Harry Potter and Big Sister
Chapter 8: Exam and aftermath
Harry tried to calm himself down after the stunt his Big Sister… no… his new Defense teacher just pulled off on him and Malfoy as the piece of paper floated down on his desk, face down to prevent him from seeing what questions was written in there before other students received the test so they can begin simultaneously and has the same time limit.
To be frank, Harry is a little wondered about what kind of test Aisha will enact upon them if it's not about what Wizarding world learned? What if, it was a Muggle lesson he neglected since 11? There's a possibility, as Aisha doesn't look so trill and exciting when she saw Muggle technology, nor look disgust and hate them, rather, she look as if she had seen it all long before she came here… so it might be a question. Not to mention that her P.E. class is something that rip-off from the Muggle's curriculum from his experience that is…
Still, speculating about is brings him no good and pointless, as Aisha just ordered them to start doing the test now, so Harry did the most sensible thing that normal students should do, and flipped the paper up to read the contents…
And realized that the first thing that came up in his mind one his eyes fell upon the texts inscribed in the paper was just like the collective scream of confusion that echoed through the room reflecting his and every single students' thought. "What in the Merlin's name questions is this?"
Aisha leaned over her table to glares at the student bodies which caused them to shut up their curse word, before coldly replies. "The test, of course, just fills in the blanks with your answers… or is the questions too hard for you to understand? This's not taken from any books or any subjects in your school to avoid unfairness as well… in case someone chose to read up ahead…" she glanced at Hermione for a split second to signify the room who she's talking about.
"Er… Ais… no… Professor…" a girl voice, Hermione to be exact, hesitantly ask the purple-hair Professor while rising her hand up. "I just don't know what this kind of questions aimed to see from students? What purpose does this test serve?"
Aisha frowned at the bushy-haired students, the smartest one in the class as if she just asked something that shouldn't, then replies nonetheless. "If I told you, then the question will fail its objective to gauge your value… Don't ask me what 'value' I intended to see from you all… answer honestly and do not copy it from your peers… now three minutes passed, twenty-seven remaining."
With that Aisha went silent and contented to just sit there watching class doing her test like hawk seeking preys, everyone was also silent by her sharp gaze, complains died in their mouth, question sunk beneath the wave of dread, and so they decided to do as she ask and tried to answer whatever questions she written up in their paper.
Harry too, decided to take a look and read each questions more thoroughly than the last time, in hope of getting some insight as to what they're all about…
Instruction: Answer all questions truthfully, and also explains in details about your reason why you decided to answered it like you did… failing to write any reason to support your answer will result in that answer being invalid.
First question: Can the Light exist without Darkness?
Second question: You found a gold coin lying on the ground, there's no one nearby, what will you do?
Harry sighed and glanced at Ron who was rubbing his head in confusion, Seamus and Dean who twirling their quills in their hands absent-minded, Neville whose face looked like he just swallowed a plate full of U-No-Poo, the latest products the Weasley twin showed him a week before semester, heck, he bet half of the class now look just like Neville! Even Hermione, the resident bookworm and top-grader of his year also struggle to find answer, she was scratching her head, quill lying on her desk unmoving, her paper, from the corner of his eye, blank, save for the questions!
In fact, this is the answers of the whole class when he tried to peep around, yeah, definitely nothing written on even a single paper of his peers, so there's no point in asking other or glancing at their text, so, he decided that if he couldn't answer the first two questions, he will look for the next one…
However, to his dismay, the other questions are not that much better at all…
Third question: There's a butterfly struck on a web and a spider is crawling toward it to make it its meal, what will you do?
Forth question: You are the Grim Reaper in charge of taking the death to the afterlife, and now you loomed over a house where there's an ill, near-dead old man and his daughter, old man asked you to end his life which now is nothing but suffering from his illness, however doing so means you leave his daughter to fend for herself all alone in the world, and what if his suffering what was his fate's decree, his karma, doing so will mean you've changed someone's fate as well, what will you do?
In truth, the more he scanned the paper further down, the more sadistic and unforgiving questions it becomes… to the point that Harry began to suspects what his Big Sister has in mind when she designed this test, and what she wished to gain from having students answer these to her? This's even worse than Lockhart's test during his second year, but in a different meaning of 'worse'!
Fifth question: There's one psychopath killer, he is responsible for countless death, be it men, women, old or young, his political influence was so great that he couldn't be punished by any law. However, you had captured the man, if you send him to prison, soon he'll be released and start killing again… more people will suffer. What will you do?
Sixth question: From the Fifth question, if you choose to kill the man, his family, be his wife, child, mother and father will suffer as there's no political influence to help them anymore, relatives of those victims he killed will seek vengeance, and they'll be shunned from society, hunted, and eventually die… is this what you called justice? To let the innocent suffer for a crime they did not commit, nor even aware of?
Seventh question: From the Fifth question, if you choose to spare the man from death by whatever means you devised, is this a justice for the poor souls who died by his hands? If you're one of his victims, will you accept this course of actions?
Eighth question: You are in a lifeboat floating in the vast ocean with no landmass in sight, no brooms, and only other passengers. It was discovered that one of them has a curse that negate anyone on boat from apparition away, and the curse also slowly killing him, if he died by the curse, the curse will jump to the next person in the boat until no one left alive. What will you do, if you're not the one who gets cursed, and if you're the cursed one yourself?
"The hell is this?" muttered Harry, scratching his head and decided to re-read them again and again to no avail. No matter how to answer the questions provided, he'll feel guilty for not choosing another choices, for all the choices he could think out have their own undesirable consequences which will able to qualify said choice as the wrong answer, in short, every single choice the student can use to answers her questions are all right and wrong in one way or another, there's no 100% right and no 100% wrong either!
Fifteen minutes passed, and not a single student wrote a line or dot in the paper, Aisha, who scanned through the classroom, realized that some motivation is needed, so she gave them another advice. "Just write what you feel to be the correct answers, anything, only not copy it from other students! I'll award five points for the house who answered their questions honestly and be yourself. So gets it going, fifteen minute remaining! Oh, and I'll deduce five of your house points per unanswered question in each paper as well, so make sure you fill them all! Copying someone will net a 50 points reduction for your house per one copy too…"
The 'be yourself' part is quite confusing and not elaborate much which mean none could understand what its meaning, but the students took heed of other instruction in her sentence nonetheless, especially the part "five house points per blank answer in each paper", no one wanted to let their house lose the house cup, thus they begin filling their papers up slowly, Harry himself contemplating about what his Sister said a few minutes before decided to filled in his own…
Fifteen minutes was ample of time for someone to make up some random texts to answer those questions, but for him, his gut feeling tell him that these test has more than meet the eye, so he answered them to the best of his abilities, and sheer amount of honesty, trusted in his moral code in some case that he couldn't find appropriate one, so he can barely filled the final answer when his Sister tell the class to stop writing.
Test papers flew from students desks and landed on hers in an instant, before Aisha informed the class "Good work everyone for taking my test seriously, well, at least you did not cheats by copying answers from each other, so I guess that mean 10 points for both your houses."
The students cheered on as they all get their own house one step closer to house cup, albeit unintentionally, Aisha then speaks loudly, stopping their chats and have them listen to her once more "Before we dismiss, I've to inform you that next class will take place at the castle gate, wear training clothes, or something that doesn't tripped you over when you start running as well, or I will not responsible for any bruise or scratches you've got from smashing headlong on the ground…"
No one dared to laugh at her comments, it seems that her demonstration of prowess had instilled some sort of respect, if not fear, among the class as to tell them that this teacher is not a pushover, or Muggle as they first thought at all.
And so everyone scrambled out from the classroom in silent, but not for long, once they're in the hallway and out of Aisha's earshot, pandemonium break loose… Except certain boy who lived, who seem to thinking something while walking aimlessly around the corridor, surprise both of his closest friends.
Unknown to the students chattering in the hallway however, that Aisha still hear them from this distance, not that she minded them though, as now she has her own issue to work out, particularly certain Toad lady who still stayed in class despite it was dismissed.
"Madam Umbridge, you have anything to say to me?" She asked politely, while sitting on her desk arranging the test her students just submitted to her for clarification later on, her purple eyes glance at the pink Toad lady at the backmost seat of the room for a split second, noting the Ministry representative's stare at her while still holding a test paper in one of her pompous hand.
"Hem… I'm sorry Miss Aisha… it was nothing particular but my duty…" Umbridge explained herself, coughing all the while as if she caught a disease, which Aisha knew it wasn't the case "But you see… your… little test is somewhat questionable…"
Aisha raised her eyebrows as if she was surprised by it before ask back in simple one word. "How?"
Umbridge cough again, before explaining in a false-sweet tone as if she tries to sooth the tension that wasn't even there to begin with while throwing the paper down on her desk nonchalantly. "I've read them and still cannot found the purpose of asking them, it's not even related to anything on the subject you teach, or even Muggle Studies we have, let alone anything… wizarding."
Aisha arranged the test paper back into her bag, shook her head, then glanced back at Umbridge from her desk and replies calmly. "It was a test to see what I can teach them, Madam…"
This time, Umbridge's eyes widen in a genuine surprise, before it changed into a mocking smirk and chuckle, and not bother to hide her insult anymore when there's no one to witness her true color, she said. "My, my, a wild girl who lived in nowhere, uncivilized part of the earth, who learned magic by herself accidentally, trial and error, not even accepted into any magical school, have no theories whatsoever to supports what you did, and has something to teach us, who has systematic and trust-proven curriculum?"
Of course, Umbridge completely neglect the facts that, by her own self-study without going to school before in her life, Aisha has been able to do something that even the most powerful wizard of their time, or even those recorded in 'History of Magic' couldn't, like wandlessly, non-verbal, multi-casting spell that she invented herself which completely prevent at least three pureblood teenage wizards from performing magic themselves. A feat that no one ever achieved before, and maybe never will if they still stick to the 'curriculum' as they are.
But then again, Umbridge's purpose was to try to point out how weak and unfit the girl are for this position, even though it was a lame excuse at best, she still wished that the girl would give up upon challenged with such questions.
However, Aisha didn't seem to get offended by those insult, rather, she sighed, and started explaining to the Ministry's representative as best as she could, in other word, trying to say something that this biased representative could understand. "The purpose of a test is to see their moral stands, Madam, I wouldn't like it if I found that they used any knowledge gained from me for any mischief or crime… as you already told me before, this class is one that involved defending oneself, but it can also interpret as a class that teach you how to harm other as well…"
"You still haven't answered my main question…" Umbridge chided the girl, barely contain her giggle.
Aisha smiled at the representative of the Ministry and shot back politely… well, politically polite. "I thought that you already listen to me during class, Madam Umbridge, I think that their bodies need some more muscle, so a P.E. class first before we get into something more advance…"
"Wizard use magic, we don't need such thing as muscle to do physical labor you know?" Umbridge still couldn't see reason one who wielded magic need physical training, as she pointed out, magic will do most, if not all their work already.
"I've to run away from magic resistance beasts so many times that I cannot count during my life…" Aisha cited her reason and quickly shut Umbridge who tried to say something with her serious glare, something in her purple eyes that made the Toad lady realized instinctively that the girl in front of her didn't made this story up at all. "…and yes, some place apparitions just don't work… I think it's the beast's innate abilities, so, there you go, on your two feet to get away else you end up their meals."
Alternately, Aisha could just say that her boyfriend, Elsword can trashed her with nothing but a sword, but if she told the Toad lady that, it'll just open more can of worm in the form of many more awkward questions that she doesn't want to answer for it serves no purpose other than making Ministry suspect her upbringing even more, something that Dumbledore told her to avoid…
Of course, Umbridge's mind quickly process the words she just heard and tried to speculated what kind of 'Beasts' this girl ran into in the past, before settle down on Giant or Dragon, which had all the properties she said about minus the anti-apparition field, but then again, this girl might came across some ruin of ancient Wizarding somewhere that has the same property as Hogwarts' ward during her journey in the wild, so it's not that much issue that Umbridge would brought up her story…
Thus, seeing she has nothing to ask, Umbridge then excuse herself that she has to owl the Ministry about first day report and leave the room.
Aisha lingered back for a while, arranging test papers into her backpack, looking around as if she was searching for something, before calling out to the empty room "So, I see that you heed my advice to prepare for anything unexpected well, now would you please come out of that cloak of yours so I can see you clearly, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Grangers?"
At first there's a loud gasps echoed across the room and then, right before her eyes three students appeared out of a transparent cloak, their face speaks of surprise and nervousness as if a kid get caught stealing candy, while the spectacled boy, Harry Potter, quickly question her what they had in mind. "Er, Professor Aisha…"
But before he could get the question out, he was stopped by a sharp gaze from the girl, who sighed then proceeds to chided him. "Kid… out of the class and in private like this, just throw those 'Professor' thing out, I'm still your Big Sister you know… just called me like what you called back there."
Harry's heart light up a bit at her chuckle and smile back, knowing that she still is his Big Sister whom he can relies on. As she descended down from the teacher's desk to stand in front of the trio, Aisha brushed her braid on her left aside and asks them one question that they wanted to ask her back. "So, kids, how's the lesson today? I mean, other classes, not only mine…"
Looking at both of his friends, Harry shrugged and tells her the truth. "Nothing that you might interest, Sis, only that Snape still hated me… and the Divination and History class were boring…"
"It's your fault for not following the instruction, that's why Snape has a reason to deduce your point or insult you…" Hermione shot back.
"Speaking of insult…" Ron begins, his eye avert from the small frame of Aisha to his own shoes the moment she turned her attention, and her gaze toward him. "What you did to that git Malfoy was brilliant!"
"Ron!" Hermione warned him as, Harry's elder sister or not, she stills their teacher.
However, Aisha didn't mind that much as she talks about that particular exploit. "Being reasonable is far more respectable than a complete bigotry comment like 'This blood, that blood is superior' but knows this, if that Malfoy kid is really a fool…" She glared at Ron who started snickering, causing him to shut up before continues. "…he would never get what I said and shut up like he did, well, at least that show he's not a lost cause…"
"Should we relieve to hear that, Sis?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Why not? At least those who have brain will listen to reason, better than those dumb muscles whose only way to get your point across is to pound it into their head, literally, an injury or two, might make right, whatever you called it. So I'll say that Malfoy is much more 'tolerable' and still 'tamable', even though he can be a bit… smart about trying to ruin someone's day."
"I see…" Harry replies, though his mind still hesitant about her opinion, as it could work both ways, if Malfoy keeping his tie with Voldermort, he's very dangerous, as much as those 'Dumb muscles'. But he isn't going to voice his opinion yet, because it is not something you can predict at all, despite what the Slytherin always acted around him, he still not sure which path Draco will ultimately take.
Telling her that he'll become evil right now is just an empty accusation, on par with her telling him that Draco still could be save, as none of them is right, not at the moment.
Speaking of 'right', it reminded Harry about what purpose he has in waiting behind after class like this, so he decided to ask her again "Er, Sis, about that test earlier, is what you told Umbridge is true?"
He saw her eyebrows twitched, her lip stiffed up in a frown, before asking him back in quite scary-sweet voice she used when beating back Malfoy's argument in class earlier "So, you all eavesdropping teachers and staff of Ministry?"
Cold sweats suddenly send shiver down the trio's spines, their mind occupied trying to come up with an excuse to their antic which has been caught red-handed, their face shown nothing but pure fear and uncertainty of what to do. And then all comes crashing down when Aisha, who looked at them, suddenly burst out in laughter and said to them "Ha! Your faces are priceless, seriously, Ha Ha… If I only have a camera… or a mirror… Opps… Hee Hee"
She held her hand covering her stomach as if the laughing made it hurt, flabbergasted Harry, Ron, and especially Hermione who never thought that someone as cool-headed and as capable as Aisha could pull out such unrestrained laughter like a child, shattered the image she projected during previous class completely.
After the laughter died down, Harry becomes the first one to tease her while himself was smirking. "Never thought that Sis is capable of such laugh before, it seems that I was wrong…"
Aisha didn't mind his lack of respect however, and thus she smile back and replies. "Can't help it, next time I'll asks Professor Snape to take your picture when he caught you doing something mischief should I?" and then she saw Harry's face turned into a frown, signifying that he's not appreciated with that, so she crossed her arms corrects her word. "…well, I did it out of concern you know, at least this'll help you get what job you aim for, because Auror require you to be proficient in Potion making, and you know who's giving you your grade."
"I don't think I'll improve or anything with Snape constantly trying to deduct point from me…" Harry snorts back even he know that his Sister was right about his dream of becoming Auror, and that to get there indeed require him to pass Potion.
Aisha sighed "At least, from what I gathered, he never once make up empty excuses to punish you, the reason you get such treatment, I mean… get deduction in points, was because you brought it upon yourself… no… listen...!" she hissed when she saw Harry's face turned red with anger, but it don't last long under her sharp gaze and he again fell silent. "… Do Not compare your mistakes to others Slytherin and say how unfair he is! You made mistake in Potion making, that's the fact that cannot be changed even there're other who made mistake as well… It's just that you get his attention, no more, no less… if you do not want this, then get better!"
"And to be franks…" Aisha still not finished, and continues what Harry could only see it as her scolding "…this benefits you more than Slytherin, even more that those petty houses point…"
"What!?" Ron exclaimed likely didn't believe his ears "That Gits punish us for the slightest mistake! And you say that's benefit to us?" He nearly shouts, ignoring the disapproving look from Hermione at the blatant disrespect of their teacher.
Harry couldn't blame Ron for overacting like this though, as he also thinking the same as him, the unpleasant memories from earlier years of Hogwarts still etched into his mind, thus he didn't believed her that Snape will doing it to help him…
However, it would appear that they've overstepping their bound, that, or Aisha can read their mind, as Aisha narrowed her eyes on them and speaks coldly "You may not believe me now kids, but I'm quite sure that Professor is more pleasant than what rumors I heard from other years in the past classes, only if you can get past that hatred, perhaps you'll see my point."
"Speaking of rumors…" Harry tried to shift the subjects, seeing that his Big Sister seem to not agree with him about Snape and seeing no point to arguing further. "…how Sis going to do with that stunt? I'm sure that it'll begin circulating through the entire school by now."
"What stunt?" Aisha shot back her question which makes Harry blink, as if he's not sure whether she's pretending to be stupid, or she really doesn't know. But when he saw that she's genuinely shot him an innocent look, he now sure it was the latter.
But he didn't have to point that out himself, as Hermione beats him at it first. "You stopping us from casting spell, subtly, silent, not even with your own wand… Profess… er… I mean, Miss Aisha…"
Aisha raised her eyebrows before asking "Is that it? Isn't this what adult wizards of yours normally able to do? I mean the wandless, voiceless stuff…"
Hermione suppressed the urge to facepalm herself before carefully explains. "That…" she phrased slowly in a quiet tone, as if in fear that it would offend her teacher "…isn't something that normal witch and wizard can do… sorry…" Hermione correct herself. "…I mean, doing them all simultaneously like you did… normally we either do voiceless casting or wandless casting, not Both at the same time. And saying that you never went to school before only adds more fuel to the fire."
"I see…" Aisha said after blinking a few time while her mind contemplated what the girl just said, then she answers Harry's question nonchalantly. "…well, sorry for the ruckus I created for this school year…" then the girl chuckled and continues. "… but what done is done, now I'll say that you should get going kids, I want to speaks with you more regularly, but my position, and that Toad…" She growled in annoyance at the name "…will make sure as hell that it can't happen, least both you and I get hurl out of the school faster than you can say 'expelled' out loud…"
Harry then realized at her word, and the clock in the class, that they've stayed around for a bit too long, long enough that some of their friends, those that doesn't wholly believed all those lies and rumors in Daily Prophet, like his Quidditch team, or Neville, or other Weasleys, will probably started looking for them by now, and it wouldn't do for his or his Big Sis's reputation seeing them having a friendly, brother-sister like conversations…
In one darker corner of his mind, a selfish thought surfaced, telling him to get themselves expel from the school, so he'll be free to follow His Sister to her home, as now she doesn't have any excuse to prevent him from going there as her homeland was now finally at peace, and he also knew… he didn't know how he know it that his Sister only accepted to teach at Hogwarts only to help him out, else she would've go her way exploring this world and dragging him along with her already had not because of his ties to this second home.
But he shook that thought aside, the Wizarding world, the place that he could truly called 'home' is under threat from Voldermort, he know that his Big Sister might take Ron and Hermione along if he ask, but what about their family, their parents, their friends? Surely his Big Sis who has more rational and cynical thought will not be please with that even if she really did agree, so escaping to another world is out of the question for him until Voldermort has been put to a stop, permanently.
Then Harry thought return to the present and feels that his problem with Wizarding government, his ruined reputation will only drags his Sister down along with him, and he's not someone who'll let someone he cared for get into trouble by his undoing if he can help it, thus he bid her a farewell.
Aisha shrugged before warn them one final time before they parted. "Don't forget, dress appropriately for my next class, we'll have some exercise, maybe running around the castle or two."
Harry waved his hand over his head as a sign of acknowledgement before they disappeared out from the room. Once alone, Aisha gathered all her belonging, the test, checking if there's anything missing, before she too left the room once she was sure none is missing.
The news about their new Defense Professor's capability and weird test conducted upon fifth year students spread like a wildfire during summer as Harry and his friends predicted, once the dinner rolls around, everyone was now talking about how the new Defense Professor could do everything she did during class, and what sort of test she'd conduct on other year students.
Naturally, the rumors thrives in such environment, some says she's some sort of wild child raised by magical creature, namely… centaur or ancient dragon, thanks to her own admittance that she's practically never went to school before and all she did was what she discovered, experiment, and practiced by herself.
And then some, particularly certain blonde male Prefect of Slytherin, theorized loudly to his house's table that she may be a bastard child abandoned by one of the Noble pureblood family.
The reason for reaching this conclusion is simple for Malfoy, he did it from what his father told him, whatever he gathered from Ministry about new DADA teacher before school year began that she was orphaned who never knew her own parents, and then Draco admitted to his group that it was what make him falsely assumed that Dumbledore picked a Mudblood or Muggle for the job. This, along with the narrow-minded education he received about pureblood supremacy, after her 'challenge' he now acknowledge that such speculation that she's Muggle or normal mongrel from Muggle family is getting more and more ridiculous and improbable, for such talent never existed in Mudblood. (He's ignoring one of his fellows Prefect of Gryffindor here though.)
Malfoy bragging loudly at their table, uncaring that their teachers still sitting in front of them dining and just let him slides this time, that he'll owl his father tomorrow to check out the library of his house for pureblood family trees if there's someone who might have a connection to their new teacher, and said he was sure that if she's one, his father will find her parents or ancestor end up somewhere in there, bragging that it should be easy enough with her quite noticeable hair and eyes color as traits and clues. Unknowingly that his effort will be futile, as Wizarding England is just a part of the world's community after all, not to mention that Aisha isn't exactly came from any of this community in the first place.
It was then that Aisha decided to join the main hall for her dinner…
Approaching from one of the corridor nearest to the teachers' table, a clanging metal sound when she use her staff as a cane to walk slowly getting louder made every conversations during dinner in the main hall came to a halt, all pair of eyes fixated on the origin of the noise that they become grown up to know from the opening feast even before Aisha herself ever emerged from the doorway, while other teachers stiffen, as if they were bracing themselves and prepare for something up their sleeves.
As on cue, once Aisha walked up to the teacher's table and took her seat, the greasy black haired Professor, head of the Slytherin house, greet her with question immediately, not caring that they are in the middle of dinner among students, because he and other teachers thought that Aisha might have something she doesn't want to share with Ministry's representative, thus she may not answer them at all if Umbridge is here, so they took advantage during the absent of said representative, who decided to have dinner in her own quarter so she can get the letter for Ministry ready before midnight, as such a chance may not come to pass again.
However, that thought was flawed, as they did not take into account of the students present in the hall, or that they thought that with all the noise students make, their conversation will be filtered out from the eavesdropping, no one really sure, but the results are the same as Snape proceed according to his agreement with other teachers.
"Ah, Professor Aisha… glad you joined us for a dinner…" Snape spoke first, his voice soft as silk, yet laced with curiosity and… to put it mildly, from Harry's perspective, mistrust. "…you see, a lot of rumors have been circulating within first day, and we have some questions to ask you."
Aisha, who was in the process of picking up her piece of tomato to feed her mouth, stopped and look back at the Potion Professor innocently, well, as innocent as someone who was broken by the war could, before nodding in agreement. "Go ahead, Professor…"
Not noticing that now the entire hall fell silent thanks to him speaking quite loudly, Snape asks her the most pressing question that everyone, including him and fellow teachers, wanted to know first. "How can you prevent students from casting any successful spells at all, without any wands and incantation?"
Aisha blinks, and then, instead of asking where or who did he get this information from, as it was oblivious to her already from Harry's warning about how fast rumor can spread inside Hogwarts, thus she asks nonchalantly at Professor Flitwick as if she never once discussing this topic with Hermione beforehand. "Isn't this what normal Wizards in Wizarding world can do? I mean, casting spell without incantation out loud, or without wand that is…"
And thus, the diminutive charm Professor to facepalmed himself, squeaked out loudly, and denying her claims with his quick explanation. "No, not at the same time… they either cast wandlessly OR wordlessly, not both!" then he added, as if expecting Aisha to ask him for proof. "From what Severus and Minerva gathered from their fifth year students, that's exactly what you did in their class! Not mention you casted it simultaneously to stop what?… six students from getting their spell off multiple times in a row… that cannot be a fluke or dumb luck no matter how you look at it!"
Aisha raised her free hand up to her chin, as if she was deep in thought, contemplating what Flitwick just said while trying to ignore the stares that the entire hall gave her, and then lamely suggests her own explanation. "Am I trying a bit too hard?"
Snape snorts coldly. "No one going to buys that excuse, Professor Aisha…"
Seeing other teachers shaking their heads, it was clear that no one going to let this slide without answer either, once Aisha saw that, she smile apologetically at them and decided to give them a proper answer. "I cannot give a theory or point to any books source about that, as it was what I achieved by self-studying, I'm sorry to say this, but I never went to school before, even homeschooling… I never had parents to take care of me… so, well, that's what I get…"
This cause nearly half of the student bodies, mostly those who is not Harry and his friends who know this beforehand, to jaw dropped in shock and disbelieve, as they never once thought that there will be witch or wizard child who could slip away from their government education issue and search at all, as their knowledge told them that any magic potential children will be registered on the Ministry of respective country since birth, even Muggleborn one are no exception from this rule.
Yet, their teacher claimed to never once go to school before, which begs the question to them as where in the world did she lived for the first eleven years of her life that not a single magical school ever get their letter to her? And more importantly, how she trained herself up to the point she could do something no normal witch and wizard could do without any books or teachers in this craft to help her at all?
Then there's another thought, Ravenclaw started doubting their teacher's competency in teaching her subjects to them and whispering worriedly among themselves, because, as she admitted, she'll more than likely not following any book at all during their curriculum, thus affecting the examination or practical application, even if she asked them to self-study curses or hexes on their own, there's no guarantee that they'll perform them right, not when even their teacher probably doesn't know how to do it herself.
As if sensing the feeling of doubt, Snape looked at his fellow teachers once, motioned his head toward Aisha, who took the silent as a sign that there's nothing to ask her anymore so she sat down and start eating without caring about others, meaningfully, McGonagall shots Snape a disapproving look as if saying 'Don't do it.' Against whatever Snape was planning in his mind, however, head of other houses, namely Flitwick and Sprout, while their faces clearly showed a sign of disagreement, they nodded to the Potion Professor to proceed as curiosity already dominating their thought, and whatever Snape's going to do, it'll provided answer that surely satisfy them.
So, once he saw that Aisha begin to speaks to the students, saying that they better eat before the food get cold and then turn her attention to her own dish, Snape used this momentarily of distraction to his advantage and point his wand at Aisha, then fire off a red bolt, the normal and plain Stupefy, toward her undefended back voicelessly!
Students gasped at the sight of their teacher firing curse upon fellow teacher, some of them expected their new DADA Professor to take the hit, it is inevitable, as her back was turned, her hands was occupied with spoon and fork, Snape spoke no incantation to reach her ears, she couldn't know that he was casting spell at her…
They didn't expect the diminutive girl to whirl one of her arm back; flicked an empty spoon in her hand at the red bolt of stunner charm not a millimeter away, then suddenly, the bolt of light grazed the curve of the spoon, then she flicked her hand again, deflecting the bolt toward and exploded harmlessly upon the starry ceiling, without even looking back at the caster or the offending bolt of curse at all!
Silence reigned afterward, once everyone in the main hall looked at their new Defense Professor with even more shock, while the Professor herself lay her spoon down, got up, turned toward her fellow teacher, and frown at the Potion Professor, while asking in polite, yet has a trace of controlled anger, tone. "Professor Snape, what was that for?"
Snape didn't fazed by her glare and proceed to sneer back "As I suspected, you seem to have so many tricks up your sleeve…" His eyes narrowed down on her hand that was holding the spoon. "No wizards or witches have that kind of quick reaction, not to mention improvised anything in hand to reflect the spell cast at them…"
"Isn't this made of Goblin's steel? If so, it's…" Aisha tried to justify the reason why her spoon could deflect Snape's curse but was cut short by McGonagall.
"That lame excuse will not going to fool us, Professor Aisha…" the stern old Professor met the young girl's sharp gaze without flinching, both sides did not back down while McGonagall proceed to torpedoed said 'lame excuse' with the following words "…Goblin will not make something as mundane as spoon, and even if they did, Hogwarts won't spend so many fortune buying them anyway! Thus the reason it defected Severus's spell is only because you did something with it." She said with finality.
"And you don't even looking at Professor Snape when he cast spell at you, yet you deflected it with something smaller than your hand, I'll say that your sense and precision is quite something, Aisha…" Sprout calmly added her piece of observation.
Even they didn't say it out loud, it was quite clear that they want Aisha to share some of her story, at least to ease their doubt about her.
This would continue for more if not for certain boy of Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom, gathering his courage and raise hand up, interrupting the interrogation with certain point everyone seem to neglect. "Er, isn't that mean we got the right teacher for the right job, Professor?" Before he shut up and slipped down to his chair once he saw McGonagall's eyes narrowed down on him.
However, that actually saved Aisha from further interrogations, as the teachers just realized how far they were doing something that should save for private in front of the school, luckily that Umbridge hadn't been around to take notice of such improper conducts so they were safe, for a while… Thus they quickly apologized to Aisha and tell the students to mind their own food thereafter, so the situation resolved peacefully.
Until After the dinner at least…
Once the students are all back to their dormitory, Prefects leave the teacher's common room for the nighttime patrol, and Flitwick casted multiple charms on the room to prevent any eavesdropping or any disturbance, they quickly shift their attention to the newest member of the Hogwarts staff who now sat sheepishly on one of the couch lying around the quite spacious room, waiting for the discussion, or rather, interrogation... from her fellow teachers who scattered sitting around the room eyeing her with interest as well.
Aisha tried her best not to show any irritation out for other to see, calm her mind to negate any mind-reading attempt and steel herself, and then she asked McGonagall, the Deputy headmistress of Hogwarts who sat on the opposite couch a question. "Okay, so now we're isolated and no one outside could hear us, what do you want to know? We should make it quick, as we all have works to prepare for class tomorrow."
And she didn't mention about her 'test' that need evaluation yet.
If the teachers of Hogwarts grow impatience of her, they surely hid it well, as the only sign of annoyance was McGonagall's stiffen lip, and Snape's scowling face, and then the Potion Professor spoke first, denying her excuse to stay and chat for long with his silky voice. "Hardly, Professor Aisha, workload in the first week are usually light, as the students especially those first year are start to settle in…" he paused a little before continues "…so we cannot put so much on the subjects, although there may be exceptions like fifth and seventh year, but the rest, it's not…"
"So we have plenty of time to talk about…" Flitwick spoke from his chair, before jumping up on his feet with excitement. "Particularly your style of magic, I'm quite curious to what you've developed on your own outside the teaching of Merlin that shaped our society since Camelot!"
"Good idea… Professor… I'm quite interest in that as well…" Professor Sprout adds, not noticing McGonagall's and Snape's annoying look suggesting that they'd rather ask something else.
Of course, Sprout and Flitwick are interested because while the Gryffindor and Slytherin teachers, who already know about this particular new addition to the teaching staff beforehand thanks to the loose lip of Mrs. Weasley who's also a member of their secret organization, Sprout and Flitwick did not heard any of these as they cannot make things too suspicious for the Ministry and focus on protecting the school and teaching, and they just know her only after she introduced herself yesterday.
It looks like the question has confused Aisha a little, as she eyed the diminutive Charm Professor and asks him back politely. "Professor, you're implying that my Magic is different than yours right?" Seeing he nodded, she shrugged. "As I said, I just experimenting and testing on my own, then after I found what work and what's not, train it really hard to the point I can use it without trouble…"
"But the wand…" Flitwick tried to interrupt, but Aisha shot up her hand, gesturing him to let her speak first, which he reluctantly complies.
"If I'm not mistaken…" Aisha said, glancing at other teachers annoyingly. "...children that have Magic potential can sometimes do accidental magic unconsciously right? Did they ever spoke incantation? Did they ever need a wand to perform the sorcery at all?"
The answer was oblivious as everyone shook their head. "No…"
"And while I'm out there, in a place… where no Wizarding society flourishes at all, by myself, where did I could get a wand? Where did I could learn proper incantation?" Aisha phrased it, or rather, choose her wording carefully, since telling them that she never once involved in magical society at all is a full-blown lie that not able to fool anyone, so she choose the 'partial truth' path, as it was true that she has recently encounter this 'Wizarding Society' but that doesn't mean she never encounter any other 'Magic society' before.
Then she drive the point home in the next sentence, spoke in impassive tone as if she was lecturing someone. "That's the answer you wanted about why my magic is different… There's a biologist's saying 'Environment used to guide evolution.'…"
However, her speech's effect was ruined by the dumbfounded expression on her fellow teachers' faces, and when Flitwick uttered another word, it's not surprising why. "What Biologi…?"
Luckily, Aisha was saved from explaining something that Wizarding world mostly ignored… 'the knowledge of normal human or Muggle' as Professor Sprout quickly tell the Charm Professor with a tiredly sigh "It's a name used to called someone who study living being and relationship between them and environment, Filius…"
"Ah, I see…" The small Professor rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, before apologize "Sorry, when I'm excited, my memories sometimes slip…" Then he nods at Aisha and hastily explains his thought. "Your explanation cleared everything up, even though I'm a bit skeptical as to where you lived that no Wizarding ever reach out to you before, despite having a society of your own, your homeland seem to lack understanding and knowledge of Wizarding right?"
McGonagall and Snape looked at each other for a second, sharing an unsure look, as they knew that Aisha came from a seclude location has yet to be discover by Wizarding world according to Molly Weasley, but they didn't told their fellow teachers because they also half-hearted about believing it, and Dumbledore also somewhat not elaborate much after he 'interviewed' her did not help the case at all thanks to the vagueness of the word Aisha used whenever she referred to her homeland.
However, as they looked at the purple haired girl who crossed her arms and looks as if trying her best to hold back her displeasure, it's clear that they won't get any more answer than what she has told them about the subject, so they decide to let it drop and focus on the next matter that was a tie-in to the previous one.
"So…" Flitwick begins, his voice betray no emotion as he looked at Aisha with concern in his eyes "…if you never once went to school and your magic is the fruit of your own way of practicing, then we have a new problem here…"
Aisha sighed as if she knew this was coming, she nudged her forehead with her left hand while asking "Don't tell me you're going to ask whether I am qualify for teaching, I think that Dumbledore had it covered wasn't he?"
"We know that, Professor Aisha…" Professor McGonagall quickly spoke up, her stern facial expression don't even change even after so long into the interrogation. "We don't have any problem about that, but the Ministry will…" She emphasis on the word 'Ministry' and sighed tiredly when her thought ventured to the Toad Lady.
"I made my point clear to her myself before, don't worry about it Professor…" Aisha said to comfort her fellow then elaborate what she's going to do for her curriculum. "…with those 'Ministry Decree' tying all my hands, I doubt that even if you got other teacher who has knowledge of your craft, he or she wouldn't able to teach those to the students anyway… in the end, it's either settle with P.E. Class and assign self-study for Magic I cannot teach, or might as well teach them how to surrender themselves to the would-be attacker, and I doubt that the latter is appropriate for the subject…" She chuckled mockingly a bit at the end.
"A fair point…" Snape nodded in understanding, however his eyes suggest that he has something else in mind, curiosity has yet to perish completely, to put it mildly that is. "I guess we don't have anything to concern about her teaching capabilities have we not?"
He paused a little, looking at other teaching staffs for objection, but when he see there's none, then continues on the next issue… this time regarding something more personal concerning house of the snake. "It settles then… But there's another matter that my students brought up to me before dinner, particularly about how you treat students in your class…"
Aisha who's in the process of standing up and moving toward the door halt in her path and turn back to look at the greasy haired Potion Professor, tilting her head a little as a gesture saying that she doesn't' know what he's trying to say, making Snape know that she's paying him attention, so he continues. "…I'm not sure that you know this or not, but I suggest that you do not give any special treatment toward any fifth year students, particularly…"
Snape pause a little, then spat out the name with venom, however the rest of the sentence resume back to his normal, silky voice giving advice to his fellow. "…Harry Potter… I know from certain someone, that both of your relationship goes all the way back to his childhood, but do not let that cloud your judgment, if someone made a mess, he or she should be punish accordingly, famous or not, getting ridiculed by entire Wizarding World or not, they're not excuses for such action."
Aisha's eyes twitched a little at the mention of her 'Little Brother', but realizing that Snape's point was sound, so she nodded and replies coldly. "Your suggestion has been noted… while we're in class, he's my student, and I'm his teacher, and will treat him fairly and accordingly." Then her eyes narrowed, glare warning at Potion Professor before she makes another statement while twitching her hand as if trying to refrain it from pointing rudely at him. "But when I'm off-duty, it's another story… and you cannot stop me!"
"As long as you make your point clear to your 'Little Brother' that there's a difference between… I don't see any problem with it." McGonagall cut Snape off before he retort and start a verbal fight, she succeed however not because both parties were scare or respect of her decision, but because the head of Gryffindor house is not soft in the slightest as she warn Aisha in the follow up sentence. "However, don't ever abuse your teacher power to help Mr. Potter, if we, or worse, the Ministry caught wind of it, it's on your head, understand?"
Aisha glanced around the room in brief moment, before nodded "I understand, Professor." At that she turned around, walking a few steps and pushing her weight against the doorframe preparing to leave as there's nothing left when Professor Snape somehow decided to speak again in the subject that could open even more cans of worm if it were to leak out of this room.
"Another word of advice Professor Aisha… something that Minerva seems forgets to tell you…" Snape spoke with a smooth voice, and genuine concern, after all, she's nothing resemble that man he despise of, and very reasonable unlike that man's offspring. "…do not let your brother-sister relationship become public knowledge, otherwise the Ministry will come down on you anyway even if you never done anything wrong, and watch out Potter too, he may somehow slip up if that Ministry woman pushed too far."
Aisha tried her best to put up polite smile and not roll her eyes at the Potion Professor before replying him. "I know… thanks for your concern… I already warned him myself after class… and I doubt he'll be that stupid to speak it out loud after getting the message…"
"Teen never be the one to act on reason like you, Professor Aisha, and you should watch him carefully, hopefully you can beat some sense into him where I couldn't… that's all…" Snape concluded while Aisha pushed the door open, moved out and slammed it shut in a matter of moment, sound of footstep echoed in hallway gradually lower until there was silence…
"That was…" Suddenly, a voice came from behind the Potion Professor, looking around Snape found himself staring at the stern Transfigurations Professor with the expression of mild surprise, before she continue what was left off. "…strange of you to talk politely like that to that girl, considering how she is Mr. Potter's Elder Sister, or at least Mr. Potter viewed her as one."
Snape avert the gaze of McGonagall, ignoring the strange look other two occupants currently giving him before muttering to himself loud enough for other to hear. "I considered that Mr. Potter held her in high regard, as his Elder Sister even they're not related by blood, even after all these years they were apart, her words might have a bit more impact than mine to make him realize his wrongdoing in following his father's footstep so I tried to suggest her to tell him so, nothing more."
"Or perhaps you find that she's not anything like James Potter at all, aren't you?" McGonagall asked with the corner of her lip twitched up a little.
Snape rolled his eyes, didn't answer that question and choose to excuse himself back to his personal quarter instead while other teacher begins discussing other small matters regarding their students.
Umbridge just finished folding her letter and handed it to the Ministry owl who took flight the moment it was wrapped around its leg and sighed tiredly, growling in annoyance, she dragged her fat pompous body clad in pink back to her working desk which has the meal prepared then starting to eat it rather furiously as if she was angry at someone.
Of course, how can she not get angry when that girl Dumbledore hired into the position Umbridge herself intended to take managed to outwitted Ministry of Magic as a whole! Using a loophole in the Decree she and Fudge Himself took days and night writing, ruining all the hard work with just a simple motive! Self-Study!
They failed to see that coming at all, despite it was pretty oblivious in plain sight that any teacher could take, so now the students are free to study any fighting magic and potentially become a threat to the Ministry.
Still, Umbridge tried to calm herself down while downing a glass of pumpkin juice, Self-Studying does not guarantee the quality of the students, even though this Aisha try to rectify that with periodic testing once in a while this whole semester, some will be stuck while unable to asks their teacher to help out, only asking fellow students who succeed which isn't the best choice as succeed in casting spells doesn't always make one a good teacher after all.
Umbridge thought of using the quality of the curriculum against the diminutive purple haired girl who look no older than fifteen and has sent this suggestion to the Ministry already, but when she think about it a second time, it's unlikely to succeed as that Aisha girl has the excuse of doing as 'Ministry's intended' this whole time.
So in short, all the flak and complains will be redirected and exploded right in her and Fudge's face for preventing the Defense Teacher from teaching her students properly instead, and the girl already has evidence and proofs in the form of Decree signed by Fudge himself on her person, which they given to her! Thus this option was out.
But to sit back and let this girl, who, by her own admission, came from some backwater country that doesn't know anything about Wizarding World in the slightest have her way in teaching the subjects that can potentially turn a student into soldiers for Dumbledore is not an option either! As that mean the old fool (in Umbridge opinion at least) could've taught her to do Merlin-know-what to reach that goal of overthrowing the Ministry, a thing made easier by the girl's apparent lack of understanding regarding Wizarding World.
In fact, she should've blame herself for allowing the girl to passed their test in the first place, but Umbridge conveniently ignore, or forgotten about that and shift the credit to the old headmaster's cunning plan that managed to outmaneuvered them instead.
All in all, to be positive, she's not lost either, as this encounter tell her that Dumbledore is the first target to kick out, not the Aisha girl, that girl probably as fool as her to get persuaded into the feud between Ministry and Dumbledore, a tool to be discard when the purpose is fulfilled. Something that Umbridge agreed and will do her in after the one pulling the string has been dealt with.
But first, she has to assert more power into this school and work her way up into finding any evidence to out Dumbledore, something she hoped Fudge would provide…
She did not noticed a ruby, glowing orb staring down on her, and the letter she wrote, and all the mutter and curses she made has been recorded into the memory of the thing outside the window of her quarter at all, and it decided to scurried away before she caught sight of it.
Its current master is under threat from this woman, she must be informed!
Author's Note:
This chapter may be a bit heavy in content despite there's nothing violence happening at all, so the question for this chapter to you readers is, what will you answer those questions Aisha put the students through?
I guess many of the new reviewer's questions had been answered in this chapter now if you read it…
But to get it short, as she told Eve in the last chapter, she planned only teach them physical training and mental focus needed for wandless casting or voiceless casting, nothing more fancies than that.
And of course, the reason she teach the student in the first place was only because she want to help her little brother and she made it clear to Dumbledore when he purposed the job, and he knows it. Children, as she phrased it, is a Jedi truth, and I think everyone know what Jedi truth mean. Dumbledore may not speak it out loud, but it's clear nonetheless that he knows what she's really care for.
In truth, if not because Voldermort wants Harry's head more than anything and Wizarding England still ignorance on the facts thus refused to deal with Voldy, she might just stand on the sideline and watch the Wizarding England burns, the desire to protect children is but a secondary concern for her.
To be franks, the prototype of this story actually had her teach the student of Hogwarts her magic, but it got dropped out before the first chapter even uploads on fanfiction as it's too much to be plausible. And then there's the next prototype where she only had one student, take a guess who? (Hint, not Harry, look at the above test Aisha conducted…)
And the limitation of Magic, let just say improvise thinking can circumvent that, already evident when she first met the Order of Phoenix where she fired out a fusion of Stupefy and Magic Missile in the opening salvo, who know what she might pull off next?
For beta reader, erm, sorry for asking this, but how can one get the beta reader? I'm really a noob here, sorry for asking something stupid.
Review as you wished, and See you next time!