I DO NOT own any characters from the actual Harry Potter series. Just Liz and Gabby. Anna, Mel and Orlando belong to Vega Sailor. They have been borrowed with their permission.
The next day, Gabby sat next to Harry, and to her great embarrassment, people kept coming over to her and expressing their delight at her performance yesterday. She waved them all away, much to Hermione and Ginny's amusement.
And she still had her apology to Malfoy to make.
Great…
Sighing Gabby looked down at her schedule. Potions, double Music, and double Defense against the Dark Arts …
Well, at least it wasn't too bad. Gabby loved Potions, and according to her mother, the Potions Master here was quite brilliant, though she'd been warned he would be hard on her…
Whatever that meant.
Her mother would never talk about her life before they came to back Seattle. Whenever Gabby asked about it, Liz would always answer what was the point? It was in the past, and could not be changed.
Gabby tossed back her long black hair, up in a French braid courtesy of Lavender Brown., straightened her shoulders, and with prefect grace and dignity she walked towards the Slytherin table. Ignoring the stares and the whispers, she went over to Draco Malfoy, her half-brother.
"I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have done that in public, but you shouldn't have said those things." She said firmly, trying to keep her heart from pounding as she met those cold grey eyes, so alike and yet so different from her own…
Different souls looking out… she realized as the silence stretched between the two, all Slytherin eyes on them.
"Whatever." Draco sneered, turning away from her. Gabby rolled her eyes and went back to the Gryffindor table. She really did want to know her brother, but… she seemed to have blown it with her rash actions. Gabby picked at her hash browns while merry chatter went on around her. Why was it bugging her? She had never known anyone from her Father's side. Draco probably didn't even know about her.
So why was his acceptance so important?
After breakfast, Anna, Orlando and Mel went to the Defense against the Dark Arts room for their first class.
Their new professor was sitting at her desk when they arrive and took their seats. She was wearing thick spectacles while going over a note from one of their previous teachers, lips pursed in thought as she read and her hair was tied back in a firm bun, making her appear rather McGonagall-ish. But she was also very young, her ears pierced twice in the upper lobe of her ear. And she looked up with a friendly smile before going back to reading. They didn't know what to make of her. Their first impression was that this new professor was an odd mix of McGonagall and Flitwick.
Curious… very curious.
The bell rang and she rose from her behind her desk, her smile was gentle and welcoming. As they eyed her, she began.
"Hello and welcome to Advanced Defense against the Dark Arts. My name is Elizabeth Stanfield and I'm your professor for this year. Before we begin, I imagine there are questions for me. Let me answer the most obvious one right here and now. Why didn't I have a book on the book list? Firstly, I don't believe in textbooks. Can anyone one think of a reason why?" There was some murmuring and exchanging of ideas.
"Want to save some families a little bit of money?" A Hufflepuff called out.
"No, not quite. Can anyone think of another reason? Yes." Professor Stanfield said, pointing to Anna, whose hand had slowly gone up.
"Because a textbook only tells us what that particular author wants us to know." She stated. Instantly their professor's face broke out into a huge smile.
"EXACTLY! You only get one side of things using a textbook. How are you supposed to make an educated judgment if you only hear one side of things? Excellent! Your name Miss?"
"Anna Ominous."
"Well Miss Ominous, ten points to Slytherin!" Anna gave no outer reaction, though she did sit up a little bit straighter.
"Secondly, and lastly, I, DARESAY, you've had quite enough of the textbook?" Professor Stanfield said waving a note in the revolting pink color that Umbridge had used, obviously fighting back a laugh. There was a room-wide snicker at that.
"That being said, I will bring in copies of other texts, pamphlets, etcetera for us to discuss instead. Now then, rules… I think you'll find that I have very few rules outside of the standard ones for a classroom. When I'm up here talking, I want your attention. Respect your peers' property, space, work, and right to be different." Nods greeted this one.
"Going along with that, there will be no vulgarity in this classroom and I reserve the right to dock any number of points or assign detentions depending on the word. Insults of a particular race, ethnicity, religion, or family lineage will automatically loose your house twenty-five points and earn a detention, varying on the insult. If they're directed at a particular student, then I count that as bullying and that will be another twenty-five points." There was a collective gasp. Fifty points could be lost so easily…
"I know, I know. I DON'T like punishing a group for one person's actions and I am aware that housemates are likely to do a firmer job at punishment than professors, but docking points seems to be the only way to get though to people. Be warned, if you argue with me about punishments, I will double the number of points lost or detentions given. BUT, I will usually give a warning before I take points away." There was a murmur of assent. That sounded fair, "Finally, this isn't necessarily a rule as much as it is a request. We've got all four houses in here. You are also seventh years. I expect you to have the maturity to leave the house rivalries at the door. My best friend was a Slytherin while I was a Gryffindor. If we can make that work, then so can you." There was a casting of mutually suspicious looks, before most heads bobbed.
"Alright then. Now that we've covered the most obvious questions, ask me any others you so wish. After all, we're mostly adults here, right? And while I was hired by Dumbledore, I'm really working for you aren't I? So go ahead and ask away! There are only a few, rather personal, questions I won't answer." There was quiet murmuring. No teacher before had ever invited the students to ask questions about themselves. Finally, someone raised their hand.
"Good show! What's your question?"
"Is it true you've been living in America?"
"Yes. I was born and raised in England until I moved to the States at the tender age of fifteen. I came back home until I was a few months shy of seventeen then moved back to America permanently." There was whispering again, and Liz found herself smiling. Really Hogwarts students had hardly changed…
"Why were you in America in the first place?" Asked a bold Ravenclaw. Liz thought about it for a moment. Deciding that they would probably figure it out for themselves anyway, she answered.
"My daughter is fifteen. I'm thirty." There was a pause as the students did the math. Liz fought the urge to smirk as she watched several jaws drop and heard several students sputtering. She could practically hear the thought in their heads: fifteen! She had a baby at FIFTEEN?
"My parents sent me there but eventually they changed their minds. My brother could never reconcile himself to it though, so, after my parents' deaths, I returned to the place that felt most like home." Another outbreak of murmurs. Liz held up her hand though and silenced reined.
"I'm afraid that's all you're going to get out of me about that." Liz stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. There was another moment of silence, while students conjured up more questions.
"Where did you go to school?"
"Hogwarts until sixth year. Then, while in the States, I attended Cascade Terrace Magical Institute and Northwest High School until I graduated. From there, I attended Central Washington University where I earned a degree is Secondary and Elementary Education."
"Is it true your Maiden name was Potter?" Called a voice.
"Yes."
"Not… the Potters?" Gasped somebody. Liz grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She pulled the bun out of her hair, letting the wild raven locks flow freely.
"Why don't you tell me?" She said, grin broadening.
"Definitely the Potters." Commented Mel. Everyone regarded Liz nervously. She just smiled merrily though, brown eyes shining.
"I'm James Potter's younger sister. Glad to see you recognized that special feature. In fact, that leads straight into our subject for today. Thank you Miss…"
"Killington. Maleficent Killington." The Seventh year Slytherin responded, fluffing up importantly. Liz nodded warmly and checked the name off on her attendance sheet.
"Very good, take two points for Slytherin! Now then, for your NEWT's, we will be reviewing Dark Creatures, Curses and Other Dark-Wizards Spells as well as Poisons. So! Every-"
"What about attendance?" Inquired one student. Everybody including Liz made a sour face. Sighing, she turned to the list.
"Alright. Anybody who's not here, please speak up!" There was silence. Liz smiled, stating, "Wonderful! Everyone's here." The class burst out laughing, even Anna had a feint smile on her lips at the teacher's shenanigans.
"Now, back to our lesson. Everyone stand up." They did so, and Elizabeth flicked her wand, sending the desks flying to either side of the room and then, using the sticking charm, made them stick together then stick to the wall so they wouldn't come crashing down. One final flick of her wand and a bunch of mats appeared in a circle.
"Alright then. Everyone have a seat on a mat!" As the confused students found seats, Liz stood in the middle.
"Right then! As Miss. Killington so kindly introduced to us, the subject of today's lesson is Dark Creatures and their signifying characteristics. Extremely basic you say? Well good. Because the basics are the first to be learned and the first to be ignored or overlooked. That's what NEWT'S are when you get right down to it, the basics. Besides, if you can't tell what dark creature you're fighting, how are you supposed to know how to fight it? Now, I call it 'Feature, Feature, DARK CREATURE!' For those of you that are muggleborns, you'll better know this as Duck, Duck, Goose." There were several outbursts of laughter from the assorted crowd who were muggleborn, causing Liz to grin.
"The game is very simple. One person, who's "it" walks around outside the circle, gently tapping everyone on the head and saying a particular feature, which can only be used once, until they touch a person's head and yell the name of the dark creature. That person will chase who's ever "it" around the circle. If the chaser manages to slightly touch the person who's "it" before "it" can reach the other person's seat, person who's "it" must sit in the center of the circle until somebody else gets tagged. If the person who is "it" makes it to the seat, the chaser becomes "it". Any questions?" There was silence.
"Excellent. Miss. Killington?" Mel rose grinning, "fancy being "it" first?" Liz grinned and swung her arms in a little jig when she said the word "it".
Mel nodded eagerly and instantly her mat disappeared.
"Begin!" Selecting a dark creature, Mel began to circle them.
"Like a Black cloak, like a black cloak, like a black cloak, like a black cloak…" She then brushed Anna, hollering "Lethifold!" Before taking off with the other girl hot on her heels, just barely getting there in time.
It was one of the most fun Dark Arts lessons the seventh years had had in a very long time.
A Note from The Chica: Hey all! Thank you again to my lovely reviewers, you rock! These next few chapters are pretty much just establishing character relationships. Eventually I will bring in the action, but understand, it's going to be a building process. Also, like JK Rowling, the smallest detail in this fic can become BIG later. For instance, Gabby being in Music actually may become important. So, be patient my dears and please review!
