The Joyful Transformation

The Welcoming Feast was more fun and more solemn than Harry remembered from the year before. More fun because the food was served at the beginning while the first-year students sat at a special table in the front before their sorting. Students who had been well fed were much more vigorous in welcoming their new housemates.

The solemnity came when Professor Dumbledore's contributions to the school were discussed and memorialized.

The Professors Flamel were already changing Hogwarts on the first day.

It wasn't long before Harry noticed that more than rituals were changing.

People were happier.

Hermione was less nervous and she smiled. She, of course, put three books in Harry's arms during the first breakfast of the year and insisted he read them. Not gifts, but loans from her collection. She was hoping Harry would like them enough to buy copies for himself. How many hours had she spent looking at the shelves in book stores over the summer? Harry would have to return the favor if he could. Hermione devoured books faster, though. Maybe he could find other things to repay her.

Neville continued to smile after coming back from Charms class. He had a dreamy sort of happiness. He'd looked tense on the train. Harry wondered about Neville's summer and if he'd had any fun at all.

Ron wasn't as fun as he was at the Burrow, but he wasn't as grumpy as he had been in the days leading up to their return to school.

The Weasley twins were calmer. The Patil twins were happy to see each other. The year before they'd fought several times because of silly things, like their being in different houses.

What had changed over the summer? Harry wasn't quite sure, yet.

Classes were different, from the schedules down to the tone.

Professor Snape was a changed man, first off. As was Professor Binns. The book was still a bore, but the Professor was much more engaging somehow. Maybe one of the Professors Flamel had threatened to take over his classes?

No one announced what class the lady Professor Flamel was teaching, but several teachers were on their very best behavior.

Not everything was perfect. Professor Lockhart proved himself as dim as a sack of dragon dung. Harry despaired of two years of poor professors in the subject he liked the best. Where were the curses or creatures? Where was the cleverness he prized? Not there in those blond locks...

On Friday, at lunch, the Headmaster stood up and addressed the hall. "I am most displeased with a member of the staff. He has administered tests concerned with his preferred hair unguents. He has unleashed Cornish pixies on very young students in their first classes at this school. He has proved himself unfit to serve as a teacher in this school or any other. If you'd do the honors of pest removal, my dear..."

Lockhart smiled at first as he recognized himself in the words. He only frowned, then screamed, after he felt the female Professor Flamel curse him. A stinging curse! Lockhart stumbled and limped out of the Great Hall. His purple robes began burning into ash, the man had grown a tail and violently green horns, and he seemed to belch clouds of orange smoke.

"I apologize for the pain any of you have felt from his poor teaching. I will either announce a new instructor or have my wife take the class. She served for sixteen years as Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy, though that was sometime in the distant past. Expect an announcement at breakfast Monday morning."

Hermione was aghast.

Everyone else close to Harry seemed entertained or at least thoughtful. Harry just wondered when Snape was going to get chased out of the school. However, not all dreams were destined to come true.

"In the future, I wish to know immediately about misconduct among the teaching staff..."

Snape sat up very straight in his seat and did not look out into the sea of students.

Yes, the Flamels were watching him, Harry knew.

Hermione came to admit, over the course of the weekend, that perhaps the Flamels hadn't been wrong expelling and embarrassing Lockhart. But it was a slow bit of reality for her to adopt.

At supper Sunday evening, ahead of schedule, Headmaster Flamel introduced a witch who might have been three feet tall and two hundred years old. "Please welcome Madam Spurl."

The applause in the room was cautious and not very loud. Quirrel, Lockhart, and now Spurl. Plus whoever the older students had had. No one seemed very hopeful.

Harry expected to learn it from the book. He now had several Defense-related texts. Even his copy of Hogwarts:A History had valuable insights. Keeping trolls from the Forbidden Forest from getting onto the grounds and the like.

"Have you ever heard of her?" Harry asked Hermione later that night.

"No. And you think someone would have written about her. She looked older than most trees."

Harry smiled at her joke. Hermione might just learn to loosen up this year, but Harry wasn't risking his knuts on any wagers.

"Losing a centimeter a year until she just disappears," Harry said.

Hermione laughed. She was over Lockhart now. Hopefully.

.....

Tried of waiting for new chapters. Then Join my p@treon now and read ahead by more than 60 chapters.

2 Free advanced chapters for all free members as well.

Link:

p*atreon.com/CoolNainan [Remove the *]