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"If Scabbers does come back, I promise your father will floo to Hogwarts immediately and bring him to you," she replied. "Now, let's get you on the train; it's getting close to eleven o'clock. Fred, George, if I receive even one owl from Professor McGonagall this year, your bums aren't going to be happy at all when you get home!"
Severus and Lily got Harry settled on the train and like last year; Severus gave him money for treats. He knew Harry would not fill up on sweet stuff, but would probably purchase most of the treats for his friends instead.
Harry was soon joined by Draco, Vince, Greg, Neville, Hermione, Millie, Theo and Dean. Fred, George, and Lee popped in for a moment to say hello and then left to plan what pranks they were going to play this year. Cedric also stopped by to say hello before finding his friends.
"Did you hear that Gilderoy Lockhart is going to be teaching Muggle studies?" Hermione asked enthusiastically as the train began pulling out of the station. "I've read all of his books and he's defeated so many dark creatures and helped so many people both magical and Muggle."
Draco made a face. "He was in Flourish & Blotts signing his newest fairy tale. There was a line half-way down the block when father, mother, and I got there."
"Why would this guy who's defeated all these dark creatures be happy teaching Muggle Studies?" Greg wondered aloud.
"Because he's a fake," Harry answered. "Dad says if any of the stuff he wrote in those books is true he'll eat the Sorting Hat."
Neville nodded. "I can see what you mean, Harry. If he's a fake and anybody wants him to get rid of a dark creature for them; he has a built-in excuse to turn them down or at least until Professor Burbage comes back."
"Spot on, Nev!" Vince said.
"With You-Know-Who finally and permanently gone, the curse that he supposedly cast on the Defense position must have been banished because we've still got Professor Lupin. Otherwise Dumbledore would have hired another idiot for Defense," Theo said.
"Probably the idiot he hired for Muggle Studies," Dean pointed out.
"But Professor Dumbledore wouldn't hire anybody that was incompetent," Hermione argued.
"Not incompetent? Come on, Hermione; what about Binns? He's a ghost and he ignores everything else that's happened in magical history except for the Goblin Wars. What about Quirrell last year? He was probably possessed by You-Know-Who when he was hired and Dumbledore didn't even notice and this year he hired that vain peacock, Lockhart," Millie disagreed.
Hermione could not find any other points to argue in Dumbledore's favor and she knew it. What Millie said was true.
"I heard Weasley's rat ran off," Dean said changing the subject. "That thing was disgusting anyway, but he's bound to be even nastier this year since his parents probably don't have the money buy him another animal and he's so bloody jealous if you have something he doesn't also. Poor Seamus is probably getting an earful!" He patted his cat's carrier. "He doesn't like Patches either. He was always claiming she was trying to eat his stupid rat as if she didn't have better taste than to eat that thing!"
"Yes, I heard him whining about it to his mum when Dad was getting my trunk into the baggage car," Harry said. "But thanks for the warning, Dean."
"No problem, Harry." Dean replied.
Once the train was underway, the Tea Trolley lady came by and as they had done the last year, everybody bought something different and traded, but stayed away from the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Harry swore the bad tasting ones outnumbered the good tasting ones. When they had tried them last year it seemed as if everyone with the exception of Neville got one that tasted bad. He got a marmalade flavored bean.
"How are your mum and dad doing, Nev?" Harry asked. "Mum's anxious to visit them, but she won't unless their healer gives the okay."
"They're doing a lot better and their physical therapist said dad will only walk with a slight limp, but mum will always need some kind of support when she walks. She said she going to have a staff like Merlin's made rather than using a cane that makes her look like an old lady," Neville said chuckling.
That will be cool," Greg said nodding. "Maybe she can ask Professor Lupin show her how to use it in her defense in case some thief decides she's an easy mark."
Neville was nodding. "That's a good idea, Greg. I'll pass it on to mum when I write her later. Mr. Scrimgeour asked dad if he would consider being an instructor at the Auror Academy. He actually took his first year of Auror training in conjunction with his 7th year at Hogwarts and graduated at the top of his class in 1980. Mum just wants to stay home and work in our greenhouse. She's interested in doing some plant crossbreeding and developing new plants."
That sounds very interesting Neville," Hermione said. "Maybe she can grow plants that could increase the curative value of a potion."
Nobody commented as they were used to Hermione sounding like an open book most of the time.
"Anybody for Exploding Snap?" Draco asked taking out a deck of cards out of his robe.
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If you want to read ahead by 20 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
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