ICARUS ↝ H. GRANGER

[2]

Rigel ascended the staircase leading from the dungeons, in a rush to get to breakfast before the first years tried to hog the Slytherin table. The other boys preferred to skip the meal on the first day of classes and sleep in, though Rigel enjoyed spending the time alone. After all, he'd never be one to miss the most important meal of the day.

Entering the Great Hall, he looked around, noticing the way the other students kept their eyes on him, mostly the younger girls. Their pining glances were met with his usual scowl, the dark demeanor causing them to suddenly look away, each group starting to chatter about the frightening boy walking the hall.

Taking his usual seat, the plate appeared before him almost instantly as Rigel piled strips of bacon and pancakes on top of it, enjoying his peace even amongst the noisy atmosphere of the Great Hall. Everywhere, students seemed, as Rigel would put it, way too cheery, even if it was the first day of classes. First years flitted about from table to table, eager to make new friends after their first night in the castle. The four heads of houses walked about the Great Hall, passing out timetables to their respective students, Professor Snape's figure looming over Rigel, the piece of parchment extended towards the boy.

"Good morning, Mr. Lestrange." Snape drawled as Rigel took the timetable from him. "A bit lonely this morning, aren't we?"

"Oh, no more than usual, Professor," Rigel said with a smirk. "and when do I get the pleasure of  having your class?"

"See for yourself," the man mumbled, moving onto the next student as Rigel grinned, peering down at the timetable.

"Alright, Potions..." Rigel muttered, eyes scanning over the parchment before seeing it in the Wednesday time slot. "first up, Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Rigel's grin never faded as he stuck the timetable into the pocket of his robes, turning back to finish his breakfast. As far as Rigel was concerned, Defense Against the Dark Arts was a class he'd never needed to take seriously. Each year, the position had to be refilled, either due to an extreme incident or the professor merely stepping down, as had been the case once at the end of his third year. The Dark Arts had also never been a field he'd been concerned with protecting himself from, since he had no reason to fear those behind it.

Especially with this old bat teaching classes this year. Rigel had nothing to be worried about.

Rigel slung his messenger bag over his shoulder once more, leaving the Great Hall and walking up the steps towards the classroom, students everywhere parting the seas so he could get by, nobody daring to meet the boy's menacing glance as he rushed through the corridors.

"There he is!" the boys hollered as Rigel entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, an open seat next to Draco as Rigel walked down the aisles.

A group of Gryffindors had been seated near the front, one table seating Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, the other with Neville Longbottom and the mud-blood, Rigel still unable to figure out her name for the life of him. His eyes stayed locked on her as he passed, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion and irritation at him.

Unable to watch where he was walking, he bumped into the side of the desk behind her, causing laughter from Draco and Blaise as the mud-blood rolled her eyes, turning her head back to face the front of the room. Rigel slid into his seat, the menacing glare once more taking over the boy's demeanor as he shrugged off their laughter.

"Oi, Lestrange, what's gotten into you?" Blaise snickered.

"Walk much?" Draco asked, causing Rigel to shoot his cousin a glare as the new professor walked into the room, covered head to toe in more pink apparel.

"Good morning, children," the woman said, a sickeningly sweet smile taking over her features as she raised her wand towards the chalkboard. "Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations," she read as the words appeared on the board. "O...W...L...s. More commonly known as O.W.L.S.

"Study hard, and you will be rewarded." she continued on, causing Draco to roll his eyes. "Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."

With a wave of her wand, Professor Umbridge sent out the piles of textbooks adorning her desk, the books floating over towards where the students sat, one being left at each seat. Immediately, Rigel noticed the mud-blood pick up her book, flipping through it to get a grasp on that year's material. Rigel didn't bother to touch the book that landed at his desk with a small thud, instead watching the girl intently before looking back towards the professor.

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven." Umbridge said, causing Rigel to nod in response. "But you'll be happy to know you'll now be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of defensive magic."

The mud-blood raised her hand. "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells."

"Using spells?" Umbridge asked with a chuckle. "Why, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

"We're not going to use magic?" Weasley asked.

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way." she explained.

"Well, what use is that?" Potter asked. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." Umbridge snapped, walking back towards the chalkboard, causing the Slytherin boys to smirk in amusement. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through examinations which, after all, is what school is all about."

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Potter challenged.

"There is nothing out there, dear," she assured him. "who, do you imagine, would want to harm children, such as yourself?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe... Lord Voldemort?" he questioned, causing a sudden silence in the room, the three boys in the back glancing back and forth at each other, eyes widened. Rigel trained his attention back on the professor, a smirk crossing his face, entertained by the exchange between the two.

"I'm going to make this quite plain." she said softly. "You have been told that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It's not a lie!" Potter exclaimed. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Professor Umbridge snapped, causing Rigel to look back over at Draco.

"Told you I'd like her."