Lord Phantom

Chapter 17: Escape

"Why didn't you tell me that you are going to be a teacher?" Danny asked. Clockwork smiled.

"Last time we spoke the day before yesterday. Albus offered me, well, I offered my services, this morning," Phantom chuckled.

"And of all jobs you picked to be a Divination teacher"

"Indeed, now excuse me, I need to prepare the teaching program"

"You prepared it long before," Danny deadpanned, his father laughed.

"You know me too well"

-Lateer-

"I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?" asked Parvati, smirking.

It was breakfast time, two days after the sacking of Professor Trelawney, and Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the effect in the back of her spoon. They were to have their first lesson with Professor Work that morning.

"Not really," said Hermione indifferently, who was reading the Daily Prophet, "I'm curious about Professor, though"

"Well, you should, he seems pretty mysterious. Funny, Danny isn't like him at all"

"Anyway, I thought you two were all upset that Trelawney had gone?"

"We are!" Lavender assured her, "We went up to her office to see her; we took her some daffodils --not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones"

"How is she?" asked Harry.

"Not very good, poor thing," said Lavender sympathetically, "She was crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle for ever than stay here where Umbridge is, and I don't blame her, Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"

"I've got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible," said Hermione darkly.

"Impossible," said Ron, who was tucking into a large plate of eggs and bacon, "She can't get any worse than she's been already"

"You mark my words, she's going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her," said Hermione, closing the newspaper, "Especially someone related to Danny"

After breakfast Hermione departed for her Arithmancy class as Harry and Ron followed Parvati and Lavender into North Tower, heading for Divination. The classroom hasn't changed a bit, 'Charles' was sitting in an armchair, drinking coffee. He looked very calm and peaceful, but somehow still intimidated. When the door was closed and the last student had sat down, Clockwork gestured around the room.

"Most of you are wondering why I haven't made any changes in this classroom," he received a few nods, "That's simple, I'm not going to stay here for long. I didn't see the need. Now, any questions before we start?" Danny rolled his eyes, he knew what's going to happen.

"Ms. Patil?" Clockwork said. Everyone, besides Phantom, was stunned at the fact that he knows her last name.

"Eh, yes...I wanted to ask you, I don't want to offend..."

"Don't worry. To answer your question, Dumbledore is an old friend of mine. Plus my family has a very good Seer abilities," her eyes widened in shock, "Ms. Granger," he said.

"How good exactly?"

"I just answered the question before it was asked. And Umbridge will enter in three...two...one"

The second he said that, Dolores entered the classroom, wearing her eyes melting pink clothes

"You received the note I sent to your cabinet this morning?" said Umbridge, "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"