The Wall of Stone

This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.

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Chapter 20 Hogwarts Letters 9 August 1995

It was early on 9 August 1995 when the first postal owl arrived with the book list for the quickly approaching year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There were many pleasant surprises in the letter for the students and their parents. Almost the entire staff of professors had been replaced and there were many more professors that previous years.

Several students groaned when they read about additional, required classes, but most of the young witches and wizards were intrigued if not interested.

Molly was particularly upset – Ronald didn't receive the Gryffindor Fifth Year Boy's Prefect Badge and she remembered Dumbledore promising most faithfully to give the badge to Ron for his services (for the Greater Good). Ron was disgruntled because this meant he wouldn't have any power over the kids in Gryffindor or the other houses.

A major change for all students was that the required textbooks were to be provided gratis by Hogwarts (via Flourish and Blotts Bookseller). The books and class schedules would be delivered to students on the morning of 2 September following breakfast.

Professors at Hogwarts 1995-1996

A major change at Hogwarts was documented by a list of the faculty who would be teaching in the coming school term.

Headmaster: Charles Bennet

Deputy Headmistress: Katherine Heppner

Headmaster Emeritus: Albus Dumbledore* (transition)

Head of Slytherin: George Greengrass (second cousin of Daphne)

Head of Gryffindor: Andrew Carter

Head of Hufflepuff: Pomona Sprout

Head of Ravenclaw: Alois Lovegood (great uncle of Luna)

Transfiguration: Professor Gregory Poole (5-7)

Transfiguration: Professor Emmaline Grayson

Charms: Professor Filius Flitwick (Years 5-7)

Charms: Professor Antonia Helmsley (Years 1-4)

Herbology: Professor Pomona Sprout (Years 1-7)

Potions: Professor Andrew Carter (Years 5-7)

Potions: Professor Melissa Moorhouse (Years 1-4)

Potions: (Revision) Professor Harriet Carter (Years 4-7)

DADA: Professor Michael Proudfoot (Auror-retired) (Years 5-7)

DADA: Professor Anthony Hilliard (Auror-retired) (Years 1-4)

Duelling vs Fighting: (Years 1-2) Professor Anthony Hilliard

Duelling vs Fighting: (Years 3-5) Professor Filius Flitwick

Duelling vs Fighting: (Years 6-7) Professor Michael Proudfoot

Runes: Professor Bathsheba Babbling

Arithmancy: Professor Septima Vector

Astronomy: Professor Aurora Sinistra

Mundane Studies: Professor Charity Burbage

Magical Life: Professor Charity Burbage (Mandatory Mundane Born 1-7)

Mundane Life: Professor Charity Burbage (Mandatory for Magic Born 1-7)

History of the World (Magic and Mundane): Professor Horace Greeley

Madam Irma Pince, Librarian

Healer Myra Featheredge, Infirmary Healer

Madam Poppy Pomphrey, Infirmary Matron

Rolanda Hooch, Flying Instructor and Quidditch Referee

Henrietta Darling, Management and Care of Magical Creatures

* Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster Emeritus begins his final year at Hogwarts on 1 September. Because of his continuing difficulty with spell casting and persistent hearing problems, the Headmaster Emeritus will have supervised contact with all students. When he is able, Dumbledore will provide lectures on selected topics of interest for the students. Subjects will include the role of mundane born in Magical Britain, future of Goblin relations, the role of the ICW in maintaining the Statute of Secrecy, Alchemy, and use of Transfiguration in everyday magical life.

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Note: In a concession to traditionalists and to move plans forward, New Management agreed to allow Albus Dumbledore to spend a final year in the castle. However, the wizard had no authority to give any person, elf, ghost, or portrait an order. He would retain the office in the high tower though the portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses were now scattered around the school where they could be of some use. Headmaster Bennet provided a portkey to Dumbledore that would move him from his office to the Great Hall and then back. It would not carry the headmaster to any other location in the castle or the grounds. The floo in Dumbledore's office could call the infirmary and the offices of the other professors, but no one could use the floo to enter or exit Hogwarts.

Note: When the school year began, Charles Bennet and New Management monitored Dumbledore's use and attempts to manipulate the portkey. Twice in the first three days of September, Dumbledore attempted to alter the destination of the portkey and was burned by the backlash of the magic in the necklace. Each time when questioned by Headmaster Bennet about the incident, Dumbledore confessed he'd forgotten that he was not headmaster any longer.

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Diagon Alley Shopping 17 August 1995

The day after the letters arrived from Hogwarts, everyone in Magical Britain came to Diagon Alley to shop for robes, quills and ink. Most of the students and their parents enthusiastically discussed the announcements about Hogwarts providing all the necessary books, new professors, and additional mandatory classes everyone had to attend. However, Molly, Ron, and Ginny Weasley kept searching the crowds of the familiar faces of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Wandering around and crisscrossing the alley multiple times, Remus Lupin never caught a scent of the pair.

'Padfoot is gonna go spare again,' Remus thought. Then he spotted Neville Longbottom walking with a couple out of Gringotts Bank. Lupin ran up and grabbed Neville's wand arm. A blast from some magic ring threw the werewolf across the alley where he impacted the wall of the local apothecary.

Patrolling Aurors stepped forward to investigate. First, the wizard thrown across the alley was revived and questioned. Then, three Aurors escorted Lupin to the front of Gringotts Bank to join Neville and the couple who remained on the bottom step of the bank with three goblin guards in front of them.

"Afternoon, Mr Tonks," Auror Proudfoot greeted the well-known solicitor. "Can you tell me what happened."

Without glancing at the witch or teenager, Ted replied, "As Longbottom Regent, I brought Heir Neville Longbottom and my wife, Madam Andromeda Tonks, to Gringotts today to conduct some Longbottom family business. The young heir is very interested in learning everything he can about his patrimony."

The Auror inclined his head to acknowledge the statement before Ted continued, "We had just stepped back into the alley when this fellow grabbed my cousin's arm. The family magics must have registered the man as a threat and pushed him away."

"What kind of family magic does that?" asked another Auror.

Neville replied, "The Longbottom kind."

Andromeda whispered to her husband who nodded and asked, "Mr Lupin, what in Merlin's good name made you grab hold of Heir Longbottom like that?"

"We're all worried about Harry," Lupin said. "There's been no word from him this summer. And I know Neville was with Harry in Paris on their birthdays!"

With the situation calming down, Molly arrived on the scene and began lecturing Ted and Andromeda about the poor parenting skills the pair had to allow teenaged boys to wander around a wicked city in an uncivilized foreign land without proper chaperones! The newspaper kept promising to print the details of the debauchery and damages caused by two teenaged wizards without proper supervision!

Andromeda stated, "Auror Proudfoot, I am offended and highly insulted that such slanderous speech against my character was uttered aloud in a public space." Then, the witch turned to her husband and said, "Ted, sue Mrs Weasley for slander! I am embarrassed in front of the whole of Magical Britain today by her falsehoods."

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