137 Chapter 126: Professor Black
Hey all, been radio silent for a while sorry about that, I had a surgery last week. Nothing major didn't want to worry you all, I am back home now and on the meds. It's back to the writing.
I want to say a big thank you to all you beautiful folk, thanks for being so patient. It really means the world that you would stick with me during these unexpected times of misfortune.
For those of you who are curious. I got into a accident, messed up my leg pretty bad and needed a metal one. Like I said earlier I am back home now doing well. Thankfully my beautiful fingers are fine, and I can type away all day long.
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The Great Hall buzzed with many voices the next morning, everyone was sitting in the Great Hall eating their breakfast and chatting to each other. As they ate, the most hottest topic was their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor which was on everyone's lips.
"Dang we won't be having Defense Against the Dark Arts until Tuesday with the ravens," Susan Bones cursed out loud, looking over her schedule even though by now it was late into the first semester and she already had it memorized. Still like everyone they were going over their schedules again check-in to see when Defense Against the Dark Arts was.
"You are in luck, we don't have Defense Against the Dark Arts until Thursday with the snakes," Lavender Brown pointed out.
"Hey, is it so bad being in the same room as us snakes?" Blaise Zabini asked with a mock hurt expression.
"We are having Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Black," Fred remarked.
"Yea, don't worry about it, we will spoil all the details to you later," George chuckled.
Harry ignored his rowdy friends for a moment and turned to look in Sirius's direction. He just entered the Great Hall and went to greet the other Professors; Professor Flitwitch was overjoyed like always, while Hagrid was beaming at his new colleague.
The female population had a varying degree of expressions on their faces; Professor Vector gave Sirius a glare when he sent a playful wink her way, Professor Sinistra didn't even look his way while Professor Babbling looked about awkwardly. However Professor Sprout did smile pleasantly at him while it was a total surprise seeing Professor Trelawney seated at the head table and even more so when he saw that look in her face.
She wasn't the only one looking at him favorably as their school librarian was present, Ms. Irma Pince.
And that was all he got as Professor McGonagall had a stern look on her face and her sharp eyes meet Sirius giving him warning in advance not to cause any trouble like he has been back in his days as a student along with his father, Remus, and that rat turned traitor.
Then there was Professor Snape, the Potions master, who was sitting along with the staff members at the head table as Sirius took his seat.
It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. It went beyond anger and into pure unadulterated loathing. Harry knew that expression all too well as Snape reserved that look for one other person from time to time when he set eyes on him, the boy-who-lived.
Looking between them, Harry saw that Sirius didn't help matters along as he gave a wink to Snape which seem to off set him even more.
Harry had the feeling that Dumbledore made a terrible mistake, it was like he put water and oil in the same room just waiting to go off at any moment now and go off it will in a very spectacular fashion.
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Later that afternoon, Harry saw both Fred and George happily regaling everyone nearby about their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. There were plenty of little ones surrounding them, each eating up their words like it was the bible.
"And then there he was, KABOOM, and CACHIN'," Fred started to make some sound effects as he stop standing over the gathered young heads.
"No, no, no," George said, "it was more like BOOM and POOF."
"What are you even going on about, that is not what happened," Angelina shook her head.
"I think I am with them on this," Lee Jordan grinned. "I think it was like BUZZ and ZOOM!"
Katie Bell was unable to hold her laughter as she broke into giggling out loud.
"Not funny," Angelina shook her head, "they are just being idiots."
Taking a seat as he set aside his school bag, Harry grabbed himself a plate and shoved some food on it.
"So Sirius?" Harry begin with, "How cool is his class?" Harry had yet to catch up with his godfather, he knew the black family wizard was swamped with work and didn't want to bother him until he had settled down for a bit.
However that didn't stop his curiosity about his class, he really did want to hear that he was fitting in like a peach and his classes were going great.
"Beyond cool," George voiced, sitting opposite to Fred.
"Supercool," said the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George. "We had him this afternoon," he told Harry.
"What was it like?" Harry asked eagerly. Glad to hear the good news, he knew Sirius knew his stuff and never doubted him for a bit. Okay, maybe a little.
Alright he did think he was going to botch it up, but he was glad to be proven wrong. So yay!
Fred, George, and Lee exchanged looks full of meaning.
"Never had a lesson like it," Fred nodded his head in a serious tone or a close proximation to it as he could get, he and George could never get ride of those smiles after all.
"He knows, man," Lee whispered conspicuously.
"Knows what?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, really not following. He was hoping that his godfather didn't open up with girls. That would be so him.
"Knows what it's like to be out there doing it," George voiced impressively. Like he found a new role model which now that Harry thought about it they would love Sirius when they got to know his pranking side. They would be like peas in a pod!
"Doing what?" Harry asked, trying to have them reiterate in detail.
"Fighting the Dark Arts," Fred said, as if it was the most obvious thing.
"Yea he has seen it all," George muttered. "As if he had been in the thick of it. Like he has lived through the worst that the dark arts have to offer.
"Well he did like through it," Harry shrugged his shoulders, "the war, if you remember."
That gave the three of them pause as they looked at each other then back at him.
Finally Lee broke the silence as he whispered in a tone that barely could contain his joy, "Amazing isn't it?"
"Tell me about," Fred said.
"A real veteran, why didn't you say, Harry?" George asked.
"Idiots," Angelina muttered as she shook her head.
"Well you always do say that boys will be boys," Katie Bell pointed out with a smile.
"Well, I am curious now what he has been up to," Harry grinned. He really did want to know what his godfather had cooking for his lessons. What did he had in store for them.
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"Good morning everyone. Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts." Sirius smiled as he addressed the batch of fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students.
The Gryffindor students looked pretty excited, even a few Slytherin students looked enthusiastic about the lesson.
"I'd like to make one thing clear before we proceed with today's class. I may be pure-blooded but I shall have you'll know that any sort of prejudiced comments will only lead to a loss of points and detention. Trust me when I say that you'll do not want to land up in one of my detentions. Are we clear?"
There were a couple of "Yes Sirs' in reply to his warning and Sirius made sure to look at the Slytherin students especially.
"Great. Let's get started."
He asked everyone to put away their quills as they wouldn't be doing any writing work that day. That was a surprise to everyone, but they did as they were told and Harry could see that Hermione especially looked unsettled.
"Dumbledore has told me that you all are lagged behind in Defence Against the Dark Arts due to the lack of a well qualified Professor or consistent ones. Well, not anymore," Sirius declared.
With his enhanced hearing Harry was able to hear, Draco whisper, "As if he would make it through the end of the year. Father will have his head, before he could say a word!"
Sirius seemed to catch that as well as he turned around to face the little prick and remarked simply. "10 points from Slytherin thanks to little Malfoy junior."
"I am not Malfoy junior," Draco shouted with his face going pink a bit.
"I really don't care if you are a alchemical clone or something of Lucius," Sirius said in a airy tone. "In my class I expect at least some semblance of respect, not you mouthing off to me. so please do at least try Malfoy junior to show some respect to me."
"Oh," Sirius added," you have detention, I think washing the dished with the house-elves in the kitchen should teach you some respect and humility."
"My father would not stand for that," Draco shouted, losing his cool when he saw things weren't going his way.
"I really don't care what Lucius thinks, and if he has some argument with me, he can come say his piece to my face. NOW shut up before it is detention for the rest of the year with me. I can promise you Malfoy junior I will be making your life hell if you end up with detention for the whole year with me."
That promise seem to at least shut up the little brat as he sat back in his sat with a scowl on his face.
"I can't believe it," Neville whispered who was seated right besides him. "A Professor was finally able to shut him up. I think I shall remember this day for the rest of my life."
"Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, you will be learning a lot of lessons from me during this year. That being how to fight and defend yourself properly.
The first lesson we will be covering today is silent or non-verbal spells. A very good way to defend yourself in a duel is a non verbal spell. That is what we'll be doing today. What advantage do you have when you perform spells non verbally?"
"Yes, Ms. Granger," Sirius pointed to Hermione who had her hand up.
"Your opponent has no warning about what kind of spell you are about to perform. So I guess that gives you a split-second advantage?" Hermione answered.
"Top marks to Ms. Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor. Practical experience over theoretical knowledge makes you more prepared to act in unexpected situations."
"Now who would like to give a example of this technique?" Sirius asked, "What do you say, Mr. Potter," he called out to him.
"It would be my pleasurer," Harry answered with a grin as he got up and came to the front of the classroom. He already mastered this so he didn't mind giving a demonstration.
Silently lighting up his wand's tip with a lumos spell, the class or at least most of it not including the the lion share of the Slytherin share gave a round of applause.
"Wonderful," Sirius beamed, "Now everyone, wands out! Yes, yes, come on. Mr. Potter since you have mastered this lesson so well please be of assistance for me"
"It would be my pleasure, Professor Black," Harry nodded his head, and the two couldn't help themselves from breaking out into laughter.
Sirius divided the class into numerous pairs. He was smart enough to pair the Gryffindors against themselves otherwise he knew all too well that things would get ugly if the two opposing houses where to go against each other.
All the students were doing quite well and by the end of the lesson, most of the students had successfully managed to perform at least one non verbal spell under the tutelage of the both of them.
Throughout the lesson, as he and Sirius inspected the students' performance, Harry caught some of the girls whispering among themselves. When he had asked them what was it that they were discussing so enthusiastically, they had turned a deep shade of red and fervently told him that it was 'nothing at all.' The dreamy looks that they were shooting towards their new professor made it clear that whatever they were discussing was most certainly not related to the syllabus.
"That's all for today. No homework this time. I'll see you'll again on Friday when we'll be having another practical lesson. Class dismissed."
As the students filed out of the class, they were thoroughly satisfied with the lesson. After a long time, they had actually enjoyed a Defence Against the Dark Arts class which was a good thing Harry noted.
They had expected a long boring lecture followed by lengthy essays but it seemed as if things had finally taken a turn for the better. The new Professor's easy going attitude coupled with his sense of humour and suave appearance had made their first lesson of the year damn good.
Harry watched as Sirius hummed in satisfaction since his first class as a Professor had gone so well. Harry only hoped all his other batches went equally well.
He quickly run up to catch up to him to have a word.
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