Last Minute [open]

[PROFESSOR BROWN]

There was something quite torturous about grading - Professor Brown however had yet to pinpoint what it was that made the task so grueling. Usually, it was not too much of a bother to go over and correct assignments, but Brown had made the amateur mistake natural to any born procrastinator, and that was waiting until the last minute. He had initially had a sufficient amount of time to submit grades for the semester. He had also had a sufficient desire to repeatedly put off the task as he much preferred to wander about, read, and studying things he held an interest in. Also, he had the sufficient desire to begin break the same day the students had as well.

He finished giving the last few marks on one of his students finals - a third year Hufflepuff and fairly bright pupil. This student had acquired a better than average grade on their final, which made Brown smile. It always made him feel prideful to have a student do well in his class, as it was a reflection of his teaching methods. Brown always made an effort to reach out to his students. Most of the time the youths were quite receptive, but of course there was always the occasional slacker or troublemaker. Professor Brown never really gave those students too much trouble; he would not put up with their bull of course, but he remembered being a bit of a prankster himself growing up. He could sympathize.

The professor sat aside the newly graded exam, and pulled out a new one. This time it was a Slytherin student of his. Beginning the same process, Brown could not help but notice that this particular student along with many of the other Slytherins were doing...remarkably well. It was not that the Slytherins had not done well to begin with; being as ambitious as they were, Slytherins were usually similar to the Ravenclaws in level of their academics. However, Brown could not help but notice that this year there seemed to be an increase in the house average among the Slytherins regarding Brown's class specifically. It was a curious observation he had made, especially considering what new additions had been made to the curriculim.

Should he have been surprised though? Of course the improval in the academic average would relate back to the new addition to the curriculum; the Dark Arts course if anything would further the students' knowledge of curses and dark magic, allowing them to understand how the hexes worked and thus how t better protect themselves. Anyone could have foreseen the interest that would sky rocket with the Slytherins particularly - even students in the other houses had taken interest in the course. The addition was nevertheless a very...hot topic.

Naturally, Brown was conflicted by this addition. Even halfway through the schoolyear, he was unsure of whether or not he condoned the class. In all honesty, he was not at all comfortable with it and if he did have his pick, he never would have introduced the addition in the first place. Yes, Brown did like how his students seemed more engaged in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but was such an addition necessary? So many people had been shocked by the addition; until the beginning of the year, Drumstrang was the only school known to tamper with the Dark Arts in its academics. Brown had never anticipated Hogwarts would do the same.

Really, it was dangerous - Brown himself was an auror and felt that the class was unnecessary. Not all students needed to tamper with dark magic even if they wanted to; Brown did not care if the course was not mandatory. It was still a threat, and just because a student wanted to take the course did not at all mean they were mature enough to handle the material. Brown felt himself becomming frustrated simply thinking about it. He finished marking up the last paper with a bit more force than he had intended, and was lucky not to have torn his quill through the exam - now that would have gone over well. Brown immediately calmed himself.

It was not something he needed to worry about, or at least, not now. He needed to focus on those exams.

With that, he went back to grading.

[LORELAI GAUNT]

The Dark Arts were certainly an interesting new subject to be found at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the very first year of which much of the material in the class was even allowed to be discussed during a casual conversation. Of course, it was for that very reason Lorelai was now heading down to the classroom of Dark Arts. It wasn't a very long trip to the Dark Arts room from the Slytherin Common Room. And despite the fact that it was still break, Lorelai was wearing her Slytherin robes, which she donned happily considering that they wore the symbol of her ancestor.

However, upon taking a single step into the cold Dark Arts classroom, she noticed that Professor Avery wasn't even present. Instead, a Professor Brown sat behind her desk. How... peculiar. Lorelai hadn't been expecting him to be in here. Perhaps something had happened to his classroom and he was borrowing Professor Avery's?

Lorelai crossed her arms behind her back, evincing that she was just a tiny bit nervous now. Her cheeks began to transform into a blunt crimson color. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was almost the exact opposite of what she was looking for. Simply, she did not think that he would be able to answer what questions she had. This wasn't to say that she had done poorly in her class. That was quite the contrary. She did well in every single one of her classes, even her worst one, potions.

"Good... evening professor," Lori greeted him as she walked up to the desk and stood before it. Her eyes rolled downward and she examined the paper of which Professor Brown was grading. However, her eyes traveled upward toward his visage once she realized that this may appear to be a bit intrusive.

"I-is... Professor Avery around?... I need some h-help."