AN: This is the last chapter that I have written for now. Coming up, I will be publishing Reversing Causality, or Terry Boot's existential crisis, followed by Split, a Padma and Parvati comparison story and For Your Consideration, an Epilogue to Lessons.
'Padma?'
The Second Year girl in question simply shifted slightly in her sleep.
She'd been exhausted all day for some reason.
Apparently, she hadn't been able to sleep the night before.
Terry had also noticed that she seemed to have stomach pains of a sort.
When he'd asked her about it, she had just run off for some reason.
Mandy, Lisa, Morag and Su had refused to answer his questions.
He was completely baffled.
That was most unusual.
He tapped her on the shoulder, trying to rouse his friend.
'Padma, wake up. You're bending the edges of your book, and I know how much you hate that...'
She shot awake immediately.
'What? Oh, hello, Terry.'
He pointed at Gadding with Ghouls.
'You've bent it.'
She frowned, trying to smooth out the corners.
'At least it's only a Lockhart book...'
Terry raised an eyebrow.
'Only a Lockhart book? I've never heard you treat a book with so much disdain!'
Padma closed the book firmly, placing it under a heavy pile of Lockhart books, still trying to get the creases out.
'Just because the brightest witch in our year loves him doesn't mean that we all do. I know he's done some wonderful things, but until I see him at least be a somewhat competent teacher, I'm afraid I'll have little respect for him.'
Michael looked up from the parchment notebook he'd been writing in, mumbling to himself.
'Did I just hear Padma say that she didn't respect a teacher? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Padma?'
Padma turned to Michael, sighing.
'Michael, I can assure you, that I am indeed Padma Patil. I can answer security questions if you wish. And I am perfectly capable of not respecting a teacher; I believe that while they must be accorded some respect by the dint of their occupation, they are also required to earn respect. Professor Lockhart has not demonstrated any teaching ability whatsoever, and since I don't think I'm going to learn anything from him this year, I have little respect for him and his teaching.'
Anthony looked up fearfully from his Transfiguration homework, pushing his reading glasses back up his nose.
'Do you really think we're not going to learn anything, Padma?'
Padma nodded grimly.
'That's what I'm worried about, Anthony. If we don't learn anything, we'll fail our DADA exam!'
Anthony looked absolutely terrified at this.
'But-but...what'll we do? We can't fail! We'll-'
'Padma, Anthony, calm down. Firstly, Professor Lockhart writes the exam. If his current teaching is anything to go by, there won't be anything that will actually worry us. The month before the exam, we can just memorize his books.'
Padma nodded slowly, breathing deeply. Anthony's expression smoothed somewhat.
Michael just watched the scene with mild interest.
'You said you had a second point, Terry?'
The other boy nodded.
'Indeed I do, Michael. All the other Professors do know that he is incompetent. Have you noticed Professor McGonagall's expression lately?'
'It's the same as it always was, Terry. Strict and stern and scary.'
'It's different, Michael. I'm sure of it. Padma, Anthony, you don't have to worry. It will all be alright.'
Anthony nodded slowly, turning back to his Transfiguration.
Padma tilted her head to the side, considering.
'Are you sure, Terry? I mean-'
'-How often am I wrong, Padma?'
She sighed.
'Not often.'
'In your opinion, does my logic make sense?'
'Yes.'
He smiled at her.
'Then stop worrying, Padma. There's nothing to worry about.'
He paused for a moment.
'There was an interesting article in the Prophet today; would you like to read it? I'd like to get your view on it.'
And with that, Terry fished The Daily Prophet out of his bookbag, and indicated an article to Padma. Within minutes, they were discussing it wholeheartedly.
Michael returned to his poetry.
To be honest, he really doesn't care about the state of relations between the wizarding communities of Great Britain and Bulgaria. Even if the Bulgarians are threatening to stop talking to the English. (Terry and Padma don't seem to think that they'll follow through on that; an empty threat, he says.)
He also doesn't care about the rumours of a study into cauldron-bottom thickness. (Terry says that with the rate that Ministry makes decisions and implements policy, it will be at least two years before anything happens. He and Padma share a dry laugh and a joke about that.)
He doesn't care if The Quibbler is publishing something on the Rotfang Conspiracy again either. (Padma shakes her head at that, Luna Lovegood seems like a lovely girl, but her father's crazy views simply have no evidence to back them up.)
Anthony was still diligently finishing his Transfiguration homework.
Terry and Padma had finished dissecting the Prophet, it seemed.
'Not having a reason not to do something is a terrible reason for doing something, Terry.'
'But it's still a valid reason. I agree that it's not a good reason, but it is still a valid reason.'
'What's the difference between a good reason and a valid reason?'
Michael groaned and turned once more back to his poetry.
Merlin's beard, my friends are bloody mental.
Quaffles are red,
My House is blue,
Sugar quills are sweet,
And so are you.
