We have an early start today. I'm usually an early riser but after last nights antics, it was quite lucky that Katie woke me up. Well who am I kidding? She literally had to pour a water jug on me. Now I'm braiding my hair (again...!) Wish there was a spell to keep hair all set for days. There must be one, for all I know. 

I fastened my charm pendant and now I'm all ready. This silver Tree Of Life pendant is the only thing I have got left that reminds me of my real mother. My Muggle mother. She had given it to me on my seventh birthday (just an year before all the mishappenings started; P.S I know mishappening is not a word but I just felt like using it so that's it). 

She used to say that it was charmed to bless life to the wearer and some such thing like that but I was too young at that time to remember. However to this day I've kept it and it used to be my sole comfort whenever the asylum people used to lock me up in the dungeons. Oh no, I don't wanna get started about all that again. It's a relief I'm not there anymore and trust me I don't wanna recall the experience. Never again. 

Anyhow when all three of us were dressed we made our way to the Great Hall for breakfast. "Oh don't tell me, the staircases are changing? Again?" Katie exclaimed as soon as we stepped out of the portrait hole. 

The flights of stairs were moving. "That makes us completely 10 minutes late," Angelina remarked. 

It was quite amazing though seeing the stairs shift places. If I still believed in science more than I do in magic then I would have declared it impossible or rather I would be thinking on huge hydraulic mechanisms needed to move such giant staircases. 

When all the staircases had stopped moving we carefully descended the stairs and rushed towards the Great Hall. Late, as expected. Anyhow we settled down and our golden plates filled all by themselves. I spotted Fred and George and waved over to them. They winked in reply and gestured towards the Slytherin table. 

God knows what they have done now. I looked in that direction to see a few Slytherins cursing and glaring angrily at us. Craning my neck a bit to get a clearer view I saw that they were stuck to their seats. So that's what all the Gryffindors had found extremely hilarious and were laughing when we had entered. Didn't I say that Fred and George were practical jokers? Yeah I did and you definitely get the point. 

After we had finished breakfast a lot of owls came swooping inside. "That's the daily mail," Angelina told me. They dropped letters to the respective recipients. I got one too. It was from Bill. I would have torn the envelope open to read it because I really was curious what he could have written inside but stopped and placed it safely in my pocket when I noticed Ron who was sitting across from me. 

His face was getting redder than ever, his eyes popping and mouth dropped open in a terrified o shape. Well... I didn't expect Fred and George to put Cockroach Clusters in his drink today, maybe they did their prank without letting me know to maintain the element of surprise. But then I saw the envelope in his hand. 

Oh, that means the twins didn't do anything. All this cause of fear was that envelope. Definitely from Mom, without a shadow of doubt. 

"I think it's a Howler," a girl sitting next to Katie spoke. 

The envelope had started to vibrate and all of the Gryffindors were looking at Ron. Suddenly the envelope burst to shreds and the letter started to speak. Or to be more accurate it started to howl with piercing screams and shrieks. Mom's voice thundered through the Hall and serenaded Ron with a whole medley of sermons as well as accusations. Her voice was magnified to about three times and all of us covered our ears. 

By now each and every person in the Hall had stopped doing their work and were staring at the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins were sniggering in amusement. The Howler went on and on shrieking and screaming and then it ate itself up before getting reduced to ashes. 

"I love hearing mum shouting at someone else," I turned around to see Fred standing behind me. 

"It makes such a nice change," George remarked. 

"Come on let's take you to class," they spoke, "we thank the lovely ladies, Bell and Johnson, for taking care of our dear sister." 

I frowned, "hey, don't talk as if they were babysitting me." 

They laughed, "okay we won't. Come on let's go. First class is Defence Against the Dark Arts."

***

We entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Fred and George had told me that we would have a new teacher and had also given an illustrious (overly dramatic) explanation of what had happened to the previous teacher Professor Quirrell. "So that's why Professor Squirrel is quite unfit for the job. He died due to the consequences," they finished off the story. 

I noticed the whole classroom was decorated (I mean littered) with numerous framed portraits of the one and only Gilderoy Pompous Lockhart showing his sickeningly cheesy grin. 

"Looks like the new Professor is a hardcore fan of Lockhart," Fred remarked. 

Oh Lord, how will I survive this? I certainly do not wish to start off my studies with a Lockhart obsessed teacher. Heaven forbid! "Is it not possible to bunk class?" I asked. 

George laughed, "look at you, you're already such a lot like us. Yes, it is possible but bunking the first class of the term does not set a good impression." 

Since when did they start caring about first impressions? I rolled my eyes, "who cares? I'd rather have a bad reputation than tolerate a Lockhart filled lesson." 

Soon enough the new teacher entered and I got a horrible nightmarish revelation; none other than Lockhart himself. Ugh, I should have known! Why would we be buying whole sets of his books if he wasn't the teacher? I literally feel sick when I see him obsessing over his own self. 

Dressed again in flamboyant lilac robes, he made his way to the front, "hello my lovely students! I heartily apologize for not being able to join you all at the Start of Term feast. As you see I was in Chicago for an exclusive interview and had to attend a book exhibition as well." 

The twins spoke, "we thank you for not joining, Professor!" 

The class tittered and Lockhart's eyes narrowed for a little while but he chose to ignore the remark, "as I was saying before, let me introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher... Me, of course."

Some students clapped feebly. He gave a pompous speech and I wanted to literally dash out of the room. 

"And now for your first lesson," he began (I do wonder if he knows how to teach), "I want you all to write an essay about all the mind blowing achievements of Gilderoy Lockhart as well as a whole mention of all the awards I have yet received. Two scrolls of parchment would be enough, I think. Let's get started. And yes... No cheating. However you can take help of your course book: Magical Me. Yes yes the one with a dashing picture of me on the cover." 

I muttered, "which book of yours does not have your picture at the cover?" 

He looked at me, "ah Miss Weasley. So glad you could join us. Two scrolls of parchment as I said before. And you have to hand it in today. Fine weather we are having here, aren't we?" 

Ugh. By this time even the twins were considering on bunking the class. "We should have taken your advice and ditched this class earlier," the twins mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. I was at once struck by an awesome idea. 

"You can use my advice now then. Get over here, you two," I whispered my idea in their ears and their eyes sparkled from mischief. 

Their first reaction to my wonderful idea was, "Kat, we're starting to think that it real was lucky for us to let you be part of our mischief." 

I know that, thank you very much. "No need to mention it twice," I replied. Let's just see how Lockhart would feel to read the truth about him. 

Two scrolls of parchment? 

Indeed.

***