PJO: A Professor of Hogwarts

Harry's POV

Returning to Hogwarts for my second year started with me and Ron nearly getting expelled.

After missing the Hogwarts Express—thanks to an invisible barrier blocking the entrance—

Neither Ron nor I had really thought things through when we took off in the flying car. At the time of panic it sounded like a really nice idea. But It wasn't until we were soaring above the countryside, following the train to Hogwarts, that it hit us.

We had absolutely no idea how to drive.

The entire journey was a mess of panicked yells, white-knuckled grips on the dashboard. Ron, on the other hand, was swearing, 'or was that chanting?' that he'd be a model student if we just made it there in one piece.

However as time passed on steering turned out to be more guesswork than skill, and things started to calm down after 20 minutes of panicking. But that was not the problem at all. Because while admittedly keeping the car in the air wasn't too hard, landing was an entirely different matter.

We aimed for what looked like a smooth, open space near the castle, but—of course—things didn't go as planned. Instead of a doing a graceful landing, we crashed straight into the Whomping Willow, which, as we quickly learned, did not appreciate uninvited guests.

The tree went berserk, and flailed its massive branches which nearly crushed the car, and us along with it.

Luckily we managed to escape though obviously we were battered, breathless. Ron in particular was thanking the Gods for just being alive.

But after what we just did one thing was painfully clear. If word got out we were in deep trouble. 

Oh man, I can already hear Snape's terrible laughter as he gives me my punishment.

***

Sneaking through the castle, Ron and I almost made it to the feast but even before we entered the Great Halls Snape, without warning, suddenly appeared blocked our way.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Snape drawled, his dark eyes glinting with something between amusement and disdain. His lips curled into a slow, unpleasant smirk, as if savouring the sight of our situation.

"Follow me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. With no other choice, we trailed after him, our footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The delicious aroma of food drifting from the Great Hall made our stomachs grumble, but we stop or complain. With great reluctance we followed Snape through the castle until we arrived at his office.

"So, the great Harry Potter cannot enter Hogwarts using a train?" He stated.

"Sir, that's not-" Ron tried to explain

"Silence" He hissed "You were seen" 

He should me a newspaper featuring the image of the Angelia which was floating in the air.

"Do you realize your stunt could have impacted the wizarding world?" He continued

"Furthermore, I noticed while waiting that considerable damage has been done to the Whomping Willow," he went on, his voice dangerously soft.

Snape's black eyes gleamed with barely concealed fury as he loomed over us, his fingers steepled together as though already thinking for the worst possible punishment

"You boys are lucky to not have been in my house or else I would have expelled you myself." He said. Then a soft knock came by the door. "Although I can't punish you, I know someone who can."

"Come in" Snape said

From the door the people entered. Albous Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. 

"Boys..." Professor McGonagall said, her voice frosty with anger.

She stood with her arms crossed, her lips pressed into a thin line as she regarded us with the kind of disappointment that made my stomach sink lower than it already had. Ron gulped beside me, his face pale.

I didn't know what was worse—Snape's cold sneer or McGonagall's quiet fury.

"Explain to me what happened."

Professor McGonagall's voice was calm—too calm. The kind of calm that sent a chill down my spine.

Ron and I exchanged nervous glances. What were we supposed to say? That we stole a flying car, nearly died crashing into the Whomping Willow, and had no idea how to actually drive in the first place?

Ron opened his mouth, then closed it. I swallowed hard and decided to take my chances.

"Well… you see, Professor… we sort of—um—missed the train. And we had to get to Hogwarts somehow, so we, uh, borrowed the car…" My voice trailed off as McGonagall's lips thinned even further.

"Borrowed?" she repeated, her tone like ice.

Ron winced. "Technically, it belongs to my dad."

That, apparently, was not the right thing to say.

Professor McGonagall inhaled sharply through her nose.

"I see," she said, her voice clipped. "And tell me, Mr. Weasley, does your father know that you took his car?"

Ron hesitated. "Well… not exactly."

Professor McGonagall's brows twitched from that answer.

Snape, who had been watching the exchange with undisguised glee, let out a slow, deliberate sneer. "If you were in my house, you'd be on the train back home before sunrise."

Ron paled and was just a moment away from fainting

Professor McGonagall shot Snape a sharp look before turning back to us.

"You mean to tell me that instead of waiting for assistance, you chose to fly an enchanted vehicle—completely untrained—across the entire country? In plain sight of Muggles?"

"Er—well—when you put it like that…" I muttered, but she was clearly not in the mood for excuses.

"You were seen!" she snapped. "Do you have any idea the amount of trouble you've caused? The Ministry has received more messages than the school have for its admission from Muggles claiming to have seen a 'flying car' in the sky! Do you understand how serious this is?"

Ron looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole. "It wasn't exactly our best idea," he mumbled.

Professor McGonagall let out a slow breath through her nose and closed her eyes for a brief moment, as though gathering every ounce of patience she had left. "I should expel you both this instant."

Ron made a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

"But—" I started.

She held up a hand, silencing me immediately. "However," she continued, fixing us with a sharp glare, "I will leave your punishment in the hands of the Headmaster."

Ron exhaled in relief, but I wasn't so sure.

"Detention will be served," she added sternly. "And fifty points each will be taken from Gryffindor—"

Ron gasped. "Fifty?!"

"Each," she repeated, unyielding.

Ron groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Mum's going to kill me," he muttered. 

Professor McGonagall sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Go straight to the common room. Do not let me hear of any more foolishness tonight."

We nodded quickly.

And with that, we were dismissed.