I do not own any canonical characters mentioned herein. Gabrielin Malfoy is of my own creation, and permiss must be requested before borrowing her.
I intend to carry this out as a series of looks at merely the DADA Classes. Any further inquiry as to what happens between these scenes will be answered when the occasion calls.
Thanks for the review, Felf!
"Good morning, class." There were scattered and sleepy 'good morning's from the flock of students. Professor got up to look at the class and folded her arms across her long green robes good-naturedly.
"My, My, aren't we a talkative bunch today. Now, I trust you have all read the chapter?" Again, a general murmured assent from the gathered students. "Can anyone of you with the exception of Miss Granger tell me what it is about?" Hermione, whose hand had shot up as soon as the question was asked, dejectedly lowered her hand. The professor looked up at her from the desk.
"I am sorry, Miss Granger, but the rest of your classmates must prove their mettle. Now, Miss Patil?" Pavarti looked up from the notebook she was scribbling in.
"Umm…well, ma'am, the text said…the text said that there are different mediums for magic besides the wand, and that the book would cover several of the many hundreds."
"Very good, Miss Patil. There are many mediums for magic…Mr. Finnigan, can you tell the class what a medium is?"
"A method? Ma'am." Seamus added, not sounding sure of himself.
"Not quite, but close enough. The dictionary definition, if you will, Miss Granger, since I know you're about to explode with knowledge." She turned, hawk-like, to look at Hermione, who nearly quailed at the ice blue eyes.
"A Medium…an intervening thing through which a force acts or an effect is produced."
"Excellent, Miss Granger. An intervening thing through which a force acts or an effect is produced…May I have an example?" Several hands shot up, one of which was Neville's.
"Mr. Longbottom! I did not think I would have the pleasure of an answer. Proceed."
"A…staff, ma'am?" Neville's voice was shy and small.
"Yes, a staff, like a wand, may be used to channel magic. There may be any of several magical substances at its core that help magnify the magic ability of its carrier. Any others? Miss Parkinson." Pansy, sitting in the back with Draco, could hardly be heard when she gave her answer.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up, Miss Parkinson. I believe the rest of the class is having trouble hearing you."
"A garment, Ma'am?"
"Yes, magic can be woven or induced into clothes. No other answers? Very well then. We have clothes and staffs. Metallurgy of any sort, be it jewelry or weaponry, may also be magical. Have any of you ever been abused by a library book?" There were several hands and giggles. "You may laugh, but books may also be a medium for magic. Have you considered- Miss Granger, have you thought of one I haven't mentioned?"
"It's possible to have no medium at all, right?"
"Bravo, Miss Granger. It is possible to spell cast without the help of any magical artifacts. It is also possible to induce the effects of spells through these artifacts. Mr. Weasley, have you got an example? I know your father's work thoroughly well-surely he must have told you something of the sort?"
"Well, there was this atlas that took you to whatever map you were looking at. Some old lady went in a bookshop looking for information on the Great Pyramids and ended up on top of the Sphinx." Loud guffawing filled the room, and Ron blushed apologetically, shrugging his shoulders.
"VERY good, Mr. Weasley-Port keys! Who here has used a Port key?" Almost everyone's hand was raised.
"Another example of a spell used in attachment with an object. So, we've made a list. Now I have some examples." She went behind her desk and pulled out a long thing object wrapped in velvet cloth. Setting it down on her desk, she carefully unwrapped it and held one of the objects up to see.
It was a knurled piece of wood in the shape of a walking stick. One end was particularly knobby. The Professor withdrew from her desk a small blue bag and set it on the top, unwrapping the careful folds to reveal a crystal, which she fitted into the top of the knobby end of the staff.
"I am going to turn the lights down and show you one of the things this particular staff does." With a flick of her hands, the shades flew down and the lamps dimmed. With two hard taps of the staff on the floor, the crystal flared to life, and in the unearthly glow the Professor's face was framed, her golden hair almost white.
"An old friend of mine gave this to me. It was his for quite a while, and served him well before wands had a place in the magical world." She clapped her hands again, and the shades rolled up with their usual clatter, flooding everyone's eyes with light. Hermione raised her hand.
"Professor?"
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"In History of Magic," there were groans from the class, hurriedly silenced by Professor Malfoy, who was looking intently at Hermione.
"In history of magic," Hermione began again despite the protests, "Professor Binns told us that wizards have used wands since the Dark Ages."
"Well then, my friend has obviously been around quite a while, hasn't he now?" She smiled and raised her eyebrows, as if daring Hermione to compute exactly how old her friend was, and then turned back to her desk to hold up another staff, made of spiked metal and apparently broken in two. Harry got nauseous just looking at it; something didn't feel right about this one. Then the world went black.
When the room spun back into focus, Ron and the professor were both staring down at him.
"Harry, man, are you all right?" Ron's eyes were wide.
"Fine, yeah, I'm fine."
"Perhaps it is too early for that, Mr. Potter. I misjudged your strength. This staff-" Professor Malfoy got up to speak to the class, pointing to her desk, " was used by a dark wizard long ago. Apparently the taint has not left it yet. Shadow lies still within. Mr. Weasley, take Mr. Potter to the Kitchens and get him some chocolate." She whisked back up to her desk, and began wrapping the staffs up again, taking the crystal from the end of the wooden one and wrapping it in it's velvet.
"Homework- research magical substances read chapter two and be prepared to discuss." The Professor said, nearly wearily as she packed her things. Harry gathered up his things and slung his bag over his shoulder, refusing to lean on Ron as they made their way to the kitchens.
"Harry, I got to hand it to you, you get into more scrapes for the sake of Defense against the Dark Arts class than anything else."
"Yeah, well, seeing as the Dark Arts love me so much, I can imagine why."
"Why did you pass out, anyway?"
Harry felt a little queasy; he didn't really know what had made him black out. "I…I…I don't know. It just felt so evil I kind of…lost it."
Ron thought about this as Harry tickled the pear in the painting and it swung open.
"Hello, Harry Potter sir! How is you today, sir? And Weezy, sir?" Te squeaky voice of Dobby the house elf welcomed them to the kitchen.
"We're great, Dobby, thanks. But Professor Mal-" He stopped himself, remembering something.
"Professor Malfoy is what, Harry Potter?" Dobby looked up at him with his luminous eyes.
"Professor Malfoy sent us down here for some chocolate for Harry. He passed out-oof!" Harry elbowed Ron in the side and he shut up. Harry didn't want Dobby to know he'd passed out. Dobby nodded, smiling, and toddled off to get chocolate.
"Ron, you fool! Dobby probably knows Professor Malfoy! He used to be their house elf!"
Ron processed this. "Sorry. He asked, and I answered."
Dobby came back, balancing a tray as large as he was on his spindle-like arms. On it was an assortment of chocolates and a mug of cocoa. Harry picked up the mug and sipped the warm liquid dutifully under the eyes of Ron.
"Harry Potter was worried that Dobby would not like Professor Malfoy?"
Harry stopped drinking cocoa and looked over his mug. "What makes you think that?"
"Harry Potter is not wishing to say mistress's name. Harry Potter is afraid Dobby would hurt himself?"
"Well, I didn't know what you'd…ah…do."
"Dobby is liking Gabrielin, sir. Gabrielin is being nice to poor Dobby when Lucius hurts Dobby when Gabrielin and Lucius was small, sir. Gabrielin is being very nice to all the house elves, sir, and we is always doing what she likes, sirs. She is not calling us house elves, though sir-she is calling us by our names always." Dobby smiled at the memory, his eyes going a bit bleary. "Now Harry Potter and Weezy will be late for class, sirs." Dobby ushered them out the door, and waved enthusiastically when they climbed through the porthole.
"Well, I still say she gives me the creeps. And we've got Potions next! Crap, Snape's going to have our hides." Running as fast as the bag at his side would permit, the two of them arrived huffing and puffing at the door to the dungeons.
The class turned as one entity when the door banged open and two breathless and red faced Griffindors entered.
"Messrs. Potter and Weasley. How nice of you to join us. If you do not mind taking your seats?" Ron and Harry dropped into two seats next to Hermione, who scowled at them. Snape walked sinisterly over to where they were sitting to stare at them, his face cold and paler then ever.
"Would Potter and Weasley like to explain why, exactly, they are late?"
"I will take responsibility, Severus." Snape looked up to the door, and again the class turned to see Professor Malfoy standing in the door, her face smiling no longer, but cool and poised, her lips in a thin line. She had put a black work robe over her green robe with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, and her hair, which had been loose earlier, was now tied back in a knot at the back of her head. Snape stiffened and rose.
"Professor. What a …pleasant surprise. May I inquire as to the occasion?" His voice was strained, like he was ill in the presence of the professor.
"I ask that you give neither Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley a detention. I sent them on an errand."
"They shall be excused." Professor Snape said quickly, as if he had never given thought to the idea of punishing them.
"Thank you, Severus. I also came to ask for an ounce of bitter tansy and half an ounce of dried dragon's blood. I'm mixing a ward potion for one of my artifacts- it appears to be under dark influence."
Snape's eyes grew wide. "The…stone?"
"Oh, no, the staff. The rest are perfectly fine, thank you. The stone is doing well, although it may need a bath in the Tersum Aquilus spirits; I will, perhaps, ask for your assistance after dinner." Snape nodded, and went to fetch the ingredients she had asked for.
"Harry, how was Dobby?" Hermione looked at Harry anxiously.
"Oh, he's fine. Seems to like Professor Malfoy, despite former ownership." He recounted what Dobby had told them in the kitchens in a hushed voice.
"Well, she seems like the type to not mistreat house elves." Hermione said approvingly, beginning to chop the beetle wings they were going to need for today's potion.
"She still gives me the creeps. Chummy with Snape- something's funny around here." Ron mumbled conspiratorially, turning to his own beetle wings.
Reviews? Please? I just want to know what you think!