Chapter 169: Assistant professor
The first day of school arrived. James got up early in the morning, before dawn along with Toby to perform the Animagus charm. Then they went to breakfast with the others in the Great Hall.
In the first class, they had Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had a new professor. Her name was Isabel Argall. An elderly woman, with grey hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. She wore a dress of different shades of blue and had a light blue scarf around her neck.
Her face was stern, and the students upon entering and seeing her fell silent and sat down on their benches quickly.
"Welcome to the third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Unfortunately, you are way behind because of the change of professors year to year..." began Isabel in a quiet tone and with slight pauses.
"Last year's professor was a big fraud... I've seen the curriculum he used a complete swill," Isabel said, clicking her tongue in irritation.
She could not believe how the Ministry accepted such useless books. Although she had an idea why the Ministry accepted such education books. They didn't want children to know good spells, especially Muggle-born or half-blood children.
Everyone in the class was surprised by the professor's words, "That's the way to talk! We're going to have a good professor this year," said Sirius, who was next to James, sitting at the end of it all.
'The book the professor asked for is much better,' thought James, nodding at Sirius' comment. He also thought that DADA would be a much better subject this year. Not for him. For everyone else. He was way ahead and was now training in non-verbal magic and wandless magic.
"Quiet," Isabel said, and all the students fell silent, waiting for the professor's next words with interest. They all wanted to know useful spells for dueling and powerful magic.
"Show of hands for students who know how to cast Expelliarmus," said Isabel.
In the class, there were two houses: Gryffindor and Slytherin. Making a total of 52 students.
James and the marauders raised their hands. Sirius with a confident smile. From the crazy training James made him do, he knew a lot more spells. Expelliarmus was easy for him.
On the Gryffindor side, almost no one else raised their hand. Even Lily and her friends Jasmine and Khanna hadn't learned it either.
'All that suffering was not in vain,' thought Peter, who for the first time put on a proud expression. He was one of the few students who knew how to cast an Expelliarmus.
On the Slytherin side raised their hands: Rabastan, Avery, Mulciber, Dolohov, Evan Rosier, Snape, and Emily.
'How can I lose to those dirty Gryffindors,' thought Dolores Umbridge, clenching her fists tightly.
'What a low rate,' thought Isabel. Out of 52 students, only 15 students could cast an Expelliarmus. This was bad. Hogwarts is supposed to be the best magical school in the world.
Isabel continued to list offensive and defensive charms. The hands continued to go down. The ones who always kept their hands up were the marauders, Rabastan, Emily, and Snape.
That is until the professor asked who knew how to cast a Protego, and only James, Sirius, and Lupin were left.
"Who knows how to cast a Patronus? It doesn't matter if it's corporeal or incorporeal," said Elizabeth. This time, Sirius lowered his hand with a grimace. He didn't like losing, but it was better to lose to his best friends than to the Slytherin students who had lost earlier. Even though it wasn't a competition, he saw it that way.
"Corporeal Patronus?" asked Isabel again. This time, Lupin lowered his hand. He still couldn't cast a shaped Patronus. He was in a bottleneck and couldn't move forward.
All the students looked at James with different emotions. Admiration, jealousy, envy, surprise, love, etc.
"James Potter," said Isabel.
"Yes, professor?" asked James, a little surprised that the professor knew his name. So far no students have introduced themselves. It was only natural that she would know his name though. Lord Potter and all the things, he did drew the attention of the entire British magical community.
"You will be my assistant. A second professor, let's call you that. You will help your classmates, and you will also have the power to punish them or give them points, depending on their behavior," said Isabel, taking James and everyone else by surprise.
"Any objections?" asked Isabel, ready to hear complaints about her decision. However, no one objected. She expected the Slytherin students to complain, but no one said a peep.
Rabastan, Dolores, and the other Slytherin students were grimacing and frowning, but couldn't bring themselves to say anything.
'Normally, they don't say anything knowing everything this boy did...' thought Isabel, looking at James differently for the first time.
Isabel knew that the Slytherin students didn't say anything for one reason: fear. Not because they admired and respected James. They were afraid of being humiliated or beaten to a pulp like: Rabastan in his duel, the third and fourth-year boys, or the last case: the sixth-year boy who was defeated magnificently in front of many eyes.
"Well, it's a good thing there are no complaints... Now we look at the theory of the Expelliarmus charm. Then we will go to the dueling room to put it into practice right away," said Isabel, and all the students looked excited.
Isabel only used thirty minutes to explain the theory: pronunciation, wand movements, and the occasional tip. In the dueling room that was an ideal size for everyone to get in pairs of two and practice, James was a professor for the first time officially.
He did his best to teach. He had already taught Sirius and the others, albeit in an unorthodox way (a lot of sweat and suffering), so he changed his approach when teaching Lily and her friends or other students.
At the end of the class, Professor Isabel spoke to James alone. She explained to him that his evaluation for passing grades would be different from the others. She will evaluate him depending on how good a professor he is, although the standards are not very high either since she knows he is a thirteen-year-old boy. He should just help her and lessen her burden in the face of this course so far behind in defensive and offensive spells.
She told him Dumbledore agreed. No one could object knowing James' abilities. Many saw him in his last duel at Black House, casting a Protego and a non-verbal Expelliarmus, and of course, a Patronus, though this everyone already knew.
What surprised everyone this time, was that James already knew non-verbal magic and not-so-easy spells.
James was happy about this decision on the part of the school. He could learn more things being a professor than as a student. He was very advanced in this subject and this was the best thing for him.
At lunch that same day the news of James being an assistant professor spread throughout Hogwarts like wildfire. Again, he felt a lot of stares as he ate with his friends. He was used to it by now, and his goal was beyond the popularity of the school, unfortunately for him, who always wished for a normal school life.
The second class they had was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. James arrived early to the classroom, it was still ten minutes before the start of the class.
McGonagall was sitting at a square wooden desk, reviewing various scrolls. The nerdiest students were arriving and taking the best seats.
"Professor," James said softly, calling McGonagall over.
"What do you need, student Potter? It's strange to see you without your group of friends," McGonagall said, looking up and stopping writing with her quill.
"I have a request," James said, pulling a parchment out of one of his robe pockets.
James explained his request to him in a few minutes. Long story short, he didn't want to take the third-year transfiguration class, but not because he didn't want to study transfiguration anymore, it was because he wanted to take the sixth-year transfiguration class.
He explained to McGonagall that he had already studied the entire Intermediate Transfiguration book covering three years at Hogwarts: third, fourth, and fifth years.
In addition to knowing the theory perfectly, he had also cast all the transfiguration spells successfully. On the parchment he handed to McGonagall his parents credited their son's abilities.
On the other hand, James told McGonagall that he could demonstrate his skills and knowledge by taking the appropriate exams. He didn't think they would just take his and his parents' word for it.
James was doing this for two reasons. First, he didn't want to keep wasting time in a class that didn't contribute anything to him. Second, he wanted to take the sixth-year transfiguration class. In that year you learn about advanced transfiguration which involves conjuration. His learning would be better if he had McGonagall teaching him instead of studying on his own. There was no denying McGonagall's excellence in transfiguration and teaching.
"You learned a three-year book on your own, on par with taking your second year?" asked McGonagall in an incredulous tone, looking at James with wide eyes. It was rare to see the stern professor with that expression.
"Yes. I also studied a lot over the vacations," James replied.
James had finished the intermediate book just before the start of the vacation. He had planned to start with advanced transfiguration right away, but he decided to strengthen his knowledge and practice the intermediate transfiguration spells more. Especially the curriculum that covered the fifth year at Hogwarts.
Transfiguration is complex and dangerous. His foundations must be firm. So, he was patient and returned to those subjects of study.
In addition, the fifth-year subjects were more difficult and complex than previous years as they took the OWLs. Each subject had its own OWL exam. The score a student earned on a particular OWL determined whether or not they would be allowed to continue studying in the more advanced classes in that subject in their sixth and seventh years.
For this reason, if James wanted to take the advanced Transfiguration classes he would need a high score. If he asked to take the exams early he would have to have good grades or he would not have the necessary score to take the sixth-year class.
McGonagall said nothing. She was silent in thought. If another third-year student had told her this she wouldn't believe a word of it, but the student in front of her was the boy who cast a corporeal Patronus and knew nonverbal magic. Plus, she had a parchment signed by James' parents.
"I'll talk to Dumbledore. You will take your third-year classes for now. This is the first time this has happened since I've been a professor..." said McGonagall.
"Well, thanks," said James, bowing slightly, before going to his seat to take the class the professor spoke again.
"I will testify on your behalf. As your professor, I have seen your perfect transfiguration spells, but if accepted you will have to take several heavy exams. Be prepared,"
"Thank you, professor. I'll be ready. I prepared throughout the vacation," James said with a smile. He wasn't afraid of an OWL exam. He felt ready. However, he didn't deny that it could be challenging. The first really difficult exam.
James as he turned around to head to his seat. He noticed that the room was full and silent. Everyone was watching him with surprised and incredulous expressions.
'Since when did the hall fill up?' thought James with a slight grimace heading towards the seats where the marauders were. Once again a rumor about him would spread at great speed and he would be the center of attention.
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