Loving Lupin

    After the winter break (which was very well-spent, mind you) the trio of Ron, Harry, and Hermione had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with the new professor.

    At first, Hermione refused to attend.

    "Where's Hermione?" asked Ron uncomfortably as he sat next to Harry in their lesson.

    "I don't know, I haven't seen her lately... Have you?" Harry pushed his glasses further up his face, since they had begun to slip down his nose.

    "I haven't seen her." He glanced at his watch. "You know, we still have ten minutes or so until class... Maybe I should go check for her in the common room?"

    "Good idea," agreed Harry, relieved.

    Ron raced back to the Gryffindor common room, horrible ideas of what could have happened to Hermione whirling around in his head. Had she been hurt? Was she lost? Was she upset about something... Maybe Lupin again? His stomach sank as he thought of Lupin. Had she snuck out to see him?

    As soon as Ron entered the common room, he saw her peacefully laying on a couch, her eyes closed. She was fast asleep.

    "Hey, Hermione... Hermione!" He shook her shoulders gently to try to wake her up.

    "Huh-- what? Ron?" Hermione blinked several times and stared up at him.

    "Wake up! We have class in only five minutes," he said urgently, pulling at her arm.

    "I'm not going." She rolled over onto her side.

    "What do you mean, you're not going?" snapped Ron.

    "Just what I said. I'm not going. I'm not about to meet that horrid new professor they got."

    "You don't know that she's horrid. She could be wonderful, for all you know!"

    "I'm NOT going!" replied Hermione sharply.

    "Fine. McGonagall isn't going to be happy with you," sang Ron, strolling out of the common room.

    Not 15 minutes later, Hermione joined Ron and Harry in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She was several minutes late, but the new professor seemed not to mind.

    "Velcome, Miss Granger," she said warmly. "Take a seat."

    Hermione paused for a moment, wondering if she should ask the teacher how she already knew her name, but then she decided she didn't want to speak to her. If Hermione was going to be forced to go to her stupid class, then there had to be SOME way she resisted this new professor.

    "I'm Professor Zochnik, by the way, Miss Granger," the girl told her, still smiling. "Now, today, ve vill be learning about the Lethifold. Does anybody know what a Lethifold is?"

    Hermione knew, but she didn't raise her hand. Instead, she hissed to Ron, "I thought we were starting dark creatures next month."

    "Apparently not," Ron replied coolly.

    "No one? Vell! Das ist nicht gut!" Professor Zochnik pressed her lips together and stared at them all for a moment, then turned to her board. "The Lethifold, also known as Living Shroud, is a rare creature found in tropical climates. It seems to look like a black cloak haff an inch thick, or thicker, if it has just killed and digested a victim."

    Hermione felt Ron twitch with fear at the word victim. She rolled her eyes, unable to help herself. Between Ron's twitching and Professor Zochnik's annoying way of saying "Lethifold" as if it were "Ledifold", the class was laughable.

    "The Lethifold often attempts to smother its victim in its sleep. After it has finished killing its victim, it vill digest the food. It's quite hard to trace how many victims there haff been of the Lethifold, since the Lethifold leefs no evidence as to its arrival and departure."

    The class shivered.

    "As for your assignment, I'd like you to read and summarize Flavius Belby's account of the Lethifold attack that occured vile he was vacationing in Papua New Guinea. Danke schön. Also, if you vood please pass forvard your homework from over the break, I vood appreciate it."

    "But that's Lupin's assignment," Hermione said aloud.

    "Ja, I realise that, Miss Granger," replied Professor Zochnik sweetly. "Howeffer, I vood hate for you to haff done all that vork and not get it graded properly."

    Hermione grudgingly passed her paper up with Ron and Harry. Professor Zochnik's eyes rested on her for a moment, and as they did, Hermione noticed that her eyes were blue-- not just blue, but a shocking blue... an almost unnatural blue. Her eyes made Hermione very uneasy, but nonetheless, she stared straight back, willing Professor Zochnik to speak to her.

    "Danke, Schuler," she said in that same sweet voice. "Now, you can all get started on your assignment if you'd like."

    By the end of the class, Professor Zochnik had graded and passed back all their papers. Scrawled across the top of Hermione's was Sehr gut! Well-thought out and accurate. So far, so good. But then, Hermione noticed a small piece of paper clipped at the bottom of the page. It read: Hermione, meet me after class. Thanks.

    Hermione furrowed her brow. Meet me after class. What did THAT mean? Why did Professor Zochnik want to meet her after class? Why, she barely knew Hermione! Maybe she knows about Lupin, thought Hermione, her face going pale. She wants to ask me about him... The rest of the class, which had started off rather smoothly, was quite uncomfortable for Hermione. Every time she looked up, she just saw Professor Zochnik's disturbingly light eyes staring at her.