Don't be a silent reader
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 had taken his place between Ron and Hermione, she said, „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.
„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." "People are still getting that yikes," Aishi said
„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. „The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly. „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 Hermione 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 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 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 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. „Four to a tray-there is a large supply of pots here-compost in the sacks over there-and be careful of the Venomous 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.
The four remained in the same group. 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; Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot. Aishi managed to calm one by cradling it and rocking it like a baby....she got 40 points for finding a new way to handle the Mandrake babies.
By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then hurried off to Transfiguration with ravenclaws.
Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer. He 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.
Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape, 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.
Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell. His brain felt like a wrung sponge. Everyone filed out of the classroom except him and Ron, who was whacking his wand furiously on the desk. „Stupid-useless-thing-" „Write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker. „Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag. „It's your fault your wand got snapped-" They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.
Aishi hid hers cause she saw Ron's mood and didn't want to make it worse.„What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject. „Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once. „Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, „have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?" Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.
"Oh don't worry boys you will love the class " Aishi smiled and they looked at each other confused as she too hated the man. They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again, Aishi playing her flute as Draco joined them and he, Harry, and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Harry became aware that he was being closely watched. Looking up, he saw the very small, mousy-haired boy staring at Harry as though transfixed.
He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red. „All right, Harry? I'm-I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. „I'm in Gryffindor. D'you think-would it be all right if-can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.
„A picture?" Harry repeated blankly.
„So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. „I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead-" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline) „and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said, „It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you"-he looked imploringly at Harry-„maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?"
„Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?" Loud and scathing, Kris Puecy's voice echoed around the courtyard. He had
stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.„Everyone line up!" He roared to the crowd. „Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"
„No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. „Shut up, Puecy."
„You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck. „Jealous?" said Pucey, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard
was listening in. „Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."
Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly. „Eat slugs, pucey," said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started menacingly rubbing his knuckles. „Be careful, Weasley," sneered Puecy. „You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school."
A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.
„Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Pucey. „It'd be worth more than his family's whole house-" Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, Draco quickly ran to hold him back but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered, „Lookout!"
„What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. „Who's giving out signed photos?" Harry started to speak but he was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around
his shoulders and thundered jovially, „Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!"
Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Harry saw Pucey slide smirking back into the crowd. „Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. „A double portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll both sign it for you."
Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, Signaling the start of afternoon classes. „Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Harry, who was wishing he knew a good Vanishing Spell, still
clasped to his side. „A word to the wise, Harry," said Lockhart paternally as they entered the
building through a side door. „I covered up for you back there with young Creevey-if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much..."
'Yeah he is on drugs', Lockhart swept him down a corridor lined with
staring students and up a staircase.
„Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible-looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but"-he
gave a little chortle-„I don't think you're quite there yet."
They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Harry go at last. Harry yanked his robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him
so that he could avoid looking at the real thing. The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Aishi sat down on either side of Harry and Draco sat next to Ron. Hermoine sat in the front.
„You could've fried an egg on your face," said Ron. „You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club." "dibs on president " Aishi giggled and Draco chuckled
„Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase „Harry Potter fan club". Then he noticed someone was there as an assistant teacher." isn't that your cousin aishi?" Ron said
"Yes it is boys," aishi said "I have popcorn ready"
When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front. „Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. „Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award-but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"
He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly. „ well as you can see I have an assistant teacher who is also a good dada teacher. Mr Krishnya. " "it's actually Krishna" "Yes like I said...." he ignored him" I see you've all bought a complete set of my books-well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about, just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in-"
When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, „You have thirty minutes-start-now!"
Harry looked down at his paper and read:
1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:
54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?
Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class. „Tut, tut-hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully-I clearly state in Chapter Twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples-though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"
He gave them another roguish wink. Ron and Draco were now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on their face; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name. „...but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my range of hair-care potions-good girl! In fact"-he flipped her paper over-„full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
Hermione raised a trembling hand „Excellent!" beamed Lockhart.„Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so-to business-"
He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.
„Now-be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain
calm."
Despite himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front-row seat. „I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. „It might provoke
them."
As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.
„Yes," he said dramatically. „Freshly caught Cornish pixies." Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that
even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror. „Yes?" He smiled at Seamus. „Well, they're not-they're not very-dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.
„Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. „Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces
and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing.
The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them. Aishi looked at Krishna worriedly but he smiled and just winked.
„Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. „Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage. It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and almost sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books, and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and
„Come on now-round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. Suddenly, all the pixies looked at him and moved to him threateningly. He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, „Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and soon pulled his hair ear and cape as he ran off to his office. The golden five except Hermione laughed at the situation.
Krishna smiled with a snap of his fingers all the pixies froze mid-air. Then with a wave of his wand, they all were kept back in his cage. Everyone was about to cheer but he hushed them and led them out of the classroom and into another empty classroom.
They all were safe in the other classroom and some were upset how they were almost attacked. Till Krishna pulled out his flute and played a tune
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Video above if you want to see what he did to make the kids happy again)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. „Can you believe him?" Ron said smiling wearing the cape "That was so fun unlike Lockhart" „He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, „Hands on?" said Harry, „Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing..." „Rubbish," said Hermione. „You've read his books-look at all those amazing
things he's done-" „He says he's done," Draco muttered. " Pucey was trying not to have fun earlier when your cousin was making us smile"
"Come on we have to get to the next class," Aishi said chuckling.
Bonus
James and Rohit sang along to the music as they watched the episode as Krishna cheered up the kids.
"Oh stop you two," Lily said as Priya laughed.
Hades was laughing merrily as the Avatar of the Preservation god of the universe was singing and playing with little magic kids.
Percy was working when she got a message on her monster-free phone from Apollo sending her a music video. She played it and her eyes widened. She smiled and chuckled at the video as her son and his friends were having fun in the song.