Chapter 9: Sandy loses his temper

A thousand apologies for taking so long, but I was updating some of my personal preferred stories.

Harry had hoped that the next time he would see Professor Umbridge would be in his detention that evening; no such luck.

The students entered the Dream classroom. Sandy was lying on a red cushion on the chair at his desk… and he was fast asleep. Trails of dreamsand were curling around his head as he snoozed silently. He looked very sweet, lying there with his eyes closed, a gentle smile on his face, his head resting on his hands.

He looked so sweet that no one could really find it in themselves the wake him up... until Hermione sighed and slowly stepped forward. 'Professor Sandy,' she whispered. Sandy shifted in his sleep, but didn't wake.

It was a moment before anyone saw the message on the board. It read "Do not hesitate to wake me up." 'Okay, um... Professor Sandy," Hermione said, louder. Still nothing. 'Professor Sandy!' Still, Sandy slept on. 'SANDY!' Hermione yelled. Sandy exploded... no, literally, exploded. The class screamed as Sandy's body deteriated into a mass of sand which settled on the floor.

Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth in horror.

At this point something gold flew in through the window. It was Sandy and he was doubled-up with silent laughter, rolling on his side.

After a moment, when Sandy had pulled himself together and Hermione had regained some of her dignity, Sandy waved his hands and the desks rose up out of the sand. Everyone took a seat.

Sandy waved his hands at the board. "There was a reason why there was little progress last lesson." 'What reason was that?' Lavender asked. "I hadn't taught you to control your thoughts properly." Sandy breathed gently, holding his hands under his chest. His breath slowly controled, calm and peaceful.

'Do we have to try those breathing exercise things?' Dean asked. Sandy stood back to give them a demonstration. He held his arms out at the side. He then lowered his arms and sweapt them up to his abdomen as he breathed in. A large amount of golden sand rose up from the ground. Sandy breathed out, lowering his arms again. The sand drifted back down.

Everyone lined up and began to copy Sandy's demonstration. Sandy floated in front of them, giving encouragement. Sand beneath Harry's feet began to move. In fact, all the sand was starting to rise and fall in time to the breathing.

'Hem hem.'

All the sand collapsed to the ground as everyone turned to see... Professor Umbridge, smiling and holding her clipboard. Harry's blood ran cold. Sandy's blood boiled. Sandy's fists clenched, tiny amounts of sand rising as a vapour from his hands.

'You recieved the note I sent to you, telling you the time and date of your inspection?' Sandy nodded stiffly. 'And you are currently doing?' Sandy conjured and image of a pair of lungs and then a treadmill. 'Resorts to crude charade actions as opposed to speech,' Umbridge muttered, writing in her clipboard.

Sandy ground his teeth. 'Well, continue teaching as normal. I am going to walk among the students and ask them questions.' Sandy conjured a giant hammer as Umbridge turned around and lifted it above his head. Umbridge turned around. Sandy smiled with his hands behind his back as the hammer vanished.

A little later...

As the lesson passed, Sandy seemed to be becoming more and more irritated. He growled at the High inspector everytime she wasn't looking.

Sand was rising and falling as the breathing excercises continued. Every now and then however, the tiny pillars of sand would collapse everytime Umbridge asked someone a question.

Harry lifted his small stream of sand as he breathed. He heard Umbridge 'Would you say professor Sandy is a competant teacher.' Harry stiffened with anger. The gold sand began to turn black. 'He is a good teacher,' Harry snarled, not looking at his sand.

'I wasn't speaking to you Mr Potter,' Umbridge said, 'So an extra day of detentions.' Harry thrust his hands down. The black sand vanished. Sandy rushed forward. He looked livid. He began making wild guesticulations with his hands and forming sand images over his head which appeared and disappeared to quick to register.

'I beg your pardon, but is that a threat?' Sandy just ground his teeth. Sand formed into the shape of a very sharp-looking quill. Umbridge looked shocked and if possible, a little scared. 'That is a threat,' Umbridge snarled. A thumbs-up appeared above Sandy's head. He floated up to look Umbridge full in the face.

'You are now on proba-' Umbridge began, but a bullet of dreasmsand smashed into her face before she could finish. She then proceeded to fall over and fast asleep. Sandy waved his hands and a small dreamsand cloud lifted Umbridge up and carried her away.

Sandy turned away and sat down at his desk. He looked very angry so it was fortunate that the bell rang at that very moment. Sandy waved vaguely as everyone left the class in a hurry.

Sandy conjured a small, sand model of Umbridge. His brow furrowed. He twitched his fingers. The model of Umbridge turned into Pitch. That woman was so horrible that Sandy wouldn't be surprised if she had possesed by Pitch. After all, he was a very cunning being. Who knew what he was up to?

While outside the door, Mrs Norris's tail twitched and her eyes narrowed. Her dust-coloured fur had begun to darken.

Pitch is a very cunning being indeed.

Fun classes were next, but while everyone else was engaged in snowball fights, snowman building and other snow-based activities, Hermione was sat in a corner, reading. Jack frowned at this and flew over to her. 'What's up?' he asked.

Hermione sighed sadly and closed her book. 'I don't know,' she said, 'I feel like I'm missing something.' 'Like what?' 'Like...' Hermione rested her hands down beside her, 'Like a shoulder to cry on, like someone to comfort me.' She leant over and rested her head unknowingly on Jack's shoulder. Unsure of what to do, Jack patted Hermione gently on the head.