Wolfsbane // Neville Longbottom

Chapter 26: Letters

In the Sunday edition of the Daily Prophet, her name wasn't mentioned. For a minute she thought that perhaps Harry would protect her name from that horrible column exposing every single werewolf that registered.

But she was wrong.

On Monday morning when she walked into the Great Hall, all the students were staring at her with big eyes, whispering to each other, a dozen Daily Prophets laid out before them. She kept her head held high but she felt her knees go weak and her heart pound in her chest.

They knew.

She sat down in between Neville and Flitwick and grabbed some food. Her bottom lip was trembling but she was trying to act as normal as possible. It was deadly quiet apart from some whispers.

Neville gave her hand a soft squeeze and tried to act normal as well but of course, he noticed the staring too. All the professors did. Her hands were shaking as she tried to eat breakfast. No one dared to say anything but they were all thinking it; 'what's a werewolf doing at Hogwarts? Teaching us Potions?'

To her surprise, everyone showed up to her first class of the day. And to her second class. And her third, and fourth, and fifth. All her students in each of her classes had shown up. She could feel that there was tension but still, they paid attention and they did their work. That was a relief.

That relief faded when McGonagall visited her at the end of the day. She had stayed in the classroom all day, afraid to show her face in the Great Hall but she had been certain that McGonagall would want to see her.

There were a few options of how it could play out but there was one that she was sure would be the one to happen; she was going to get the sack.

Cassie was seated behind her desk and McGonagall took place in front of her. "Hello," Cassie said, her voice trembling. I'm losing my job, she thought, I'm going to lose everything.

"Cassie, you know why I'm here so I'm not going to talk around it," McGonagall announced. "After your name appeared in the Daily Prophet this morning, I have received many letters from parents that are angry that you are Potions Professor. They think it is unsafe for you to be teaching here because of your lycanthropy." Cassie felt her heart shatter. She had known this would happen but still, to actually see it become reality hurt.

"Oh," she just said, unable to say anything else.

"However," McGonagall continued. "I have received even more letters from students begging to let you stay." She frowned. What? "They've written multiple pages on how safe they feel in your classes, how much improvement they've made because of your teaching methods, how great of a professor you are and how they don't care about your lycanthropy."

McGonagall pulled a few pieces of parchment from her robes and slid them over the desk towards Cassie. She picked them up.

"Within the two years Professor Green has been teaching, my grades have gone from Troll to Acceptable. I never thought I would get an Acceptable in Potions..."

"Professor Green always makes sure we understand what she's explaining. She's patient with us and makes the classes fun yet educational. Getting rid of her because of something we don't mind would be a shame!"

"I've never felt as safe and heard with any professor as I do with Professor Green. Without her, Hogwarts wouldn't be the same..."

"With Professor Slughorn I could have never passed my O.W.L. last year but thanks to Professor Green I got an Exceeds Expectations and now I can follow my dream to become a Healer! You must know that we don't care about her lycanthropy. Werewolves deserve jobs and rights too..."