Chapter 3: A bad lesson
Professor Ashfo was already waiting for the class and had moved the desks to the side. He clapped his hands together.
"I want you in pairs, facing each other, now" he said. Everyone moved, Stella went with Tina, Sirius went with James, Peter with Remus and Lily with Mary.
"Right I want to see what you already know about duelling, so duel!" He yelled.
"Confringo!" Stella yelled.
"Protego!" Tina yelled. "Locomotor Wibbly." Stella dodged.
"Petrificus Totalus." Stella yelled, Tina tried to use a shield but Stella's spell was too powerful and got her.
"Flipendo." Came a yell, Stella swiftly dodged and pointed her wand at the offender.
"Stupefy." She said, there was a bang as the spell collided with its mark.
"Stella!" Remus exclaimed.
"What?" Stella asked.
"You attacked a teacher." He gasped, Stella shrugged.
"He attacked me first." She explained.
"You still shouldn't attack him." Lily argued.
"He's a defence against the dark arts teacher, if he can't handle a stunning spell that's his problem." Stella said, her classmates looked shocked.
"She's right, you should always be prepared for an attack and retaliate." Professor Ashfo said, to Stella's relief he was smiling. "Seraphion really did teach you well." Stella raised an eyebrow.
"You know my father sir?" She asked.
"Not well, we were in the same year but I never had his talent." Ashfo admitted. "Anyway I can see this class has very good knowledge of spells but not the knack of pulling them of full force." Ashfo waved his wand and the desk moved back into place. The class sat down and Ashfo tapped the blackboard.
"It is clear that you can perform spells that I would not expect but you could improve your accuracy and power." He said. "So open your text books to chapter three and read the summary. Stella may I have a word." Stella strolled over to his desk and they moved over to the corner.
"Dumbledore told me you might be a handful." He whispered.
"A handful? What do you mean?" Stella asked.
"He told me you would be more advanced than anyone else in the class; I thought he was joking but obviously not." Ashfo replied. "Look Stella I knew your dad vaguely and your mother neither of them would have done that in a million years, they respect their teachers."
"And you're saying I don't?" Stella said in a dignified voice.
"Yes I am. You shouldn't attack teachers, even if they attack you." Ashfo said exasperatedly. Stella's jaw dropped.
"And what if my teacher is evil and trying to kill me? What if I'm not in class anymore?" Stella argued.
"Then of course you may attack but you must have known that I wasn't going to hurt you." He replied. Stella opened her mouth to argue but Ashfo raised his hands.
"Look I'll make an exception and not report this but I won't do that again if you attack me." Stella walked back to her seat.
"What he say?" Sirius asked.
"That Dumbledore said I would be a handful, I shouldn't attack teachers even when they attack me." Stella said.
"So then why do you look like you want to bite his head off?" James asked.
"The way he said it would make you think he hadn't tried to jinx me." Stella said irritably. "He effectively said that I had attacked him for no reason."
"Stella! No talking!" Ashfo yelled.
"I don't think he likes you very much, probably annoyed that you could stun him." Sirius grinned. Stella snorted with laughter.
"Stella! What did I just say?" Ashfo exclaimed. "Ten points from Gryffindor." Stella stared at the teacher gobsmacked, she laughed but Sirius had been the one talking.
"That's not really fair professor, I was the one talking." Sirius interjected.
"Sirius, you're on a warning but I'm still taking the ten points." Ashfo said sternly. For the rest of the lesson everyone sat in silence reading their textbooks, it was very boing work but necessary for their magical training. When the bell rang there was a scrum to leave the classroom.
"That was so unfair."
"Ten points just for talking!"
"And blaming Stella when it was Sirius's fault."
"It wasn't totally my fault."
"You were the one talking, I laughed." Stella pointed out. Sirius shrugged and muttered something incoherent, Stella turned to Mary.
"You had an idea about finding out who Gideon's girlfriend is?" Stella asked.
"Yes but I think we might need the boys help." Mary answered.
"Their help? Why?" Tina asked.
"It is a difficult plan." Mary said.
"Maybe I could ask him to introduce me to his girlfriend, y'know 'cos we're such good friends." Stella interjected. The other girls snorted with laughter.
"Hang on where's Lily?" Mary asked.
"Oh, she went off with that Snape kid."
"What, why?" Stella asked.
"I think they're friends." Tina said.
"So much for your Auror senses." Mary snorted. Stella shot her a scathing look.
"Just because I don't look into every detail of my friends lives-."
"Doesn't mean you don't have Auror senses?" Tina supplied happily.
"Why do I even bother with you people?" Stella said exasperatedly.
"Aww, you love us really." Mary teased. Stella rolled her eyes and ribbed her.
Stella managed to avoid any other incidents that day, at least until dinner.
"You jinxed a teacher?" Steven asked.
"Hey he jinxed me first, it's called retaliation." Stella argued.
"You still don't attack a teacher." He retorted.
"Don't judge me, I was merely defending myself." She argued.
"From what?" He demanded.
"He used a knock back jinx and you expect me not to retaliate?" Stella asked incredulously.
"I doubt he meant to harm you." Interrupted Emmeline Vance, a third year Gryffindor.
"Well he should have been able to block it." Stella persisted. "He teaches DADA."
"That's not the point; we don't attack teachers without permission." Emmeline retorted.
"Look I've already had a lecture so can we drop it." Stella said pointedly. They turned away and went to join their friends.
"So, fun day?" Sirius asked sarcastically.
"Oh it was just peachy." Stella snapped.
"Oooo, someone's in a foul mood." James said cheekily.
"Keep talking and you won't have a mouth soon." Stella shot at him.
"I'm scared, are you Sirius?" James asked, mockingly.
"Terrified, but hey because of your stunt no one remembers about this morning." Sirius replied brightly.
"No one remembers huh." Came a voice. It belonged to a Slytherin sixth year.
"Ah, hey Drommie, guys this is my cousin Andromeda, the only relative I don't mind." Sirius said. There was a collective hey and Drommie sat down.
"Look I know it was rough on you this morning, but this is kind of your fault." She said. "I'm not blaming you completely." She added as Sirius opened his mouth. "I'm just saying, I support that you have a different view on life but in our family it's not good to be so flash about it. You can't avoid them forever and when you go home there'll be hell to pay." With that she stalked off to her own table leaving Sirius gobsmacked.
"Sirius close your mouth or you'll attract flies." Remus said, interrupting the silence. Stella burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Sirius snarled.
"It's just… You're in… trouble and I'm… in trouble… It's seems so funny… That we're panicking… And yet Remus's… First priority is manners." She gasped; Sirius cracked a smile as did the others.
"That's a point, Remus why are you so polite?" James teased. Remus rolled his eyes and continued eating. They had been laughing so much that they hadn't even noticed Dumbledore was standing right behind them.
"There is nothing wrong with being courteous." Dumbledore said with a benign smile, they all gasped in shock. "Stella I wonder if could have a word." Stella nodded and got up to follow the Headmaster. Once they had left the hall, where Stella had received man stares, Stella asked.
"Sir what do you want to talk to me about."
"It is, hopefully, nothing to worry about." He replied. Stella's stomach twisted into a knot, her mother it had to be her mother.
"Lemon drop." Dumbledore said to a statue which sprang to life, they climbed the stairs to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore opened the door, swept inside and indicated to an empty chair. Stella sat down, taking in her surroundings finally she saw that she was not alone, Professor Ashfo was there too.
"Stella, I'm sure you know why you're here." Dumbledore said and Stella let out a sigh of relief, Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry Sir, I thought this had something to do with my mother, I think I know why I'm here now though." She answered to the raised eyebrow.
"Ah, yes Seraphion did send a letter earlier but that is irrelevant for now." Dumbledore smiled sympathetically. "So tell me what happened."
"I presume you're talking about what happened in DADA." Stella said, Dumbledore nodded in assent. "Well Sir, you see Sir we were all duelling and I had just defeated Tina when Professor Ashfo sent a knock back jinx at me, I reacted instinctively and dodged. Then I sent a stunner at him, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"Professor Ashfo attacked first?" Dumbledore asked surprised.
"Yes didn't he tell you?" Stella asked equally surprised.
"Hem hem, I might have skated over that detail headmaster, it didn't seem important." Interrupted Ashfo sheepishly, Dumbledore studied him over his half-moon spectacles.
"It makes all the difference Alphonso, it gave reason for the attack."
"Forgive me Sir, but you told Professor Ashfo that I would be a handful, your hardly clear of blame yourself." Stella said ruefully.
"Well you are a bit of a handful; Minerva told me you understood principals beyond that of normal first years." Dumbledore replied.
"I'm hardly a normal first year." Stella muttered.
"So you think yourself better than them?" Ashfo asked suddenly. "Your parents may be extraordinary but that doesn't affect you."
"Actually professor in some cases I think you'll find it does." Stella retorted.
"Really, please elaborate." Ashfo sneered.
"I am who I am because my father trained me that way, he told me I was a born fighter, and I never give up. As for my mother well let's just say she's affected me more than I can actually admit." Stella retorted fired up.
"My my calm down, both of you." Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry Alphonso but since you attacked first it is excusable, you may go, Stella stay." Ashfo stormed out of the room.
"Stella I understand that your mother's condition has affected you deeply, if you ever wish to talk my door is always open. Tell your friend Sirius he is also welcome. I presume you remember the password?" Stella nodded. "Stella don't bottle up your feelings, it doesn't bode well, also when the condition, ah, shall we say kicks in then tell me or Professor McGonagall immediately. You may go." Stella left and was in such a hurry that she didn't notice Ashfo had been listening. She sprinted back to her dorm, changed into her pyjamas and collapsed on her bed. Great first day Stella thought, and with that she went to sleep.
