Chapter Three: The First Defense Class:
The next morning saw Alvin up bright and early despite the late hour he had spent talking to Severus. Severus was still not sure what to make of him but at least he was friendly and that was all Alvin cared about. He knew the man had a hard life, he could see it in his eyes and he could feel the taint of the dark arts, it was not the taint of one who used them but rather as if he had a curse about him. Alvin was no curse breaker so he could not say for sure what it was but Severus was not bad, a bit rough but nothing Alvin could not handle. Alvin started to do what he would do in Yarrow when he got back and if he had looked at the staff table he would have seen a few raised eyebrows as he circled the hall talking to the students there. The staff did not do this, just gave out the timetables but they did not talk with the students unless they were in their own house. Never in the great hall like this, it was not that they did not care, it just was not custom here to do this.
Yet Alvin came from a different culture and it was expected for him to do this. The students were confused, some relieved he did this. The Slytherins were distrustful but they could see he did care, but many took his blood status, or lack of it as an insult. They saw the progressive Americans as nothing more than savages at the best and at the worst not worthy of magic. Still Alvin spent time talking to students and seeing if any needed anything. He spent most of his time with the first years that liked him well enough. In a few hours that would change he knew, he had full permission to do what he was going to do and he knew that a few people would be upset. He sat down to breakfast next to Severus who glared at him, he had a reputation to uphold and if the students believed he hated Alvin that helped him out. Alvin nearly laughed, it was fun to pull one over on teens as they were fun to mess with as they needed to learn how to have fun again.
"So you going to be alive after today?" Severus asked.
"Should be, Minerva should not want to kill me too badly." Alvin replied, "This is the hardest part of teaching, the first lesson."
"And you have not given anyone here a clue as to what it is." Sprout said frowning.
"You will see." Alvin replied. "Even Ilvermorny uses it, though Yarrow came up with it first."
"Well if it is too bad I will charm away what is left of you." Flitwick said cheerfully.
"I have to see." McGonagall said sipping her tea, "I will hex you if you harm my students."
"I don't intend on hurting them." Alvin replied. "But I will teach them a lesson they will never forget, and one they will learn from."
Later that day he walked calmly up to the headmaster's office. Four times he taught the class to each house, four times he had a mix of students, most first years were sobbing, as were many others. A few sneered and thought it funny, thankfully only a very, very few and he had their names summited already to be watched. Some had tried to duel him after the lesson, Neville Longbottom had done his best as had Harry Potter. Then little Luna Lovegood, where had she learned such a curse? The lesson was this: a unicorn was put on the dais in the great hall, and the house he was teaching at the time (two hundred students at a time) standing shortest to tallest before the dais. He then put each of the unforgivable on the creature causing it horrible pain and suffering. The students were horrified and at the end when he stepped from the side to show it was an illusion most had been relieved. A few attacked but then calmed down as he explained why did what he did.
"The dark arts are not cute, or a way to fight evil." Alvin said to each house, "they are not fun toys, or political. They are dark for a reason, the only thing they are good for is to hurt, maim, torture and the like. If all you see is what was done in that illusion when you even think of using dark magic, well then my work is done."
"Did you have to do that though?" Hermione asked.
"Will you ever use the dark arts?" Alvin asked.
"I don't think I could, not now." Harry said truthfully, "I would see that, I still hate you sir."
"That is fine." Alvin said, "that does not hurt my feelings, but I am not your enemy, those who practice the dark arts are, and no not all Slytherins are evil." This to the retort about to come from Ron. "In fact the majority of them renounced the dark arts, that Malfoy kid was the most vocal about it. And very good use of the bone crushing curse, Harry, that would have hurt if it could have hit me."
"Thank you sir." Harry said, "next time I will aim for your head if you do anything like that for real."
"Harry!" Hermione said shocked.
"Bloody Hell Harry he is a professor!" Ron said looking at him shocked.
"I back him up." Neville said, "I will summon a sword and take his head!"
"Good!" Alvin said beaming, "very good, always stand up to evil that way! Very good boys, I will not take points today, nor will there be detention, in fact two points each will do it I think."
Now he calmly headed up the revolving stairs to the headmaster's office. The password was very funny and directed at him, Jelly Beans, his favorite candy in all the world. He walked into the office, wand up his sleeve and saw the heads of house here and what only could be a ministry official. She was short, looked more toad than human and was clad in pink robes. This was not just bad fashion, no pink was a color of power and she was showing she was not someone to be messed with, or would if not for the pink bow in her brown curls, that was not good fashion and she had to know that right? Alvin knew she was trouble and would be giving him the most trouble here today. He had his contract to back him up though and there was not much she could to do him without creating an international incident. He knew too she would try to trick him to talking politics and he was far too smart to fall for that.
"Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, headmaster." Alvin said bowing.
"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered him.
"No thank you headmaster." Alvin said.
"Don't offer him tea, he might chuck it in a harbor." Severus said.
"Only if I am forced to buy it." Alvin replied, "Besides, coffee is far better."
"I don't believe we have met." Alvin said walking up to take the pink toad woman's hand and lightly kiss it (he was glad he had taken foreign etiquette classes in his youth), "I am Alvin Stone, defense and defense against the dark arts master and professor."
"Deloris Umbridge, what might I ask is your blood status?"
"Human." Alvin said, and at a confused look from her "we don't have blood status like you do, we are a land of immigrants, though we have a rich magical tradition, you should come over, the Salem Witch's concert is amazing every year. I have been a few times, it's awesome. Blood status died out fully around the thirties."
"I see, I am not here to talk about that." Umbridge said.
"I know, it's what I taught today, you are concerned with what I taught the children and are worried about them." Alvin said knowing full well she did not care one wit about the children but her own power, he disliked politicians at home and knew they were just as bad if not worse here. "It is a harsh way to teach it is true, but I was hired as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, that means not only do I teach how to combat evil wizards and witches, I teach children how to fight the darkness within. I remember my first lesson much like the one I taught when I was eleven. I have never wanted to touch the dark arts."
"Well it does not work for all your people, what of the skinwalkers?" Umbridge retorted.
"Most unfortunate, as were the Scourers and the witch hunts, it's why Ilvermorny is so isolationist. The Skinwalkers should have died out like the Scourer lines did."
A sad look came over Alvin's face that was a very real problem and had been for a very long time. It was one of the reasons defense was the top of what children learned. Skinwalkers had been on the decline but in the mid seventies they had come back with a vengeance. To this day there were an estimate of a thousand or so. A Skinwalker was not an Animagmus, to become a Skinwalker one needed to murder three infants and do some really dark rituals, what you got was an animal form and an extended but very cursed life span. One who did this could not ever abide the light of the sun again and even the moon caused them problems. Still they were deadly and there were many who took the path despite the risks. It was hard but not impossible to kill them, a mage like him could not do so by himself but he had seen an arch-mage do so, Raven sure knew how to fight them. The native tribes hated it when someone would call a spirit walker a Skinwalker as they were two very different things. A spirit walker was an Animagmus, but one created of love and light, the opposite of the Skinwalker.
"That is one reason we study the way we do, if not we would have more of a problem, our civil war taught us we needed to teach this way. It made the muggle side look like a minor thing, the American magical world was nearly wiped out and we vowed never again." Alvin said, "I ran a illusion, I can show you how I did it. I did this so while this was teaching the students I could walk around and see who was finding the torture of a pure being good to put it mildly." Alvin said taking several parchments out of his robe pocket, handing one to each head of house then the last to Umbridge, "you might want to watch these students, they enjoyed what happened."
"I see, well I will be watching you." Umbridge said. "You progressive American's are dangerous, and I don't trust you."
"Of course, please do, I would like that, you watching me. I am not the enemy, progressives are not, we really are not." Alvin said. "If you have any suggestions or ideas I am open."
"One last question professor Stone, what do you think of Voldemort?" Umbridge asked.
"That thing? What of him, he does not concern me at all."
"About him being back." Umbridge said.
"I would have to see with my own eyes, even then, I am here to teach not get involved in the politics of this land." Alvin said.
Umbridge seemed pleased with this and took her leave through the floo. Severus was not surprised, he knew how Alvin felt and did not press it. Neither did the other heads of house, they were aware of what he thought and knew he was not going to lift a finger to help in this war. They were lucky he would teach the students how to defend themselves and that he had come at all. It was nigh impossible to get an American of any kind to come teach, and the ministry did not help. The only reason Dumbledore had been allowed to even bring him over was due to a meeting and luck. Or Divine Providence, whatever one believed. Alvin knew he had to tread carefully, this Umbridge was gunning for him and would pounce if he stepped a toe out of line, and she already disliked him no matter the sweet and kindly face she put on. She was a danger and one he was not going to let get the better of him.
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Yes the whole unicorn being used to demonstrate the dark arts has been used before. Which is why I glossed over it, but really what better way to teach children what not to do than through getting their attention like this? He was able to teach this way as it is part of his contract, though the other heads of house are not too happy with him, even they understand.
As for Alvin getting involved with Voldemort, remember Voldemort never got to America, so why would he care about him? I have Skinwalkers in here as they are nasty evil people and many tribes here believe in them. Spirit walkers are good though, they are Animagmus and a little bit more, they are people of light and good here. The civil war would have touched the magical world as well as muggle and with magic been a whole lot worse. Again this has been updated to line up with canon, and so Ilvermorny has been brought up again here. The term progressive is vastly different than what is used for progressive in muggle societies in America. Not the same thing at all!
As for how Alvin dealt with Umbridge, it is not hard to see through people like her, and he can. He will have to face here again and again, but this time he has proven himself and won, she cannot get him fired, he has an ironclad contract, as long as he stays out of politics, which he will, for now. But she will try to trip him up sometime in the future that is for sure!
Anyway, do review please!