Blerp, enjoy

On top of Floo systems and Apparating and Howlers, there was Gilderoy Lockhart to deal with. The man was insistent on pulling Harry aside before Herbology to "reassure" him that he was in good hands, that he would teach Harry how to handle his fame. In other words, the new DADA professor was even less likable than the other three things.

Harry had hoped that Lockhart would be at least somewhat more tolerable, but alas, he was less. After taking a quiz on the most irrelevant information- who cared what Lockhart's favorite color was?- the idiot released Cornish pixies into the classroom.

"What is wrong with this man?!" Draco shrieked as he ducked behind a desk.

Vincent Crabbe yelped as he was lifted into the air by the ears and hung on the chandelier.

"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" Lockhart shouted. The spell did absolutely nothing but cause one pixie to throw his wand out the window.

Harry jumped to his feet and took out his wand. "Immobulus!"

Instantly, the pixies were frozen in midair.

The other students turned to look at him. "You're my hero," Draco whispered, then clapped a hand over his mouth.

Harry snickered at his friend's appalled face.

Saturday morning brought in some more trouble. Harry was walking through the corridor when he saw activity out on the Quidditch field. The Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were standing face to face. He walked over to see what was the issue.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," Hermione was saying. "They got in on pure talent."

Draco nearly spat at her, but one look at Harry and he stopped himself. Unfortunately, one of his teammates spoke up. "No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Harry knew at once that he had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!" and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one!" and pointed it furiously at the Slytherin's face.

But the spell that came out hit Ron in the stomach, causing him to puke slugs. The Slytherins roared with laughter; Draco was biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Harry rolled his eyes at them all.

Once the Gryffindors had gone, Harry turned to Draco. "What's a Mudblood?"

Draco sighed, knowing that Harry wouldn't like what he was about to say. "A term for Muggle-borns. A lot of pure-bloods use it."

Harry frowned. "My mother was a Muggle-born," he reminded him.

"I know."

The rest of the Slytherin team had the decency to look at least somewhat ashamed, though they didn't say anything.

"I'll see you later, Dray."

"Hermione!" Harry called.

"What do you want?" Ron snapped angrily.

Harry ignored him. "Look, Hermione, ignore them. You're a bright witch, one of the brightest that have ever come here. It doesn't matter that you're Muggle-born."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry smiled back. "Just focus on your schoolwork and you'll be fine."

"Come... come to me... let me rip you... let me tear you... let me kill you..."

Harry gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.

"What was that?" he said loudly.

Lockhart looked up. "What was what?"

"That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That- that voice that said- didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment.

"What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott- look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it- the time's flown, hasn't it?"

Thoroughly spooked, Harry rushed out of his office without another word.

In his panic, he almost ran into Professor Snape as he swung around the corner.

"Potter!" Snape snapped. "Watch where you're-" Then he saw Harry's wide eyes. "Potter?" he said in a gentler voice.

"Did you hear that voice?" Harry demanded, hoping that Snape would say yes and make Harry look less like a fool.

"No, I didn't. What voice?"

"It was saying, 'Come to me. Let me kill you.'"

Snape's face went pale- well, more pale than it already was. "Where did the voice come from?"

"It sounded like it was coming from the wall. Like inside it."

Snape frowned. "This isn't good," he muttered to himself.

"What should I do?" Harry asked plaintively.

The potions professor looked down at the undersized Ravenclaw, expression softening slightly at the terrified expression on his face. "I'm afraid there isn't anything you can do at the moment. Come, Potter. To the Ravenclaw Tower."

"But the voice-"

"I will keep an eye out for it," Snape promised.

He led the subdued boy to his dorms and watched until he had disappeared behind the door before making his way back down to his office, alert for any unusual sound. The only sound he heard was hissing.

Blerp, hello