Paternal Instincts

Chapter 39

Harry, Ron and Hermione had an easy time locating their Muggle Studies classroom which was an extra relief when he found out from a few other Gryffindors like Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvathi that the Divination classroom was extremely hard to find and located on the top of a tower quiet far off from their Grand Hall or Common Room. Professor Gisella Ortega was already waiting for them. She was a beautiful woman in her late twenties (or at least looked that age) with light brown skin and black hair but had a certain unpleasantness on her face.

"Sit down everyone" she began. "I said sit down." Gisella demanded, glaring at the few who were still standing. "I'll get straight to be point. I do not tolerate any playing around in my class. No tardiness. No speaking unless you're spoken to," she said in tone that make Harry confused if she was another Snape or another McGonagall.

Just then Neville accidentally dropped his book.

Gisella shook her head and turned to the hapless boy. "Your name?" she asked in a rebuking tone.

"Neville ... Longbottom .... professor." Neville answered her shakily.

"Mr. Longbottom. I do not like my class being disrupted by clumsiness either. Is that clear?" she snapped at him.

"Yes professor," he said before picking his book back up.

Maybe she was a Snape. McGonagall was strict but not like this.

"Harry Potter!" Gisella rubbed her hands together and smiled at him. "Pleasure to have you in class. Come up here." She gestured beside her.

"I ..."

"Come up here Potter." Her lips were smiling but her eyes gave a warning glare.

Harry reluctantly got up from his seat and went up front to stand beside her.

"And you are?" she asked Ron.

"Ron Weasley".

"Do us a favor and take a picture of me and your friend will you?" Gisella handed Ron a camera.

"Professor ... is this really ..." Harry began

"It's just a picture Mr. Potter. Now smile." She put her hand around him and turned his face to face Ron. "Take it now." She snapped her fingers at Ron.

Ron shot an apologetic look at Harry before snapping the picture.

Gisella ushered Harry back to his seat and took her camera back. So she was a Lockhart as well as a Snape which made Harry feel like gagging.

"Alright. For this year, we'll just be learning the basics of how muggle politics, culture and technology work. Open to page one," Gisella ordered.

Harry opened to page one of Introduction to Muggle Studies. Chapter one was the study of Muggle Monarchy. Gisella's lesson included a heavy dose of gossip on the current UK Royal Family which Harry thought was needless since they just needed to know the basics of monarchy in muggle countries with a focus on the UK and not the drama within the Royal Family.

_________________________________________

"I didn't think anyone could embody the worst of both Snape and Lockhart," said Harry said as he, Ron, Hermione headed to their Transfiguration class.

"I wish she would stick more to the book and be less about gossiping. But it was still better than Divination which involved a lot of guesswork. Divination is complete rubbish especially compared to Arithmancy," said Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron. "You haven't had an Arithmancy or Divination class yet. Or at least both classes went on at the same time as Muggle Studies. Surely you couldn't have been at three places at once?"