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Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognising it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation.
Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burnt so much that she allowed herself to be caught no fewer than forty-seven times in various disguises.
They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room. Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually.
‘Probably ’cause it’s you, isn’t it?’ shrugged Ron, still chuckling. ‘Famous Harry Potter and all that. I’d hate to see what the Ministry’d do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they’d have to dig me up first, because Mum would’ve killed me.
‘Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?’ asked Harry,
some money to get myself an early birthday present.’ ‘How about a nice book?’ said Ron innocently.
‘What was that?’ ‘It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger,’ said Harry.
Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he’d been in there for ages: no one wanted him.’ ‘I wonder why,’ said Ron sarcastically, as they set off towards the Leaky Cauldron.
was rather like being introduced to the mayor. ‘Very well, thanks –’ ‘Harry!’ said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. ‘Simply splendid to see you, old boy –’ ‘Marvellous,’ said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry’s hand in turn. ‘Absolutely spiffing.’
‘That’s enough, now,’ said Mrs Weasley. ‘Mum!’ said Fred, as though he’d only just spotted her, and seized her hand, too. ‘How really corking to see you –’
‘Second Head Boy in the family!’ she said, swelling with pride. ‘And last,’ Fred muttered under his breath. ‘I don’t doubt that,’ said Mrs Weasley, frowning suddenly. ‘I notice they haven’t made you two Prefects.’ ‘What do we want to be Prefects for?’ said George, looking revolted at the very idea. ‘It’d take all the fun out of life.’
Ginny giggled. ‘You want to set a better example to your sister!’ snapped Mrs Weasley. ‘Ginny’s got other brothers to set her an example, Mother,’ said Percy loftily.
‘We tried to shut him in a pyramid,’ he told Harry. ‘But Mum spotted us.’ *
‘It’s because of you, Perce,’ said George seriously. ‘And there’ll be little flags on the bonnets, with HB on them –’ ‘– for Humungous Bighead,’ said Fred. Everyone except Percy and Mrs Weasley snorted into their pudding.
‘Professor R. J. Lupin,’
‘I don’t go looking for trouble,’ said Harry, nettled. ‘Trouble usually finds me.’
Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window,
There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.
A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.
‘One of the Dementors of Azkaban.’
‘I felt weird,’ said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. ‘Like I’d never be cheerful again
‘Are you all right, Harry?’ Harry didn’t ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.
‘Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us.’ ‘Did he, now?’ said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. ‘So we’ve finally got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies.’
Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs.
They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.
‘see this morning? Nine o’clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o’clock, Muggle Studies. And –’ Ron leant closer to the timetable, disbelieving, ‘look – underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o’clock. I mean, I know you’re good, Hermione, but no one’s that good.
If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!’ ‘Yeah, we’ll call you,’ muttered Ron, as the knight disappeared, ‘if we ever need someone mental.’
‘Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,’
‘It looks like a Grim if you do this,’ he said, with his eyes almost shut, ‘but it looks more like a donkey from here,’ he said, leaning to the left. ‘When you’ve all finished deciding whether I’m going to die or not!’ said Harry, taking even himself by surprise.
Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?’ Everyone stared at her. ‘Me,’ said Harry, finally. ‘I see,’ said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. ‘Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class.
‘You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don’t let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.’
Yesterday’s rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale grey and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.
‘Hippogriffs!’
Buckbeak.’
‘Loony, loopy Lupin,’ Peeves sang. ‘Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin –’ Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect towards the teachers.
Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.
After me, please … riddikulus!’ ‘Riddikulus!’ said the class together.
Hermione approvingly. ‘But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart –’ ‘What would it have been for you?’ said Ron, sniggering. ‘A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?’
‘We’ve got two unbeatable Beaters.’ ‘Stop it, Oliver, you’re embarrassing us,’ said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.
‘What do you mean, Peeves?’ said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves’s grin faded a little. He didn’t dare taunt Dumbledore.
‘Oh, yes, Professorhead,’
‘He got very angry when she wouldn’t let him in, you see.’ Peeves flipped over, and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. ‘Nasty temper he’s got, that Sirius Black.’
‘Didn’t they want to help, sir?’ said Percy. ‘Oh yes,’ said Dumbledore coldly. ‘But I’m afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster.’
and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother’s orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog.
They’ve got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory –’
And I am telling you all to turn to page three hundred and ninety-four.’
‘Impervius!’ ‘There!’ she said, handing them back to Harry. ‘They’ll repel water!’ Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.
‘Where is Wood?’ said Harry, suddenly realising he wasn’t there. ‘Still in the showers,’ said Fred. ‘We think he’s trying to drown himself.’
but he wouldn’t let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn’t help it; he felt as though he’d lost one of his best friends.
Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a ‘get well’ card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit.
