For the next hour, the Gryffindor fifth-years took notes on various
Muggle methods of self-defense: kickboxing, Judo, karate, kung fu. They
learned basic offensive tactics, defensive tactics, philosophies, and
principles of each discipline. Just before the bell was to ring, Professor
Green informed them that she was going to teach them a combination of
techniques that she had distilled herself, after years of study.
"Finally," she announced, as they began to pack away their quills and
parchment, "Professor Dumbledore has authorized me to ... appropriate
some of your free time. All students in the school, divided by year, are to
report to me one morning and one evening a week for ... training. You, along
with the other fifth-years, will meet me on the front lawn every Friday
evening at five o'clock, and every Monday morning at six. And you will
wear the clothes and shoes that I put on your materials lists at the
beginning of the year." The students gaped at each other.
"Does she really expect us to get up that early?" Ron whispered
to Harry.
Professor Green raised her hand to silence the whispering that had just
broken out. "Yes, I do expect you to get up that early. If you make me
come into your dormitories after you," she took on a menacing tone, "you
won't be too happy about it."
"She can't do that ... Can she?" Seamus asked Dean tentatively.
Professor Green hadn't heard Seamus' words, but she had seen his
expression. "Try me," was all she said in response.
The bell rang and the Gryffindor fifth-years filed out of the classroom. "Well, I think it will be good for us," Hermione told Ron and Harry. "We
haven't got much exercise over the past four years, have we?"
"Hermione," answered Ron, exasperated, "what's the point of exercise
when you've got magic? When I learn to Apparate, I'm never walking
anywhere."
"Yeah, and you might turn out to look like Ludo Bagman, too," Harry
laughed, remembering the overweight former Quidditch player who had
refereed the Triwizard Tournament last year. Ron frowned.
That night at dinner, Angelina Johnson came around to speak to Harry. "I've just talked to Fred, George, Katie, and Alicia," she said, referring to
the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "We need a new
Keeper. Can you come out at nine o'clock sharp Saturday morning to help
us judge? We'll also need to vote on a new team captain then."
"Sure," Harry responded, remembering his workout scheduled for Friday
evening, and hoping to himself that he would still be physically intact by
Saturday morning.
"Great," Angelina smiled. "I'll go tell the others."
"Saturday morning?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah." Ron looked at Hermione curiously. "Say, what are you planning,
anyway? You've got that same look you had last year when you went on
that 'spew' kick. You haven't developed some grudge against Quidditch
now, have you?"
"No, of course not!" Hermione looked insulted. "I'm not planning anything. I'm just going to watch, that's all." Suddenly she seemed to
catch sight of someone she wanted to talk to. She quickly gulped down the
rest of her pumpkin juice and stood up. "Excuse me, you two. I've got to
have a word with someone." She ran over to join a crowd of younger
Gryffindor girls leaving the Great Hall.
"Hey," Harry nudged Ron, "Keeper tryouts! You interested?"
Ron's face brightened. "Yeah," he mused. He thought for a moment, then looked around. "I bet there'll be a lot of people trying out. Some older kids." He stared at a burly sixth-year near the end of the table. After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. "Well, why not? I'm not a bad Quidditch player. Anyway, what's the worst that could happen?"
***
Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled into school life easily, picking up the
old routines that had grown so familiar over the last four years. Professor McGonagall was starting to teach them the beginnings of human
transfiguration, much to Hermione's delight. Professor Flitwick began the
first Charms class with a dramatic Levitation Charm, which he
demonstrated on Neville's toad, Trevor. By the end of the week, it seemed
that academically, the year was shaping up to be their most interesting,
and challenging, yet.
Double Potions with the Slytherins on Friday afternoon ("Again!?" Ron
protested when he noticed it on the schedule) was no exception. The
Gryffindors arrived in class punctually, and quietly began to set up their
cauldrons. Draco Malfoy, along with Pansy Parkinson and several other
Slytherins, sauntered in a few minutes late. Quite unexpectedly, Snape
gave them the same sour look he usually reserved for members of other
Houses.
"Please do not make a habit," he spat, "of arriving late to my class." The Slytherins, taken aback, scuttled to their desks and prepared their
cauldrons.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione shot puzzled looks at each other.
"Wonder what that was all about?" Hermione whispered as they wound
their way out of the dungeon corridor after class. It had gone rather well,
for Potions--Snape hadn't yelled at, threatened detention to, or insulted
any student, even Harry, all class period.
"Wonder if he's sick?" Harry mused. Suddenly he remembered the
mysterious task Snape had taken on at the end of last term, in the hospital
wing. "He did seem a bit distracted."
"It's just the first day," Ron answered. "Maybe he wants to start the
year off slowly, give himself something to work up to. Come on, we've got
to change and meet Green outside." They made their way up to Gryffindor
Tower and their dormitories.
The fifth-year students assembled on the lawn apprehensively at five
o'clock that evening. It was unusually warm for autumn, and the shadows
of the trees of the Forbidden Forest almost reached the castle walls. Professor Green walked out the front doors and down the great stone
steps, dressed in her own gray robes and sneakers, identical to the ones
the students wore. She also wore a green bandana tied over her head to
hold back her hair, which was plaited into two very long braids that fell
down her back. A very large black dog trotted along at her side.
"Snuffles!" Harry cried as the dog ran up to him cheerfully. He, Ron,
and Hermione petted the dog, which promptly returned to Professor Green. Behind them, a voice snickered.
"What breed of dog is that?" It was Draco Malfoy. "Looks like a mutt
... like the canine version of--" he walked up level with Hermione and
raised his eyebrows. "Oh, hello," he said, as though he hadn't seen her. She looked away, pointedly ignoring him. On Hermione's other side, Ron
seethed silently.
"There's no need to look so fearful," Professor Green addressed the
fifth-years, "unless you're afraid of hard work." The Hufflepuffs looked
encouraged by this. "Now," she paced back and forth, surveying the crowd,
"tonight I'm going to get some idea what I've got to work with. Let's get
started. Follow me." She turned and walked down to the shore of the lake. The students followed her.
"It's simple," she said once they had all gathered at the lakeside. "You're going to run around the lake, twice. And I'm going to time you."
"Are you kidding?" Draco Malfoy asked disgustedly. "It must be miles
around this lake."
"Two point five miles, to be exact," Professor Green answered him. "And no, I'm not kidding, Mr. Malfoy." She drew a small silver whistle and
a regular Muggle stopwatch from her pocket.
"But the path around the lake goes right past the Forbidden Forest,"
Lavender put in timidly.
"Don't worry, I'll be running with you. Now, get ready," Professor
Green said, looking at the watch and putting the whistle to her mouth. The
stunned students looked around, obviously not mentally prepared for a
five-mile run.
"GO!"
Professor Green blew the whistle and pressed a button on the
stopwatch. For a moment, the students stood in a state of disarry. Some,
including Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a group of Hufflepuffs, began to trot
along at a slow pace. Others attempted to walk, or milled around. Malfoy
and a couple of other Slytherin boys stood where they were.
Professor Green walked up to them slowly. "I ... said ... MOVE!" she
shouted at them from a very close distance. Startled, they began to jog
along behind the other fifth-years.
No one was really sure how long they ran, but to all the students, it
seemed like an eternity. And all the while, Professor Green and the dog
followed them. Sometimes she would speed up to run beside the faster
students, and sometimes she would drop back to the slower ones, but
always she was yelling.
"Come on, Patil! Don't hold out on me."
"Malfoy, my little sister could run faster than that. When she was
two."
"Potter! Is that the best you can do?"
The only student she didn't harp on was Neville. "Good job," she told
him encouragingly. He tried to return a thankful smile, but only managed a
grimace of pain.
Finally, the students rounded the last curve. Some dropped to the
ground, panting. Others just stood and tried to catch their breath. Harry
was pleased to see that he had been one of the first to finish. Professor
Green looked at her stopwatch and frowned.
"Pitiful. Haven't you kids engaged in any physical activity at all since
you got here?" No one could answer; they were too busy trying to breathe. She shook her head. "Take a walk around the lawn to cool down, and then
get up to the Great Hall for dinner."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione circled the lawn once, but they could still
barely talk as they made their way up to the castle. Finally, Harry
managed to speak. "She's got no mercy. She's like some kind of a drill
instructor, or something."
"A what?" Ron asked.
"You know, in the army, they have ... oh, never mind."
"I'm dying," moaned Milicent Bulstrode behind them.
"No, you're not," Malfoy's nearly-breathless voice called coldly in
response. "But I'll tell you one thing, you're an idiot if you take orders
from her again. That's the last time I run circles around the lake like
some Muggle."
Hermione turned around. "What are you talking about, Malfoy? She's
our teacher. You don't have a say."
Malfoy smiled smugly. "You'll see."
