Before she knew it, Paige was faced with the first crucial test: end-of-term exams, which included the ones she had to write and sit for the Frontier. She wasn't too worried as she was doing quite well in each of her classes, except for Lockheart's. He claimed it was because she was a bad student. Professor Snape, she knew, believed otherwise.
She sat in Snape's office to serve one of the many detentions she'd been given by Lockheart for "sassing" him by saying "Is it going to be an actual Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, or just another Gilderoy Lockheart 101?" Slytherin was in danger of having no House points by Christmas, but when word of the reasoning for it ran around the Common Room, only the girls who adored Lockheart chewed her out. Everyone else laughed.
Professor Snape offered her a cup of tea, which they both drank. There was an odd aftertaste in hers and she glared at it before eyeing him suspiciously. "Don't worry, it's just something to help with your anxiety," he said. Her eyes narrowed further. "My god, you look just like your father when you do that."
"When I do what? Get suspicious when someone spikes my drink?" she asked, a hard edge to her voice.
He raised an eyebrow, his black eyes searching for an out to the situation. He changed the subject. "So how are things with the forefront? That is what you call the group you teach, right?"
"It's the Frontier," she said patiently.
"Right, sorry. Why'd you choose that name again?"
"Well, what's a frontier?"
"An unexplored piece of land or area. Also a border between two countries, and-" He took a sip of tea. When he didn't continue, instead staring at the door, Paige turned and saw Professor Dumbledore standing with his hands behind his back, a calm demeanor with a slight ghost of a smile on his face.
"Hi, Professor Dumbledore," she greeted him automatically.
He nodded to her just as Professor Snape set down his teacup a little harder than necessary. "Albus," he said. "How much of that did you hear?"
"Plenty enough," replied the Headmaster. "Mind telling me what you've been teaching your group, Paige?" Her eyes widened. "I've known for a while."
Her heart sank. Aaaand there goes my magical education, she thought. She lowered her gaze and dug around in her satchel until she found the list she had compiled and then charmed so that if a spell has been covered completely (written/theory, pronunciation, practical) it would show up as bright green. If it was just touched on but not completed, it was a vibrant but still legible yellow, and if it wasn't yet discussed, it was written in black ink. She passed this information on to Professor Dumbledore.
"How often do you meet?" he asked as he looked at the list.
"Thursdays, seven-o-clock," she mumbled. "Unless there's Quidditch practice, in which case we postpone or cancel."
"Hm," he said. "How much of this did Professor Lockheart teach you?"
"None of it," she said, a little more testily than she intended. He looked at her, causing her to duck her head. "Sorry, sir. I just get a bit upset when someone doesn't do their job."
He nodded understandingly before resuming his reading. As he read, she fidgeted, tapping her toes, twisting the strap on her satchel, petting Nunu obsessively when the calico British Short-Hair jumped up onto her lap, and biting her nails. It was only when she checked her watch that Professor Dumbledore addressed her without looking up. "When's your next meeting?"
"Uh, we were going to meet tonight, but I might not have enough time to get up there," she said nervously.
He finally looked at her again over his half-moon spectacles. "Then we'd better go," he said. She looked at him in both confusion and alarm. "I'd like to see what your lessons have lead to, and ask your group what they learned and with whom."
"Oh," she said. "Uh, okay then. Let's, er, let's go." She rose, Nunu sliding to the ground while Professor Snape stood to go with them. They left the office and found a fuming Lockheart standing in the Entrance Hall. She froze, eyes wide, shoulders hunched in on herself, making herself as small as possible.
"So," said Lockheart, his voice as dangerous as a coiled snake. Fear wrapped a clawed hand around her throat, choking her. "You've got a group, eh? Think you can do a better job than I can, eyh?! I am a fully trained Wizard, you are a stupid, insignificant, dishonorable witch! Who the hell do you think you are?" Anger flared within her.
"I'm the student witch who is actually teaching a group of people to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. If we came up against a Dementor, what are we supposed to do, scream your favorite color at it?! Do we offer it a bottle of firewhiskey like your favorite drink?" she shouted. He moved so quickly, she barely had time to react. Her wand was out and at the ready before she knew it. "Just admit it: you're a fraud. You don't know how to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts because you've never done so before!"
"How dare you!" Professor Snape shifted around to her right for a better shot at Lockheart in case he tried anything stupid. A group of students formed, leaning over the railings of the staircases for a good look. Everything was a blur after that. Lockheart started to speak and was immediately Disarmed by Professor Dumbledore, followed by about fifty yellowish-red balls of light wrapping ropes around him. He'd been interrupted saying "Avada."
It took a second for everything to register, but once it did, Paige swayed. Snape steadied her with a hand on her shoulder while he got a chair from his office with his wand. She dropped into it, her legs unable to support her as the shock of the whole situation hit her.
Lockheart had tried to kill her while the Headmaster was around and with her Frontier looking on. Dumbledore Disarmed Lockheart while her Frontier hit him with Tetio.
Oh my god... she thought to herself. I really am useless.
"You're not useless," Professor Dumbledore said as though reading her thoughts. "No one could have predicted he'd try to kill you, not with me standing here anyways." She began to tremble. Dumbledore looked to Snape. "Get her to Poppy." The Head of Slytherin nodded once and gently coaxed her to her feet. As they started off, the students that had saved her surrounded them, shielding her from view.