The Adventures of a Girl Who Should Not Exist (Doctor Who/ Harry Potter Crossover)

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Subsitute

Chapter Thirty-five: The Substitute

I walked into potions that day with mixed feelings. I was worried, sure, but I also felt strangely excited and... purposeful. I was The One.

But when I looked up to the front of the room, hoping to catch the Professor's eye, I was greeted with a wholly unwelcome sight.
A substitute.
I sat down next to Eleanor with a heavy heart. Substitutes were NEVER good news.

Precisely at the beginning of class, he rang the bell sharply.
"Class," he barked. "Books out." there was a pause, while some students gawked. "NOW!"
Two students trotted into class late.
"What do we have here?" said the substitute in a slow voice, turning his head toward the boys like a bird of prey. "Are you late to class?"
The two boys stood there, stricken, like deer in the headlights.
"Can't read a clock? Is that your issue? Or are you just ignorant brats? Ten points from Ravenclaw. Each. Sit in the front. Take out your books."
He paused and leered around at the class.
"Start at the beginning. Read the book. Do not talk. Go."
A Slytherin girl just gaped at him, slack-jawed, gum perched on her tongue, seemingly offended that anyone would speak like that to HER.
The professor glided over to where she sat so fast he seemed to fly. He descended upon her like a hungry specter.
"Priscilla. Did I not just say to READ THE BOOK?" He roared.
Every other student who had turned to watch hurriedly looked back at their books.
Even when I was putting in an effort to read at a normal human pace, I read quickly. I saw Eleanor glance every now and then at my progress, dismayed. Despite my superhuman reading speed, it was dull, tedious work, like reading a cookbook. The potions textbook was meant to be referenced, not read, and I was quite sure the substitute knew that.
I finished the book long before anyone else. Looking around, I raised my hand.
He glared at me.
"Yes, Amelia ANONYMOUS?"
I tried my best not to blush and to keep my cool and not explode at him. Ravenclaw didn't need to lose house points because of me.
"Please, sir, what's your name?"
"My name is Professor Gretche. I will write it on the board for those half-wits who will forget, like I'm sure most of you are. Return to your reading, girl."
"But I've finished, Professor Gretche."
"Miss Anonymous," he said, drawing out every syllable of the embarrassing last name, "I do not take kindly to liars such as yourself. If you have finished it, READ IT AGAIN. I'm sure you have forgotten most of it."
"I would think," I said, choosing my words carefully, "That in the light of recent events, you might consider- ah, exercising your sympathies."
"Oh, is that what you would THINK? Congratulations to you. In the LIGHT of RECENT EVENTS, I say to you READ. THE. BOOK. Ten points from Ravenclaw."
"Hard to exercise a muscle you don't have," muttered the boy sitting next to me under his breath- I recognized him as the "snakes pride" Slytherin. I almost smiled.
Then I spent the next five minutes staring at my book in a blind rage- and an idea struck me.
I focused carefully on the word Unicorn- (unicorn hair, one pinch) and imagined a pink, happy, flower-patterned rainbow princess unicorn diplomat, quite clearly, until I could make out every detail. Then I made it sing. And then I projected it into the mind of Professor Gretche.
Touching his mind was the most horrid thing I've ever done. It sent a chill down my spine, but it was worth it- I held my concentration, but heard nervous giggles. Finally done, I looked up.
Gretche was standing, a vein throbbing in his forehead, swatting about his head wildly as though plagued by a fly.
My handiwork.

A/N: I tried to combine Snape and Umbridge and am dissatisfied with the result. In the final I might make him more Umbridge-Lockhart instead. That'd be repulsive.
This chapter's mostly a filler, but you're supposed to hate the guy. :)