Lecture

As soon as the professor entered the hall, she flicked her wrists and the sconces lighting up the hall, dimmed considerably and the once bright hall was shrouded in light and shadows at every few intervals.

The professor once again flicked her wand and a raised platform was erected in the front of the hall and she effortlessly jumped on to the raised platform with a single push of her feet.

The casual grace of her movements won her an appreciative glance from Harry who was standing with his own year mates to the side of the room.

Standing on the platform, the lady eyed all the students gathered in front of her and started, "I don't need to point the severity of things to you all as I believe the intelligent ones would have already understood and others who still think it's just a scuffle, wouldn't live long enough to tell the tales of these times."

She watched as the younger ones we're reminded that these lessons wouldn't be all fun and games and that people were losing their livelihoods and lives outside the borders of their country.

Still, needs must and she didn't want them to be blind-sided by the ugly reality of things so it was better that they learned some harsh truths in a safe, controlled environment than to have them not know which end of the wand to point towards their enemies in a precarious situation.

Trying not to let her thoughts wander into the dark, she continued, "Many of us have lost our loved ones or acquaintances in the last few years and we haven't done much to prepare ourselves. I for myself hope and pray to not see any of you on the frontlines of this escalating skirmish. But, the reality is far from our dreams and if there ever comes a time when you are surrounded by people who wish to harm you and yours, I hope my teachings will give you the courage to break the impasse and save your lives."

At her words, there was a slight shuffling of feet from the Gryffindors and a fourth-year Gryffindor boy raised his hand.

Galatea could already foresee what question the boy would ask but still, she gestured with her upturned chin in lieu of asking him to voice his words.

The boy came a bit forward and then asked, "Professor, you said that if we and our loved ones are in trouble, we could use your teachings to save ourselves. However, what about the others? If we don't help them, then who will?"

Galatea wanted to take an audible sigh at those words but suppressed herself from showing her disappointment. This was the trouble with children, in general, and the Gryffindors in particular.

They were all brawn and no brains.

They grew up listening to the stories of one or the other hero and fancied themselves as heroes and rushed into danger where even Warlocks would think twice before stepping in.

The students watched a sharp smile graced the professor's face and everyone could sense that the student who had asked the question would be verbally flayed until he at least, lost one metaphorical layer of his skin.

The professor looked at the student as a Crup looked at an ant and questioned, "You want to save others?"

When the boy nodded his head, she gave a sardonic smile and replied, "Child, it's remarkable that you have this selfless attitude at a young age."

Just as the other Gryffindors smiled at the praise of their house-mate, her words took a complete U-turn, "However, it's sad that you don't have any brains."

At the dumb-founded looks from more than half of the students gathered, she explained, "You want to play the hero who saves people or be the shining knight who kills evil in the name of justice. However, who will have your back in such a situation? When you are playing at being a hero, what if your spells escalate the problem and nobody is willing or powerful enough to get you out of the mess created by your own hands?"

There were a few mutterings from the Gryffindors and an especially loud one could be heard saying, "People will follow if there is someone to lead them."

Those words seemed to have lit a fuse in the famous temper of the professor.

She whirled around to the said student and asked forcefully, "Oh! People will follow? But who will lead them? You? or your merry band of friends? You think the present situation is some schoolboy rivalry where if you lose, you can go and complain to your Head of House and he will placate you and your bruised ego? This is far more than your brains can comprehend and war isn't a place for idiots who try to play at being more than they are unless they can back up their claims by their magic."

The student was so chastised that his chin was tucked into their chest and their face had turned red and even his ears and neck hadn't been spared from the colour.

Similarly, the fourth-year Gryffindor wasn't exempt from her acerbic tongue, "In a situation where you are faced with people or circumstances greater than your own, your first thought should be how to break the stalemate and call for help from switched and wizards who are trained for such situations and not how to increase your own self-worth in the eyes of others."

After she was done chastising him, she shooed him back into his group of friends who tried to console him with their eyes and unsaid words. Meanwhile, the Slytherins who had been enjoying watching the tongue-lashing became Galatea's next target.