There was an extra bed in the girls' dormitory when Hermione and the
other Gryffindor girls arrived there.
"Who's it for?" Lavender said thoughtfully.
"Probably just a transfer student." Hermione replied nonchalantly, not looking up from her book. The other girls nodded, and scattered off into their usual groups, filling the room with a warm buzz. This was abruptly interrupted by a few trunks floating into the room and landing on the empty bed. They were followed by none other than Prof. Lafayette, who was pocketing her oddly long wand as she walked in.
"Hi girls!" She said cheerily, plopping down on the bed. She received a rather unenthusiastic "hello, professor."
"Ummmm, Professor, I'd hate to be rude, but why are you here?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"They didn't tell you?" Prof. Lafayette said, raising an eyebrow. "Ahh, well that's ok. Ya see, I just got here, and they don't have a room for me yet, so I'm gonna be sleeping in the Gryffindor Dormitories."
"Oh." she replied, not sounding so happy. "That's wonderful, professor. Really."
"Oh, please, call me Miora! Professor makes me sound so old, don't you think?"
No answer. She sighed, and began to magically pin various photos (magical and non) onto the wall above her bed, much like a teenager. She finished much later, after all the girls had gone to sleep. She surveyed the room, smiling to herself. "Just like the old days." She thought, lying down to sleep.
Professor Lafayette did not show up at breakfast the next morning. The subject of her had now died down, even though everyone was quite eager to see what her lessons would be like. The Gryffindor sixth years happened to be her first class that day, a double-session. Many people arrived at the classroom early, only to find the door shut. A note, written in purple ink, was on the door. It read, "Please stand in a single file line, get a quill, parchment, and ink ready. Love, Prof. Lafayette" This raised a few eyebrows, although the students obeyed.
About ten minutes later, the door opened, revealing Prof. Lafayette behind it. She stepped aside and held it open, ushering the students inside.
"Okay, everyone! Just sit down in whatever desk you fancy, and don't talk."
Everyone did so. Hermione noticed that the professor looked extremely nervous. She was sitting behind her desk, fiddling with her wand and smoothing out her robes and hair. Finally she stood up and said
"So, students, my name is Professor Miora Octavia Minerva Belladonna Eloise Lafayette. BUT, you can call me Professor, Miora, or Madame. Any questions?"
Ron had raised his hand.
"Yes, dear?"
"Umm, why do you have so many middle names?" Miora grinned and tapped the chalkboard. What looked like a family tree showed up. On the bottom was "Miora", above which was "Belladonna" and "Eric". Above "Belladonna" was "Minerva" and a name they could not make out, and above "Eric" was "Octavia" and "Merrill".
"I have a middle name after my mother, both my grandmothers, and my great-grandmother on my father's side. And yes, the Minerva is our Professor McGonagall, Hermione."
"WELL, anyway, I'm teaching DADA this year, and, I must say, it's going to be quite enjoyable for you. Especially, I believe, when we have joint classes. Joint classes will be when we have other teachers come and teach with me, about the importance of say, herbs in defending yourself. Yes, Harry?"
"Is this something new? I haven't heard any previous sixth years talking about it."
Miora beamed, walking over to his desk. "Why, yes, how observant of you! It was MY idea, actually." She then walked over to her own desk and sat down. "Now, everyone, I want you to fill out the questions that are on your papers.." She tapped her wand on the nearest desk, and about ten questions appeared on every piece of parchment. The class just stared up at her, collectively thinking "Is she for real?"
"Go on, then. You've got twenty minutes, and then we're going to share with the class!"
"Why are we doing this, Professor?" Neville asked quietly. "We all know each other by now."
"Well, of course YOU all do, dear, but I don't.And I would so love to get to know each and every one of you a bit better. SO, get to work everyone." She smiled at the class again, and sat down.
Okay, that's the second chapter. Don't worry, it gets better. And if you're offended by Miora (if you're blonde) don't worry, she gets deeper. Yes, some serious character development is coming. So keep reading (
"Who's it for?" Lavender said thoughtfully.
"Probably just a transfer student." Hermione replied nonchalantly, not looking up from her book. The other girls nodded, and scattered off into their usual groups, filling the room with a warm buzz. This was abruptly interrupted by a few trunks floating into the room and landing on the empty bed. They were followed by none other than Prof. Lafayette, who was pocketing her oddly long wand as she walked in.
"Hi girls!" She said cheerily, plopping down on the bed. She received a rather unenthusiastic "hello, professor."
"Ummmm, Professor, I'd hate to be rude, but why are you here?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"They didn't tell you?" Prof. Lafayette said, raising an eyebrow. "Ahh, well that's ok. Ya see, I just got here, and they don't have a room for me yet, so I'm gonna be sleeping in the Gryffindor Dormitories."
"Oh." she replied, not sounding so happy. "That's wonderful, professor. Really."
"Oh, please, call me Miora! Professor makes me sound so old, don't you think?"
No answer. She sighed, and began to magically pin various photos (magical and non) onto the wall above her bed, much like a teenager. She finished much later, after all the girls had gone to sleep. She surveyed the room, smiling to herself. "Just like the old days." She thought, lying down to sleep.
Professor Lafayette did not show up at breakfast the next morning. The subject of her had now died down, even though everyone was quite eager to see what her lessons would be like. The Gryffindor sixth years happened to be her first class that day, a double-session. Many people arrived at the classroom early, only to find the door shut. A note, written in purple ink, was on the door. It read, "Please stand in a single file line, get a quill, parchment, and ink ready. Love, Prof. Lafayette" This raised a few eyebrows, although the students obeyed.
About ten minutes later, the door opened, revealing Prof. Lafayette behind it. She stepped aside and held it open, ushering the students inside.
"Okay, everyone! Just sit down in whatever desk you fancy, and don't talk."
Everyone did so. Hermione noticed that the professor looked extremely nervous. She was sitting behind her desk, fiddling with her wand and smoothing out her robes and hair. Finally she stood up and said
"So, students, my name is Professor Miora Octavia Minerva Belladonna Eloise Lafayette. BUT, you can call me Professor, Miora, or Madame. Any questions?"
Ron had raised his hand.
"Yes, dear?"
"Umm, why do you have so many middle names?" Miora grinned and tapped the chalkboard. What looked like a family tree showed up. On the bottom was "Miora", above which was "Belladonna" and "Eric". Above "Belladonna" was "Minerva" and a name they could not make out, and above "Eric" was "Octavia" and "Merrill".
"I have a middle name after my mother, both my grandmothers, and my great-grandmother on my father's side. And yes, the Minerva is our Professor McGonagall, Hermione."
"WELL, anyway, I'm teaching DADA this year, and, I must say, it's going to be quite enjoyable for you. Especially, I believe, when we have joint classes. Joint classes will be when we have other teachers come and teach with me, about the importance of say, herbs in defending yourself. Yes, Harry?"
"Is this something new? I haven't heard any previous sixth years talking about it."
Miora beamed, walking over to his desk. "Why, yes, how observant of you! It was MY idea, actually." She then walked over to her own desk and sat down. "Now, everyone, I want you to fill out the questions that are on your papers.." She tapped her wand on the nearest desk, and about ten questions appeared on every piece of parchment. The class just stared up at her, collectively thinking "Is she for real?"
"Go on, then. You've got twenty minutes, and then we're going to share with the class!"
"Why are we doing this, Professor?" Neville asked quietly. "We all know each other by now."
"Well, of course YOU all do, dear, but I don't.And I would so love to get to know each and every one of you a bit better. SO, get to work everyone." She smiled at the class again, and sat down.
Okay, that's the second chapter. Don't worry, it gets better. And if you're offended by Miora (if you're blonde) don't worry, she gets deeper. Yes, some serious character development is coming. So keep reading (
