Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well.

Chapter 16

At long last, classes began. Jolicia's first ever session at Hogwarts was with some of the second year students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Houses. She had to admit to herself that it went very well. She seemed to bond quickly with the children and they with her. They had such a hunger to learn, lapping up every word she said. The lesson finished without incident. After lunch, it was the sixth years' turn. This class was made up of students from all four Houses. Jo was anxious to see if what she had heard about the Slytherins was true; were they the trouble makers of Hogwarts? Time would tell.

Jolicia stood at the front of her classroom, smiling while the students filed in and found themselves a desk. She noticed that they tended to group together with members of their respective Houses; Gryffindors with Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs with Hufflepuffs, and so on. She knew that Harry, Ron and Hermione would have sat at the same desk, no matter what House they belonged to – best friends always stuck together. Once all were seated she began her greeting.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts" said Jo. "My name is Professor Jolicia Medwin."

"Good afternoon, Professor Medwin," replied the students with one voice.

Jolicia pulled out the class list and began to take roll call. She tried to look at each student as they called 'here' so that she could begin to associate a face with the name. She began with Hannah Abbott and called out names until she came to Blaise Zabini. When all were present and accounted for, she continued her planned lecture.

"I am aware that some of you have participated in some private lessons last term, and hence are a little further advanced than the others. I have decided that the best way for me to get to know all of you and to see where you stand academically is to conduct a private interview with each and every one of you," stated Jolicia. This was met by murmurs and rumbles from the class.

"There is nothing to be worried about; it will just be a get acquainted session, if you like," she said with a smile, trying to reassure them.

"However, before I get to know all of you, I think you would like to get to know me first. Yes?" she asked. They nodded in agreement, especially Ron, who still had that puppy dog look on his face. She began to tell them a little of her life story – where she was from, what school she had attended and had eventually taught at, how she came to be at Hogwarts. She also spoke lovingly of her family. Jo shared the great love story of her parents with her new charges. This was met with different reactions. Hermione thought it was just wonderful and romantic.

Draco Malfoy whispered under his breath to Crabbe and Goyle, "She's a fucking Mudblood!"

Before any one knew what was happening, Jolicia had pulled out her wand and yelled, "PETRIFICUS IMPERFECTUS!"

Malfoy was suddenly paralyzed from the chest down. He looked down at himself in terror, trying hard to move his lower body to no avail. The rest of the class stared in shock, many with their mouths wide open.

"MR. MALFOY, WHAT DID I JUST HEAR YOU SAY?" roared Jolicia.

"No-nothing, Professor," stuttered Draco, having just had the shit scared out of him.

"You and I are not getting off on the right foot. A lie is not a good way to start a relationship. You will find that I have EXCELLENT hearing Mr. Malfoy. I'll ask you again, what did you say?" pressed Jo.

"I said you were..." he began and stopped.

Draco looked pleadingly at Jolicia, hoping she wouldn't make him repeat his slur aloud. She just stood and stared him in the eye, arms crossed and clutching her wand.

His eyes looked down at his desk. "I said that you were a fucking Mudblood."

The class gasped in horror. Not only had he said a particularly nasty Muggle swear word, he had called the new teacher the most foul, demeaning name possible.

"I see. If I EVER hear you, or any one of you for that matter, say that word, Mudblood, again, in this class or anywhere else in this school, I will have you expelled. I don't care if your father is the Minister of Magic himself, you will be on the next train out of Hogwarts. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" she barked.

"Yes, Professor Medwin," responded a shaken class.

"Draco?"

"Yes, Professor. You make yourself more than clear," the half petrified boy answered.

"Excellent. In that case, I will continue where I left off. Finite Incantatum," said Jo with a flick of her wand. Malfoy regained the full use of his body.

Jolicia continued as she had planned, trying it make it light to lessen the tension in the room. As she looked around, she saw that the faces staring up at her were more than tense. Some of them looked terrified. She hated what she had just done, but racism was one thing she could not and would not tolerate. If he was capable of saying such a horrible thing about her, a teacher, imagine what he must say to the students of mixed or Muggle blood. Nasty piece of work. She also noticed he was the only student who could not look her in the eye. He was cowardly to boot. She would have her work cut out with him.

When Jolicia finished her story, she announced, "I will begin the interviews now. While I am doing this, I want the rest of you to write an essay, at least three feet in length, on what you hope to achieve in this class this year. I don't want any talking while I am out of the room. As I just demonstrated, I will hear you. Now, since you and I are already acquainted, Mr. Malfoy, you will be first. Please come with me to my office." She motioned for him to accompany her up the stairs. After the door closed, they all looked at one another in disbelief, no one daring even to whisper.

"Please have a seat, Draco," said Jo. "I trust there are no ill effects from the spell?"

"No, Professor," he replied.

"I really didn't enjoy doing that to you, you know. I had to get my point across. Do you understand?" inquired Jolicia.

"I understand that you shouldn't have done it. My father won't be pleased when he hears about it," answered Draco, reclaiming a little of his arrogance.

"I don't want to be mean, but I hardly think that your father is in a position to help you at the moment. Am I correct in thinking he is currently in Azkaban?"

Draco's cheeks flushed and he replied "He won't be there for much longer, Professor."

Jolicia assumed she was supposed to be worried about that – she wasn't. She studied the blonde boy before her.

"Draco, I have a question for you. Will you answer truthfully?" she wanted to know.

He looked at her, wondering what she was about to ask and decided to play along. "Yes, I promise I will answer truthfully," he offered.

"Good. I trust you. What is your opinion of Mudbloods, based on your own personal experience?" she queried.

He was surprised at the question. He mulled it over for a few moments and then began his answer.

"Mudbloods are stupid, lying, dirty, cheating…" Draco rhymed off.

She cut him off mid sentence.

"No, no, no – I asked you 'from your own experience'. I don't want you to repeat back to me what you have learned from your father. I assume that you know at least one person who does not have pure wizard blood in their veins?" Jo asked.

"Yes, Hermione Granger is a Mud…has Muggle parents," Draco said, catching himself.

"I see. Hermione is stupid then?"

Draco had to admit she wasn't; she was the smartest in his class. "No, Professor, she isn't."

"So she is dirty?"

"No, she isn't"

"She has been caught cheating at school?"

"No, never."

"And as for me, also a Mudblood, do you suppose that Headmaster Dumbledore would hire me and bring me all the way from Canada if I was even one of those things? Do you think he is that bad of a judge of character? Do I seem incompetent to you?" Jo probed.

"No, Professor."

Jolicia continued, "Draco, I want you to think long and hard about our discussion. Prejudice is a terrible, terrible thing. It is like a cancer, eating away at our society. I have known many so-called pure blood witches and wizards who perfectly fit the description you gave for a Mudblood. I have known some who would sell their own mother for a few Galleons. There is good and bad in all sectors of society and it is unfair to any one of them as a whole to be deemed unworthy. You must learn to see each person as an individual and decide on his or her merits accordingly. Don't just spit back what your father has drummed into you. Learn to be your own man with your own values."

Draco remained silent. Jo hoped he was digesting what she had said to him

"Enough lecture for now. Shall we begin again, Draco?" Jolicia said, offering her hand to the boy.

He studied her for a moment and then took her hand and said, "I'd like that very much, Professor Medwin."

She smiled, picked up his file and said, "Okay, my boy, now tell me what you know."

The rest of the class was just bursting to talk over what had happened. There had been a few notes passed back and forth, but they were nervous about doing that as well. They were all quite surprised to see Draco emerge from Professor Medwin's office in one piece. In fact, he seemed to be serene. Impossible! She must have cast a spell on him again. He returned to his seat and gave them all a 'what the fuck are you looking at' glare. He set about to write his essay as Susan Bones was called in for her interview.

Jolicia saw six more students and then dismissed the class. She had hoped to get in more interviews, but the encounter with Mr. Malfoy had been unexpected. After they had all gone, she sat on her desk with her head in her hands, and let out a long sigh - that had not gone too well. She hopped off the desk and set out to find the Headmaster. Jo thought she should let him know what she had done before he found out from someone else. Better to hear it from the horse's mouth than through the grapevine.

Jolicia had finally found Dumbledore and recounted the events of her first class with the sixth years. He listened intently and only his eyebrow rose when she got to the part about casting a spell on the boy. Naturally, she explained why she felt such an extreme measure was called for; she also assured him that this was not her usual teaching method. There had just been something so venomous about the way the boy had said it. She apologized profusely, but did not say that it wouldn't happen again. She knew that it might, if similarly provoked.

"How do things stand between you and young Mr. Malfoy, Jolicia?" inquired Albus.

"I think we have come to an understanding. We shook hands and had a good talk about his knowledge of DADA. I believe we will be able to put this little matter behind us, Headmaster," answered Jo truthfully.

"Good. Draco is not an easy child. I hope, as you do, that this was a learning experience for him. An experience that hopefully won't have to be repeated," suggested Dumbledore, giving her a serious look.

"No, Headmaster. I hope not as well. Thank you," said Jo, taking her leave.