Griffin Oak- Chapter 7

Several months had passed at Hogwarts; it was now the last week of November. A wintery chill had slipped across the grounds and was patiently waiting for the perfect time to slip into the castle. Defense Against the Dark Arts had become the most looked forward to class at the school; even to some of the Slytherins. Griffin kept the classes engaging and filled with information in new lights. The professor favored no one, not even the students he had befriended on the train. No special treatment for anyone.

"Griffin?" It was the first class of the afternoon; second year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"Yes?" The said man looked at the bespectacled brown haired boy raising his hand.

"There are rumors going around the school about you."

"Oh?" Griffin raised a black eyebrow, "What sort of rumors, Shalt?" He asked curiously, grinning internally as the boy squirmed under his bright emerald stare.

"They say that you fought in the war against V-Voldemort." Shalt stuttered slightly while saying the dark lord's name.

The 2o year old cocked his head and studied the faces of the second years looking expectantly up at him. "Yes, I was in many of the battles concerning the Deatheaters and their moldy master." The class giggled at his nickname of the evil being. Kasi and Nick's eyes widened along with the rest of the class' surprised faces. Professor Sprout had been telling the truth then. Nick's hand shot into the air, and Griffin cast him a bemused look. "Lily?"

"Did you meet Harry Potter?!" The blond asked excitedly.

Griffin paused, what should he say? "Briefly during the war." Looks of half hidden disappointment flashed across the room. "Brave man, brave comrades." He added softly, looking down at the floor before glancing up at the class again. "Any more questions before the bell rings? No? Okay, don't forget your homework!" He said cheerfully, as a few of the students groaned. "Awww, don't be like that! You're dampening the mood!" He teased, winking at them. As the students shuffled out of the room, a chorus of 'byes' and 'see you laters' filtered back to the young professor.

After waving the last students out, Griffin relaxed in his chair behind his desk. "Striker." He called quietly. A small jingle of bells told him of the midnight black kitten's arrival. Scooping up the creature, Griffin sat him on his shoulder. Striker mewed a welcome and stuck his cold nose in his ear. Opening his lesson plan up, Griffin absentmindedly scratched between the kitten's ears, causing him to purr loudly. Dragons were next on the list. 'Fun.' He thought with a grin, 'I'll ask Charlie to bring in a couple babies.' That Weasley son didn't know who Griffin really was yet. He'd have to be told foe safety.

A sudden yell caught Griffin's attention; it was coming from the hall outside his classroom. Swiftly standing, the professor stood, letting Striker jump off, and quickly walked to the door and opened it. Outside, a Ravenclaw prefect was trying to break up a fight. "Stop it!" He was yelling, trying to pull one 

of the boy's back. It was two 7th years, Griffin recognized them instantly. They had been arguing at breakfast. Around them, the other students were trying to get away from the brawl. In mid-step toward the fight, Griffin had changed; starlight fur covered him and he was on all fours. Baring his long fangs, the snow leopard growled low and dangerous. A few people screamed and backed away. The prefect finally got the two apart, and the 7th years were frozen in place, staring terrified at the sight of the giant predator.

Hissing loudly, Griffin jerked his head at the classroom door, and the scared students filed in. Along with the students, came a tall, lethal blond haired man with grey-silver eyes. Casting a glance at the man as he prowled into the room, Griffin recognized the elfin face of a Malfoy with high cheek bones. The Malfoy watched the still hissing snow leopard as it wove between the seats to the front of the room. Jumping lightly onto the elevated floor where his desk was, Griffin turning swiftly and changed back into a human. Leaning against his wooden desk, the youngest professor in all of Hogwarts history x-rayed each one of his students with slightly calmer green eyes.

"Would someone please tell me what happened out there?" Griffin asked the teens sternly, still staring unnervingly.

The Ravenclaw prefect raised his hand, "Danells and Vorgar, sir. They were fighting over something that, in my opinion, was quite stupid."

Griffin shook his head and sat down the edge of the dais. "You two are in the same house, yes? Danells, care to tell us what the argument was about?"

The 17 year old flushed with anger and humiliation. "That's none of your bloody business, Oak!" He snarled, pushing his ragged dark brown hair out of his eyes. The movement and words reminded him of Ron. "It has nothing to do with anyone but us!"

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Is anyone willing to tell me why?"

A Gryffindor girl spoke up from the back. "They were fighting over an answer sheet. Danells wanted to make copies of it and sell them for a couple sickles--."

"It isn't anyone's business!" the teen yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Another ten points from Gryffindor. Don't make me take more, Danells!" the professor warned icily. "You brought this upon yourself."

"Now that that is taken care of, who knows anything about dragons?"

The rest of the class proceeded without mishap and the blond haired man watched Danells; half amused by the teens reaction, half worried. The boy looked like he wanted to hit something, namely the DADA teacher, or set everything, the classroom, on fire with his glare. When McGonagall fire-called him to ask if he would co-teach Defense for a few months to give some of the older students a taste of Auror training and knowledge, she had informed him only a little bit about the current professor; Griffin Oak. 

He was totally not expecting this; the teacher looked to be about the same age as himself, an animagus, and a pretty good teacher from what he had witnessed.

When the bell rang for the class to leave, Danells was one of the first out. As the rest of the students continued to their next class, the Malfoy stayed in the room and watched as Griffin Oak skimmed some of the student's notes on dragons.

"Enjoy the class, Mister Malfoy?" He asked not looking up from the parchments in his hands.

There, whoa... chapter 7 is done!!

njferrel I hopoe this chapter answers your questions!!

Please read and review!! But please, I know i misspelled stuff, don't rub it in my face please. I posted this at 12:23 am, cut me alittle slack!! .