Chapter - 63 : The Slytherin Welcome part - 3

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"Yes it is," Draco answered in a superior tone of voice, sounding for all the world as if it belonged to him rather than Harry.

"Augereys? I read about them in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. They're also known as Irish Phoenixes and used to be considered really bad luck-" Hermione began to babble, sounding as if she were regurgitating the textbook.

"We know," Draco interrupted her coldly. "It's common knowledge among real wizards."

"Draco," Harry said as Hermione faltered into an embarrassed silence.

The Malfoy heir wouldn't be prevented from airing his views. "No, Orion. Let her run off and tell her fellow mud- muggleborns by all means, but she shouldn't presume to lecture her betters."

"Don't be so snobbish. She's just excited about all the new things she's learnt," Harry said mildly. He didn't want to start a full-blown argument, especially since he was impressed that Draco had stopped himself from using the term 'mudblood'. It was more than Harry had expected from the haughty blond.

"She is right here," Hermione said, regaining her self-confidence.

"Yes, but I prefer to pretend otherwise," Draco drawled.

"Why you-" Hermione began, her cheeks flushed in anger.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Harry announced loudly, interrupting her. "We should head off to class. The bell will ring in a few minutes."

Harry watched Hermione struggle between her desire to tell off Draco and her need to be on time to class. As expected class won out and the argument was successfully derailed. The first year Slytherins all headed towards the Defence classroom, asking a few suits of armour for directions along the way. The Ravenclaws they shared the lesson with were already there, sitting in the front rows with quills and parchment set out on their desks. The Slytherins filed into the back of the classroom, Hermione pointedly taking a seat as far away from Draco as possible.

At the same moment as the bell signalling the start of class echoed through the school, their Professor strode through the door and to the front of the classroom. He spun round to face them and waved his wand to make the chalk begin scribbling on the blackboard behind him.

"My name is Professor Footswitch," he said, the chalk underlining his name twice before hovering in mid-air awaiting further instruction. "I will be your teacher in Defence Against the Dark Arts for the next year. For all of you – even those who have had lessons before coming to Hogwarts – the material covered in this class will be largely unfamiliar. This, together with the fact that your magic is still largely uncontrolled, means that there will be no advanced hexes or impressive duelling taught in this classroom."

A sigh of disappointment rustled through the listening students. Professor Footswitch smiled wryly.

"I'm sorry but that's simply how it is," he said. "This class will focus on understanding the dangers present in our society and learning how to avoid or, if absolutely necessary, overcome them using skills you as eleven year olds are capable of acquiring. You are all fortunate enough to be growing up in a period of relative peace, but there will always be things you will have to defend yourselves against. Now, can anyone name some of the common threats you might face?"

Immediately the Ravenclaws and Hermione raised their hands, followed more slowly by Daphne and Nott. Harry didn't bother to volunteer an answer, having settled back in his seat and prepared himself for being bored out of his mind.

"Yes, you," Professor Footswitch said, pointing at one of the Ravenclaws.

"Anthony Goldstein, sir," the boy supplied.

"And your answer, Mr Goldstein?"

"Well, there are Dark Creatures such as werewolves, vampires and hags," Goldstein listed, ticking them off on his fingers.

The Professor nodded. "Especially dangerous since they are of comparable intelligence to wizards. Then there are Hinkypunks, Lethifolds, Boggarts, and Grindylows and the like – less bright but still tricky to deal with. They are all creatures you'll learn how to defend yourselves against over your years here at Hogwarts." He turned to Daphne. "And you?"

"Daphne Greengrass, sir," she said, lowering her hand. "There are Dark Wizards, like the Death Eaters during the war. And there are also common criminals and murderers who use harmful magic."

"Yes, good," the Professor said. "From when we get our first wands at the age of eleven onwards, every wizard or witch carries a potentially lethal weapon. Most of us never use our wands to cast anything more dangerous than a disarming charm, but there are always those few who learn more destructive spells and delve into the Dark Arts, becoming a danger to society. In order to combat them, Aurors and the like have to learn equally powerful magic. Any other ideas?" he asked, looking around the classroom. "Anyone?"

There was silence as the students glanced between themselves, even Hermione not having an answer.

"Dark Creatures and Dark Wizards and Witches are dangerous, yes, but there is another group out there which is more prevalent and poses an even greater threat," Professor Footswitch said at last. "Wizards are required to hide themselves away from them and are forbidden from using spells in their presence. They poison the air and destroy the environment, and their numbers are ever growing. I am talking, of course, of Muggles."

"What?" Terry Boot stopped taking notes and looked up in incredulity. "You can't be serious!"

"I assure you I am. Five points from Ravenclaw for interrupting," Professor Footswitch said with a faint sneer at the muggleborn boy. "Muggles are a threat to our society. They cling on to their logic and their science, and build their over-crowded cities to accommodate their ever rising numbers. While they don't have magic and so are clearly inferior to us, there are numerous laws that protect them and limit wizards to only the most basic spells in their presence. We are told we must pander to the Muggles; we must not frighten them with magic nor use our powers to curtail their destructive behaviour. As wizards we are the strong, but we are forced to be weak. It is due to this that Muggles must be considered a valid threat."

The students stared at their teacher, the Ravenclaws hanging on his words and the Slytherins torn between being smugly assured of their own superiority and being insulted at the suggestion that a mere muggle could ever be a danger to them. Harry had abandoned all expectations of boredom by this stage but was instead filled with a growing feeling of disgust. What he found most disturbing was how few of the wizard-raised students appeared at all bothered by their teacher's words.

Of course the muggleborns in the class – Hermione, Terry Boot, Kevin Entwhistle and Lisa Turpin – looked utterly appalled. Hermione had her hand up and was waving her arm about in the air, clearly wanting to refute the Professor's statements.

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