~Ginny~
The first class on my timetable was DADA, and I assumed that Piper, Leo, and Jason had it too, because they followed me.
"Good luck with Trelawney!" I called to Harry, who groaned at the mention of the Divination teacher and slouched away.
I stopped at the door to DADA. No one was there yet, so I waited, surveying my new friends. Piper was rubbing sleep out of her eyes, leaning on Jason, and Leo's cheeks still bulged with half-chewed waffle.
A group of Slytherins arrived. I recognized one of them, and hoped that he hadn't seen me slip Hiccupping Potion into his pumpkin juice. George had given it to me and told me to use it on whoever needed it. I'd heard him talking rudely about Luna, so I spiked his juice.
A dark, stringy girl I remembered as Jordan Denner stood just behind the group, staring longingly at the laughing people in front of her.
At that moment, a musical, "Come in!" rang out from the DADA room and we all took seats.
A woman with straight, dark hair was standing at the front of the room, but she didn't say anything until the rest of the class arrived. Leo hastily gulped the rest of his waffle so his mouth could hang open.
She was pretty, with fair skin, that jet-black hair and kind eyes. "My name is Katherine Nolan, Professor Nolan to you. I always feel that we should know one another before we get started. Regrettably, I will only stay for one year, but let's make the best of it, shall we?"
Of course she's only staying for one year. None of the DADA teachers have stayed longer.
Professor Nolan pressed a finger to her chin, thinking. "Of course, my sister is also teaching here this year, and she's unmarried, so I suppose it might be confusing to have two 'Professor Nolan's. I think you should just call me Katherine and have that be the end of it."
We all just stared at her, amazed. We had never been asked to call a teacher by their first name before, even though her reason made sense.
"Now, are we going to waste all our class time with you staring at me, or are we going to learn something? We're going on a field trip."
***
The field trip was a journey to a cave just under the lake. It was wide and empty; the perfect place to practice spells.
"Okay," said Katherine. "Everyone get out your wands. Anyone who can cast a Patronus, please step up."
I stood, along with a few others from Dumbledore's Army.
"Ooh," said a Slytherin standing next to me. I vaguely remembered him from one DA lesson. "No surprise Denner can't cast one. She can barely tell one end of her wand from the other."
Jordan's face got red, and she started whispering under her breath.
"Alright, Ginny," said Katherine. "Cast for us."
I raised my wand, thinking of me and Harry's first kiss. "Expecto Patronum!"
A great silvery horse leapt out of the tip of my wand and cantered around the room. Piper whispered, "Oh!"
I waved my wand again and the horse faded.
"Excellent!" Katherine beamed. "Can you tell us how you did that?"
"Well," I said. "I thought of a happy memory, one of the happiest times in my life."
"And that was?"
"My first kiss with my boyfriend."
"Very nicely done," Katherine approved. "Everyone, follow Ginny's great example. The incantation is Expecto Patronum."
I caught Jason's whisper to Piper and Leo. "It means I await a protector, in Latin."
I pondered how he knew this. Maybe he'd taken Latin at school? I decided to ask him, later.
By the end of the class, Piper's Patronus was the shape of a small bird. It wasn't clear yet, but it was definitely a bird.
Jason's was also a bird, an eagle.
Leo hadn't managed it yet. His face was screwed up in concentration, but only silver smoke curled from his wand.
He stomped his foot in anger, his face red.
And then... His hand. Oh God, his hand.
Leo's left hand was on fire.
~
Ok so a few things.
@horsegirl469 broke her arm falling from a horse and I love her and I'm crying so much ILY. I will work my butt off as your servant when I get back, I promise.
@feihong10 was the first to comment on this so thanks! Please follow her she's very funny.
Katherine is based on someone I used to know. If you know the name Katherine Nolan too, PM me and maybe we know her from the same place.
Also, my grandpa is mostly deaf, so he does everything loudly. He coughed so loud that the person living in the apartment across from us and up one floor almost leapt out of his skin.
Mkay, that's it. I pulled a Rick on you (way to blow your cover, LEO!), but I will update when I write the next chapter.
BBBYYYEEE!!!