Chapter 4: Defense Against the Dark Arts

Amarana ate lunch with her new friends, finding herself hugely entertained and very content. The food was excellent, much better than Rabinia, but what she loved the most was the constant flow of people and gossip that had been absent from her previous school. In no time at all, the Slytherin girls had her up-to-date on every bit of gossip about every well-known student in the castle. She learned who was going out with whom, who was considered a "slut" and who was considered "hot" and therefore dateable. Most importantly, according to the Slytherins, she learned who hated whom. The names that came up the most were Granger, Potter, and Weasley.

"Ginny Weasley is such a slut, it's no wonder, I mean . . . look at her mum. Couldn't keep her legs closed, now she's got more kids than she can afford," Delilah told her with a giggle. "It's really sad, I mean . . . really. If I was Weasley, I'd be trying to set my hooks in the richest guy here and keep him hooked. She's got to marry well if she ever wants to be worth anything. It wouldn't be hard, she isn't ugly. Not beautiful, but not ugly."

"Humph," Pansy snorted, rolling her eyes. "Not so anything but very ugly. If I put a long red wig and witch's robes on any of her brothers and started calling him Ginny, do you really think anyone would notice the difference? They're all freckled, ginger-haired, and flat-chested, too." She glanced down at her own full breasts with a smile. "Ginevra Weasley is an ugly, red-headed tart and that's all there is to it."

"She's a blood traitor," Draco put in bluntly. "Who would want to degrade themselves by sticking it up Miss Fire Crotch besides the half-bloods or Muggle-borns that have already done it anyway, like Corner or Thomas? Remember back in her fourth year when she went to the Yule Ball with Longbottom? That was just disgusting. Even if she was the centerfold in Naughty Witches she still wouldn't be hot enough for any real wizard with any proper pride to even get a sport fuck from her."

These comments brought loud guffaws from every boy within hearing distance, while the girls tittered and glanced over at the redheaded girl at the Gryffindor table. Only Pansy looked positively disgusted and pushed her plate away.

"Great. Thanks, Draco, you ruined my appetite."

Draco shrugged and smirked at the other boys. "Anyway, if you want to talk about someone, tell her about Potter."

The girls pounced on this subject and soon Amarana was privy to everything Potter and his friends had done at school, from sneaking a dragon into Hogwarts during his first year to his messy breakup with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker last year.

"That's . . . interesting," Amarana said after Jasmine related everything Chang had said about Potter in the girl's privy one day last year for the fourth time. By then, she was glad it was time for class again.

All the Slytherins walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class together, whispering snide comments about and giving haughty glares to people they saw along the way. Amarana was aware of the appraising looks Draco kept giving her when Pansy wasn't paying attention, and wasn't surprised when he hurried Pansy along to catch up to her.

"So where did you go before Hogwarts?" Draco asked Amarana conversationally.

"Rabinia Academy," Amarana answered smugly.

"Rabinia . . . damn. That's a really good school. Very private," Draco said, smirking. "You have to be pure-blood to get into Rabinia, of course. And your family has to be able to afford it, if you know what I mean. Very prestigious."

"All true, Draco," Amarana said, nodding in amusement. "So why didn't you apply? Or did you, and couldn't pass the entrance exams?"

Draco turned a bright shade of red. "Well . . . Mother didn't want me going so far away to school . . . I was accepted at Durmstrang, Father's friends with the headmaster, you see, but Mother had such a fit that Father didn't even mention Rabinia for fear of upsetting her."

Pansy and Amarana shared amused smiles, hidden behind their long sleeves.

"Here's our classroom," Draco said, still a mottled red color. He held the door open for Pansy and Amarana, and then hurried to pull their chairs out for them as well. The students already seated gave him surprised, shocked looks, and even Pansy seemed amazed . . . yet pleased as well. Draco's face darkened under the scrutiny, and he glowered as he took the vacant seat between the two girls.

A few moments later, Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Potter came in, followed by several other Gryffindors. Granger hurried to her seat, but Potter and Weasley stared hard at Amarana before taking their own seats. Amarana stared straight back at them with a little smirk of amusement, until the two boys moved out of her line of vision. She heard Draco snicker, and gave him a sly sideways smile before taking the opportunity to study the classroom . . . which wasn't easy.

The room was lit only by the light of hundreds of flickering candles. The only decorations were gloomy pictures of people being tortured by various hexes or Unforgivable curses. Amarana found the picture of Inferi surrounding a witch and reducing her to a lump of bloody flesh particularly disgusting.

"That may bloody well be the grossest thing I have ever seen," she commented.

Draco and Pansy followed her line of vision to the picture and made faces of disgust.

"You know, it wouldn't be so bad if it was Granger getting mauled," Draco said, loud enough for the Gryffindors to hear.

Potter and Weasley glared over at the blonde, looking murderous. Pansy and Amarana giggled into their hands as the other Slytherins turned to watch.

"I mean, come on, the only thing a Mudblood is good for is testing curses and stuff, right?" Draco continued, his gaze resting on the Gryffindor trio. "Hey Granger, I want to see if this hex I found really does make your bones grow too long for your body. Want to help me out?"

Eyes narrowed in anger, Weasley made a move as if to get up but Granger held him back.

"Come to think of it, Weasel, blood traitors are just as bad. Why don't you be my test subject? I'm sure we can find some common free time this year. Oh wait . . ." Draco tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should pay you. You could buy your mum a dress that actually covers her fat arse!"

Before Weasley could do or say anything, Snape strode into the room with a triumphant smirk on his face and slammed the door behind him. Amarana ignored him in hopes of avoiding the odd feeling she had whenever they met. She studied some of the pictures on the walls instead and was snapped into attention only by the mention of her name.

"I'm sure most of you have noticed we have a new student in sixth-year classes," Snape said, his cold voice thawing a little as he looked at Amarana. "Miss Amarana Ravinike comes to us from Rabinia Academy of Magic, a very prestigious, very advanced school in Italy. Why she has changed schools so late into her education isn't anyone's business but her family's, mine, and the headmasters so . . ."

He glared around the room, sneering as he looked at Granger. "So, it will not be necessary for any of you to bother her with your questions. Especially since . . ." Snape glared at Granger again, his lip curling with distaste. "Especially since after testing Miss Ravinike myself, I have been able to see how abysmally far behind the rest of you are in your studies."

Snape cleared his throat and went on about how horrible the others did on their O.W.L.'s, and then began to talk about the Dark Arts. Amarana let out a tiny sigh and let her mind wander, vaguely hearing Snape answer a question about Inferi from a Miss Patil. She quite clearly heard him ask what the advantage of a nonverbal spell was, though. As she watched Granger bouncing up and down in her chair, Amarana decided to answer out of pure spite. She raised her hand and Snape called on her immediately.

"The advantage is quite obvious, Professor," Amarana said, smirking at Granger. "Without knowing what magic you are about to perform, your foe won't know how to counter it until you make your move . . . and by then it is usually too late."

Snape gave Granger a triumphant smile. "Correct, Miss Ravinike. Five points to Slytherin." He turned to pace the room, telling the class that not all wizards could perform nonverbal spells, and other benefits to being able to perform one.

He turned around to see Granger's hand back in the air. "What is it, Miss Granger?" Snape asked coldly.

"Sir . . . um . . . don't nonverbal spells only give you a slight advantage?" Granger asked hesitatingly. "If your opponent is an accomplished Ligilimens, wouldn't he or she be able to tell what spell you were going to do anyway?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "That might be true in some cases, Granger; however, most wizards who have the concentration and ability to perform a nonverbal spell usually are smart enough to have learned Occlumency to keep that from happening!" His nostrils flared in irritation.

"Now, if Miss Granger has finished interrupting this class, you will divide into pairs. One partner will try to hex the other with a nonverbal spell. The other will try to repel the hex, also nonverbally. Do so now."

As the class rose, Snape turned to Granger, who was approaching a plump, scared-looking boy named Neville Longbottom.

"Miss Granger," he whispered venomously, "you will pair Miss Ravinike."

Draco and Pansy both looked ecstatic about this arrangement. Potter and Weasley exchanged worried glances before glaring at Snape.

"Show her why a Pureblood's better than a filthy Muggle," Pansy whispered in Amarana's ear as she stepped forward to pair Draco.

Amarana smirked and drew her wand. "Just watch this."

Granger walked slowly over to Amarana, who gave her a cold smile. Snape lingered to watch as the two girls raised their wands.

Amarana flicked her wand upward. Draco, Pansy, and the other Slytherins burst into laughter as Hermione flew backwards onto the floor, her wand flying uselessly out of her hands in a flash of light as she skidded along until her back hit a wall. She sat up slowly, her pale face turning an ugly, mottled red.

"Twenty points to Slytherin," Snape said, giving Amarana a pleased smile, the first genuine smile most of the other students had ever seen on Snape's face.

"That wasn't fair!" Potter called out. "You already said Ravinike was ahead of everyone in this class!"

Snape turned malevolently to Potter. "Ten points from Gryffindor, I think," he spat. Potter glared at Snape, but didn't reply. "You know Potter," Snape said thoughtfully, "why don't you pair Miss Ravinike. It will be interesting to see The Chosen One at work."

Potter's lips tightened into a thin line as he approached Amarana.

"On the count of three," Snape said, smirking. "One . . . two . . . three."

"Expelliarmus!" Amarana thought.

"Protego!" Potter yelled aloud, blocking her spell.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Amarana thought the moment his Shield showed signs of weakening, and watched with satisfaction as Potter's body seized up and he fell, face forward onto the floor.

"I thought I made myself clear, Potter," Snape said, staring down at the frozen body. The Slytherins were laughing so hard his next words were almost inaudible. "We are practicing nonverbal spells. Ten points from Gryffindor. Now get up out of that ridiculous pose and begin again."

Snape nodded at Amarana, and she flicked her wand at Potter. "Finite!"

Potter raised himself slowly, glaring first at Snape, then Amarana. His face was a bright red, turning his scar an ugly shade of purple. He mumbled something under his breath that made Granger's hands fly to her mouth and Weasley stare with his mouth open. Several other Gryffindors glanced over at Snape with terrified expressions.

"What was that, Potter?" Snape asked, his tone murderous as he looked from one horrified face to another.

The green-eyed young man looked straight at Snape, his scar pulsing with anger. "I said your lesson was bloody ridiculous. Dumbledore was right to keep you in Potions."

Everyone in the room gasped. Several Slytherins including Draco and Amarana glared at Potter, but for the most part everyone was staring in shock.

Snape's face turned an ugly, mottled pink. "Fifty more points from Gryffindor," he said in a very low voice, "and detention in my office, every Saturday this month at six in the evening. You can also be very sure that both the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall will hear of this, Potter. Class dismissed."