Wicked Games

Chapter 3

Louise, Rebecca and Niall were having breakfast at the Ravenclaw table, discussing their schedules for the week when the massive wooden doors of the Great Hall creaked open and a man in his late twenties, who no one had seen at yesterday's banquet, made his way to the teachers' table and sat himself between professors McLeary and Henderson, the new potions teacher. Once he was facing the four long tables, everyone was quiet, professor McLeary introduced the man as to break the sudden silence: "good morning fellow students, this is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, professor Oliver Thomson, he had a family emergency yesterday and couldn't attend the banquet, but arrived yesterday evening, I hope you all have an excellent first day of classes." As soon as she finished her speech, McLeary stood up to leave as did the other teachers, except professor Thomson. Everyone started talking like before McLeary made the announcement, Louise quickly turned around to talk to Rebecca and Niall.

"Damn, Becca! I think Defense Against the Dark Arts has become a lot more tolerable and we haven't had class yet!" Said Louise in a suddenly more excited tone than before, and her friends noticed the sudden change.

"Lou! He's gonna be our teacher this year, this is no time to fall out of focus, not with the O.W.Ls, I'm not gonna let you slip up..." Niall stepped into the conversation after awkwardly shifting in his seat a couple times, both girls blinked in surprise to his outburst.

"Oh my god Niall, let her be! A girl can dream you know?" Said Rebecca in an almost angry, but questioning tone, still held back by him. "Yeah Niall! What the hell was that?" Said Louise in a noticeable angrier tone than her

friend's.

"Well, this is an important year for all of us and I'm not gonna let any of you get sidetracked just because the new teacher isn't a crooked, old man! I would do the same thing with Alvaro if any of the female teachers were hot... just saying." He finished talking and raised his hands in surrender to his friends.

"Well, Niall, I appreciate your concern, but you know as well as anybody that something like that couldn't stop me. Now let's go to class! Potions right?" She asked with a smirk on her face, and the group started heading to the dungeons for a dreadful first class.

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"Hello, class! I am Professor Thomson, your new potions teacher, I'm sorry I couldn't meet all of you at the 'start of the year banquet'. I've been told your last year's professor was... weak on skills, and I'm more than glad to lead you all in the right direction and make outstanding O.W.Ls." Professor Thomson introduced himself, while making many of the students squirm at his authoritative tone, Louise didn't know how she felt about him, yes, the last potions teacher had a weak knowledge of potions, but she had grown very fond of him and it was sad to see someone else taking his place. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves? Just stand up, say your name, and sit back down." And so everyone from Niall, Rebecca, and Alvaro to Jakob, the Gryffindor she had a crush on during second year, and couldn't let Louise live in peace with it, presented themselves. Louise introduced herself, and Jakob being the soft bully he is said: "Professor Thomson? You may have to be careful with her, you may find yourself... caged when she jumps on you. Take it from someone who has experienced it first hand." He did a high five next to his bunk partner, Ashton, while snickering to themselves, as the Gryffindors erupted in laughter, Professor Thomson quieted them down, something the last professor had never done for her, and she was extremely grateful for that.

Her first day went by really fast, reconnecting with other friends, talking with other teachers, and reliving the nostalgia of coming back every year. The one thing that stayed on her mind all day was how Professor Thomson stood up for her after Jakob said what he said, but that was just an act of chivalry, nothing else. Then why did she feel like that? It was just a crush, every schoolgirl has a crush on a teacher, and nothing was going to distract her from telling Niall about her feelings, and if everything went smoothly, she could be Niall O'Hare's girlfriend by the Christmas Holiday.