"I still can't believe this schedule," Ron complained miserably.

    "Neither can I," agreed Hermione, trying not to smile.  She was taking just a bit of pleasure at Ron's discomfort, knowing it to be only temporary.  They all knew that she was the only one of the three of them that should have been assigned to Quantum Magic.

    Harry shrugged.  "Well, you heard what Professor Dumbledore said at the feast, that the schedulator had a gremlin, and that they hadn't caught it yet."

    "If you ask me," began Hermione, sitting up straight before launching into one of her speeches about The Way Things Ought To Be At Hogwarts.

    "No one is," interrupted Ron, who was not in the mood for a talk about proper Gremlin extermination procedures.

    "Hey, look," said Harry, who was far more interested in the person coming through the door than a spat between his friends.  "It's Malfoy."

    It was indeed Malfoy, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom appeared to have grown even larger and more ape like over the summer.  In contrast, Malfoy, appeared—not smaller—leaner, and—

    "He sure looks mean, doesn't he?" added Ron, saying exactly what Harry was thinking.

    "Yeah," said Harry, watching Malfoy enter the classroom and take a seat in the back, and it was then he saw it.  "What's that?"

    "It can’t be!" Hermione exclaimed.

    On Malfoy's shoulder sat what looked like a doll.  It reminded Harry of something from his cousin Dudley's action figure collection, until it moved.

    "It’s Malfoy," Ron whispered, not believing what he was seeing.

    The doll did look like Malfoy, though, bizarrely, it wore glasses and held what appeared to be a clipboard.  A crowd suddenly rushed in around Malfoy, murmuring in surprise and delight.

    "It's a golem," Hermione said in an awed voice.

    "What's that?" asked Harry.

    Hermione looked at the boys.  "I take it neither of you have cracked the Monster Book of Monsters since third year?"

        "Er, well, no," said Harry sheepishly.  The book that Hagrid had once assigned them in Care of Magical Creatures class had a mind of its own, as well as some pretty sharp teeth.

    "Mine ate a hole in my bedroom wall and escaped.  I think it's out in Mum's garden now, not many Gnomes anymore."

    Hermione frowned.  "Golems are creatures created by Wizards to serve them.  They are molded out of inanimate material like clay, or wood, or even gold."

    "Gold," repeated Ron dreamily, "I'd like that."  Gold was never far from Ron's mind, being quite poor and all.

    "No, you wouldn't, Ron," said Hermione.  "Golems as often as not turned on their creators and murdered them, which is why are forbidden. They are evil, and they are most certainly not permitted at Hogwarts."  With that she got up from her chair and moved toward the crowd.

    "Bloody hell," Ron said, and Harry knew exactly what he meant.  Hermione was about to 'straighten' someone out.

    "Let's go," Harry said.

    "Draco Malfoy, what do you think you think you are doing with that?"

    "Still sticking your Mudblood nose where it doesn't belong, Granger?" sneered Malfoy.

    Ron pushed his way to the front then, even as Harry grabbed at his shoulder, trying to keep him from getting into a fight.

    "Watch your mouth, Malfoy!" Ron threatened.

    Malfoy stood up quickly.  "Come to defend the honor of your Mudblood girlfriend, Weasley?"

    Ron grabbed at Malfoy

    The tiny figure hiding behind Malfoy's neck suddenly lunged forward.

    "Ouch!" Ron yelled.

    The crowd fell away, and Ron stumbled and landed on his butt, still holding his hand.  Harry drew his wand in a single motion, and pointed it at Malfoy's face.  That face, which had always been sharp and hard, seemed then to Harry then to have been cut from some impossible ice, pale and cold, harder than a thousand winters.

    Malfoy drew back his lips in a snarl.  "Potter," he hissed, his eyes huge and dark as night.

    "You are going to be expelled, Malfoy!" Hermione threatened, She knelt by Ron.

    "Are you okay, Ron?" Harry asked, never taking his eyes from Malfoy.  He couldn't see the golem, which hid behind Malfoy's neck.

    "Yeah, Harry," said Ron.  "That thing stabbed me with a sewing needle."

    "Going to use your wand on me, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, raising his arms to show both his empty hands to the whole crowd.

    "No," Harry retorted, "I wouldn't attack someone unarmed like your father would."

Malfoy's eyes went wide, but whatever he was going to do or say, he didn't have the chance.

    "Yes, well, it appears I am just in time."  All eyes looked to the front of the class, except for Harry who was not about to trust Malfoy not pull a wand the moment he looked away.  Harry heard footsteps approach behind him, as Malfoy flicked a nasty smile his way before putting forward a very fearful—and fake—afraid face.

    "Is it your intention then to cast a spell?  If so, might I watch?"

Harry lowered his wand and turned around.  The person looking at him quizzically was tall and had a great head of frizzy, curly, brown hair, and he wasn't dressed like a wizard at all.  He wore a simple white shirt and dark pants, and an oversized brown coat.  Atop his head was a wide-brimmed felt hat, and around his neck a very long, multicolored scarf that reached very nearly to the floor.

    "Er," began Harry, awkwardly, "I don't think I'm supposed to do that."  It seemed strange to have to explain that to a teacher.

    "Oh, really?  Pity.  Well then, I suppose we should begin class."   With that, the strange man pivoted on his heel and strode to the desk, pausing to turn an hourglass that kept track of class time upside down.  The class, expecting some sort of exciting finish to the confrontation between Harry and Malfoy, milled about for a moment before returning to their seats.  Ron's hand appeared to be okay.  Harry glanced back at Malfoy, who smiled wickedly at him.

    "Good Morning," the teacher began, fiddling with the interior pockets of his coat, before pulling out a piece of chalk, "I am Doctor Chronos, and I will be teaching Quantum Magic." 

    "Doctor who?" Ron asked out loud.

    Snap! 

    The piece of chalk broke, and Doctor Chronos seemed flustered as he turned to the class.  "What?  No, not remotely," he said, "never even met the chap."  He grasped his chalk tightly and continued to write his name on the board.  "Doctor Chronos," he repeated, pointing at his name.

Hermione raised her hand.

    "Yes?"

    "Doctor Chronos, why is there a Police Box in the hall."  Hermione pointed toward the door near the front of the class, where just outside in the hall there was indeed a very blue, very large box with opaque windows. All heads craned to get a look at the strange object.

    Only Hermione, Harry thought, being both a Muggle and knowing everything, would have recognized the Police Box, as they had not been seen in England for a very long time.  To Harry, it looked like a phone booth.

    "What's a Police?" Ron asked, having very little experience with the Muggle world.

    Doctor Chronos looked at Hermione.  "You must be Hermione Granger.  Professor Dumbledore informed me that I would have a challenging student in you."

    Hermione preened, though Harry wondered if Doctor Chronos meant exactly what Hermione thought he meant by that statement.

    "You're not a Wizard, are you?" Harry asked, though it wasn't really a question.

    The Doctor looked at Harry for a moment, and Harry could tell he was looking at the scar.  Everyone did.  "You would be Harry Potter, and, no, I am not a Wizard."  He smiled brightly at the murmuring among the students.

    "Then how come you’re teaching a class on Magic?" Ron asked brashly, and then added, "I'm Ron Weasley.  What have you heard about me?"

    "That you can spot Potter in a crowd by looking for his shadow's bright red hair," joked Malfoy loudly, eliciting laughter from Crabbe and Goyle.  Ron blushed and glared at Malfoy.

    "Actually, I have heard that Mr. Weasley is an outstanding Keeper in the sport of Quidditch, which I look forward to seeing played.  It would go a great way towards convincing a friend of mine regarding the pernicious behavior of apple trees disguising assault as the laws of physics."

    "But how can you be teaching a class on Magic if you aren't a Wizard?"  Hermione's voice was a tinge anxious, as she was—some would say obsessively—concerned about the quality of her education, and a non-Wizard teacher seemed highly irregular.

    The Doctor smiled.  "By that statement can we infer that you believe magic that is not Magic is not magic?"

    Hermione blinked.  "I. . .I think so," she said slowly, unsure of what exactly Doctor Chronos had just said.  "I mean, Magic is Magic, so if something isn't Magic, it's. . .Muggle—not that there's anything wrong with that."  Being a Muggle herself, she was a bit defensive about the topic.

    Doctor Chronos grinned.  "And that is exactly the point of this class, for even Muggles experience Magic, study Magic, use Magic, but they call it Science."

    There was a hushed murmuring through the room at this.

    "That's crazy," Ron said loudly.  "My father works for the Ministry of Magic, protecting Muggles from Magic.  Muggles don't use Magic."

    "Ron's right," agreed Harry.  "I nearly got expelled over using Magic around Muggles, even though it was to drive a Dementor away from my cousin Dudley."

    Doctor Chronos began searching his pockets again, finally producing a large, silver key.  Looking at it, he replied absently, "well, one can hardly debate with the demented but—"

    "Dementor," corrected Harry, slightly put off.  He was beginning to think Quantum Magic was going to turn into a class like Divination, a big waste of time.

    "Dementor," repeated Doctor Chronos, looking at Harry.  He then walked over to the door of the classroom, turning to face the room.  "I suppose I could tell you all that Muggles do experience Magic, such as when they approach the speed of light, or I might suggest that any sufficiently advanced Muggle is indistinguishable from a Wizard, but perhaps it would be easier to show you."  The Doctor opened a door to the Police Box with the silver key and disappeared inside.

    Everyone looked around at each other.

    A moment later the Doctor’s head popped out the door of the Police Box.  "Coming?"

    Many looks of uncertainty followed before the students rose and shuffled toward the classroom exit.  What confused Harry was how the entire class would fit in the box.  He had once stayed in a pup-tent at the Quidditch World Cup that contained several rooms, a bath, a kitchen, and a fireplace—but that was Magic.  Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked puzzled, and suspected she was thinking the same thing.

    What a surprise then that inside was quite spacious, more than enough room for the class to stand comfortably.  The walls, floors, and ceiling were white, the walls having many large lights—electric lights Harry saw—that glowed softly white.  Harry noted immediately that there were doors to other rooms, all closed.  The most interesting thing in the room was in the center, something that definitely wasn't magic, but didn't look Muggle either.

    "Awesome," said Ron, stepping towards the device, as did several other students.

    "Please do not touch the console," said Doctor Chronos, closing the door behind him securely.  He removed his hat and coat, hanging them on a coat rack, but not his scar.  "We wouldn't want to lose time, now would we?"  The Doctor smiled toothily as he said the last.

    The console was a rather large boxlike structure, except that it had six sides.  It sat atop a low pedestal, at the right height so that a person could work the many controls: buttons, knobs, levers, switches.  There were also what Harry recognized as computer screens.

    "Doctor Chronos, what is all this?" Hermione asked, gesturing around her.  "And how can you do this without Magic."

    "As I said, Miss Granger, science is magic, of a quantum sort in this case," Doctor Chronos said.  Walking up to the console, he pressed a few buttons and turned some knobs.  A humming noise began, and suddenly a huge piston popped out of the center of the console, went up and down for a bit, and then disappeared again.  The Doctor pulled an old, silver pocket watch out of his pants and checked it.  "Very good. I see we are just about out of time, so I will see you all, or at least some of you, at the next class."

    "Professor?"  Hermione's voice was strained.  "Class just began five minutes ago." 

    Ron grinned and nudged Harry.  The worst thing that could happen to Hermione was to be cheated out of class time.

    The professor smiled.  "I think if you return to the classroom you will find the answer to several of your questions, as well as a few new questions."

    Everyone stared at Doctor Chronos.

    "Please," he said, gesturing to the door.

    They began to file out, immediately noticing that the hallway was full of students moving between classes.  When they got in the classroom, Ron grabbed Harry's arm.

    "Harry, look!"  Ron pointed at the hourglass, in which the last grains of sand were just running out. Harry turned, about to ask what was going on, but Doctor Chronos wasn't there.  In fact, the booth that was in the hall was gone too.

    "But it's not possible to disapparate on the grounds of Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed.