A Change in Fate || Cedric Diggory [1]

Chapter 37: First Day Fiasco

Defense Against the Dark Arts was always a hit or miss. There was a new professor every year, each insanely different from the last, so nobody knew what to expect on the first day of classes.

Analeigh sat in one table with Hermione while Harry and Ron were across them, just a row behind theirs. They whispered about the usual teenage drama that had been going around already, gossiping and joking around like regular students. Some of their classmates were even playing with an enchanted paper bird flying across the room, and they were all having so much fun with it that it was a shame that a toad-looking woman dressed in hot pink clothes was going to ruin it moments later.

"Oh, go on, Seamus. Go on, get it!" some Gryffindors were encouraging the sandy-haired boy. Seamus was in the middle of jumping after it when it suddenly burned into flames, disintegrating into ashes right onto the Patil twins' desk.

"Good morning, children." All students whipped around in their seats to find Professor Dolores Umbridge standing behind them with a sickly sweet smile. She made her way down the aisle, pointing her wand at the chalkboard to write on it from afar. "Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O-W-Ls! More commonly known as... OWLs."

Analeigh cringed hard at her tone of voice, wanting to laugh at it right then and there. Hermione nudged her before she could make a noise, but she also looked highly disturbed by Umbridge.

"Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."

Umbridge giggled and flicked her wand. The stacks of books piled on top of the teacher's table levitated away from it and began distributing itself to the students one by one.

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic."

The students were given time to look through their books and the course outlines. Analeigh frowned when she noticed that it all had to do with reading and writing — where was all the practical work this class usually entailed? Lupin always made them use magic in class, and even the fake Moody taught them spells. Hermione seemed to have the same thoughts in mind and was brave enough to raise her hand.

"Yes?" said Umbridge.

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

"And your name is —?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read through them carefully."

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells," Hermione said bluntly.

"Using spells?" Umbridge laughed. "Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

"We're not gonna use magic?" Ron said incredulously.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to to speak in my class, Mr. —?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air. But Umbridge turned her back on him as if she didn't see it at all. Before the woman could pass by her, Analeigh stuck her hand out as well.

"Do you have a question as well, Miss —?"

"Heart," said Analeigh. She swore she saw Umbridge's smile twitch when she stated her last name. "Surely, Professor, the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to, I don't know, use magic defensively?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained education expert, Miss Heart?" Umbridge questioned in a falsely sweet voice.

"I don't think any sixteen year-old can be one, but —"