professor of the year

[oncedriven]

"So it's just your word and no witnesses..."

The court begins to mutter. You say, barely not a shout, "I'm not lying!"

Fudge opens his mouth, but a voice from behind him - as dry as any you've ever heard - says, "Muggle testimony is admitted before this court from Muggles who have an existing dispensation permitting knowledge of the wizarding world, Minister. And while the boy's cousin may not be able to see the creatures, Muggles can feel the effects of their presence as surely as wizards can."

You look up - the speaker is an unfamiliar wizard behind and somewhat to the left of Fudge. It's difficult to tell his age; although his face is relatively young, somewhere in his early middle years, his hair is white enough to make Dumbledore's look dark. It adds a haunting quality to his face, especially when combined with his plain, pure black robes and the color of his eyes, which are far closer to yellow than brown.

Fudge turns on him, saying, "Yes, but it's certainly a very convenient story, isn't it? No doubt the boy has rehearsed it well - "

"You are attempting to deny the defense a key witness," the wizard replies, voice cold. "As though there weren't already enough irregularities in this case. At the very least, this hearing ought to be mistrialed and rescheduled for a time when the witness is available to give testimony..."

Your stomach sinks. There's no way Dudley Dursley would give testimony that would help you, if his parents could even be convinced to allow him to appear. And there's a better chance of them declaring Sirius innocent right now in front of you than there is of that ever happening.

Fudge looks like he's going to argue further, but fortunately, Dumbledore clears his throat and says, "We do, in fact, have a witness..."

----

"...All he and I can do now is to await your verdict."

You look downward, staring at your shoes, as the courtroom falls silent. Into that silence, the voice of the white haired wizard from earlier says, "I feel compelled to remind the court that the Patronus Charm has only one purpose - to repel Dementors. I would also like to remind the Court that young Mr. Potter has a publicly known history of strong negative reactions to the creatures. He is fifteen. Even if his life was not technically endangered by the creatures, it is not beyond belief that he should think it so - a situation which is also covered under clause seven. We are not in the habit of breaking wands over honest mistakes."

There is a slight murmur from the court at that. Fudge turns once again to the wizard and says, "Your point has been noted, Hades. The way you're going on, you may as well descend and take a seat for the defense yourself."

"If it would see you make the slightest effort to regulate the damned creatures, I would do so gladly," Hades (you're not sure if that's his first or last name) replies, far more sharply than any of his previous comments. "Call the vote, if you would, Madam Bones."

"If there are no further comments?" Amelia Bones says. Her voice seems somehow to echo even more than that of the two men. She seems to direct the words to Fudge, who gazes sullenly back at her. "Then, those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?"

After the vote, just when you are beginning to feel the relief sink into your stomach, Dumbledore sweeps from the room without so much as a glance at you.

Comments

[oncedriven]

You skim over the syllabus. The first thing that catches your attention is the inclusion of OFFICE HOURS: 4-6pm, 7-9pm Mondays and Thursdays; Sundays by appointment; never Friday evening, Saturday. The rest of the breakdown is a schedule of readings more typical to your other classes, the kind of thing Hermione prefers to get a head-start on, but there's a list of assignments included as well. Some of those are labeled simply Current Events.

The Friday class period everyother week is set aside for a class discussion, and that alone sets this schedule wildly apart from any other class you've ever had at Hogwarts. You've never had any more discussion in class than answering a teacher's questions.

There's another sound of snapping fingers. Your attention jumps back up to the wizard at the front, but it seems to have been exactly that, a bid for the attention of the class, all of whom seem to be looking over the syllabus with the same confusion that you're currently feeling.

"As I am sure you are all aware," he begins, "this subject, although unfathomably important to your adult lives, is a new addition to Hogwarts. As such, I've taken the liberty of modelling portions of it off of comparable nonmagical subjects. It is a grand experiment in progress, for which you and your schoolmates are the test subjects. Nonetheless, it is my expectation that you take this class as seriously as you would Defense, Transfiguration, or Potions, because its implications are equally far-reaching."

He pauses, and then adds, "I am also equally aware of the poor state of the history curriculum currently offered by this otherwise prestigious institution. Unfortunately, the hours in my day are limited, and I cannot teach both."

You risk a glance around; many of the students have looks of surprise on their faces, Hermione's mouth open in a little 'oh' and Pansy Parkinson across the room with a scandalized hand over her mouth.

"Therefore, it is my intention to give the tools with which to judge history for yourselves," Professor Solus continues. "This class will focus on Wizarding Society and Government, yes, but it will also focus on why we do the things we do, in the way that we do them. It is my hope that by the conclusion of this year, that you will have learned to sort fact from fiction, bias from authenicity, and your own best interests from those of others."

"In the first term, we will focus on Wizarding society as a whole. In the winter we will shift our focus to the matter of government. As you can see from your syllabus, the curriculum for the spring term will vary based upon the individual class. We will return to that matter no sooner than February, after I have a better sense of your interests, experiences, and capabilities." He walks around to stand in front of the desk, leaning back against it and folding his arms over his chest. "And now, questions. I'm sure between the lot of you, they must be infinite; I will take four."

What seems like half the hands in the room shoot up, including, of course, Hermione's. The part that's strange is that Malfoy's hand shoots up on the other side of the room; you're not sure you've ever seen him actively ask a question of a professor in class.

Professor Solus produces his wand, finally, from his sleeve; it is as long as the rest of him and a dark wood that's only barely visible against the black of his robes as he flicks it with the laziest motion you think you've ever seen a teacher perform. "Nott," he says, and the flick of his wand must be for controlling the beam of light that suddenly falls upon on the Slytherin side of the room.

"Sir," Theodore Nott says. "You included a book about the Muggle government. With all due respect - why?"

It's the obvious question from that side of the room, which you think is probably why Professor Solus started over there; better to get it out of the way early.

"It is impossible to study anything about society and culture, including government, without comparing it to something else," Professor Solus replies, sounding bored. "Non-magical culture in this country is the most readily accessible example, as well as something with which some of your classmates have personal experience, but we will also draw comparisons to the United States, France, and Greece, in both Wizarding and nonmagical societies."

It doesn't seem to quite satisfy the Slytherins as an answer, from the expressions and occasional mutterings from that side of the room, but most of the hands on that side of the room drop away. Only Malfoy's remains in the air.

Solus swings his gaze to the opposite side of the room; the light over Nott goes out, to be replaced by one over Dean when he says, "Thomas."

"Thank you, sir," Dean says. "I just wanted to know - this is written in pen. Will you require assignments to be written with quill and parchment?"

"As long as it is ink on a page rather than pencil, is your original work, and satsifies other requirements of the assignment, I do not care," Solus replies. "Do note that essay lengths are measured in word count, not by physical length. If you are unfamiliar with a charm to check that quality, dragging your wand tip down the left margin of the section to be counted with the incantation Loyariaz should do."

The light over Dean goes out. Lavender Brown also drops her hand.

"Malfoy."

Malfoy doesn't so much as blink as the light shines down on him. If anything, he looks perfectly comfortable in it. "Did the Board of Governors approve of this curiculum, sir?" he asks, all pleasant simper, the kind he uses when he's trying to act innocent.

"They were given a general outline, which appears to have satisfied them," Solus replies. There's something slightly more cutting underneath his bored air. "As I said, this class is experimental. Whether it is retained for future students depends on its success this year. It is my hope that it provides a much-needed new model of education at Hogwarts going forward, but only time and your efforts will tell if it is successful."

The light over Malfoy blinks out with more abruptness than the ones over Nott and Dean. Well, you think, Malfoy's not making any friends with this one.

"Granger."

Just from the way he says her name as the light flicks on over her, you get the idea that Solus was saving Hermione for last.

"Sir," she says. "I was just wondering - on the syllabus, it says that Fridays will be focused on class discussion. Can you clarify what that means?"

"And that is an excellent segue into our next matter," Solus says. "I will lay down the ground rules, and then open the floor for our first class discussion. I hope you'll find it enlightening."