By Any Other Name; D.M

01 - Branded

The early morning sun glinted through the trees as the castle slowly came alive. Bleary eyed students emerged into the cool air, which was already warming with the day's promise.

Elodie and Darcy sat at their table, lazily picking at breakfast as they watched the castle wake. The empty hall slowly filled as people trickled in, each wiping dreams of summer from their eyes.

Breakfast was a subdued affair, quiet and contemplative as they steeled themselves for the first day of classes. All too soon it was over, and they were filtering out into the hallways, each person heading in different directions.

With a quiet adieu, she and Darcy went their separate ways, splitting off into the river of people. Elodie's first lesson, History of Magic with Professor Binns, was the perfect way to start the year. Judging by the resentful faces around her, no one else agreed with her.

While she would concur that it was the most boring class to ever grace Hogwarts, it just was so easy. Every lesson was the same; Professor Binns droning in his monotonous voice about some war or other. Nothing unexpected ever happened in History of Magic, and it allowed Elodie to relax. It couldn't even be disrupted by the Slytherins that they shared the class with.

As the first note escaped the professor's mouth, Elodie sank into the work, allowing her mind to still. Her quill scratched into her parchment in a soothing tune, possibly the only one writing in the room. Around her, students dozed off to the lullaby, only to be woken by the next bell.

The rest of Elodie's classes trundled along in the same sleepy fashion, nothing noteworthy or untoward. Lunch came and went without fuss, the boring routine of the day completely uninterrupted. Just how she liked it. 

But of course, it was never that easy.

Elodie knew her last class of the day was doomed as soon as she walked in. Defence Against the Dark Arts was the most unpredictable of all the classes, the teachers changing almost yearly. Naturally, it was her least favourite.

But she knew that this year was different, even from the rest. 

The new teacher stood prim and proper at the front of the classroom, her hands folded behind her back demurely. Swathed in pink from head to toe, her hair was piled into an extravagant structure of curls atop of her head. With an upturned nose and pinched face, she gave the distinct impression of a flat-faced dog.

"Welcome everyone!" Her voice was shrill and sickly as she watched over the students, who were still filtering in, bewildered expressions on their faces as they stared at her.

"My name is Professor Umbridge, and I will be your teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts."

She spoke the words like a mother talking to a young child. Silence rang through the room, baffled students looking at her in horror.

"Now, I know that this class has been rather tumultuous for you all," she sounded out the word as though they were still learning English, "But I am here to change that. This year we will be following a specially designed Ministry curriculum to best aid your learning."

Sensing the class was about to start, the students hastily patched over their confusion, reaching for their wands as the territory became familiar.

"Now, now children. There will be no need for wands in this classroom. Quills out please."

They sat frozen for a beat, perplexed at the instruction. How could Defence Against the Dark Arts be taught without wands?

Again, silence ensued as Umbridge walked to the stock cupboard, her heels clacking against the floor in a damning beat. Flinging the doors open, she guided a pile of dusty books out, distributing them with her wand.