t e s t e d

Rating: G

Summary: Hogwarts has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and it's not the first time he's given this speech.

Notes: Thanks as always to Pete'n'Melissa, Dot, Meg and Jen. I think I could write one-joke crossovers for the rest of my fic-writing 'career'.

Date: May 20, 2003

Hermione, Ron and Harry stared at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

He was American, which was virtually unheard of in the conservative world of British wizarding society. The first American ever to be offered a Professorship at Hogwarts. He was tall, black, powerfully built and bald.

"I am not here to be your confidante, your partner, your friend," he spat the words in a vibrant baritone, his voice mesmerizing. "I am here to teach you about power. The power to defend yourselves. The power to get to the heart of any secret."

Dark eyes moved over the room, and they all felt the power and weight of that gaze, each student squirming in his or her seat, feeling guilty for past misdeeds and planned pranks as yet undone.

"The power is in your voice, your demeanor, your belief that what we do here is God's work, that we defend society against those who would prey upon the weak and those unable to defend themselves," he continued.

"I want you to remember that you all have a darkness inside you. And in this class you will learn to face that darkness and control it. It is only through this self-knowledge that you can learn to fight evil when faced with it. Remember, virtue isn't virtue unless it's been slammed up against vice." His eyes fell upon the trio. "Your virtue's not real virtue, until it's been tested. Tempted." Now he stared at Malfoy, who fidgeted, and said, "And the darkness inside you is... conquered." Malfoy stilled, surprise evident on his pale, pointed face.

The class was silent, awed at this display of rhetorical prowess.

"Put away your wands, your books. You won't be needing them."

"But, Professor Pembleton," Hermione burst out, only to be cut short by his withering glance.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Why?"

Pembleton sighed. It was going to be a long year.

End

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Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling, Scholastic, etc. All Homicide: Life on the Street characters belong to Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson and Baltimore Pictures. I do not own them and do not intend any infringement on their copyright.