WHAT USED TO BE

WHAT USED TO BE

Chapter 2 – Of Curses And Pair Works

Defense Against The Dark Arts would be their first class as seventh year students. And the second chance they had to mourn Moody's death.

But Professor Riddle wasn't as bad as they had thought. Not at all like they had thought. He was brilliant. Maybe everyone didn't like him because they liked the teacher who he was replacing a lot.

This class mixed Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Good morning, everybody," Professor Riddle said seriously, "I'd like to introduce myself quickly. My name is Thomas Marvolo Riddle, I used to be Slytherin's prefect, and also Head Boy here at Hogwarts. I'm not all happy about replacing a teacher who died, but I'm happy for having a chance to teach. I hope you all accept me as a new teacher, and not as the man who stole Moody's duty, even because it wasn't my fault what happened."

The class was silent.

"Good" Riddle went on "So, let's talk about curses. You'll work in pairs, but as you aren't little kids anymore, I'll let you choose who you want to work with."

Lily shyly raised her hand.

"What, Miss…?" asked Riddle

"Evans, sir. I'd like to ask you if interhouse pairings are allowed."

James looked at Lily wondering – and almost sure about –what was going to come. She probably wanted to be paired with Snape.

"They are." Riddle answered coolly.

Lily glanced up at Severus, then at Lucia, who understood that Lily wanted to be paired with him, not with her, and even though she kind of quite didn't like the idea, she couldn't help but accept it.

James just observed everything. It seemed to him – and to half of that class's population - that Lily did that just to hurt him. But if truth has to be said, she really wanted to be paired with Snape.

James had no choice but pair himself with Sirius, anyhow, all the pair works he had done in his whole life had been with him.

Peter had waken up with a bellyache, nothing really serious, and had to spend the class at the hospital wing. Remus raised his hand to call Riddle's attention. "Yes?" the teacher asked.

Everybody turned to Remus. He blushed. "Well… well… I'd like to ask to start this work later, because my partner is at the Hospital Wing… can I?"

Riddle crossed his arms and said, "Well, Mr. Lupin, I thought I told you all that this work MUST be started now. Your friend is at the Hospital Wing, right? So I suppose he's Mr. Pettigrew. Well, Mr. Hopkins is late for this class, and as this class's number of students is even, I prefer to pair both the absent students together. But you can choose another partner."

Remus looked around. There wasn't anybody he really befriended here. He had always been very shy, and his only real friends were James, Sirius, Peter, and eventually, Lily.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand's touch on his shoulder. He turned around. The hand suddenly came back to its own body. It was Lucia Rossini.

"Er… well, I… well, I'd…"

"What?" he asked politely.

"Well, Lily is paired with Severus Snape, so I don't have a partner and it seems you don't, either." She said quickly "I've been wondering if we could…?" she made a gesture with her finger pointing it to herself then to Remus.

"Oh, sure," He said rather too quickly

"Great." She said in a very low voice that seemed to be pulled by force from her throat, and at the same time, trying to show an enthusiasm she already had, but couldn't show.

"Now" Riddle's voice came from a corner of the room "I'll explain the work you'll have to do."

Every head turned to him.

"Good. I suppose any of our Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers has ever taught you about curses. I suppose I need to tell you that you MUST know evil to fight against it. As I know your affection for deceased Quintus Moody, this essay will be about his death."

Everyone spoke quietly, all at once.

"Silence please." Riddle's voice imposed respect. Everybody shut their mouths. "Good. I'd like also to explain what kind of essay I'm asking you. You have to try to find out the curse that brought his death. You all know it's still unknown, so, you'll have to discover how it was done."

Lily raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"Sir, I'd like to ask you how would we discover a killing curse without killing anyone."

"Who said you won't?"

Lily gulped. Riddle's cold laughter echoed at the room. "Just kidding, kid." Lily took a deep breath in relief "You really need to find out this curse, but honestly, I don't believe any of you will succeed."

Lucius Malfoy raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Sir, if you don't think we're going to succeed, why did you ask us an essay like this?"

"First of all, Mr. Malfoy, it's not just an essay, since you'll need to prove your theory, and it needs practice. Then, I really don't think any of you will succeed because this curse is actually difficult, and…"

James cut him off. "How do you know it's difficult?"

Riddle, who was red in anger, turned to James, "Mr. Potter, you need some manner lessons? I am answering Mr. Malfoy's question, wait till I'm finished to ask yours. And before I forget, ten points from Gryffindor."

James insisted, "How do you know it's difficult?"

Riddle took a deep breath and shouted "Mr. Potter, out of class right now. And fifty points from Gryffindor."

"Excellent." James muttered to Sirius while he put his school stuff in his bag "Out of sight out of mind… don't people say it?"

"Are you telling me you were harsh to the teacher just because of seeing Lily and Snake?"

"Well… maybe…"

"I told you to get out of my class not to chat." Riddle said it, but James was already very close to the door

"Hasta la vista, baby!" James shouted, and walked through the door.

**

As James entered the corridor, Filch asked "Are you skipping class?".

"No. Riddle just sent me out."

"So I'll conduct you to the Headmaster's office."

"No need." Said James "I know the way to get there."

"I believe you must know it, actually, I'm very sure of it, by the way, I prefer to guide you there. Nothing assures me you'll go there as you're letting me."

James shrugged "As you want."

**

Riddle was very much angry with what James said… he was so obnoxious! When he studied at Hogwarts, students used to be more respectful! That 'hasta la vista, baby' thing was provoking.

Lily watched James's departure in disbelief. Then she turned to Snape. "Well, let's finish, I mean… start our job." Severus didn't answer. He acted as if James didn't exist.

"Is James always so stubborn?" Lucia asked Remus, very quietly

"Well, no… I mean yes… no, no. Actually, He didn't act this way a long time ago now… I think since…" Remus said, but Lucia cut him off "… since Lily broke up with him, wasn't it?"

Remus took a deep breath "Yes. Since they broke up."

"I know how James acted. I mean, all the school knows James. All the school knows he was changed." Lucia said "But nobody but us, the couple's friends, knew why did he change. I think maybe Lily is being more immature than she thought he was or still is. He really changed! Yet, she is not satisfied!"

"Whoa! I suppose you were her friend!"

"And I really am. That's why I always tell her how James changed, and how she's being severe to him, but she doesn't listen to me."

"Do you think… do you think she's really dating Snape?"

"Well, she isn't indeed."

"So, do you think she's in love with him?"

"I…" Lucia started saying something, but Riddle cut her off. "Time to study, not to chat."

"Sorry," the girl muttered and blushed.

**

"What do you think of Riddle?" Lily asked Lucia

"Well, I don't know. We still know too little of him to make a good judgment, but he's a little too much strict for my taste, and…"

"I think he's a good teacher" Lily cut her off "He knows how to impose respect, and this is an admirable skill."

"Moody knew it, but he wasn't…" said Lucia, who was again cut off by Lily "I liked Moody. But he didn't impose respect. He was so playful, I mean, people respected him because of their liking him, not because of his knowing to be serious like Riddle. Actually, Riddle is better as a teacher than Moody was."

This time, it was Lucia who cut Lily off "What? I mean Moody was an excellent teacher!"

"Indeed. But Riddle makes we learn. Moody was better as a friend than as teacher. I don't like Riddle as a friend, like Moody was. But as a teacher, he's just great!"

"Well, but let's talk about what we're really supposed to talk about."

Lily made an annoyed face. "And what are we supposed to talk about?"

"You know what. James."

"There's nothing to say about him," Lily said dryly and lowly.

"To be more specific, about what you've done to him."

"What did I do to him?"

"You know what, Lily. You know. You paired yourself with Severus."

"And where's the matter?"

"The matter is simply that you've done this to hurt him. Then you say he's the immature."

"Lucia. I'd rather talk about something else."

"No."

"Okay. I really wanted to be paired with Severus. And James has to learn Severus is my friend, and will always be, and…"

"I agree with you. But don't you think you should avoid hurting him?"

Lily glanced down. "Maybe. But I didn't mean it."

"You know you did."

"Maybe I did. Where's the matter? I and James don't have nothing to do with each other anymore."

"Are you saying that you and Severus… you and Severus…?" Lucia asked, tapping her mouth.

"No!" Lily almost shouted "We're only friends. James has to learn it. James has to accept it. And I won't change my whole life of befriending Severus just because James Spoiled Potter doesn't like it!"

"In fact, Lily, I wanted to know your opinion about James being gently invited to leave class by Riddle."

"He deserved it. Even after disrespecting a teacher once, he said that 'hasta la vista, baby' thing!"

"He was hurt. I think he just wanted to leave class."

"Do you really think so? Then James is even more childish than I've thought."

"Lily, he's just in love with somebody who acts coolly towards him."

Lily didn't answer.

"Do you still love him, Lily? Tell me the truth!"

"I… I… like him as a friend. Maybe I don't even like him as anything anymore."

"Okay, then. So I hope from the bottom of my heart James finds somebody who really loves him. Because loving you is kinda a mental torture to him."

"So do I." Said Lily in a sad voice, which did not appear, make her statement seem at all to be truth.

**

"Fruit Cake" said Filch to the door, which opened immediately.

"Well, I suppose I'm in now."

"Okay. I suppose you can't run away now." Said Filch, leaving the corridor.

James walked through the circular room's door.

Everything was very silent. Even though James had been there so many times, he never noticed that crystal globe which remained at a shelf near Fawkes's perch. He walked near it, when suddenly…

"Hello, James. What have you done now?" Dumbledore asked playfully and at the same time, gravely. He was half-smiling, but his voice was firm.

"Well", said James, stepping back and turning to the Headmaster "I didn't obey what a teacher asked me."

"And I guess this teacher was Riddle, aren't I right?"

"Yeah."

"And now I'm wondering what happened."

"Well, I made a question, and he seemed not to like it."

Dumbledore shook his head, twinkling. "James Potter, did you know you're the first student I talk to in a situation like this, when I am supposed to apprehend a student, as a Headmaster? I mean, those last years, I talked to you in this kinds of situations, but every time as deputy Headmaster. So I always had to give you a punishment, which I myself wouldn't give. I mean, those last years, I've been more in this outpost than Dippet himself, but I always had to accomplish his procedure, even if I didn't like it."

"I don't quite see the point."

"Maybe in a better analysis, you would. We live in a hierarchy. As I had to accomplish Dippet's procedure even when I didn't agree with it in all the points, you must accomplish your teacher's procedures."

A year ago, he would like to see my point of view, James thought, How power changes people…

**

"So, hum… where's Slimy?", James asked gravely as he saw Lily at the library.

"Don't call him Slimy," said Lily in a reproachful and quiet tone "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"Maybe running after me."

James laughed nervously "Do you think so? My dear Lily Evans, the world doesn't turn around you, and neither do I…" he said grimly and went on "… at least not anymore."

"Good."

"Yes, very good indeed."

She forced a smile.

"You know what, Lily? I'm sick of you looking at me as if you had already taken me out of your nose."

She opened her mouth to protest, but James had started to speak again "I'm also sick of you and Slimy looking at me as if I was an impediment for your so-called relationship. You know what? You want to date him, to marry him? Go on. I won't stop you."

Lily didn't answer, although she looked at him in a mix of protest and satisfaction. James was still looking into her eyes. "I'll move on, Lily. I'm sick of being always running after you. I'm sick! I won't waste all my youth after someone who doesn't even like me. I'm sick!", he shouted, "Once I thought you were my soul mate, but I was wrong. You don't even like me."

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but Madam Pince showed up near the couple and said, "This is a library, you have to be quiet!"

"Okay, I'm already leaving." Said James, still looking at Lily, and in just a moment, he turned on his heels and left the library.

**

"I saw Potter walking to where you were, Lily," said Severus, "I thought maybe I should go there and see, but I also thought I should be impertinent if I did it, so…" he wasn't looking directly at her "What did he want? Was he bothering you?"

"No," she replied in a sad whisper.

"Don't try to protect him, Lily. I can see in your eyes he didn't make you any good."

"Let's stop talking about him, please?"

"Okay."

"So," she said changing the subject "I've found those books," she pointed at a pile of thick leathery books that she had already put on the table, "They talk about curses, but I haven't ever listened about any mortal hex since we studied Salazar Slytherin."

"True. But what happened to Moody doesn't let any doubts remain of him being killed. And it wasn't any muggle artifact, you know, it wouldn't kill him. It was magic. Dark Magic."

"Indeed. But we don't know what made it happen."

"We're supposed to find out, aren't we?"

"Of course, after all, that's what we're doing here."

"And if you want to hear my opinion," said Severus, "I don't think we're ever going to find any answer to this question in a library."

Lily just glanced at him "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm telling you, Lil, that if we want to find what damn curse killed Moody, we have to know the evidence. And if even the Ministry didn't find out what made it happen, of course we can't find it in a library."

"So… what can we do?"

"I really don't know. If we could at least see his body…"

"No," said Lily promptly, "I think there isn't even a body. I think his ashes are with his son, Alastor Moody."

"Well, I don't think the Ministry would let anybody turn Quintus Moody's body, when nobody knows what or who killed its owner, into ashes. We need evidence to discover what made the murder occur."

"Severus, we know many curses that can kill. I mean, torture curses. But the information I got was that the curse that killed Quintie was specific to death. You know, torture curses are made to provoke pain, and maybe it can bring one to death. But I read in the Daily Prophet that Moody's body didn't have any mark, what makes we start from scratch. It wasn't a torture curse, or he would have many marks or he would be bleeding all over, and his body would be all black-and-blue."

"But if a real powerful wizard made it, he could easily make the marks disappear."

"Indeed, the Ministry would be able to make the marks appear again."

"Well, only if they didn't want…"

"Of course they did! Why wouldn't they?"

"Lily, you don't know even a bit of the Ministry's sins."

"And do you?"

As she said this, Snape turned his face, so he wouldn't look into her eyes. "No."

Lily Evans had known Severus Snape long enough to say when he was telling the truth and when he was not. She put her fingers on his chin and turned his face, so he could stare at her, but he closed his eyes and bent down his head. "Severus…"

"Lily, listen to me, you are way too pleased with the Magical World and I don't want to ruin it."

She shook her head and said, "I would be displeased with the Magical World if one of its members happened to be my best friend and didn't tell me a secret, for thinking I'm way too silly or that I'm way too unworthy of trust."

He raised his head and said, very calmly "I know you, Lily. I know every point of what can be called silliness in you, but you yourself can't be called silly. And…" he was looking directly at her now, "I wouldn't ever befriend someone in who I didn't have at least a hundred percent of trust."

She smiled, what made him smile too, "So tell me, Severus."

"I do trust you, Lily," he went on, "Maybe I trust you even more than I trust myself, but there are some secrets that people told me, and said to tell nobody."

"Please…" she begged with puppy eyes.

"Lily, tell me the truth," he said gravely, "You want to know the secret just to satisfy your curiosity, to fulfill your gossip supply or because you really want to know because you need to watch for yourself and for the others?"

"Er…" said Lily, "Well, I could say the last option, but it wouldn't be truth… but, Severus! How could you accuse me of such thing like the second option? You know I wouldn't tell anybody a secret of yours…"

"Well, Lily, neither can I tell anybody a secret which isn't mine. If it was, I would tell you, of course."

"But as it concerns to the Ministry, as a Magical Citizen, I have the right to know."

"You have the right to know what all the other Magical Citizens know."

"Well, you know more than I do."

"True, but still, even I wasn't supposed to."

"But you know! Ow, Severus, tell me!"

He opened his mouth, but Lily never knew what he was going to say, for Lucia showed up this exact moment calling out for her. Lily didn't know whether she would kill Lucia or just cut her fingers, but as she saw the look in her face, she gave up all the options she had. Lucia was quite terrified.

**

To be continued…

**