Year Five: Teaching For Umbridge
"Oh, I don't know," Harry said. "Maybe Lord Voldemort?"
He heard the smack of a palm hitting a face as Alexandra groaned a few seats over. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Harry Potter is not a Ravenclaw. Exhibit #387." She cracked her neck and looked at Professor Umbridge. "Do ignore him, Professor, he has absolutely no filter between his mouth and his brain."
She pondered something, before focusing on the Professor again. "May I?"
Harry could see the woman - he refused to call her a teacher – consider his sister's request. "Well," she said after a moment, "as long as there's something productive, or conductive to the learning environment, I suppose I don't see the harm. For now." She waved her hand. "Go ahead, Miss Potter."
Alexandra rose, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Professor." She turned to the class. "Now, while Harry may not have thought things through-" Harry bristled "-he did raise a point. There are threats out there, although the so-called 'Lord Voldemort' is hardly on top of an average student's list."
As the now familiar feeling of exasperation spread through, Harry couldn't help but shut up, and listen. That girl may have taken the scene in every situation she was in – Draco could confirm that – but she knew what she was talking about.
"…Let's take myself, for instance. I'm a girl – a real looker, too, and don't I know it – filling out rather nicely, young, et cetera, et cetera – who here can tell me what kind of a threat I might face? Yes, Daphne, dear?"
The Slytherin sighed. "Rapists. Perverts. Lechers – whatever you want to call them."
Alex grinned grimly. "Correctomundo. Now, I can't actually give or take points, but that's a really good answer. Neville?"
Neville raised his head, startled. "Err. Harvesters?"
The girl nodded. "People who want to cut me up and sell me for potions parts – remind me to watch out around Snape, Harry – a very real threat to look out for. And we need to defend ourselves against that kind of scum, don't we? …Now, who can tell me of another scenario where we might need to defend ourselves? No, not you, Harry…"
By the end of the lesson, Harry was in awe. Alexandra had wised up, was actually acting as a mature and responsible adult, and taught an entire lesson by herself, to boot! He was truly astonished for her lack of any ulterior motive! As he was packing his things idly making a mental note to check for any signs of an impending apocalypse, he heard Alex' parting comment to Umbridge.
"…And that's how you teach a lesson."
…Okay, everything was right in the world again. So why did he feel so disappointed?
