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The first week of school was exactly as expected. Zinnia basked in the feeling of being at her second home. The castle walls held the memories of some of the best, and mostly dangerous, times of her life.
Her classes went well with her handing in the homework she surprisingly completed on the last week of her break. The first couple of lessons began with the teachers gruelling the students with incomplete works and boring accounts of what was to come this year. Some even began to mention the importance of studying for their O.W.L exams. Zinnia was very unpleasantly surprised by this, as were her friends.
"O.W.L exams? But those aren't for another year" Zinnia questioned Professor McGonagall in their transfiguration class.
"You ought to be prepared, Miss Beaumont, these exams will not be easy" she replied looking down at the girl. The class replied with groans of agony at the thought of sacrificing their spare time for the next three years due to exams. The Gryffindor students made their way to their next class, the one they were most excited for which was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Zinnia had always been good at that subject despite the influx of different teachers each year. She missed being taught by professor Lupin but would settle for Moody as she had heard so many heroic stories of him from her brother.
"Defence Against the Dark Arts next, You ready Harry?" said the girl catching up with him after stuffing her books in her bag.
"As I'll ever be, I'm excited about this Moody guy" he said, slowing down his pace so Zinnia could finish putting loose paper in her bag.
"Fred and George say he's brilliant, he really knows, you know? He's been there" Ron said from the other side of Zinnia. The twins had been talking about how great Moody is since their first lesson. They keep saying he's hardcore but he knows what its like in the real world.
"Well if he's that great let's just hope he doesnt get fired like the others" Hermione said as they approached the classroom at the top of the stairs.
"Yeah i don't know about that" Zinia whispered to hermione as they entered the classroom. Moody was hunched over the blackboard at the front of the room with his back facing the students. The four got an eerie feeling as they sat down. Hermione and Ron went to sit together and Harry placed himself next to Zinia on the two seater desks. They looked at each other and smiled, getting their books and quills out ready to start the lesson.
"Alastor Moody" a low voice grumbled from the front of the classroom now facing the students. Moody began writing his name aggressively on the chalkboard in illegible chicken scratch, throwing away the chalk carelessly after he was done.
"Ministry malcontent. And your new defence against the dark arts teacher." He spoke with authority towards the silent children. "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" he pushed with emphasis, Zinnia made a mental note to never ask him why he was at Hogwarts, it seemed to be a touchy subject.
