"Rest assured that I, Gildroy Lockhart, am quite prepared to fill the young witches and wizards of Hogwarts with all they need to learn to defend against the dark arts!" the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor proclaimed.
"But you seem to be unable to provide your syllabus," Minerva said dryly.
Albus Dumbledore almost wished William Weasley hadn't found the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship. He could tell that he now had a toxic mix between Gildroy, Minerva, and Severus. He felt it quite lucky that Severus had managed to find a reason to skip the previous meeting. It was apparently Victoria Malfoy's birthday and he had godfather duties.
Gildroy seemed to be waving off the requirement, again. He'd hired Gildroy as the only applicant, and if there had been any other, he would have gone for them. In fact he'd actually considered asking Severus to move over at one point. It was a lot easier to find Potion Masters than Defense Masters. How Gildroy had obtained his masterhood in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Albus didn't know. In fact he was already strongly considering investigating that.
"Gildroy, I expect that syllubus in Minerva's hands by half past five, or I shall reconsider your employment. Now, Minerva, I understand that both you and Severus have student assistants this year for your early classes. How are Percival and Penelope settling in?"
"Quite well, Albus," Minerva said. "I've gone over my plans with Penny. She appears to be ready. And Severus, how did your talk with Percy go?"
"Percival appears to be ready," Severus said. "He'll be handling the double periods for both First and Second Year, as well as an open tutoring session on Saturdays. Scores this past year those taking NEWTs were up quite a bit, so there will be two classes worth of sixth years. We will be splitting both second and third years in three groups this year, split by ablity, and you may expect that first years may have some schedule changes as well, but as there are only thirty-two of them, we will only have two sections of them."
"Tranfiguration will also be trying smaller class sizes this year," Minerva said. "Penny will be handling most of the classes for the lower years, first through third, with an occasional fourth year class, depending on both of our availability. Penny, after all, is a new mother. Pomona, Filius, we expect to be able to expand this program next year to your classes, given the large class incoming then will require us to hire more professors. I would like all of you to look for candidates not just for your classes but others.
"Especially look at those who successfully tutor students, and do not be afraid to have a few of your upper year students present a topic or two to their classmates. On that note, Albus?"
Albus nodded to Minerva before beginning. "Chess Grandmasters Arthur Weasley and Erlene Malfoy have asked to sponsor chess tournaments at Hogwarts this year. I understand that sign ups will be handled by Missus Malfoy's daughter, Victoria in Slytherin House, and Mister Weasley's son and daughter-in-law, Percival in Gryffindor and Penelope in Ravenclaw. Pomona, they would like someone to coordinate in Hufflepuff."
Ponoma thought for a moment. "Cedric Diggory, tentatively, Albus. I will have to ask, first."
"Understandable," Albus continued. "The petition of last years first year Gryffindors and Slytherins to add house teams and games for football was accepted by the Board. Due to the physical nature of the games, there shall be three teams per house, first and second years, third and fourth years, and fifth year and up. Games will be scheduled to occur on Sundays in October and November, then again for a spring season April and May. As each game is ninety minutes, not counting half time and injury time, multiple games will occur on the same day. I am told we can safely schedule a game every two hours, so we should be able to do the three traditional fixture weekends for Quidditch as well as have an Autumn and Spring championship weekend."
"I've set up the schedules, and with Hagrid's help I've marked off some practice fields," Hooch said. "Schedule for use will be set in my office, same as with Quidditch, save Hagrid's challenge field, where Hagrid will be taking care of the five on five challenges, like he did last May. Which reminds me, Severus, I owe you six sickles on that Slytherin First Year Girls vs Second Year Boys game." Hooch slid six of the silver coins across the table to the Potions Master. A family emergency in Appalachia had taken Hooch away from Hogwarts for most of the last month of the previous school year.
"Do not go against Pansy Parkinson's left foot," Severus said. "If I can get her, Zabini and Draco Malfoy on the Slytherin young years team, I only fear Gryffindor."
"I may need additional volunteers to referee some five on five challenges, and perhaps games," Hooch said. "I know Mister Thomas in Gryffindor is quite capable, and as is Finch-Fletchley in Hufflepuff, but they will be second years, and are quite often the challengers, but they are too young to be certified as a referee. We do actually have two qualified Youth Referees at this year, Beatrice Haywood of Hufflepuff, and the newly certified Kenneth Towler of Gryffindor. Robert Hillard is a fellow Level 7 Referee in Ravenclaw While I have become quite familiar with the rules, and even took the appropriate courses in England and required games officiating to be classed as a Level 7 Referee, it takes three refs to cover a game, unlike Quidditch. For the official team match days, my assistants will be from Hillard, Towler, and Haywood. However due to complications, I will have to seek out a fifth referee."
"I shall volunteer myself for the job," Lockhart interjected.
Altar servers did not have to get permission to work in multiple dioceses unlike priests. As a boarding school student, he'd expected to work in multiple ones, having first been trained to work as one in his home parish of Saint Columcille's in the Archdiocese of Armagh, and then having gone to Hogwarts which was in the Diocese of Aberdeen. Somewhat amusingly the Hufflepuff ghost had twice been an administrator of the Prefecture Apostolic of Scotland, as a ghost didn't fear prosecution for conducting a papist Mass. He'd served at the altar of the Friary Parish in Crawley in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton as well.
His latest diocese, metropolitan at that, he'd never expected to visit, much less end up arriving with his own Archbishop, Cahal Cardinal Daly, to it was Cardiff. He'd met Archbishop Ward, or as he'd been told to address him, Father John, shortly after their landing. It was a rarefied group that took the Vauxhall Astra Estate, only made rarer when another Cardinal with brilliant white hair joined them outside town. Somehow Seamus had ended up joined in the back seat with the Prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith or as it used to be known, the Office of the Holy Inquisition. And it was an inquisition.
So far he'd been quizzed on the ten commandments, the seven sacraments, and now the five precepts. Somehow he'd stumbled through them. "Cahal, give my compliments to this boy's pastor," the Prefect said. "He is a fine example of a good Catholic."
"I shall, Joseph," his Archbishop replied. "Do we expect any other priests to join us at Saint Clementine's?"
"Father Edward of the Friary Parish in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton , who is bringing Mister Potter," the Prefect said. "I'm not sure if Bishop Murphy-O'Connor will be with him. Father Clement of Saint Edward the Confessor's Chapel at Hogwarts in the Diocese of Aberdeen will be there. I shall be greatly amused when he discovers that he's finally in a church with three Bishops. I have a papal message for him. John, please try to stay on the road. We're not running late."
"Sorry, I almost missed that last turn," the Archbishop of Newport said. "Welcome to Godric's Hollow, brothers."
Just a minute later the Astra came to stop in front of a parish church that looked a lot like Saint Columcille's except for being a bit taller and being in the center of town. There was another car pulled up as well, with what looked like Hermione from the behind bent over into the car. Seamus recognized Father Edward from Crawley greeting another priest, probably the new pastor of the church. Harry stood over by what at first appeared to be a war memorial, but as Seamus stepped out of the car, changed into a statue of baby Harry being held by his mother in his father's embrace.
He decided that greeting his classmate could wait. Instead he addressed the white haired Cardinal, "Your Eminence, how can I assist?"
The Prefect replied, "put on your alb, making sure nothing shows out from under it. Take off your shoes as soon as you get into the church. You'll need to make as little as possible noise during the exorcism. Now, would that be Potter looking at the war memorial?"
"Yes, Eminence," Seamus replied, as he reached in for the bag that contained his robes. They were long enough to cover his jeans, but he wasn't quite sure if the collar was smaller than that of his t-shirt.
"Mister Potter, please come over here so I may explain the instances of the Exorcism of your scar," the Prefect said. Harry turned around and took a few steps closer to the rear of the Astra. "I understand you were baptized in this parish, but have not taken further sacraments?"
"No sir," Harry said. "I talked with Father Edward about it before my son's baptism, and we agreed that there isn't enough time in the summer, so I'm going to talk to the Hufflepuff ghost, I don't know his name, about it."
"Father Clement, also known as the Fat Friar, I believe," the Prefect said. "After your exorcism, you may wish to attend his Consecration Mass, assuming he doesn't escape again."
"I'll make sure he doesn't," Seamus said, noticing that the Fat Friar had just arrived.
"For this exorcism, Mister Potter, you will be first be washed in Holy Water, before being dressed in a white robe and placed before the altar, at which time we will begin the actual exorcism," the Prefect said. "You may during the process experience greater possession by the partial spirit currently inside your scar. Fortunately with the protections that your mother has imbued in your body by her sacrifice, with the additional protections and process that you will be undergoing, such possessions should be relatively short and overcome with the exercise of your own will.
"Acolyte Seamus, please escort Mister Potter to the Baptismal Font and assist Father Edward in preparing him," the Prefect said.