The next day
"Good afternoon, class. Welcome to 6th year Muggle Studies," Adrienne addressed her class of Gryffindors, her last class of the day. "I am Professor Conlon, but you can call me Adrienne." She smiled warmly and winked. "Being called Professor makes me feel a bit ancient." The class tittered nervously. "In this class, I will help you get to know a world that I know intimately and love. Granted, by the time you leave this class, the knowledge I impart will be virtually obsolete, but nevermind that. It's still pretty bloody fun!" A red haired girl raised her hand. "Yes…um…"
"Ginny," she said. "Ginny Weasely."
"Right. Ginny," Adrienne said. "Wait, Arthur Weasely's daughter?" Ginny nodded. "You're father's a good man and very bright. I look forward to seeing what you have to contribute to the class. Anyway. What was your question?"
Ginny, who had turned a bit pink with embarassment from her teacher's attention, for which Adrienne felt truly sorry for, replied, "Why, m'am, will it be obsolete?"
"Because the muggle world is one of fast trends. The entire culture changes so rapidly, it is almost impossible to keep up to date," Adrienne said. "A very good question. Now, to get the ball rolling in the right direction, for the first few days we're going to partake in two of the most popular muggle entertainments, movies and music."
The class looked at each other with puzzled looks. "Movies?" "What's the big deal about muggle music?"
Adrienne giggled. "How many of you have heard of emo?" Blank looks. "Punk?" Blank again. "R&B?" No response. "As I thought. Now, usually, electronic devices cannot be used on Hogwarts grounds because of magical interference, but Professor Dumbledore has given me a spell to block the magic. I'm rather new at it, so bear with me."
She turned and grabbed her portable cd player. "What's that?" a boy from the back of the room asked.
"This," she said, "is a cd player, a portable stereo. And this," she held up a shiny plastic disk, "is a cd. This is how most muggles listen to music." The class looked extremely confused. "I wish I could tell you how they work exactly, but most muggles don't even know," she continued. "But just listen to the music. What you're going to be listening to is a song called 'The Middle' by an American band called Jimmy Eat World. Was very popular a few months ago. After that is a song by a band called Simple Plan that is on the radios a lot right now. And then is a classic song from the 1960's by Aretha Franklin called 'Respect.'" She slipped the cd into the player and closed it before stepping back and pulling out her wand. "Magius haltentum!," she cried, pointing her wand at the player.
A stream of blue came from her wand and surrounded the player in a bubble. The class gasped. "Good, it worked," Adrienne said with a self satisfied smile. She reached into the bubble and hit a button on the player, making music stream forth.
"Hey, don't write yourself off yet…"
The class looked at each other, first in amazement at the music, and then in amusement at the sight of Adrienne slightly dancing around to the music.
Meanwhile, Snape, done with his classes for the day, was stalking the halls, just waiting for a student to cross him, when he heard strange sound coming from the vicinity of Adrienne's class. He walked towards the music and found himself, indeed, at the door of Adrienne's class. He braced himself against anything he might see, because, knowing her, anything could be happening behind that door. Slowly, he opened it.
It was a dance party an entire class of 6th year Gryffindors were dancing around, with Adrienne right in the middle of it! "It just takes a while…"
No one had even noticed his presence. But soon enough, Adrienne did. "Severus!," she exclaimed, boogieing her way over.
The entire class stopped. Just the sound of the cd remained. "Everything everything will be alright, alright…"
Adrienne noticed the silence. Remembering what she had heard briefly of Snape's reputation as a teacher, she made herself not drag him into dancing but said, "Is there a problem Professor Snape?"
"Yes," he said. "Your music is too loud and you obviously cannot control your class."
"Just an introduction to muggles, Professor," she said. He glared at her, putting on the act of being angry. She nodded, suddenly understanding the extent of the demeanor he had with students, and slowly turned around to face the class. "Class dismissed. Homework. With another classmate, write two scrolls of parchment on electricity, whatever about it you want. Due next class."
The class slowly slunk out except for Ginny, who scurried up to Adrienne. "Please, Professor Conlon, could you bring your…c…d…player to the dorms sometime and show us all about it and tell us about the music?" she pleaded, stumbling over the new term "cd player".
"Of course, Ginny," Adrienne replied with a sweet smile. Ginny grinned and ran quickly out of the room. "So, what draws you into my lair?"
"The racket coming from your room," Severus responded, noting that the music was still playing, only now a different song.
"…And I wrote this letter in my head, 'cause so many things were left unsaid…" the voice from the stereo sang.
"Very different from the music you played yesterday," Snape stated. "It's not bad," he said, thinking more about the lyrics than anything else.
"I'd do anything just to hold you in my arms, to try to make you laugh, 'cause somehow I can't put you in the past…"
"Who is it?" he asked.
"Simple Plan," Adrienne replied. "I've got the whole cd if you want to borrow it and my stereo. They're pretty good. In fact, I'll give it to you after dinner tonight."
Snape nodded. "Speaking of which," he said, "I have paperwork to do before getting ready. Anything I should wear especial?"
"Yes. Muggle clothes," she said.
Snape looked at her like she'd just said the dumbest thing ever. "Yes, Adrienne, I know that. But anything else to take into consideration?" She thought for a minute before answering the negative. "Very well, then," he said, "I take my leave until this evening." He nodded his head and turned to leave, the song echoing in his mind.
"This could be my one last chance to make you understand. And I just can't let you leave me once again…"
"This is your chance, Severus," he thought to himself. "Don't blow it."
"Good afternoon, class. Welcome to 6th year Muggle Studies," Adrienne addressed her class of Gryffindors, her last class of the day. "I am Professor Conlon, but you can call me Adrienne." She smiled warmly and winked. "Being called Professor makes me feel a bit ancient." The class tittered nervously. "In this class, I will help you get to know a world that I know intimately and love. Granted, by the time you leave this class, the knowledge I impart will be virtually obsolete, but nevermind that. It's still pretty bloody fun!" A red haired girl raised her hand. "Yes…um…"
"Ginny," she said. "Ginny Weasely."
"Right. Ginny," Adrienne said. "Wait, Arthur Weasely's daughter?" Ginny nodded. "You're father's a good man and very bright. I look forward to seeing what you have to contribute to the class. Anyway. What was your question?"
Ginny, who had turned a bit pink with embarassment from her teacher's attention, for which Adrienne felt truly sorry for, replied, "Why, m'am, will it be obsolete?"
"Because the muggle world is one of fast trends. The entire culture changes so rapidly, it is almost impossible to keep up to date," Adrienne said. "A very good question. Now, to get the ball rolling in the right direction, for the first few days we're going to partake in two of the most popular muggle entertainments, movies and music."
The class looked at each other with puzzled looks. "Movies?" "What's the big deal about muggle music?"
Adrienne giggled. "How many of you have heard of emo?" Blank looks. "Punk?" Blank again. "R&B?" No response. "As I thought. Now, usually, electronic devices cannot be used on Hogwarts grounds because of magical interference, but Professor Dumbledore has given me a spell to block the magic. I'm rather new at it, so bear with me."
She turned and grabbed her portable cd player. "What's that?" a boy from the back of the room asked.
"This," she said, "is a cd player, a portable stereo. And this," she held up a shiny plastic disk, "is a cd. This is how most muggles listen to music." The class looked extremely confused. "I wish I could tell you how they work exactly, but most muggles don't even know," she continued. "But just listen to the music. What you're going to be listening to is a song called 'The Middle' by an American band called Jimmy Eat World. Was very popular a few months ago. After that is a song by a band called Simple Plan that is on the radios a lot right now. And then is a classic song from the 1960's by Aretha Franklin called 'Respect.'" She slipped the cd into the player and closed it before stepping back and pulling out her wand. "Magius haltentum!," she cried, pointing her wand at the player.
A stream of blue came from her wand and surrounded the player in a bubble. The class gasped. "Good, it worked," Adrienne said with a self satisfied smile. She reached into the bubble and hit a button on the player, making music stream forth.
"Hey, don't write yourself off yet…"
The class looked at each other, first in amazement at the music, and then in amusement at the sight of Adrienne slightly dancing around to the music.
Meanwhile, Snape, done with his classes for the day, was stalking the halls, just waiting for a student to cross him, when he heard strange sound coming from the vicinity of Adrienne's class. He walked towards the music and found himself, indeed, at the door of Adrienne's class. He braced himself against anything he might see, because, knowing her, anything could be happening behind that door. Slowly, he opened it.
It was a dance party an entire class of 6th year Gryffindors were dancing around, with Adrienne right in the middle of it! "It just takes a while…"
No one had even noticed his presence. But soon enough, Adrienne did. "Severus!," she exclaimed, boogieing her way over.
The entire class stopped. Just the sound of the cd remained. "Everything everything will be alright, alright…"
Adrienne noticed the silence. Remembering what she had heard briefly of Snape's reputation as a teacher, she made herself not drag him into dancing but said, "Is there a problem Professor Snape?"
"Yes," he said. "Your music is too loud and you obviously cannot control your class."
"Just an introduction to muggles, Professor," she said. He glared at her, putting on the act of being angry. She nodded, suddenly understanding the extent of the demeanor he had with students, and slowly turned around to face the class. "Class dismissed. Homework. With another classmate, write two scrolls of parchment on electricity, whatever about it you want. Due next class."
The class slowly slunk out except for Ginny, who scurried up to Adrienne. "Please, Professor Conlon, could you bring your…c…d…player to the dorms sometime and show us all about it and tell us about the music?" she pleaded, stumbling over the new term "cd player".
"Of course, Ginny," Adrienne replied with a sweet smile. Ginny grinned and ran quickly out of the room. "So, what draws you into my lair?"
"The racket coming from your room," Severus responded, noting that the music was still playing, only now a different song.
"…And I wrote this letter in my head, 'cause so many things were left unsaid…" the voice from the stereo sang.
"Very different from the music you played yesterday," Snape stated. "It's not bad," he said, thinking more about the lyrics than anything else.
"I'd do anything just to hold you in my arms, to try to make you laugh, 'cause somehow I can't put you in the past…"
"Who is it?" he asked.
"Simple Plan," Adrienne replied. "I've got the whole cd if you want to borrow it and my stereo. They're pretty good. In fact, I'll give it to you after dinner tonight."
Snape nodded. "Speaking of which," he said, "I have paperwork to do before getting ready. Anything I should wear especial?"
"Yes. Muggle clothes," she said.
Snape looked at her like she'd just said the dumbest thing ever. "Yes, Adrienne, I know that. But anything else to take into consideration?" She thought for a minute before answering the negative. "Very well, then," he said, "I take my leave until this evening." He nodded his head and turned to leave, the song echoing in his mind.
"This could be my one last chance to make you understand. And I just can't let you leave me once again…"
"This is your chance, Severus," he thought to himself. "Don't blow it."