Author's rambling's: The idea for this chappie came from my lovely pally, N. James the Diehard Dishrag- worship her! (She made me say that!) I'm also late again- gah! So I've made this a wee bitty longer to make up for it. Don't kill me.

xxxx

Krucio.

"Crucio!"

There was a bang and the sound of someone coughing as dark grey smoke bubbled outwards, filling the room.

"I don't understand it! What are you doing wrong?" said an anonymous masked Death Eater, waving his hand in front of his face to clear away the stinging smoke. "You're sure you're really wanting to cause pain? I mean, I know it's only a dummy, but try to visualise."

"I am, I am! I don't get it either!" exclaimed the trainee Death Eater, looking forlornly at his teacher.

The masked figure sighed and scratched his head under his midnight hood. "Look, just write down exactly what happened here, and hand it in tomorrow, hmm? Maybe then we can find out why this keeps happening. You're dismissed."

The next day

The elder Death Eater stared at the piece of parchment in his hands. 'Krucio? Krucio?! The boy had been thinking Krucio? No wonder it kept going wrong,' he pondered. 'But wait- a spell like that, well, if tried on a living person it could have disastrous side effects! The potions he'd made wouldn't work! '

He stood up, running for the door, hoping to catch up on the group of Voldemort's followers already travelling to Hogwarts,hoping to stop them, hoping to stop his student, hoping he wasn't too late. Severus ran.