Scarlet Moon

Chapter 2: First day

You stand in your new class. The students' bell will ring in a few minutes. You’ve had two classes so far today, all of which appear to have been a success.

Your nerves still have yet to fully settle. You still have a few classes left to go before you can say your first day is a success.

When the bell finally does ring it makes you jump, to which you laugh at yourself for.

Soon enough students are filing into your class. You move from the center of the room to sit on the edge of your desk at the front. The first day is nothing new to you. You try to tell yourself it's just a new year. So far that’s exactly what it’s felt like.

The students sit in various different places around the room. They first decide to sit in the back, not that you blame them. Some magic users never meet a muggle.

However three Gryffindor students sit closer to the front, the girl with long crazy hair offers you a smile, which you return. Once everyone is seated you stand.

“Hello everyone, my name is Professor Rosu,” you say, starting to walk around the front of the room. “I will be your world history teacher,” you clasp your hands behind your back.

“In this class we will cover what you all might refer to as “muggle history,” it was brought to my attention that some wars and such have never been taught in this school-“

“We don’t need you muggles here,” a blond boy says, his arms crossed in front of him as he glares at you.

“Ah. And who might you be?” You ask.

“I’m Draco. Draco Malfoy.” He straightens his back as he talks.

The three griffin doors at the front roll their eyes.

“Well, Mr. Malfoy. Care to explain what you mean?” You ask.

“I shouldn’t have to explain anything to you, filthy muggle!” He snaps

“Well if you can’t explain your point, why make it?” You offer him a smile. “Seems to me you can’t prove what you mean.”

“We are superior to you, you don’t deserve to exist. I don’t have to explain anything. To. You.” You simply nod in response and turn you back to him, walking to your desk.

“I am here, because you have been taught about my history through a lens,” You turn back to the class. “It is my job to teach you to look past that lens and pay attention to both worlds.”

You pause and look around the room.

“And it would see that some of you need to be taught more than others. I will not take disrespect, no matter who you are or where you came from. 5 points from Slytherin.”

There are a few gasps around the room, and a few smiles.

“You can count this class as easy points from your houses, all you have to do is try and participate, and not be disrespectful. Open your mind a little from what you know.” You let that sink in for a moment.

A few students look like you just killed their cats. A few smile and giggle.

This is the first time anyone has said anything about you, and if you handled that well, maybe you can handle the rest of this.

“Now, who can tell me-” you start to say but You’re once again interrupted.
“I don’t have to hear any of this,” you hear Draco mumble.

“Please Mr. Malfoy, if you are not going to contribute to this classroom, make your way to the exit and accept that you have failed my class, and you will receive detention.” he sits in silence for a moment but makes no move to leave. “No?” he shakes his head. “Ten points from Slytherin,” more sighs around the room. “Does anyone else have anything to say?” you ask the room.

No response from anyone.

Being the mean teacher isn’t new to you. Neither are rude students. You know how to deal with it, you were never one for group punishments, but you have to admit, the point system will definitely be in your favor.

You’ve thought about ways to start this class.

“Now as I was saying,” you start again, hoping you won’t be interrupted this time. “I can see that clearly we need an eye opener so, I’ll start with some of the deep stuff in our history.” you start. “Who can tell me, what the word ‘Genocide’ means?”

The curly haired gryffindor raises her hand.

“Yes, Miss?”

“Hermione Granger,” she says.

“Well Miss Granger, tell me what it means,” you lean back on your desk.

“Genocide is when people are persecuted and murdered because of membership in a targeted victim group,” she says. You admire her confidence.

“Correct,” you say. “Five points to Gryffindor. See,” you lift your hands in front of you. “Easy. Now.

“There have been, unfortunately, many different kinds of genocides. Many of which are formed because of hate of anyone being different. It’s not something many of you in your world are familiar with, not too many times have people attempted it in your history. There are definitely clear sides. Some of you believe that only what you call “pure bloods” are the only people who deserve to exist, and that people like me,” you gesture to yourself. “Don’t belong here, as was clearly shown to me mere moments ago.”

Some people laugh, and Draco sneers at them, but you just smile.

“In an event called world war two, there was a group of people who believed they were superior to everyone. A superior race.” you notice some people smile. “Don’t get any ideas, they were all delusional. They believed they were descended from an Areyan race from a place called Atlantis. And when it was destroyed they believed those who survived forged the great civilizations of Europe.”

You seemed to have grabbed their attention.

“But none of that was ever true, and has never been proven to this day. It was an excuse that was used to justify the murder of over 11 million people.”

You pause and start to walk down the aisle of the desks.

“The people they were killing, they weren’t simply just killing, they were torturing them. Starving them.experimenting on them. Forcing them to work until they fell dead. They called them death camps, where they sent the people they were against to die.”

Once you reach the end of the room you turn to walk back to your desk.

“If they were unable to work, they sent them into a chamber and killed them with poison, then forced their workers to burn their bodies. In some they would make all the men gather around them, they'd take roll calls then pick a random man, then hang him upside down over a barrel and slowly fill it with water until he drowned, and made everyone watch knowing they could very well be next.”

You can feel the tension in the room as you speak, and when you reach your desk and turn you can see it too.

“But the thing is,” you point your hand at the air, attempting to talk with your hands as well. “They were a little too sloppy, and a little too cocky. Eventually they got on the wrong person's side, then that turned into a few bad people’s sides, and in the end they lost,” you say.

“Enough people figured out what was going on and finally decided to take action. Men left their wives and children knowing they could never come home, but they knew they had to fight for what’s right. It was called the Holocaust, and the people who started it are still paying for it to this day.” you lean back on your desk.

“So, what I’m trying to say is. Just because someone is different, in the end, you’ll lose if you hate them. Maybe find it in yourself to open your mind, because history is shown, hate has never won. The people who were attacked in the holocaust are still very much alive and with evidence shown through it you’ll find that if they knew about your world, they may have attacked you as well.”

“But the survivors are thriving to this day. And the people against them or act out in hate lose everything and are still paying for it to this day.”

You look around the room and while the tension is still there, so is an understanding. You offer everyone a soft smile.

“We will talk about the rest of the war, and the events leading up to it later on in the year. But for now, think about what I’ve said, and be a little bit better prepared for my class next time.”

“Class dismissed,” you say. A few quickly bolt out of the room but Miss Granger and two other boys stay behind and walk to your desk. You’ve been told about the dark haired boy, Harry Potter, but you’ll treat him just the same as any other student. “How can I help you?” you say as they stand in front of you.

“That was an interesting way to put Draco in his place,” Miss Granger says.

“Well, this is an interesting world you three live in. You can’t always hand someone a piece of candy to get them to see things differently. There’s a whole lesson on what I talked about today, it will come right before Christmas,” you say.

“Thank you,” she says.

“What for?” you ask.

“For being here,” she says.

I didn’t really have much choice, You think. But you force that thought to the back of your mind, and instead give her a soft smile and nod of your head.

There’s clearly a deeper meaning to what she said and you won’t squander it.

“Run along you three, don’t want you to miss your next class.”

The boys start to walk away, but Miss Granger does look back at you when she reaches the door of her class. But as she walks out you let the smile fall from your face.

Fuck.

There’s a pulsing pain in your head, one you didn’t realize was there until you were all alone. You press your hand to your head and wince. With your eyes shut you place all your weight on your desk.

This has happened before, when your emotions got out of control once.

“Professor,” you hear Albus’ voice behind you. Then suddenly it all just.

Stops.

And you turn to him as if there was nothing wrong in the first place.

“Yes?” you ask.

“It happened again, didn’t it?” he says, skepticism in his voice. As if you try to deny it you’ll be in deep shit.

“I don’t know what it is,” you say honestly.

“I have a theory, it may very well be your powers wanting to be free,” he says. “You’ve been using them with simple tasks, correct?”

“Yes.”

“It may not be enough, but you’re too afraid of them. There may be someone who can help-”

“No!” you say faster than you can catch yourself, “No one can know.” he seems stunned by your outburst.

“You can’t hide forever,” he says your name softly. “Try to practice a little more by yourself, come to me when you have time, and when you’re ready I ask you tell someone else. Who is entirely up to you,” he says.

You think about it for a moment.

“Okay,” you finally say.

“Good. a few more classes, then come see me.”

“I will, professor,” he nods and walks out of the room slowly.

You hand shakes as you bring it to your lips.

If only you know what you were. There has to be an answer somewhere. There has to be.

But your thoughts are cut off by the sound of the bell and students’ feet in the halls.

So you put on your mask, try to ignore your trembling hand, and welcome your students with a smile.