Chapter 11 – A Visitor to the Class Room
Charity was scowling when Sarah joined her in the Muggle Studies classroom after Jareth left. "Charity" the younger woman asked hesitantly, "are you all right?"
The older woman frowned heavily. "I'm sorry Sarah, but I just received word that Professor Umbridge is going to sit in our class today to evaluate my performance."
"Evaluate your performance? But surely that is the Headmaster's role?"
"Professor Umbridge has been appointed to the newly created role of 'High Inquisitor' by the Ministry of Magic, and has been given the authority to evaluate and even dismiss teachers who do not meet her requirements. She has also been granted the power to impose additional rules and regulations on the students."
"High Inquisitor? I don't like the sound of that at all. It is too reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition."
The professor shook her head as students began entering the classroom.
Delores Umbridge joined the class ten minutes after it started, making a point of coughing and apologizing for disturbing the lesson. Charity nodded politely to her and then proceeded to ignore her presence, moving into the differences between the education systems.
Sarah covertly watched the squat older woman observing the class. Her cheerful and much too youthful pink attire was contradicted by a facial expression that implied she had ingested curdled milk. She scribbled notes intensely as the class progressed, her sour expression not improving. Sarah wondered whether Umbridge was dissatisfied with the course content or the teaching approach, and tried to objectively observe Charity Burbage as she walked through the content.
Professor Burbage was explaining the differences between primary and secondary schooling in the Muggle world, clearly drawing distinctions between the magical approach of the wizarding community and the approach of Muggles. Her tone was enthusiastic; she met her students' eyes and encouraged them to participate in the discussion, asking for their perspectives and questions. Sarah thought the professor's animated teaching style was very effective as the students appeared engrossed in the discussion.
As the class ended, the professor made a quick assignment. "I'll be looking for a two foot essay covering additional points that were not brought up in class today, due next week." The students appeared relieved at the size of the assignment and left in high spirits.
"Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Professor Umbridge" Charity said politely once the students had left.
"Heh heh, well it was interesting. Tell me Professor Burbage, what is your purpose in this class?"
Charity blinked in surprise. "Muggle Studies attempts to help students understand the difference between the way wizards think and the way Muggles think, and is especially helpful for those wishing to pursue a career in Muggle relations."
Professor Umbridge looked pained, making additional notes on her parchment. Sarah met Charity's eye and suppressed a grin at the other woman's warning look.
"Miss Williams, what value do you add to this class?"
Sarah made sure her voice was polite and indifferent. "I am here to assist Professor Burbage in whatever method she deems appropriate, Professor Umbridge. I help provide additional information and offer another perspective on the Muggle topic under discussion, gather any Muggle materials that may prove useful for classroom demonstrations, help grade homework or perform any other activity Professor Burbage requests."
"With no magic yourself; surely this is a difficult position to hold?" Umbridge's sickening sweet voice failed to cover the patronizing tone of the question.
"Being a Muggle assisting in a Muggles Study course hasn't been difficult to date, ma'am."
"And how does a non-magical assistant enforce discipline in the classroom or hallways?"
"Through the defined and approved methods, Professor." At the other woman's raised eyebrow, Sarah elaborated. "Through the addition or deduction of House points, through assigning lines or essays; escalating to detention when it's needed." Sarah offered the toad-like woman a bland expression.
"And do you find your jealousy of the wizarding world impacts your disciplinary actions, Miss Williams?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow and exchanged a puzzled glance with Professor Burbage. "My jealousy of the wizarding world?"
"Come now, Miss Williams. There is no need to be embarrassed. It is obvious that the wizarding world and the magic it contains offer a fundamental difference from the dreary Muggle world. It is my obligation to ensure that your envy does not translate into resentment and inappropriate disciplinary actions." The plump woman smiled sweetly at Sarah as she delivered the slight.
Drawing a slow breath in, Sarah exhaled quietly before responding. "I believe you have a misconception, Professor Umbridge. I was raised to recognize the advantages of diversity and to value them; to realize that a population can draw strength from the unique talents and abilities inherent in a diverse population." Focused on the other woman's repulsive face, Sarah failed to see the students for the next class gathering in the doorway.
"I believe that an instructor's role is to be sure that the students are encouraged to perform their best work, which means fostering an environment of respect for lifestyle, cultural and ethnic differences. In a world where people live in a global community, learning to recognize and appreciate diverse viewpoints ensures an energetic and healthy atmosphere."
Professor Umbridge's face showed barely restrained contempt, but Sarah pressed on. "Both the wizarding and muggle cultures have diverse talents and perspectives. This class is to help the students understand the differences, not laud one over the other; simply explore those differences."
The squat woman's wide face was mottled with color as Sarah finally finished speaking, although her voice remained cloyingly sweet. "Surely you recognize there is nothing that the Muggle world offers that the wizarding world hasn't already provided, Miss Williams!"
"I was only introduced to the wizarding world this summer, Professor, so I obviously have not been able to make a full study of all aspects of both cultures. For example, while I know that Muggles visited the moon four decades ago, I don't know when wizards walked upon its surface." She gave the Professor an innocently inquiring look.
Charity intervened quickly. "I'm sorry Professor, but our next class is nearly ready to begin. Perhaps this delightful discussion of diversity could continue after school hours?" She looked meaningfully over the other woman's shoulder.
Turning around, Umbridge saw the students packed in the doorway, hesitating to enter. With her most saccharine voice, she exclaimed "Miss Williams, why are you not ensuring the students are in their seats before class begins. Come now everyone; hurry before Miss Williams begins issuing detentions."
The students filed in to the class room, glancing curiously between the staff members as they sat down. Once all the students were seated, Professor Umbridge stalked out of the room, her shoes stamping heavily on the stone floor.
Sarah met Professor Burbage's eyes and the other woman barely restrained from rolling her own before beginning the day's lesson.
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When classes were done for the day, Sarah decided not to join the staff at dinner, not wishing to be subjected to Umbridge's presence. Instead she returned to her room to change into her soft brushed cotton white crossover shirt, drawstring pants and trainers. She picked up her bo staff and a bottle of water and quickly moved to the fourth floor classroom that Dumbledore had allotted to her use. She was pleased to see that the floor was covered in the mats as he had offered.
Removing her trainers, she spent twenty minutes in warm up stretching exercises before beginning the more in-depth work out.
She began her katas with the blocking movements; close-handed blocks, open-handed blocks and wrist blocks. Before she began her kicking routine, she took several of the floor mats, and leaned them on the wall. As she didn't have a bag, this would have to do. Kicking air did little to develop a powerful or useful kick, while a bag - or in her case a matted wall -would help strengthen her muscles and speed. She practiced her front, side, high and middle roundhouse kicks, as well as knee strikes, back kicks and groin kicks.
Finally, she moved into the combined block and counter techniques, with middle block, middle punch; middle block and back fist; open hand block and rising punch; hooking block and palm heel strike and concluding with the wrist and palm heel strike.
Sarah was breathing heavily by now, covered in a sheen of perspiration. She took a deep drink from her bottled water before picking up her bo staff.
Standing with her feet shoulder length apart, she held the staff out in front of her body, with one hand upwards and the other hand down. She began to turn the staff in a full circle crossing her hands one over the other, holding the staff out from her body with her arms extended as she turned it. She commenced slowly, gradually increasing her speed until the staff was a blur and made a whirling noise in the quiet room.
With focused concentration, she began twirling the staff out to her side, beginning in front and extending it to the side with a smooth movement. Finally she began a routine by turning the staff to the front, stopping suddenly to pound the end of the staff on the floor, then twirling it to the side and stopping again, thrusting it out as if she was poking an opponent. Again and again, she twirled it from front to side and back again, gradually adding in the full range of kicks until it appeared that she was fighting an invisible foe.
As her routine finished, she drank again, finally moving in to her cool down stretches. Her sensei always insisted on proper cool down exercises, and Sarah could repeat his comments verbatim. "You must perform basic stretching exercises in order to bring back to the body to a more relaxed state and to condition the muscles for the next day of practice."
Sarah began moving through the exercises with her eyes closed, remembering the instructions. She let her arms hang loose, pulled up her chin and breathed in her nose and out her mouth. She rose up on her toes and down again, relaxing her muscles. Following that she stood relaxed and began bending her knees, up, down, up down. She moved through each step thoroughly, until her breathing was relaxed and her body cool. Finally she felt both relaxed and calm.
Turning around, she was surprised to see three students watching her with avid curiosity and recognized the three from her fifth-year class that had been involved in the hallway disturbance. "Miss Granger, Mister Potter, Mister Weasely" she nodded at them.
"We're sorry, Miss Williams" the girl said hurriedly. "We were on our way to the library and heard movements in here. It sounded like fighting and we came to investigate."
"We didn't mean to disturb you" the dark-haired boy added.
Ron Weasely was more to the point with his comments. "That was amazing! You must be bloody marvelous in a scrap!"
"Language Ron!" immediately responded Hermione and Sarah had to laugh as the boy blushed.
"It's fine. The Headmaster offered me an unused class room for my exercises. I'll be sure to close the door in the future so that I don't disturb people going to the library."
"You are a martial artist? Do you go through that routine every day, Miss Williams?" asked Hermione.
"That or a similar one." Sarah sat down to put on her trainers. "It helps not only tone the body but balance the mind. Even the frustrations from the worst sort of day can be relieved with a regular routine of focus and exercise. Plus it helps with balance, stamina and speed."
"Speaking of the worst sort of day, I have to go to Professor Umbridge's detention" muttered Harry as he rubbed his arm.
Something about the boy caught Sarah's attention. She wasn't sure if it was the unconscious rubbing of his arm or the barely masked despair in his eyes, but she couldn't help saying "Mr. Potter…" and then paused not sure what she meant to say.
He looked at her curiously and she forced herself to continue. "Sometimes we find ourselves in situations not of our own making. If you ever need to talk to someone who can offer another perspective, please feel free to talk to me". She paused a second time and then added "in confidence, of course."
"Um…thank you Miss Williams" the dark haired boy mumbled and then turned quickly to leave the room. His friends looked after him and back to her as she picked up her bo staff and water bottle. "That goes for you as well" she added to the other two as she left the room.
Back in her room, Sarah showered and changed into jeans and cotton blouse, before sitting down at her desk to correct the first year essays. Charity had her mark the first through third years, saving the higher classes for herself. Sarah's stomach growled mid-way through the first stack and she reluctantly called out "Tilly…"
With a small pop, the little house elf was in her room, bobbing politely. "Yes Lady? What can Tilly be doing to make you happy?"
Sarah couldn't help but smile at the eager little elf. "I was just wondering if I could convince you to bring me some fruit and water. I didn't go to dinner tonight."
"Lady Sarah! You mustn't be missing your meals! Of course Tilly will be bringing you something!" The house elf disappeared again, but before Sarah had finished the essay she was on, another pop announced Tilly's return.
"Tilly is bringing the Lady a nice cucumber sandwich, an apple, and grapes as well as a pitcher of water. Unless the Lady prefers something else? Tilly can be bringing chicken or roast beef or…"
Sarah interrupted the litany with a smile before the entire kitchen contents could be listed. "No, no, this is wonderful Tilly, thank you! You take such good care of me."
The little house elf wiggled in pleasure. "Thank you Lady! Tilly is being happy to serve!" With a little curtsey and tug on her pillowcase dress, she disappeared again.
Sarah munched on the sandwich and fruit as she finished marking the essays. It was obvious that some of the children simply couldn't visualize Muggle tools and technology, and Sarah made a mental note to discuss getting posters or other visual aids with Charity.
Finally, she yawned and changed into her night clothes, slipping into bed for evening meditation exercises. Unfortunately, she fell asleep before she finished.
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She was floating through Hogwarts and felt a tug pulling her to another location. She looked around as a room coalesced about her. The room was disgustingly youthful and frilly, and she frowned as she realized Delores Umbridge sat behind a desk directing a spiteful smile somewhere over Sarah's shoulder. Sarah turned and saw a dark-haired boy sitting at a desk doing what appeared to be homework. Harry Potter! His face was set in fierce determination as he wrote.
Sarah drifted over to him, looking at his lines. "I must not tell lies" covered the page. She frowned at the red ink, and then gasped in horror as she realized his hand and arm appeared to be bleeding. She whirled to glare at Delores Umbridge, sickened by the malicious pleasure she saw written on the other woman's face.
"You bloody witch! I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now!" In a rush, goblins materialized out of the darkness and dragged the shocked and kicking witch away to the shadows.
Sarah turned back to Harry Potter. "I'm so sorry Harry. I'll see what I can do. You aren't alone. Remember, you aren't alone. Tell Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall about this. Talk to me. You aren't alone."
The dark haired boy looked as if he was trying to focus on her, and then began fading away. "He must be waking up" she realized as the room itself faded away.
"I think it's time I visited Professor Umbridge's dreams" she decided. She focused on Umbridge and felt a brief tug. She concentrated and rather than drifting, she began stalking in that direction. She was angry; if the woman was actually physically harming a student then Sarah wasn't going to let her get away with it. She paused briefly to consider. What if Harry had only been having a nightmare? Well, she would see.
She felt a dream begin to form around her and allowed herself to enter. To her amazement, she was in a shaft watching as hands dropped a pink-clad body down into the darkness below. "Down she said and down she goes!" one set of hands called out.
The Labyrinth! She was in the Labyrinth and Delores Umbridge was being dropped into an oubliette. Did her actions in Harry's dream impact Umbridge's dream? Or…had she been in Umbridge's dream to begin with, not Harry's?
"I need to wake up" she thought. "I need to wake up now." She repeated it over and over until she sat up in her bed, with a concerned Grep sitting beside her stroking her arm.
"Lady was having a bad dream?" he asked softly.
She focused on him and willed her breathing to slow. "Grep…can goblins take someone's dream self to the Labyrinth if the right words are spoken?"
His little eyes widened and then slipped away from hers. He jumped off the bed, waddled over to his drawer and climbed in. "Dreams are dreams" he mumbled finally and pulled a blanket over his head.
Sarah stared at the little blanket covered goblin. While he didn't always answer question, these actions were odd indeed. After several minutes, she reached into her nightstand drawer and removed the potion vial Professor Snape had given her. She stared at it for several moments, before removing the stopper and drinking it down. "No more dreams tonight" she breathed as she lay down again.
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