Harry Potter and the Ruby of Karda

Chapter 4: The Defense Against Dark Arts Professor

Harry wasn’t thinking of Priya Manohar the next morning, he was far too busy. Prof. McGonagall had given them their class schedules, and looking at his schedule, Harry thought his next free hour would be around Christmas. Ron was busy groaning about his schedule too; Hermione, on the other hand, looked happy.

“Arithmancy, I can’t wait”, she said happily, as she ate breakfast. “What do you have this morning?”

“Divination”, Ron answered grumpily. “Transfiguration after that, and then Potions with the Slytherins. My morning goes from bad to worse.”

Harry rose. “But we have Defense Against Dark Arts this afternoon”, he pointed out. “Let’s go and get the morning over with.”

They made their way to the Divination classroom. Even though it was a bright and sunny day, Prof. Trelawney’s classroom was as stuffy as usual, with a heavy smell of incense in the air. Harry noticed that Lavender and Parvati looked excited. He shook his head privately. Even though Parvati had been made a Prefect, she was still inclined to get very silly in Divination.

“Welcome”, a voice cooed, and Prof. Trelawney, bangles jingling on her arms, stepped into view. “Welcome. This year, we are going to focus on reading the stars. When read properly, the stars can foretell the future, and give us vital information, information that will help in our fight against evil.” She paused for a moment. “Also, I have seen in my crystal bowl that star gazing will feature prominently in your O.W.L.s.”

Both Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, but next to him, Ron rolled his eyes. “I’m glad we have Defense Against Dark Arts to look forward to”, he whispered to Harry. Unfortunately, Prof. Trelawney, who had chosen that moment to sweep next to them, heard Ron. Her lips tightened.

“I never thought I’d see the day when we would allow someone like Prof. Manohar to teach at Hogwarts. And to let that daughter of hers study in this school!”, she said, her eyes flashing. “I warned Prof. Dumbledore about this. The power of the Ruby, unleashed! I can’t believe he would ignore the prophecies and warnings of the stars in such a way.”

“What’s wrong with Prof. Manohar?”, Lavender asked in a hushed voice, and the rest of the class looked wildly curious. But Prof. Trelawney just looked angry. She dismissed the class shortly thereafter, declaring she was too upset to teach.

“Most mysterious”, Ron remarked as they made their way down the stairs. “I mean, I know Prof. Trelawney is crazy, but still, she sounded pretty angry. What prophecy was she talking about, do you think? And what did she say, the power of the Ruby, unleashed? What’s that?”

“I don’t know.”, Harry said, watching Lavender and Parvati from the corner of his eye. They were whispering intently to each other and Harry could guess what they were discussing. Evidently both Prof. Manohar and Priya were going to get the cold shoulder from Lavender and Parvati. “Come on, Prof. Mc.Gonagall will less than thrilled if we are late for Transfiguration.”

Transfiguration passed uneventfully, although both Ron and Harry looked dismayed at the amount of work they were expected to do this year. Hermione looked serious and intent, no doubt she was creating study schedules in her head already. Potions was also pleasantly uneventful, apart from shooting Harry a look of deep dislike, Snape left the Gryffindors alone, and lectured about the many uses of Dragon Blood.

Harry was looking forward to his Defense Against Dark Arts class, and judging from the crowd heading early to the classroom after lunch, so were the rest of the Gryffindors. Hermione had tried to read up on Eastern Magic at the Library, but she couldn’t find any books that dealt with it at all. “Madam Pince told me that the Eastern witches and wizards are very reclusive.”, she said. “This is the first time she’s heard of an Indian witch actually teaching Eastern Magic outside India. We are so lucky; I’m dying to see what’s in our textbooks too.”

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry; Hermione was always so enthusiastic about her schoolwork. “I just hope she isn’t as mean as she was on the train”, he said. “She was downright spooky, wasn’t she? When she uttered that strange spell?”

They found seats in the middle of the class, both Ron and Harry flatly refusing to sit in the first row. They wanted to sit right at the back, but Hermione wouldn’t let them. “So, are you still planning to play a prank on Fred and George?”, Harry asked, as they waited for Prof. Manohar to show up. “Of course”, Ron grinned. Seamus, who was sitting next to Harry, chuckled. “Yes, we have some things planned”, he said. “Fred and George aren’t getting off that easily.”

Prof. Manohar swept in at that moment, so Harry couldn’t find out what kind of tricks were in the works. Silence greeted her entry.

“Good afternoon”, she said crisply. “I am Prof. Manohar, and I will be teaching you Defense Against Dark Arts.”

“No doubt,”, she continued, “that you are concerned about the rise of Lord Voldemort.” Ignoring the gasps in the classroom that greeted that, she went on. “Prof. Dumbledore thinks, and I agree with him, that Eastern Magic is a powerful way to combat Dark Powers.”

“Why?”, Seamus interrupted.

“Because of its unfamiliarity.”, Prof. Manohar responded. “I’m willing to wager that none of you had heard about Eastern Magic before Prof. Dumbledore hired me. Eastern Magic has different roots from the magic you have learned so far, and you can do things with Eastern Magic that you can’t with Western Magic. Now, Eastern Magic takes many years to master, and in India, students are apprenticed to a teacher for 18 years. So, obviously, there are limits on what I’m going to be able to teach you this year. But we should have time for a thorough grounding. Any questions?”

There were many hands in the air. “Mr. Finnigan, let’s start with you.”

“Why are the pages of our textbook blank?”, Seamus wanted to know.

“To prevent this Advanced knowledge from falling into the wrong hands.”, Prof. Manohar replied. “Witches and Wizards who have studied Eastern Magic are highly secretive. We guard our knowledge zealously. I am the first person in my generation to teach Eastern Magic outside India. We do not wish to reveal our powers to all.”

“That really doesn’t make sense”, Ron whispered to Hermione and Harry. “I mean, if I was so concerned about this stuff falling into the wrong hands, I wouldn’t teach it to any of the Slytherins.”

Harry shushed him up, because Neville was asking a question that had occurred to Harry too, and he wanted to hear the answer.

“If we only have time for a grounding in Eastern Magic, is that going to be enough to combat the Dark Arts?”

“Excellent question, Mr. Longbottom.”, Prof. Manohar smiled, and it transformed her face. She looked warm, friendly and even pretty when she smiled. “The reason I think Eastern Magic will be an effective tool against the Dark Arts is that it is powered by your resolve. If you are committed to fighting the Dark Powers, the Eastern Magic you learn will amplify your magical ability.”

“Also,”, she continued, “Eastern Magic is organized differently from Western Magic. There isn’t very much difference between what you will learn in one year or eighteen, when it comes to Defense Against Dark Arts. In our higher years, we learn how to combat hunger so we can go many months without eating, we learn how to resist the power of elements, so we can walk across red hot coals without being burnt, and we learn powerful Weather Magic, that help us create storms, rain, and even earthquakes at will. We will not cover any of that in this class.”

“Cool”, Dean Thomas said, echoing the feelings of the whole class. Even Parvati and Lavender who had determined to dislike Prof. Manohar looked impressed.

“Now, we just have time for a quick demonstration of one of the spells you will learn next class. This is a basic protective spell – it creates a Force Field, if you will, and prevents anything or anyone from getting through. I’d like a volunteer, please.”

Most of the class had their hands in the air. “Yes, Mr. Weasley, can you step forward, please?” Ron, who was looking excited and rather apprehensive, walked out to the front.

Prof. Manohar lifted her hands, and chanted some words. Shivers raced down Harry’s spine, as a golden glow began to suffuse the room. Something that could best be described as a golden barrier surrounded Prof. Manohar. It was translucent though, Harry could still see the Professor. “Now try throwing a curse at me”, she told Ron.

“What kind of curse?”, Ron asked nervously.

“Anything at all.”, Prof. Manohar replied. “Body binds are good ones to try. I’d suggest the Cruciatus Curse, but that’s illegal in this country.”

Ron pointed his wand at Prof. Manohar, and said, “Petrificus Totalus”.

The golden haze around Prof. Manohar solidified slightly for a moment, but that was the only effect of Ron’s spell.

“Try something else.”, Prof. Manohar suggested. “Can anyone think of a spell for Mr. Weasley to try?”

Suggestions were thrown from all ends of the room. “Stupefy”. “Expelliarmus”. Even “Wingardium Leviosa”.

Again Ron lifted his wand, and tried shouting “Stupefy”.

This time, the golden haze definitely stayed solid for about 20 seconds, before it became hazy again. But, there was no effect apart from that. Prof. Manohar had made no attempt to block the spell, but she stood unaffected inside her Force Field.

“Bhas. Ghul Jaao”, Prof. Manohar said, and the golden haze dissolved.

“It is a useful spell”, she said. “It will not block everything, of course, if you were all to try directing a curse at me at the same time, I dare say the Force-Field will shatter. Again, how powerful the field you create is depends on your resolve and strength of mind, more than anything else. Many weak minded witches and wizards are not capable of producing a good Force-Field.”

“We will practice this in the next class. Your textbooks will reveal the incantation needed to create the Force Field, and tell you more about the theory behind producing a good Force Field. Please read that chapter as homework for the next class. Also, Prof. McGonagall will be addressing you now, so remain in the classroom.”

And with that, she disappeared from the classroom.

A hubbub broke out at her spectacular exit. “I wonder how she does that?”, Hermione speculated. “You can’t Apparate in Hogwarts.”

“That was the same spell!”, Ron said excitedly. “She used the same spell in the train, didn’t she?”

Hermione didn’t reply, she had opened her Defense Against Dark Arts textbook, and was reading the first chapter intently.

“Wow”, Seamus said. “That was amazing. I think that was the best Defense Against Dark Arts class ever, wasn’t it? Even better than Prof. Moody last year!”

…

They only had to wait five minutes before Prof. McGonagall entered the room. “I have an announcement”, she said “about a new program we are starting at Hogwarts. This is an Apprenticeship program. Each of you will be assigned two subjects where you have shown promise, and you will work with the Professors to advance your knowledge in these subjects.”

“Now some of you will wonder why you may not choose your own subjects”, she continued, as Hermione’s hand shot up to ask that question. Hermione, looking slightly embarrassed, lowered her hand. “This is a new program, and it will generate a lot of extra work for the Professors. We wish to distribute this workload evenly. I am quite aware that if we were to allow you to pick your subjects, that some Professors - say for instance Prof. Trelawney - would not get anything to do at all.”

At this, Lavender and Parvati looked extremely annoyed, and Lavender spoke up rather bravely. “I would pick Divination.”, she said.

“Excellent, Miss. Brown.”, Prof. McGonagall remarked rather wryly. “Let’s get back to the subject of Apprenticeships. Each of you will work an evening a week on each of your subjects. The Apprenticeship program is not optional, you will all be required to take it. Are there any questions before I read out the list of subjects each of you will be taking?”

There were no questions, so Prof. McGonagall took out a roll of parchment from her robes, and started reading the list of subjects. Lavender got her wish, her two apprenticeships were to be in Divination and Astronomy. But she must have been one of the few students who were happy with their subjects. Harry was reasonably satisfied, he got Defense Against Dark Arts and Transfiguration, he was hoping he would get to take Advanced Quidditch, or even Care of Magical Creatures, but evidently, neither Madame Hooch or Hagrid were participating in the Apprenticeship program.

However, Ron and Hermione were both dismayed by their subjects. Hermione was picked for Defense Against Dark Arts and Potions, and she looked positively aghast at the thought of spending an evening every week working with Snape. Ron looked even unhappier, he was picked for Defense Against Dark Arts and Divination. “An evening a week with that old bat!”, he moaned. “Oh, why didn’t I drop Divination last year?”

Harry sympathized intensely with both of them. He wasn’t sure what would be worse, Potions with Snape, or Divination with Trelawney. He tried to cheer them up by reminding them that they would be together in Defense Against Dark Arts, but neither of them was very cheered.

…

Ron and Hermione were free the rest of the afternoon, but Harry had to rush off to Quidditch meeting. Oliver Wood had graduated, and they were short a Keeper. They also needed to select a Captain. When Harry got to the Changing Room, he found Angelina, Katie and Alicia waiting. “Where are Fred and George, do you know?”, Angelina asked. Harry shook his head. He had seen the twins briefly at lunch, they had looked engrossed in a conversation they were having with Lee Jordan, but he had not seen them since.

Angelina was talking about her holidays as they waited for the Weasley twins, she had spent part of her summer break in Egypt. Harry found out that the Seventh Years had also been required to join the Apprenticeship program, and Angelina was picked for Defense Against Dark Arts and Potions. “I’m quite excited about Defense Against Dark Arts”, she said. “We have a class tomorrow, is the new teacher any good?”

So Harry told them about his lesson. The three girls looked impressed. “I’ve heard of Force Fields, but they can usually block only small Hexes.”, Katie commented. “Hers sounds quite powerful.”

“Wait”, Alicia interrupted. “She didn’t use a wand?”

“I hadn’t thought about it till just now, but no, she didn’t use a wand.”, Harry said. “That’s kind of odd, isn’t it?”

“Not really. You can do some magic without a wand, that’s generally how we find out if we are magic or not. Didn’t you have something strange happen to you when you were younger that could only be because of magic?”

Harry thought back to the time, over four years back, when he had set loose a snake at the Zoo on Dudley.“Yes, that’s true. If you can do magic without a wand, though, why do we always use one?”

“Chiefly as a focus”, George added. Fred and he just entered the Changing Room, and had clearly caught the last part of the conversation. “A wand amplifies magical ability – so you can always do more powerful spells with a wand. Why do you want to know, anyway?”

Harry explained how Prof. Manohar hadn’t used a wand in the Defense Against Dark Arts class. Like the girls earlier, Fred and George looked impressed. “I can’t wait for tomorrow’s class”, Fred said.

“What subjects did you two get picked for?”, Harry asked.

Instantly their faces lengthened. “Potions”, they said gloomily, “and Transfiguration. Between Snape and Mc.Gonagall, we won’t have a moment’s fun this year.”

They continued chatting for a few minutes, then conversation turned towards selecting a Team Captain. “Angelina”, both the twins said promptly, and Harry nodded, agreeing. Angelina was strict, yet fair and good-natured. She would make an excellent Captain. Both Katie and Alicia agreed, so, looking rather embarrassed, Angelina agreed to become the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

“We need to practice a lot”, she said. “We are all rather out-of-touch, I’m afraid, with not playing last year at all. And we need to find a new Keeper. Trials are next week, but in the meanwhile, do you know anyone who would be a good Keeper?”

No one could think of anyone, so they resolved to get as many people to try out as possible. Angelina promised to talk to Madame Hooch and Prof. McGonagall also, she thought they might be of help. “After all,”, she said, “Prof. McGonagall suggested you for the team, Harry, and we’ve never lost a match because of you.”

It was Harry’s turn to look rather embarrassed. It wasn’t true, he had lost a match for the Gryffindors, when the Dementors had affected him, and Cedric had caught the Snitch, but thoughts of Cedric were painful. He shifted his attention to what Angelina was saying.

“Ok, let’s go practice.”

…

It was late by the time they were finished practicing. Harry hurried inside to the Common Room, he was starving, he hoped Ron and Hermione had not finished supper. They were sitting by the fire, though. Hermione was deeply engrossed in a book that she told them she had got out of the library, it was called “Famous Dark Witches and Wizards of the 20^th Century.” Ron was still looking moody about the Divination Apprenticeship, but he cheered up when he heard about Quidditch Trials. “I’m going to try out!”, he exclaimed, and would only talk about Quidditch all through supper.

As Harry lay down to go to sleep that night, he thought back on his day. He had been apprehensive about his first day of classes, expecting things to be different, rather, because of last year’s events. But Hogwarts had looked as it always did, and classes had proceeded as they always had. “I hope it stays this way”, Harry thought. And he hoped against hope that all Prof. Dumbledore’s actions against Lord. Voldemort would buy for them a year of peace.