Chapter 9 – Lessons in Heartbreak

Anna's first self defense class was on Monday night at 9pm. She entered the Defense against the dark arts classroom and waited. She had on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and had her hair pulled back she looked ready for a work out. The door opened and Anna turned around expecting to see her father.

"Anna?" Lupin said from the door.

"Hi," she said trying to think of a reason for being in the classroom dressed how she was. She opted for not saying anything.

"Why are you in here dressed like that?" He asked as he walked in and sat down on the desk.

"I… was going for a run… but then I realized it was dark out… so I decided to come back via here… to see if you know - Harry Potter was hanging around… you know so I could get an autograph." She said.

"Oh and here I was thinking you were having a secret rendezvous with some guy." Anna laughed awkwardly.

"Yes that would have made more sense," Anna said quietly rolling her eyes at her idiocy. Why did he make it so hard for her to lie to? "So what are you doing here?"

"I was going for a walk with Ally. I saw the light on and went to investigate."

"Oh well yeah so you'll be wanting to get back to Ally then she might go and meet someone else while your talking to me," Anna said but Lupin missed the sarcasm.

"Ok well have fun, hope you find Professor Potter," he said before winking his blue eyes and turning around and walking out. Two minutes later Harry walked in.
"Ready," he asked. Anna nodded relived when he locked the door. "First up, blocking, to defend your self you must first be able to block then everything will fall into place once you master that." Anna nodded again.

"First if I come at you this way you raise your right arm and make sure I hit your forearm." Harry said raising his right fist and slowly demonstrating. The rest of the session went like that with Anna blocking. By the end of the two hours Anna was sweaty and tired and hurt all over, the times she missed blocking she had got hit. But as she walked back to the common room she felt oddly happy.

Care of magical Creatures was held on Wednesday mornings. This morning the rain was coming down so hard that their class today had been moved from outside to an empty classroom on the ground floor. Their teacher Professor Ginny Weasley's mood reflected the weather outside. Anna had never seen someone who was supposed to be getting married in a few weeks more miserable. They were currently learning about dragons.

"Excuse me," Sean said from the doorway, "I need to speak with you, it's important. Nothing bad, just about the wedding." At this Ginny's face fell and she looked suddenly panicky.

"Err… ok. Turn to chapter 8 on Dragons and read please." She said going to the door. As soon as the door shut babble of talk broke out.

"Hey, Black, finally got yourself a girlfriend?" asked a girl who looked like a pug. Before Remus could answer a blonde girl sitting next to her answered.

"No of course he doesn't Delilah, she's Lupin's new piece of—"

"Oi watch what you say, Malfoy," Lupin said cutting across the girl.

"Draco Malfoy's daughter?" Anna asked.

"Yes I am Cynthia Malfoy and this is Delilah Nott," she said. "Are you in the fan club yet?"

"Shut up with that stupid fan club," Lupin interjected.

"What don't want your new girlfriend to hear about it?" Delilah said.
"She's a friend not a fan," Remus said his voice dangerous.

"Fisher, they have this club where all these desperate girls go to get pictures of them, they are all groupies –" Suddenly Cynthia stopped talking her mouth was moving furiously but no sound came out. Delilah opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't speak either. Remus, James, Sirius and Lupin were all looking at each other.

"Wasn't me," they all said together. They turned their attention to Anna who had one hand on the desk and one hand gripping her wand. She looked up at them with what she hoped was innocent eyes.

"How did you do that?" Lupin asked.

Opps, she thought.

"Do what?" she asked thought it was obvious she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You silenced two people with one spell, it's impossible," Remus said.

"Maybe it bounced of Cynthia on to Delilah?" She suggested, Lupin opened his mouth to argue but at that moment Ginny walked back into the room and Anna reserved the spell.

"—itch, take it… off,"

"—an't speak," they shouted at the same time. Ginny raised her eyebrows at the two girls. Ginny raised her eyebrows at the two girls.

"What is all the shouting about?"

"Anna Fischer put a silencing charm on us," Cynthia said at once.

"See me after class all three of you," she said in a weary voice and turned to the blackboard.

"Don't worry she likes you," Lupin said quietly.

After the class ended Anna, Cynthia and Delilah went up to Ginny's desk.

"Now tell me exactly what happened," she said carefully. Then added, "one at a time," as Cynthia and Delilah both opened their mouths to speak.

"We were talking to her then she just silenced us for no reason,"

"You were making fun of me and my friends,"

"We were just asking if you were going out with Remus Black—"

"No you asked if I was a groupie in the fan club," Ginny tried to hide a grin.

"Ok, ok I have heard enough," 10 points each will be taken from Slytherin because I told you to read not dive into the personal lives of other students," they started to protest but Ginny held up a hand. "Anna 10 points from Gryffindor and detention tomorrow night, for using a silencing charm on fellow class mates. It's not allowed."

Anna's face fell and she started to roughly shrug her books into her bag. As Cynthia and Delilah left they shot her smug looks.

"I'm sorry but it's better this way," Ginny said and Anna looked up at her. "I know what those
two are like you are better off having detention with me."

"Thanks," Anna said quietly, maybe she would use the time to convince Ginny to marry her father.

Detention with Professor Weasley was spent cleaning all the chalk boards in the castle. Anna had forgotten to tell her father about the detention. She and Ginny entered the classroom they used for training. Harry stood up and as soon as he saw Ginny he blushed bright red.

"I… err…" he stumbled trying to think of a reason he was in the classroom.

"I need to clean the chalkboard for my detention, are you in here to get away from all the people hanging around your office?" Anna suggested. Relief flooded Harry's face as he realized Anna was giving him a reason for being in the classroom.

"Yes I was, I'll stay and watch if that's ok?"

"Of course it is," Ginny said her face brightening. Anna went to the chalkboard and started wiping it while Ginny and Harry talked quietly in the corner. Anna tried to overheard what they were saying.

"Why does she have detention?"

"She silenced two people in class because they were making fun of her,"

"Good on her I say,"

"Me too… but the weird thing was they said she did it with one spell,"

"You mean she only said the spell once?" Harry asked curiosity shown all over his face. Anna swore under her breath, why did Ginny tell her dad that, he was going to make such a big deal about it now.

"Umm… Gin… remember what you asked me? In my office?" Ginny blushed and nodded. "Well I never told you if I was coming to the wedding or not. I wanted to tell you that I am." Ginny's face fell and Anna dropped her sponge, sloping water everywhere. Ginny got to her feet and said,

"That's great Harry, I'll see you there. Come on Anna you're done with this classroom." Anna picked the sponge back up and turned to her father, he wouldn't meet her eyes.