My Seventh Years
Secretly, I am an extremely angry and hateful person. I know it's really not nice to think that way, but I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking I'm this sweet girl who never has a bad thing to say about anyone. It's a lie. I have bad things to say about people all the time, especially right now. Professor Flitwick is addressing our Seventh Year Charms class whilst Potter keeps winking at me in a disgusting way. I'm absolutely positive the grimace on my face is unattractive because other students in the class have been giving me strange looks. It's not my fault though, that I've had to deal with Potter all my life! Damn family obligations! Well, and I guess the whole his brother is my best mate thing. I swear it's still not my fault!
"Now class," Flitwick continued, "As most of you have probably gathered, Ms. Longbottom is here as a Student Teacher in intensive training as I am due to retire next year. You are lucky to be having her teach you because in my opinion, she is the brightest Charms student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. She reminds me of a young me!" Flitwick exclaims in his high pitched voice.
Before he can finish, a muffled shout comes from the back of the room, "Yeah, she's just as short!"
Flitwick doesn't seem to notice this outburst as he continues on with his speech, but I can distinctly see Potter high five his Charms partner and best friend, Jonathan Wood. I want to rip Potter's eyeballs out because I know he made a short joke on purpose. I can only assume how red my face is, let alone ignore my audible seething. This is what I mean about being hateful, but I can't help it when he is around. He just pushes my buttons, and it annoys me even more that he isn't even listening to what Flitwick is saying! He is just staring at me. What a creeper. Then again, I've stopped listening to Flitwick.
I tune back in just in time to hear Flitwick's finale, "Here at Hogwarts, we have never really had student teachers, but I believe, since Ms. Longbottom is so young, that this will be a good experience for her, and for you, her students. I have decided that the best way for her to gain the experience she will need is to completely take over this class," I looked at Flitwick in shock. Isn't he supposed to tell me these things ahead of time and not just decide spur of the moment?
"Seventh Year Charms covers all of the basics, as well as delving into NEWT level magic. She will be getting the full teaching experience. Now I would like all of you to behave respectfully. I am no longer your Professor, just merely an observer in this class. Ms. Longbottom?" Flitwick squeaks at me and then smiles while taking in my shocked face. As we walk past each other to switch positions he pats me on the arm and whispers, "Give 'em hell."
I don't know what's more shocking: knowing that this is my class, or that my favourite Professor of seven years just swore. It's unimportant though at this moment because I can see Albus laughing at me and how unprepared I am. I want to wipe that stupid look off his face, so I smile, widely and confidently.
"Well, I suppose I'll be your Professor this year," I start, only to hear sniggers and have half of the class start talking amongst themselves as if I don't deserve their attention, "I think that we should start working through the basics and make our way up to NEWT level Charms," some of the students looked up from their conversations shocked that I was continuing on without everyone's attention.
Because this was a Seventh Year class, there were representations from all four houses. The Ravenclaws looked murderously at the conversing students while frantically taking notes, the Hufflepuffs were respectively listening, while the Slytherins and Gryffindors talked loudly(not to each other of course).
"There will be seven units," I explained, continuing through my spiel, "And no, you don't have to show up to class, and you don't have to listen, but if you do, you will benefit greatly. I ask that on all assignments you write your name on the back of the final page so that the mark is decided before I know who it belongs to. This way you can be sure that I will not mark in a biased way." The talking had lessened now, and most of the students were taking notes, or at least listening to what I was saying. All except for Potter and Wood. They would realize their mistake soon enough.
"Now, think back to your first year. Today, and only today, is your chance to ask me to go over any spell you ever had difficulty with in first year. I will write each spell down and build my Unit around that list." I said. Flitwick looked impressed by the plan I had devised as the students shyly looked down at their papers.
"Don't be embarrassed!" I cried to the class, "If you don't tell me the spells, I will move on and you'll have lost your opportunity to get extra help." A hand raised at the back of the classroom.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, finally decided to join the rest of the class? Although I'm sure your personal conversation with Mr. Wood was invigorating, it is nice to see you both paying attention." Potter at least had the decency to look ashamed.
"I just wanted to tell you a spell to write down on your list," he said quietly.
"And?" All right. Maybe now I was mocking him a little bit, but he made me feel stupid all of the time. He deserved this, right?
"The levitating spell, uhm. Wingar-" and then he started coughing. What a fake. As if he didn't know how to say Wingardium Leviosa. It was ridiculous how he was taunting me.
"Wingardium Leviosa?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's the one!" He smiled at me.
"Okay, I'll write it down on the list," I replied and grabbed my quill and scratched the word "levitation" onto a scrap of parchment, "Anyone else?" Four or five hands rose this time, and one by one I wrote down the charm that they wanted to review.
"All right, this is a pretty good list of stuff to review this unit!" I said happily, feeling as if my class time had been a success, "We're just about out of time, so I'll let you go a little bit early and next class come prepared with your wands out!" As my students (my students!) slowly shuffled out of the room I couldn't help but look over to Flitwick to see what he had thought of how I had run the class. Unfortunately, he was fast asleep in his chair in the corner. I would just bother him later about it.
"I did it for you, you know?" A familiar voice said behind me. I whipped around only to see Potter had walked up to the front of the room, and excluding Flitwick I was all alone with him. Blast.
"And what did you do, Mr. Potter?" I asked.
"Why do you call me that? You're like a part of my family, and you always address me so coldly!" He accused.
"I am your teacher, Mr. Potter, and I was unaware that you ever considered me anything more than an inconvenience in your life. So excuse me for not thinking of you as family." I replied.
Albus had the decency to look hurt, "You know Avery, you really can be a bitch sometimes."
"Excuse me! You sit in the back of my classroom and talk to your friend, making my job difficult! Let alone all of the times you've gone and mucked up my life!" I almost yelled, before realizing he was my student and I was not acting professionally at all.
My almost yell had obviously stirred something in Albus, "Aves, I just lied and said I couldn't do a simple levitation spell so that the rest of the class would fess up and you wouldn't be standing up there like a twat!"
"Oh whatever Albus! They would have said the spells they were unsure of eventually!"
"Why do you hate me so much?" He inquired in a voice much smaller than usual.
"I don't hate you Albus! Hate would imply that I have feelings for you. I want to assure you that is certainly not the case. I simply feel indifference towards you," I finished proudly.
"You've got to be kidding me Avery?" Albus said looking more hurt than ever.
I gave him a triumphant look and said, "I am your teacher Mr. Potter, and just because you know me outside of school does not mean you can call me by my first name. You are my student, and to you I am Ms. Longbottom, yeah?"
"Answer me Aves?" he seemingly begged, ignoring my previous comment.
"Do you have a question about Charms, Mr. Potter?" I asked sweetly, "Because that is all you could possibly have to discuss with me." I know I was being downright horrible, and at the moment Albus was being kind of sweet, but please take into consideration all of the times he had been horrid to me- meaning about 99% of the time. This actually may have been the only time Albus ever tried to say or do something nice and now I'm supposed to believe he's being sincere after the years of mockery, and hell, all the duelling and violence.
"At least if you hated me, you would feel something," Albus mumbled as he turned around and started towards the door. Now I kind of felt bad. God, I hate my guilty conscience!
"Hey Al," I started, "I didn't mean what I said, I'm just stressed and scared about my new job. I just wish you would at least try to pay attention when I'm teaching. It's really discouraging having you talk to Wood the way you do."
He turned around and looked at me sadly, "I know you meant it Aves. I've kind of been a prat. It's okay if you don't feel anything towards me. I deserve it."
"No! Al, you're like a little brother to me!" The annoying little brother who I wanted to die every other second, but little brother nonetheless.
"You know Avery, that is possibly the worst thing you could have said to me," Al finished and smirked up at me. I gave him a weird look as he turned around and finally walked out of the room.
What the hell did that mean? I'd never lost my cool with Al before, so I had never experienced this weird offended Al. How was it that the only nice thing I had said in that entire exchange was the worst thing I could have said? I needed to talk to James, immediately. He would understand his brother's cryptic actions.
A/N: Please, please, please let me know what you think in a review! It would mean a lot to me!
Nikki