Chapter Forty
Soon
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
(Colors of the Wind - Vanessa Williams)October 1st, 1975The curse of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors continued.
Their first year instructor, Professor Fenwick, did not even last the whole year
before he was called away on some emergency that Mia assumed was related to Order
business. During second year, Professor Dearborn made it all the way to the Easter
holidays, when it was suspected he was almost poisoned by his own house-elf. Professor
Prewett, the best Defence teacher they'd had so far, had been terminated at the end of the
year due to many complaints from parents—all Slytherin. Last year, Professor Proudfoot
had been in an unfortunate accident where a Fire-Making Charm got out of control, set
the entire classroom aflame, and she spent a month at St Mungo's before returning to her
work in the Ministry.
By the end of September, the position of Defence Professor had not yet been filled.
When a notice was put up in the common rooms informing all students that
Defence Against the Dark Arts was resuming the following Wednesday, most were thrilled
at the prospect of, once again, indulging in a favourite class. Soon, the betting pool for the
new professor's longevity was re-activated at the hands of Sirius and James who continued
on the noble tradition established by Fabian and Gideon Prewett.
Holding tightly to Remus's hand, Mia was strangely nervous as she walked to
Defence alongside her brother, Sirius, and Peter. She did not have many good memories
of Defence Against the Dark Arts from her previous fifth year. Most especially, she hated
the memories of Dolores Umbridge. While she had no clue what that pink-cardiganed troll
was doing during this timeline, Mia could not help but be reminded of her cruelty anytime