you left me first...

{ DADA }

Mattheo's POV 

I walked into the DADA room and saw Y/N sitting at the front of the room with Malfoy. I rolled my eyes when she started laughing. They were such good friends, maybe more than friends. It bothered me because that use to be me. I used to be the person who made her laugh. I used to be the person who she would sit with. But that was in the past and it was my fault that we weren't close like that anymore.

I went and found a seat next to Theodore. We talked for a while and just as he was about to say something else, somebody dramatically cleared their throat. Everyone looked up to the front of the room. 

A short lady stood at the front. She was wearing a bright pink outfit and shoes to match. She had a sickly sweet smile on her face. I'd seen her before. She worked at the ministry. Everybody looked at her with an odd expression. Theodore had told me that they have had a different DADA teacher every year. But even then everybody looked slightly confused. 

"Why hello children" She said with a slight chuckle at the end. 

"Now as you all probably know I will be your DADA teacher for the year" 

It seems as though most people hadn't listened to the speech on the first night because barely anybody knew who she was. She flicked her wand and her name appeared on the board in big curly writing. 

Professor Dolores Umbridge 

At this point, a few people had slightly gasped and turned to talk to each other. Quite a few kids at the school had parents who worked at the ministry so they have probably heard of Umbridge before. 

"Children! If you wish to speak then you will raise your hand" Everybody stopped talking and turned to the front again. 

A stack of books began floating around the room one leaving the pile at each student. One of the books floated down to me and I read the cover. 

Dark Arts Defence: Basics for Beginners 

Everyone opened their book and began to flick through the pages. Now I don't know how things were done at Hogwarts but for the few years I was at Durmstrang DADA was normally taught using magic not books. 

"Excuse me Professor" A girl towards the front of the room raised her hand. She had curly brown hair and was wearing Gryffindor robes. I'm pretty sure she was friends with that Potter. "Yes?" 

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells" Spoke the girl. 

"Using spells" She chuckled at this. As it was so obvious that we wouldn't use spells in DADA. 

"Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my class" She had a small sincere smile on her face. Or was it sinister? I'm not sure but it was bad either way. 

"We're not gonna use magic?" A boy with red hair spoke up. 

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure risk-free way" 

"What use is that? If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk-free" The boy sitting next to the redhead started to speak.

"Students will raise their hands to speak in my classroom. The ministry agrees that theoretical knowledge will be all that is needed to get you through your examinations. Which after all is what school is all about"

"How is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" The dark-haired boy spoke again. 

"There is nothing out there. Who do you imagine would want to attack young children such as yourselves?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe Lord Voldemort" My head shot up from the desk when I heard his name. I rubbed the back of my neck. I always got tense when I heard his name. 

I could feel somebody's gaze on me and I turned my head to see Y/N looking at me from across the room. She looked sad and sorry. She was the only person who ever really knew about my problems with my father. I had never told anybody else because they would never understand. The one other time I did try to tell someone they said that I was going to be just like him. I didn't want to be but they were probably right. 

Y/N was different though. She also had a shit father so she understood what it was like. 

************

1 August 1989

"What if I turn out like my father. Wh-what if I end up being just like him?" I thought about this constantly. I was scared that I would turn out like him. Bitter, cruel, angry. 

"You won't Mattheo. I know it. You're a good person you're nothing like him"  She replied softly. 

"Yeah I hope so" 

************

Y/N POV

"Mr Potter, see my after class for a detention"  

I could see Mattheo clench his fists when he heard Harry's name. He would tell me about his father when we were little. About how much he hated him, and how he was worried he would turn out like him. I always told him he wouldn't, that he was too good. But that was a long time ago. I know nothing about him anymore. He was now just another kid in my house. A memory from a time long ago. Nothing more.  

The conversation didn't seem to be moving on from Voldemort as Harry continued to argue with Umbridge. Before I even knew what I was doing my hand slowly raised up in the air. Professor Umbridge tilted her head away from Harry to look at me instead. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head. Seeing everything around her. 

"Yes, Miss Mirkwood do you have a question?" She spoke. I didn't exactly know what my question was yet, I hadn't really thought about what I was doing until it was done. 

"Um... yes I was wondering if you would be able to tell me about uh... what.. we um.. what we will be learning this term?" It was a terribly formed sentence, but it was the best I had for the time being.  

"Ah yes. Your current focus for the term will be practising and studying for your OWLS" As she kept talking I remembered how Mattheo had helped me in potions class the other day. I looked around the room and my eyes met with his. It stayed like that for a few moments before Draco nudged me and I turned back to him. 

************

A/N 

Sorry, it's been a few weeks since I last updated the book. I've been behind on all my school work so I haven't had time to update it.