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camwynThis is the bit of the next Hellblazer: Hogwarts chapter that I wrote on the plane to Texas. I didn't write more than this while I was on the Katrina job because I didn't think it would be healthy for my brain, but I have some more saved on disk, and I'll be doing more later today. It's time and more than time.
Another year, Harry thought glumly, another teacher.
He had been quite looking forward to this year's clases ever since receiving the results of his OWLs. True, he'd done abyssmally on a few of them, but he'd never expected much of a Divination score to begin with. It had been that "O" in Defense Against the Dark Arts that cheered him most, particularly since the Headmaster had reassured him of the new professor's complete and utter difference from Dolores Umbridge. True, he wouldn't be taking Potions- not with a mere "E", and Snape's standards- but Mr. Weasley had said the Auror Office was revamping its standards now that Amelia Bones was Minister of Magic.
And then.
Then there had been the explosions in Hogsmeade - Mr. Weasley's rush to St. Mungo's - Tonks' near-miss, the mystery package to Mrs. Weasley -
And to top it off, he and Ron had missed the Sorting Feast entirely, and been given detentions from Snape before the term had even begun!
So it was with only half an ear and very little heart that he listened to Hermione and Ron's speculations as they headed for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "-saw him after the Feast," Hermione was saying. "I don't think he was very happy to be there- especially not after the Sorting Song was over. He spent the entire Sorting scowling at his food, not speaking to anyone. Which seemed particularly odd, since he'd been whispering to Professor Toops all through the Song-"
"You're joking!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron, I'm not- the whole thing. I don't believe he heard more than two words of the Song. Professor Dumbledore had to reprimand him-"
"What, in front of the whole school?" interrupted Harry.
"Well- not exactly," Hermione conceded. "But he did pass him a note of some sort. I couldn't make out what was on it, but Professor Constantine went very quiet after he read it."
Harry nodded. Ron looked highly amused at the prospect of a professor being brought low by such a means. "Anyway," Hermione continued, "he looked thoroughly disreputable to me-"
"Well, so did Lupin," Ron pointed out.
"No, Ron," said Hermione patiently. "Not shabby. Disreputable."
"What's the difference, then?"
"Well-" She hesitated. "If Professor LUpin were to bget himself a good, new set of robes and a decent haircut, he'd look all right, wouldn't he?"
Harry and Ron nodded.
"But if you were to put a good new set of robes on Mundungus Fletcher-"
Ron shuddered; Harry scowled.
"You understand what I mean, then," Hermione said. "Rather like that. Although..."
"Although what?" Harry prompted.
"Well... there was something about him that made me think... well, that he knows his business rather better than Mundungus does."
"Yeah, 's called the word 'Professor' in front of his name," said Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant."
A chill breeze was the only warning Harry had. He stepped away from the wall of their corridor just in time to avoid the emerging form of the Fat Friar. "Oh, hello!" said the ghost. "Off to class with the new professor, are you?"
Hermione smiled; Harry nodded. "Yes, Friar," said Ron.
The ghost nodded happily. "Splendid, splendid. Capital fellow, really. Do give him my regards," he said, and continued across the corridor and into the opposite wall.
"That's... strange," Hermione said, watching him go. "I don't believe the ghosts normally take much interest in the teachers, do they? Except Binns, I mean."
Ron shrugged, setting off again at a brisk pace. "They've got to have something to talk about," he said. "Anyway, maybe he's been here longer than the last two."
"Possibly, Hermione said, but a doubtful tone remained in her voice. "Harry? Are you all right?"
"Hm?" said Harry. "Sorry, Hermione-"
In fact, his thoughts had been quite elsewhere. He'd caught a snatch of Seamus Finnegan saying something to Lee Jordan about Hogsmeade and the new professor, but hadn't made out more than those few words. Whether the new professor came from the village, or had lodged there, or had something to do with the Hog's Head being rebuilt- he couldn't say...
Got more than that but I'm going to be working on it more today and then running the whole lot past betas. Thought I should drop some of it where it could be seen, though.
Another year, Harry thought glumly, another teacher.
He had been quite looking forward to this year's clases ever since receiving the results of his OWLs. True, he'd done abyssmally on a few of them, but he'd never expected much of a Divination score to begin with. It had been that "O" in Defense Against the Dark Arts that cheered him most, particularly since the Headmaster had reassured him of the new professor's complete and utter difference from Dolores Umbridge. True, he wouldn't be taking Potions- not with a mere "E", and Snape's standards- but Mr. Weasley had said the Auror Office was revamping its standards now that Amelia Bones was Minister of Magic.
And then.
Then there had been the explosions in Hogsmeade - Mr. Weasley's rush to St. Mungo's - Tonks' near-miss, the mystery package to Mrs. Weasley -
And to top it off, he and Ron had missed the Sorting Feast entirely, and been given detentions from Snape before the term had even begun!
So it was with only half an ear and very little heart that he listened to Hermione and Ron's speculations as they headed for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "-saw him after the Feast," Hermione was saying. "I don't think he was very happy to be there- especially not after the Sorting Song was over. He spent the entire Sorting scowling at his food, not speaking to anyone. Which seemed particularly odd, since he'd been whispering to Professor Toops all through the Song-"
"You're joking!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron, I'm not- the whole thing. I don't believe he heard more than two words of the Song. Professor Dumbledore had to reprimand him-"
"What, in front of the whole school?" interrupted Harry.
"Well- not exactly," Hermione conceded. "But he did pass him a note of some sort. I couldn't make out what was on it, but Professor Constantine went very quiet after he read it."
Harry nodded. Ron looked highly amused at the prospect of a professor being brought low by such a means. "Anyway," Hermione continued, "he looked thoroughly disreputable to me-"
"Well, so did Lupin," Ron pointed out.
"No, Ron," said Hermione patiently. "Not shabby. Disreputable."
"What's the difference, then?"
"Well-" She hesitated. "If Professor LUpin were to bget himself a good, new set of robes and a decent haircut, he'd look all right, wouldn't he?"
Harry and Ron nodded.
"But if you were to put a good new set of robes on Mundungus Fletcher-"
Ron shuddered; Harry scowled.
"You understand what I mean, then," Hermione said. "Rather like that. Although..."
"Although what?" Harry prompted.
"Well... there was something about him that made me think... well, that he knows his business rather better than Mundungus does."
"Yeah, 's called the word 'Professor' in front of his name," said Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant."
A chill breeze was the only warning Harry had. He stepped away from the wall of their corridor just in time to avoid the emerging form of the Fat Friar. "Oh, hello!" said the ghost. "Off to class with the new professor, are you?"
Hermione smiled; Harry nodded. "Yes, Friar," said Ron.
The ghost nodded happily. "Splendid, splendid. Capital fellow, really. Do give him my regards," he said, and continued across the corridor and into the opposite wall.
"That's... strange," Hermione said, watching him go. "I don't believe the ghosts normally take much interest in the teachers, do they? Except Binns, I mean."
Ron shrugged, setting off again at a brisk pace. "They've got to have something to talk about," he said. "Anyway, maybe he's been here longer than the last two."
"Possibly, Hermione said, but a doubtful tone remained in her voice. "Harry? Are you all right?"
"Hm?" said Harry. "Sorry, Hermione-"
In fact, his thoughts had been quite elsewhere. He'd caught a snatch of Seamus Finnegan saying something to Lee Jordan about Hogsmeade and the new professor, but hadn't made out more than those few words. Whether the new professor came from the village, or had lodged there, or had something to do with the Hog's Head being rebuilt- he couldn't say...
Got more than that but I'm going to be working on it more today and then running the whole lot past betas. Thought I should drop some of it where it could be seen, though.
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Date: 2005-10-16 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 05:32 pm (UTC)This only happens with posts in which there are cut tags.
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Date: 2005-10-16 05:34 pm (UTC)If you de-friend her, then load your friends page, it loads normally, then?
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Date: 2005-10-16 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 05:35 pm (UTC)What it actually looks like (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/telophase/a4dc699c.jpg)
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Date: 2005-10-16 05:37 pm (UTC)I can't imagine how a cut-tag could do that. Bizarre.
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Date: 2005-10-16 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-17 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-17 03:24 am (UTC)It works perfectly fine on the style I switched to. Ah well.
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Date: 2005-10-16 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-16 11:34 pm (UTC)(Also, it's "abysmally".)
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Date: 2005-10-17 05:23 pm (UTC)"Abysmally," as has been pointed out, and "classes," in the first paragraph, but I can see naught else to complain about besides the fact that ARGH I WANT MORE.
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Date: 2005-10-17 11:54 pm (UTC)I eagerly await more.
If you're ever in need of an extra beta, I keep my metaphorical red pen sharpened and ready to go at all times.