'Til The End

Defence Against The Dark Arts

'Hi everyone! Come in, come in. Since we got rid of Toad-Face, I'm now teaching Defence. So, let's have Harry and Hermione over here.' Sirius started the seating plan right away, because he had tried to put people with their friends, and thought that would make them like him more. 'Ron, you join Harry and Hermione. Padma, Parvati on the next desk along.' The kids were chattering, and moving to their seats happily. 'Do we have some fourth years in here?' Sirius frowned, glaring down at his seating plan. There was an echo of yes', and Sirius began placing them immediately. 'Ginny, Luna, over here.' 

When Sirius had finished placing everyone, he stood back and looked over the room for a moment. 'Right!' He said, when the class had fallen silent. Is everybody happy with where they're sitting?' The class nodded vigorously apart from Malfoy, but Sirius currently didn't give a toss about him. Malfoy didn't even have anyone sitting next to him. 'Ok, so today I want you to tell me as many defensive spells as you can think of. We're gonna go around the room, and everyone needs to tell me one spell, and if you can't think of one you need to attempt one of the forfeit spells. Alright, let's start with Harry.' 

'Expecto Patronum.' He said instantly. 

'Excellent! Ok, Ron.' 

'Expelliarmus?' 

'Yeh, good. Hermione.'

'Everte Stantum.' The kids came up with a brilliant list of spells, but Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson couldn't think of a spell and Sirius made them practise a spell he knew they couldn't do from being a Transfiguration Professor. 

'Alright, good class today kids, I'll see you tomorrow!' As the kids packed up to leave, Sirius leant back on his desk, enjoying the sight of his first class being done. 'How'd I do?' Sirius asked, as Harry and Hermione came trotting up to him. 'That was my favourite class in the last two years, Sirius!' Harry said, waving his hands in excitement. 'That's Professor to you.' Sirius winked, ushering them both to the door as the last students left. 

'Hi, hello, hello! Right, take a seat, guys and girls, we've got a lot to do today.' When his seventh year class had settled into their seats, Sirius held his tongue for a moment, just to keep the class on their toes. 'So, N.E.W.Ts this year, I dug up some predicted grades for you all, so I'll pass those round. Actually, Johnson, hand these out would you, thanks.' As Angelina handed round predicted grades, Sirius set to turning the projector up to the powerpoint for today. Sirius had fought against teaching today's lesson, but it had to be done. 

'I'm not going to lie, I really didn't want to have to teach this lesson, but you're all a lovely bunch, so I'm sure you'll make it easier. Werewolves.' The few people that were chattering quietened down immediately, and Sirius knew he would have their full attention for the remainder of the lesson. 'Werewolves are dangerous, but they shouldn't be left out of society as they are today. We all know a werewolf, and we all know he's the kindest, most caring human on this planet. Ok, so maybe I'm slightly bias.' Sirius chuckled lightly, most of the class following his lead. 'Werewolves are classified as XXXXX creatures, but only when they're transformed.' Sirius swallowed, then took a deep breath. 'Professor Lupin has told me some stuff particularly for this lesson, so you all need to take notes.' Sirius turned away from the class for a second, pulling himself together. 'He spent four months with Fenrir Greyback's werewolves, not by choice, obviously. He learnt some useful information while he was there, stuff that helped us win the First Wizarding War and stuff that could help us win the war that's looming over us currently.' Pausing, Sirius strode to the front of the class, rather than his position at the back. 'There's a rule to this lesson. No ones is to repeat any of this information outside of this room. Professor Lupin has given me permission to give you this class, but the other years are far too young. So, if I hear that anyone is passing any of this on, there will be consequences. Are we clear?' Sirius' seventh years nodded back at him solemnly, and he pressed on. 

'Ok. I don't know if we have any werewolves in this school, this room, but if anyone has any contradictions please see me after class. Today is very much a listening lesson.' No one moved. 'Alright. Werewolves only harm people, Wizards in particular, they don't tend to hurt animals.' Someone raised their hand, a student Sirius hadn't bothered to learn the name off, but he waved them away. 'I know.' He said. He turned his back on the class, so he couldn't see their shocked faces, and twisted into dog form. Surprisingly, no one was shocked, in fact, they started laughing. Sirius trotted around the classroom, allowing his students to pet him, then went back to the front of the class to turn back to himself. 'Remus has never hurt me.' He said. 'I mean, Professor Lupin. You all know the name James Potter,' pain still stabbed at Sirius' chest as he said this, 'he was an animagi too. His form was a stag.' Alicia Spinnet raised her hand, and to avoid talking for a moment Sirius nodded towards her. 'Was Peter Pettigrew an animagi too?' Sirius swallowed, looking around at his class' innocent faces. They looked scared, Sirius didn't blame them. They all knew they were being chucked out of school in a few months time, being chucked into the real world. He felt sorry for them, being thrown into a war too young, just like he had. Just like they all had. 

'Yes. His form was a rat. Ironic really.' Sirius said bitterly. Pulling his hair out of his face, Sirius continued. 'Werewolves also retain their human mind when around other werewolves, and have more of a sense of feeling when around other animals. I remember back in my first and second year here, the mysterious little boy with scars on his face who kept himself to himself disappearing each month, then coming back a day or so later, bringing new scars and lousy excuses with him. He would tear himself to shreds every time, and in second year, the very start, I figured it out. When we started joining Professor Lupin when he transformed each month, the only scars he would leave the hospital wing with were the ones from my claws as we fought to hold him back, or the marks from James' antlers. Now we have the Wolfsbane potion, none of it's necessary anymore, because werewolves keep their human minds if they take it, but it's a useful bit of information. Now-' Sirius was cut off, because there was a sharp knock at the door. 

'Professor, Hagrid asked me to give you this.' A little second year timidly came up to Sirius and passed him a note, the words scrawled in untidy handwriting. 'Thank you, Olivia.' Sirius said, tucking the note into his back pocket. 'You lot are dismissed, see you all on Friday.' Sirius charged out of the classroom first, following the note's instructions. 

All the little scrap of parchment said was 'Need to borrow the motorbike, meet at Grimmauld Place'