Emily Potter - Book 5 - Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 48 - The Downfall

"Divination's bound to get better today, right?" Emily asked, looking over at Daphne and Astoria who were both curling their eyelashes using a charm they found in the library. Astoria shook her head, her dark hair barely grazing her shoulders, "It's not that it was any good during Trelawney's time – But due to the change of faculty, maybe the stars are in favour of something interesting or whatever." She said in an indifferent tone. Daphne took her spoon and checked her reflection, deeply amused that the charm worked and made her eyelashes look ravishing, "Aw, isn't this a heart-warming sight? Two of my favourite girls getting along... No noses were broken, no ex-boyfriends being kissed – What a great morning." She said sarcastically.

"Shut up, Daph." Astoria said as she rolled her eyes at her sister, "But mark my words, that old toad Umbridge would want to get revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her. Especially a centaur, surely you saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze."

After breakfast Astoria departed for her class, Daphne and Emily along with Blaise joined the other 5th years heading for Divination. "Looks like we're heading to classroom eleven for this one," Blaise said as he realized that they were following the others that were going around the corridor of the ground floor instead of going up the stairs, "I mean, you'd think for a school that runs on magic would be able to find a way for four-legged creatures to reach the top floors – so much for thinking that nothing is impossible."

"The Ministry of Magic has elevators." Emily informed, "These contraptions that fit at least 15 people... It's like a big metal box that lifts you up to whatever floor you want to go to." Daphne scrunched her nose at the notion that they made such a thing, "Sounds like a death trap. How convenient would it be if someone died inside one of those things, it'll be almost like a metal coffin of some sort." Emily heard Blaise sigh deeply, laughing, "Always a pleasure to have my mornings imagining metal coffins. Thanks, Greengrass."

Classroom eleven was stationed in the ground-floor corridor leading off the entrance hall on the opposite side to the Great Hall. Emily knew it to be one of those classrooms that were never used regularly. When they entered it right behind the Gryffindors, and found themselves right in the middle of a forest clearing.

The classroom floor had become abundant in moss, and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, green light. The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, arms wrapped around their knees or folded tightly across their chests, looking rather nervous. In the middle of the room, stood Firenze.

Emily saw her brother already shaking hands with Firenze. Harry saw her enter the room and motioned for her to meet the new professor, Firenze was blunt of his amusement to see the great similarities between the twins. "Emily Potter, we finally meet." He said in a gruff voice as he shook her hand. She smiled, giving him a nod, "I look forward to your class, sir. You haven't even started teaching yet, but I'm already in awe." She said, referring to the greenery in the classroom. He looked at her as if he had just opened a book that held her future – Emily felt strangely compelled to think that Firenze knew something that she didn't.

Harry noticed that there was the shadow of a hoof-shaped bruise on Firenze's chest. As he and Emily turned to join the rest of the class upon the floor, he saw that they were all looking at them with awe, apparently deeply impressed that the two of them were on speaking terms with Firenze, whom they seemed to find intimidating.

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down upon a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room. "Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "In imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was — until Monday — my home... But this is not possible."