Author's Notes: One would think that with my chapters being so short, I could get them out faster...
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 5
After a sleepless night, the next day seemed even less attractive. Well hidden behind the mask everyone presumed to be the real Draco Malfoy, a 13-year-old boy who had eventually reached the conclusion that he ought to save his Dark Arts professor - despite the fact that he had never even spoken to the man - was faced with the difficulty to apply that decision while faced with group pressure. Life realities were screaming at him from every corner 'You are a Malfoy!' 'You mustn't care!' 'People don't expect you to save him!' Not that Draco actually chose to do what people expected - it was just that most of the time their expectations and his intentions coincided. Yet now, that they didn't, he was having quite a hard time with it.
With these thoughts in mind Draco gracefully sat down to pretend to eat breakfast. Just like yesterday, Marsch was standing out from the other teachers by unconsciously making his presence felt, and not necessarily in a pleasent way. At that point the Slytherin boy felt his eyebrow raise itself as he had a revelation of sorts: this man was the only teacher besides Snape who was remotely acceptable from the Slytherin point of view... in other words he had a reason (or maybe excuse) to save him. Draco forgot about pretending to have breakfast and took a bite from a piece of toast.
~ ~ ~
Across the hall, at the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter was also biting from his toast, preparing himself for Transfiguration. The week wasn't even finished, but lessons to be learnt and homework to be done abounded. The 14-year-old had heard (inadvertently and because of Hermione interrogating older students) that, oddly enough, it were the 4th and 6th years that qualified as the most difficult ones there at Hogwarts. But as long as school was the only thing demanding his attention, he was most certainly not complaining.
~ ~ ~
First class was in fact Defense, and Draco timed his exit so that he could 'accidentally' walk with the blasted professor who was causing him so much trouble.
"Good morning, Professor," greeted the boy.
"Morning."
"So you'll be showing us an Etmod, right, sir?"
"Yes." came the gruff reply, accompanied by a glare.
'Blast the man! I'm trying to save his life and he's acting like a *****!'
"I'm certain it will be a very interesting lesson, but won't you be in danger, sir?" Draco tried to smooth-talk him, but it seemed Marsch permanently had a black cloud above his head.
"Really, Mr.--"
"Malfoy, sir, Draco Malfoy," he quickly answered.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, there is a reason why I am the teacher here-because I am fully qualified to deal with pesky little monsters-like a yellow lizard or a yellow student! Go to your classmates and pay attention to the lesson, boy!"
With these words Marsch stiffly strode off.
Draco was too shocked to speak and walked away as well full of indignation. Right then, he was far too angry to care if the man did die ('How dare he insult me', he thought) and so he barely paid attention to class, focusing on his own thoughts and only catching a few glimpses of what was happening during class ... like the professor throwing the dead animal as bait... the Etmod rushing out of the forest... the quick slap from Marsch... the infuriated creature's attack... rays of magic, all countered by the professor... the animal walking defeated back to the forest... the clapping of the students ... Marsch bowing his head towards them as he walked closer... and the sudden, final burst of magic from the Etmod piercing the man who had challenged it one too many times.
Siegfried Marsch fell facing the last students he had a chance to teach, his eyes locking with Draco's for a fraction of a second. Shock and impossibility to understand in the eyes of the man death was claiming, less shock, but a similar impossibility to understand in the eyes who had seen this death before.
End Chapter 5
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 5
After a sleepless night, the next day seemed even less attractive. Well hidden behind the mask everyone presumed to be the real Draco Malfoy, a 13-year-old boy who had eventually reached the conclusion that he ought to save his Dark Arts professor - despite the fact that he had never even spoken to the man - was faced with the difficulty to apply that decision while faced with group pressure. Life realities were screaming at him from every corner 'You are a Malfoy!' 'You mustn't care!' 'People don't expect you to save him!' Not that Draco actually chose to do what people expected - it was just that most of the time their expectations and his intentions coincided. Yet now, that they didn't, he was having quite a hard time with it.
With these thoughts in mind Draco gracefully sat down to pretend to eat breakfast. Just like yesterday, Marsch was standing out from the other teachers by unconsciously making his presence felt, and not necessarily in a pleasent way. At that point the Slytherin boy felt his eyebrow raise itself as he had a revelation of sorts: this man was the only teacher besides Snape who was remotely acceptable from the Slytherin point of view... in other words he had a reason (or maybe excuse) to save him. Draco forgot about pretending to have breakfast and took a bite from a piece of toast.
~ ~ ~
Across the hall, at the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter was also biting from his toast, preparing himself for Transfiguration. The week wasn't even finished, but lessons to be learnt and homework to be done abounded. The 14-year-old had heard (inadvertently and because of Hermione interrogating older students) that, oddly enough, it were the 4th and 6th years that qualified as the most difficult ones there at Hogwarts. But as long as school was the only thing demanding his attention, he was most certainly not complaining.
~ ~ ~
First class was in fact Defense, and Draco timed his exit so that he could 'accidentally' walk with the blasted professor who was causing him so much trouble.
"Good morning, Professor," greeted the boy.
"Morning."
"So you'll be showing us an Etmod, right, sir?"
"Yes." came the gruff reply, accompanied by a glare.
'Blast the man! I'm trying to save his life and he's acting like a *****!'
"I'm certain it will be a very interesting lesson, but won't you be in danger, sir?" Draco tried to smooth-talk him, but it seemed Marsch permanently had a black cloud above his head.
"Really, Mr.--"
"Malfoy, sir, Draco Malfoy," he quickly answered.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, there is a reason why I am the teacher here-because I am fully qualified to deal with pesky little monsters-like a yellow lizard or a yellow student! Go to your classmates and pay attention to the lesson, boy!"
With these words Marsch stiffly strode off.
Draco was too shocked to speak and walked away as well full of indignation. Right then, he was far too angry to care if the man did die ('How dare he insult me', he thought) and so he barely paid attention to class, focusing on his own thoughts and only catching a few glimpses of what was happening during class ... like the professor throwing the dead animal as bait... the Etmod rushing out of the forest... the quick slap from Marsch... the infuriated creature's attack... rays of magic, all countered by the professor... the animal walking defeated back to the forest... the clapping of the students ... Marsch bowing his head towards them as he walked closer... and the sudden, final burst of magic from the Etmod piercing the man who had challenged it one too many times.
Siegfried Marsch fell facing the last students he had a chance to teach, his eyes locking with Draco's for a fraction of a second. Shock and impossibility to understand in the eyes of the man death was claiming, less shock, but a similar impossibility to understand in the eyes who had seen this death before.
End Chapter 5