"Heard what Omega's like?" Harry asked Hermione as they walked towards the
Transfiguration classroom.
"No, but I heard from the seventh-years that she's from Gryffindor. And I saw her yelling at the Slytherins from Trelawney's classroom. She seems pretty decent."
Harry turned to Ron to ask him, but Ron had gone all dreamy at the mention of Omega's name. He seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a wall right in front of him.
"Whadda?" he asked, snapping out of his stupor with an inch to spare. Harry and Hermione could hardly suppress their laughter throughout the lesson.
Two hours later, they filed into the classroom as Omega glared silently at the blackboard. The spectacles were gone, but she looked just as formidable.
She spun around, her face lit up with an amused smile.
"You're probably wondering what the deal is with all the frowning."
Some students nodded slightly, others just looked puzzled.
"You'll be studying a range of topics for your NEWTs this year," she continued. "Starting with Surrunjation. Surrunjation is one of the most advanced topics in the NEWT syllabus, but if you get the basics, it's an O in the bag. We can't exactly bewitch flying pebbles in here, so it's downstairs. Now."
The class filed out, some looking very relieved that this year's Defence classes would finally be interesting.
"Now, does anyone know what Surrunjation actually is?"
As usual, Hermione was bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet, trying to answer.
"Yes, Miss..."
"Granger, Professor. Surrunjation is the bewitching of surrounding objects to one's aid." Harry found himself recalling the time Dumbledore had caused statues to spring alive last summer.
"Wonderful. Take ten points to Gryffindor. Surrunjation is quite like Charms, but in a much stronger form. Let's begin with the incantation. Surrenjero!"
"Surrenjero!" the class repeated. In fact, Ron was so enthusiastic that the sand around him was shifted.
"Excellent, Mr. Weasley. Take another ten." Omega beamed at Ron, whose cheeks went pink under the freckles.
"Did you hear that? She knows my name! Harry! HARRY!"
Harry was too caught up in his sniggers to hear.
"Brilliant work, all of you. Proceed on to the wandwork, shall we? It's a simple flicking movement, and done with the incantation, and a lot of practice, you should be able to execute it without much difficulty. Wands out, everyone."
There was a flurry of movement as everyone pulled out their wands. A black rod flew out of Omega's sleeve into her hand. People stared.
"Yes, it's charcoal," she said briskly. "Good hard charcoal too. Troll trampled all over it last summer and not even a splinter." She smiled at the memory. The already rather high level of interest in the class regarding this weird teacher rose by a few notches.
"Now, line up in front of me in a row, and direct this pile of pebbles at me, using the charm that you have just learned." As she spoke, a pile of small stones appeared out of thin air in front of her.
"Mr. Weasley, would you care to go first?"
Ron's face now resembled a tomato. The class backed away as he stepped nervously in front of everyone. Coincidentally, Draco Malfoy, who was on his way back to class from Care of Magical Creatures, decided to pass unnaturally close and make a snide remark.
"Oy! Weasel King! Going to make another fool of yourself as usual, eh?"
Omega, who had been looking the other way, replied casually,"Five points from Slytherin for that outrageous remark, Mr. Malfoy. Any more and it'll be five hundred." Malfoy looked shocked that she had heard him in the first place. Ron was looking much happier. "Ready then, Ron?" Omega asked. He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the pebbles, then on Omega.
"SURRENJERO!" he bellowed. All at once, the pile of rocks flew into the air, and sped at Omega. She did not flinch at all as the stones hit her all over. The class gasped in astonishment, some girls even let out screams of shock. Ron looked pleased with his effort, but in absolute shock at Omega's lack of reaction.
"Longyan cursed leather," she said, seeing the mystified faces. She turned around, showing them the dragon logo. "Longyan means Dragon's Eye in mandarin. Got it straight from the Orient." The class was even more in awe. "That was an amazing spell, Weasley. Take ten points." Looking more confident, the class stepped up one by one to perform the spell. Seamus Finnigan gave such a strong incantation that the water from the lake rose a bit, and Lavender Brown managed to extract a gopher from its nearby hole, along with the pebbles. However, Omega was most impressed by Ron's interest in the subject.
"Very good, class. There will be no written homework today, but you are encouraged to practice the spell." The class looked very happy as they trooped back to the castle.
"Continue like this and you'll make an excellent Auror, Weasley." She grinned at Harry, Ron and Hermione as she strode into the Great Hall. The happiness in Ron swelled until he was about to burst.
"No, but I heard from the seventh-years that she's from Gryffindor. And I saw her yelling at the Slytherins from Trelawney's classroom. She seems pretty decent."
Harry turned to Ron to ask him, but Ron had gone all dreamy at the mention of Omega's name. He seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a wall right in front of him.
"Whadda?" he asked, snapping out of his stupor with an inch to spare. Harry and Hermione could hardly suppress their laughter throughout the lesson.
Two hours later, they filed into the classroom as Omega glared silently at the blackboard. The spectacles were gone, but she looked just as formidable.
She spun around, her face lit up with an amused smile.
"You're probably wondering what the deal is with all the frowning."
Some students nodded slightly, others just looked puzzled.
"You'll be studying a range of topics for your NEWTs this year," she continued. "Starting with Surrunjation. Surrunjation is one of the most advanced topics in the NEWT syllabus, but if you get the basics, it's an O in the bag. We can't exactly bewitch flying pebbles in here, so it's downstairs. Now."
The class filed out, some looking very relieved that this year's Defence classes would finally be interesting.
"Now, does anyone know what Surrunjation actually is?"
As usual, Hermione was bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet, trying to answer.
"Yes, Miss..."
"Granger, Professor. Surrunjation is the bewitching of surrounding objects to one's aid." Harry found himself recalling the time Dumbledore had caused statues to spring alive last summer.
"Wonderful. Take ten points to Gryffindor. Surrunjation is quite like Charms, but in a much stronger form. Let's begin with the incantation. Surrenjero!"
"Surrenjero!" the class repeated. In fact, Ron was so enthusiastic that the sand around him was shifted.
"Excellent, Mr. Weasley. Take another ten." Omega beamed at Ron, whose cheeks went pink under the freckles.
"Did you hear that? She knows my name! Harry! HARRY!"
Harry was too caught up in his sniggers to hear.
"Brilliant work, all of you. Proceed on to the wandwork, shall we? It's a simple flicking movement, and done with the incantation, and a lot of practice, you should be able to execute it without much difficulty. Wands out, everyone."
There was a flurry of movement as everyone pulled out their wands. A black rod flew out of Omega's sleeve into her hand. People stared.
"Yes, it's charcoal," she said briskly. "Good hard charcoal too. Troll trampled all over it last summer and not even a splinter." She smiled at the memory. The already rather high level of interest in the class regarding this weird teacher rose by a few notches.
"Now, line up in front of me in a row, and direct this pile of pebbles at me, using the charm that you have just learned." As she spoke, a pile of small stones appeared out of thin air in front of her.
"Mr. Weasley, would you care to go first?"
Ron's face now resembled a tomato. The class backed away as he stepped nervously in front of everyone. Coincidentally, Draco Malfoy, who was on his way back to class from Care of Magical Creatures, decided to pass unnaturally close and make a snide remark.
"Oy! Weasel King! Going to make another fool of yourself as usual, eh?"
Omega, who had been looking the other way, replied casually,"Five points from Slytherin for that outrageous remark, Mr. Malfoy. Any more and it'll be five hundred." Malfoy looked shocked that she had heard him in the first place. Ron was looking much happier. "Ready then, Ron?" Omega asked. He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the pebbles, then on Omega.
"SURRENJERO!" he bellowed. All at once, the pile of rocks flew into the air, and sped at Omega. She did not flinch at all as the stones hit her all over. The class gasped in astonishment, some girls even let out screams of shock. Ron looked pleased with his effort, but in absolute shock at Omega's lack of reaction.
"Longyan cursed leather," she said, seeing the mystified faces. She turned around, showing them the dragon logo. "Longyan means Dragon's Eye in mandarin. Got it straight from the Orient." The class was even more in awe. "That was an amazing spell, Weasley. Take ten points." Looking more confident, the class stepped up one by one to perform the spell. Seamus Finnigan gave such a strong incantation that the water from the lake rose a bit, and Lavender Brown managed to extract a gopher from its nearby hole, along with the pebbles. However, Omega was most impressed by Ron's interest in the subject.
"Very good, class. There will be no written homework today, but you are encouraged to practice the spell." The class looked very happy as they trooped back to the castle.
"Continue like this and you'll make an excellent Auror, Weasley." She grinned at Harry, Ron and Hermione as she strode into the Great Hall. The happiness in Ron swelled until he was about to burst.
