Never Say Never

Never Say Never

Chapter 5 Lessons with Lockhart

"Welcome second years to your first class of the year! I, as you all know, am Gilderoy Lockhart. Yes that's right, the Gilderoy Lockhart. The one and only." He laughed. "I will be your professor, as you all might have guessed by now. You must not be shy at all about asking any questions if you are in fact lost in the lesson or just plain dumb. Yes I am aware that I am famous; but actually, I am just the same as each and every one of you."

The girls sighed. And I mean all the girls.

The room was decorated with pictures of Lockhart, and a bird's cage with a cloth draped over it sat on his desk. The cloth kept on moving.

"I just am well-known, interesting, and amazing," he said with a laugh.

I turned to Harry and Ron who were sitting behind Hermione and I. They were looking at him like he was a talking chimp. Ron saw me looking at them and rolled his eyes in Lockhart's direction. I laughed and turned back to Lockhart, who was still babbling on about his amazing career. I knew his life story already because I'd read it in his new biography, 'Magical Me.' I found no reason to listen to things I already knew.

I looked out the window and watched the owls flying around. The Quidditch pitch was off in the distance. This reminded me that the Gryffindor team was looking for a new Chaser. One of their old ones was quitting. Not sure who though. Maybe I could be their new Chaser. I'll have to practice before the tryouts, which are in a bit more than a month. I might need some training, though. I sighed. No way do I know anyone who could train me in time. Well, I might as well give up that hope. Hermione nudged me, and I returned to reality.

"So class, we shall stop talking about me," he said, "and return to our lesson."

Then he tapped his wand against the birdcage. It moved from side to side.

What was in there?

"Cornish pixies? What's so dangerous about them?" Seamus asked.

"Freshly caught Cornish Pixies. Let us see how you deal with them!" Lockhart said and released them.

The pixies swarmed out of their cage and flew towards us. Everyone tried to get out of the way, but those pixies were everywhere. They were ripping books apart, pulling people's hair and robes, and messing up the place. Hermione and I hid underneath our desk.

"Why isn't he doing anything?" I said loudly to be heard over the loud screams of the students.

"I'll see what he's doing. Though someone as great as him shouldn't need help," she said.

I stood up.

"You'd be surprised about that," Ron said.

Hermione got out from under the desk.

Lockhart was running into his study while trying to get his pictures back from the pixies.

"You take care of it, girls," was all he said before locking himself in his study.

A pixie popped up right in front of my face. It flew around my head continuously to get me dizzy and finally stopped in front of my face again. It started to pull my hair and called two more of its fellow pixies over to help. The three pixies swarmed around me and yanked at my hair.

"Ouch! Let go of me!" I shouted.

Then they started on Hermione's hair. It was even worse for Neville. Some pixies lifted him up and hung him by his collar on the model skeleton hanging from the ceiling.

Harry ran up to me, smacking the pixies in his way with his book.

"Hold still, Annie," he said, trying to knock the pixies out of my hair.

I stayed as still as I could, and my hair was soon pixie free.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," he said smiling.

"Hermione, are you alright?" I asked. She was still struggling with the pixies.

"Better go help her," Harry said. With a few flicks of the book, the pixies were gone.

Once Hermione was free, she pointed her wand at the pixies and said a spell that froze them.

"Good one, Hermione," I said.

"Why is it always me?" Neville said.

~!~~!~~~!~~~~!~~~!~~!~

Wow, my first class sure had started off with a bang. It had been hilarious, too. Now that it was lunchtime, everyone was scattered all over the place. Hermione was in the library waiting for me to join her. Then we both go together for Herbology from there.

"Hey, Annie, where you going?" Ron asked as he walked up beside me.

"I'm going to the common room to get a book. Are you going there, too?"

"Yeah, mind if I follow?"

"Yes, sure."

"Hey, Annie?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say you did a great job in tricking Fred and George. It was really funny."

"Thanks, do you think that they're mad or anything?"

"No, Fred and George take anything lightly." I noticed a tiny badge stuck to his robe. It had a very familiar logo on it.

"You support the Chudley Cannons?" I asked.

"Yeah, they're the best. Do you like them?"

"Yeah, they're better than the best! Have you been to any of their games?"

"Yeah, one at least, when I was younger."

"Who won?" I asked curiously.

"Well who else?" Ron said looking at me.

We smiled at each other.

"Chudley Cannons!" we said together and laughed.

"I heard you have some autographed posters of them," he said.

"You can come see them anytime."

"Thanks, I'd love to."

"So tell me a bit more about yourself Ronald Weasley," I said.

"Ok, but tell me a bit about yourself Annie James. By the way, you don't mind calling me calling you by a nickname do you?"

"Whatever you wish," I said.

"Ok!" Ron said and laughed. I nudged him.

We got to know each other better that day.

Its true though what Hermione and Ginny said about Ron.

He is really funny, and we were joking around most of the time during the rest of the day. Hermione and Harry laughed loads, too.

That evening after dinner, the four of us sat upstairs in the common room and got to know each other even better.

That night, when everyone was asleep, I wrote a letter home:

Dear Mum, Dad, and Ali,

How are all of you? I miss you guys so much. I'm great here.

I've made some friends, and you'll never guess who! Firstly, there's Hermione. She's really close to me (I met her on the train), and then there's Ginny, who's a year younger than us, but we're pretty close, too. Both the girls are really sweet and funny.

I like them lots. Then there's Ron, Ginny's brother who's in my year. He's funny, and we both like the Chudley Cannons!! Yeah, he's cool. Oh, you'll never guess who else.

Harry Potter!! Remember how he joined Hogwarts last year?

Well, he's my age.

I kind of hang with him. Hermione's one of his best friends.

He's really nice, but we haven't spoken a lot to each other. Then there are others like Parvati, Lavender, Colin, Oliver, Fred and George, Lee, and many others.

They're all really nice.

My first day was really fun.

Lockhart is teaching us Defense Against the Dark Arts. He let out a swarm of Cornish Pixies, and they attacked us students. Luckily Hermione saved us.

Well, other than that I've been hanging with Ron, Harry, and Hermione. They seem alright that I'm with them. Well, I better go.It's time for bed. Write back to me, love you all. Oh, tell Martin I miss him! Bye!

Love,

Annie

By the way, did I tell you about Martin? He's our butler. He's been working with us since I was born. He helps around the house, and he can even cook great meals. He's the best. We're really close to him. Maybe it's because he's so funny and caring. He gives great advice to us whenever we need it.

I sighed and went to Leister's cage where he was eating some owl pellets and put my letter in an envelope. Leister looked at me with his huge owl eyes and hooted.

"Hey, Leister, how's the grub?" I asked.

He hooted a reply.

I opened the cage, and he flew onto my arm. I stroked him softly, and he gently nibbled my finger with affection.

"Ok boy, I need you to do me a favor please."

He knew this meant business, and he stopped nibbling and flew back into his cage.

"Oh come on, Leister! It's just back home! Please, I'll give you some extra fruit. What do you think?"

He looked at me like he was considering the offer. He hooted and edged slightly out of his cage. This needed more work then.

"So do you want apples or maybe some pears? Oh, I've even got a very nice juicy orange for breakfast tomorrow then, huh?" I said.

That did it.

He flew out of his cage and perched on my shoulder. I tied the letter to Leister's leg and let him out through the window.

"Thanks boy. I'll get you the fruit I promise."

He nibbled my hand and then flew out into the night sky until he was out of sight.