0340 The Incident
The classroom was abuzz with anticipation as Professor Black strode purposefully towards an intriguing covered object, resembling a birdcage, stationed on a shelf adjacent to the front of the room. Many inquisitive students had noticed peculiar movements emanating from beneath the concealing cloth, striking against the cage, as soon as they entered the classroom, yet curiously, not a single audible sound could be heard.
Sirius nimbly lifted the shrouding fabric, unveiling the cage's contents to the collective gaze of the assembled class, his face adorned with a self-assured smile.
"Can anyone tell me the name of this creature? Of course, it's alright if you're unsure. Strictly speaking, this creature is not part of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum."
Inside the cage was a large, vividly colored bird with a bizarre-looking beak. The bird seemed quite startled, huddled in a corner of the cage, staring in terror at the nearby Sirius and screeching desperately, though curiously, no one could hear its cries.
"Oh, a Fwooper," Hermione said, her neck craning forward showing an interested expression.
[[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the mistake about the name of bird it has been changed to 'Fwooper bird' as it is in canon and Fantastic Beasts movies. It's NOT 'Augurey' its "Fwooper", I have edited previous chapters with this bird's now OG name Fwooper, Sorry for the mistake. ]]
"Precisely, five points to Gryffindor!" Sirius acknowledged with an approving nod, his arms folding across his chest in a contemplative manner.
"Tell us everything you know, Hermione, if you want to earn another five points for Gryffindor!"
Hermione's face immediately flushed red. She took a deep breath and stood up to speak.
"These creatures largely inhabit the African continent. Wizards deeply admire them for their vibrant feathers, and Fwooper's feathers have long been coveted for use in the crafting of exquisite, high-quality quills for extravagant feather pens. Similar to the cries of infant Mandrakes that induce unconsciousness, the Fwooper's twittering songs have similar effect, capable of driving those who hear them to the brink of insanity.
"Uric the Oddball, once tried to persuade the masses that the Fwooper's cry was, in fact, beneficial to one's well-being. To prove that, he subjected himself to its calls continuously for three months without any break. Upon the conclusion of this self-imposed experiment, he presented his findings before the Wizengamot, only to be met with resounding disbelief and incredulity. As when he arrived at the Assembly he wore nothing on his head except a small wig – which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a deceased badger!"
Neville stared admiringly at Hermione's back, while Ron muttered,
"Since it's not in the curriculum, where does she learn all this bizarre knowledge?"
The Gryffindor students were once again stunned by Hermione's vast knowledge, while most Slytherin students looked contemptuous. Pansy Parkinson mocked Hermione's peculiar tone of voice, causing Draco who had recently reconciled with her to laugh hilariously.
"Do you find this amusing, hmm?!"
Hermione pursed her lips tightly, her face flushing with embarrassment. Sirius strode over, looking as though he might grab Malfoy and Parkinson and toss them out of the classroom.
"Flaunting your ignorance and shallowness to mask your jealousy, are you, Malfoy, Parkinson?" he challenged, his voice resonating with authority.
"Is he stealing your thunder?"
Dean Thomas chimed in, his gaze fixed admiringly upon Sirius as he teased Harry and Ron, who had already drawn their wands in a defensive posture.
At last, Draco realized that Sirius was likely not the kind of pushover that the former Professor Lupin had been. If he didn't restrain himself, he might well face a month's worth of detentions – a prospect that only added to his humiliation. A 'criminal' who had spent twelve years imprisoned in the confines of Azkaban, someone who had willingly descended into the ranks of the Gryffindor House, thereby disgracing the honor of their pure-blood family, was now berating him simply by virtue of a professorial title!
"Ten points from each of you!" Sirius declared mercilessly, his gaze sweeping over Malfoy and Parkinson. "If you cannot maintain decorum in my class, I will continue deducting points from Slytherin until Snivellus Snape can no longer discern a single ruby in the Slytherin hourglass, and then give you all detentions!"
How incredibly cool!
Every young Gryffindor wizard thought this, gazing at the ashen-faced Slytherins on the other side of the classroom, their mood soaring.
"That's the feeling!" Ron exclaimed, his fist clenching and swinging forcefully through the air. "I've been looking forward to a day like this since I entered Hogwarts!"
"For once, I'm hoping Malfoy shows some backbone!" Harry added spitefully.
Hermione glared at them sternly. In her opinion, a qualified professor needed to maintain a certain degree of fairness and not blatantly favor students from a particular House. Most professors did this well, with Professor McGonagall being an exemplary model. But Hermione pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth curving ever so slightly.
She had to admit, being favored felt rather nice.
During past Potions classes, whenever Snape singled out Harry as an example, Malfoy would always mock Harry's incompetence and weakness. But when the tables were turned on him, Malfoy realized it was not so easy to confront a strong-willed professor.
Sirius gave a disdainful snort, then turned his attention back towards Hermione's side of the classroom. "You did exceptionally well, Hermione," he commended, his face graced with a warm smile. "Now, could you tell us where you learned all this?"
"Mr. Newt Scamander's, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the revised second edition, contains a narrative detailing of his travels in Africa, which includes a mention of the Fwooper birds," Hermione promptly replied.
"Additionally, Professor Binns also mentioned some stories about Uric the Oddball and the evil Merrick when he told us about medieval magical history!"
"Oh, brilliant!" Sirius clapped his hands in admiration.
"Professor Binns's History of Magic class - I would never have guessed! I'd wager, Hermione, you're one of the few students in this classroom who can stay awake during Professor Binns's lessons!"
"Actually—" Ron muttered once more, "she's the only one!"
Sirius glanced amusedly at Ron and announced loudly, "Ten indisputable points to Gryffindor. Oh, Hermione, I really think you should teach this class! So, I assume you know how to deal with this pretty little creature?"
Sirius's Defense Against the Dark Arts class had truly become a veritable paradise for the young Gryffindor wizards. Even Neville, often-cited as a shining example of failure by professors across various subjects, mustered the courage to answer a handful of questions.
And in the end, Malfoy had to be carried out of Sirius's class. He had attempted to secretly cast a spell to remove Harry's protective earmuffs while Harry was tending to the Fwooper, but Sirius, enraged by this swiftly petrified Malfoy, punishing him to stand immobilized for the majority of the lesson.
"Just carry him out like that!" Sirius growled as the bell signaling the end of the period reverberated through the chamber. He fixed Crabbe and Goyle, who were trying to move the petrified Draco, with a stern gaze. "Take him to Snape and let us see what that greasy-hair has to say about causing trouble in my class!"
He then arched an inquisitive eyebrow towards Harry and the others before striding out of the classroom.
"Sirius is really too rash. This is merely his first week teaching this class. Snape definitely won't let this go unanswered," Hermione said worriedly, her brow furrowing with concern.
"Harry, we need to find a way to prevent any conflict from erupting between him and Snape."
"Are you insane, Hermione?" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "Doesn't Harry desperately yearn to witness Snape receiving a well-deserved thrashing from Sirius?"
"Compared to Snape's attitude towards Gryffindor students in Potions class, Sirius has been quite mild!" Harry agreed unreservedly.
"This is different, Harry!" Hermione insisted, her tone tinged with urgency.
The Gryffindors still had Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs scheduled for the morning, and they dared not miss Professor McGonagall's class just to witness Malfoy's misfortune.
Hermione hastened her pace, voicing her worries, "Don't you remember the turmoil the Hippogriff incident caused Hagrid? If Malfoy's father catches wind of how Sirius treated Malfoy, he most probably won't let this go."
"But Lucius Malfoy can't possibly pin anything on Sirius," Ron countered immediately. "The Ministry has declared Sirius innocent in the eyes of the entire wizarding world. Those officials won't make fools of themselves over some paltry Galleons!"
Hermione's concerns did manage to instill a bit of worries within Harry, especially when he failed to catch sight of Malfoy at the Slytherin table during the luncheon hour, and neither Sirius nor Snape appeared at the staff table. Professor Watson was also conspicuously absent from his usual seat.
Just then, a commotion emanated from the entrance hall, drawing the rapt attention of the students, who hastened towards the source of the disturbance. To their astonishment, they discovered that Filch had tumbled down the stairs. Many students, failing to grasp the gravity of the situation, erupted into boisterous laughter at the comical spectacle of Filch's undignified fall. However, Harry had a sudden premonition that something had happened.
Filch's face was as pale as on that dreadful night over a year ago when he had discovered Mrs. Norris had been petrified by the Basilisk.
"They're fighting!" Filch scrambled to his feet, his appearance disheveled, neglecting to tidy himself as he roared towards Dumbledore, who had already taken note of the commotion unfolding in the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Professor Black and Professor Snape!"
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