The Last Gaunt:Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets [Book 2]

Chapter IV: The Worst DADA class in History

Third Person POV

                          After Lockhart finished talking with Harry, He left and Harry entered Greenhouse three and went to his friends standing next to Zach and a Hufflepuff. Zach gave him a small smile while Ron just shrugged.  Kieran was standing between Theodore and Millicent. Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored earmuffs were lying on the bench. When Harry took his place Sprout started
                                                             "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?" To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air. 'Typical' Kieran though.
                                                            "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."
                                                            "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?" Hermione's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up again. But Zach rose his hand and Sprout called him.
                                                         "The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," He said with a cheeky smile.
                                                          "Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young." She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Zach meant by the "cry" of the Mandrake.
                                                            "Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout. There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.
                                                         "When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on ." Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard. Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear. Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs. "As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up. Five to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething." She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder. Harry, Ron, Zach and Hermione were joined at their tray by a curly-haired Hufflepuff boy Harry knew by sight but had never spoken to. Meanwhile, Theodore, Millicent, Daphne and Kieran went to their  own pots to deal with their mandrakes. The four of them began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. I heard The Hufflepuff chap next to Harry Ron, Zach and Hermione was talking non stop as he shared a little too much about his life, It was a bit annoying in Kieran's Opinion, Fortunaly  we wore our earmuffs so luckily they weren't able to hear Justin talk.  Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Kieran had difficulty with his Mandrake as it even bit his finguer in the prossess. By the end of the class, everyone, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash. After that they all went to Transfiguration. rofessor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult for the other students. Most of them had seemed to forget everything they learned last year during the summer. Harry was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand. Meanwhile was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spell-o-tape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased. Zach was doing great at Transfiguration and managed to turned his beetle into a button along with Kieran. Luckily the bell for lunch rang and everyone made their way to lunch. Kieran went to the Slytherin table and sat down at the far conner of the table just so he wouldn't be bothered by anyone or be asked about the Howler. As Kieran ate he checked his time table and sighed when he saw that uonext was DADA with Lockhart. He vissibly groaned as he lost his appetatite. Instead of finishing his lunch, he decided to make his way towards the DADA classroom, He wasn't looking forward for this lesson. Kieran sat down on the cold stone floor as he pulled out his other books as he waited. 
                                              "Why so Alone Cunningham" A voice said as Kieran looked up from his book and saw a familiar face. It was Theodore he sat next on the floor next to me. 
                                            "Hey Nott" Kieran smiled softly at him "Just getting my mind ready for our first lesson with.... Lockhart" He said rolling his eyes. 
                                              "Oh right" He said almost amused "How could Dumbledore hire that bloke?" 
                                              "I'm not really Sure" Kieran shrugged "Maybe no one else applied for the possition" 
                                              "It could be" Theodore shrugged.
                                              "I can't wait too see how awful this class would be." He said sighing, the two of them were in silence as they sat there. While they waited their other friends arrived. Millicent, Tracey and Daphne as they joined Kieran and Theodore. 
                                              "Hey Kieran! Theodore" Daphne said smiling. "What are you two doing here so earlY?"
                                              "I didn't see you two as nerds" Tracey said as he crossed his arms leaning on the stone cold walls. 
                                               "We aren't nerds Davis" Theodor said shrugging "Kieran is just preparing his mind  for Lessons with Lockhart." as they said that Daphne and Millicent let out happy sighs at the mention of Lockharts
                                            "Huh... yeah" Theodore shrugged "Having both Potter and Lockhart in one class, it won't be fun"
                                           "Definetly not" Kieran added as he turned back to his phone.
                                            "Well after the three howlers these mornings nothing can top that" Tracey said laughing as Kieran sent him a glare. "It was funny. I didn't know you were capable of stealing Cunningham."
                                           "Oh bugger of Davis!" Kieran said with a hint of anger "I didn't steal on purpose! It was mainly to get the money to buy the expensive Lockhart book"
                                          "Oh come on Cunningham but it was funny! You, Weasley and Richardson all got howlers! and It was funny!" Tracey laughed some more.
                                          "Davis, It wouldn't be funny if that was you" Daphne said crossing her arms. 
                                         "Yeah Howlers are no Joke." Millicent added.  
                                          "Bugger of you prat! I would curse you if you keep talking about that Howler. You don't know how embarrasing that is" Kieran rolled his eyes and crossing his arm angrily.