A Little Competition Is Good For You
The first week was already over and I was very pleased with how it all went. My first lesson with this year 5th years, was mainly an introduction to this class. With the 6th years I simply summarized what they had learned last year and what they could expect from this following school year. The 7th years had an easy start, mostly talking about their holidays and them showing me if they remembered what I taught them last year. All the nerves I had for being responsible for the music class where gone after that first class.
I had told them to write down what they wanted to do this year on a piece of parchment, before I passed a bowl around where they could put them in. Surely I would have more ideas then I had time to execute since this was only once a week and some ideas would probably take more time than just one class. Still I felt like this was the best way, to make sure everyone felt included and they all had the same odds in getting their ideas chosen. Since I would randomly pull from the bowl.
I haven’t told them yet about the plans I had with Filius since I wanted it to be a surprise for them, when the time was there. I also didn’t mention to my Martial Magic class that I added a new segment to the course. I had noticed last year that the endurance from some of the students was pretty low. Which seriously needed to change since stamina can greatly improve the outcome of a dual. So over the summer I had decided I would add a physical lesson every now and then.
Last minute I thought of something I could involve all three classes in, as introduction to the physical part. All the students were to gather at the Quidditch pitch and there a competition of some sort would be held. I have thought of an obstacle course, to see which year was in the best shape. The average of each class will be taken as final score, since the classes didn’t have the same amount of students. I had already recruited Minerva and Rolanda to judge the whole thing, as I took the students through the course.
There was only one thing left to be decided and that was a price. Hell, I even figured out what music to use during this whole thing. Plus with some help from Minerva and Filius, I now had a radio loud enough to reach every corner of the pitch. So I figured everything out, but I drew a complete blank on what to get for the winners. I was glad I still had some time to figure that out, since I planned this lesson in about 1,5 week.
With my head stuck on the price, I was roaming the halls during my free morning. The closer it got to lunch the busier the halls got. I was greeting multiple students on my walk without destination. I had some small talks with other staff or teachers I came across and a small group of Ravenclaw students told me they were taking the test at the end of this year for my class. Also asking if there was any way to prepare for it, which I told them that there wasn’t really something besides paying attention to their classes as preparation. After that conversation I continued on, only to stop dead in my tracks when I heard someone mentioning my name.
I recognized the voice immediately, just like the one that came right after.
“She is awesome!” That comment made me smile
“Rumor has it, she is the first to make Professor Snape laugh since he started teaching here.” Now this was interesting, there were rumors about Severus and me among the students?
“Plus she always sits next to him, they’ve even been spotted together at Quidditch matches” The first voice added again.
“So?” A younger unknown voice asked.
“It’s pretty unusual to see someone so cheerful next to that man”
“Maybe she is crazy?” another young voice asked.
“According to their stories she must be. They bragged all summer about how they pranked her and she proudly showed it off to the whole school” The former younger voice grunted.
“She did!” The older ones yelled in unison. I turned around the corner and looked at the back of the twins that were towering over two first year olds. One of them I recognized in an instant. The boy who lived…
The one next to him wasn’t hard to guess, red hair and a freckled face. He looked a lot like his older brothers. Though they were all different, they all shared the same characteristics. The two boys noticed me, but before they could say something I signed them to stay quiet. I walked on my toes, so the heels from my boots wouldn’t make a sound as I closed in on them. I stood directly behind Fred and George while they kept on ranting on about the day they gave me pastel pink cat features.
“Don’t tell me you’re already poisoning the minds of these first years. It’s only been a week of this year” I said, my hands resting behind my back.
Both of them froze for a moment, before slowly turning their heads towards me. I heard the snickers from Harry and the younger Weasley, while I tried my best to keep the stern look on my face and not let the grin show I’ve been holding in.
“Professor Hallewel” One of them stammered while the other was looking for his words. I obviously caught them of guard once again.
“Let me warn you boys. Pull a stunt on me like that again and I will make sure that you’re flaming red locks turn neon pink” I said before looking at their hair for a second.
“Maybe even add some blue dots and stripes, so people can tell you apart” I said grinning mischievously.
“And believe me when I say, I will not mess up the color palette” I turned towards the two young Gryffindor’s on the bench who were clearly enjoying this. I looked back at Fred and George, trying to find some differences between them for a second, while slowly their signature grins appeared on their faces.
“Have a nice day boys” I said, before walking away hands behind my back once again.
“See!” I heard them say in unison.
“We told the truth!” One of them added and all I could do was smile, while I walked around another corner out of hearing range. More students seem to gather as I kept on walking and they all went towards the same direction, the great hall. Lunchtime was here and I simply walked among the horde, feeling satisfied with what just had happened.
Another week past by so damn quickly and I had just a couple days left before my physical competition. I still didn’t have a damn clue about a prize though. I sat on the edge of my couch leaning towards the table; eyes glued on the piece of paper that was on top of it. I had made a simple drawing of the Quidditch Pitch and with a little help of Rolanda I had the measurements of the grounds. With a simple muggle pencil (with an eraser on the end of it) I had marked the starting point and the finish. My notebook lay next to the map with all the obstacles I had come up with written down.
I had designed it so every class had its own obstacle, which meant I was one assistant short. Luckily for me Filius had some free time as well. So now I had to figure out the right order of the obstacles and that damn prize. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and without looking I yelled for the person to come in. The door opened slowly, but I kept my eyes glued to the papers.
“Forgetting the time again?” I heard in a low drawl. Those words made me rip my eyes from the map and look at the clock.
“Damn I really need to set an alarm, when I decide to work” I muttered as I saw it already passed 8 and I had clearly missed dinner. I heard a small chuckle from the door opening and I saw that he had entered my office and had closed the door.
“What got you caught up this time?” He asked while he sat down next to me.
“Well I had noticed last year; that the stamina from some students are pretty bad. So I figured that I needed to add a little extra to the course. I came up with the idea of a small competition to get it started” I said pointing to the map at the end.
He leaned closer and studied the map in silence.
“I’m about finished with the right order of the obstacles. I’m still stuck on a price though” He leaned back in the couch and scoffed.
“Candy” He simply stated.
“Candy?” I asked a little hesitant.
“Those dunderheads like the sugar rush. They also like free periods” He drawled while he rolled his eyes.
“How will you rank your uneven classes?” He asked, probably assuming that I didn’t think of that yet. I held my head high with a proud smile.
“I already though of that”
“Really?” He asked in a tone that confirmed my assumption.
“Yes really. I will add up all their individual scores and divide them by the number of students per class. The highest average wins. I’ve already recruited Minerva, Rolanda and Filius to do the scoring. Plus I will demonstrate each part, so everyone knows what to do”
“Not scared to be embarrassed if a students does better than you?” I heard in the way he spoke his words he was trying to push some buttons perhaps get a reaction out me.
“No actually I would be really impressed” I simply shrugged.
“Perhaps I will reward that student” I whispered, mostly thinking to myself, once again this man had an positive effect on me. How did this man always knew the right things to say to me, so all the pieces scattered in my brain fell perfectly in place?
I turned towards Severus, who looked like he was waiting for me to elaborate on what I just said.
“The winning class gets a free pass for the first physical class and the student that can beat my time wins a gift certificate for Honeydukes” I said with a big smile on my face.
“Now was that so hard to figure out?” He said a little taunting.
“Thank you Severus for helping me sort this out” He reached inside his cloak and threw a wrapped sandwich towards me.
“I could hear you stomach growl at the entrance of the dungeons” I felt my cheeks heat up a little, surely he was exaggerating, still it wasn’t until he said it that I heard the noises coming from my abdomen.
“Thanks, what would I do without you?” I said smiling and unwrapping the sandwich immediately devouring it.
“Starve and fail at your job” Although he said it in such a monotone manner, like he always does, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I quickly covered my mouth, preventing me from spitting out the bite I had in my mouth.
“I’m afraid you’re right” I said giggling. It was like we were back in Cokeworth, the night I cooked for him. He was so relaxed next to me, making a joke, although I questioned if it was intended to be a joke. Still it felt really good to have him be more himself with me, instead of his usual mask he wore for the rest of the world to see.
Which made me think back on what I heard the twins say the other day. That there were rumors involving Severus and me among the students. Was it really that weird that this man could have friends? Did his rude exterior really scare off everyone? Surely someone had to have tried to get passed that? And if I was the first one to get closer to him in a long time, did I really have such a great impact that the students noticed it? I never heard our colleagues talk about this, not even Dumbledore who seems to know everything about everyone around here.
While swallowing the last bite, I noticed Severus reach in his robe again, which made me wonder what he was showing me next. He pulled out a familiar book, the book I gave him for Christmas last year.
“Why did you give this to me?” He asked before throwing it on the table. I was a bit startled by this sudden question and action from him. I mean we talked about the book on my first day in Cokeworth and we had seen each other multiple times since then. Why ask me this now, he had plenty of opportunities to drop this question?
I felt his eyes burning on my skin as he waited for me to answer.
“Don’t you like it?” I asked hesitantly, this sudden situation affecting me more than I would like to admit out loud.
“I know what you gave to the others, you didn’t just pick something for us. So why did you give this to me?” He pointed towards the book on my table before turning his attention towards me. I shifted in my seat, still a little uncomfortable by the sudden mood change around us.
“Well, it’s no secret you have an interest in the Dark Arts, I happened to read this book myself and thought it was a refreshing look on the subject. One you could appreciate” I said, choosing my every word carefully.
“You actually believe that the use of Dark Magic isn’t always used with dark intentions?” He asked, once again I noticed him studying my every move. What was his angle here? Was he trying to figure out if he knew me? Or was this just plain simple curiosity on why I chose this gift for him and my thoughts on the subject.
“Well ofcourse using magic like that, you know the outcome won’t be pretty. It’s more like that the reason behind it, that makes you wonder whether this kind of magic should be punished if used in certain circumstances.”
I connected my eyes with his, for the first time since he brought this up. He still sat in the same place, still leaned back on my couch, while I shifted in my seat multiple times already. I took him staying silent as a sign that he was waiting for me to continue so I did.
“For instance, if it is to save someone innocent from someone evil. Why don’t give the evil one some of his own medicine. Although the debate about what makes someone innocent or evil can go on forever. In some cases it is pretty obvious who wears a certain label. Like discussed in the book, I don’t think the mother deserved to be punished”
“Why is that?” He asked, not breaking eye contact.
“A mother protecting her young children from getting harmed. Was she supposed to sit quietly while the man that broke into their home, clearly not there for a cup of tea, targeted her sleeping children? You can question if her method of protection was a little extreme. Still I believe she didn’t deserve to get send to Azkaban for it. Even if she used The Killing Curse.” I felt my body relax a little, while in the back of my head I still didn’t understand what he was trying to accomplish here.
“She did what she had to do to save her children, therefore the intention for using this kind of magic isn’t purely evil. People judge too quickly on this subject in my opinion. Just because something is dark doesn’t necessarily mean it’s evil as well. The line between good and evil is very thin. I’m not saying you can kill someone just because he or she is threatening you or your loved ones. It’s a really complicated subject, that needs more attention and a deeper look at the circumstances it is used in.”
“I guess the saying is true. Never judge a book by its cover” He simply stated before picking up the book and looking at it. In that moment I wasn’t sure if he was actually talking about the book or the subject. Or if he was talking about me and the answers I’ve given him.
“Do you think she was rightfully convicted?” His eyes shot back towards me, clearly not expecting this question from me.
“Like you said, it’s a really complicated subject” He said before putting the book back in his robe.
“But to answer your question. No, I don’t think she was rightfully convicted” Somehow those words were satisfying to hear.
I’ve talked to multiple people about this subject, most of them disagreeing saying that the Dark Arts are never to be used and always feared.
“Well that makes us one of the few that actually think things through. Seeing as most people want nothing to do with this”
The conversation about this went on for quite some time, both of us forgetting the time completely. Although he brought this subject on so suddenly and totally out of nowhere. In the end I was kind of glad he did.
It’s not like I got to know personal things about him per se, it did give me a pretty good impression of what was going on inside his head. He spoke more words than he did in the last year and I was clinging to every one of them. The further along the conversation went, the less monotone his sentences were. He really seemed to open up about the matter and was truly engaging in this conversation. I just wished deep down inside he would keep this up with me and that this wasn’t a one-time thing. Like him calling me by my first name.
Today was the day, the day of my little competition. I had started preparing before sunrise, to get everything in place. I was standing in an empty Quidditch Pitch, well the stands were empty. Right now the field was filled with everything I had written down on paper. It has been a little challenging to get everything I needed here, but I was really happy with the result. Everything that needed magic was spelled and right now I was testing the activation and deactivation points.
The objects did what they needed to do after I laid my palm on the right spot and it stopped with the same action. Satisfied with how everything worked I made my way towards the drink station. Which was now located right before the first obstacle. I spelled the station as well, to move along with us as we progressed the course. I took a sip of water before unwrapping a sandwich I brought with me. The students will arrive an hour after breakfast and since I didn’t know how much time it would take me to finish all this I brought mine with me.
I was wearing muggle workout clothes; a little loose fitting black yoga pants, a black tank top and an oversized dark grey crop top. For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts I wasn’t wearing my heels in public. I had put on the only pair of sneakers I owned, since this wasn’t exactly the right venue for my high heels. For now I had my dark red hoodie on, since it was still a bit chilly out, but I knew once I started this thing it would be thrown aside.
Minerva, Rolanda and Filius would join as soon as breakfast was over, to discuss the final details. I had let the students know that they were required to bring their wands and to wear something comfortable, something they can move well in for a long period of time. I had warned them that nothing from their school uniform would be suitable for this. I had arranged with Rolanda to have some spare Quidditch training clothing available for those who came in the wrong attire. Since I wanted this completion to be a surprise until the very moment they arrived I couldn’t tell them what they needed to dress for exactly. Although I think some of them are expecting something physical.
As I looked at every obstacle I couldn’t help but smile, I actually did it. Sure I had some help here and there, but when I first thought of this I could have never imagined it to turn out this amazing. I could only hope the students were going to be as enthusiastic as I was right now. This course was full of tricks and they needed to focus if they wanted to complete it. The reason for that was to prepare them to expect the unexpected. I made sure there was no logical rhythm in the movement the objects would make, just to keep things fair for every participant.
“Alyssa, you’ve truly outdone yourself” A smile crept on my face as I heard that familiar voice and I turned towards the voice.
“Thank you Minerva”
“I have to agree, after I heard your plans I never expected it to be this big” Rolanda added.
“I couldn’t have done this without you three” I said smiling.
“Glad we could help” Filius said as the trio looked over the obstacle course.
I took them across the course, explaining what each obstacle was and showed them which ones where spelled. We returned towards the drink station and I handed them all their clipboards and stopwatches.
“I’ve created some simple charts for each of you. You can write down their times behind their names underneath the right obstacle. Filius you have the fifth years, Minerva you have the sixth years and Rolanda you have the seventh years and me” I said and all three looked up at me a little confused.
“I’ve come up with a little extra challenge. As I all informed you the class with the best average wins today, but I also wanted to give them more motivation to do their best. The student that can beat my time gets a price as well. The winning class gets a free pass for the first physical class and the student that beats me get a gift certificate for Honeydukes.” I said smiling proud and my three colleagues nodded approvingly.
“I can’t wait to see how they will do” Rolanda said and the other agreed.
“Now let’s get this covered up, before the surprise is ruined because some of them are early.”
After casting cloaking spells to hide all the obstacles, we all waited patiently for the students to arrive near the main entrance. We were pulled out of our conversation about speculating which class will do better and which student had the most chance to beat me, when the first students entered the pitch. Curiously looking around, ofcourse not seeing anything but an empty pitch. It didn’t take long for all three classes to be complete and after some of them got a chance to change in some of the spare clothes we had, I took my spot to stand right in front of them.
“Good morning all, I’m pleased to see all of you here. You are probably wondering what we are doing here. Well last year I noticed that your stamina wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Since your stamina can play a big role in whether you win or lose a duel, I decided to add a physical class this year. This class will be once every two weeks and it will be a combined class.” My eyes scanned every student while I spoke and I notices some of them getting pretty excited.
“As you can see, I’m not the only professor here. I’ve asked them here to help me asses you today since this is the first time I will see you in action” I walked closer to them, my hands behind my back.
“Let’s start with a simple warm up shall we?” I said smiling, and with a simple wave of my hand music flowed throughout the pitch. I started with some simple exercises to get their and my muscles warmed up properly. Some students where a little hesitant at first, but after some encouraging words joined in as enthusiastically as the rest.
Some students were panting slightly after the warm up, which reassured me that what I was planning with these classes was the right call. I guided them to the start of the still invisible obstacle course.
“I’ve prepared something special for today. Professors if you will assist me in revealing” I said towards the trio and together we broke the cloaking spell. Gasps were heard among the students, some more excited than others.
“As you can see, I’ve created an obstacle course. The first is a tire track; the second one is a wall with some sticks you need to get to the other end. After that you will have to climb over a wall with a rope as only help. Then there are some practice dummies, there you will need your wand to proceed. Next you will get an object that you need to carry with you while you run and last but not least a sprint to the finish” I turned to all of them and I saw their shocked reactions.
“Don’t worry everything will be clear as we go through the course. In between the courses there will be beverages available, to keep you hydrated” I reassured them.
“During this course you will be timed. Every class had their own obstacle and at the end your scores will determine which class has the best average. The winning class will get a price” I said and slowly excitement took them over.
“One more thing..” I said before taking of my hoodie.
“I’m not only showing you how to do each one. The student that beats my time gets something extra. Don’t worry this is my first time doing this track as well” I said grinning and I heard them cheer.
I took them towards the tires and made one final check on my wand leg holster and told them to make sure their wands was secured as well, because if they lost it during the course there would be no way they could finish.
“One last thing, cheating of any sort will not be tolerated. Sabotaging your competition will result in immediate disqualification. Your magic will only work at the dummy obstacle. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Hooch will not only time you, they will also check if you play fair. So will I. Have I made myself clear?” I said strictly, my face straight.
They all nodded and my smile came back.
“Well then Let’s begin” I said and I laid my hand on the first tire.
“As you can see, not every tire stays in place. To complete this track, at least one of your feet has to have been in every tire. You cannot finish this if you leave one out. There is no use in studying my every move, the rhythm of the movements does not stay the same.” I made sure my hair was still tight in my high ponytail before making eye contact with Rolanda. She nodded at me as a sign to start.
The first few were easy, even the ones moving from side to side. I miscalculated one that went up, quickly decided to stand in the right place so the tire would fall around me. As I jumped out of the last tire and made it across the line Rolanda scribbled down my time. I turned towards the patiently waiting students with a smile.
“You’re up!”
I watched them all, trying to see if any of them had a chance of beating my time. Some of them were really fast and since I didn’t knew my own time I had no idea if I was faster than them. Sure I would still be impressed if one of them did it, but I was a Slytherin after all and the pride inside me wanted to win this as badly as them. One of the fifth years caught my eyes especially; Oliver Wood, the way he glided through this first part made me a little nervous.
The first part was done and there were no major injuries. Maybe a little bruising here and there because of some clumsy footwork, but all them were eager to continue. We arrived at the wall and I turned towards the students again.
“The sticks in this wall will help you get across. Be careful though, hold on to some of these for too long and they can get slippery or disappear. You need to be fast and focused. Fall into the mud in front of it and you’ll have to start over” I walked towards the starting point and made eye contact with Rolanda once again.
I jumped up to get to the highest one I could reach with my hands and started moving almost instantly. I had a few close calls, almost falling in the mud, but I still managed to reach the dry land in one try. A little less than half of the students reached the end clean as well. A grinning Oliver was one of them, now this was the student I remembered from the stories Minerva told me. Determination written all over his face as his competitive side slowly came out.
The third obstacle was a simple one, no moving or disappearing objects. Just a simple high wall with a robe, but because of the simplicity it was one that would be underestimated by many. I had run towards the wall gaining speed before jumping as high as I could, grabbing the robe tightly. There were multiple students struggling with this one, confirming my suspicions. I kept my distance from the other Professors on purpose, as I didn’t want to know if this was a close race or not. It would only get in my head and could even distract me.
Next was the obstacle that needed magic. Here they would face three spelled practice dummies that would attack all at once. To finish this, everyone needed to be taken out or disarmed as fast as possible while dodging or deflecting their attacks. It felt really unnatural for me to take out my wand, but for the sake of showing them how it’s done I had to use it. I was absolutely sure I would have been so much faster without my wand; still I defeated them without even blinking or getting hit. This was the obstacle that least worried me to be bested at.
We only had 2 more obstacles to go and I was very pleased with enthusiasm they still had. Sure some were getting tired, but we still had no major injuries or students unable to continue. The fifth obstacle was running with an object.
“Okay, you’ve all been doing a really good job so far. We’re almost there! It doesn’t matter how you will carry the bag to the other side, as long as it never touches the ground. If it hits the ground, you’ll have to start over. The bag will get heavier with every step, unfortunately the bag will not restart at its original weight if you have to restart. The weight keeps gaining with every step. Please watch those steps, not every part of the ground is as solid as it looks”
I swung the bag over my shoulder, my fingers tightly around the ends. Even though my feet got stuck in the swamp like parts during the run, I kept pushing my body to maintain the speed; I wanted to lose this bag as quickly as possible. It was interesting to see the difference in some students. Some ran like crazy people, almost dropping the bag in the process and some took a little more time to take the biggest steps they could to get across. Some carried the bags over their shoulder, some carried them in the front.
Before the last part I had told them all to drink, since some of them hadn’t had a sip since they started. The last part was a simple sprint towards the finish. We waited for the judges to have reached that finish and gave us the start sign. Since it was simply running towards the end, there was no reason to let them run one student per class at the same time. We were all lined up and I felt the adrenaline run through my veins. I was determined to cross the finish line first, like everyone else.
I was off to a great start, leaving them all behind me. One got really close though, which only motivated me to push my body even more. He didn’t give up so easily either though and we ended up crossing the line at the same time. I chuckled as I hunched over to catch my breath. I looked to the side and made eye contact with the student.
“Great job mister Wood! You surely gave it your all” I said before we high fived as we turned around to watch the rest cross the line.
While Minerva, Rolanda and Filius calculated the winners, I decided to mingle among my students. Eager to hear how they experienced this obstacle course. They had all enjoyed it thankfully, even the ones that had some trouble keeping up. After a while I got called over by Minerva, saying that they were ready.
“The results from the students really made things interesting. It was pretty obvious that different students peaked at each obstacle.” Rolanda started and I bit my lip.
“One stood out more than the others” Minerva added pride written all over her face.
“Wood, right?” I said with a grin and she simply nodded.
“Did he beat me?” I asked, curiosity taking over.
“It was really close, it came down to a difference of 2 seconds” Filius said.
“Come on stop stalling and just tell me” I said impatiently and they all laughed.
“He won” Minerva said and I nodded my head, smiling like an idiot.
“Thanks to him, his year won as well” Minerva added.
“Let’s announce it then” I said and we all made our way back to the eagerly waiting students.
The students gather around as soon as we stood in front of them.
“First of all, I wanted to tell you how happy I am with all of your participation today. You really gave it your all and I want to thank you for that.” I applauded for them along with Minerva, Filius and Rolanda.
“Now the moment you’ve been waiting for. The class that won, won’t have to attend the first class. They get to enjoy a free morning. It was a close call and there was one student that brought them their victory. Congratulations to the fifth years!” A bomb of cheers exploded from that group and my smile grew bigger.
Minerva took out the gift certificate and all eyes were back on us.
“Professor McGonagall holds a gift certificate for Honeydukes. The price I funded for the student that could beat my time. The student that brought up the average of his class big time made this a really close race.” I spoke as I turned towards the fifth years.
“It was a difference of 2 seconds” I said and some gasps escaped their lips.
“I sadly have to inform, that I did not win this today. Congratulations Mister Wood! Come get your price!”
A little shocked at first, he hesitantly came forwards. Minerva handed him his price and I turned towards him.
“You really earned this” I said smiling.
“Thank you professor” He said politely before returning back to his classmates.
“Well students, that’s it for today. Let’s head back for lunch shall we?”