A Muggle and a No-Maj

Ever since November 18, 2016, I have read a lot. This reading has mainly comprised of the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - the original screenplay, reviews for the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - movie 1, about Jonny Depp, Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - coursebook, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Stone, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, about Leta Lestrange, about Black family, about Ariana Dumbledore, about the 28 pure blood families in 1930s, about why Ollivanders might have been wrongly placed in the list of 28 pure blood families, about casting of Albus Dumbledore in the subsequent Fantastic Beasts and where to find them movie series, about Lolanthe Potter (nee Peverell), about Dorea Potter (nee Black), about Fleamont Potter, about Dolores Umbridge's father being a sweeper at the ministry and lots more. I am sure you get the idea. During all these readings, I have come across several scoop-woop types articles and lists. One of them had a point - All Americans saying No-Maj instead of muggles are not true Harry Potter fans!

Caution : Of course, this contains spoilers from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them - the movie/screenplay.

Also - if you have NOT read/seen the above, something is really wrong with you. I even suspect you are at the wrong blog and reading a wrong article.

Now, I live in India and I have grown with the Harry Potter books. Hence, I do use muggle in place of No-Maj. Muggle comes in naturally to me. This is because I was introduced to Muggles in the very first chapter of the first ever Harry Potter books. I have read and re-read the chapter in question a significant number of times. In a  way of saying, I have grown into the Harry Potter world through the foundations laid by that book (and that chapter). Hence, it is obvious that Muggle comes naturally to me than No-Maj. However, I firmly do NOT believe that calling non-magic people No-Maj makes me any less a witch than I am.

I accept, I am guilty of being absolutely in love with Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - the movie. The simple reasons for the same, if to be iterated, are -
* After so long we had an experience of the magical world - the world where our hearts and souls belong to. No offense meant, however, I really liked the Cursed Child as well.
* The experience was not just a glimpse or a disputed attempt, unlike the Cursed Child (Apologies).
* We got to know about other unsung heroes of the wizarding history. Well, no offense here either, however, Idont find Harry to be the hero is thought to be. He had had lots of help and most of the times the others with him, were never credited enough.
* We met some wonderful creatures. Having been in love with Hagrid right from finding out that we are all wizards and witches, we finally meet the creatures he loves.
* Now, I don't disapprove of the Ministry classification, however, I loved the creatures - all of them. Newt (indirectly Joe) has an astounding way of describing these creatures that you just can not help fall in love with them.
* You can not watch the movie and NOT fall in love with a Niffler. I so want one, even if it causes all the mayhem in the world but I will love it to the moon and back.
* Meeting Tina and Queenie - two wonderful witches - both of them with exceptional talent and the heart to help everyone without judging them.
* Meeting Jacob! Honestly, if I can not be a witch, I would rather end up like Jacob, helping Newt in all his adventures.
* Knowing about Leta Lestrange
* Knowing about MaCUSA
* Knowing about Ilvermony
* Meeting Gellert Grindelwald
* Knowing abot Obscurials
and lots more!!

I cant think of reasons for why someone would not like Fantastic Beasts series (just one movie/script for now!).

And then coming back to the topic - the article I spoke about distinguishing speakers of 'No-Maj' from the speakers of 'Muggles' - I found this article really disturbing. I mean we are ready to work with Karkaroff and Malfoy as long as they say 'Muggles' but not with other wizards because they have different words than what we do?

When I look forward to knowing more about Ilvermony, I dont stop being from Hogwarts. Hogwarts is always going to be home and it is undoubtedly the best and the only school for me. Yet, I accept that Beauxbatons must be Hogwarts for some and Ilvermony would be Hogwarts for still others. I dont want to challenge them to a duel and find the best school as even if we duel, there will just be two people duelling and we will only find out which one of them is a better wizard. Remember what we learned - we often fight amongst ourselves and let the true enemy win.

To make Hogwarts the best school, propogate the idea that the headmaster we have known has propagated - to increase our tolerance of others and to accept them whole-heartedly. We are all different and that is what makes us all unique. There is no place like Hogwarts and there is no place I would rather be. This is because we all make Hogwarts. I love the castle, the ghosts, the portraits, the staircases, the passageways, the classrooms, the teachers, the corridors, the poltergeist, the kitchen, the common rooms, the Greal Hall, the Entrance Hall, the grounds, the lake, the forbidden forest, the towers, the subjects, fellow students, the Owlery and most of all, the feeling that I belong there. This feeling comes because we all entered the castle as tiny naive versions of ourselves. We have grown in and with the school. Had I entered another school then, maybe that would have been home. But it isnt and that is the reality. I dont want everyone to call Hogwarts home; the ones who do, I have no complains... because home is where the heart is.

And this is the most important thing that Harry Potter series has taught me - to fight for what we love and to never let it go; but never fight to ruin something else as we end up ruining what we love.
No-Maj or Muggle, doesnt matter. All the difference that it makes is the region that we come from. Ilvermony or Hogwarts, doesnt matter. All the difference that it makes is that we love our homes.

To the writers and believers of that article, if you are a true British witch or wizard, work towards the International Magical Cooperation - to establish and strengthen it, even if it means sometimes calling a muggle as a No-Maj.

Mirror of Erised :: Albus Dumbledore

The mirror of Erised :: Albus Dumbledore
Though considered one by few, but she was not a squib. It was just difficult for her to cope up with the high standards set by her parents and brothers. And why shouldnt that be? Ariana was a Dumbledore. The family name alone had commanded respect in the wizarding world for as long as people remembered. The Dumbledore scion was never a wealthy one, as the few elderlies recall, yet many brilliant minds had come from this notable linage.
Ariana was a sweet little child. She would often help her father pick out the required flowers petals from his garden. She enjoyed de-gnoming her garden and would spend most of her day running after her brothers. If you wouldnt see her through one of her outbursts, which only a few did, you would believe her to be a very amicable and innocent little girl, filled with laughter and tenderness of heart and soul.
From a very young age, Ariana's brothers were able to control and channel their magical outbursts. At the age of nine, her eldest brother, Albus, could summon flowers from the garden outside and make them dance to make his mother smile. Aberforth, her second elder brother, had a true talent with animals. When they were living in the mould, there was no animal in the vicinity that Aberforth could not understand. He was obviously prohibited by their father - Percival, to cause anything suspecious in front of the muggles. Percival himself possessed a rather rare gift with Potions. He could brew any potion to near perfection. He used this gift of his to brew potions to help cure the muggles in the town. Thought to be an alchemist of some sort, the neighbors didnt mind the visits of several strangely dressed men and women from the other side of the town to the Dumbledore residence, or the fact that Percival always worked inside a closed room and no one knew how he prepared these unique medicines of his. A little extra time after his job at the Magical Enforcement Department at the Ministry of Magic, allowed Percival to ensure his family's safety and obscurity of their true identity. He was married to his school best friend Kendra. She was a muggle born witch with an penchant liking for transfiguration. In her fifth year at Hogwarts, Kendra was able to transfigure her Owl into a cupboard, impressing the examiner so much that she got an Outstanding in her Transfiguration practical and an offer to work in the Department of International Magical Cooperation after her N.E.W.T.s. While working in the ministry, Percival and Kendra discovered each other as the perfect couple and got married.
Ariana had inherited all the magic of her family but not the control. Since always, i.e. from when she remembers, she was able to make objects zoom around the house when she was angry or upset. Once she got so angry with Aberforth for touching her doll that unknowingly she made the doll scream at him. Being the little girl of the house, no one seemed to think anything to be wrong with her. Her father kept reassuring everything (including himself) that she would learn with age. However, she did not. With her age, her magical ability grew and so did her outbursts. Sometimes the outbursts were so severe that Ariana ended up hurting herself. Kendra left her office, to significant protests of her colleagues and seniors, to take care of her children. Albus and Aberforth were instructed never to let Ariana be alone. Her uncontrolled outbursts were not only a threat to revealing her identity and breaking the statute of secrecy but also caused portential risk to her well-being and that of those around her.
Things were still good. Her brothers were her best friends and the only friends she needed. They did not fear her outburst or treat her differently. The three of them always stuck together, that is until Albus turned ten. He would be joining Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon. Having inherited the streak of brilliance from the Dumbledore lineage, Albus immersed himself in all sorts of books that he could find. He practiced some minor incantations and was ecstatic to see them worked. Albus's efforts and brilliance soon became a talk in the people who knew the Dumbledore family. This made Albus more determined to become better. This also made the times that Albus shared with his younger brother and sister, more scarce. It was not that he didn't care for them but he had better things to do. Suddenly, it was just Ariana and Aberforth left for each other. Close as they were earlier, Ariana and Aberforth were very young. Albus's long absence from their lives made them forget the times they earlier had spent together and to them, it appeared as if Albus had never been one of them. Ariana, though never said it loudly, found a lot of love for bother her brothers in her heart until the dreadful day. Kendra had asked Albus to look after her sister but he was busy practicing some wand work and refused. He had said "Let her grow mother. She cant always be your little girl or my little sister." What Kendra and Albus didnt know was that Ariana had heard their conversation and was now running out of the house unaware of where she was headed to. She was determined to prove to her family that she was as good and capable as any of them.
Once she stooped crying, she looked around. She had definitely come farther out of the town than she ever had had. She could see the Sun turn scarlet on top of the canopy of the thick forest, a little distance from where she stood. The anger on her brother was replaced by the fright. Ariana had no idea how to go home. The sky was getting darker with every passing minute and she wished that somehow she could communicate to her mother, Aberforth or even Albus - to let them know where she was and to ask them to come find her. Unknowingly and unable to control it, she sent out several jets of red sparks into the sky. Though scared of her actions, she hoped someone would notice the and help her find her home. Soon it would be completely dark. Her father would come back home. Surely he would notice her absence and come looking for her in an instance. Ariana tried to replace her worry with thoughts of her family coming to find her. They would come soon and she would then be safe and home in no time.
Certainly, someone had seen the sparks. Three boys, well older than Albus, were rammaging just by the forest when they saw the red sparks in the sky. Curious, they came looking for the source of the sudden fireworks. They saw a little girl move in direction away from the town. She looked lost. Just then, one of them swore to the others that he saw the leaves fly away from the girl as she walked. The three of them decided to go and check, hoping for nothing more than a few laughs.
Ariana had not seent he boys arrive until they were quite close to her. At first she felt happy at being rescued and ran towards them. 'Could you take me to my home?' Ariana asked innocently. The boys were looking surprisingly at her feet. She noticed that she had been making the leaves fly without meaning to. Their expressions meant that they were muggles and which meant that she had just broken a law. Now, she would be sent to Azkaban and would never be able to return to her home or go to Hogwarts and be with her family again. She took a step backwards. She had heard stories of how muggles were cruel to witches and wizards. Before she could take another step, the boy on the right smirked and said 'Lost eh? What is your name gal?' The boy in the centre nudged the boy on the right and said 'She'z 'a witch. Let'z go away.' 'She is only a little girl Will.' the one in the left pointed. The one on the right was not taking his eyes off Ariana. He broke off his friends and started coming towards her. He was circling her and she couldnt think of where to run. 'Got a name eh?' he asked. He was grinning at her flashing his dirty yellow teeth. 'Ariana.' 'I saw you do magic Ariana. Show us more.' 'We dont want trouble Lee. Where there is one, there will be more.' said the one on the left. Lee didnt stop grinning. He looked at Ariana in a way that reminded her of some hungry wolf. He sat down in front of her and held her shoulders. 'Lost eh? Tell us about your home? We'll take you there' he said. Ariana began telling about her house, its color, the church around the corner and the flowershop next to her house. As she was telling, she realized that Lee was holding her tightly. She tried to break free but couldn't. Will then said 'Whatz you doing?' Without looking backwards, Lee replied 'Some fun. Come and have.' The other boys started laughing as Lee started pating her on her back. It was not the gentle pats her mother gave while putting her to bed each night. The other two boys came and joined him. Ariana didnt like them being so close to her or touching her. She felt very helpless and very scared. 'Please... stop... let me go... dont...' she kept pleading them as they continued. Will had removed her socks and was pressing her legs. Ariana was crying and pleading them to let her go between her sobs. They didnt stop. What seemed like forever of enduring that, she became really angry. She remembered feeling very hot and the only thought in her mind, now, was to hurt the boys. Suddenly, she had a lot of strength. The boys let her go in an instant and fell down to the ground. She saw scars coming on their faces and bodies. The scars cut deeper and started bleeding. Lee got lifted in the air and then dropped suddenly. He was unconcious and the other boys were trembling with fear. It was their turn now.
'ARIANA' a deep voice called her. She turned around and saw her father standing at some distance. All the anger and fear disappeared. She smiled back at him and she was herself again. There were two boys bleeding and trembling in front of her and the third one was unconcious. Her head was spinning very fast. She tried to reach her father but dropped to her knees and fainted.
When Ariana woke, she was wrapped inside her mother's arms. Her father was packing everything. 'She is awake, dear' her mother called out. Percival rushed to her daughter's side and hugged her. Tears poured out of his eyes as he held her tight. She noticed that her mother was crying as well. Before she could ask them, her father spoke 'Dear, you were very brave today. Forget everything that happened like a bad dream. I just want you to concentrate on yourself and what is coming for you in future. Always stay happy and never get upset or angry. Learn alot and always listen to your mother. Wherever I will be, I will always be looking over you dearest.' Kendra let out audible sobs after listening to Percival. He started consoling his wife 'You know it is for her good and it is the only way.' Ariana understood that they were moving away.
Within minutes, Ariana, Aberforth and Kendra were on the knight bus with all their luggage. Albus was staying.
Ariana never quite understood the reason but they had shifted to Godric Hollow. It was a small village far from where they had lived. There were many people here who knew the Dumbledore's. They didnt have to entirely hide the fact that they were wizards. For some reason that Ariana never found out, her father didnt come with them. Her mother had forbidden her to speak about the same. Kendra also forbade Ariana to go to Hogwarts. The neighbors were led to believe that she was a squib and that her letter never came. No matter how hard Ariana tried, she could never remember how or why they had shifted. She remembered being in the Mould and then moving to Godric Hollow. Her brothers also never told her anything.
When Ariana was fourteen, one evening, Aberforth's friends from school visited Godric Hollow. Aberforth had been her best friend and her only friend. He had always treated her as an equal and took care of her. But that day, Ariana heard him tell his friends that she was a squib and preferred staying at home. This was a life. Ariana had got her Hogwarts letter which her mother had replied to and after that, there was no letter or no one seem to bother why a student had failed to attend school. That evening, Ariana decided to know the truth. She went to her mother and asked her. She knew that her father's disappearance and their moving to Godric Hollow was connected. It certainly had something to do with her not being a good witch. Just no one seems to tell her. She asked her mother over and over again and like always, her mother refused to talk about it. Ariana couldnt remember being so angry. She remembered her feeling very hot and then her mother got lifted in the air and fell down instantly. It was all so sudden that before Kendra could shout for help, her neck was already snapped. Hearing the commotion, Aberforth rushed into the room and found a demon inside her sister hovering over their dead mother's body. Unsure of what it was, he just shouted and called Ariana.
Like the last time, Ariana became herself. Her head was all spinning and she collapsed. Aberforth wrote to Albus who was staying with his friend Elphias Doge after completing school. Albus returned immediately to their home and refused to answer any of Aberforth's questions about Ariana.
'You Knew Al. Didnt you?' Aberforth asked his brother. Albus, trying to sound calm rather than the peckish self that he had became being trapped in the house rather than fulfilling his dreams 'Doesnt matter. And its best Ab that you forget it too.'
After days of repeated dialoge, Albus convinced Aberforth to allow Albus to wipe his memory of having seen Ariana as she was. Albus found his mother's pensieve and extracted that bit of memory from Aberforth.
No one knew what had happened that evening after Ariana had fainted till Percival brought her home except for Percival and Albus Dumbledore. After bringing his daughter to the safety of their home, Percival went to Albus and closed the room. He told Albus that Ariana was an Obscurial. It was an uncontrolled bit of magic trapped within underage wizards and witches. If not tamed, the Obscruial becomes highly dangerous and harms not only the people outside but the host as well. As an obscurial, Ariana did something tonight which needs to be kept a secret. For the same, Percival had broken his wand and would take the blame. The rest of the family needs to move away so as to be safe from the fate that awaited himself. Albus understood being an Obscurial was not a good thing but he didnt understand the need for his father to take the blame or to break his wand. 'One day you will understand Albus. With a mind like yours, it was just a matter of time for when you would find out the truth. It was only fitting for me to have said it to you myself. I only ask you one thing, take care of your family and never let anyone know Ariana's truth, not even your mother or your brother' Percival explained. 'I promise father' Albus promised. With these last words to his father, Albus saw his father away for the last time.
After Kendra's death, Albus was forced to stay in his home for Ariana so to allow Aberforth to continue his studies. It didnt help him feeling helpless at being stuck to babysit his siblings when he could be on his way to greatness. If things were rough, they deteriorated significantly after Ariana's death. Aberforth left the house and left Albus to whine and rot in his own misery. What if it was the curse from Albus's wand that killed Ariana?
One day, the guilt got better of him. He looked for his mother's pensieve and started looking in the contents, hoping to relive some of their happy days. What Dumbledore saw, was not happy. The pensieve contained only three memories. The first was the one he had extracted from Aberforth's mind and never seen - Ariana becoming an Obscruial and hovering over the dead body of their mother. The second memory was of their father who was crying, Ariana tightly clutched to his chest. They were on the outskirts of the Mould and he raised a wand and cursed the two trembling muggles to be white as the third beside them. Instantly the two became pale and it was obvious that they were cursed beyond cure. The third memory was Ariana's  - overhearing Albus's conversation with their mother, running away from the house, encounter with the boys, how they assaulted her and how she cursed one of them, injuring the other two.
Albus knew that there was something dangerous about her seemingly sweet sister but he didnt know what. After meeting Grindelwald, he came across Obscruials and now knew why did father had to take the blame. If Percival wouldnt have cursed the other two boys and taken the blame, the ministry would have captured Ariana and treated her like some experiment, damaging her beyond repair. All the final words of his father, echoed loud and clear in Albus's mind. He now understood it all. He was the only one who did.
Whenever these thoughts and memories clouded his mind, Albus liked to come to the Mirror of Erised and spend hours there. His sister was the first to always come and greet her. He regretted treating her the way he did and knew that he was the only one to blame. He was the reason why she turned into an Obscurial and yet, she was the first one to always come smiling to him. Next was his mother and his father who seem to have forgiven him being being a knowledgeable fool and irresponsible son. Last came his brother, who was no longer angry with him. Things were perfect.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi :: I show you not your face but your heart's desire

The Sunset

Looking out of the window, I look as the rooftops bath in a deep golden shade of the setting Sun. The rays reflected by the glass on the other windows and on the tiny cars scurrying the road beneath, is making anything else, hard to see. The trees are silent as though absorbing the maximum sunlight before being engulfed by the dark night. Even though I get to see this view frequently, it has still never failed to amaze me. I can't help winder how perfectly and beautifully our world has been architected. How the rays know exactly where to fall and which angle to make at the exact moment, so as to present such a breathtaking view.
Though it leaves me astounded, hungry to to seek more of nature's surreal self, the sunset on a winter's day often unsettles hearts and fills it with longing and despair. Without a portent, just like the many others, I fall victim to the weather. My heart feels dense as my breathing gets slower than usual. Before I know my mind is submerged in my deepest darkest secrets, into depths of guilt and sorrow. The impish sparkle of the eyes gets replaced with thick tears of ache as the mind ruminates on what could have been done differently. Was it the lack of acquitted on my part? Should I have adopted more unctuous ways? Was the efficacy of my thoughts and actions not strong enough to produce benign results? A tap on the shoulder by a friend transports me back to the present. It however, didn't help myself feeling peckish.
With a last look at the now dark sky, I turn away with a sign and settle at my desk. Looking around, I find tenuous resemblance to the world I had just been plunged out of. The physical location might have been known yet it sas devoid of the people, emotions, incidents and virulent experiences. Slowly, my head began to feel clear and my heart light.
I looked again at the window. My own reflection stared back at me from the dark nothing beyond. The darkness brought me to face my true loses.
I didn't feel the pain or the misery that the memories had inflicted. The ignoble liniency on my part to let them inflict the misery is what hit worse. I couldn't blame the darkness to engulf the picturesque sunset. The people in my past didn't inflict any pain today. It was I. I chose the pain over beauty, the past over the present, the thick tears over the impish sparkle and the horrors over the joy.

No. I am no counsellor or anyone similar to tell you to live the moment. Instead, I tell you that when something happens to you, something to cause pain, feel the pain. Accept it out loud that you are wounded. For acceptance is always the first step to solve any problem. However, don't go on living it. Heartaches, sadness, pain and grief will all be there. And when they occur, we must mourn them. However, the only good thing about them is that no loss is big enough to stop life or to stop time. Today, all the events once strong enough to shatter me are just mere fragments of time gone. I have lived through them and emerged as a braver person than I was today.
Yes, we all can't help falling prey at times and be absorbed by them but we must fight this. Reliving the same time over and over again is injustice to ourselves and disrespect to this perfect creation of the Lord that has been crafted for us to relish every moment.

All I want to say through this article is, chuck all the memories that torment you. Live everything as it comes and only when it prevails. Laugh a little louder and smile more often. Each sunset is beautiful or gloomy, depending on how you want to see it. Set a goal at every sunrise to make the day worth your precious time. Thank God and people around you who made your day amazing. Let the things come as they do but let them go as they do as well.

With this thought (and hopefully a smile on your face), until you open any other blogpost, its me, signing off.

Snippets from Professor McGonagall's desk #2

Quirrell took out his wand and was performing complex powerful spells to put the troll into an enchanted sleep before tying him up. Unable to believe the last few moments, she irritably told Quirrell to tie the troll first and then continue. 'it was elementary, Said Snape irritably. 'I believed the defence against dark arts professor should know that' he continued with pauses 'the repurcussions of our choices, Quirinus.' Just as he finished, Albus Dumbledore entered the girls bathroom, closely accompanied by the ghost of Gryffindor tower - Nearly Headless Nick. On seeing the other teachers, he turned to Nearly Headless Nick, the shine back in his deep blue eyes, and said 'Thank You sir Nicholas. Your help has been instrumental. I would not like to keep you from all the celebrations anymore.' Nick smiled as he turned and glided away.
Dumbledore went to the the troll who had thick ropes tied all around him. Dumbledore waved his wand in random motion on the troll as if trying to shake off something sticking from it. Nothing happened. After a moment or two, he turned to Quirrell and asked with utmost astonishment 'I don't detect any magic. How did you stun the troll?' Snape let out a grunt and Quirrell stammered before beginning his sentence. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall and she said 'It was Potter, Weasley and Granger. They knocked him unconscious.' 'That is something, considering we are talking about three first years taking on a full grown mountain troll' smiled Dumbledore. 'Three arrogant and rule breaking first years, headmaster' reminded Snape. 'Yet impressive Severus. I am sure you would agree.' Snape grunted again. 'I am not sure you understand the situation here, headmaster' pleaded McGonagall. It appeared she was talking on something that alone she understood in the room. When no one said anything, she continued 'A full grown mountain troll! They pursued a full grown mountain troll. And he flies just like James, maybe better. Potter has unbelievable resemblance to James. I don't want another generation of Marauders in the castle, especially not when how they ended.' McGonagall's voice was trembling. It hinted anger and worry. Snape seized the chance and added 'Headmaster, he has inherited arrogance and rule breaking as well.' Dumbledore smiled kindly at them both 'What worries you Minerva is a boy taking after his father?' 'What worries me headmaster is our efforts for the past decade to keep the boy and our world safe. The Marauders didn't soar for long enough and these three have every making of a marauder' this time, it was just worry that reflected in her voice. 'The Marauders remain, Minerva. As you and I discuss of them, they are very much present. Now Severus, help Professor Quirrell show the door and if possible the borders of England to the troll.' Snape grunted again before he left with Quirrell, both were making the now tied troll floating behind them. Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall and then both of them started walking away from the girls bathroom. Enjoying the festive mood, Dumbledore was humming to himself. In the front of the stone gargoyle, Dumbledore stopped to say farewell to Professor McGonagall but she turned away, a little angry and irritated, muttering to herself 'I already had the Weasley twins and now another likely generation of Marauders. To top it all, they keep looking for chances to hurt themselves. I wonder why people think bad of the Slytherin house, try coming to Gryffindor. And I also deserve a raise with so much to manage.' Dumbledore heard no more as Professor McGonagall had turned the corner at the end of the corridor. He resumed his humming after saying 'Pumpkin Pasties' to the gargoyle.

Snippets from McGonagall's Desk #1

McGonagall was looking out of the window from behind her desk, pondering over the best way to introduce advance transfugations to her third years students without giving Fred or George Weasley any new idea to cause mayhem. She had almost decided to stick with strict-reading-from-the-book approach (the Weasley twins never bothered to read a word from their books; only Merline knew how they managed to pass every year!) when she saw something come zooming near her window. McGonagall let a small scream thinking it was a big owl or an Eagle gone astray. However the creature stopped as swiftly and effortlessly as possible. Like a reflex action, McGonagall said "James Potter again!" Her voice was filled with anger and fatigue which was replaced by sadness when she realised what she had just said. "It must be Harry." She said in a doleful tone. It was indeed Harry on the broom. He held something in his hand which McGonagall could only make out since the object was shining in the bright Sun. She saw Harry fly the broom back to the ground to his fellow classmates. There was no doubt that the boy flew as ably as his father if not better. Madam Hooch was not present anywhere to be seen and neither were any of the other students mounted on their brooms. McGonagall now had another dilemma to solve - having Harry on the Gryffindor Quidditch team would mean that Gryffindor would have the best seeker it has had since James left Hogwarts. It would also mean having the best seeker in all the four house teams. However, she couldn't let Harry become just like James, not when she knew how James ended up. As McGonagall looked down, she could see Harry standing with Ronald Weasley arguing with Draco Malfoy. That instant she knew that the genes were passed very strong, better aim for the Quidditch Cup. As she walked out of her room, towards the grounds, she let out "Bless you Hogwarts!"