Hello. Howdy. Hola. Bonjour. Hallo. Hiya. Wassup?
Okay, so, I know it's been awhile, and I'm terribly, sincerely sorry about that. Truly.
Now, this chapter brings up a new situation but, never fear, it all fits just fine into the story and my plans for it.
So read and review PLEASE! :D
Oh! And this chapter is dedicated to alindy whose birthday wasn't too long ago! I love you, fellow nerdfighter!
After the large staircase finished turning, the nervous staff member stepped onto the large stairs and walked up them as the stairs began revolving again. The large bird statue in the middle came to a halt as Oliver stepped into the narrow corridor and up to the grand double doors. After slowly swinging open one of the doors open and stepping into the headmistress's office, Oliver mumbled, "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?"
McGonagall looked up from the papers laid out in front of her on the chestnut desk placed in front of a long staircase in the back of the room. She sat there as Oliver skeptically viewed the room, gazing at each of the past headmasters until his eyes finally rested upon Dumbledore's portrait. Dumbledore's crystal blue eyes twinkled in a familiar way, they way they used to every time Dumbledore stepped up to the podium in the Great Hall to make a speech; a job that was now McGonagall's. He adjusted the half-moon spectacles that rested on the tip of his nose so that he could gaze through them at Oliver.
"Ah, Mr. Oliver Wood, Minerva informed me that you were hired a few months ago. A very wise choice, indeed."
"Thank you, Sir," Oliver sputtered quietly.
Dumbledore smiled happily. "Anytime, my boy," he replied jovially.
By this time McGonagall had taken her eyes off her paperwork. "Yes, Oliver, I did, indeed, want to see you."
Oliver motioned toward himself. "Well, here I am."
McGonagall smiled slightly at one of her favorite former students. "Here you are." The smile vanished. Back to business. "We seem to be a bit short on professors to run detentions. I was curious if you would mind running a few a week."
Oliver's brows furrowed in confusion. "But don't the staff members who assign the detentions have to run them?" he questioned with a somber expression.
McGonagall nodded slowly. "Yes, but, sadly, we have a large group of third years who thought that it would be," McGonagall paused, searching for the correct word, "amusing if they suddenly all skipped their classes so that they all began failing. They were easily humored but we weren't."
"I can imagine, but what does this have to do with detention duty?" Oliver interjected.
McGonagall huffed in frustration. "I was getting to that. Now all of the professors have to get together to make one large mandatory study group."
Oliver scratched the back of his head. "But how can you be sure that they won't skip out on this?"
McGonagall sighed. "Well, they can certainly skip if they like, but they have been warned that if they don't attend, they will be expelled."
"Are they going to be the next Weasely twins or what?"
McGonagall frowned worriedly. "I certainly hope not, but it's possible, yes."
Oliver chuckled. "Don't worry; no one will ever be as bad as those two."
"I certainly hope not," she said while shaking her head dismissively. "Anyway, detention. Yes or no?"
Oliver chucked. "Do I have much of a choice?"
McGonagall joined in. "No, I suppose you don't"
"Well, in that case, yes."
McGonagall smiled. "Excellent. Detention is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from five to seven. Judging by how unmotivated these students are, they may last for awhile."
Oliver smiled tightly, making his dread obvious. "Lovely," he muttered in his thick Scottish accent.
"Thank you, Oliver. Your help is much appreciated."
A snore sounded behind McGonagall's desk. McGonagall placed her index finger on her closed lips.
"He doesn't like to be woken," she whispered.
Oliver looked at his former headmaster sleeping with a pleasant smile on his face.
"Okay," he whispered. "G'bye, Headmistress."
Oliver slowly crept out, carefully clicking the door shut behind him.
"All right, students, let's get started."
"Started with what?" an obnoxious third year called.
Oliver plopped down on Flitwick's surprisingly normal sized desk. He came in more than an hour late and he was surprised to see that the students were all assembled in silence. "Detention, of course." He scanned the students seated in front of him. There had to be at least twenty kids. Oliver was disappointed to see that he didn't only take over one teacher's detention duties, he took over all the teachers' detention duties.
"Oh, yes, let the party begin," a bitter fifth year yelled sarcastically.
"Don't be so grouchy," Oliver replied. "Now, I just want you guys to sit here and… uh… I don't know. What do you guys to in detentions?"
A Hufflepuff piped up, "You mean you never got in detention when you went here?" The girl had to be in sixth year and her crush was very apparent. She was sitting on the edge of her chair while hanging on every word Oliver muttered. Her large eyes glistened when he responded.
"No, I was so obsessed with Quiddich that I always made sure to behave so that I didn't ever have to miss a Quiddich practice for detention."
The Hufflepuff girl avidly nodded her head in understanding.
Oliver averted his eyes from the creepy crushing girl.
"Anyway, should you guys write lines or something?"
A snotty fourth year shouted, "Oh, hell no! How about we just leave? Oh! That sounds fun!"
Oliver furrowed his brows as he sat up straighter in his chair. "No, but how about you don't cuss?"
An innocent looking first year boy who seemed out of place in detention quietly asked with confusion, "Uh, cuss?"
Oliver nodded at the boy who was in his flying class. "Yeah, Reagan, cuss. As in curse, swear, vulgar terms, profanity…. Now, where was I? Ah, detention. What to do?"
"Oh, just shut up and make a decision already. I can't believe that o all people they could get to run this session of heck, they got you, the flying teacher who graduated merely a few years ago," the bitter fifth year announced. The disgruntled student ran out with a furious expression.
"Wait! What's his name, guys?"
"Harrison, sir," a student said.
Oliver jumped up and began running towards the door. "Thanks. Now, stay here! I'll be right back."
Oliver dashed out of the room and through the corridor.
"Harrison!" Oliver shouted when he saw the fifth year sauntering down the hall at a slow pace. Harrison just continued walking. "Harrison, come on! Stop! Halt!"
Harrison walked faster, almost reaching a run. Oliver easily matched his pace. "Harrison, stop right now, and come back to detention.'
Harrison stopped momentarily, turned around and said, "Nah, I don't think I will." He then sprinted away.
Oliver gripped and yanked on his hair his left hand and banged on the wall with his right fist. He then walked back to detention in defeat, sighing in frustration when he saw the scene that unfolded in front of him. A group of gaggling girls were gathered in a corner, two Slytherins were writing in their textbooks while cackling to themselves, and two students were quarreling in the middle of the room, desks pushed against the wall and the remainder of the students cheering them on.
Oliver's Hufflepuff groupie ran over to him shouting above all the noise, "I tried to stop them because I knew that you wouldn't approve, but they wouldn't stop!"
Oliver gazed over at the two fighting boys. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, Oliver scoffed, figures. Oliver launched himself through the mess of people. After her pried the boys apart he hurriedly stepped between them, keeping his arms locked straight with his hands pushing on each of their chests.
"What the hell is going on here?" Oliver shouted.
The snotty fourth year complained, "So you can swear but we can't?"
"Not right now," Oliver snapped. "Now, what on earth are you two fighting about?"
The Slytherin boy rubbed his red fist that was used to give the Gryffindor a large black eye. "Nothing."
The Gryffindor grunted in affirmation.
Oliver gripped at the boys' shirts. "Oh? Really? Because I'm pretty sure that no one walks around and starts hacking at people for no odd reason."
The Gryffindor winced from his sores as he twisted in an attempt to be rid of Oliver's grip. "Well, we do."
Oliver smiled tightly in a frustrated manner. "I don't think so." He let go of their shirts as gripped at his hair in distress. "That'll be another two weeks of detention for the both of you. Now what are your names so that I can write this down?"
"Connor," the Gryffindor said.
The Slytherin mumbled, "Avery." As Oliver wrote, Avery continued, "Do you even have the authority to do this?"
Oliver looked up. "What makes you think that I don't?"
Avery rolled his eyes. "Well, Professor, you're a flying teacher. You only teach first years. You have no power over us."
"Is that so? Well, how does another week of detention on top of the two that you already need to serve sound?"
The Slytherin grumbled incoherently.
"Too late. Three weeks total sounds about right. What do you think, Connor? Do you want to serve an extra week, as well?"
"No, Sir."
"Kiss-ass," Avery mumbled.
Conner pushed Oliver aside and launched at Avery.
Oliver reacted immediately and pushed Conner up against Filtch's desk, pinning him down. "I've had enough! Now, both of you shut up and get the hell out of here right now! I will sadly see you here again Thursday."
"Don't remind me," Connor mumbled as he walked out of the classroom.
Avery clenched his fists and glared at Oliver. "Screw you." He then left.
Oliver gripped Flitwick's desk in anger. "The rest of you are dismissed," he announced with an agitated voice, watching as they shuffled slowly out of the classroom. "This may be too much for me to handle," he told himself.
"Oh, Oliver, hello."
Oliver halted in front of the person he almost ran over as he rounded the corner on his way to Flitwick's classroom. "Hermione, hi. I didn't see you there."
Hermione laughed. "That's fine. What's the big hurry?"
Oliver ran his hands through his hair in distress. "Hurry?" he asked in confusion.
"Yeah, you seem to be a bit in a rush. Plus, you don't seem to be able to stand still right now. What's going on?" Hermione questioned with furrowed eyebrows.
Oliver's eyes widened. "Oh, that. McGonagall asked me to run detentions for awhile and I have my second session today, sadly."
Hermione chuckled. "Judging by that disgruntled tone, I would say you're not too happy about it. Did the first session not go too well?"
Oliver looked down. "If fighting, ditching, and having no control over the class classifies as 'not too well' then, yeah, you could say that."
"Would you like some help?" Hermione offered with a half-smile.
"Yeah, that'd be great, but where would I get it from?" He rubbed his forehead.
Hermione gestured to herself. "You're looking at it."
Oliver laughed with a hopeful expression. "Really, you'd waste your Thursday night with me running detention with a bunch of brats and rebels in it?"
Hermione shrugged and started walking in the direction Oliver was running towards before. "Sure, why not? You seem like you really need the help."
"I really do. Thank you, Hermione," Oliver replied as led her to Flitwick's classroom. "This is much appreciated, and you can bail anytime."
Hermione patted Oliver's arm. "That won't happen; I don't give up that easily."
Oliver smiled. "I'm relying on that."
So? What did you think? Please tell me either via review or PM. I'm dying to know!
I'll try to update sooner next time!
I love you all!
(Especially you, alindy!)
jtrem
