Douglas stood at the podium, utterly baffled as he stared at the eager young witch before him—and the line of little wizards who had, without prompting, queued up behind her.
Hermione could barely contain her excitement.
"Professor… Professor, would you sign these books for me? I absolutely love your work—both the Muggle and wizarding editions. And… well, I wanted to ask: according to the magic ranks in your novels, what level are you?"
It took Douglas a moment to recover, eyes landing on Hermione Granger.
Ah, so I've finally found her. The same girl who nearly gave me a heart attack in the Headmaster's office… Still, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration.
Truly, the lions of Gryffindor—so much bolder than the students of Ravenclaw. Charging straight to the podium, no less!
With his warmest smile, Douglas said,
"Miss Granger, there's no rush. Just set your books here. And the rest of you—bring up any books you want signed and place them on the desk as well."
After a bout of excited shuffling, Douglas surveyed the now overflowing table.
Wait—are those textbooks too?
...
The second-years were about to learn a harsh lesson in human nature.
The gentle, affable Professor Holmes suddenly let out a chilling laugh.
Instinctively, the students' grins faded, a cold shiver running down their spines.
"So, what do you all take my classroom for? A book signing event? Storming the podium like that… Miss Granger! Ten points from Gryffindor! And as for the rest of you—"
Before Douglas could finish, Harry shot to his feet.
"Professor, it wasn't Hermione's fault! The Ravenclaw upperclassmen told us to do it—"
Douglas raised an eyebrow.
"Mr. Potter, I believe I've mentioned that if you have something to say during class, you're supposed to raise your hand. Another five points from Gryffindor! Mr. Weasley, don't pull him down—let him stand!"
Harry looked defiant, breathing hard.
Hermione twisted around, whispering desperately for him not to make things worse.
Douglas descended from the podium, his tone icy.
"Well then, Mr. Potter, care to explain exactly what that upperclassman told you? What made you all forget basic classroom discipline?"
Harry hesitated, then said,
"We overheard them in the corridor, saying if you brought your textbook to the podium, Professor, you'd…"
But the more Harry spoke, the less certain he felt. He suddenly remembered—the fifth-years only had textbooks, not the Professor's novels. Maybe Professor Holmes really was planning to sign books after class? Had he misunderstood? The upperclassman had said "if you go up on your own," but Hermione had rushed up—maybe that's why she lost points…
As Harry's voice dwindled, Douglas nodded in satisfaction.
If he recalled correctly, it was Harry's blind trust in Voldemort's fake message that led him to the Ministry of Magic—and to Sirius's death. Rashness, impulsivity, believing rumors without question… Perhaps, if Harry learned from this, history could be changed. Maybe Sirius could even be saved.
From the look on Harry's face, he'd already realized his mistake.
To drive the lesson home, Douglas asked,
"So? Do you know what you did wrong?"
Harry stood there, guilt written all over his face.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I shouldn't have…"
Douglas waved him off from the podium.
"Is simply knowing you're wrong enough? We need to learn from our mistakes. When you hear something, you should verify it before acting—not just charge in like a reckless lion… Well, Mr. Potter?"
But Douglas noticed Harry staring up at him with those big, round green eyes.
Green eyes?
For the first time, Douglas realized Harry's eyes were the exact same color as his own.
Harry blinked, confused.
"But… but Professor, weren't you talking about me breaking classroom rules?"
The rest of the class looked just as bewildered—they'd all thought this was about discipline, and that was why Professor Holmes was so angry.
Hermione had felt genuinely upset—she had, after all, led the charge. But the thought that Professor Holmes might sign her books later had left her secretly excited. She'd even planned to apologize to him after class.
But now the Professor was talking about the accuracy of information!
Hermione froze, then quickly realized—she'd been tricked!
And those collector's edition books on the desk… they seemed to be slipping further and further away.
For a moment, she felt like crying.
Douglas felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples and pointed at Harry.
"So, when you said you knew you were wrong, you meant about classroom discipline?"
Harry nodded, still lost.
"Wasn't I?"
Douglas swept his gaze around the room, taking in the identical confusion on every face. He suddenly realized he'd made a complete mess of things.
But when he caught Hermione's expression, a glimmer of hope returned.
"Ahem! Miss Granger, it seems you actually know what you did wrong, don't you?"
Hermione stood up, her voice trembling with indignation and wounded pride. Unconsciously, she radiated the authority she'd developed as class rep.
"Yes, Professor! Fellow students, I think we've been tricked by the Ravenclaw upperclassmen! Just now in the corridor—"
Douglas finally relaxed. At least someone understood. Thank goodness for Miss Granger—Miss Know-It-All, indeed.
But as he listened to Hermione's tone, something felt off. Wait! If she kept going, she'd probably lead the second-years in a crusade against the fifth-years. That would be quite the spectacle—if only he weren't the Professor, he'd grab a banana and enjoy the show from the sidelines.
But he was the Professor.
So Douglas quickly cut her off,
"Miss Granger, just get to the point. What lesson did you take from this? Everyone else, think about it too! If you don't see this as serious, I regret to inform you: all the books you placed on the desk have been confiscated! Not just yours—last period's students lost theirs as well. Of course, you're not the same; they're fifth-years preparing for O.W.L.s, so you'll get a little leeway. We'll discuss that in a moment. Miss Granger, continue."
Hearing there was still a chance to get her books back, Hermione pushed aside her grief and quickly gathered her thoughts.
"Professor, I think when we hear something, we should stay calm and think it through. Then, carefully verify it before taking action. We shouldn't just impulsively believe whatever we hear!"
Douglas led the applause. For a twelve-year-old, that was a pretty remarkable answer.
"Excellent, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor. Mr. Potter, your thoughts?"
Harry, eager to redeem himself, snapped to attention.
"I think Hermione's right, Professor. And I believe, no matter who the information comes from, we should always be careful to check it out for ourselves—and not stubbornly cling to our own assumptions, ignoring other possibilities!"
He'd learned this the hard way last year, when he was convinced Professor Snape was the villain out to steal the Philosopher's Stone and harm him. Of course, he still didn't think Snape was a good person—but back then, he'd refused to believe any teacher who said otherwise, nearly letting the real culprit, Professor Quirrell, get away.
Douglas nodded, then looked at Ron.
Ron jumped up instantly.
"Professor, same for me!"
Douglas shook his head, then said,
"After class, I want you each to write a reflection—I mean, an essay—about this experience. Describe your thoughts in detail, and how you'll handle similar situations in the future. Make it memorable! Hand it in before next lesson. No length requirement, but only the most insightful essays will earn back your books. And from now on: during class, no extracurricular reading. Understood?"
Harry stared, waiting for Professor Holmes to announce, "Five points to Gryffindor!" But it never came.
He was devastated. He could almost cry.
He felt he'd learned the lesson so deeply, he was this close to apologizing to Professor Snape—who definitely wasn't a good person.
And yet, not a single point!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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