Lily Potter And The Secret Bewitchment

Chapter Seventeen - The Lesson and The Article

The first week of term brought fresh challenges. On the first day back, Professor Bones announced a practical potions test on the following Friday. Most of the class, bar Lily, groaned at this news, and the amount of revision they would have to do on the potion they had been studying. The strangest event, however, came on Tuesday when they met their new history of magic teacher. They lined up quietly outside her classroom, and she opened the door.

"Hello class." The pupils stared. Her voice was strange and gravelly, but at the same time strained and high-pitched. Her voice, however, was nothing to her appearance. Her eyes were a bright purple and her hair was almost white, but she did not seem old. "Come in." She continued. They filed in and sat in their normal seats. Lily's desk was next to Jayla's and two seats behind Hugo.

"She's strange." Jayla whispered to Lily, who nodded.

"Quiet please, Miss Berryfield." Jayla looked around, confused. The teacher had her back to them as she wrote on the board, and how did she know Jayla's name? Most of the class were shuffling uncomfortably in their seats. Hugo, Lily could see, was already doodling in his book, and Milly, Olivia and Iona were whispering to each other in the back of the room.

"Quiet in the back, you three." The teacher said, wearily. "And please, do not ruin your notebook, male ginger-nut in the second row." Hugo dropped his pen, and Lily looked at Jayla with outrage. The comic look of fury that Hugo looked around with made everyone snicker into their desks. The teacher turned around to look at the class, and Lily could make out what was written on the board. 

'Basic Wizarding History,' was the title, and underneath it: 'The Evil of Giants.'

"Miss." Hugo put up his hand, and the teacher's eyes flicked towards him.

"My name is Professor Golds." She said, in a strict but unpleasant voice. "Speak, ginger-nut."

"My name is Hugo Weasley." Hugo said, and the class gasped a little at his disrespectful tone. "And I wanted to ask something about the title of your subsection."

"Firstly, Mr. Weasley, I know your name, as I looked through the register. Wizarding lineage tells me you must be a Weasley with hair like that. I chose to call you male ginger-nut." Lily stared at Jayla, then at the professor, unable to believe her own ears. "What is your question?" She asked.

"Well, Professor, you're a teacher, and you aren't allowed to pass judgement on beings of a near-human intelligence, such as a giant, meaning your title including the word 'evil' as a direct description of such a being, that is opinionated, is against the rules in the legislation of education made by the ministry." Lily had never been more proud of her cousin as the teacher stared directly at Hugo with astonishment.

"You made that up on the spot, Mr. Weasley." Lily knew that Hugo had not, but the Professor didn't. Auntie Hermione had made sure both Hugo and Lily knew the legislation for teaching, due to their bad experience with a teacher called Umbrick, or something, in their fifth year.

"Actually Professor, he didn't." Lily put up her hand, coming to Hugo's aid. The teacher's head snapped in Lily's direction.

"What is it, female ginger-nut?" Golds said, indifferently.

"Well, my father and my aunt, who is Hugo's mother, taught me the legislation of the ministry for education. That is in subsection 6 clause B." The silent class were distinctly impressed at these figures, the teacher could tell and she wasn't happy about it.

"Oh, don't tell me, female ginger-nut. You're a Potter. And this Aunt you refer to, Hermione Granger, perhaps?" Hugo and Lily were both angered by the mocking tone that she used. Her eyes flashed with a new hatred.