AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

AH! How many chapters is this going to get? I don't know. Do I have an end in mind? Yes. I just like to interrupt the plot.

What Makes A Teacher Worth Listening To

Hermione didn't have the same view of Professor Snape as Harry did. Not to say anything bad about her friend, but Harry had a really low view of how a teacher should act compared to how she knew a teacher should act. Hermione often thought that Snape must be right with the same level of teacher that he had gotten used to at home if he mostly complained about the man when Ron was and as he changed his mind on Snape as often as he saw him, the teachers he was used to had got to be pretty bad. However, her friend had confided in her that all the teachers were convinced by the Dursleys that he was a liar, a thief, and a troublemaker, so with Snape assuming he was as bad as his dad was right with how she assumed her previous assumptions of his teachers at home was correct. While she had come to class the first day with excitement about learning a new skill from someone who knew his subject, both she and Harry, as well as how many others, had had their hopes squashed over time. She didn't understand how this could be seen as normal compared to the teachers she had had. So many teachers had become her friends. It was because of that, she didn't look at Snape the same way.

Hermione had had doubts about the Professor teaching DADA because of that. However, Professor Snape had pleasantly surprised her during the first lesson. He and Professor Flitwick provided alternative reading, though they didn't have much of it. However, and she obviously wasn't alone in this, she didn't expect it to last. However, it did. It may have been because Professor Flitwick kept Professor Snape accountable. It could also have been because Professor Snape felt that much more comfortable teaching DADA to kids who could do more easily countered mistakes in this class. It could also have been because the kids were afraid of him because of what they knew he and Flitwick could do, as the two gave examples on an old dressmaker's dummy that they then copied for each group of students to practice on. The spells were harder than the previous year, and Hermione was thankful for the homework. She didn't like the fact that there was now two DADA classes she had homework for, but she was obviously learning something with both the homework and the lessons. He was actually teaching. It had been over a month now, and he wasn't changing his type of teaching in DADA, even when he was alone. She hoped it stuck and it started carrying over to Potions more. She hoped.

Hermione walked into the classroom hall that the two teachers had claimed for their classroom for their class. She had come in with Harry and Ron, Neville most likely coming along with Dean and Seamus and the Patil twins a couple minutes behind them. The trio, noticing that the class seemed to be gathered to houses again, joined their housemates huddling along the wall.

"Today, we are going to be doing something a little bit different. We are going to play a game outside. You should all grab your gear, as we will be in the snow. Meet me at the Main Gate in twenty minutes. Dismissed."

The students left in a great rush through the doors, excitedly chattering or moaning over what they guessed the teachers had put up.

Twenty minutes later, the two professors were opening the gates and the crowd of excited teenagers rushed outside. The professors then led them around the next corner of the castle, and towards the lake shore.

Hagrid was waiting for them.

"I have it all set up, Professors."

"Thank you, Hagrid," grinned Flitwick. "Could you get the student's attention?"

"Listen Up!" shouted Hagrid. It wasn't loud for Hagrid, but it was plenty loud for everyone else to hear and to quiet down again.

"Thank you," said Flitwick. "What we have set up for you is a game of Capture the Flag. To keep people from needing the school nurse, we will be limiting you to first and second year DADA spells. This is to mainly practice your precision in an active environment, instead of having your inactive target in front of you like inside. Don't get us in trouble, or we won't be able to do this again."

Agreements and groans were heard all around.

"We will be doing two games, unless the first one goes very long. First game is Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin and Gryffindor. The second game is Gryffindor and Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin and Hufflepuff.

"Do you see the log right here?"

There was a log cut to the very short man's height that the man was tapping.

Those that could not see the log spread out to see it.

"This is going to be the place where the one flag is. There is a matching one 300 feet away towards Hagrid's hut. The goal of the game is to take the handkerchief from on top of the log of the other team and bring it over to your side without losing your team's handkerchief. First, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs will start here, and the other two houses will form a team on the other side. Then, we will free everybody and Gryffindor and Hufflepuff will switch sides and we will play again unless we have not enough time. I will stay on this side, and Professor Snape will take the first two teams to the other flag."

"Follow me," shouted Professor Snape, as he started to head to the other side. The Gryffindors and Slytherins followed.

"Hey, how are you?" asked Hermione as she found herself walking beside Draco Malfoy.

"I am doing good. How are you, Granger?"

"Pretty good. Professor Snape's not been as bad as he is in Potions."

"I would agree. He's less tense."

"Hmm. Been a while since we had time to chat."

"Yeah, I know. I'd rather the extra homework than knowing I wouldn't make it at OWLs. I think you'd agree, right?"

"I have been thinking the same."

"I wonder how much we'll actually team up, between our houses."

Draco chuckled, "In previous years, I'd agree. However, this year I think we'd have the best chance of cooperation, if they hadn't started having us needing to work together in first year. The rest of the house, however, I would see the cooperation very grudging, if it happened at all."

"We like competitiveness."

"Of course. That's winning."

It was a lot of fun, though everyone ended up being a little bit cold.

Hedwig was annoyed with the black noisy cloud. She glared at it while she held the dead mouse in her talons. It didn't end up in all her prey, as the snakes had gone into hibernation, which meant that some other animals ended up hosting the black noisy cloud too. She probably didn't mind that she was re-establishing in Voldemort a hatred of owls that stemmed from the first time he spent time as a wraith.

At least the black noisy cloud stayed under the trees and wasn't around her boy.