22 Classes pt.2

History of magic was easily the most boring subject ever. Not due to the subject itself but the teacher who taught the subject.

Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. So a ghost teaching you history in a monotone voice as he droned on and on was the perfect recipe for making a class as boring as possible.

Miles nearly fell asleep countless times only for Hermione to wake him up again and again.

The next subject they had was Herbology, taught by a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

For Miles, the whole subject was basically Hermione answering every single question raised while Professor Sprout giving him a look of wary every now and then. Unlike Snape who hated Patricia, the other professors weren't vengeful of her but they were still really cautious with things concerning her. But luckily Professor Sprout quickly adapted to the environment and started treating Miles like everyone else.

―==(oIo)==―

"So because of your mother, everyone is cautious of you?" Hermione asked as they had their lunch on the Gryffindors table.

"She wasn't really the best kind of student, you see."

"But I read, that she was always the top of her class and was easily one of the best students of Hogwarts," Hermione said with doubt.

"Academically yes, but she did create a lot of troubles." Miles said, "And not only that, last time when she came to teach, about 4 years ago, she still didn't leave an image of a proper responsible adult. So I guess most of the teachers are traumatized enough, that they feel like I might be the same as my mother as well."

"For someone who sleeps in classes, I am not sure you'll live up to those expectations."

"You're doubting my talents, Dear Hermione." Miles said waving his fork around, "Though I have to study theories and so on but when it comes to practicals I don't think any of you would be able to beat me in that."

"We have Transfiguration after this so why not test your abilities there then." Hermione snorted.

"Fine, but you're not allowed to get mad if I am better at it than you."

"Don't worry about that."

―==(oIo)==―

Professor McGonagall was probably the best teacher, Miles had come across today. Strict and Clever she knew how to control the class easily.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again impressing everyone immediately but everyone looked disappointed when they realized that changing pieces of furniture into animals wasn't going to happen within a couple of years. So after taking some complicated notes, their first task was to change a match stick into a needle.

As soon as the task was given, everyone was surprised that McGonagall spoke again as they quickly turned around to see what was going on.

"10 points to Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall said giving Miles a rare smile.

She then proceeded to show the entire class, the golden pointy needle in her hand. Complimenting Miles along with it.

"Mr. Rakepick have you learned Transfiguration before?" McGonagall asked.

"I started after I got my wand a month ago." Miles said, "It was really easy to do so after I learned the formulae my mother taught me."

"Though I can't tell anyone about the formulae because its a family secret but it has something do with controlling you magical output," Miles replied seeing the curious Professor.

"I see." Professor McGonagall nodded in understanding, "I believe it has something to do with the Rakepick Theory, has it not?"

"It's a derivative of the theory yes."

"Though its a wonderful and unique way to look at magic and make subjects like Transfiguration easier to learn, but I do hope you won't trait far from the real theory itself." Professor suggested, "It's always been a fall back of the Rakepick Theory due to your family's secrecy on the matter."

"I will keep that in mind Professor." Miles nodded.

Some people were impressed while some started sprouting seeds on jealousy in their minds. Especially those who came from muggle-born families, complaining about how having a wizarding family is unfair to people like them. Miles knew there will be some outrage over the matter so he really couldn't care less about people's reactions on it.

Though there was still someone who he didn't want to be envied over by and as expected, Hermione Granger didn't have the same bitter face as everyone but a curious one instead. Since she knew about some politics of the wizarding world, she knew that the difference between a muggle-born and a wizarding family was not education but secret arts and techniques. Some had their own spells and special magical arts and some like the Rakepick family had techniques that differentiated their view on magic from the rest of the world.

Till the end of the class other than Hermione who had minor changes, no one could complete the task. Some of the Gryffindors muttered things among themselves and went out followed by the remainder of the Gryffindors leaving Miles the only Gryffindor alone among the Ravenclaws. Hermione found the thing weird but seeing the nonchalant Mile's making jokes she didn't say anything else about it.

―==(oIo)==―

More than a month went by, and things went smoothly as usual.

Other classes like Charms, taught by Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk became Mile's next favorite really quickly. According to Patricia, Flitwick was the only one among the many teachers that thought highly of her excluding Dumbledore and would rather trust her than follow the opinions of many.

Though he didn't play favorites among the students, he still liked seeing Miles succeed in spells quickly than the rest, followed by Hermione who he seemed to have already thought highly of, as she was the student of his house.

The next class that everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.

For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

But aside from classes, everyone was clear of one thing, Miles and Hermione were now the outcast of their own houses.