Sirius?" James called out, bemused. The sealing patch holding my thoughts pinged as it threatened to unravel at the emotions coursing through me.
Unsurprisingly, the S.M.D (Seriously Magically Dark) lessons had been put on hold after a single lesson. Based on what the professors had likely told him, Dumbledore had decided that if I wanted them to continue, I would need to have them reviewed by him first.
That part, I didn't particularly mind. AFter all, I could always go off the rail- I certainly had the knack for that.
What I did mind however was the fact that only the student's Dumbledore deemed prepared for said lessons would be allowed to participate. Which he effectively did, by setting out an open quizthat qualified as the registration required for said lessons.
Had that been all, I wouldn't have reallyfussed about it in truth.
The problem came in when Dumbledore expressed my own requirements for continuing the lessons. The simple requirements of becoming a modelstudent.
In essence, stop openly undermining Hogwarts professors, stop trying to fight a dark lord and focus on my studies, stop revealing facets of magic that has yet to be approved of and tested, and stop taking my friends out to dangerous new, and exciting locations-
And honestly? He lost me at the first one. And the list kept on going long after the last- I'd just stopped paying attention.
Dumbledore was trying to take control of the situation, in an attempt to what I figured was mitigation of, well, everything.
That... I personally had a problem with.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't think he was some evil secret mastermind or some other nonsense- Far from it, if I was in his position I'd have done the exact same thing really. He wanted the students to be prepared, but not to the point it was overwhelming, or outright scary, or whatever.
I disagreed.
Coddling magical weapons of mass destruction was a terrible idea in my opinion.
My gaze idly scoured around the hall, for a brief moment landing on the only two students not seemingly terrified of me, barring my family members of course, following that particular lesson.
James and Lily, we're arguably treating it as just another day in school.
Lily because she was ignorant of how utterly insane the magical world could get- And James because he was probably happy as to how insane it could get.
I idly watched as Severus Snape calmly took a seat opposite me, next to Lily. The boy gazed at me with an almost passive expression before he tried and failed to fake a conversation with his childhood friend. His priorities were quite clear to make out in truth.
Out of all the students in the class, he'd been the most... Intrigued. Instead of the seemingly crazy idiot he'd taken me for before, I'd effectively become the definitely crazy idiot with a hand on the future of magical Britain and everywhere else. And well, despite the mental issues of hitching a ride in the crazy wagon, he probably figured it was too interesting to pass up.
Or maybe I was just overthinking it-
"Man, I still can't believe Dumbledore wants to cancel your insane lesson like that." James' words broke me out of my stupor, as I turned toward him. "Merlin, finally, I think I prefer you talking out of your mind than sitting there all stewy and silent."
I let out a snort at the words.
"And you picked dissing my lessons as the way to get my attention?"
The boy just grinned at me.
"Don't mean I ain't wrong. Even Dumbledore thinks you're out of your mind and he's as cuckoo as it gets!"
He wasn't exactly wrong.
The boy shook his head. "Like, gotta hand it to him though- You a model student? Sheesh, he might as well have just banned your lessons outright!"
It was telling that Snape was heavilyfrowning as the words washed over the table, even if relief seemed to fill a majority of the rest of the students.
I couldn't help the frown on my face as I stared at Potter.
"...When you're right, you're right." I shrugged, standing up, my words earning a bemused look from the boy.
"Oh no..." Lily immediately deadpanned on the other side of the table as she stared at me.
If there was one thing that separated me from the sweet-obsessed Dark Lord inhibitor, it was that I didn't have the sense of shame to hide behind someone-or-thing's skirt.
I had a job to do. I had a quest to finish. I had a life to live.
And a wizard three steps away from dementia, and two steps away from cursing himself because he wanted to see the dead sibling he accidentally offed in a fit with his former Dark Lord lover sure as hell wasn't going to stop it.
Shit, I practically told my grandfather he could suck my non-existent fucks after I openly threatened the Lestrange brothers manhoods with a carte blanche for Bellatrix when I inevitably came of age- In a rather successful attempt to dissolve their utterly useless arrange marriage when I was eight.
Like hell was I going to start following the rules and traditions now of all times!
Naturally, with that in thought, I calmly hopped on top of the table and grinned at everyone currently in the hall, the three heads of houses sat atop the dais included.
"I am about to systematically rip through the several hundred-year-old traditions of respecting your deluded elders." I deadpanned, letting the enhanced voice wash over the hall. "If anyone has any qualms about uncouth language, cries of stupidity, and overall any hint of issue clouding their minds about what I am about to say, then, by all means, do me, the castle, the ministry and overall the world a favor and keep your ignorant mouths shut."
Lily calmly facepalmed at me.
James was grinning like a loon.
The two really were made for each other.
"First things first, for those that don't know, I am a seer. I've seen , well, practical how most of your sordid lives end." A single beat passed as utter disbelief filled the Ravenclaw table, wariness and shock filled the Slytherin side, and general bafflement filled my own house.
I didn't particular care what the Hufflepuff's thought so I ignored 'em.
Dumb fucks actually thought Harry Potter was the villain in his second and fourth years.
Like, I've dealt with plenty of incompetence in the past, but that shit required a special brand of stupidity to believe.
"And the main cause of said deaths?" I gave them all an obscenely fake smile. "Tom Marvollo, son of a squib and a love-potioned muggle, Riddle." I waited for a beat. "Pass that part along." I snorted before waving my hand with a shrug and continued. "He is a Dark Lord in all but integrity, that is rather hell bent on employing purebloods as borderline house-elves or meat shields out of an obsessive need to put himself above 'em. Intent on killing Halfbloods to make sure he's the only one in the world that qualifies as such. And quite frankly intends to run a political campaign to remove what few rights, including the right to live, you mudbloods have left to yourselves."
A single beat passed as the words settled in.
"He's also one of the most powerful Dark Wizards in the world right now, and the only avenue, any of you have absolutely any hopes of so much as surviving his coming onslaught, that been my tutelage, was put on probation by the headmaster's glorious wisdom because he believes sheltering you from the hard truth that absolutely none of you currently stand a chance at living to your twenties, is worth it if it means dying in ignorance and killing-curse provided bliss."
And with that, I put the Yew wand up to my head and calmly took out a very exaggerated memory showcasing Voldemort in all of his glory as he dueled Dumbledore in the department of mysteries.
"See for your very selves, the two men responsible for your future deaths." A single beat passed. "Hint, that is from the freakin' future." I finished with a sigh. "If you don't believe me- Fuck it, ya'll free to regret it later when you die- Personally won't really lose any sleep over common sense's survival."
I idly let the words hang in the air for a moment as I gazed around the various shades of differing expressions that stared back at me.
"But for those that do believe me... Fuck the headmaster's rules, if any of you, and I mean any, from the most ignorant of muds to the stupidest of pures, want to learn how to defend yourselves, you all know where to find me."