Chapter 6: Defense Against the Dark Arts

The professor walked down the stairs and through the rows of desks. Melissa, like everyone else, turned to try and see the professor's face, but, whoever it was, kept his or her head down. When he or she reached the front of the classroom, they turned and smiled sweetly at the students. Melissa let out an audible gasp when she caught sight of the professor's face.

It was Shelbie Wood, a friend and teacher of Melissa's from Sullivan's. Melissa could do nothing more than stare and blink like a goldfish. Shelbie watched her with a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her face.

"Sh—Shelbie!" Melissa finally choked out.

"Oh, hey, Mel! What's up?" Shelbie asked calmly, as if they had seen each other every day for the past week or so.

"Wha—that's all you can say?!" Melissa burst out. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving Sullivan's for Hogwarts?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" the young professor inquired slyly, evading Melissa's question.

"I didn't know!" Melissa replied, outraged.

"Calm down, Mel. I didn't know, either," Shelbie reassured, still smiling. She then turned to the rest of the class, all of whom had been watching this odd display in amazement. "Everyone, my name is Professor Shelbie Wood. You may call me Professor Wood. Now, at the beginning of each term, I like to have my students ask questions about myself and I'll answer them. So, anyone have any questions?"

Several hands flew up into the air.

"Okay, when I point to you, tell me your name so I can write it down. Oh, and by the way, I hope you like the seats you're in, as you'll be sitting there for the rest of this marking period," Shelbie added, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She conjured up a piece of parchment with little squares drawn on it in the formation of their classroom and a quill to write with. "Um, how about the Gryffindor in the first row?"

"Seamus Finnigan, Professor," the Irish boy said.

"Okay, Seamus Finnigan, go ahead," Shelbie invited as she finished writing his name.

"Are you single?"

This brought out a huge round of laughter, even from the Slytherins.

"Why, yes, I am," Shelbie answered suggestively, grinning widely. "Why, are you free Saturday night?"

The air around Seamus rang with laughter as the sandy-haired young man blushed furiously.

"Dean dared me to," Seamus declared loudly, pointing at the tall, black boy next to him.

"Did not!" Dean defended fervently.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Okay, okay, all right, everyone," Shelbie said, trying to calm everyone down. "Anyone have any real questions? Yes, you, over in the Slytherin fifth-row?"

(A/N: JKR didn't clarify what gender Blaise Zabini is, so I went with female because it didn't seem as though there were many Slytherin girls.)

"Blaise Zabini, Professor Wood," the Slytherin girl called, flipping her chestnut hair pompously over her shoulder. "How old are you?" she asked when Shelbie had finished writing her name down.

"A girl never tells her age, Miss Zabini," Shelbie replied, her eyes glittering. Blaise looked taken aback. "No, I'm just kidding. I'm twenty- three. Okay, is that all? Mel, you know everything about me. What could you *possibly* have to ask?"

"Shelbie, why were you sent here?" Melissa asked quietly, serious for once in her life. "Were you sent here to look after me or watch me? To make sure I don't get into any more trouble than I used to at Sullivan's?"

"Uh, Melissa, I'll, uh, um, see me after class, okay? We'll talk then," Shelbie replied, looking years ahead of her twenty-three. "Okay, then." She looked down at her notes and cleared her throat before she continued talking. "Now we will be continuing what your third-year teacher—um, Lupin, Professor Lupin—started. Can anyone tell me what you've already covered? You know, just so we don't do it over again?"

Melissa and Seamus had to dodge sideways into Harry and Dean to avoid being hit by Hermione's hand.

"Yes, uh, I'm sorry, what's your name?" Shelbie asked apologetically.

"Hermione Granger, please, Professor," Hermione requested. "With Professor Lupin, we worked on kappas, Red Caps, boggarts, hinky-punks, grindylows, and werewolves," the brunette added, rattling off a list of odd creatures from memory.

"Okay, so you haven't worked on—oh, say, trolls, hippogriffs, or dragons?" Shelbie asked, waving her hand around.

There was a smattering of laughter and giggling as most of the Gryffindors tapped, prodded, and pointed at Harry. Blushing, he grinned.

"Did I…miss something?" Shelbie asked curiously.

"Two years ago, Hogwarts hosted the Triwizard Tournament. After a bizarre turn of events, I was one of the Hogwarts champions," Harry replied. "For the first task, we had to beat a dragon to get a golden egg that was our clue for the next task. I beat mine the quickest and learned a lot about dragons in the process," Harry added, still glowing red.

"Oh, okay, then, never mind," Shelbie said, crossing something off on her clipboard. "Um, what about Quintapeds, Acromantulas, or Diricawls?" The answer to her question was 'no'. "Finally. All right, please turn to page one of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. It's after all the pages with the x's, v's, and i's as the bottom of them," she added, grinning.

For the next minute or so, the only sound was that of the shuffling of multiple papers as everyone turned to that page.

"Everyone there?" Shelbie asked, clapping her hands together." Okay, please read the section on Acromantulas. Afterward, we'll each state one fact from the article. Right, you have five minutes, as it's relatively short. Go ahead."

After everyone had finished reading, Shelbie stood up.

"Now, recall a fact from the article you've just read. When I point to you, tell me your name so I can write it down. Now, who's got something? Oh, and don't repeat what someone else has already said just to get your house more points. I'll end up taking points away. I really don't like to do that, so please don't make me. The only time I'll take points away is if I really have to. And I don't favor people or houses, like I heard some teachers do around here."

A huge fake cough exploded from nearly all the Gryffindors. It sounded suspiciously like "Snape and the Slytherins" but, you know, it could have been something else. :-) Shelbie laughed while the Slytherins scowled.

"Oh, yeah, you guys, that was really convincing," she said, still laughing. "Okay, come one, people, give me something here."

Immediately, several hands flew up into the air, including Hermione's (A/N: No surprise there!), Dean's, Pansy's, and, surprisingly, Malfoy's. Others' hands tentatively went up also, including Neville's and Lavender's, both rather unexpectedly from the looks on her faces. Shelbie looked around the room before choosing someone.

"Ummm, how about you there, the blonde Slytherin?" she finally asked, pointing at Malfoy.

"Draco Malfoy," he responded, being, oddly enough, courteous. When Shelbie heard his name, she looked up sharply from her bent over position.

"Malfoy?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," he answered, his tone challenging. "Why, you don't like Malfoys?"

"That's not it at all," Shelbie replied, a dangerous edge in her voice. "But it will be if you talk to me like that again. You don't want to lose Slytherin any points, do you?" Malfoy said nothing, only scowled.

"Am I clear? Or do you need more guidance, Mr. Malfoy?"

"No, ma'am," he mumbled his eyes downcast. Normally he would have retorted and not have cared if a teacher took off points from Slytherin, but he sensed this…this Shelbie Wood, she was different from other teachers.

"Good. Now, state your fact."

" 'Rumours that a colony of Acromantula as been established in Scotland are unconfirmed'," Malfoy recited. Harry and Ron's hands flew up simultaneously at this statement.

"Yes, uh, Harry and Ron," Shelbie asked, checking her seating chart. "Is this the same comment or different?"

"Same," they chorused.

"Go ahead," came the answer.

"Rumours that a colony of Acroman—" Malfoy cut them off here.

"Professor! Professor, you said that we can't repeat what someone else has already said!" he cried, leaping up. "I just said that!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" all of the Gryffindors shouted at the blonde. Malfoy, looking slightly like a wounded puppy, sat down quietly at Shelbie's motion.

"Well, rumours that a colony of Acromantula has been established in Scotland—" Ron started.

"—have been confirmed by Ron Weasley and Harry Potter," Harry finished. Shelbie was stunned.

"Wha—what?" she stammered, dumbfounded. "You—you—you—you've… *confirmed* these rumours?! How—where are they?"

"In our second year, the gamekeeper, Hagrid, was accused of setting a basilisk on Muggle-born students—" Harry began to explain.

"Harry killed it. The basilisk, I mean," Ron, broke in, grinning. "We're all very proud of him."

"Shut up, Ron," Harry replied, once again blushing. "*Anyway*, he said, and this is a direct quote, accent and all, 'If anyone wanted ter find out some *stuff*, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the *spiders*. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'.' Well, we followed the *little* spiders until we found *bigger* spiders. Acromantula, I believe they're called. Right here in our own Forbidden Forest. Let's just say we're lucky to be alive. Turns out they eat anyone and anything that strays into their path unless it's Hagrid." When Harry had finished talking, the room was silent. Finally, Shelbie spoke.

"Ah. I see. Okay, wow, well, um, we have about twenty more minutes. Can anyone tell me anyone else about Acromantula? Oh, and Draco, good job. Take ten points to Slytherin. Please, no nastiness next time, okay? Yes, you?" she added, pointing to Neville.

"Neville Longbottom, Professor." Neville waited for Shelbie to finish writing down his name before continuing. " 'The Acromantula is a monstrous eight-eyed spider covered in thick black hair?' " he asked rather than said. At his statement, Ron shuddered violently.

"Good, Neville, ten points to Gryffindor." Neville grinned gloriously as Shelbie marked down his points. Looking from Ron to Harry to Neville, Pansy, smiling nastily, raised her hand again. "Yes, honey, what's your name?" Shelbie asked.

"Pansy Parkinson, Professor Wood. I have three facts, may I tell them all?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Go ahead," Shelbie invited, writing Pansy's name down.

"One: Ron Weasley is a little scaredy-cat. Two: Harry Potter is full of himself. Three: Neville Longbottom is a stupid Squib without a drop of knowledge in his head," Pansy stated, her evil grin growing wider.

"Very good, Miss Parkinson," Shelbie answered pleasantly, causing the Gryffindors to stop sneering and to throw Shelbie alarmed looks. "Unfortunately, through, I can't give you any house points. I can take them away, which, of course, I'm going to do. Thanks to your classmate, Slytherin, the points Draco had won Slytherin are now no more. You, Miss Parkinson, win…detention! Congratulations! People, let me make something clear. I *will not* tolerate *anyone*, no matter what house they are in, making fun of or insulting others in my classroom or in front of me. And if I catch you doing that very thing *anywhere*, woe betide you," Shelbie finished sternly.

"Okay, the bell is going to ring in a moment," she said, checking her watch. Just then a shrill bell, magically made louder than usual, sounded, echoing throughout the halls. "Well, speak of the devil. Oh, no, no, no, no, wait, don't move a muscle!" Shelbie ordered as everyone began a mad dash for the door.

At this everyone, except Melissa, froze in various positions, some of them slightly painful. Melissa, with a piece of parchment in front or her, was still packing her bag.

"Mel! She said not to move a muscle!" Harry hissed at her from one of the more painful poses. His torso was twisted around to reach his bag, with his head still facing front.

"You are!" she shot back. "And she meant 'Don't go anywhere yet'!" Ron and Hermione smiled at each other, both thinking the same thing, Yep, they're both definitely brother and sister.

"Oh, sorry, everyone. I meant, don't go anywhere yet," Shelbie apologized, an amused smile on her face. The Slytherins and Gryffindors relaxed with a collective relieved sigh.

"See?" Melissa whispered matter-of-factly to Harry. He stuck his tongue out at her. She stuck hers out back.

"Wow, you guys are the most literal group I've had so far. Anyway, let's talk…homework." She was met by groans from both houses. "Hey, got to get back into it. For homework, write a short essay, listing five different creatures you want to study this term and why. No length limit, but, please, write more than two sentences for each creature." She looked around the room, meeting each student's eyes. She lingered on Malfoy's eyes a bit longer than everyone else, acting as though she were studying him, then snapped out of her reverie. "Now, get out of here."

As everyone else finished packing their bags amongst he chattering din, Melissa vaulted the barrier separating the teacher's desks and the students' desks.

"Why didn't you owl me?" Melissa cried even before she reached the blonde, hazel-eyed teacher.

"Mel. Listen to me. You. Weren't. Supposed. To. Know," Shelbie explained slowly, as if this were the *most* obvious thing in the world.

"Why weren't you at the feast the other night?" Melissa demanded.

"The other teacher and I got in after it ended," Shelbie replied, shrugging. "You guys are going to be late for—what, Potions, isn't it? I have another class, the seventh year Hufflepuffs, I think. Melissa, wait a sec." Before she started talking, Shelbie shooed Ron, Hermione, and Harry toward the back of the room.

"What?" Melissa asked as Shelbie walked back to her.

"That's him, right?" Shelbie asked in a low tone, gesturing in the general direction of Harry, who was waiting with Hermione and Ron for Melissa in the back of the room.

"Yeah, that's Harry," Melissa replied in just as low a voice.

"I can sort of see the family resemblance now," Shelbie said, tilting her head to the side. "Oh, Mel, watch out for that Malfoy kid. His father's bad news and I have a feeling he is, too."

"I know," Melissa remarked darkly. "I've already experienced the Malfoy nastiness."

"Why? What happened?" Shelbie asked sharply.

"He was just being a jerk out in the corridor," Melissa told her dismissively, waving her hand behind her in the direction of the hallway. "Don't worry. I took care of it. I don't think he'll be messing with me anymore."

"Okay, but…just be careful," Shelbie advised worriedly.

"Calm down, Shelbie. You're starting to sound like my aunt and uncle," Melissa replied, turning to her friends and brother. I'll talk to you later," she added, waving. She met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they started walking out the door, leaving Shelbie standing there.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's…nothing to worry about," Melissa said, not exactly answering the question. "She was just warning me about Malfoy and his dad. She says that his dad's bad news and she has a feeling that he is, also."

"Well, *we* could have told you that," Ron remarked teasingly. They continued laughing and joking with each other as they made their way down to the dungeons.

A/N: Hope you liked it! *Please* review, writing these is all that's left in my life (well, that and watching the Harry Potter DVDs and videos. Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton, and Sean Biggerstaff were *soooo* HOT in that movie!!!!!!!).