Chapter 59: After-Class Chatter and Letters
"It's a pity... If only we knew the principle behind it," Hermione said, shaking her head in frustration as she sat in the Great Hall. "Professor Hamilton never speaks."
"Maybe she's under some kind of hex?" Ron guessed, chewing on a chicken leg. "Like one of Fred and George's pranks."
"You think a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor couldn't break a simple hex?" Hermione sometimes didn't know what to say to Ron.
"Is your brain entirely filled with food?"
"Better than being filled with Lockhart," Ron laughed. "I saw you writing a letter to him yesterday."
"Really?" Harry looked at Hermione in surprise. "Did he write back?"
"I was not writing to Professor Lockhart," Hermione said indignantly. "I was writing to Professor Hamilton."
"Didn't you see the note Professor Hamilton left?" Hermione said helplessly. "I really want to know the principles behind that magic, and about non-verbal spells... but she won't let us visit her office."
"Did you go anyway?" Harry asked after a thought. He didn't think Hermione would follow the rules on this one.
"Of course I did," Hermione shook her head. "But the office door was locked tight."
"And the reply..." She sounded a bit puzzled. "I feel like Professor Hamilton didn't write it herself."
"The handwriting... looked more like a student's."
Her words made Harry and Ron exchange glances.
"I thought the silent Professor Hamilton and the constantly grinning Lockhart were two extremes," Ron muttered. "Turns out they're quite alike."
"Alike?"
"Mhm," Ron shrugged. "Percy said Lockhart's detention is making students help him answer fan mail."
"I'm kind of glad he's not our professor," Harry replied, which only made Hermione look more displeased.
"Mr. Lockhart is not that..."
"Even Hagrid says he doesn't know the first thing about caring for magical creatures," Ron continued. "I think he's probably just a big show-off."
"Heh..." Hermione curled her lip. "Hagrid is going to Hogsmeade this weekend to buy food for the creatures. Why don't you go with him?"
"Why?" Ron was confused.
"That way, you can stay away from Mr. Lockhart, whom you dislike so much, and I can stay away from you."
Watching his two friends bickering again, Harry sighed helplessly.
Not far from them, Luna, with her dirty-blonde hair, was happily chatting with the red-haired girl sitting beside her.
"Lyra... it's very lively here, isn't it?"
"Ah... y-yes..." Lyra looked around cautiously. "So many... so many people..."
"I usually... don't come here... at this time..."
"Then how do you eat lunch?" Luna asked curiously.
"I wait until you've... all finished... then I come..." Lyra's tiny voice was drowned out by the laughter of the red-haired boy at the next table. "There's still plenty left then..."
"Is that so?" Luna tilted her head and came to a conclusion. "Is it because being a professor is very busy?"
"Ah... something like that... I guess?" Just as Lyra started to speak, Luna reached out and pinched the pointed ear hidden under her hair.
Amidst Lyra's yelp, Luna blinked. "Didn't I tell you?"
"If you lie to me, I'll pinch your ear."
That was a month ago!
Face flushed red, Lyra shrank back. "If you do that again... I... I won't come with you... next time..."
That's right, Lyra had no hobby of pretending to be a student. Or rather, her only hobby was Magic Formations. If she hadn't been ambushed by Miss Lovegood with phrases like "friends always eat together," she never would have disguised herself as a student to sit here with Luna.
But looking at the lively students around her... Miss Lovegood hadn't lied. Friends did eat together.
But a friend like me... that red-haired boy at the next table would probably be a better friend than me, right?
Just looking at all these people makes me too scared to speak.
"Don't worry, Lyra," Luna's airy voice floated over. "Next time, let's eat outside."
"Out... side?"
"Mhm," Luna nodded. "I heard you can see the Giant Squid by the Black Lake."
"Some say it's Slytherin transformed," she whispered. "Every Christmas, he turns back into his human form and walks by the lake."
This rumor sounded much more plausible than the ones about the Ministry and Lord Grindelwald... And eating by the lake... that did sound much better than here.
At least there won't be many people there.
Miss Lovegood, you're so kind!
Lyra nodded gratefully at Luna.
" By the way, are you teaching us again tomorrow?" Luna changed the subject quickly, her thoughts seemingly jumping to something else immediately.
"Ah... actually, that's not really..." Lyra didn't know if she could call it her teaching anymore. First it was Professor William, now it was Dumbledore.
Who will it be next?
Whoever it is, it definitely won't be me, right?
"I'm looking forward to it," Luna chuckled.
"I can tell you... it's... Mmm!"
"Don't tell me, Lyra," Luna placed a finger on Lyra's lips. "I want it to be a surprise."
"I guess it might be... the Headmaster of Durmstrang!"
Definitely not... Every time I see him, he criticizes me... Lyra shrank back at the thought of unpleasant memories.
But a surprise?
Lyra felt Dumbledore would definitely surprise Luna...
"Could it be the octopus Slytherin turned into?"
Okay, probably not that.
While Lyra and Luna were chatting, a flock of owls flew in through the windows. Amidst the students' exclamations, Lyra quickly covered her head and ducked.
Is this some new form of torture?
Crazy owls dropping packages from the sky... if you're unlucky enough to get hit, you'd definitely pass out, right?
"Ah!"
Just as Lyra was thinking this, an owl dropped a letter on her head.
"It's a letter for you," Luna smiled, picking the letter off Lyra's head.
"It's from... Mr. Lupin?" Seeing the sender, Lyra pressed her lips together in delight.
But just as she was about to open it, laughter erupted from the next table.
"Ron got a Howler!"
"A Howler...?" Lyra knew what that was, of course, but she had only seen Lady Vinda send them to others. She had never received one herself.
Ah, before meeting Luna and Lupin... she had never received a letter at all.
"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR!"
"Ah!" The sudden opening of the Howler startled Lyra. It was the first time she had heard such a terrifying voice... like a lion opening its bloody maw.
"I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT!"
Lyra's ear tips twitched as she looked at Luna, only to find Luna's gaze wandering, seemingly lost in thought...
When will I have an ability like Miss Lovegood's... Thinking this, Lyra looked at her own letter.
Mr. Lupin, this definitely isn't a Howler, right?