Dark Wizard Collector: A Hogwarts Fanfiction

Chapter 14

Upon silently entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, I cringed. Hanging from the tall ceiling was a dragon's skeleton. In order to avoid the dim light of the iron chandelier, I kept to the back of the classroom where an empty desk awaited me. Professor Busterforth spun around from facing the chalkboard and his fat head creased in a putrid smile. "I hope you all did the reading for today's discussion." The seventh year students groaned, hoping to have a 'hands-on' class instead of lectures and book work. "Now, now; soon enough we shall get to casting defensive spells. First, I must make sure you all remember what you should have been taught in the past."

Class continued and I concluded that the portly professor did indeed know his subject well and presented it in an orderly fashion; not at all what I expected from his false attitude. Although it hurt to look at the new professor, I decided I should try to be friendly to those with my similar interests. Among the students, Busterforth was calm and less worried about impressing those around him. Five minutes till the dismissal bell, the beady green eyes of the professor noticed me and his rant coughed to a stop. "Miss Zeria? I had not been expecting you." He stammered attempting to regain a false loftiness. A collective gasps from the students sounded as if I had materialized out of thin air.

Were people really that thick to not notice me? I wondered folding my hands. "That is the objective of impromptu evaluations. Please, continue," I lazily said and nonchalantly waved back to the chalkboard. An epidemic of whispers oozed between the students as I wrote in my work journal.

Unexpectedly, a ball of paper landed on my desk causing me to snap my gaze up with a hiss. A few desks away sat Steve Laughalot with a raised eyebrow and a toothy grin. I did not bother opening the note; instead, I pocketed it and wrote a detention slip for the impertinent student. As soon as the bell rang, I handed the detention sentence to the Slytherin Quidditch captain with an intolerant expression.

"Tell me, have I given your knickers a twist?" Before the young man could shoulder his bag, the back of my hand found its mark across the side of the lightly tanned square face.

"Keep flirting with me or any of the staff and I guarantee your expulsion before you can graduate this spring."

"At least then, I'd have nothing stopping me from getting between your legs, Maera."

"Consider yourself restricted from Quidditch for the next week; dare you address me as such or cross me again, I swear I will personally ruin your life." My retaliation attracted the attention of the students who were slowly leaving from the classroom. I did not knowwhy they were surprised, corporal punishment was not yet banned from Hogwarts and I felt that the students should be reminded of that. I straightened the half-cut military dress coat that shielded my shoulders and dusted the imaginary filth radiating from the repulsive student off my black dress.

The clack of my heeled boots echoed in the stunned silence as I approached Professor Busterforth. "Professor," I greeted with an impassive expression that contrasted his surprised and fearful stare. He choked out a sheepish salutation and I continued, "Would it trouble you greatly if I inquired more about your studies in the Dark Arts?"

"Err, you mean the defense against..." He awkwardly corrected me.

"Yes, yes, pardon me. Tea?" I persisted without any enjoyment.

"Oh." He seemed taken aback that I was asking to speak with him further about his career. "But of course," Busterforth's hesitant response shattered the great effort he put into his façade.

"Staffroom at four; see you there." Promptly, I exited 'Classroom 3C' and traversed the castle to the dungeons, where Professor Slughorn was scheduled to teach a class of first year Gryffindors.