As Harry, Raja, and Ron stumbled out of the battered flying car, they took a moment to reflect.
Harry sighed. "You know, for once, I'd like to arrive at Hogwarts
normally
."
Raja clapped him on the back. "Where's the fun in that? This is
much
more exciting."
Ron groaned. "Dad's gonna
kill
me."
Before anyone could reply, a very angry-looking
Argus Filch
appeared out of nowhere, glaring at them like they had personally insulted his ancestors.
"Well, well, well," Filch sneered, rubbing his hands together like a villain. "I
knew
you lot wouldn't last long this year."
Raja, ever the troublemaker, grinned. "Ah, Mr. Filch! How's Mrs. Norris? Still giving people heart attacks?"
Filch's left eye twitched. "She is in perfect health, thank you very much."
Before Filch could continue his verbal assault,
Professor Snape swooped in, armed with a newspaper.
Snape slammed the paper on the desk. "
Explain.
"
Harry and Ron peeked at the article:
MUGGLES SHOCKED AS FLYING CAR SPOTTED OVER LONDON
Raja whistled. "That's some front-page material. Good press for Hogwarts."
MAYA:
"Master, this level of chaos is becoming routine for you."
Raja:
"At this point, I should charge admission fees."
Snape's glare could have burned through steel. "You
three
have not only endangered the secrecy of the wizarding world but also
damaged the Whomping Willow.
If it were up to
me,
you would be
expelled immediately.
"
Harry gulped.
Ron turned pale.
Raja yawned. "Boring."
Just then,
Dumbledore and McGonagall entered.
McGonagall folded her arms. "They won't be expelled."
Snape's eye twitched. "Excuse me?"
"They will receive detention," McGonagall continued, completely ignoring Snape's suffering. "And letters will be sent to their families."
Harry and Ron sighed in relief. Raja gave Snape a smug grin, and Snape, in return,
glared with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Dumbledore, seemingly uninterested in all of this, hummed. "Ah, shall we return to the feast? I've been
dying
to try the custard tarts."
As they left, Harry spotted a
suspicious-looking envelope
addressed to Filch titled
'The Basics of Magic'.
Filch
snatched it like a guilty man hiding a secret hobby
and scurried away.
Herbology class was
off to a great start
with Professor Sprout leading them into
Greenhouse Three.
"Today," Sprout announced, "we'll be working with
Mandrakes!
"
Hermione's hand shot up. "Mandrakes are used to cure petrification, but their cries can be deadly."
Sprout nodded approvingly. "Five points to Gryffindor."
The students
put on earmuffs
before yanking out the small, shrieking plants.
Neville, despite having protection,
looked seconds away from fainting.
His Mandrake wiggled violently, making him wobble dangerously.
Raja, with reflexes sharper than Snape's sarcasm,
grabbed Neville's robe and steadied him.
Draco, meanwhile,
poked his Mandrake
for fun.
The Mandrake
bit him.
Draco shrieked louder than the plant itself. Raja cackled. "Oh, karma is a wonderful thing."
Professor Sprout sighed but awarded Raja
points for both saving Neville and handling his Mandrake like a pro.
Back in the Great Hall, Ron was
fighting for his life
trying to fix his broken wand.
Meanwhile, a
hyperactive first-year named Colin Creevey
ran up to Harry, camera in hand.
"Can I get a picture with you, Harry? My Muggle family
never believed me!
"
Ron muttered, "Imagine that."
Then, Colin turned to Raja. "Oh! Can I get a picture of
you,
too?"
Raja immediately struck
several model-like poses.
MAYA:
"Master, are you truly incapable of resisting attention?"
Raja:
"Maya, I am a gift to the world."
Colin, eyes shining, took
way too many photos.
Before Harry could reply,
Errol crash-landed into the table, delivering Ron's Howler.
"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE—Oh, congratulations, Ginny, on making Gryffindor—BUT BACK TO YOU, RONALD—"
The letter
exploded dramatically
, and the Slytherins
howled with laughter.
Defense Against the Dark Arts had barely started, and already
Lockhart was unbearable.
He grinned at the class. "I am
Gilderoy Lockhart
—Order of Merlin, Third Class, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award!"
The girls
swooned.
The boys
looked betrayed.
Raja, to everyone's horror,
acted like a fanboy.
Lockhart beamed. "Ah, a man of taste!"
Then, he handed out a
quiz—all about himself.
"What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?" (Answer:
Lilac
)
"What is his greatest achievement?" (
His own hair-care potion line
)
To everyone's shock,
Hermione and Raja got perfect scores.
Ron, horrified, whispered, "You... actually read his books?"
Raja grinned. "Of course! The man is
hilarious!
"
MAYA:
"Master, this is embarrassing."
Raja:
"Let me have this."
Lockhart clapped his hands. "Time for
practical
defense!"
He
released a cage full of Cornish Pixies.
The room
erupted into chaos.
Neville was
lifted onto the chandelier.
Hermione
got her hair yanked.
Lockhart
tried casting a spell—
"
Peskipiksi Pesternomi!
"
—And absolutely
nothing happened.
A pixie stole his wand. A skeleton model
crashed to the floor.
Lockhart, panicked,
ran to his office and locked the door.
Raja,
shaking his head
, waved his wand. "
Immobulus!
"
The pixies
froze mid-air.
Neville, still stuck on the chandelier,
groaned.
"Why is it
always
me?"
Then, Neville
slipped—falling straight into Raja's arms.
Raja caught him
princess-style.
Ron facepalmed. "This is getting
ridiculous.
"
MAYA:
"Master, your nickname 'Guardian Fairy' is truly living up to its reputation."
Raja grinned. "I aim to please."
To Be Continued...