Hidden Slytherin

Chapter 26 That Was Pretty Much Exactly Not What I Expected

The next few days flew by as everything seemed to calm down. However, two unusual things remained. Mel had taken to going out of his way to say hi to her, even learning her friends names. The other was much to Jane's unending annoyance. The mail it seemed would continue to be gone through by professor Brindlemore. Students were assured that nobody would read their letters unless harmful magic was detected.

That didn't reassure Jane in the slightest. She had had quit the cursing fit and had taken to sending herself nonsense notes to keep up appearances and also just to see how often they were opened.

And they were, even when she knew she hadn't placed any magic on the letter. She had figuratively taken a page out of a book she read before and slipped a few specs of sand or a hair into the envelope, only to receive it without them.

Jane was just heading up the stairs to Defense class, her friends walking with her. They were chatting about their midterm essays. They had had to write about all the creatures they had learned about, how they interacted together or apart in their habitats' and how to deal with them when they became hostile and why. They had had a minimum of three pieces of parchment and a max of six.

Professor Brindlemore had told them last class that they should begin to work on them and that they better finish by the Christmas break. Apparently they had been given so much time so they could hand in the first draft by the start of Christmas. Jane figured it was so they didn't completely forget their first lessons as more creatures were added.

Her friends were debating what creature they would be learning about today. Jane had noticed early on how their first year seemed to be based on creatures they were more likely to come into contact with in their daily lives as witches. She couldn't say she wasn't grateful. Even reading her text before coming here hadn't fully prepared her for what some of these creature actually looked like.

The whole class fell silent as Brindlemore moved to the front of the class and Jane tried to focus her mind.

"Class we are taking a break from our regular lessons today. Instead we will be having a guest lecturer teach this class, so I expect best behaviour, from all of you. Auror Potter, I leave them to you." Her warning delivered, Brindlemore swept from the room, leaving a tall, broad shouldered man in the doorway.

Jane recognized him at once from WWW shop in Diagon Alley.

"Hello everyone, my name is Harry Potter but you can just call me Potter. I work as the Head Auror. Now, an Aurur's job is to capture wizards and witches that have commited crimes. We often come across many different types of magic in this line of work and one of the most important things is to be prepared. Today I will be teaching you about some basic defensive spells. Now, I'll have everyone put away your books and come to the front of the class."

Jane shoved her book into her bag. With a wave of his wand, Potter had moved the desks to the back of the class and began having the students line up.

"I'll be teaching you five spells today. All of them focus on protecting yourself from someone meaning to do you harm. These should never be used unless you feel that you or your friends are in imminent danger, understood?"

To that he received nodded affirmatives, some mumbled yes'. Several student seemed to be whispering, blushing or staring wide eyed. One such girl was blushing madly but raised her hand.

"Yes Miss?"

"Did you use these in the war against You-Know-Who Sir?"

Jane wanted to cover her eyes as second hand embarrassment coursed through her. She hadn't been raised witch but even she knew asking someone about a war that had no doubt left personal scars was at best careless and rude at worst morbidly cruel.

She watched as a muscle seemed to twitch by his eye and he seemed to get slightly uncomfortable. Not that the Gryffindors seemed to notice. Most of the Slytherin's were hanging back, not particularly liking the reminder.

"Anyway... We're going to first be working on the Expelliarmusspell. This is a spell that will allow you todisarm the target of the spell. Most often by knocking their wand out of their hand. First practice the wand movement, then the pronunciation," Potter said. He tapped his fingers on his desk before motioning to Draven to come up. "Mr. Malfoy do you think you could assist me?"

Draven gave a nod before walking forward.

"Now everyone watch carefully." He said the spell and with a flick of his wrist Draven's wand had flown into the air and landed in Potter's hand. "There we go. Now, if you could all pair up. We are going to practice with each other. I'll be coming around if anyone need's help. Please get started."

And that's how it went for the remainder of the class, Potter making sure every student was capable of the spell before moving on to the next. By the end they had learned the Confundus(toconfuse your target temporarily), the Finite Incantatum(to stop spells), the Impedimenta (to create an impediment that slows down an object or person coming toward you), and the Protego (toprotect the caster by sending an opponent's spell back on them).

Jane had gotten a good handle at all of them and secretly hoped Potter would teach them again, even if she thought he might not want to. Some of the students kept asking questions that made her cringe. In reaction she tried to be both to the point and kind, treating him as she would any of her other professors.

Throughout the whole class she couldn't help trying to get a sense of the man. Competent and brave, with a healthy streak of happiness. One that seemed to cover old private wounds. He reminded her of soldiers she had seen at memorials. The only thing that didn't quite fit was the fanfare, which frankly seemed to make the an uncomfortable.

He was quite at ease in front of their class, and as the time wore on most of the students had started to work seriously. That seemed to be the energy he gave off, infecting everyone around him. Happy, competent and hardworking, with the kind of underlying depression that most would have to know him better to see.

As he was having them pack up for the end of class, she watched as Potter was called into the hall by non-other then the Headmistress herself.

Jane strengthened her hearing, trying to focus through the clatter of the classroom.

"Sorry about this Harry but I was hoping you could take a look. We haven't had to deal with anything like this since your time and I don't want to ignore-"

"It's alright McGonagall. The packages are in your office?"

"Yes, we've had Professor Brindlemore look over them but there is nothing."

"I'll finish with the students and meet you in your office then," he said with a crooked smile. He walked back in as Jane waited for her friends and contemplated what this meant.

Aurors were going to be looking into the case, or at least the Head Auror. She wondered if whoever was playing this game knew the kind of trouble they were about to pull down on themselves. Personally she could only imagine. But who knew, maybe Potter would be too distracted by her Step Failure's case to do much.

Jane quietly followed her friends out, enjoying the chill in the air. Halloween was just around the corner.