The Sun in Her Eyes

I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I opened my eyes to see two red eyes of a small, smooth albino snake. It shocked me at first, but only for a millisecond, then I relaxed into the bed again. I groaned as the sunlight hit my eyes. The snake flickered it’s tongue at my nose, it tickled. I chuckled loudly before realizing the silence of the room. The beds where empty and there was no sign that anyone was still in the room, except of coarse the snake and myself. Quickly I hoped out of bed, panicking that I was late for my first day of classes. I threw on a different uniform, considering I slept in the one I was wearing last night. Swiftly, I brushed my teeth and ran my hands through my long tangled black hair. Whilst I was attempting to get through my hour long morning routine in a matter of minutes, I didn’t notice the pale snake dip the end of it’s tale in a jar of ink and careful make it’s way in front of the dorm room door, spelling out careful letters. I managed to put my hair into a ponytail and grab my school things before parting the room. Only one thing stopped me.

In front of the door, the words “I’m stuck again. -SF” lay beside the little snake with soft red eyes. I huffed out of frustration.

“Urgh, Skylar, I hate you sometimes.” I said, opening the door. I held it open for the snake. “Well, come on then.”

The snake was swift, as it slithered down the hall after me. I mumbled angry words too quiet for anyone to hear, not that it wasn’t just the snake and myself in the dorms. I just got to the end of the hall into the common room, when the door into the castle opened and students came filing in. Chattering and holding parchments with time tables on them. I stood there in semi shock, semi relief. I wasn’t late for any classes, which implies that I also hadn’t need rush to get prepared for the day. I huffed and slouched, walking towards Malfoy and Nott whom I had seen just walk through the door.

“Hey.” I said in a tired voice as I went up to the two boys.

“Wow, you think you’d look slightly better than this after all the sleep you’ve had these past two days.” Malfoy stated. I punched him playfully. “I was only stating a fact. There’s no need for violence Meagher, or did you not want your schedule.” He handed me the paper parchment. “Here, I was able to swipe some extra bacon from Goyle’s plate without him noticing.”

I took the bacon that was wrapped in a napkin. Then as unusually as it does, an event occurred. Nott spoke without being spoken upon first. “I brought some for Skylar aswell, and her schedule. Where is she?” The snake that no one had seemed to notice slithering around our feet, made it’s way up Nott’s leg, body and down his arm into his hand. He himself didn’t even notice until the animal started licking his wrist. He looked down to observe it then, shook his head and looked up at me. “You are aware that pets aren’t allowed to leave the common room, correct?”

“Yes, thank you for the information, but I did know that.” I took the snake and Skylar’s things and put them into the pocket of my robe. Malfoy gave me a questioning look. He of coarse knew, that this snake was in-fact, not a pet of mine. “I’ll explain later.” I told him and left the common room. I wouldn’t actually explain the snake to him. I promised I wouldn’t, not to mention it would get many people into much trouble.

Unluckily enough, transfigurations was not the first class on my list. I ran too the familiar class room nonetheless. I was out of breath by the time I reached my destination. Unfortunately the room was not empty. Professor McGonagall, was as usual waiting at her desk at the front of the room for her class to begin. That was perfect, but it was the seven students waiting at tables that I was worried about. I walked calmly to the front of the class towards McGonagall.

“Yes, Miss Meagher, what would you like?” She asked politely. “Hurry it up, I have a class ready to start as I’m sure you will need to get to yours.”

I cautiously pulled the snake out of my pocket and handed it to her. “She’s got herself stuck again.” I whispered.

“Oh, dear.” She took the snake into her office to the right. I left the room being sure to leave Skylar’s timetable on the desk as so she would know what class to go to. None of the other students had noticed the little exchange at the front of the class, but I’m sure they most definitely noticed Skylar Feit exiting McGonagall’s office in a silk white nightgown.

I quickly made my way through the halls and stair cases to get to defense against the dark arts. I ran straight into a first year knocking her flat on her back, I was running too fast to bother stopping to see if she was all right, but I managed to yell an apology behind me. I saw the door to the class room about to be shut, I sprinted through the door and slid into an empty seat at the back of the room behind Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil. They let out their annoying giggles as if they knew some great secret. When they turned around and stuck their noses up at me I took no hesitation in yelling “Bite me!”

They both jumped and turned back around mumbling something that I couldn’t care less about.

“You there, what’s your name?” Looking to the front of the class I noticed that the pink toad from yesterday was addressing me.

“S-Sinead Meagher, ma’am.” I spoke timidly. I had a feeling that she would be one to look out for.

“Ah, well Miss Meagher would you mind explaining to me why you’re late, if it’s not a bother.” She said in a sweet tone, being sure to add a giggle in after.

“Well, if you don’t mind me pointing out, I wasn’t actually late, I arrived just on time.” I said with my head up. “But expect to see a girl with long blonde hair names Skylar Feit, clad in a night gown come through that door any second.”

“And why would I be seeing that?”

As if on queue, Skylar walked through the doorway, in a short cream coloured nightgown. She attempted desperately to cover herself.

“Oh Merlin, what a slag.” Laveder Brown gasped.

I swear, it was the first day and she was already getting on my last nerves. That girl better watch her back this year. I was shocked at her ability to get from one end of the school to the other without getting stopped or in trouble at all.

“Outrageous. Someone give this girl some robes.” Umbridge spoke in anger. “You boy, give this girl your robe.” She pointed at Goyle who was sat beside Blaise Zambini in the middle of the room.

“Oh....um... well..” Goyle stuttered. He had his robe wrapped tightly around himself and looked down, blushing.

“For Christ’s sake Goyle, really.” Blaise exclaimed loud enough for the rest of the class to understand what was going on. Skylar blushed an incredibly deep shade of crimson. Nott, being a gentleman, slid of his slytherin robe and draped it over Sky’s shoulders.

“Thank you.” She whispered to him. Still looking down, never taking her eyes of the ground, she made her way over to sit beside me. I took out a parchment and an extra quill for her to use.

“HEM, HEM.” Umbridge very nearly yelled. “Would someone please mind explaining what the devil is going on with all the slytherin’s today. When I was a young slytherin we would never have done anything quite so to damage our pride this heavily!”

The class stared up at the pink blob, eyes wide with fear of getting detention on the first day. Sadly, one of us could not avoid those unwanted words. “Detention, tonight, Miss Feit, for causing a disturbance and arriving late and out of uniform.” Professor Umbridge hollered. Skylar kept her eyes focused on the toads, heavy shadowed eyes and nodded quickly. “Now,” Umbridge went back to being a smiley, light voiced round peach in a snap. “Shall we begin todays lesson, hmm?”

The entire room sighed as the professor trotted to the front of the class again. “Let us started over.” She sat at the teacher’s desk and smiled down at the class who was silent upon seeing her outrage. She was wearing the same pink, fluffy cardigan from last night, and a black velvet bow was placed upon her head. It reminded me lightly of a small fly perched on a poisonous toad. “Well, good afternoon.”

A few people muttered a fearful “good afternoon” in return, but not very many.

“Tut, tut.” said professor umbridge, “That won’t do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply ‘Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge’. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!”

“Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge,” We chanted back to her.

“There, now,” said Professor Umbridge sweetly. “That wasn’t too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please.” Great, she was probably going to make the entire class write lines or something, than everyone would go after Skylar, then she would spend a week complaining about it to me. It was either that, or it would be an extremely boring lesson. For no lesson that was followed by that phrase was ever interesting. The class had learned that the hard way. Whilst we put away our wands, Umbridge pulled out her own, stout and unusually short wand from her handbag. One sharp tap on the blackboard and words appeared at once:

Defense Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basic Principles

“Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn’t it?” stated Professir Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. “The constant changing of teacher, many of whom do not seem to have “The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your OWL this year.
“You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please.:
Again she tapped the blackboard, the first message vanished and was replaced by “Course Aims”.

Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.

The room was silent but for the quiet scratching of quills against parchment. When it eventually died down to a complete silence. Umbridge asked “Has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?”

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class .

“I think we’ll try that again.” said Professor Umbridge. “When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, ‘Yes, Professor Umbridge’ or, ‘No, Professor Umbridge.’ So: Has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?”

The words “Yes, Professor Umbridge.” rang throughout the room.

“Good,” said Professor Umbridge. “I should like you to turn to page five and read ‘Chapter One: Basics for Beginners.’ There will be no need to talk.”

Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher’s desk, observing us all closely with those pouchy toad’s eyes. I had already read this chapter, and the three after that, and I knew they whereas dull as a cloudy sky in a thunder storm. I let Skylar use my book seeing as she had non. I didn’t bother to even pretend to be reading, so I noticed that Hermione Granger was also not reading. Her book lay closed and flat on the desk in front of her. Umbridge payed no attention. Instead her hand was bolt in the air, as she stared at Professor Umbridge. Slowly, as the rest of the class began to realize how boring the text was joined in on me watching Granger attempt to catch the Professor’s attention. Eventually, as half the class had put down their books, Umbridge acknowledged the bushy haired girl.

“Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?” she asked Granger as though she had just noticed her.

“Not about the chapter, no.” Said Granger.
“Well, we’re reading just now.” Said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. “If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of the class.”

“I’ve got a query about your course aims,” Said Granger.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

“And your name is?”

“Hermione Granger” said Granger.

“Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you readthem through carefully.” Said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

“Well, I don’t” said Granger “There’s nothing written up there about using defensive spells.”

A short silence filled the room as the class frowned and looked at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

“Using defensive spells?” Professor Umbridge repeated with a little luagh. “Why I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”

“We’re not going to use magic?” Ron Weasley exclaimed loudly.

“Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr -?”

“Weasley,” He said, thrusting his hand in the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Granger, along with Harry Potter, raised their hands into the air immediately. Umbridge’s pouchy eyes lingered on Potter for a moment before she addressed Granger.

“Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?”

“Yes,” Said Granger. “Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?”

“Are you a ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?” Umbridge asked in a falsely sweet voice.

“No, but -”

“Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. you will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -”

“What use is that?” said Potter loudly.

The argument between Umbridge and the class went on, as more and more peoples fists began being held high in the air. There was talk about the way Hogwarts was run, old, half-breed teacher (a.k.a Lupin, who was in fact the best Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher we ever had.) and let’s not forget, the squealing of students to raise their hands before they speak. the majority of people asking questions where Gryffindor’s, and for people I didn’t like very much, I had to admit, that they had some vaid points. How where we supposed to study for O.W.L’s if we had no practicing before hand?

Eventually, after Umbridge claimed that there was no danger outside, the subject of You-Know-Who was brought up. People flinched as the name ‘Lord Voldemort’ was spoken. Harry Potter gave his same argument of how The Dark Lord killed Cedric Diggory last year during the Triwizard tournament. I for one, believed him. I didn’t want to, and I didn’t tell anyone that I believed him, but I don’t think he would lie about something so grave just to get attention, and Dumbledore was on his side.

Umbridge was basically screaming. “Mr-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-house-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself.” She spoke in one breath as the argument continued.

Eventually, she instructed the class to go back to reading. A few people did, until Potter stood up. He really didn’t like being called a liar now did he. The argument continued further, it was actually a tad bit entertaining, well, better than reading this ridiculous book. The entire class was half-scared, half-fascinated when Umbridge called Potter to her desk and he kicked his chair to the side. He walked up to the front of the room and grabbed a pink, rolled up piece of parchment for Professor Umbridge’s small, pudgy hands. He then stomped out the door, being sure to slam it has he made his angry exit.

The class was silent, stunned and not exactly sure what to do next. Umbridge put on a sweet smile and said. “Well, get back to reading.”

Oh, this was going to be a long year wasn’t it.