Chapter Eight: A New Threat?
Attention Gryffindor Second and Seventh Years
Defence Against the Dark Arts will take place today with Professor Alford. First period with the Hufflepuffs for Seventh Years, after lunch with the Slytherins for Second Years.
Ron eyed the Gryffindor bulletin board with a slight suspicion.
"Wonder what's taken him so long?"
"Dunno," Harry mumbled, shutting his eyes and leaning back on the sofa. It had been a late night and he wasn't up for any Defence Against the Dark Arts, new teacher or not.
"Are we ready, then?" Hermione asked, coming down the staircase and flattening the front of her skirt. Ron greeted her with a quick kiss and the two of them, dragging Harry behind them, left for class.
"I think they should keep an eye on this Alford guy…anyone who's busy enough to miss this many classes shouldn't be a teacher…should they?"
"Honestly, Ron. You think everyone needs to be kept under heavy surveillance, as long as they have the slightest hint of suspicion about them. I mean, you'd keep an eye on Dumbledore if he'd skived off-"
"I'm just saying…" Hermione shook her head. There was no changing the way Ron thought. They made their way down the stairs and a long the corridor to their first class.
For the first time in what seemed like ages, Harry spoke, "So what do you think he's like?"
"Well," Ron started at once, "If they've had enough patience to wait for him long enough, he must be good. Maybe he's-"
"A woman?" said Hermione, opening the classroom door.
All three of them peered into the classroom to find a few students who'd arrived early and a woman at the front of the classroom, rummaging through the papers on her desk. Her hair was tied back hastily in a messy bun and a small pair of glasses sat on the top of her head. She pulled out a quill from under the rubble of her cluttered table, stuck it between her teeth and kept searching.
"Good morning, Professor Alford," Hermione said brightly. She clearly hadn't heard her, for she continued piling and re-piling objects and papers.
"How do you know that's her?" Harry whispered.
Hermione made a big show of looking around the room, then said, "Do you see any other teachers?" Harry and Ron shrugged.
Harry, Ron and Hermione took their usual seats at the back of the classroom and waited for the rest of their classmates to file in.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Professor Alford."
Professor Alford stood at the front of the class, as though waiting for them to begin. Ron looked at Harry and Hermione respectively, then back at the teacher. She was quite stunning behind the stray hairs that covered the front of her face.
"Now, I've heard you've had a rather…unsuitable substitute for the past little while." She sat on the unoccupied table at the front of the class room and tucked her excess hair behind her right ear. Ron and Harry both looked mesmerized; Hermione scowled. "Well, I hope that with me now filling the position, that'll change." Several of the classmates (not surprisingly, the boys) nodded and continued staring. "Well let's see then," she said briskly, clapping her hands together and removing herself from the tabletop, "just a quick little quiz I want to try out on you."
Half the class moaned.
"Now, now, now," she said cheerfully, "it's nothing major, I just want to see how much you've learned throughout the past number of years. This is your last year, and the last chance you'll get to have a good sense of what you're really doing. So come on, pair up! Pair up!"
Ron glanced automatically at Hermione, then apologetically at Harry. Harry shook his head.
"It's ok, I'll just go with someone else." He scanned the classroom. "Neville- Nev- hey!" Harry motioned Neville over and he quickly obeyed, looking extremely grateful that someone had picked him. Ron turned to Hermione and smiled.
"I think I'll start with you two, then." Professor Alford stood beside them, clipboard in hand, tapping on it lightly with her wand.
"Oh, uh…right then," Ron stuttered, quickly breaking eye contact with Hermione.
"And your names would be?"
"Ron, Professor. Ron Weasley." Her eyes travelled slowly down her clipboard. She pulled a quill from behind her ear, made a quick check and returned it.
"And?"
"Hermione Granger," Hermione muttered sourly. Professor Alford scanned the clipboard and frowned.
"I don't see a- Oh, never mind. Goodness, darling, they've spelled your name wrong. Do you get that often?" she asked, crossing Hermione's name on the sheet and re-writing it properly.
"No, not often," she replied, looking disgusted, not only at the fact that someone had enough good looks to make every boy in the class swoon, but that she also had the nerve to call her "darling."
"Ok, stand up, stand up." Ron obeyed, Hermione reluctantly doing the same. "Alright then, Mr. Weasley, would you show me a…hmm…A full body-bind charm on Miss Granger here." Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at Ron, then at the teacher. Ron pointed his wand at her and drew in a tight breath.
"Petrificus Tota-" Hermione slammed her eyes shut and pinned her arms to her side, waiting for the worst. Ron lowered his wand. "I can't."
Professor Alford raised an eyebrow at him, and said, "You can't?" Ron shook his head.
"I can't just hurt her." Hermione sighed her relief then paused. She nearly felt sick with the thought of what damage could've been done, and her hand automatically flew to her stomach.
Professor Alford suddenly looked appalled with herself. "Of course, of course. Don't know what I was thinking just then… I'm sorry." She placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Goodness, you must think I'm mad. First day on the job and already I'm- Never mind, never mind. Erm…how about- Hermione, dear, would you just walk around a bit for me?" Hermione obeyed, still dismayed that Professor Alford felt she could talk to Hermione on such close terms, like she'd known her forever.
She strolled around the desks and watched as the teacher whispered something in Ron's ear. All of a sudden, Hermione felt a horrible pang of jealousy and wanted nothing more than to pull Ron free of her silky brown-haired, blue-eyed, thin as a model grasp and take him for herself, where he belonged.
"Locomotor Mortis!" Ron shouted, and before she knew it, Hermione found herself stuck to the spot, unable to move.
"Very good, Mr. Weasley, very good indeed," she said, blowing her hair out of her eyes and scribbling something on her clipboard. "And Miss Granger I would like you to…disarm Mr. Weasley, here." She pointed at Ron, as if she needed instruction as to who "Mr. Weasley" was. Hermione held out her wand and pictured Professor Alford's face on Ron's shoulders.
"Expelliarmus!"
Ron's wand flew clear out of his hand and across the classroom, landing with a light plunk on the floor near the opposite wall.
"Well done, Miss Granger." She made a quick note on her sheet and made her way to the next set of students.
"I don't like her," Hermione said at once, approaching Ron.
"Hermione, we've been in class for," he consulted his wristwatch, "less than half an hour. How could you possibly know if you like her or not?" She just shook her head.
"I just don't like her, Ron." They sat in silence for a few moments, before Ron put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned in to hug him as Professor Alford's voice echoed through the classroom.
"The Harry Potter?! My, my, my…do you think, perhaps, you could show me a Patronus Charm?" Ron and Hermione sighed in unison. It wasn't the first time Harry had been asked to show off his defence skills, and it most certainly wouldn't be his last.
A while later, after everyone had finished being quizzed, Ron looked at Hermione who was still glowering. "What is it about her that you don't like? I mean, look at her. She knows what she's doing, she's quite smart, she's-"
"She's what, Ron? She's charming? She's pretty?" Hermione scowled and looked away, finding herself close to tears. It was no surprise of course; the early effects of the pregnancy were hitting her hard.
Ron furrowed his brow. "I never said that."
"Oh, but you know you were thinking it." Ron gaped at her.
"Hermione, what is the matter with you lately? You're not eating, you're always in a bad mood, and now you're lashing out at me when I haven't done a thing!"
"Attention, class." Everyone looked up. "I'm pleased to say you all did very well." She beamed at the class, who looked completely unphased. "Now for homework, I'd like you to read Chapter One, pages 15-20 in your textbooks."
"That's it?" Seamus questioned.
Professor Alford nodded and said, "I'm not a very homework-obsessed teacher. I don't believe in giving my students essays to write on things they can just as easily keep in their heads. I believe in hardcore learning. None of this namby-pamby, wishy-washy 20-page long stuff. I mean, if learning isn't made interesting, then your student's wont want to learn will they?" Everyone exchanged excited whispers. Harry came and took his seat again next to Ron, smiling.
"I think I could get used to her."
-
Hermione sat on her bed, with Ginny on the floor flipping through one of the many books they'd smuggled from the library. She popped another brownie in her mouth and laid back on her pillow, feeling the sugar practically embedding cavities in her mouth.
"Look. Look, at this, Hermione." Ginny waved the book in front of her face and pointed to the bottom paragraph on the second page. "Shortly after missing your first period, your baby's heart begins to beat."
"Oh my God."
"What?"
Hermione set the brownies down on the bed and folded her hands over her stomach. "I just- I didn't know…" She stared at Ginny. "There's a whole other person inside- it's just- it's incredible, really."
"So, Hermione," Ginny started, "you never did tell me why you decided to keep it."
"I dunno, I just-" she paused, and sat up straight on the bed, "this might sound really stupid, but…I think I had some sort of vision, you know? Like a premonition. Something told me that no matter what…getting rid of this baby would be the biggest mistake I ever made." Ginny nodded. "Either way, my decision is made."
"And how did Ron react?"
Silence.
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Hermione, you haven't told him!?" Hermione shook her head bashfully. "Pull yourself together, girl! You have to tell him, or at least Madam Pomfrey."
"Ginny, I can't. If I tell anyone, it'll be the end of…everything!"
"But- but- God, Hermione-"
"Would you just stop it? Please? Ginny, it's not like this is a small issue here. It's not like I get pregnant every day, God. I'm just trying…I'm just trying to cope with one thing at a time, ok?"
Ginny just sighed, shook her head and said, "You know you'll regret keeping this a secret, Hermione." She shut the book and tossed it aside. Making her way to the door, she said, "You keep that in mind."
-
"Well, sure she's pretty, I guess," Ron mumbled, staring at his knees.
"And smart, and nice-"
"Not to mention easy."
"And did you see how big her-"
"Oh for Christ's sake, stop it!" Ginny hissed, "It's bad enough that you're all over Professor Alford, but could you at least, perhaps, have the decency to continue your conversation elsewhere?"
"Don't worry, Gin," Harry assured her, "I've only got eyes for you. We were just having a bit of a laugh." Ginny rolled her eyes and continued her work at the table.
Seamus laughed, "So come on, Ron, tell us what you really think."
"I said she's pretty." The rest of the boys exchanged skeptical looks. "Ok, she's really pretty."
"Come off it!"
"Fine, she's gorgeous! Happy?"
"She who?" Everyone turned to find Hermione standing at the foot of the girls' staircase, Parvati and Lavender in tow. "She who?" she repeated, moving closer.
Ron fidgeted in his seat and said, "she nobody."
Hermione didn't believe him for a minute. She walked over, plonked herself down on the sofa and looked him dead in the eye. "She who, Ron?" she asked, yet again. Ron looked hopefully at his classmates who all, wisely, turned away. "Fine. Goodbye everyone. Goobye, Ron. I'll be in the library."
"B-But-"
"I said goodbye."
The entire common room stared at him while his face reddened. As she stalked out of the common room, he hoped that he could at least scrape up what was left of his dignity and leave before the whole lot of them turned on him. He looked at Harry for approval.
"Go after her, mate."
-
"Hermione! Hermione, just stop." Ron followed her down the empty corridor.
"Go away, Ron."
"But, Hermio-"
"I said go away."
He held his arm out, grabbing her by the wrist. "Would you just listen to me?"
"No! God, Ron, you're talking about other girls when I'm not there, then you expect me to just pretend like nothing happened? Oh, ok. How would you like it if I went around saying 'Oh, Harry's just gorgeous, isn't he? And oh, Neville's so good looking!'"
Ron cringed. "You- you're not serious-"
"That's not my point! My point is, that you're losing respect for me, Ron. I just can't handle that right now. The one person I care about the most is starting to care about me the least."
"That's not true, and you know-" Hermione held up a hand, silencing him.
"Ron, I'm really, really stressed out right now, and I don't need this." She turned on her heel and walked away.
"Ok. When will you not be stressed out, then? Because this conversation isn't over."
Hermione paused for a minute, then said, "Early May."
-
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Early May? I mean, who says that?"
"Dunno, mate," Harry mumbled through a mouthful of toast. He reached across the table for the bacon, dumped some on his plate and continued eating. Ron watched in amazement while Harry shovelled over three helpings of breakfast down his throat.
"Why so hungry?"
"Uh…didn't eat dinner last night?" He stuffed another piece of muffin in his mouth, while his eyes travelled towards the Great Hall doors. "Uh oh."
Ron followed Harry's gaze and his eyes landed on Hermione. She looked tired and drained.
"Uh, hey," Ron said as she took her usual seat next to him.
"Morning Ron, Harry." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and took a slice of toast. "How are you?"
Ron fidgeted. "Good. You look…"
"Terrible, I know. I was up for ages patrolling the corridors. You would not believe how tedious it is. You're both lucky you weren't made Heads."
"That doesn't sound like the Hermione I know."
"The Hermione you know is smart enough to be upstairs, sleeping." Ron and Harry both exchanged worried looks.
"Psst, look," Neville whispered. Ron turned to see Neville pointing at Professor Alford walking through the large doors, down towards the staff table. Her hair was let down, and it bounced about her shoulders as she smiled at everyone around her.
Students stopped and turned as she walked past them, some of them smiling and whispering. Hermione grimaced. The whole hall was abuzz with giggles as Professor Alford took her seat at the teachers' table, starting an immediate conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"We should go."
The three of them didn't talk much as they made their way across the school grounds, down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Hermione was half asleep as they walked and Ron was in no mood to disturb her. He know it might cost him his head on a platter.
"So anyway," Harry started, at an attempt at conversation, "I hear the, uh…the thingy- it's gonna be- ok, I dunno…" He glanced at Hermione. He didn't think she should've been out for classes; she didn't look up to it.
"Ron," she started, "Ron, I feel sick." She stopped in her tracks, and put a hand to her head.
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Hermione shook her head.
"I want…"
"What? What do you need?"
"I want…oh…" She fell forward, helplessly. Ron quickly rushed to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Harry, go get Hagrid! She's unconscious!"
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Many of you are probably thinking the same thing I thought. "Gosh, this is a lot like her other story." I assure you, I'm trying my best not to make it too much like my first story, I thought I'd just add a bit of a twist.
Professor Alford, if any of you were wondering, is based on my English teacher, who, by the way, I adore! She's smart, and funny, and really pretty! I admire her a lot, so don't get the wrong impression from the story. I figured that, since this story doesn't centre around the main plot, I could have a bit of fun with the new DADA teacher. I'm sure the teacher in book 7 will play a major part, so I didn't want to be obligated to have this super-mysterious, magical character. I thought I'd take the opposite route. I always read stories about hot teachers and guys flirting with them, so I thought it would add a bit of humour to my story. Anyway, I hope you like her!
Take care and await a new update!