Dedication and the Dark Arts

The weeks flew by as the term got going. The constant pressure on the fifth years was building to a dangerous levels as the reality of OWLs crept in. James, however, had more important things occupying his mind.

Important things like how red hair looked like fire when the sun hit it just right. Or how brightly green eyes could reflect the candlelight in the Great Hall. Or how beautifully freckles complimented that wonderfully pale ski…

His train of thought skidded to a jerking halt when he received an elbow to the ribs. He glared at Sirius and the offending elbow on his left, then across to Remus and Peter on his right.

' You were drooling,' Remus explained, irritatingly calmly. ' And class is finished.'

' Hope they were good thoughts, at least,' Peter giggled. James scowled at him, dumping his books in his bag.

' I was thinking about freckles,' he said, with as much dignity as he could muster.

' Freckles?' Sirius questioned, incredulously.

' Yes,' James replied. ' They're very pretty.'

' Freckles, my dear deluded friend,' Sirius said, haughtily. ' Are an outward sign that the daft bint doesn't know when she's had enough sun. They're a malformity!'

' Malformation,' Remus corrected. ' Kind of like those inbred emotionally-stunted sociopaths.'

Sirius only managed half a glare before James decided he had insulted Lily and punched him. Hard. The older boy rubbed his arm dramatically and elaborately mouthed the word 'ouch'.

They sat down, and James realised they had somehow made it down to the Great Hall. As his friends tucked in to lunch, he glanced instinctively up and down the long table, scanning the benches for auburn.

' She's not here,' Peter said, grabbing at a bread roll.

' Don't know what you mean,' James sniffed.

' Yeah, Pete,' Sirius started. ' Not like he's done nothing but stare at her for the past five weeks.'

' That's not true,' Peter replied, casually. ' Sometimes he's thinking about her instead.'

' I do… Do not… Not all the… I…' James spluttered over their cackling laughter.

' James,' Remus said, annoyingly reasonable, as always. ' Remember last Thursday? You didn't notice when Professor Binns - who had been perfectly corporeal for Wednesdays lesson - floated opaquely into the classroom. Through the back wall.'

' Yes, as a matter of fact,' James started, before the words sank in. ' I… Hang on. What?'

' Binns. Ghost. History of Magic. You know.'

' Very nicely summarised there, Pete.'

' Really?' James asked, actually forgetting about Lily for a moment. ' He died?'

' Yep,' said Sirius, a little to cheerfully for someone discussing death. ' They say he fell asleep in the staffroom, woke up and came to class without his body. Pretty cool, really. Shame he's such a boring person. Or thing, now, I guess.'

' Wow,' James said, intending to follow it with That's dedication for you. He didn't get the chance. At that moment the object of his desire entered the Hall, and everything else paled in comparison. He didn't even register the scolding his brain gave him for thinking a phrase like 'the object of my desire'.

After another Twenty minutes staring down the table, and then a very pleasurable walk to the fourth floor behind a certain trail of fiery hair, something finally pulled James back to reality.

Rather than the hulking figure of Professor Robinson - who was scared and muscled and tanned, and looked entirely like he had been carved from an oak tree - they were met by a solemn looking Dumbledore.

' In you come,' he said, calmly polite.

The class, made up of the Gryffindors and Slytherins, filed silently into the room. They sat in their usual places, split perfectly down the middle of the room, and avidly gazed at their Headmaster.

' Now,' He said, in his quietly commanding voice. ' Professor Robinson has had an unfortunate family emergency, and will not be able to continue to teach you Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

There was a collective sighing groan from the class. Robinson had been a good teacher, if a little scary. But that's what you want in a Defence teacher, James thought. A big, scary unpredictable man with a terrible temper and amazing power.

' As such,' Dumbledore continued, and the class fell silent again. ' I have been very fortunate in finding you a replacement.'

A small woman stepped around the Headmaster, smiling. She was young and pretty, with blonde hair that was mostly pulled into a small, lopsided knot that the top of her head. Loose strands fell in her face, but her thick rimmed glasses kept them from her eyes. She grinned and waved at them, despite standing only feet away.

' This is Professor Leila Knox. She will be taking care of all your defensive needs for the remainder of the year. I do hope you enjoy her, and,' he gave a significant nod towards James' desk, ' Play nicely.'

James tried to look innocent, shooting a look at Sirius, and finding the same Who, me? expression on his face. When he looked back to the front, Dumbledore and his accusations were gone.

' Leila Knox?' James heard Peter mutter loudly. ' If you say it fast it sounds like one of Snivellus' potions.'

' Now then,' the woman said, clapping her hands together. ' You're going to show me what you can do. Up you get.'

The class stood slowly, hesitantly. Robinson had never been a very practical kind of teacher. When everyone was out of their chairs, Knox flicked her wand and all the furniture was flung to the edges of the room. James risked an impressed glance at his friends, who all looked similarly taken aback.

' That's pretty impressive, miss,' someone called.

' You a Pureblood? Never heard of the Knox Family,' someone else continued. James recognised the voices of Avery and Mulciber, two Slytherin boys.

' That's because I'm muggle-born,' she said, clearly and calmly. ' I'm a mud blood.'

Everyone gasped again, but not for the same reasons. The Slytherins were almost all from Pureblood families, and were rather shocked at having a teacher essentially ostracise herself. The Gryffindor half were stunned at how easily she used the term meant to offend her.

' That aside, who can tell me what you've learned so far this year? Yes, miss…?'

' Evans. Lily. We've been learning about stunning and shield charms. Only… Well, we've never done them practically.'

' That's okay, we'll remedy that in no time. Who'd like to demonstrate?'

Mulciber was muttering away now, looking angry. James caught snippets like 'far too simple' and 'what's she playing at'. Knox picked him out. He smirked as he took up his position opposite her.

' Would you like to stun or defend, Mr…?'

' Mulciber,' he said, shortly. ' I'll stun.'

' Very well,' she replied, apparently unfazed by the wickedness in his slimy voice. ' On three. One… Two…'

' Stupefy!' the boy yelled, viciously.

The room seemed to freeze for a moment as everyone took a sharp breath. It was broken when Mulciber was thrown backwards, slamming to the floor with a sickening crack. James winced. He's been a professional trouble-maker long enough to have done a few fairly stupid things, and he knew the sound of a broken bone when he heard it. The boy groaned, clutching his arm, but nobody paid him any attention.

' You…' someone stammered at the teacher. ' But… You didn't say anything.'

' No,' she replied simply. ' I suppose I didn't. And that is a very valuable advantage in a duel. But first we need to become proficient in casting verbal spells properly. Pair up.'

James shuffled closer to Sirius, who was grinning unashamedly at the whimpering figure on the floor.

' And you,' Knox pointed at Avery. ' Take your friend up to the Hospital Wing.'

Her tone left the words And don't bother bringing him back today hanging in the air.

' She's brilliant,' Sirius whispered, excitedly.

James could only nod.

Okay, here be Chapter Four.

Firstly, a big thank you to the people who reviewed! It makes me all tingly inside! Thank you very much! Danke shern! Merci becoup!

Secondly, I am English and Northern. Thus, Leila is pronounced Lay-lah. Not Lie-lah. Okay, good.

I wanted to do a James-centric chapter because I felt like I hadn't included him so much yet and, I mean, he was the leader of the gang. So the injustice had been righted! Hoorah!

Sorry, I'm done now. It is late and I am giddy. Thanks for reading, reviews make me smile. Danke shern!