The following morning, Sirius was awakened by James shaking him. 'C'mon,
everyone else is dressed and gone to breakfast, what did you do, take a
Sleeping Potion? Get up, Sirius!'
Sirius leapt out of bed, looking at the clock on his bedside table as he did so-it was quarter to nine! He quickly dressed himself, and hurried down to James, who was now waiting in the common room. They practically ran to the Great Hall. 'Thanks for waking me up', Sirius said. He had only slept so late because it had been hours before he finally fell asleep the previous night. When he had finally drifted off, his mind was filled with strange dreams, where Professor Dumbledore (whom Sirius very much liked) gave them his welcome speech and then turned into Bellatrix and told him that he was expelled, and had to leave Hogwarts at once.
Professor Dumbledore struck him as a powerful, but kindly man. He had only spoken to the students very briefly, informing first years in particular that the forest in the grounds was off limits. Sirius had heard that Dumbledore himself had been in Gryffindor. He felt immensely proud as he remembered this. He slid onto the bench at the Gryffindor table, between James and Remus. He ate hungrily, examining his timetable at the same time.
'Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin', he read aloud, 'Potions, History of Magic, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology with Ravenclaw...not bad.'
'I hear the Defence teacher is awful', Remus remarked, shoving a slice of toast into his mouth, and immediately buttering another, 'a real dragon.'
'We'll soon see', James replied cheerfully, swinging his bag onto his back, and crunching on an apple, 'you two coming or what?'
Defence Against the Dark Arts was held in a large classroom on the fourth floor. When James, Sirius and Remus arrived, all the Gryffindors and most of the Slytherins were already there. The latter threw Sirius dirty looks, but he couldn't have cared less. He sat down in the back row next to James.
'My parents think we should be learning the dark arts, not just how to defend ourselves against them', declared one Slytherin boy in a loud voice. Sirius caught sight of Severus Snape, nodding vigorously.
'They're right', he agreed, 'Durmstrang is the only school that does that, though.'
'Pity', sighed a Slytherin girl. James snorted impatiently. The Slytherins all turned in their seats to look at him.
'And what's your problem?' demanded the first boy, in a jeering tone.
'My problem', James replied coolly, 'is Slytherins, and their small little minds, completely obsessed with the Dark Arts.'
'Oh it is, is it?' Snape whipped out his wand, glaring at James.
'Yeah', James followed suit, half rising from his seat.
'Oh drop it, will you?' A Gryffindor girl with long, auburn hair, and startlingly green eyes said in a despairing voice, 'for goodness sake, it's the first day and people are already picking fights!'
James' mouth hung slightly open. He and Snape exchanged murderous glances. Sirius was just starting to wonder whether to intervene when a tall, imposing-looking woman with long, jet black hair and cold, grey eyes swept in. 'Good morning, class', she began, in a bored tone, staring around in a most unnerving manner, 'my name is Professor Grappenhall. I will be instructing you in Defence Against the Dark Arts.' She gazed at each of them in turn, her eyes boring into them. Sirius felt a shiver run down his spine.
'Although this is your first year here at Hogwarts, I will not tolerate tardiness, poor performance, bad behaviour or slackers. This is an important subject, and I expect you to treat it as such. You will not speak unless spoken to, you will do as I tell you and you will work hard. Is that understood?' She waited for a reply, tapping her foot impatiently.
'Yes, Professor', came the mumbled reply. She glared around at them all, and sighed deeply.
'Good. Then let us begin. Can anyone tell me the words for the most commonly used disarming spell?'
Several hands went up, Sirius' among them. Professor Grappenhall's gaze rested on him. 'Name?' She asked.
'Sirius Black', he replied. Her eyebrows shot up and she studied him closely.
'Black, eh?' She narrowed her eyes. 'Are you related to the Head Girl?'
'Narcissa?' Sirius said, 'yeah. She's my cousin.'
Professor Grappenhall'd eyebrows disappeared into her hair line, but she quickly modified her look of surprise and said 'very well, Black, answer the question.'
'Expelliarmus', he said, feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
'Good', she said, nodding, though she now wore a sour expression on her face, 'now, I will demonstrate, then I want you all to practice the wand movement, but do not cast the spell.'
The rest of the class was spent silently, with everyone waving their wands around, Professor Grappenhall snapping at those who were not doing it correctly. Jedidiah Johnson got rather carried away, and said 'Expelliarmus!' at the same moment as he waved his wand, and watched in astonishment as Professor Grappenhall's wand shot out of her hand, and landed on his desk. Professor Grappenhall pursed her lips, and walked slowly across to Jed, who swallowed hard. She whipped her wand up from the desk, and leaned over, so her face was only inches from his. 'What did I say about obeying my orders?' She hissed, 'detention tonight, eight o'clock.'
'Dictator', Sirius muttered under his breath, as the bell rang for the end of class. Professor Grappenhall whirled around.
'What was that, Black?' She snapped, having heard him perfectly.
'Nothing', Sirius said in a small voice.
'I think you need a detention too, to focus your mind, and show you how things work around here', she said coldly, 'I'll see you at eight o'clock also.'
And from that moment, Sirius was the enemy of Professor Grappenhall. Little did he know that he was going to regret that comment for the rest of the year.
Sirius leapt out of bed, looking at the clock on his bedside table as he did so-it was quarter to nine! He quickly dressed himself, and hurried down to James, who was now waiting in the common room. They practically ran to the Great Hall. 'Thanks for waking me up', Sirius said. He had only slept so late because it had been hours before he finally fell asleep the previous night. When he had finally drifted off, his mind was filled with strange dreams, where Professor Dumbledore (whom Sirius very much liked) gave them his welcome speech and then turned into Bellatrix and told him that he was expelled, and had to leave Hogwarts at once.
Professor Dumbledore struck him as a powerful, but kindly man. He had only spoken to the students very briefly, informing first years in particular that the forest in the grounds was off limits. Sirius had heard that Dumbledore himself had been in Gryffindor. He felt immensely proud as he remembered this. He slid onto the bench at the Gryffindor table, between James and Remus. He ate hungrily, examining his timetable at the same time.
'Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin', he read aloud, 'Potions, History of Magic, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology with Ravenclaw...not bad.'
'I hear the Defence teacher is awful', Remus remarked, shoving a slice of toast into his mouth, and immediately buttering another, 'a real dragon.'
'We'll soon see', James replied cheerfully, swinging his bag onto his back, and crunching on an apple, 'you two coming or what?'
Defence Against the Dark Arts was held in a large classroom on the fourth floor. When James, Sirius and Remus arrived, all the Gryffindors and most of the Slytherins were already there. The latter threw Sirius dirty looks, but he couldn't have cared less. He sat down in the back row next to James.
'My parents think we should be learning the dark arts, not just how to defend ourselves against them', declared one Slytherin boy in a loud voice. Sirius caught sight of Severus Snape, nodding vigorously.
'They're right', he agreed, 'Durmstrang is the only school that does that, though.'
'Pity', sighed a Slytherin girl. James snorted impatiently. The Slytherins all turned in their seats to look at him.
'And what's your problem?' demanded the first boy, in a jeering tone.
'My problem', James replied coolly, 'is Slytherins, and their small little minds, completely obsessed with the Dark Arts.'
'Oh it is, is it?' Snape whipped out his wand, glaring at James.
'Yeah', James followed suit, half rising from his seat.
'Oh drop it, will you?' A Gryffindor girl with long, auburn hair, and startlingly green eyes said in a despairing voice, 'for goodness sake, it's the first day and people are already picking fights!'
James' mouth hung slightly open. He and Snape exchanged murderous glances. Sirius was just starting to wonder whether to intervene when a tall, imposing-looking woman with long, jet black hair and cold, grey eyes swept in. 'Good morning, class', she began, in a bored tone, staring around in a most unnerving manner, 'my name is Professor Grappenhall. I will be instructing you in Defence Against the Dark Arts.' She gazed at each of them in turn, her eyes boring into them. Sirius felt a shiver run down his spine.
'Although this is your first year here at Hogwarts, I will not tolerate tardiness, poor performance, bad behaviour or slackers. This is an important subject, and I expect you to treat it as such. You will not speak unless spoken to, you will do as I tell you and you will work hard. Is that understood?' She waited for a reply, tapping her foot impatiently.
'Yes, Professor', came the mumbled reply. She glared around at them all, and sighed deeply.
'Good. Then let us begin. Can anyone tell me the words for the most commonly used disarming spell?'
Several hands went up, Sirius' among them. Professor Grappenhall's gaze rested on him. 'Name?' She asked.
'Sirius Black', he replied. Her eyebrows shot up and she studied him closely.
'Black, eh?' She narrowed her eyes. 'Are you related to the Head Girl?'
'Narcissa?' Sirius said, 'yeah. She's my cousin.'
Professor Grappenhall'd eyebrows disappeared into her hair line, but she quickly modified her look of surprise and said 'very well, Black, answer the question.'
'Expelliarmus', he said, feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
'Good', she said, nodding, though she now wore a sour expression on her face, 'now, I will demonstrate, then I want you all to practice the wand movement, but do not cast the spell.'
The rest of the class was spent silently, with everyone waving their wands around, Professor Grappenhall snapping at those who were not doing it correctly. Jedidiah Johnson got rather carried away, and said 'Expelliarmus!' at the same moment as he waved his wand, and watched in astonishment as Professor Grappenhall's wand shot out of her hand, and landed on his desk. Professor Grappenhall pursed her lips, and walked slowly across to Jed, who swallowed hard. She whipped her wand up from the desk, and leaned over, so her face was only inches from his. 'What did I say about obeying my orders?' She hissed, 'detention tonight, eight o'clock.'
'Dictator', Sirius muttered under his breath, as the bell rang for the end of class. Professor Grappenhall whirled around.
'What was that, Black?' She snapped, having heard him perfectly.
'Nothing', Sirius said in a small voice.
'I think you need a detention too, to focus your mind, and show you how things work around here', she said coldly, 'I'll see you at eight o'clock also.'
And from that moment, Sirius was the enemy of Professor Grappenhall. Little did he know that he was going to regret that comment for the rest of the year.