What I Like About You

Chapter Four

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend never did

(Candle In the Wind: Elton John)

Tuesday, September 6, 1977

"Welcome to N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts," said the woman in the front of the room.

This woman had a pointed chin and nose, and narrow, stern eyes. Her dark hair was pulled into a very tight bun. Even through her loose robes, it was clear she was very thin.

"None of you would recognize me. I taught at Beauxbatons for several years after being in third-world countries educating those too poor to even afford the most frayed book required for this school. This summer a position opened at Hogwarts, quite desperately asking for a Defense professor. The job promised a flexibility to my leaving, which Beauxbatons did not. I readily took the job," the new professor paused, but very slightly. "I am highly skilled in the Dark Arts, but do not use them, unless it is an emergency. I am able to throw off the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses in a matter of seconds. I also have the ability of Intuitive Seeing, as does one other in here," she glanced sideways at Athea as she said this, who smiled discreetly. "I do not make jokes. I do not believe in sarcasm. I rarely laugh. I do not believe in fear. Any questions?"

In the back of the room Sirius stood up. "Yes, one. Could you tell us your name?" He paused and raised his eyes to the ceiling. "And don't bother accompanying it with a life story or résumé."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Sirius Black, come up to the front of my classroom."

Sirius looked a bit unnerved at her knowing his name, and he walked cautiously towards the woman.

"Sirius Black, I am Professor Judicieux. Judicieux means 'shrewd' in French," she glanced at Sirius, her expression stony. "I am a very shrewd person," Professor Judicieux stared him down, and Sirius tried not to cower under her glare, though she was a head shorter than he.

Professor Judicieux began to pace around Sirius, slowly breaking his confident façade.

"Sirius Black," she addressed the class now, "is a very honest person. He was not interested in hearing what I wanted to say, and told me such. He did not waste his time pretending to respect me; nary a 'ma'am' or a 'with all due respect' in his speech," She looked at Sirius, and while she did not smile, she distinctly frowned a bit less. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Sit."

Sirius smirked and returned to his seat.

"I do not believe in lying," Professor Judicieux concluded. "Anyone who is found to be lying in my class will find themselves permanently removed."

She walked to the blackboard at the front of the room and began her lesson.

"Voldemort."

Most of the class, which was made up of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, flinched, with the exception of James, Sirius, Remus, and Athea. Galatea cringed as if the name caused her pain.

Judicieux gave a rare, dry laugh. "Amazing. Four people did not react. I have never had that many. Names," she demanded, looking directly at Athea, who stood.

"Athea Bonheur, ma'am. And the others are James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin."

"Ma'am?"

"I believe you deserve the respect."

Professor Judicieux stared at her much the way she had Sirius--comprehending and insightful. "Because I am a Seer."

Athea didn't miss a beat. "Partially. I do have a lot of respect for Seers, ma'am, but I do admire your honesty also."

"Thank you, Athea Bonheur. Sit," She walked over to James. "A Potter? I admire your parents, James Potter, and I admire very few people."

"Thank you."

"And Remus Lupin, I've heard of you, of course. I assisted you after your incident when you were young. You were too small to remember, but I was there."

Remus remained expressionless. Professor Judicieux returned to the front of the room.

"Being afraid of a name is stupid," she said bluntly, as a starter to her lesson. "How are you going to outdo someone when you are too afraid to say their name, much less duel them? Of course, most of you will never have to face such an adversary. However, in the off chance that one of you shall, there is no possible way to defeat him without even saying his name. Ponder this: everyone who has ever come out of a confrontation with Voldemort alive has said his name comfortably. Albus Dumbledore, for example, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Alastor Moody, Daniel and Kimberly Potter, Stan Belidolph." She looked over the class sternly. "None of you will pass my class until you are able to say 'Voldemort' to me. No exceptions. However, that will not be a problem because you are all going to say it right now, individually," She pointed to a Ravenclaw in the far corner "You."

"Vol--"

"Say it."

"Volde ... Vol--"

"Voldemort will not come jumping out at you if you just say the name!"

"Voldemort!"

"It is just a name; no need to take so long about it."

This proceeded for about twenty minutes until she came to the last person--Galatea.

"You, go."

Galatea bit her lip.

"I do not have all day."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I ... won't say it."

"Why in Merlin's name not?"

"I cannot. I can't say why, I just ..." Galatea's feeble excuse wasn't taking. "It has hurt me."

"The name has done nothing of the sort; it is simply a name."

Galatea looked desperately at Lily, who sympathized.

"Please, Professor. Galatea has had it much worse than anyone, if you could--"

"Silence, Lily Evans. I did not ask for you to speak," snapped Judicieux. She turned on Galatea. "I will not hold with such foolishness, girl. Everyone else in the class did it, now I want you to. Say the name."

"I'm sorry, Professor."

"So you are refusing?"

"Yes."

"Fine. If you insist on failing my class, I see no reason for you to be in it any longer," Judicieux walked to her desk and pulled out a document. "What is your surname?"

"Belidolph."

Professor Judicieux stopped.

"Galatea Belidolph? Is your mother Giovanna Belidolph?"

"Yes."

Judicieux crumpled up the form, her hard face softening. "And Stan Belidolph is your father?"

Galatea hesitated.

The professor nodded, understanding. She pulled out a scrap of parchment and wrote something on it. "Galatea Belidolph, you cannot pass this class without saying 'Voldemort'; you may not be exempted from that. However, we will talk about this at a later time. Come to my office after dinner tonight. I do not want you failing my class," She handed Galatea the parchment. "You are excused from class. You are not required to come back if you do not feel you are able; however, I want to give you an opportunity to pass because I know you could be great in my class."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Do not call me ma'am, Galatea Belidolph."

Galatea nodded and left.

Professor Judicieux continued her lesson as Galatea exited. She walked to the far end of the blackboard and tapped it sharply with her wand. The word "Voldemort" appeared in writing that matched her personality: straight, rigid, and firm.

"I would like you to please consider what I say and take notes at your own leisure; I will not force you to. Now, who speaks French?" Athea, Lily, and several Ravenclaws raised their hands. "Excellent. You all know what 'mort' means, correct? Death. And 'vol' means flight; so, roughly translated, 'Voldemort' means--"

"Wait just a moment," shouted Dan Eigrenaw, the Ravenclaw that Judicieux had called on first. "Why does Belidolph get to leave class? Plenty of us didn't want to say You-Know--, um... Voldemort's name."

To his left, James jumped up. "You have no idea what she's been through, Eigrenaw, so I would suggest you shut up unless you want my foot up your--"

"James Potter, if you would allow me."

James sat down, ignoring a very confused Sirius, and continued glaring at his classmate.

"Dan Eigrenaw, Galatea Belidolph left this class because I said she could."

"Why?"

"Must you act like a child?" hissed Lily from the front.

"That is enough, Lily Evans. Dan Eigrenaw, if you wish to know what ails Galatea Belidolph, you will discuss it with her, not me; later, not now. Now that this is all settled, I would like to continue with my lesson."

XXXX

"Professor, you asked to see me?"

Galatea quietly entered Professor Judicieux's office. It was a bit earlier than she'd asked, but Galatea wasn't especially hungry today.

"Yes. Sit."

Judicieux pointed to a chair in front of her desk without looking up from her papers. After a moment, she made eye contact and put away what she was working on.

"Galatea Belidolph, yours is a truly unique story. I understand it was extremely traumatizing, and is not the typical tale one hears of Voldemort," Judicieux pulled out a new document. "There are a few things I am not clear on, and if you wouldn't be too terribly offended if I asked you a couple of questions ... "

"Of course not."

"How long ago did this occur?"

"Two years, Professor. Just before the summer was over and I was entering my fifth year."

"I understand that you were not alone during this time."

"No, my mother was there and my--my siblings."

"But not Voldemort?"

"Yes. Well, I hardly saw him at all. James Vanderwood was there mostly."

"Of course."

Galatea looked strained, as though she were yearning to say something but had been holding it in for a long time.

"Say it, Galatea Belidolph; it will be a grand weight off your chest."

Galatea's brown furrowed, and she hesitated a moment longer, but she stared straight into Professor Judicieux's steely eyes and pouring out what she had been meaning to say for what seemed like forever. "Professor, it took me a year and a half to recover partially from what happened to me! It was a wonder I passed my classes! I was consumed by agony, writhing with pain, physical and emotional. I carry scars from that incident to this day that cannot be undone. The happening itself took no more than thirty minutes from my life, but in actuality, it took so much more! A year and a half, Professor! That is what it took for me to begin to feel an emotion besides sorrow. And, Merlin, I would have never gotten through it without my friends. They helped me, and James as well."

"James?"

"Potter. We dated for a few months."

"I find it interesting that you would become attached to someone named James after another one destroyed so much of you."

"I didn't even think of it. My James was different, and that's all that was important. Names are just names."

"Exactly. Names are just names, so why bother being afraid of one?"

Galatea hesitated, trapped. "I'm not sure."

"You say you hardly saw Voldemort at all. It was more James Vanderwood than anything, so why fear Voldemort?"

"I suppose it was because everyone else already recoiled whenever the name was mentioned, and knowing that if he never existed then none of this would have ever happened. It is highly unlikely that it would have been Dark Lord James Vanderwood. He is powerful, but not nearly so much as You-Know-Who."

"Who?"

Galatea hesitated, clearly still uncomfortable with the name, even though she had been able to say it before, years ago. She mentally rolled her eyes at herself for being so melodramatic, even though she knew in her heart that it was justified.

"Voldemort."

"You may go now."

Professor Judicieux did not praise her, but Galatea had not expected praise. The task she'd accomplished was menial--a name. Simply words coming from her mouth. There was no way to fail, as though in a spell. She had just made guttural noises that humans had decided meant something fearful, something powerful. Galatea did not receive praise, nor did she feel the need to be praised.

"Thank you," Galatea turned to leave, and had reached the door when she paused.

"Come back, Galatea Belidolph."

Galatea rushed back to Professor Judicieux's desk, and leaned over it, emotion filling her eyes. "Professor, one thing has been haunting me for two years. What if I could have stopped him? I have always felt as though it were my fault, that I should have been able to fight him, or to fight him back!"

"Don't be ridiculous. James Vanderwood is one of the most powerful Death Eaters and one of the most well known. And Voldemort is one of the most powerful wizards! You couldn't have taken them on if your life had depended on it!"

"It was more important than my life, Professor."

Judicieux looked into Galatea's eyes. "I apologize. I wasn't thinking of what I was saying."

Galatea sat down, with a mixture of anger and grief on her face. "I was so shocked at first," she reminisced quietly. "I was expecting to wake up to a nightmare. Then I realized what had happened, and it had happened in real life. I was terrified. I looked at James Vanderwood, and I thought that I would surely not live to see another minute, but I did. I blacked out, but I did wake up. Then I was devastated. I was physically injured and mentally and emotionally cut. My mother tried to be strong, but it had hurt her even worse, being forced to watch ..." Galatea's voice picked up, and it filled with increasing feeling. "Now I am in agony! Of course, I have been worse, but all this remembering ... it brings back images that I never wanted to experience! And I hate them! I hate James Vanderwood and Voldemort! I want to take back what they took from me! I want to see them suffer for what they did! Sometimes, I want to kill them. But I can't because Galatea does not kill! She is kind, and patient, and listens, and understands! She is everyone's friend and confidante! She is selfless and compassionate! But she cannot kill, she cannot hurt, she cannot be who she feels obligated to be!"

"Galatea Belidolph, I cannot erase what happened to you. I cannot heal your wounds. I can help you prepare, should the need arise, to confront anyone who threatens to hurt you."

"I will be in your class on Thursday, Professor," said Galatea conclusively, and she walked through the door.

The door clicked shut.

Now alone, Professor Judicieux smiled.

Coming Next:

XXXX

Galatea scoffed. "Stop looking for reasons to hate him. He really isn't that bad, you know."

"He isn't?" her friends responded in unison.

"No! And I would know, wouldn't I? I did date him for a while, didn't I?"

XXXX

"Dream?" inquired Remus.

"It was about me," James called.

"It was not!" Lily protested. "It just so happened to have you in it."

"He was dead," added Diana.

"In a refrigerator!" Galatea laughed.

"I suppose Evans murdered him," said Sirius knowingly.

XXXX

"Sometimes I hear this awful screaming at night," Galatea said. "I've always assumed it comes from here."

"Nah," said James. "It's girls as they see Snivellus approach."