Chapter 5

- Extremely Dangerous Half-breeds -

Teddy took a seat at the back of the Dark Arts classroom. Closer to the front, two girls had folded a sheet of parchment into an origami bird that was soaring around the classroom. Everyone was watching it as it fluttered over the heads of the students.

"Go on, Seamus. Go on, get it!"

Playfully, Seamus stood up and hit the bird with his hand. The bird swerved, flying around the ceiling. One of the Slytherin boys fired a ball of parchment at it, chuckling as it struck the bird's wing. But, despite being hit, the bird continued to fly above them until-

Zap!

The bird had burst into flames and fell onto the girls desk. "Good morning, children." Came a sickly sweet voice from the back of the classroom. All the students turned around. Professor Umbridge gave a little giggle, raising her wand again and begun to write words on the black board.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O-W-Ls." She said, spelling out the word as if they couldn't read it themselves. "More commonly known as OWLs." She stood at the front of the class, her wide mouth covered in hot pink lipstick. "Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe." She gave a short giggle.

Teddy rubbed his temples with his fingers, thinking over and over in his head. 'This is going to be a long double period.'

She flicked her wand to a pile of books on her desk. The books floated in the air, landing on each students desk with a thump! Teddy looked at the book. The cover looked like one from a child's bed time story. On it, was a cartoon of a young witch and wizard, standing around a large bubbling pot, a black cat lying at their feet. "Basics for beginners?" He read aloud.

"Quiet!" He nearly jumped out of his skin, the book slipping from his hands and falling open on the ground. The Professor was staring at him, along with the rest of the class. "I will not take that kind of tone in my class! You will not speak unless you are spoken to, understand?" She ordered, shrilly. Teddy, still shocked, nodded quickly, reaching down for his book and sitting up straight. Umbridge gave a satisfied smile.

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?" She said to Hermione, who had raised her hand.

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?"

Teddy looked down at his book, flipping through the pages. She was right. It was all theory, and basic theory at that. "Using spells? Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

"We're not gonna use magic?" Ron said in disbelief.

"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."

Harry let out a loud scoff from beside Ron. "What use is that? If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free-"

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." Umbridge snapped. There was a pause. "It is the view of the Ministry... that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which, after all, is what school is all about."

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Harry exclaimed.

"There is nothing out there, dear." She said kindly. "Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?"

Teddy shut his eyes, knowing exactly what Harry's answer would be. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe... Lord Voldemort."

The classroom became so quiet you could hear a bird chirping all the way from the Dark Forest. Professor Umbridge's cheek twitched. "Now, let me make this quite plain." Her voice was soft, yet increasingly annoying. "You have been told, that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

Harry shuffled in his seat violently. "It's not a lie! I saw him. I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter." She spun around walking back to her desk.

"So, according to you Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?"

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."

"It was murder! Voldemort killed him-"

"Enough!" Teddy winced at her shrill voice. "See me later, Mr. Potter. My office. Now, all of you, begin reading chapter one of your books." Teddy flipped open the cover of his book, glancing up at Harry who hadn't even touched his book. "Yes, Mr-?"

"Thomas, Dean Thomas." Dean said, his hand raised.

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

"Well... in our OWLs, we're supposed to be able to perform certain spells, but if we're just doing theory..."

"The Ministry believes, that if you study hard and obediantly, without question, then you should be able to perform them easily."

One of the girl's, whose origami bird had been burnt by the Professor earlier, eyebrows lifted. "So, we're not going to practice the spells before the exam?"

"That is correct, Miss?"

"Patil."

"Well, Miss Patil, I can understand why you are so worried. After all you have been exposed to some very irresponsible and unqualified teachers in this class, very irresponsible indeed- not to mention." She did her annoying giggle again, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

There was a loud bang from the back of the classroom. Everyone spun around in their seats. Teddy's fist was digging so sharply into his desk, his knuckles had turned white. His green eyes were furious and he bared his teeth at the Professor, who had completely ignored him. No one dared say a word. "My father was one of the best Dark Arts professor's we ever had-"

"What did I say earlier, Mr Lupin? Sit down, Mr Lupin!" She said sternly to the tall boy who'd stood up so violently his seat had been knocked over. Everyone, except Harry, looked scared.

"This class was perfectly safe when my dad was teaching. Dumbledore believed that-"

"Dumbledore believed that a dangerous, out of control, Werewolf could teach a class. He put you all in danger countless times, as he is doing so now with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know all about your late night wanderings, as well as how you not only attacked your potions professor, but your own friends during a full moon," she said with a small, over-the-top gasp, "alongside your father." Teddy's face went red.

"No!" He couldn't find the right words. "I would never- It wasn't either of our faults that-"

"Quiet, Half-breed!" She spat, forcing Teddy to flinch, but remain standing. His nails digging into the sides of the desk. "Now... sit!" She ordered, like he was her pet, awaiting her command.

The whole class was holding their breath, waiting for Teddy to explode. And he finally did. "You- you can't speak to me like that! You don't know the first thing about my father, or me-"

Teddy suddenly fell over, landing on the ground. "When I say sit," she said with a coolly, her wand extended in Teddy's direction. "You. Sit."

He stood up, clutching his wrist uncomfortably. "I think it may be best, if you joined Mr Potter for detention. Now... do I need to ask you again?"

Not meeting her eyes, Teddy glared down at his desk, propping up his chair with his good hand and taking his seat.

"Very good. That's better, isn't it?"

He didn't respond.