everyone place a frock over their robes and put on a pair of earmuffs.
Sprout now demonstrated the re-potting procedure by pulling what looked like an ugly, shriveled brown baby with leaves sticking out of its head out of the trough of dirt in front of her and placing it into a large pot beside her. Harry didn't look forward to this exercise as the baby kicked and screamed both coming out and going back in. Sprout had a time getting the plant to settle as it flung dirt at her and the students with its flailing little arms and legs. And this was just one Mandrake! Sure enough, when the students themselves did this, dirt flew everywhere. After everyone had finally gotten their Mandrake into a pot, the pupils were sweaty and exhausted, their frocks covered in soil from top to bottom. After a lecture on how to create serum from the Mandrake that would restore cursed people back to normal, the class ended and the pupils headed inside the castle.
"What a brilliant class, eh?" a twelve-year-old, curly-haired Hufflepuff spoke as he moved alongside the Gryffindors heading to second class, "really glad I came here rather than Eton. Once my mother and father found out I was a wizard, they figured I'd be better off among my own, you know?"
The boy looked at Harry and then Hermione walking beside him.
"Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said while holding out his hand to Harry. The dark-haired kid shook it.
"Harry Potter," he replied.
"Oh, I know. Everyone here knows you. What you did during that Quidditch match last term? Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Our Cedric speaks highly of you. And lots of us Hufflepuffs really respect what you did."
"Thanks," Harry answered.
"And you're Hermione Granger. One of the top students here, from what they say."
Hermione shot a glance at the boy red-faced.
"Seems like you have the right answer for everything. How do you remember all that information so perfectly?" he asked.
Hermione opened her mouth to answer but was beaten to the punch as the second-year went on.
"And what do you think about Lockhart? I've read through three of his books already. The man's had quite a spectacular life, I'd say. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he'll teach us."
Hermione beamed at Harry as though suggesting anyone would be crazy not to think of Lockhart the way they did. Harry frowned and shook his head. The jury was still out on that one.
In McGonagall's class, after the students had settled at their desks, the woman rose from hers.
"Before we begin, will everyone please hand in the homework I assigned at the end of second term last year."
As the students scrambled to retrieve their homework parchments, Harry looked at Hermione and swallowed hard - he had no homework due to his relatives locking his things in the cupboard for the summer. Hermione frowned back while placing her parchments on the desk. Despite it not being his fault, Harry felt embarrassed. But the professor then turned to him.
"Everyone, that is, with the exception of Mr. Potter," she finished with a stern look at the boy.
Harry nodded back at her, and Hermione squeezed his hand, giving him a warm look. The class began and McGonagall reviewed several transfiguration charms from the previous year, having them once more transform a beetle into a clothes button before moving onto new material. When the final exercise was finished, the professor gazed in satisfaction at her pupils from the front of her desk.
"I must say, you all did very well today. But remember to have your essay ready for next class - it will be graded. You're dismissed," the woman said before turning to the twelve-year-old near the front, "Harry, please see me after class."
He nodded at her again and rose with the other students.
"I'll wait outside," Hermione told him.
"Okay," he replied before grabbing his satchel.
When the classroom had cleared, Harry stood in front of the professor's desk as she sat down behind it.
"Harry, considering the circumstances at your relatives' house over the summer, I won't penalize you for not having done the assignment. And I've asked Professors Snape and Flitwick to do the same - they've both agreed."
Harry felt relief.
"Thank you, ma'am."
She smiled at him.
"Yes. However, it's important you do the assignments, nevertheless. I have requested that your professors allow you time to finish them when you can. So please do so."
"Yes, ma'am."
McGonagall now gave Harry a firm expression.
"One more thing before you go. Regarding what Professor Dumbledore said about you returning to your relatives' house next summer. While I'm aware of his reason for this, I must say that I disagree strongly with him on it. And when the time comes to decide where you will spend your holidays next year, I will gladly sit as an advocate on your behalf."
Harry's face lit up. She continued.
"Perhaps together we can persuade Professor Dumbledore to place you with a proper wizarding family, as he mentioned. Or perhaps you might even remain at Hogwarts for the summer."
"Really?" Harry asked in astonishment, "that would be great!"
She smiled at him.
"Yes. But also understand that I will respect the final decision of my headmaster. He is, after all, partly your guardian until you come of age, and he knows a great deal more about your circumstances than anyone else."
"Yes, ma'am."
She smiled warmly at him.
"Very well, you may go."
"Thank you, professor," he told her humbly.
Harry left the classroom, eager to join Hermione and tell her about this development.
~HP~
"Wow, Harry! Really?" Hermione uttered before she was about to dig into her Shepherd's Pie.
"Yep," Harry answered before plunging his fork into his own steaming pie, "the professor talked about the possibility of me staying here at Hogwarts the entire summer, too. Imagine that! I'd be able to practice magic, have access to the library, the grounds...the Quidditch pitch, everything!"
Hermione's face soured at this, her shoulders dropped, and she lowered her fork and knife hands to the table. Harry was puzzled.
"What's wrong?" he wondered. She threw him a sad look.
"That sounds really great and...it makes me somewhat jealous, to be honest. I wish I could stay the summer."
Harry laughed.
"Well...perhaps you can. If Dumbledore and McGonagall let me stay, maybe they'll let you too. We can work on our skills together."
The girl brightened at this.
"I'd really like that, though I'm sure my parents will want me to spend time with them too. Maybe after our vacation I can return."
"Definitely."
"And maybe..." Hermione said, "...if you'd like...you could join us on vacation, enjoy a real one for once. I'm sure my parents would be happy to have you."
Harry now beamed at her.
"I'd love to! It would be fun to spend time together outside of Hogwarts."
Hermione's smile deepened.
"So would I. But we still have a whole year to get through first."
"Of course. But it's something to look forward to," Harry finished.
The two then tucked into their lunch cheerily. But just after placing a hot morsel in his mouth, Harry looked up to see Ginny Weasley pass them with both arms wrapped around several books. She threw an ugly look at Hermione and an embarrassed one at him before scurrying out of the Great Hall. Harry frowned, suspecting the girl must be jealous of Hermione, based on what Ron told him.
After lunch, Harry and Hermione joined their fellow second-years on the way to their Dark Arts class on the fourth floor. The girls excitedly talked about Lockhart again. And Harry again frowned at their enthusiasm. When the students entered the classroom, they found it in nearly the same state as they left it last term: the windows were open, a few candles hovered around the ceiling, and the scent of incense left by Professor Dumbledore still lingered lightly in the air. With this first impression of the space, Harry half hoped the headmaster would enter and inform them that Lockhart had already been sacked and that he would be assuming duties as DADA teacher once again. But this hope was quickly dashed at the sight of numerous moving portraits of Gilderoy at the front of the room, one of them life-sized. Each of the Lockharts was dressed in different robes and suits of mostly pastel colors and they smiled, winked, and waved at the students entering the room.
Everyone sat down and waited. Lockhart was most likely in the professor's study behind the door at the front and hadn't made his appearance yet. Then, everyone went silent at the sound of a strange noise coming from somewhere in the room. Sharp, shrill, tiny voices spoke erratically in a weird language. The pupils glanced at one another in puzzlement.
"What's that sound?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asked.
"I don't know," Dean replied, "but it seems to be coming from the professor's desk."
Seamus got up and was about to take a look when the door to the study burst open causing the students to jump.
"Here I am at last!" Gilderoy uttered with his overdone, toothy grin.
He wore a bright lilac suit and tie which seemed gaudy even for his standards. His portraits all fawned at the real man, clapping and giving their owner a look of relief.
"Perhaps you thought your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was away battling an enormous troll or wrestling a vicious Hungarian Horntail. Rather, I was...tidying up a bit of paperwork," Lockhart muttered with a chuckle, "but never fear, dear students! If ever I am called to duty, which I am frequently due to high demand for my services, I shall let you know well in advance. Now, let's begin, shall we?"
The man stepped forward and snatched up Lavender Brown's copy of Traveling with Trolls from her desk. The girl nearly swooned as Lockhart held it up to the class.
"Me," he uttered with a smarmy expression, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence 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...well...you've all heard that one before."
He chuckled again and placed the book back on Lavender's desk. The Gryffindor scooped it up and held it to her chest like a royal prize. Lockhart moved back to his desk.
"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books, as per the class requirements. Well done. And to see who's read them and how much you already know about me, I thought we'd start today's class with a little quiz."
Hermione beamed at Harry. No doubt, she'd read through Lockhart's entire collection including his new autobiography, Magical Me. Perhaps even twice. Harry smirked at her in amusement. The professor handed out a parchment to each and Harry's brow furrowed at some fifty-four questions on front and back. If this was for marks, he would definitely fail it.
The Slytherins in the back snickered when they received the parchment as the man moved back to the front.
"This guy's a real joke!" Malfoy muttered quietly to his gang as he looked over the quiz, "what's his favorite color? What's his secret ambition? I thought we were supposed to be learning about the Dark Arts, not about some dandy who thinks he's Merlin's gift to wizardkind. I bet Snape could run rings around him magically!"
Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Parkinson, and Bulstrode did everything they could not to laugh out loud. Harry heard every word of this and though he despised Malfoy with a passion, he couldn't help but agree with him. Was this class really going to teach them how to defend themselves against evil or teach them how great Gilderoy Lockhart was?
"You have thirty minutes - start - now!" the wizard uttered and then plopped into his lush chair behind the desk.
Harry answered as best he could, though three-quarters of the quiz he had to make up. But he endured until the thirty minutes was up. Hermione watched Lockhart eagerly as he collected the parchments and sat back down at his desk to browse through them.
"My, my - hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac," he said while emphatically lifting a lapel from his coat, "it's in Year with the Yeti. And...what's this? Oh, no, no! My ideal birthday present would be 'harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples', not a shopping spree at Madam Malkin's!"
Snickers erupted throughout the class. Ron Weasley and his pal Sean had to bury their faces in their arms to keep their laughter down.
"...but...Miss Hermione Granger remembered that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own line of hair-care products. Excellent! In fact...full marks, I'd say! Where is Miss Granger?"
Hermione's arm shot up quickly.
"Ten points to Gryffindor, young lady!"
Hermione beamed again, red-faced and shrinking into her seat. Harry inwardly groaned.
"Now, on to business!" Gilderoy uttered, jumping up from his seat like something had bitten his bum.
He reached down slowly, and his countenance suddenly changed into something serious and bold. Whatever pupils were laughing or making comments about the man suddenly quieted. Harry wondered, along with nearly everyone else, if the real Lockhart - the one he purported to be in his books - was finally revealing himself.
"Now, I must warn you...not to be afraid!" he said darkly while lifting a large object from the floor onto his desk.
It was covered in cloth but contained something inside making that shrill chattering and fluttering sound they heard earlier. Every eye was riveted on the wizard.
"As I am here to teach you how to defend yourselves against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind, you may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this class."
When the man uttered these words, it suddenly dawned on Harry who Lockhart reminded him of: that two-bit magician at the Fun Fair Uncle Vernon, Dudley, and himself watched a few years ago - the one who talked with much bravado but whose tricks were paltry and not even amusing. Gilderoy went on.
"But never fear! Whilst I am here, no harm can befall you!"
He yanked the cloth off the object in an exaggerated fashion - just like the two-bit magician. At first, nearly everyone gasped. The object was revealed to be a bird cage of some kind. But when they saw what was in the cage, the pupils looked at one another mystified. Inside were little blue, faerie-looking creatures with bug-eyes, long noses, pointy ears, and tiny wings. They flew about wildly, banging into the cage and each other, arguing or shouting in their weird language as though desperate to escape and get at the students.
Seamus laughed out loud.
"What? Cornish pixies! They're not dangerous at all! Me grandmum used to clear the buggers out of people's houses. They're just mischievous and annoying!" the Gryffindor uttered incredulously.
Snickers broke out again and Lockhart was flustered, as though the secret behind that two-bit magician's trick had been revealed by an audience member.
"Don't be so sure! These are...no ordinary Cornish Pixies, lad!" Gilderoy half-stumbled, "they're wild and...freshly caught! They can be devilishly tricky little blighters!"
Seamus, Dean, Ron, Sean, and the Slytherins all laughed silly at the man. Red-faced and embarrassed, a desperate Lockhart reached forward and grabbed the cage door. Every pupil froze.
"Very well! Let's see what you make of them!" Lockhart shouted and flung open the cage.
Chaos ensued.
An explosion of pixies flew across the room and instantly began turning it upside down. Numerous girls screamed while several of the boys quickly ducked under their desks. Parchments, cauldrons, quills, Lockhart books, candles, and nearly anything loose was grabbed by a pixie and flung, many of them at the room's inhabitants. Even Lockhart's portraits were diving out of their frames to escape the pandemonium. Gilderoy, looking as though he'd opened Pandora's Box without a clue as to how to close it again, pulled out his wand.
"Come now, students! Round them up! They're only annoying pixies, after all!"
But everyone was too busy dodging projectiles or trying to avoid being yanked around by their robes, ties, or hair. Hermione had dropped to the floor and Harry dropped down beside her, placing one arm around the girl while swatting away pixies with the other, the girl doing the same. After several moments, the professor stepped forward with a smile and pointed his wand upward.
"Very well! Let me show you how to handle them!"
"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" he shouted.
Nothing happened. In fact, the pixies seemed even angrier, yanking Lockhart's wand out of his hand and hurling it across the room. The flustered professor scrambled behind his desk, peeking over it, and then ducking just as Gadding with Ghouls flew right at his head. He slowly stood and backed away from the desk toward the door to the professor's study.
"Well, then...I'll just...um...let you clean all this up!" he uttered with a half grin. He then opened the door and disappeared behind it.
Harry was put out.
"Know any spells to stop them?" he asked Hermione in frustration just before a cauldron hit him in the side.
She glanced around then pulled out her wand.
"Everyone down!" she yelled out at what students hadn't yet fled the classroom. They complied, dropping to the floor while the pixies continued their mayhem above. Hermione raised her wand over her head.
"Immobulus Totalus!" she yelled out.
A white light burst horizontally from the wand tip and radiated outward. Anything in the air immediately froze in place: pixies, parchments, quills, books. All the students rose again and looked at the girl in wonder.
"That was brilliant!" Ron Weasley let out as everyone stared at the objects hovering in space around their heads.
Hermione's cheeks went pink, and Harry smiled at her. The remaining students then grabbed objects out of the air and placed them on the desks or in their satchels. Harry and Hermione grabbed the frozen pixies and placed them back in the cage, locking its door. The bell in the corridor signaled the end of class and the second-years finally left the chaos behind them.
"What was Lockhart about, doing a thing like that?" Justin asked incredulously.
"Someone could have gotten hurt, and he didn't even know a proper spell to stop them!" Mandy Brocklehurst said angrily while straightening her long hair which had been in frazzles after several pixies tried pulling her in two different directions at once.
"Thanks to Hermione here who did know one!" Dean spoke and the group of students around the girl all nodded.
But while the girl was a bit embarrassed by the accolades, she also seemed confused and torn.
"Perhaps he just wanted...to...test us..." she uttered while looking at the floor with a furrowed brow.
Harry could tell Lockhart's performance had rattled her image of him. Though he felt bad for her, Harry hoped this incident would convince her Lockhart wasn't as great as he purported to be. Malfoy was right - so far, the famous wizard was a joke. Just like that two-bit magician.
The students went off to the dungeons for their potions class and found Professor Snape in his usual, disdainful mood. While going over the class requirements, he seemed to avoid eye contact with Harry and flatly ignored Hermione when the girl raised her hand several times to answer his questions concerning the term assignment he'd left for them over the summer. So far potions was shaping up much like the previous year with the Slytherins already gaining House points and at least one student from each of the other Houses losing them.
Filtwick's class was again a breath of fresh air and after the little man reviewed the previous term's material, he asked Harry and Hermione to demonstrate 'magical catch' as they had done before him and McGonagall in the Spellroom. After a couple of minutes of this, Flitwick and the rest of the class, save the serpents in the back, all clapped.
"Well done, you two! Ten points each to Gryffindor!"
It was a fine way to end their first day of classes. But Harry and Hermione were looking forward to one more thing after dinner that evening.
"On!" Harry spoke.
The candelabra in the classroom illuminated. The pair gazed around the Spellroom - the student chairs and desks still sat to one side, the professor's desk sat opposite and Hermione's trunk still sat next to it containing the goblets and other objects they used for their practice. Harry looked at the twelve-year-old and smiled. She smiled back warmly.
"Feels like being back home," he told her.
"It does," she answered with a tinge of excitement in her voice.
The pair moved into the class to practice their first session of spells for the new year.