Chapter 9
Harry felt a twinge of anticipation as he, Ron, and Hermione huddled in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom the next morning.
He wasn't the only one, though. Seamus and Dean were eagerly wondering aloud what class would be like this year with the lovely Professor Greenleaf at the helm, and even Neville was more…odd today than usual.
Their new teacher was standing by her desk when they edged tentatively inside the room. She flashed her enchanting smile once more.
"Come on in."
It was the first time they had ever heard her speak. Her voice was exactly as Harry had imagined it would sound like: soft and almost ethereal. He follwed the class inside, and, together with Ron and Hermione, found his seat.
"Good morning to you all. I'm Professor Greenleaf." As she spoke, her voice began to lose its ethereal air and become more McGonagall-like. "So, down to business. I've talked to Professor Dumbledore, and it seems that you've covered quite a lot already, from grindylows to Unforgivable Curses. Even (a corner of her lips twitched into a half-smile) Patronuses."
Chests puffed out in pride at that.
"Wonderful job, all of you. You're all very advanced when it comes to casting spells. Today's lesson, however, will be rather different. We'll be going down to the grounds, so take your bags with you."
There was a murmur of excitement. The last time they'd had a lesson outside the classroom was during Professor Lupin's time.
When they reached the grounds, Professor Greenleaf motioned for them to put down their things. As the class approached her with their wands in hand, she shook her head.
"You won't be needing those yet. As I mentioned earlier, you appear to be doing well when it comes to jinxing, but what about when it comes to…reflexes?" With that, she suddenly whipped forth her wand and blasted a jet of yellow light at them.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione leapt out of the way in the nick of time, as did, surprisingly, Neville. But the others, taken by surprise, didn't react quickly enough. Flowers started sprouting out of their ears. The Gryffindors looked at each other in stunned silence, then burst out laughing.
The professor laughed too as she helped them remove various blossoms from their ears.
Harry was quite entranced by the sound of her tinkling laugh and her graceful movements. He didn't realize that he was staring at her until she met his eyes and smiled faintly. He noticed the oddest flicker in her eyes before she turned away.
"All right; it looks like we may have to work on your reaction time," Professor Greenleaf announced. "Now, you may be wondering why I want to work on your reflexes."
"Quidditch!" Ron called out.
The professor cocked her head thoughtfully. "Good reason, Ron.But also because there are times when you are left without a wand in a dangerous situation, and you have to be able to rely on your own capabilities. Having well-trained reflexes can save your life."
Harry looked at his shoes uncomfortably. He knew only too well.
"Let's split into groups, and practice throwing and avoiding curses. I'll be going around to see who needs help," the professor concluded.
As the Gryffindors shuffled off, she stopped in front of the trio and Neville. "Twenty points to Gryffindor, by the way."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were grouped together, as usual. They spread out a bit, and Ron volunteered to be the first to test his reflexes.
Harry aimed a good, strong, Disarming Curse at him. Ron somersaulted out of the way.
"I've been practicing that," he bragged.
"Showoff," Hermione muttered before letting loose a Jelly-Legs Jinx.
Ron attempted to do a cartwheel, slipped, and got hit by the spell full-force. He wobbled over with great difficulty. Hermione gave him a look of pure triumph and superiority.
"Mind putting me right now, 'Mione?" he asked feebly.
"No, I think I'll just let you wobble around for the rest of the day. Serves you right for being such an swell-headed braggart."
"Hermione, I can't go anywhere like this!"
"Well, you'll just have to find a way."
"Tell her, Harry!"
But Harry's attention was quite far from the squabble; it instead was on the woman helping a red-faced Neville hold his wand right.
Ron and Hermione followed the burning gaze of those emerald eyes.
"He certainly didn't waste any time." Ron goggled at the sight of Harry staring so fervently at the new teacher.
"He does have a taste for older women, doesn't he?" Hermione was equally dumbstruck.
"It looks that way."
"Merlin, I need to breathe."
Harry returned to earth just then. He stared at his best friends: Ron, stiff as a statue (despite the Jelly-Legs Jinx), and Hermione, who looked as though she'd been Jelly-Legs-Jinxed herself.
"What happened? Did you swap curses?"
"Merlin, Harry," Ron whispered. "You fancy Greenleaf."
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Nicole Greenleaf shut the door to her classroom after her class with the Gryffindors, a flower—stargazer, to be specific—clenched in her fist.
She sat down at her desk, staring at the petals.
Long-ago memories and unspeakable emotions surged up inside her, and she struggled to hold them back.
"Stargazer. For you."
"Oh, it's so pretty! Look at those petals…the way they just glow…How'd you know I love stargazers? Oh, thank you…"
"Stop it," she commanded herself.
She'd managed to keep her composure during the lesson, but when she'd met Harry Potter's eyes, she had very nearly lost that composure.
He reminded her, somehow, of…
"Professor?" someone called from outside the classroom, and she remembered that her next class was with the Hufflepuffs. Pasting a smile on her face, she went to greet them.
And the stargazer continued to sit on the desk.
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A/N: Bit of a melancholy ending, this one, but I promise that the next chapter will be rife with funnies!
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!
And to my reviewers:
Flavagurl- Thanks:) And the good stuff draws ever closer…
Sacagawea- Thanks:) Yeah, Voldie stops at nothing …
Beckie- Thanks:)
Delayed Action Ninja- Thanks:) I hope you can hold out, as the goodies are getting cloooossssseeeeerrrrrr…
Ehlonna- Thanks:) Well, technically, I guess he does owe her one. As for the length, well, I'll try making the chaps longer.
Alcapacien- Sad…I haven't got any of the three. I'm glad you liked the caterpillars—my inspiration for them was actually Pokemon…
Duj- Thanks for your input. I guess my editor and I have missed some details. However, there are some things that you may have just misunderstood:
In the sixth chapter, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were shocked not at the thought that Draco was good, but rather at the fact that Ron would actually admit it. Hermione's line was my booboo, though— I just thought that things wouldn't be normal if no one accused Draco of cheating. When my editor and I reread it again after we read your review, we realized that that line was misleading, so, sorry about that. Also, when I was writing the chess-match scene, I was really thinking about letting Draco win, but my editor advised against it, so I heeded.
And about them getting out of Arithmancy early, well, I don't think there's anything really suspicious about Dumbledore calling them to his office (which is his excuse). After all, they are both sixth-year Prefects at this time, and Dumbledore could just be discussing Head Boy/Head Girl requirements with them.
In the line "Remember what he's done to us…", the us was not referring only to Hermione and Ginny, but to their entire group (including the boys, and Hagrid).
MissDitzy- Thanks:)
Up next: Draco decides to bring a little pizzazz into his bodyguarding job…