Chapter 22: Like what?!

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I assume Ron is one such student, but I simply nod once again. It would embarrass him to bring it up, anyway.

"Lastly, regarding robes. I have taken the liberty of placing an order for one full set of robes and underclothing from Madam Malkin's, along with a heavy cloak with a hat and a pair of gloves for winter from Second-Hand Robes. No, please allow me to finish." She holds up a hand to halt my objection before I even got it out.

"This is not charity, or a gift. You will speak to your professors of choice to see if they are interested in your services, or you may choose to make it up to me directly. As both Transfiguration professor and Deputy Headmistress, I have plenty of things for you to do, especially if I only assign remedial work to any students that earn detentions. If you secure employment with another professor, I trust you to pass on your earnings at your discretion until you make up the difference. I will leave you the entire year to do so, but I assume you will want to do so more quickly in order to earn spending money for Hogsmeade weekends, Christmas, and other events."

The Yule Ball, obviously. Oh well, I'm an atrocious dancer anyway...at least I have a convenient excuse to avoid it. "Thank you, Professor, I really appreciate it. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as I can."

"Good. I've got a task available this coming Wednesday night after dinner to prepare for your first Transfiguration class, if you'd like to get a head start."

"I would."

"Excellent, I shall expect you at seven p.m., Mr. Lerner. Now, I'm afraid I must impose upon you a bit further, and then you may join your friends in the library. One of Madam Malkin's assistants is here to take your measurements for your new robes. They will not be tailored due to time and cost, but the nearest pre-cut size will be delivered to your room by tomorrow night."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall, I really appreciate it." I do, even if I feel a bit wretched that she went ahead and spent her own money on me. I mean, sure she bought Harry a Nimbus 2000 a few years ago and that can't have been cheap, but that was Harry Potter. She probably felt bad for not standing up to Dumbledore about leaving Harry with his awful relatives at Durzkaban.

After a quick set of measurements by the pretty, young assistant to Madam Malkin and a quick word of farewell to Professor McGonagall, I was off to join the Herbology review. I may have had fun with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, but Herbology and History of Magic?

I start to walk slower.

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"Are you sure you had fun doing this all morning?" Harry asks me while Hermione is distracted by trying to show Ron how to properly revise. I'm surprised she thinks he'll get it after all this time.

I sigh. "I did this morning, but I'm not terribly interested in History of Magic or Herbology. I'm just glad I missed the whole mandrake lesson. Having a thin circle of material between me and potentially instant death is not something I'd consider enjoyable by any means. How the hell is that a Second Year task, anyway?"

He chuckles grimly. "Well, at least Second Years are too scared to do anything but exactly what the teacher says. I wouldn't put it past an older Slytherin to sabotage somebody's earmuffs. Luckily the baby ones aren't fatal."

"I suppose, still sounds pretty awful to me," I say. Actually it sounds worse than awful...I can't believe nobody has died from it before. "And don't get me started on this History nonsense."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asks.

"Look, it's obvious this stuff is heavily biased towards the Pureblood culture," I say, recalling one or two rather political pieces of fanfiction. "Note how every Goblin Rebellion is apparently the fault of the goblins, and conveniently there is no explanation for how we managed to enslave the House Elves, who appear to have magic just as strong as ours, if not stronger. The merpeople and centaurs are even considered magical beasts by your government, despite the fact that they can be just as intelligent as humans." At least the centaurs can be, I'm just guessing about the merpeople.

Hermione looks horrified, probably at the thought that a book could be wrong.

"Oh no, now you've gone and done it," Ron says.

"Don't you see Ron, it's exactly like I said, except it's not just House Elves that are mistreated!"

Oh no, not SPEW! She wastes so much time on it! I need to figure out a way to nip this in the bud. "I don't disagree, but I've heard that part of whatever magic enslaves them is a compulsion to serve a master, and taking that away is bad. I'm talking about debilitating psychological effects, like severe depression and anxiety. Or maybe it's just such a deeply held societal belief that it might as well be true. I'm entirely against slavery, of course, but if freeing them affects them so terribly, I don't think we can do anything until we figure out which is the case." I know I read something like that in fanfiction, maybe it'll be enough to give her pause.

Hermione looks unhappy, but thankfully her attention is drawn away by Ron and Harry shutting their books.

"What are you guys doing?" Hermione asks as if they just insulted her.

"You heard the man, this is rubbish!" Ron says, gesturing at the book.

Hermione glares at me.

"Well, it is, but unfortunately they still test you on this rubbish," I tell Ron. "The Ministry is more heavy-handed here, so you can't escape one-sided propaganda like you can back where I come from." None of them look terribly convinced by that, so I try a different tack. "But, uh, maybe looking for that propaganda could make it more interesting."

"Like what?" Ron asks, furrowing his brows.

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