Chapter Four
Shortly after Professor McGonagall left the classroom, the sixth year Gryffindor students started filing in. Despite everything in her mind, Celeste couldn't help but smile; it was amusing to see these young wizards- and witches-in-training, young men and women who reminded her so much of herself and her friends. Already, some of the pupils were suspiciously eying her, more than they normally would. (It's my suit; Minerva's right, I should've gone shopping…)
She took one deep breath and started talking.
"Hi, Gryffindors, good morning. I am Celeste D'Angelique, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. For now, that's all you need to know about me." Though outwardly, she seemed calm, she was shaking inside. She looked about at her students. "For now, all I need to know about you are your names." She started the roll call. After calling Brown, Granger, and Finnegan…
"Longbottom, Neville!"
The boy who responded had a round and friendly face and blond hair, features so familiar to Celeste.
"Um, Neville? Is your mother's name Alice?"
Neville's gaze at his teacher went from open to apprehensive. "Uh, yes Professor. Did you know her?"
Celeste immediately regretted asking the boy the question. She just couldn't help it; she'd been away for so long. But then, she knew that however bad she felt at the moment, it was nothing compared to what Neville must have felt all his life.
"Yeah, many years ago, back when Voldemort--"
The class gasped collectively. Neville turned pink and lowered his head on the desk in front of him.
"Gryffindors! What in God's name do you want to happen to us?" Celeste said loudly, almost angry. How could they still submit to that creep by fearing his name? Do they have to experience more suffering before they're ready to stand up to him? "Lesson number one: Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself! If you, at this point in time, after all that's happened, still can't find it in yourselves to put up a silent opposition against Voldemort (gasp!) by learning to stop fearing his name, then you aren't going to go anywhere fast, much more pass this course." Turning back to Neville, she continued where she left off. "So, as I was saying, yes, I knew your mum, in the days when Voldemort had first risen up."
Neville didn't say a word; he nodded slowly. Celeste turned around and faced the board and took a couple of deep breaths. I shouldn't have been too harsh. They didn't go through what we did; I can't displace my stress on them. She turned back. "Sorry, guys," she said, "I'm being too hard on you." Hey, girl, get a grip, don't start crying now! She looked up to try to force back the tears that were threatening to trickle down her cheek. When she felt ready, she addressed the now-scared-looking students. "I'm sorry, I really am." Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"
"We understand. It's quite all right, isn't it guys?"
There was a murmur of assent among the students. "Thank you, Hermione," said Celeste, smiling. "Shall we go on?"
After Patil, came Potter (Oooh, boy, he looks so much like James! I just hope he's not the type of student James was…), Thomas, and Weasley (another Weasley? It's uncanny, how they all end up looking so alike…)
Since the roll call had taken so long, Celeste found she had less than twenty minutes left. At that point, she did what no other professor ever did: she sat down, Indian-style, on her desk. "Well, people, I am not going to be too formal with you. We don't have much time left so I'll just gab a bit about what to expect. I used to have a mentor who always told me to expect the unexpected. Well, that's what you're going to get out of my class. For the fifth years and older, I won't be following the normal classroom set-up way of teaching. Most everything we'll be doing is practical. Why? Because Voldemort isn't going to hand out a test paper and wait ever so patiently for you to finish, as some of you might already know. No, he'll do one of two things: he'll use you and kill you or kill you outright. I confess I can't train you for that kind of fieldwork but I will try to come as close as possible. So yeah, people, expect only the unexpected. For this, you'll need constant vigilance, as my mentor used to say, so the sooner you acquire it, the better for you and for the rest of mankind, Muggles included.
"However, just looking at you guys, I can see that not all of you will be fighters. What we are going to do this year is to tap your best potentials and hone them so that you will be able to contribute the most each of you are capable of giving. What do I mean? Simply this: what's a warrior without a Healer?"
Hermione raised her hand.
"Uh, huh? What is it?"
"In a battle every little bit helps. A warrior needs a Healer to take care of his wounds…"
"I couldn't have said it better myself. So, at the end of this year, you will be prepared to do the job you are best suited to do."
As the students murmured among themselves, Celeste snapped her fingers. Instantly, writing appeared on the board. Everyone fell silent; the same thought was on everyone's mind: how'd she do magic without a wand?
Oops, I goofed again. They aren't ready to see that!
"Bloody hell, Professor," exclaimed Ron, "How did you do THAT?"
"It's manus sans virga, Mr. Weasley. In ye olde plain English, that means--"
Hermione interrupted, "It means 'hand without wand.' Wandless conjuration. Extremely difficult to learn but extremely handy, even though the stuff you can do with it is very limited. Only a few wizards ever manage to do it. Professor D'Angelique is, in fact, the only witch I've ever seen who can do it."
Celeste smiled wearily. "Hermione, you just put me in a spot. I can't decide whether I want to give Gryffindor extra points for information tidbit you just shared or take away points for interrupting me." The class laughed a bit as Hermione blushed. "Sorry, Professor, I got a little carried away…"
Again, Celeste smiled. She's so much like a certain wolfish boy I used to know…"Think nothing of it; just don't do it all the time. Hmm…how's about ten points to Gryffindor for your explanation and an extra five for you all being particularly cooperative? That ok, people?"
The Gryffindors cheered loudly and at the same moment, the bell signalling the end of the classes rang.
Celeste spoke again, "People, before you go, please take note of the homework I wrote on the board. It's not graded but doing it well will give you extra points. Write a short essay about what job you feel will fit you best. Be sure to explain why. Then, under that, put down three columns, the first listing your strengths, the second, your weaknesses and the third, your interests. Submission is anytime you are able to finish it within this week. Feel free to walk right in here and if I'm not here, to put your paper in the pigeonhole assigned to your class." It was only then that the class noticed four sets of differently colored pigeonholes with seven holes for each color (the House colors), corresponding to the seven year levels. They were lined up against the wall. "I hoped that that would make submissions loads easier."
Celeste jumped off her desk. "Well then, class dismissed."