Chapter four
A new professor
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Defence Against the Dark Arts was awaiting them right in the morning. A little curious, Harry took a seat right behind Angela, impatiently waiting for their new professor to arrive. The incoming students were surprised by the small desks – each of them had to sit alone.
Harry yawned and settled down more comfortably. He had not slept much, but upon waking up, he realized that for the first time in a long while, he had no nightmare during the night and was in an unreasonably good mood.
Before long, he heard briskly clicking heels coming down the stairs and he perked up. A slender woman in tight dark pants and brightly red long-sleeved blouse, over which she had an unbuttoned black jacket, stood in front of the students with a small smile. She apparently ignored the habit of professors dressing in robes.
"Hello everyone," she said in a harsher voice than Harry had expected and the class finally fell completely silent.
The professor put aside a pile of folders, took off her jacket and threw it over the chair. She casually took a seat on the side of the table, pushed her long black hair back and introduced herself. "My name is Margaret Shiernov, and as I'm sure you all know by now – your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. I very much hope to last more than one year in this place, as is the custom here."
Several students laughed in disbelief. They already had their experience with similar statements.
"I'd like to assure you right off the bat that I'm neither a Death Eater nor a Ministry auditor, so I hope you'll be happy with that."
This time, the class laughed genuinely. However, Harry knew better than let himself be lulled by the first impression. Who knew what kind of unpleasant persona could have turned out from this fashionably dressed lady.
"So," the professor continued, reaching for one of the folders. "I'm sure you've noticed that you're a mixture of all the sixth-years in this class. Those who stated in the questionnaire at the end of last year that they would like to become an Auror or Hit Wizard, Witcher or Curse-Breaker, Exorcist or Wizarding Security Guard in the future, all of you should be here. There were not many of you, so we merged you into one class. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to look into your questionnaires, since our dear Ministry confiscated them.''
With a wave of her wand, the professor made the folder remain hanging in the air in front of her and pulled out a pen to the amazement of the entire class. Shiernov noticed the commotion she caused.
"I hate those stupid quills you´re forced to write with. This is much more practical, isn't it?"
A few students who were from Muggle families nodded in agreement, but the others just smirked in disbelief.
"So, they gave me your name list only, therefore I´ll call your name and you´ll tell me if…" Shiernov paused and looked around the class, "in case you´re boycotting the school rules and not wearing a proper robe, which House you´re from and what wizarding work you strive for. Clear?"
The class grunted in agreement, though Harry raised an eyebrow at the need to say their House affiliation aloud.
"Okay. So… Suze Abornn?'
"Ravenclaw, Exorcist," reported the blonde girl.
The professor always looked for the named student with her sharp look and took notes in a flash. There were really a few students in the class, about fifteen, so it went quickly.
"Draco Malfoy?"
"Slytherin, Hit Wizard," announced the pureblood student coldly.
Shiernov stared at him for a moment, but said nothing. Harry had to make some effort not to laugh. Malfoy as the supportive of Aurors? Bad joke.
"Harry Potter?"
"Gryffindor, Auror."
The professor looked at him a little longer than at the others, but did not comment. Harry realized that her eyes were completely dark. Even in the light streaming in from the windows, he could not see her pupils.
Shiernov bent over the list again.
"Angela Rosier?"
"Slytherin, Witcher and Curse-Breaker."
Their teacher looked at the girl in astonishment, "You would like to master both fields?"
"Yes, Professor," the brunette confirmed seriously.
Apparently pleased, the professor smiled: "I believe you can handle it, if you try hard enough. I also once had great ambitions."
Some students started whispering among themselves.
"Silence."
Shiernov´s cold remark passed through the air and the class became gravely silent. Their new professor gained authority with them on the very first day. They knew just by her expression that she was not to be trifled with.
Shiernov ran through the three remaining names and slammed the folder shut.
"I went through the materials left here by your previous teachers. You are all on the same level, but you should have been much higher. You basically wasted two years, which of course is not your fault."
The class hummed in appreciation.
"Therefore, we will devote the first month of this school year to a rough repetition of what you already know, and we will try to catch up on the missing subjects matter. Especially the last year's teaching plan was something, right?" Shiernov added in disgust.
Her students chuckled in agreement.
"Before we begin, I want to ask you one more thing," the professor walked around the table, settled into a chair, and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "I'd like to know which of you can conjure a Patron..."
Almost everyone raised his or her hands.
"The physical Patronus, I meant."
Harry noted with satisfaction that the hand of those who had joined the Army last year remained up.
"Great. Report the names to me. Start at the front, you," and pointed at Dean, who wanted to be the Exorcist. When she had finished, she looked at the class quite contentedly. "I suppose I wrote down most of those who attended a certain after-school club last year, didn't I?" Shiernov remarked flatly, glaring at Harry. A few of the students fidgeted uneasily, but Harry did not move an inch and saw the professor's eyes light up with praise. "Could those of you who have used the Patron against any Dementor please let me know?"
Harry thought he would be the only one to raise his hand, but Angela joined in as well. Harry wondered curiously when she might have been forced to use her Patronus. The professor looked at Angela especially carefully.
"Good. Thank you," said Shiernov, sliding the sheet of paper into the folder. She got up from the table and stepped in front of them again. "We'll start with what you're all definitely looking forward to. With repetition."
The class groaned in unison.
"Just don't panic. I'm not going to grade it. Yet," she announced cheerfully.
For the rest of the first hour, Shiernov asked them various questions and called out students at random. She seemed to remember names quickly. During the second part of the class, she moved all the desks to the walls and they repeated most of the defensive and offensive curses they knew in pairs. Harry realized with satisfaction that he remembered almost everything without any problems.
Just before the end of the two-hour session, Shiernov gave them homework.
"Each of you will choose one of the Unforgivable Curses and write two parchments about its origins, uses, effects, and possible defences."
The class buzzed with amazement and excitement.
"You may go," Shiernov announced almost as soon as the bell rang.
The students spilled out and a lively discussion broke out among them. After a long time, it finally seemed that they had a normal teacher for DADA classes.
