Through your black hair, my hands

Chapters 62 - 70

62.

The returning students entered the Great Hall and sat down, the first years were led into the hall by Professor McGonagall and Filch brought the sorting hat, it was obviously that the first years were intrigued by it.

After singing the usual lengthy song, the hat was finally in the mood to sort the students. This year, Slytherin had 35 new students, slightly more than in past years.

After the sorting Dumbledore reminded the students of the school rules then led the students in singing the school song. "One more announcement everyone."

Apart from Voldemort, whose expression was less than pleased, the heads of the three other houses were smiling happily.

"The goblin-planned attack on August 15th has made the problems in our students' magic glaringly obvious, both myself and your heads of house have discussed your curriculum," Dumbledore's smile was kind and grandfatherly but Harry had a very bad feeling. "And we all feel that it is necessary to increase our student's abilities in DADA through practical activities. Therefore, I am announcing Remedial Sessions for DADA every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00. I must inform all of you that the unforgiveables will be covered in these sessions."

The room was in an uproar before Dumbledore's words were finished. The unforgiveables had long been taboo in magical schools, no headmaster or headmistress had ever broken past the restrictions to teach them to students. Dumbledore dared to make this suggestion because he had accurately pointed out that the high rate of casualty in underage wizards during the goblin-planned attacks, was due how few damaging offense spells such as the unforgiveables were taught to students. The students were very excited over this, the unforgiveables were a taboo that underage wizards have only heard about but have never been allowed to touch on, just like Knockturn Alley. Students were filled with curiosity about them but could only keep away under that stern authority of their parents, hearing that they would be allowed to legitimately learn about them made students smirk like the cat that ate the canary.

The Slytherin table remained quiet, they sensed a strangeness from the expression of their head of house, it seems that this DADA Remedial Session would not be a simple after class tutorial. Ordinarily, as the goblin-planned attacks had been successfully resolved, the whole thing should have been put to rest and the magical schools would go on teaching as they always have, but Dumbledore, contrary to his usual methods, had decided to institute remedial sessions for DADA, what were his motives?

"To increase the abilities of those idiots with their heads in the clouds? To prevent too many casualties if the untrained take part if war breaks out?" Lucius traced the patterns of his wand with his finger as he speculated.

Snape shrugged, "Perhaps. Slytherins did performed rather well that evening.

"Headmaster Dumbledore hasn't finished speaking yet, keep listening." Harry lowered his voice as he whispered, a simple remedial DADA session or teaching the unforgiveables would not make Voldemort look like that, it seems that Dumbledore had not yet gotten to the crux of the matter.

Dumbledore was chuckling as he moved his outstretched hands in a downward motion, requesting silence from the students, as the noise died down, he continued. "The remedial sessions are to be attended by all students fifth year and up, fourth year students may report to your heads of house if you wish to audit the sessions, third year and below should focus their attention on their classes for now." Some lower grade students protested in anger but Dumbledore ignored them, "The location of the sessions will be the Hogwarts Great Hall. As for the instructor of the sessions, each of the professors had their own opinions and many felt that as professors, there would be certain obstacles to their communication with all of you during the sessions, as this would be detrimental to the performance of your practicals, it was decided that the sessions will be taught by our best and most powerful student instead."