Author's Note: Thank you to my first four reviewers, Sethanon Snape,
sev1970, Cemre, and grin! I'm so happy that there is an interest in my
story, so I wrote a second chapter quicker than I thought I would. This
one doesn't have our mystery model yet, but I promise, it's coming up
quickly! :)
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Chapter Two: The First Day of Class ** **
Harry opened his schedule the next day at breakfast. "First class today is Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws," he said as Ron shoveled food into his mouth. "Then DADA with the Slytherins and after that is Life Drawing."
"I cannot wait," Hermione exclaimed, trying hard to ignore Ron's lack of table manners. "We all have the same classes for today, except the last one. What do you have, Ron?"
"Mmph." Ron swallowed and picked up his schedule. "I have Divination with a whole bunch of weirdos."
Harry shook his head. "I can't believe you are still taking that class. I was all too happy to switch to Arithmancy."
"But Arithmancy requires actual studying. I can make everything up in Divination."
Hermione rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that morning. "At least Professor Vector doesn't predict Harry's death every year. Something like that can get old very quickly. However, I suppose it would be a lot more difficult for Professor Trelawney to predict that this year, what with Lord Voldemort's defeat. Don't you think?"
"She'd find a way, Hermione," Harry sighed. "She'd find a way."
*****
"Please settle down, everyone."
A hush fell over the class as Sirius Black walked in from his office. More than half of the students felt intimidated by the man who had been, until recently, one of the most frightening criminals on the loose. The man stood tall and proper at the front of the class, one hand resting slightly on his desk, the other grasping the collar of his robe.
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I would like to start today by having a little talk with you all. I know there are some of you who still bear residual fear from the past years in which you thought I was an insane criminal. It is something you must get over, although you shouldn't be embarrassed if you feel this way. I want you to know that I am always here to talk to anyone who has a problem. Is this understood?"
There were a few 'yes, professor's scattered about the room, but most were too intimidated to speak up. Sirius sighed and resumed his speech.
"Alright, then. I would like to conduct a poll. How many of you can conjure a Patronus?"
Harry and Hermione raised their hands, along with Draco. Ron crossed his arms in a huff, having not yet mastered the skill that his friends had.
"That's what I thought. Who can tell me what the Patronus Charm is? ... Not you Ms. Granger. Someone who hasn't conjured one up before, please."
Ron raised his hand slowly and grudgingly.
"Mr. Weasley."
"The Patronus Charm works with an incantation and a very happy memory. Each Patronus is unique to the Witch or Wizard who conjures it."
Sirius smiled at his godson's friend. "That is correct. A Patronus is a positive force summoned by the incantation 'expecto patronum.' As you can see, three of our students have been able to perform the Patronus Charm. Can anyone tell me what the Patronus is most affective against? Yes, Ms. Parkinson."
"They work on Lethifolds," Pansy said, curling a bit of hair around her finger.
"True, they do repel Lethifolds. But that isn't what I was thinking about primarily. I was thinking about Dementors."
The class stared hard at their professor. What he had just told them was well known amongst the students who had been at Hogwarts while the Dementors were guarding the school, but no one had wanted to bring that up. Sirius saw the looks on their faces, and smiled encouragingly.
"It's really alright. I would like to show you a demonstration of this charm today. A colleague of mine suggested we use a boggart seeing we cannot have an actual Dementor in the school, so the only person who can demonstrate is Mr. Potter, who has already agreed. Mr. Potter, please come down to the front and I will let this fellow -" he patted a trunk by his desk "- loose."
*****
"That was so cool, Harry!" Parvati Patil had latched onto his arm the moment DADA had finished. "You are so powerful for your age."
Harry blushed, eager to get the girl away. "Thanks, Parvati," was his reply.
"I mean it! I'm surprised someone like you is still...single," she hinted. Ron held back a laugh and shot Harry a knowing look over the silly witch's head.
Harry was taken back by her insinuation. "Look, Parvati, I'll see you at dinner. Hermione and I are going to be late to Life Drawing, and you and Ron have a long way to go to get to Divination."
"Oh." Parvati looked hurt, but Ron swept her along with him. He looked back at Harry with a wicked grin and put his arm around Parvati's shoulder. Hermione glared at their retreating figures.
"Oh! Ron thinks he's such a playboy," she fumed. "Well he's wrong...he's just a disgusting pig. Let's go, Harry."
The duo were among the last to enter the new Hogwarts Studio for the Arts. It had been transfigured from an old, unused classroom. The room was circular with a platform in the center, and easels placed strategically around the dais. Harry sat on a stool next to Draco, and Hermione took the stool next to Harry. All eyes rested on their professor, who sat serenely on the platform.
"Everyone move their stools over here." Lupin waited until the task had been performed. "Great. Welcome, everyone. Today we are going to jump right in to drawing. We are going to do something called gesture drawing, which is done with a piece of charcoal. Each drawing will take a minute and you must have continuous motion. Do not take your eyes off the model, and watch out for proportions. Is it clear so far?"
Everyone nodded eagerly.
"Good. Do not make any outlines. Draw the inside of the figure, otherwise known as drawing mass. You may take a pad of drawing paper and a piece of charcoal each and bring it back to your easel. Then I will introduce the model."
The students quickly selected pads and charcoal and moved to their seats. The model, a short, spunky looking witch came out of a dressing area which was set to one side of the room. She walked to the platform and sat down. At the moment, she was wearing a fluffy blue robe, but it was very short and several students looked a bit uncomfortable. Lupin introduced her as Marta.
"Marta is a professional model, and has worked with many respected artists. She will be posing for us throughout the year, so you should all get to know her pretty well. I think that is it, unless you have anything to add, Marta?"
"No, thank you, Professor."
"Alright. We will begin with the gesture drawings."
Lupin placed several lights around the room with his wand, to illuminate the model. Marta then disrobed and stood on the dais with her arms raised above her head. Draco's mouth flew open, but he shut it quickly before anyone could see his reaction. He leaned over to Harry with a smirk on his face.
"I know you don't appreciate this fine sight, old chap, but I'm sure they'll get a male model soon."
Harry shot him a playful glare. "Shut it, Malfoy."
** ** ** Good reviews keep an author creative and happy; Flames keep an author warm and toasty. If you have either, just click the little go button.
Chapter Two: The First Day of Class ** **
Harry opened his schedule the next day at breakfast. "First class today is Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws," he said as Ron shoveled food into his mouth. "Then DADA with the Slytherins and after that is Life Drawing."
"I cannot wait," Hermione exclaimed, trying hard to ignore Ron's lack of table manners. "We all have the same classes for today, except the last one. What do you have, Ron?"
"Mmph." Ron swallowed and picked up his schedule. "I have Divination with a whole bunch of weirdos."
Harry shook his head. "I can't believe you are still taking that class. I was all too happy to switch to Arithmancy."
"But Arithmancy requires actual studying. I can make everything up in Divination."
Hermione rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that morning. "At least Professor Vector doesn't predict Harry's death every year. Something like that can get old very quickly. However, I suppose it would be a lot more difficult for Professor Trelawney to predict that this year, what with Lord Voldemort's defeat. Don't you think?"
"She'd find a way, Hermione," Harry sighed. "She'd find a way."
*****
"Please settle down, everyone."
A hush fell over the class as Sirius Black walked in from his office. More than half of the students felt intimidated by the man who had been, until recently, one of the most frightening criminals on the loose. The man stood tall and proper at the front of the class, one hand resting slightly on his desk, the other grasping the collar of his robe.
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I would like to start today by having a little talk with you all. I know there are some of you who still bear residual fear from the past years in which you thought I was an insane criminal. It is something you must get over, although you shouldn't be embarrassed if you feel this way. I want you to know that I am always here to talk to anyone who has a problem. Is this understood?"
There were a few 'yes, professor's scattered about the room, but most were too intimidated to speak up. Sirius sighed and resumed his speech.
"Alright, then. I would like to conduct a poll. How many of you can conjure a Patronus?"
Harry and Hermione raised their hands, along with Draco. Ron crossed his arms in a huff, having not yet mastered the skill that his friends had.
"That's what I thought. Who can tell me what the Patronus Charm is? ... Not you Ms. Granger. Someone who hasn't conjured one up before, please."
Ron raised his hand slowly and grudgingly.
"Mr. Weasley."
"The Patronus Charm works with an incantation and a very happy memory. Each Patronus is unique to the Witch or Wizard who conjures it."
Sirius smiled at his godson's friend. "That is correct. A Patronus is a positive force summoned by the incantation 'expecto patronum.' As you can see, three of our students have been able to perform the Patronus Charm. Can anyone tell me what the Patronus is most affective against? Yes, Ms. Parkinson."
"They work on Lethifolds," Pansy said, curling a bit of hair around her finger.
"True, they do repel Lethifolds. But that isn't what I was thinking about primarily. I was thinking about Dementors."
The class stared hard at their professor. What he had just told them was well known amongst the students who had been at Hogwarts while the Dementors were guarding the school, but no one had wanted to bring that up. Sirius saw the looks on their faces, and smiled encouragingly.
"It's really alright. I would like to show you a demonstration of this charm today. A colleague of mine suggested we use a boggart seeing we cannot have an actual Dementor in the school, so the only person who can demonstrate is Mr. Potter, who has already agreed. Mr. Potter, please come down to the front and I will let this fellow -" he patted a trunk by his desk "- loose."
*****
"That was so cool, Harry!" Parvati Patil had latched onto his arm the moment DADA had finished. "You are so powerful for your age."
Harry blushed, eager to get the girl away. "Thanks, Parvati," was his reply.
"I mean it! I'm surprised someone like you is still...single," she hinted. Ron held back a laugh and shot Harry a knowing look over the silly witch's head.
Harry was taken back by her insinuation. "Look, Parvati, I'll see you at dinner. Hermione and I are going to be late to Life Drawing, and you and Ron have a long way to go to get to Divination."
"Oh." Parvati looked hurt, but Ron swept her along with him. He looked back at Harry with a wicked grin and put his arm around Parvati's shoulder. Hermione glared at their retreating figures.
"Oh! Ron thinks he's such a playboy," she fumed. "Well he's wrong...he's just a disgusting pig. Let's go, Harry."
The duo were among the last to enter the new Hogwarts Studio for the Arts. It had been transfigured from an old, unused classroom. The room was circular with a platform in the center, and easels placed strategically around the dais. Harry sat on a stool next to Draco, and Hermione took the stool next to Harry. All eyes rested on their professor, who sat serenely on the platform.
"Everyone move their stools over here." Lupin waited until the task had been performed. "Great. Welcome, everyone. Today we are going to jump right in to drawing. We are going to do something called gesture drawing, which is done with a piece of charcoal. Each drawing will take a minute and you must have continuous motion. Do not take your eyes off the model, and watch out for proportions. Is it clear so far?"
Everyone nodded eagerly.
"Good. Do not make any outlines. Draw the inside of the figure, otherwise known as drawing mass. You may take a pad of drawing paper and a piece of charcoal each and bring it back to your easel. Then I will introduce the model."
The students quickly selected pads and charcoal and moved to their seats. The model, a short, spunky looking witch came out of a dressing area which was set to one side of the room. She walked to the platform and sat down. At the moment, she was wearing a fluffy blue robe, but it was very short and several students looked a bit uncomfortable. Lupin introduced her as Marta.
"Marta is a professional model, and has worked with many respected artists. She will be posing for us throughout the year, so you should all get to know her pretty well. I think that is it, unless you have anything to add, Marta?"
"No, thank you, Professor."
"Alright. We will begin with the gesture drawings."
Lupin placed several lights around the room with his wand, to illuminate the model. Marta then disrobed and stood on the dais with her arms raised above her head. Draco's mouth flew open, but he shut it quickly before anyone could see his reaction. He leaned over to Harry with a smirk on his face.
"I know you don't appreciate this fine sight, old chap, but I'm sure they'll get a male model soon."
Harry shot him a playful glare. "Shut it, Malfoy."
** ** ** Good reviews keep an author creative and happy; Flames keep an author warm and toasty. If you have either, just click the little go button.