Window into the Past

🌙12🌙

"Hogwarts letters are here!" Ron yelled up the stairs. "Are you coming?" I asked Ginny.

"Harry's down there though," she whispered, blushing. "What's the worst that could happen?" I shrugged.

The two of us went down for breakfast and Ginny, the poor soul, knocked over her porridge.

"They sent Harry's and Joy's as well," Mrs Weasley handed me my letter and I opened it.

"Well, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a Lockhart fangirl," I rolled my eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the only girl who is not impressed by Lockhart, Joy Hope Jones!" Fred joked.

"I bet ten Galleons that he's a fraud," I mumbled, eating some of my porridge.

George started laughing.

A sudden smack on the glass made me jump. "Errol," Ron sighed and went outside.

His eyes skimmed over the letter. "Hermione wants to meet next Wednesday."

Biscuit flew through the window and had a letter for me. "Hello? What's this?" I frowned.

Hi Joy

This is Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sadly, one of our Chasers transferred to a different school and there is a spot open. Holding tryouts would be a pain but I got a glowing recommendation from Harry, Fred and George to recruit you as they told me you are amazing at Quidditch.

I wrote a letter to Professor McGonagall and she gave me permission. Congratulations Jones, welcome to the team.

Oliver Wood

I let out a squeal and I nearly squeezed the life out of Fred, George and Harry, even kissing them on the cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"What happened?" Mrs Weasley asked me. "I'm on the Quidditch team!" I cheered.

I had a Comet 260 but I was saving up for a Nimbus, like the one Harry has.

Oh, this year is going to be amazing!

***

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Mrs Weasley asked us. We were travelling by the Floo Network to get our things from Diagon Alley.

"How do I..." Harry motioned to the fireplace. "Oh, we're stupid," I sighed. "Mrs Weasley, Harry has never travelled by Floo Powder before."

"Really? Joy dear, would you mind going first to show Harry how it's done?" Mrs Weasley asked me.

I nodded and I went into the fireplace, taking a handful of powder. "Now watch Joy carefully," Mrs Weasley instructed Harry.

"Diagon Alley!"

I threw the powder down and within the flashes of green, I came out of a fireplace in Flourish and Blotts.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," the owner complained and grabbed a brush. "There'll be more so I wouldn't waste my breath," I told him.

"How many?" he frowned. "Maybe eight," I mumbled. "Oh son of a.."

Ron came barreling through the fireplace. "Harry's not here?!"

"No," I mumbled. "Did he go through it already?!"

"He stuttered," Ron admitted. "Damn it!" I swore. "Where could he have ended up?"

***

The poor sap ended up in Knockturn Alley but we found him with Hagrid. "Merlin's beard, you scared us," I hugged my best friend tightly and he hugged me back.

"If it wasn't for Hagrid, I'd be doomed," Harry told me. "I saw the Malfoys," he whispered to me and Ron. "In Borgin and Burkes."

"Shady!" I sang. "Buying or selling."

"Selling," Harry told me. "You know Malfoy's dad was a You-Know-Who fanboy, right?" Ron said to him.

"Like I said. Shady...Hey Hermione!"

Hermione pointed to a banner in Flourish and Blotts, saying that Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing books.

"Aw no!" I complained. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked me. "Joy is the only girl who doesn't like him," Ron told Hermione.

"Because he's a fraud," I simply stated. I was pushed in by Hermione, against my bloody will.

I was hanging at the side, not really paying attention to all the pictures being taken for the bleeding Daily Prophet.

I mean all that stuff he did, or should I say claims he has done in the past, it simply can't be accomplished by one person.

Well, that's what Tia said. And I agree with her.

"It can't be!" Lockhart gasped. "Harry Potter!"

Oh no, the poor sap.

Lockhart grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to the front. He gave me a 'help me' look but I just stayed still. I couldn't help the poor sod so I stayed put.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make," Lockhart announced, shoving a huge pile of books into Harry's arms. "It is my great pleasure to tell you all, that this September, I will be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

I threw my arms up in exasperation.

Merlin! Why do you hate me so much to curse me with the most incompetent person to teach my favourite subject?

Harry gave the books to Ginny and I went around to, unfortunately, get my books.

I had them in my cauldron and I saw the git of the century. "Leave him alone!" Ginny hissed at Malfoy. "He didn't want any of that!"

Harry's eyes widened as he had never heard Ginny speak before today.

"Ugh, it's you," I shuddered. "Ah Jones," Malfoy smirked at me. "I'll leave Potter and his new girlfriend alone if you go out with me."

Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. "I'd rather chew on glass," I grumbled.

"Come on," Mr Weasley said. "It's getting mad in here."

"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley," Mr Malfoy rested his hand on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Lucius," Mr Weasley grumbled.

"Working hard at the Ministry?" Lucius Malfoy took a book out of Ginny's cauldron and scoffed. "Obviously they're not paying you overtime."

He looked back at Hermione's parents, who were Muggles. "That's the company you keep? I didn't think your family could sink any lower."

Mr Weasley suddenly tackled him to the ground, shocking us all.

"Get him Dad!" Fred and George were egging him on. The assistant was forced to break them up.

Lucius Malfoy shoved Ginny's book into her arms. He looked at me, with a twinkle in his eye. "Jones, isn't it?"

Malfoy nodded. Lucius looked down at me as if I was someone begging him for spare change. "Her mother's Alivia Jones," Malfoy told him. "That filthy little..." he spat in disgust at my mother's name.

"Good luck this year, Jones, I have a feeling you're going to need it," he said quietly so only I could hear.

What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?