Eleanor Snape- Book 3

Professor Auntie

Sarah Beth~

I had been at Hogwarts for less than twenty-four hours and I could already tell that the year was going to be awful! Before the feast even ended Auntie had gotten on everyone's bad side by interrupting Dumbledore! No one interrupted Dumbledore unless it was a real emergency! To make matters worse, she brought up the Ministry when she did it!

On the other hand, the whole student body was rude to her at the same time. Mean comments were made to her where she couldn't hear, and laughter happened throughout. The only people who seemed to be listening at the Hufflepuff table were the Prefects, which  was another thing that annoyed me.

The girl Prefect that was choosen for Hufflepuff this year was, of course, Hannah Abbot. I don't know why Dumbledore didn't pick me instead of her. I mean, I was beautiful, trusting, smart, and everyone loved me! But it didn't really matter, because if Auntie kept it up, the I would either die of embarrassment or have life in Azkaban for murder of disrespectful students: either way I would end up dead.

After the feast I went to the Common Room, thinking of ways I could get out of total embarrassment. The only thing I could come up with was to act like I didn't even know her, but that would hurt her. But it's better her than me...

I stopped walking, looking up at the picture that had been hung up over the mantel. It was a portrait of Cedric, standing tall and proud in his Quidditch robes.. The picture was the same one I had looked at all summer long: that everyone had looked at. Cedric's death had been a big topic in every magazine and paper, including the Prophet and the Quibbler. No piece of informing literature was left untouched by his tragic death.

"Ugh." I sighed, anger threading to bubble over. If they truly cared about him, then they would have taken the time to find a different picture instead of using the one people who didn't even know him used to inform. How insincere could people get.

"Are you okay, dear?" I felt a hand lightly lay on my shoulder. I turned around to see it was Professor Sprout.

"Oh... Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just...thinking." I replied and her face morphed into one of sincerity.

"About Cedric, right? We're all going to miss him."

"Yeah, right." I sighed, wiggled out of her grip, and continued to my dorm before I could get mad at anyone else.

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The next morning at breakfast we got out schedules as we do every year. I sighed with relief when I saw that I didn't have Defense Against the Dark Arts until the next day, but when I found Rufus before class, he wasn't so lucky.

"I have her today." He paled, swallowing. "She's  my first class." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good luck, Ruffie."

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 I didn't get to talk to Rufus again until the next day before classes. Although D.A.D.A. was my second class of the day, I was already worried.

"How bad was it?" I asked him, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Terrible! She kept fussing over my hair and looks and wrinkles in my clothes and everything!" He groaned, blushed at the memory or it. "I can't imagine what she's going to do to you!"

"Me neither!" I looked around, realizing we were the only two left in the corridor. "Well, we better get to class."

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To my disappointment, History of Magic went by quickly. It felt as if I hadn't been in there for fifteen minutes when the class ended. At first, I slow about my strides, procrastinating for time, but then I realized what horrible things could come out of me being late, so I picked up the pace. I picked it up so much, in fact, that I was the fist one in class.

When I entered the class room, Auntie was sitting at her desk, absentmindedly reading the Prophet. I tried to slip by without her noticing, but it didn't work. As I started to sit in a seat at the back of the room, she stood up.

"Sarah Beth, dear, sit up here. You'll never be able to see from back there without your glasses."

"Auntie, I'll be-"

"Hem! Hem! Get up here, Sarah Beth. I also know how distracted you can get. Up here, now." As she said this, other student started filing in, so instead of causing a scene, I stood back up, walked to the seat in the very front, sat down, and said,

"Yes, Professor." 

"Very good." She looked up and smiled at the whole class, which had all come in at this point. "Good morning, everyone. I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. I expect we are all going to be great friends." She flashed the smile I often find myself wearing. "I expect that you all will follow my instructions and cause no trouble. I have already had a class that has tried to go against my order, and believe me, they will be severely punished, and I am not afraid to do the same to you.

"It seems to me that all the other Professors that you've had has tried to poison you're precious little minds by pushing you along father than your magic can handle. Now, if you will all take out your books and turn to page 1, we will begin."

"Ummm, Professor-" Nathaniel, who had taken his usual seat beside me, started to ask, but was interrupted by Auntie.

"In this class we will get my attention by raising your hand, not with unmannerly outbursts."

"Sorry, Professor," He raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"We have already learned this."

"Not in the proper manner, I'm afraid."

"Yes, but-"

"Ah, hand." Annoyed, Nathaniel raised his hand again.

"Yes?"

"I think we all know the basics and should move and learn new things."

"As I said earlier, no one is going to go against my wishes. And again, if you want to do so, you will be severely punished. Now, is there anything else you would like to say?"

"No, Professor..." He mumbled.

"Very well, now, everyone please silently read page 1."

We all did as she instructed with out any more questioning.  I opened my book and tried to read it, but struggled. Auntie was right about my glasses, I could see better if I wore them, but I looked awful in them. I didn't like at all. I squinted, trying to read without luck.

"You would squint much less if you wore your glasses." Out of nowhere Auntie was standing in front of mine and Nathaniel's table. I looked up, terrified. What was I suppose to say to that?

"I don't know what you're talking about, Professor." I looked down, trying to miss her gaze.

"Sarah Beth...."

"I think you are confusing me for someone else..."

"Sarah Beth, we must not... tell lies." She emphasized the last part. I knew exactly what she meant.  If I didn't stop my act, she would make me write lines. School was my only place away from it, and now she was here too. I started at her blankly. "Or have you forgotten?" She raised an eyebrow. I really didn't want to write, so I gave up.

"No...Auntie." As I said it, everyone in the room gasped.

"You mean she's your-" Nathaniel started to ask, but was cut off.

"Silence! Everyone continue reading!" No one went against her. We all looked down at our books and didn't make another peep until the end of class.