Dark Magic

A Rather Backwards Teaching Method

The following day resumed as per usual; as Professor Snape dished out our class schedules for the rest of the year over breakfast. I avoided his gaze, not knowing what I would do, were I to look into those black orbs. So I just muttered an almost-silent 'thank you', allowing him to continue with his task. I wasn't sure whether or not he had heard me; he hadn't had even the slightest reaction, after all.

"So, what did Snape say?" Draco's voice at my side caught me entirely off-guard, causing me to flinch in my place and turn to face him confusedly. "About what?" I asked, my mouth half-filled with syrupy porridge. The boy merely scoffed as though it were obvious, the matter in which he was referring to. "About Quidditch, of course!"

Emitting an exasperated sigh, the bell tolled to signify our first lesson was about to commence; History of Magic with Professor Binns. "Oh, I didn't get the chance to ask him, actually. I'll ask him later on." I could feel Draco's confused stares burning into the side of my face as we walked silently to the class, taking a seat at the back of the room as the rest of Slytherin joined us. It would be less than ten minutes into Professor Binns' lecture, that I would find myself falling asleep; waking up to Draco shaking me from his shoulder, which I had only slightly dribbled on.

Care for Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid would resume after a short break. Although I had always had an affinity for animals, Blast-ended Skrewts were not in my more favourable category. It was nice to have something physical to tend to, after having so much on my mind and so little sleep the night previous. I could feel my patience wearing thin, however, the sleep I received in the previous lesson not nearly enough to sustain me for the rest of the day.

The following lesson, after lunch, would be Divination; which Slytherins also shared with Gryffindor's. Harry and Ron paired up; leaving my and Draco sitting next to one another, again. Hermione had now dropped Divination, after having to give the time-turner back to Professor McGonagall at the end of last year. She was much better at Arithmancy, after all. And all the pressure that came with taking so many extra classes was too much for her.

"Hey, Draco. Check this out." Pansy's voice diverted my attention from the line ahead, leading into the Great Hall for dinner. She handed the boy a newspaper article; a smug grin widening across his face as he looked up, his gaze fixated onto something across the room. "Oi! Weasley!" I watched as my brother, Ron and Hermione all turned to face the boy.

"What?" Ron spat, rather irritated.

"Your father's in the paper!" He announced, garnering the attention of the rest of the students as he flung the paper around and began to read.

"Further Mistakes At The Ministry of Magic. It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, special correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at The Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, The Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the missuse of Muggle artefacts office."

An even smugger and wider grin brandished Draco's ever increasing confidence.

"Fancy that, Weasley. They couldn't even get his name right." Vincent and Gregory snorted at his side, causing me to leave my place in the line and begin walking towards them. But I couldn't reach them in time to stop Draco from reading the following paragraph, first.

"Arnold Weasley, who was charged with the possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ('policeman') over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of 'Mad-Eye' Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr Moody had again raised a false alarm. Mr Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape the Policeman, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene." The boy was now smirking from ear to ear, the rest of the hall erupting in a small fit of laughter. His smile soon dropped as I finally approached him.