Countless times Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig’s cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter but it wasn’t worth the risk Underage wizards weren’t allowed to use magic outside of school Harry hadn’t told the Dursleys this he knew it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking him in the cupboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick For the first couple of weeks back Harry had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Harry feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal — and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday
Every year this aged old hat patched frayed and dirty sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses Gryffindor Hufflepuff Ravenclaw and Slytherin Harry well remembered putting it on exactly one year ago and waiting petrified for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin the House that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other — but he had ended up in Gryffindor along with Ron Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys Last term Harry and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years
“Good for you” said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to someone was patting him on the back as though he’d just won a marathon Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together “Why couldn’t we’ve come in the car eh” Ron was scarlet in the face grinning embarrassedly but Harry could see one person who didn’t look happy at all Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy’s direction Ron got the point at once
“Harry Harry Harry” said Lockhart reaching out and grasping his shoulder “I understand Natural to want a bit more once you’ve had that first taste — and I blame myself for giving you that because it was bound to go to your head — but see here young man you can’t start flying cars to try and get yourself noticed Just calm down all right Plenty of time for all that when you’re older Yes yes I know what you’re thinking ‘It’s all right for him he’s an internationally famous wizard already’ But when I was twelve I was just as much of a nobody as you are now In fact I’d say I was even more of a nobody I mean a few people have heard of you haven’t they All that business with HeWhoMustNotBeNamed” He glanced at the lightning scar on Harry’s forehead “I know I know — it’s not quite as good as winning Witch Weekly’s MostCharmingSmile Award five times in a row as I have — but it’s a start Harry it’s a start”
“So I can prove I’ve met you” said Colin Creevey eagerly edging further forward “I know all about you Everyone’s told me About how you survived when YouKnowWho tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you’ve still got a lightning scar on your forehead” his eyes raked Harry’s hairline “and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion the pictures’ll move” Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said “It’s amazing here isn’t it I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts My dad’s a milkman he couldn’t believe it either So I’m taking loads of pictures to send home to him And it’d be really good if I had one of you” — he looked imploringly at Harry — “maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you And then could you sign it”
“I said disarm only” Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd as Malfoy sank to his knees Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm and he could barely move for laughing Harry hung back with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor but this was a mistake gasping for breath Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry’s knees choked “Tarantallegra” and the next second Harry’s legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep
As suddenly as it had started everything stopped Harry lay facedown on the stonecold floor listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet With difficulty he kicked off his shoes and stood up So this was what it felt like being Goyle His large hand trembling he pulled off his old robes which were hanging a foot above his ankles pulled on the spare ones and laced up Goyle’s boatlike shoes He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles low on his forehead Then he realized that his glasses were clouding his eyes because Goyle obviously didn’t need them — he took them off and called “Are you two okay” Goyle’s low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth
Harry Ron and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant threeheaded dog he’d christened “Fluffy” And if as a boy Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle Harry was sure he’d have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it He’d probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs Harry could just imagine the thirteenyearold Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it But he was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody
“The basilisk kills people by looking at them But no one’s died — because no one looked it straight in the eye Colin saw it through his camera The basilisk burned up all the film inside it but Colin just got Petrified Justin … Justin must’ve seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick Nick got the full blast of it but he couldn’t die again … and Hermione and that Ravenclaw prefect were found with a mirror next to them Hermione had just realized the monster was a basilisk I bet you anything she warned the first person she met to look around corners with a mirror first And that girl pulled out her mirror — and —”
Harry had been to several Hogwarts feasts but never one quite like this Everybody was in their pajamas and the celebration lasted all night Harry didn’t know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him screaming “You solved it You solved it” or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him or Hagrid turning up at half past three cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle or his and Ron’s four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat “Oh no” said Hermione or Dumbledore announcing that unfortunately Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news