"...but it appears," Hamish continued, raising his voice and doing his best to stifle his amusement at the sleeping student, "that Mr. Fudge has had a particularly sleepless holiday, or else Father Christmas brought me a particularly soothing voice this year."

Two bushy, grey eyebrows were arched expectantly at the lad who had groggily begun to wake. Hardly an auspicious start to teaching in 1892, but a amusing one, nonetheless.