Astray

Chapter 9

(A/N: this is a picture of their DADA professor because she comes up later in the chapter.)

The next morning Coralie was awoken by screams of anguish as she was frantically shaken by a distressed Lily.

"You did this! You little she-demon! I'll have you expelled for this!" She screeched in Coralie's face as she ripped her up by the upper arm from her warm soft bed. Aslan hopped onto her shoulder before she was fully separated from the bed sheets, as Apollo was barking like mad as Mary and Marlene held him back from the two girls fighting and Alice sat there sadly, but didn't intervene.

"What do you mean?" Coralie acted innocent even though she was struggling to contain her laughter as she looked at Lily's bushy red hair that rivaled the size of her own.

"Oh, you know what I mean!" She stopped to glare at her then started dragging her Merlin knows where. Lily, in her pink robe and bunny slippers and Coralie, with big black hair that hadn't been brushed and a sloppily thrown on white sweater she barely had time to slip on before Lily dragged her down the stairs.

The boys were on their way to breakfast when they saw a flash of screaming red dragging a half-asleep Coralie with a kitten on her shoulder trying not to burst into laughter. They all had the same problem of containing their amusement when they saw the commotion but also gave a questioning glance at their friend. She just winked and mouthed "later" as she was dragged through the common room exit. They all just looked at each other and shrugged as they continued their way to the great hall for breakfast.

Lily continued dragging Coralie by the arm until she came to a stop at what she believed to be Minerva McGonagall's office and knocked on the door.

"Hello, Miss Evans what may I do for you?" Minnie answered the door and greeted her new students.

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore, Miss," Lily rushed out and let go of Coralie's arm.

She rubbed the spot Lily's hand had been before greeting Minnie," Good morning, Professor Minnie, ma'am!"

"Good morning to you as well Cora, but why would you need to see the headmaster... Miss Evans?" Minerva paused as she had just seemed to realize that Lily's hair was very big and bushy.

"I need to see the headmaster because Coralie messed with my hair products! That's why my hair's like this! Now can I please see the headmaster?" Lily explained desperately pleading to the professor.

"I'm sorry, but the headmaster is very busy right now so I will have to handle the issue. Please come in and explain to me what happened Miss Evans, C- Miss Dumbledore wait outside until I call you in, alright?" Minnie explained leading the distressed young girl into her office.

Coralie could catch bits and pieces of the conversation but didn't catch the whole thing. "...do you have any proof?" She heard Minnie ask.

"N- no, but I know it's her because all of the other girls-" Lily stuttered, but was cut off by McGonagall," But nothing. Now don't come making any claims if you have no proof of the issue... Here is yours, now go to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey will fix you up and then you can head to class."

Lily stormed out of the office and shot a nasty glare at a snickering Coralie who stuck her tongue out at her.

"Cora, did you really do it?" Minnie asked walking out of her office.

"Maybe? Hey don't give me that look, she had it coming from the way she treated me like dirt underneath her precious feet!" Coralie defended herself.

"I can only let you off with a warning this time, but next time something like this happens I will have no choice but to give you a detention, alright?" She sighed.

"Okay, gotta run, see you in class Minnie!" Coralie checked her watch, grabbed her timetable from Minerva, and took off down the hall back towards her dorm.

She slammed the door to her room and threw off her sweater. She quickly and messily got dressed and threw her hair up in a high ponytail with a braid on the side and dashed to her first class, Defence Against the Dark Arts, with her shirt buttoned wonky and half tucked into her skirt, her tie sloppily tied and falling undone, one shoe unbuckled, and her socks half pulled up.

She slid into her seat next to Sirius and heavily tried to catch her breath.

"What happened this morning?" Remus asked concerned for his newfound friend.

"I may or may not have charmed Lily's shampoo to make her hair bigger than mine and then may or may not have gotten a warning from Minnie," she muttered the last part bitterly.

"Really? Sick!" Sirius gave her a high five and they both laughed at the thought of Lily's facial expression earlier.

"You hurt my little Lily flower? Where is she? I'm gonna go see her!" James jumped up from his seat, but at that exact moment, the teacher walked in.

"Hold on until after class, lover boy," she took her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down into his seat. He rolled his eyes, but complied anyway and slumped back down in his seat in front of her.

"Hello class, I'm Professor Vonnegut. I will be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts, or DADA for short. In this class you will learn how to defend yourself from the Dark Arts, which is a growing threat in our society," an older woman, who looked to be in her early fifties, walked into the room. Her shoulder length, silver hair glistened in the candlelit classroom. She looked quite in shape for a woman of her age, but the corners of her eyes still wrinkled as she gave a warm smile to the class.

"Professor Vonnegut? Do you mind explaining the curriculum of the class to us?" Coralie raised her hand and spoke.

"Yes, I was just about to get to that, thank you..."

"Coralie Dumbledore ma'am," she told her name.

"Yes, Miss Dumbledore. Now you all might want to write this down because this is what you will be learning about and in what order for your first semester. I will give another list to you when you start your second semester. Any questions?" She finished explaining.

"Yeah, um, isn't werewolves an advanced topic?" James said.

"We raise our hands before we speak in this class Mr. Potter, but yes it is. I put it at the end of the semester so we might not even have time to learn about it. I just like to throw in some more advanced subjects, at least once every semester, in the second I will teach you about vampires," she finished with a dreamy smile.

The rest of the class flew by as they continued to get to know their new teacher.

"Okay class, I know it's cruel to give homework on the first day, but I told you all about me so I just want you all to write an essay on your interests and hobbies. It doesn't have to be very long just make it your own, okay? Class dismissed," she finished walking behind her desk as the students filed out of the classroom and headed to their next class.