Chapter 8 (A DADA Class To Remember)

Harry looked around him; beside him was Ron who had his hands covering his eyes. He was right; the classroom was a total mess. The chairs and desks had been toppled over. Books and quills were strewn on the floor. Even the students, well very few of them anyway, were lying on the floor unconscious from the commotion that just happened a few minutes ago.

As Harry continued to scan the area before him, he saw Hermione slowly approach the longhaired figure standing near the teacher's table. Her arm was outstretched before her, about to touch the figure's face.

"Hermione! No!" Harry screamed and ran towards Hermione, about to pull her out of harm's way but it was too late. As soon as Hermione's hand was an inch away from the figure's face, the figure's hand reached out and gripped her right arm fast, not letting go. Still, Hermione used her other hand to touch the man's face.

Ron, now conscious of what was happening around them stood there in shock.

She was in a trance. Her hand lingered in the man's face as she muttered softly and melancholy, "Why?"

"Why? You're asking why! The three of you are late! That's why! What time is it? Huh?" The cloaked figure suddenly stood up and brushed his hair away from his face. Hermione jerked her hand off. Harry and Ron stood with their mouths opened. They soon recognized the face of their new DADA professor, angry.

This was the first time the two had a clear view of their new young teacher's face. He stood five foot and eleven inches tall with a lean, well-built body. He was very good-looking with long dark brown hair that fell gracefully on his shoulders. But that wasn't the thing that caught them the most, their teacher had these captivating and intense gray eyes that looked like swirling pits of who-knows-what.

"Sir? You're… We were just… We umm…" mumbled Harry. He and Ron could not believe that the man before them was the same one who almost scared the class half to death with his crazy antics. That's what they thought at least.

"You thought what? Well, I've got news for you young man, you have just been punk'd!" exclaimed Professor Mort. He started to laugh uncontrollably. "You… You… should have the seen the look on your faces. It was hilarious! I'm not going to let you hurt anybody here!" he said, annoyingly mimicking what Harry said a while ago.

"Hey sir, don't forget us. We helped too…" said Neville, suddenly regaining consciousness.

"Me too! I was good. Wasn't I?" giggled Parvati, standing up from her place on the floor.

"I can't believe I just did that but it was worth it!" added Dean.

Harry and Ron shook their heads in disbelief, "You did this just to make fun of us?" Harry said pointedly, embarrassment written all over his face. "Yeah… How could you?" Ron bowed his head shamefully.

Finally, Hermione spoke as she placed her hands on her hips. "Would you two stop being so melodramatic? It's sickening! Besides, there was no harm done." Clearly, she was irritated at two.

Harry and Ron were stunned. Hermione, of all people, their best friend would rebuke them and refuse to take their stand. The three of them were victims here after all. They both fell silent.

To ease the tension surrounding the class, Professor Mort cleared his throat and quickly said, "Easy, easy… You three were late and so I wanted to teach you all a lesson. Besides, there was something good that came out of this whole prank thing." He then looked at Harry and smiled at him. "You Mr. Potter displayed alertness in handling what you taught was danger. You reacted quite well and fast enough."

Professor Mort clapped. "All of you did your best in welcoming these three and for that I give 10 points to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! However… since you three are late, I am tempted to deduct 5 points from Gryffindor." He said now turning to Harry and the others. "But… now that I think about it, maybe you three has gone through enough. Ain't I right?" He grinned and motioned for the class to sit down as they began the day's lesson.

The lesson went on smoothly with Hermione raising her hand more than the usual every time Professor Mort asked a question. Every time she recited and was called to stand up, she would look at the professor straight in the eyes, refusing to back down her gaze upon him. This made the professor uneasy.

'I swear there's something about this girl that reminds me of something,' he thought for the nth time. 'She looks at me as if I'm... Wait a minute… Have I met her before?' He scratched his head in annoyance. 'Hmmm… Then again, I could always ask her..'

An hour passed until the class was finally over. Harry and Ron quickly packed their things and started to head out the door, deciding that they would just wait for Hermione outside the classroom.

Hermione was the last one left. She slowly approached the teacher's table and stopped right there. The professor, who was trying to look busy by arranging some papers in his desk, could not take it anymore and so he looked at Hermione and asked, "Yes? Do you need something… er… Ms. Granger?"

Hermione stared straight at him, eyes blank with no emotion on her face. "I never was sorry for your eyes…" She muttered softly but clear enough for him to hear her.

The professor was taken aback. He was about to say something but Hermione already turned her back on him and immediately walked out the door.