Smells Like Teen Spirit
By the time school restarted in the New Year, Harry and Draco's relationship had become common knowledge. They had tried to keep it a secret for a while, but they had been seen walking around Ottery St Catchpole hand in hand by a lone reporter, and rather than have some bullshit story made up about them in the Prophet, they had gone to Kirstie Devey again, and she had reported the full story. They had generally received well wishes and praise, especially from one fan called Leigh-Anne, who had nicknamed them 'Drarry', with a couple of cheeky letters asking what had taken them so long. However, there had been some Howlers from people who were, not necessarily homophobic, but, against the idea of their precious Saviour dating a Death Eater. Some had even claimed that Draco had slipped Harry a love potion, or that he had threatened the lives of everybody Harry loved, as everybody knew that 'Harry would do anything for the people he loves'. Most Howlers had been directed to the Ministry, where specialist Aurors, and even Kingsley himself, had been destroying them, however, some had managed to get through, though Kingsley had informed them that the ones that had were not the worst. Whenever they were seen on the train, or on the way up to the school, they were both stared at and whispered about, but that was soon put to an end during dinner.
"Can I have your attention for a moment please?" she asked as she stood up suddenly, gaining attention instantly. "There are currently many whispers and speculation passing around the school about two of our students. This will not do. Rumours and whispers are child's play, and none of you now are children. You should know better. If I hear anything said against these two students, whether it's through gossip or face-to-face, punishment will be dealt, varying depending on the severity of what is said. That is all. Please continue." She sat back down and the noise level slowly rose again, but this time topics were very much on anything but the Gryffindor and the Slytherin.
Harry smirked, looking over at the Slytherin table and winking at his boyfriend. "I love how McGonagall has to say one word, and nobody disobeys. That was the thing with Dumbledore. Alright yeah, everybody knew he was powerful, and quite a few, especially the younger years, were intimidated by him. But not everybody would have listened to him as much as they just did the Professor." He said to his two best friends.
"I know. But McGonagall has a generally intimidating presence about her. I mean yeah, she's an alright teacher, but she can come across as quite scary." Ron answered, a mouthful of food.
"For goodness sakes, Ronald. Chew, swallow, speak. And don't talk about the Professor in such a disrespectful manner." Hermione reprimanded him.
"But Hermione, it's true. We've had six years, almost seven, being taught by her. Even you have to admit it."
"I will agree that her sternness can come across to younger years as quite intimidating. But all teachers can come across as scary to younger students. And if you actually paid attention, you would have found that it was the younger half of the school that were creating all the gossip, and being the loudest. The older half couldn't care less. Alright, to some of them it probably is a scandal, but to most, they've seen the way Draco can be and have seen the way he's changed, so it doesn't bother them. Based on all that, the students are going to do as they are told as they're frightened by the Professor, whereas the older years aren't."
"Must you always be so logical Hermione?" Ron asked, sat in shock, mouth open.
"Come on mate, it's Hermione. You didn't really expect anything less did you?" Harry cheekily asked, earning himself a light hit on the arm.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Harold James Potter?"
"It doesn't mean anything Hermione." Draco interjected, as he came to sit with them at their table. "He's just stating facts."
"I know, I know. I'm only playing."
They all laughed and carried on with their dinner. It was good to be back.
xxxDHDHxxx
"Good morning class. I hope you all had a good Christmas. I know you probably still want to chat about it, but now is not the time I'm afraid. If we finish today's lesson early however, I'll let you have some free time before you go. Now then, before we move onto the next topic, I just need to be assured that all your Patronuses work. If you could all stand up, I'll clear some space in here." There was a scraping of chairs, as people obeyed Professor Elliott's request. With a wave of her hand, all the chairs and desks disappeared, and at the front of the class appeared a trunk, with some rattling about in side. "Come closer everybody, come closer, it won't bite. Seeing as it had no teeth, it would be a bit difficult for this…creature, to bite. Unless it plans to gum you to death." That earned a chuckle from the class. "In here is a boggart, but in the form of a Dementor. Harry kindly agreed to turn it just before the lesson. It was then froze in its Dementor form, so it won't change for your specific fears. What I want you all to do, one by one, is to use your Patronus to put the boggart back in the trunk. Don't worry if you can't do it. I won't let it near you. Even if does, somehow, get close to you, as it is not a real Dementor, it won't hurt you. So, apart from Harry, if you could all please line up, we'll begin. If one or two of you can't do it, I will ask you to practice your Patronus as homework. If most of you can't do it, we will continue with the lessons until you can. First, Padma." The Ravenclaw stepped up and the practice began.
Once everyone had successfully cast their Patronus and sent the boggart back into the trunk, and once a sufficient amount of points had been awarded to every student, Professor Elliott had them all sat back down so that she could talk to them. "First of all, does anybody have their permission slips for me?" Every hand, except Justin's, went up. "My word, you certainly are eager, aren't you? OK, place them all on your desks please, and I'll collect them in." Within seconds, all slips were on the tables, and the Professor silently and wandlessly called them to her, where they landed in a pile at the end of her desk. "Now then. I have had a chat with Professor McGonagall, and she says you are still struggling with becoming animagi. Understandable. Sometimes even the most powerful witches and wizards struggle with it."
"I know three people who turned by the time they were fifteen." Harry interjected.
"Yes I know, but your father, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew had not only a motivation to do it, helping Remus Lupin during his transformation of course, but they practiced continuously, sometimes way into the dead of the night. You all only have your Transfiguration lessons. Besides, you are going to do the proper way and become fully registered, unlike those three who kept it secret during their time here." She replied with a smile. "Anyway, as I was saying, as you seem to be struggling with the animagi, I will teach the curriculum in a different order. We will instead move on to Occlumency. Now, Draco I understand you an already do Occlumency."
"Yes ma'am."
"Would you please explain to the class just what Occlumency is?"
"Of course. Occlumency is the act of protecting one's mind from intrusion by those talented in Legillimency. It protects the individual from being controlled, or influenced by the Legillemens, and protects their thoughts and feeling from the Legillemens. Most people do Occlumency by imagining a shield around their mind, but some people find that pushing the intruder back, or simply running away from the intruder, in one's mind of course, works just as well."
"Excellent explanation Draco. Ten points to Slytherin. Like he said, Occlumency helps protect one's mind from intrusion. It never used to be on the curriculum, but Minister Shacklebolt believes that all children in their final year at Hogwarts should be taught it, as there is no way of knowing whether another Wizarding war will happen, even with Voldemort dead and gone, thank you very much Harry. Occlumency is quite difficult, and requires a lot of practice, but before we can begin, I need to teach you how to use Legillemens. If you can penetrate your partners mind, then you will be able to test just how powerful their shields are. It's a simple spell, with no wand movement needed. Anybody take a guess as to what the spell is?"
"Is it, Legillemens, by any chance?" Seamus asked with a wide grin.
"Of course it is. Stupid question really. Can you all get with your partners please." The class quickly moved to sit with their assigned partners. "Wands out. Decide to who among you will go first, and who will go second. Number ones, aim your wand at the centre of your partner's forehead and concentrate." She started to move around the class. "Wand a little higher Susan, that's it. A bit more to the centre Neville, there we go. A slight misjudgement can weaken the spell, and the worst of cases, damage the brain of the person you are casting it on. Astoria is a very pretty, very sweet girl. We don't want any damage done Neville." Said boy went red very quickly, while Astoria smiled fondly. Professor Elliott also smiled, and ruffled his hair. "I'm joking Neville. It won't do any harm to her, I promise. Listen carefully everyone. After three, I want all of you to say the incantation, Legillemens. You have to concentrate. Focus on getting into your partner's mind. Look into their eyes. Imagine their eyes are windows into their deepest, darkest thoughts. Imagine you can see through them straight into the mind. Focus. One, two three... Legillemens." Half of the class cast the spell on the other half, and it was obvious that the spell had worked, due to the widening of eyes seen and the gasps heard from all present. "Good. End the spell simply by looking away. Excellent. You seem to have got it quicker than I expected. Anybody who didn't feel anything? No? Excellent. Swap. Number twos, your turn. Look into your partner's eyes, concentrate, after three. One, two, three…Legillemens." The second half of students said the spell along with the professor, and the reactions were the same. "And look away. Excellent, well done everyone. Ten points to each student. Now, onto Occlumency itself. As Draco and I have said, one simply closes their mind off to intrusion in this skill, but how you do it will vary depending on who you are. Some people imagine a simple brick wall. Some, usually Quidditch players, imagine flying away on their broom. Some imagine waves in the sea pushing away the intrusion, while others go to the complexity of weaving a web of defensive and offensive spells, so that the intruder spends more time fighting back and dodging spells than they do actually trying to read your thoughts and feelings. Draco, what do you do? If you don't mind sharing of course."
"No not at all. And actually Professor, if it's OK with you, I think the best person to tell you that would be Harry, as he's actually felt it."
"Of course. Harry?"
The boy looked up at the Professor. "In Draco's mind there's a brick wall, about sixteen feet thick. Said wall fires off spells continuously, and the more one pushes, the more spells arrive, and the more deadly said spells get."
"Learning the Dark Arts comes in handy at times." Draco added with a smirk.
"Yes, and this is probably the only time you can use them. Those seem pretty strong. How long have you been able to do Occlumency Draco?" The Professor enquired.
"During my sixth year Professor."
"And who taught you?"
"My Aunt Bellatrix." He spat the answer out.
"I see. So your defences are pretty well advanced then?"
"I like to think so."
"Hmm. Well, during my time in the Aurors, I was thought of as the best Occlumens in the team, resulting in me quite frequently being asked to participate in interviews simply to break down the prisoner's barriers and determine whether they were lying or not. There were only a few people's minds I could not penetrate; your aunt, Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, and our current Minister for Magic. Let's see if you are up there with the elite shall we? Look at me…" A silent descended as Professor Elliott forced her way into Draco's mind.
Draco was astounded. The Professor was blocking his spells, all of them, while disconnecting the system he had set up for them. Once she had done that, she proceeded to break down the wall, and view Draco's most recent, happiest memory. The night he and Harry got together at the Burrow. He let her see their kiss before he looked away embarrassed, breaking the connection.
"No need to be embarrassed Draco. You held out longer than I expected. This is your challenge to you all. Once you are fully confident in your abilities to protect your mind, and your partner cannot enter your mind, you will each be tested by me. The student, or students, who manage to keep me out of their mind, will not only receive 200 points for their house, but I will ask Professor Slughorn to make them, each, a month's supply of Felix Felicis. And I might get you a box of something from Honeydukes. How's that sound?" There was an excited nodding of heads, and Seamus even shouted 'Hell yeah!' She laughed. "I thought as much. So that is your challenge. To beat me. But before all that, we need to get practicing. You will spend the rest of the lessons, and the next lessons up to Easter coming up with the strongest shield you can, whether defensive, offensive, or simply running away. Come up with it, test it, get it as strong as you can, and if it is still beaten, change it and try again. You may work in groups to come up with ideas as to what the defences are, but in the end, keep it private, so only your partner, and eventually me, knows what they are. I suggest you change yours Draco, as the whole class now knows what it is. Off you go." She set them to work, and proceeded to walk around the class, listening to the conversations and suggest an aiding the students where necessary.
As she sent the class away at the end of the session, she asked Draco and Harry to remain behind a moment.
"I thought we agreed, Draco, that if anything happened between the pair of you, I would be the first to know?" She added, putting on a mock pout and upset demeanour.
"Draco laughed, and took Harry's hand, while the latter simply looked confused. "Sorry Professor. I was going to tell you as soon as we got back, but it was already all over the news before I got the chance."
"It's OK Draco, I'm only playing. Besides, I'm happy for you both." She smiled and folded her arms lightly, leaning back against her desk.
"Thank you Professor."
"Hang on, can someone tell me what's going on?" Harry asked, baffled.
Draco turned to his boyfriend. "Before Christmas, the Professor kept me behind one day and asked me if we were an item. When I said we weren't, she asked to make her the first to know when we became one."
"You knew we would get together Professor?"
"Of course I did Harry. I'm very good at reading people, and I knew that as soon as Draco stopped having all his internal battles over the matter, he would say yes to you. Besides, the sexual tension between you both was pretty easy to see." She added with a flirtatious wink, which earned another laugh from the boys.
"We weren't that bad were we?"
"Harry, even a blind man would be able to see it, or at least feel it. Yes you were that obvious."
"Oh right, thanks Professor!" He moaned in mock offense. "Nah, I'm joking. And thank you for the congratulations."
"That's quite alright Harry. Now off you go, go and get something to eat before Ron and Seamus eat it all between them." The three burst out laughing again as she waved them off, where they disappeared into the corridor. As they shut the door behind them, she cast her mind back to her own time in Hogwarts. The boys' situation sounded very familiar. From enemies to lovers? Sounds like Lily and James Potter, she thought. She may have arrived the year after they left, but they had left a legacy, and enemies to lovers was nothing new. After all, her and her husband used to be sworn enemies. Gryffindor vs Slytherin. The way it's always been. Hopefully, another marriage would be on the cards this time around…
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