A Year at Hogwarts

Chapter 4

 The following day, Harry walked through the school with some people watching him. He went to the Great Hall and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Several people walked up to him. "We believe you didn't put your name in," Marianne (the Prefect) said, "We heard rumours that some people have been plotting for things to happen should you turn up at Hogwarts." Harry looked bemused. "There are some people who worked for You-Know-Who before you vanquished him," Marianne continued, "and they got away with the crimes they committed, due to either bribery or claims of being under the Imperius curse, which were never investigated. My father told me that they swore revenge on you for destroying their master. It seems, Lucius Malfoy planted an enchanted diary on a Gryffindor student which forced her to open a legendary chamber of secrets and released the monster of Slytherin. We overheard Draco Malfoy brag about it and was hoping you would turn up that year, just so it could kill you, leaving his father's hands clean. It is because of this, we believe you. Just a word of warning though, Cedric Diggory is a Quidditch hero for Hufflepuff, so they won't take this well." "Thank you." Harry said, "What happened about that incident?" "There's a rumour going about that Dumbledore's phoenix rescued the student and destroyed the monster of Slytherin while Dumbledore himself destroyed the enchanted diary. Everything else about it is being kept a secret."

Until today, Harry had no idea what the Gryffindors were like in class. He didn't see how much Ron knew as Molly Weasley wouldn't allow magic to be practiced during the holidays, although Harry knew that the Ministry would have no way of knowing who was casting the spells (in Sydney, underage magic was permitted as long as it was in the confines of the witch or wizard's home and if Muggles were in the house, they had to know about magic in the first place – Harry's Uncle Alex had full knowledge of magic, he was a Squib and his parents were magical but unlike England, the Australians didn't disown Squibs). (What Molly Weasley didn't know was that when he and Ron were supposed to be sleeping (they were sharing a room), Harry

taught Ron spells that he learnt at Sydney the previous year). The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were in the same class and it was being taught by Professor McGonagall. She was teaching Switching Spells, which Harry had already learnt the previous year at Sydney. Somehow, one Gryffindor (Harry later learnt his name was Neville Longbottom) managed to transfigure his ears onto a cactus. Harry noted that Neville was suffering from a severe lack of confidence. McGonagall gave a few words, she warned that the OWLs were approaching and they needed all the practice they could get. "May I remind you, Mr. Thomas," she said, addressing a black Gryffindor boy who had protested, "Your pincushion still curls up in fear if you try to approach it with pins. It pains me to think that none of my Gryffindors can produce a satisfactory transfiguration from hedgehog to pincushion." She decided to turn to Harry. "Mr. Potter – let's see what they've been teaching you at Sydney." She passed a hedgehog over to Harry who within seconds, turned it into a perfect pincushion (he had been taught that the previous year too). Hermione Granger glared at him. She had been able to change hers but not as perfect as Harry's. "Five points to Ravenclaw," she said, "It seems your time has not been wasted." The rest of the lesson went alright (Ron managed to do a good transformation but wasn't perfect but still earned a few points for Gryffindor) but McGonagall had one more thing to say before the class was dismissed. "Longbottom – kindly do NOT reveal in front of anyone from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons that you cannot perform a simple Switching Spell. It's bad enough Mr. Potter had to witness it." "Is she always like this?" Harry asked Ron not long after the lesson finished. "Most of the time," Ron said, "She and Snape tie for the most unpopular teacher in the school. At least she doesn't bully Neville all of the time. At the last count, Neville's melted at least a dozen cauldrons in Potions." "Does everyone bully him?" Harry asked. "Snape and the Slytherins do – they practically call him a Squib most of the time. His best subject is Herbology but he can't fly a broom to save his life. During flying lessons in our first year, his broom went out of control and he fell off, breaking his wrist. When Madam Hooch took him to the Hospital Wing, Malfoy took his Remembrall that his grandmother sent him that day and threw it against a wall, smashing it. We think either money changed hands or Snape stepped in as despite being over twenty witnesses to it, he didn't even get a detention." Ron answered. "I heard Madam Longbottom really made a fuss over it and threatened to declare a Blood Feud against the Malfoys."