Draco Dormiens in the Classroom

[Ebony]

No: HPFGUIDX 8866

Third attempt to send this message... apologies to members of the PoU 
list, as much of this is the same.

This is a testimonial about how Cassie (yes, Cassandra Claire) has 
written a story that is not only entertaining, but of educational 
value as well.

Despite what you might be gathering from my posts, I don't talk about 
Harry Potter in my classroom from bell to bell.  In fact, if I'm not 
teaching HP, I don't mention it at all.  It is the kids who've shaped 
me into the fan that I am.  My students bring up HP, they are the 
ones who show off the merchandise, they are the ones who make me 
think of the stories in different ways.  At work, I'm a no-shipper, I 
have no pet theories, I don't write fanfic, and all my students know 
is that I've read all the books and like them so much that they're on 
my reading list.  Oh, if they only knew...

Anyway, they've been bringing in HP stuff they got for Christmas and 
from the post-Christmas sales ever since we returned.  Yesterday, the 
daughter of a co-worker who's been my student for two years gushed to 
me and a few other students about her presents, then GoF during a 
break near the end of the day.  "I wish they had more Draco Malfoy 
toys and stuff.  He's my favorite character.  He's mean, but I think 
he's that way because he's bitter.  He's wanted to be friends with 
Harry since the beginning, but Harry chose Ron instead of him."

I was surprised for two reasons.  First, I thought I'd established 
the fact that kids didn't like Draco much.  Secondly, this particular 
kid (I'll call her Rochelle) is an absolute doll.  Considerable, 
sweet, adorable--when I have a daughter and she's twelve, I wouldn't 
mind her being like Rochelle.  You wouldn't think a kid like Rochelle 
would have a thing for bad boys.

The kid blushes a little, then says, "Oh, and Miss Thomas, I think... 
I think Draco likes Hermione, because he always..." my eyebrows raise 
sternly (I become McGonagall whenever shippiness is mentioned in 
context with HP--the kids have absolutely no idea that they helped 
convert me to H/H via FITD) so she says quickly, "...but anyway, I 
always re-read the parts he and Draco are in. I wish he was in the 
books more."

Today, the kid in question opted to sit out of a Drama lesson I was 
teaching on stage combat (one of my favorites!). She and some of her 
squeamish friends were sitting sort of listlessly aside as they 
watched us practice rolling, fainting, and mock-fighting each other. 
(Parents, don't flame--the spring play's Peter Pan!) So I told 
her, "Rochelle, turn on the Mac... remember, you said you wanted to 
read more about Draco? A friend of mine online has written a really 
good story about what would happen if Draco and Harry switched places 
for a while."

"Ooh!"

Why did I say that? As fun as the stage combat lesson is, soon I had 
more than ten kids around the computer.  All you had to do was say 
the magic words "Harry Potter" and "after GoF" and they'd forgotten 
all about learning to duel.  Which was kind of cool--teaching 14 
adolescents theories and techniques of simulated swordfighting is a 
lot easier than teaching 25 of them--if you don't believe me, try it 
sometime. They read DD, they laughed, they missed all the refs they 
weren't supposed to get at 11, 12, and 13 (like Draco's shower scene 
in DD1), and at the end of the hour I had to turn off the computer to 
the chorus of "Aw!" before they'd get the heck out of my room.

They all copied down the title and Cassie's ff.net alias (as did some 
of the actors who were training for the main parts in Peter Pan). 
They begged to continue tomorrow (what? and miss mock-drop kicking? 
I must be losing my touch!). 

Best of all, while patrolling the halls after school I thrilled to 
hear one of the boys telling a group of his friends all about it.  
This quote is verbatim:  "Man, that Draco is a punk in the book, but 
he should get a chance to tell his side of the story, too."

I just know one thing. The day a group of my eighth grade girls 
enter my classroom extoling the virtues of Mr. Malfoy in leather 
trousers, I find a new line of work. That's all there is to it. :-)

Cassie made my life so much easier today.  Just like JKR's 
storytelling appeals to kids, teens, and adults alike, hers is the 
rare fanfic that transcends age barriers.  

--Ebony