Chapter 4: First lesson.
***
Hermione sat up on her bed and yawned widely. On the blanket, by her feet, Crookshanks was still snoring softly; obviously not ready to get up. But Silver was up and she flew to her mistress's shoulder. The witch ruffled the soft black feathers on the top of Silver's head, earning a gentle nimble on her finger. Hermione jumped out of bed and stretched her legs and arms before walking to her bathroom. A quick shower later, the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts was ready to go. She cast a quick glance at her mirror: knee-length black boots, baggy black trousers, black tank-top and black leather jacket, Hermione was certainly not wearing what her students were used to see on one of the Hogwarts Professors.
"You have nothing of one of their usual teachers," the Hermione in the mirror reminded her real counter-part.
With a smile, Hermione tied her long hair in a ponytail. Then she took her first real look around her quarters. Rows and rows of shelves filled with books were covering several of the walls. A fireplace was waiting to be used. Her bed was queen-sized and not even occupying a tenth of the space available. A desk was set next to it, with everything she could need. Thankfully, the room was not in gold and red, but gold, silver, bronze and black.
"So?"
Hermione turned to see the smiles of the Founders on her. Each of the Fours was inside a personal frame, but Hermione caught sight of a fifth frame, empty apart for the long brown couch.
"So?" asked again Rowena.
"Perfect," answered Hermione with a smile.
"Well, this IS the Room of Requirements." Godric said in a rather matter-of-factly way.
"And what about the classroom?" Salazar slipped from his painting to Helga's. She welcomed him with a light kiss on his lips. Hermione couldn't help but smirk at the most dreaded of the Founders' goofy smile.
Then she thought about that. Her classroom would need to be highly functional, as she would teach far more than theory to her students. She could remember the room in her days as a member of the DA. Something in the same style would be welcome, but more spacious, with enough place for desks so her students would be comfortable enough when she asked for only the theory part of the work. She had changed, and knew herself enough to be sure that her lessons would be more practical than most would think. Without knowing it, Hermione had closed her eyes as she imagined what her classroom should be. When she opened them again, it was to be greeted by the vision of the classroom of her dreams.
"Not bad," Salazar said as he eyed the tatami on the floors and the walls.
The room was now four times the size of her quarters, with her future students desks on one side and a large empty space on the other. Her own desk was facing the door, and not exactly in front of her students but in the middle, so she could sit and watch both the 'theory' and the 'practical' areas of the room. And Crookshanks was now sleeping on her desk.
The five paintings were still there. The individual frames were on the sidewalls, Salazar and Godric on one side, Rowena and Helga on the other one, while the empty painting of the brown couch was on the wall right above her desk.
A knock on the door and Hermione saw Salazar disappearing from his frame. His head popped in again two seconds later.
"Headmaster Dumbledore is requiring an interview."
Hermione shook her head, smiling at the Founder of the Slytherin House. Helga Hufflepuff mock-smacked her lover behind the head before going to open the door. Dumbledore looked around as he stepped in.
"I see that you are ready to welcome your students."
"Yes, except that you still haven't told me who I was to teach and when."
With a smile, Dumbledore waved his wand and a piece of parchment fell on Hermione's desk.
"That's what I came to give you. Breakfast will start shortly."
"I'll be right there." Hermione replied as she was already reading through her schedule.
Dumbledore left quietly. Today was Friday. And Hermione was delighted to see that she first off had to teach the seventh years from Slytherin and Gryffindor two hours in a row. Then, it would be the second years from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but only one hour. Next came her lunch break and Hermione was quite amazed to discover that she had her whole afternoon free. But she frowned slightly when she didn't see any allusion to the training of the Aurors in her timetable.
"Well, looks like Dumbledore finally lost his marbles." Salazar was looking over Hermione's shoulder at the parchment. "I mean, look at that: you don't even have the Aurors' training in there, and neither the Dueling Club. And look, free this afternoon, but stuck on Tuesdays with 3 doubles: fifth, second and first years, plus a single with the seventh. This is plainly crazy."
"He's always been, Sal," Godric said with a clap on his friend's shoulder.
Salazar Slytherin rolled his eyes and all in the room laughed. Finally, Hermione headed for the door.
"Will be back shortly."
Hermione walked quickly for the Great Hall and still managed to be there before most of her students. She ate quickly and silently, glad for the fact that her neighbor, Professor Snape, had never been one to talk too much. And as Professor McGonagall was now back to her rightful place, by the Headmaster's side, Hermione's other neighbor was Professor Sinistra, who was well known for eating in silence. When the bell rang the end of breakfast, Hermione swiftly went for her Headmaster. Who, as usual, seemed to already know what she wanted from him.
"For the beginning of the term, The Aurors-in-training will follow their lessons with the seventh years. When you will be ready, I'll let you take care of this particular training. As for the Dueling Club, I do believe that all the students will sign on this year. I will allow everyone in, so I think that you won't be the only teacher in charge. Professor Snape is an obvious choice, as well as Professor Flitwick, for two of the others. Maybe I could even ask Professor McGonagall."
Hermione smiled and turned away. She found herself facing the whole lot of her class. Among them were many of her friends: Harry, Ron, Draco and most of those who had been the DA were among the Aurors-in-training, and Ginny was a seventh year now. She sincerely hoped they would understand her. She flicked imaginary dust from her leather jacket.
"Let's go, Class."
They all fell into step behind her silently and Hermione realized that, for at least a first lesson with all of her students, she would be treated with both reverence and/or fear. As she stopped in front of the Room of the Requirements, the Slytherins in the group looked up, obviously puzzled at the portrait of Salazar Slytherin hanging there.
"Ah, Hermione. We were really beginning to wonder if you had decided to step down as the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"No chance. I was looking forward to teaching too much."
With a disdainful look at the students, Salazar bowed and let the portrait slide on one side to reveal the door.
"Don't mind him, he's a grumpy." Hermione said as she stepped forward and opened the door.
"I heard that," Salazar said from inside the classroom, a laugh in his voice.
Hermione laughed out loud and enter the room, her class after her. Small gasps told her that her 'decoration' of the room wasn't quite what her students had imagined. Hermione went for her desk and sat on it rather than on her chair, watching as her students sat at behind theirs. Crookshanks, awoken by her making the desk move slightly, yawned widely before shooting her a stern glance. He hopped on the nearest shelf and resumed his nap. Only Hermione could see the tip of his tail moving, informing her that he was very awake and looking out for troubles.
"Okay, here are the few rules about this particular lesson. First off, when I say stop, it means just that. I don't care what you were doing, you stop and wait for new instructions. Second, please, listen to what I'm saying when I give an exercise. I really would like no one to get hurt in this classroom. Third, no one uses any curse unless I authorise it. Fourth, if anyone is late, just walk in and join. But don't believe that I won't know. Come at the end of the lesson and explain or suffer the consequences. Now, I suppose that the whole of you are good enough to transfigure your robes into trousers. Those wanting to stay in their school robes can but they will have a disadvantage in what will follow."
Sure enough, puzzled looks were exchanged but all of them took out their wands and transfigured their robes into trousers.
"Good, now let me tell you what I expect from you. With our dear Headmaster permission, I will teach you the Dark Arts as well as how to defend yourselves against them. It will be more practice than theory here, even if you won't escape homework and written tests. But I'd rather know that you can perform curses and counter-curses, not only recognize and dodge them. I will also teach you how to defend yourself as a Muggle would. Any question up to now?"
Draco's hand was immediately in the air.
"Muggle defence won't be very useful."
Hermione could tell that he had chosen his words carefully, so as not to use any insult. She smiled at him and jumped from her desk to the floor.
"That's where you're wrong. Wand out, Draco, and let's see if you're as good as your reputation told me."
Hermione waved Draco to the empty side of the classroom. There, she stood in front of him, empty-handed while he was clutching his wand in his right hand.
"Good. I'm a pure Muggle. I don't know anything about magic, but I do know how to defend myself. You are a Death Eater. You've been ordered to capture a Muggle, without wounding her if possible. But you messed up and I now know that you're after me. Tell me, what do you do?"
"Full body bind spell."
"Yes, it would be one of the most efficient spells, wouldn't it?" Hermione had turned toward her other students, waiting for their views on the questions. Several were nodding, their agreement. "Then, let's try it. Draco, do the honours."
Draco Malfoy raised his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Hermione simply sidestepped and the spell flew past her, hitting the wall behind her. The whole room was silent at that.
"Spell perfectly executed. But the preparation lacked strength. You raised your arm too much, swished it down too slowly, and said your words without any conviction. As a result, your spell, if perfect in theory, was weak, slow and easy to counter. That is something I want the whole of you to remember. Your magic is as strong as you believe it to be. But you have to believe in it, to know how strong it can be when you want it to be. That is from where most of you power comes. Use your feelings, both good and bad, to increase the force of your powers. You want to heal someone, think of happy memories. You want to perform Avada Kedavra, think of the most hated of your enemies."
Hermione saw that her students were in effect hanging to her every words.
"Draco? Once more, with feeling."
Once again, Draco raised his arm and said the words. This time, the spell came fast and Hermione had to jump swiftly out of the way. She beamed at her student.
"I don't want to be the bad guy at the receiving end of this spell. Very good, Draco. Now everyone, why was I still able to avoid his spell?"
A Slytherin raised slowly his hand. Hermione checked with the register.
"Davis Hemmerson?"
The young man nodded as he let his hand fall back next to his side.
"Well, I think that a Muggle wouldn't be able to dodge a spell that fast."
"True, enough. A 'normal' Muggle probably wouldn't, or would be very lucky indeed. But I did point out that I was playing a Muggle who knew how to defend herself. Any Muggle with a little training would have a chance. Someone with as much experience as myself, even if pure Muggle, can dodge a single spell as easily as I've just done." As her students stayed silent, Hermione understood that she would have to fight several prejudices.
"Let's try another approach of the problem. Davis, come up here. You play as yourself and you've just been disarmed. Keep your wand in your pocket. Draco, you're still Death Eater. This time you're charged with the mission of capturing Davis, a wizard. You've just successfully used Expelliarmus. Now, for the Full Body Binding Curse. Davis, you are to dodge it."
The seventh year took a look at his teacher before setting his eyes on Draco. This last one raised his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The spell shot right at Davis Hemmerson, who, though he knew what was coming, was unable to dodge the spell and was hit square in the chest, falling on the floor as straight as a stick. Hermione remove the spell with a simple wave of her wand and Davis was soon again on his feet, rubbing his backside.
"This is why I will teach you what I call Muggle Defence as well as how to use your magic. I simply do not want you to be unable to protect yourselves if you loose your wand in battle."
The rest of the lesson was spent reviewing counter-curses. To everyone amazement, Slytherin won 15 points and Gryffindor 10 for good performances. As the end of the lesson was nearing, Hermione could tell that her students wanted to talk about some other things. She decided to talk before them.
"Now, I'd like to remember the whole of you that the Duelling Club will re-open this year. Professor Dumbledore, feeling that one Professor might not be enough, asked Professors Snape and Flitwick to join me and will talk to Professor McGonagall as well. The Aurors-in-Training must know that it is schedule for them to have separate lessons. But if you lot prefer, I can stick with seventh year and future Aurors together. For the next time we'll see each other, I just want the whole of you to work on the speed of your counter-curses."
Her students nodded and murmured their agreements and began putting away their things. Hermione fought a bit with a thought. She hadn't talk about that to the Headmaster, but it was part of her duty as a Hogwarts Protector.
"A last thing before you go. I will gladly receive any of your demands to join the Hogwarts Protectors."
The stupefied silence made her smile at her students.
"What? You really believed that I would fight on my own? The Order of Phoenix and the Ministry are already here, but it is the duty of the Hogwarts Protectors to fight for the school. And I know that the whole of you don't really want to be kept away from the fighting."
The cheers told her it was a good idea. And as the young witches and wizards were stepping out of the room, two other thoughts hit her: she had survived her first lesson and she wasn't able to return to the Golden Trio. That last one sobered some of her happiness. She knew that she looked like a 30 year-old woman. And she knew she nearly had the mind of one. But their friends were still young, some of them not even 20 yet. Crookshanks jumped from his shelves to the floor and then onto her lap, purring in a soothing way. Silver swooped down from wherever she had been looking to settle on her mistress's shoulder. Hermione blinked back her tears.
"You knew it would be that way."
"Yes, Rowena. But I didn't think it would hurt that much."
"Blame Voldemort!" Salazar said with a smirk.
Hermione's head shot up. She took Crookshanks in her arms as she stood up smoothly, so Silver wouldn't loose her balance. Then she snapped her fingers in the air. Less than two seconds later, a House-Elf appeared.
"Good morning, Winky."
"Good morning, Dark Lady."
Hermione smiled at the creature in front of her. Winky was wearing a little black T-shirt and was looking straight at Hermione, with no fear but a deep respect and adoration shining in her eyes.
"I need you to go and gather my Generals. Tell them that the Order of the Night is to come to the Forbidden Forest and wait there for new instructions. And tell them to bring weapons with them."
Winky smiled and bowed to her mistress before disappearing from the room with a loud crack.
"Well, I'd rather see you that way, young lady."
Hermione turned to Helga and smiled. The Fours were now together in the painting of the brown couch, Helga on Salazar's lap and Rowena on Godric's.
"You do know that everyone thinks that it's Rowena and Salazar who were having an affair…"
This had been a joke between them ever since Hermione had met them, in the Fifth Room of the Chamber of Secrets. The Founders thought it very funny.
"Well, you will just have to teach the truth about Hogwarts to the future Protectors!" Godric said with a chuckle.
***
The rest of the morning passed as in a dream for Hermione and soon she was back in the Great Hall, eating her lunch while looking for trouble around the room. When the plates were finally magically cleaned from the rest of her pudding, Hermione stood up, ready to go to the Forest and meet with her Order of the Night. But Dumbledore waved her to him.
"We all have a meeting in the Staff Room now, so you can explain everything that happened to you this past year. I really would like you to tell them just that: everything."
Hermione sighed as she shook her head. Right next to Dumbledore was Professor McGonagall, who was obviously very impatient to hear from her best ex-student. Hermione looked behind her and realized that all of the guests, which meant all of her friends, would be there too.
"Very well, I'll be there."
Hermione turned on her heels and walked straight for the staff door. She needed a bit of time to, one, decide what she would tell to and what she would hide from her friends; second, prepare her Occlumens-self against Dumbledore and Snape.
"That's gonna be a hell of an afternoon."
***
A/N
Here comes the new chapter. I had planned to write both the first lesson and the meeting in the same chapter but I realized it would be a bit too long so I cut it in half.
I also realized that there were some problems with the previous chapter. I mean all those I / @ : things. I'll try to fix that a bit later.
Next chapter, most of the secrets will be revealed…