Dursley's Daughter (A Harry Potter Next Generation Fan Fic)

4. Defense Against the Dark Arts

Even though I had until Friday to complete my Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment, I took a leaf out of Holly's book and didn't do it until my free period right before the class. On Tuesday my excuse was preparing for practice, on Wednesday I had practice, during which I spent half the time teaching Cassie to stay on her broom properly. Thursday I had...other things that needed doing, like chatting with Felicia and Holly in the library. 

I still didn't understand anything about Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had Sawyer sent jinxes my way so I could attempt blocking them, but I failed every single time. I got fed up of falling over into the grass in a body bind and I even hit my head on a rock. It was no use. Maybe I just wasn't meant to be an Auror. I could live with that. Potions, maybe even magical healing, was more up my alley.

But Hufflepuffs are hardworking, and I couldn't deal with the fact that no matter how much effort I put into this one subject, I never did very well. On Friday, right before class, I just copied down facts on counter curses from the textbook. I didn't know enough to write my assignment otherwise. It was the best I could do, even if I wasn't happy with it. 

Professor Venables, of course, decided to collect the homework at the beginning of class. I watched my paper float up and join the stack of others on her desk with growing dread. Surely she would realize I wasn't cut out for N.E.W.T. level defense and would kick me out as soon as she saw the homework. Hopefully she wouldn't do it in front of everyone. The Slytherins in the class, who had stolen all the seats towards the back of the classroom as usual, would tease me relentlessly, especially on the Quidditch pitch, I knew. I would never hear the end of it, and the chants from the Quidditch stands would distract the team and Hufflepuff would come last in the House Cup...

If I had to leave, quietly would be fine, I decided. I should just own up to being a failure in the subject, I thought, to spare me the pain and misery. Then maybe I could talk to McGonagall and add some other course in its place....

"Miss Dursley?"

There were some snickers and I turned bright red. Did they test teachers to make sure they could call out day dreaming students or was it a skill they developed over time? "Uh, yes, Professor?" I stammered.

"Look around you," said Professor Venables. "Every other student in the classroom has their book open to chapter one and their wands out. Do you feel that you are exempt from taking part in the class or will you follow suit?"

Ignoring the jeers from the Slytherin half of the room, I quickly flipped through my book and pulled out my wand as Professor Venables waited. When I was ready she nodded and turned back to her chalkboard. She waved her wand and notes on the course expectations appeared instantaneously on the board. I hurried to copy them down, not wanting to look like a fool again, especially not in a class full of hostile Slytherins. 

The lesson was mainly just information on our N.E.W.T.S. and what it meant for us in our Defense Against the Dark Arts course, but in the last quarter of class we had to start reading our textbooks, making notes on the types of magic creatures it mentioned. I have never felt so much like a dunce before. The other students around me scribbled furiously, turning the pages in their textbooks loudly, boasting the fact that they were ahead. I was stuck on boggarts, reading the signs of identification over and over again. I had taken some notes, but how was I supposed to tell a boggart from whatever heinous beast it would turn into to scare me?

Sure, I know I didn't come from the greatest of stock, so if it came down to it I could blame it on genes, but normally I could do a lot better than understanding absolutely nil. Eventually I gave up on boggarts and closed my textbook. Suffering over it wasn't going to help me get any better. I wished that of all the magic inventions you could buy during the weekend trips to Hogsmeade, there was one that could learn your lessons for you.