Chapter 91 - 91- the one who beat her in theory

Harry's POV

As Harry watched Luna leave he felt both sadness and rage for himself and for her, for he lost his friend becouse she apparently can't understand secrets can't remain complete secret if someone knows them, and she lost a friend because he tried to mess with her mind.

It wasn't that he didn't understand her points of view, he did, it was just that trusting someone after so many betrayals was extremely difficult, not that she could know, as he didn't tell her about any of that.... he could see the problem, maybe he would let her calm down before apologizing.....

Two days later

She didn't let him apologize!

Instead, she said that she understand but she needs more time, that she isn't upset, she is disappointed.

This sentence was one of the few sentences he remembered his dad telling him to always fear hearing from a woman, together with- do I look fat? And the most terrifying- We need to talk.

Which is why he decided to back off and let her come to him when she wants to talk.

Right now he was going to the first DADA lesson he would actively listen to, and even participate, after all, it wasn't everyday that you get the chance to see what is your biggest fear.

Professor Lupin wasn't there when he arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. He sat down in his usual corner, took out his physic's book, unwilling to waste time he could use to study and was in the middle of reading the eighth chapter, when the professor was finally entered the room.

Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever, but looked healthier than he had in the grand feast, probably because he got over the side affects of his last turning.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

Knowing they were about to spend most of the time waiting in line for the chance to see their fear, Harry put the book in his backpack and put that on his back before getting up like the rest of the students.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

The class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away, then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin --"

Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some fear toward the teachers. It was interesting to see how the Poltergeist showed his respect to teachers who were like him, pranksters, by not fearing them.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

Peeves seemed to not paying any attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry, but Harry detected a small frown before it, as to show his true displeasure.

Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell, he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

While everyone else were laughing, Harry only felt sadness and sympathy for the Poltergeist, who seemed to look betrayed by an old partner.

They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty looking sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." Even though he said it, Harry could see the curiosity in his eyes when it landed on him, as if he is about to miss a chance to unravel a piece of a puzzle, and the small smirk on Harry's face probably let him know he saw that.

The potion professor got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

And if the smirk on Harry's face grew bigger? Well, he hoped nobody saw it.

Hermione's POV

As her the least favorite professor left the class the focus was once again on the new professor.

As much as she was happy having a different professor then Lockhart, she couldn't help but feel exhausted, having to become the favorite student of a new professor every year, especially as this year she has another two professors to impress, the runes professor - Bathsheda Babbling, and the arithmency professor - Septima Vector, something that she found hard to do as someone else stole it already, her ex-friend- Harry Peverel.

Flashback

The first lesson of arithmacy was over, and Hermione could already tell it is going to be one of her favorites.

It was a lesson that was considered one of the hardest in the school, and her chance to be seen as more then just the girl sidekick Marcus has,it was her chance to shine, especially because of the similarities between that and muggle's math, of which she used to be the best in her class.

This class felt like an example to which the whole school experience should feel like, only she answered the teacher's questions, she help her fellow students, and weren't sneered at even once.

Hearing the professor asking for the class's attention, Hermione looked toward the professor.

"Every year there is at least one student who grew up in the muggle world or had introduction to the subject in this class, and those students are the most likely to become bored of the classwork of the first and second month of the third year, as it is mostly stuff they already learned." The professor started,

"Usually, I just let those student deal with the boredom, as every other teacher does, but this year I would like to try something different, you see, I learned someone like you, spent last year learning by themselves in his free time two year's worth of arithmancy without help, I want to see if it's my method of teaching that makes it slower for everyone else to study, or is that student a genius, for that, I would like those of you who are willing to study by yourself, and to have in every class of mine a test, so I can see how much you progress by yourself, those tests won't affect your grades, and when you seem to be unable to progress by yourselves you will return to the regular classwork, any questions?"

Hermione hasn't even managed to process the professor's words when one of the Slytherin asked one "Those who do it, would they have any benefits? Like not having to do homework?"

Hearing that, most of the class's eyes were shining only to turn into disappointment and disinterest when they heard the professor's answer

"No, just like the other student, you need to complete your regular work before proceeding to learn the extra material, but, if you manage to complete two years worth of studying and get a perfect grade by the end of the year in the test of the year above you, you can jump grades in this class.

This got a lot of whispering and more questions, but in the end only two Ravenclaws, four Slytherins and her agreed to it, as she walked past the professor on her way out of class, she asked her who in the forth year is the student who did it the professor answered "He isn't in the forth year, he's in the third, he finished the material of fourth year in his second year, too bad he didn't choose my class as one of his electives, hopefully he would drop devinations." The professor probably saw she was confused, as she said "his name is Harry Peverel." Before muttering about how great of a student he can be.

End flashback

If being second best to someone who isn't even in the class wasn't enough, runes was even worse.

Apparently, most magical parents make sure sure their children get basic rune class as children, so while she did memories the book, most of the students in the class were at least in the same level of her, if not ahead.

And because of that the professor does a pop quiz every first class to see the level of the students before dividing them into three groups.

Beginners- those who never seen a rune before.

Actives- those who has some experience- either by prior class or by self study but need to strengthen their foundations.

Advance - students who already has strong enough foundations.

Most of the classes would be dedicated to beginners until they caught up to the actives, while giving the actives and advance groups books to read to advence on their own and every five classes there would be a question session for the two groups and every twelve there would be a test to see the level of the people in all three groups, in which you can advance or fall depending on your results, and by the end of the first class, when she only finished the test, it was obvious to her that she wasn't in the advance group, while Harry Peverel was the first to finish and one of the only three to have the results return to them while in class- he had a perfect score!

He had to have cheated- he couldn't have managed to do all those things, after all he is a Slytherin! All they can do is cheat! But she would show him, she would do better then him while keeping her integrity! And she would start right here- in the DADA class