Chapter 6, Day 4 : DADA

Yesterday had been a very frustrating day for Margaret, having slept in, she was sent on a wild-goose chase for most of the day, meaning she couldn't stick to her daily routine. She was obviously in a grumpy mood from being denied the safety and control of her carefully planned schedule, but that alone wasn't the reason her mood would be so bad.
It was well past midnight, the soft snore of one her roommates filled the room, seldom being interrupted by the creaking of the surrounding wood furniture. Margaret was laying on her back, intensely aware of every sound and sensation, her mind running wild as she tried to fall asleep.
It was as if every one of her sense were magnified, and she couldn't stop focusing on them more and more, making them unbearable, her bedsheets burned her skin, the quiet snore felt like a ticking clock torturing her with every pause until the next.
She was tossing and turning, plugging her ears with her pillow, her body begging for sleep while her mind was bursting with energy, she knew she wouldn't get any rest tonight.

Slowly, the moonlight made way for the warm sunlight, her body having finally taken what it wanted, she was finally asleep, and the other girls dressed and made their way to the Great Hall for their breakfast.
Painfully emerging from her slumber, her skin still irritated, eyes heavy and with a splitting headache, Margaret started dressing, to the sound of her still snoring roommate.
Her preparations over, she quietly walked over the source of the disturbance, placing a cup of honey and mint tea along with a homemade sandwich on her bedside table.
Margaret knocked on one of the pillars of the bed's canopy "Good morning, Hannah. I made you breakfast, we are running late, be careful."
The snoring stopped and the girl moaned softly, most likely stretching behind the canopy. "Thank youuu..."
Margaret was already gone.

Her senses were still ablaze, the sickening smell of pastries, the brouhaha of her fellow students chatting, her own echoing steps on the castle's floors, she was bolting towards her classroom, hurriedly biting the inside of her mouth, filling it with blood as her head felt like it was being crushed.
Of course, being late, other students were already waiting in front of the class, seeing them from afar, her mood worsened once again, they were definitely going to kiss her hello and talk loudly.
She wasn't dealing with all this today, she hated being impolite - worse- rude, but she just couldn't today. Not slowing down her pace Margaret went for the door, ignoring everything in her way, earning herself even more stares as she pushed one of her roommates away from the door.
"Hey class hasn't started yet! You can't go in there!" a Ravenclaw boy yelled, as Margaret entered the empty room, not even closing the door behind her, going straight to bench on the right of the room.
Looking at each other for a few second, the students waiting outside started pouring inside, chatting loudly as Margaret gripped her book tightly, utterly exasperated.

Head resting against her crossed arms, she was "sleeping" on the table, waiting impatiently for the professor the interrupt the cacophony.
Fifteen excruciatingly long minutes later, a strangely familiar voice silenced the chatting students, Margaret raised her head, still resting on her arms, making eye contact with the professor. She was greeted with a warm smile, quickly interrupted with a question. "Now what are you all doing here? Did I invite you in?"
"We followed Minimelons!" Answered the Ravenclaw boy, who was now pointing his finger at the increasingly annoyed girl on the opposite end of the classroom.
"Five points from Ravenclaw." quickly interrupted professor Hecat "Shifting blame on others and insulting them?" she added, as the boy turned pale.
His griping was interrupted by the classroom door opening for Professor Fig and a clearly distressed Hufflepuff student, the professor nodded at each other with a quick "Thank you" from professor Hecat as she waved the newcomer towards the bench occupied by Margaret.
Moving closer to the rightmost edge of her seat, the white haired girl, while annoyed, felt sympathy for her new neighbour, she could smell a faint lavender smell emanating from her, and she sighed in relief as it didn't overwhelm her senses like she had expected the girl's eventual perfume to.

Professor Hecat was full of energy for a woman her age, she moved around the classroom, introducing herself and her subject with a booming, happy voice, smiling gently anytime she glanced at Margaret.
She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling, she knew this woman but couldn't remember where from. Doing her utmost to avoid looking at the professor while still pretending to follow her movements, she kept finding this one blonde Gryffindor boy in her line of sight, he had been looking at her intently ever since they sad down earlier, all she could do was avert her gaze instantly whenever her entered her field of vision.

Finally done with her introduction, Professor Hecat exclaimed "You all seem quite sluggish today, so let's have some fun shall we? Stand up, stand up!" she waved her wand and the benches made way for a wide open space at the center of the classroom.
"When a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor says fun, this usually means two things, and today we will do both!" she waved her wand again and an old ornate armoire bounced happily towards the end of the room. "First, the Boggart!" she clapped for attention "Now make a line and let's all practice in turns!" as the student formed a line, Margaret and her neighbour waited to get in last so as to not bump into anyone.

Most students were having a blast, a few isolated themselves to cry for a bit before coming back to laugh with their friends again. Margaret wasn't enjoying it, the loud noises and laugh piercing her skull, though her shy classmate sometimes provided with a witty pun that made her smirk. She probably wasn't meant to hear them.
The line was moving fast and it was finally her turn. Bracing herself, she stepped towards the armoire, trembling slightly as it was her first encounter with a boggart. The watchful eyes of the professor were locked on her as the boggart jumped out of the armoire, morphing much slower than it did before, eliciting whispers from the students.
The creature twisted and turned, glowing brightly with many colours, forming something that resembled a double chalice, Professor Hecat gasped as she drew her wand "I'll do it." said Margaret, and the professor stopped in her tracks.
The pale girl's reaction was unlike any of the other students, it wasn't repulsion or phobia, it was dread, she knew the strange shape and they didn't.
Hands shaking, she pointed her wand "Riddikulus." The creature started distorting, the bright white shapes forming letters as the bright glow grew dimmer. "You just lost The Game." loud groans erupted behind her, making Margaret jump, but laugh, banishing the Boggart. She was the last in line and the smiling professor applauded the students as the armoire went back to its spot.

"Now onto the second, and last of today's fun activities : a duel!" she waved her wand quickly as dueling grounds grew from the floor. "Because this is Miss Megamelons' first day she will be dueling one of you, any takers..?" students whispered between each others, looking concerned, as Margaret took position, turning her back to the crowd.
"I'll do it!" said a cocky Slytherin student "I'll teach that Gryffindork how we duel at Hogwarts!"
"Very well, Mister Sallow." said Professor Hecat "Remember: You are limited to disarming spells only." the students nodded.
Margaret's blank stare was focused towards the boy's chest, unable to look in his eyes, as he smirked at her shyness "I won't hurt you... Too bad, that is." he taunted.
"Duel!" exclaimed the professor.
"Expelli-" Sebastian was interrupted by a bright flash, the words had barely left his mouth but his target had disappeared...Only to reappear behind him, slightly above. Completely taken by surprise by such an unorthodox use of the Swift spell, Sebastian was slammed to the floor, the girl's knee pressing between his shoulderblades as her hand forced his head to the ground, he screamed slightly as she twisted his wand arm, disarming him.

The entire classroom gasped, including the professor, the duel had barely started and it was already over, and a few seconds of surprised stare later, the class erupted in a mix of laughter, cheering, booing and applause, violently assaulting Margaret's ears who was now digging her fingers into Sebastian's skin.
"That...That was surprisingly effective..." stammered professor Hecat, as Margaret freed her prey "You technically didn't break any rules but I can't give you any house points, even if you displayed commendable creativity." she said, waving her wand at the dueling grounds, making them disappear, a concerned look on her face as she glanced at the two duelists.
Sebastian was beet red, utterly embarrassed and feeling conflicted at the humiliating defeat "She didn't even push hard on me, how could this be... Was she just playing?!" not even bowing out, her picked up his books and stormed out of class as the professor invited her class out. Today's lesson was over.

"Please wait a minute miss Megamelons" said professor Hecat, as Margaret tried getting away while avoiding the crowd "Can I have a word with you? In my office." the pale girl silently followed the elderly woman.
"Please sit down." the girl obliged, silently, exploring the room with her eyes "That name, that boggart...You're Leonard's daughter?"
"Correct, professor."
"Oh my, it has been years my dear, how you've grown!" the woman was beaming, pouring tea for her young student.
"Excuse me, you know me, but I can't seem to remember you." said Margaret, an apologetic look on her face, thanking her professor for the tea with a quick nod.
"Well of course you don't, I had... a little accident with a time-turner, you see." she said, sipping on her tea.
"I'm sorry to hear it, Professor." she paused "I take it you worked with my father then, I do remember you."
The old lady smiled widely. "And that boggart... How do you know..?" her smile turned into a frown.
"I read some of my father's diaries. The shape has been appearing in some of my nightmares." she paused again "It's the Squatting Man." her staggered speech unsettled Professor Hecat "My father told me what it means." she looked around "It was a cataclysm that devastated our world, witnessed everywhere." the old lady nodded.
"And only Unspeakables and very few masters of Divination know about it, my dear. Do you know what it means?" she smiled warmly, trying to cup her hand.
A sudden burst of stress assailed her as she let her hand be held by the woman. "Y-yes, Inevitability, powerlessness, inexorability."
"Correct. And you didn't flinch, you steeled yourself and banished that boggart." she tapped her hand "You were always a shy girl and I was worried for you, what with your father being such a silly man, but you've grown into a model Gryffindor." the old lady said softly.
Margaret's heart felt crushed, she felt a pit in her stomach and inexplicable waves flowed through her chest, her mind was flooded with negative thoughts "I don't deserve this praise, why would she say that, she doesn't even know me" her inexpressive face looking down, much to the surprise of the old lady who let go of her hand, in shock.
"Thank you, Professor." said Margaret, almost jumping out of her seat. "Haveaniceday, May I go now?"
"Y-yes...You may." a worried look on her face, Professor Hecat opened the door of her office for her ex-colleague's daughter as she wondered if she had done anything wrong.

Cursing herself for her behavior, Margaret bolted through the classroom, wanting nothing but to exhaust herself at the lake, away from everyone, to shield them from her own stupidity and ungrateful behavior.
"There you are, New Fifth Year!" said and oblivious Sebastian "You almost made me wait." he said, a snarky look on his face...
"I like your style, you would've made a good Slytherin, I meant it." he said, half ogling her body half attempting to look at her eyes but he just couldn't catch them "Anyway, I'd like to see what you actually did to me, care to join my dueling club?" the frustrated boy handed over a flyer "Let's see if it was luck or skill." He smiled widely.
Margaret snatched the flyer "Sure, have a good day." she was gone.

She overslept, she was emotionally and mentally exhausted, she missed her morning workout for the second day in a row.
Determined to compensate, she jogged towards the lake, a slight smile on her face thinking about the coming relief, her mind still punishing her for every misstep today brought. She WILL sleep tonight.