Chapter Five

Duels and Challenges

Jennifer tapped her fingers expectantly as she waited for everyone to put their wands on the rack. Large grey hands extended from the rack, reaching out and grasping each wand the moment they came in contact with them.

"Don't worry, the rack is made so you can't take claim any wand but your own, and I suggest no one try," Jennifer recommended, leaning on the top of the rack.

"Now, until everyone here learns the basics, all wands will be turned in at the beginning of session. You'll then pick up a practice wand… there are plenty so you can try to match the same size as your own… then Professor Snape will run through your strike and block forms. Afterwards, we will call off two pairs at a time who may then get their regular wands for five minute rounds. If you are third year or less, you may only use the spells covered in here during your duel. Older students, if I even see a passing thought about using a dark spell, you'll be benched for the day. Anyone actually casting one, or any other spell either Professor Snape or I determine to be off limits, you'll get kicked out of the club, lose points, and face possible disciplinary action. Anyone caught attempting to duel outside this room without supervision will get kicked out, lose points, and face some sort of disciplinary action. This is a very serious sport, and if either of us find you taking it lightly or fooling around you'll be benched for the day. Now, are we all clear?" Jennifer said, looking into each and every face. Ron and Harry looked at one another. They'd not heard Craw quite like this before. The room stayed silent. "All yours, Professor Snape."

Jennifer quickly headed for the back lines as the students lined up in house rows, with the first years up front and seventh in the back, as he began showing them basic strikes and cross-wand blocks.

"Keep holding your wand that way, Weasley. You'll find it on the floor before you even start," Snape snapped. "Seamus, you call that a stance? Well, don't just stand there, fix it! Not too bad, Malfoy."

In the back, Jennifer quietly but very firmly pushed students' legs in place and straightened elbows, not letting anyone slide. She was actually hardest on Harry and Ron, having admitted to herself the possibility that they were more likely to have to use it as anyone. Severus seemed to be the hardest on Neville Longbottom, whom Jennifer was even surprised to see there. Of all her students, she'd thought him the least likely to want to duel, especially with the club led by Snape whom everyone knew he was afraid of.

At last they finished the basic drills and started with paired duels, sorting by year. Jennifer kept stopping her groups, correcting things, and sometimes was forced to bench quite a number of them before time was up, especially the older students. Severus was a tad more lenient, letting them go at it quite a lot longer despite being a little more verbal. He did end up quickly benching Potter, who gave Jennifer a pleading look. Jennifer jerked her head to the side, motioning him towards the bench. She wasn't about to try and overrule Severus.

At last all the groups were done, and Malfoy asked Snape about a demonstration between he and Jennifer. Jennifer, however, noticed the time, which was long past the two hours set aside for the club and released them, ignoring Malfoy's smug look so openly displaying his belief in that she was afraid of dueling the other professor. Jennifer gave a warm, encouraging smile to Neville, Ron, and Harry, who all seemed a bit discouraged by their first lesson. Oh well, she thought to herself, they may live to thank us one day. She looked over at Severus, who was regarding her thoughtfully from across the room.

"That went pretty well," Jennifer said. "You're not a bad teacher, even if you do bellow a lot."

"Where did you learn all that?" Severus asked her almost accusingly. "I wasn't expecting you to be an expert dueler. I thought they discouraged this sort of thing at that light magic prep school you went to."

"Father taught me," she admitted, "after we left London. We trained twelve hours a day since we left. Just in case," she smiled weakly, walking out of the room. Not that any of it had helped her when it came to the real thing, she thought bitterly, he'd not taught her how to deal magic out with a Cruciatus Curse on her.

Friday arrived and Jennifer welcomed her sixth-year class warmly only to be met by some icy stares from Slytherin house. Harry and Hermione entered and glared at Malfoy and Crabbe, who broke into mysterious smiles. Ron ran in just before she called class to order, roughed up and smelling like a hundred skunks. The class started complaining immediately. Jennifer quickly zapped Ron with a de-fumigation spell and the class settled down. Pondering if she should get involved, Jennifer decided to leave it unless he came directly to her about it. It was a little too early in the year to start jumping in all ready.

"Well! That's one sure way to wake the senses," Jennifer said cheerfully. "Welcome back to Defense against the Dark Arts. This year we'll be getting into more advanced curses and countercurses, as well as taking a look at deception spells, manipulation spells, cursed items, and hopefully spend a couple days looking at legal justice as well."

"But what does that have to do with Defense against the Dark Arts?" Malfoy asked.

"Just about everything, Mr. Malfoy," Jennifer smiled thinly, "because Defense isn't just a one on one commitment, it's a community commitment to keep those who abuse them off the streets. Therefore, we're going to talk about law, corruption, evidence and witness tampering, and how these things affect overall community defense against the dark arts. But that is later on in the term. Today, we're just going to review some of the curses we went over last year to make sure we all remember where we were. How about we start with the Dementia spell?"

After class, Hermione came up with one of her books marked wanting to talk with Jennifer, but waited until the last of the students left the room before turning to her.

"What is it Hermione? Want more extra credit?" Jennifer asked with a grin.

"There's something I don't understand about… you know, what happened last year," she said, opening her book.

"A lot of things happened last year," Jennifer said dryly.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of reading about Cosmic Sleep," she began. Jennifer immediately started gathering her books. "And I found this book written on the spell and how many other ways wizards have tried to cure it…"

"Goodbye, Hermione."

"But Professor, if there was a new cure, how come you didn't mention it today? In fact, I noticed it was the only spell from last year we didn't touch on. I mean, if there is another valid countercurse for the spell other than the kiss from a Cosmic Match, why can't we even learn the theory behind it?"

"Goodbye, Miss Granger," Jennifer warned her. Hermione frowned in a way that made Jennifer think she wasn't going to drop the subject as she walked up the hall.

"Problem?" said a soft voice behind her, causing her to jump. Severus had come up just as Jennifer was glaring at Hermione to make her continue down the hall and was standing quietly beside the door.

"No… not yet, anyhow," Jennifer answered, looking over at him. "I need to go to the Alley. Hagrid was on the way down there this afternoon, so I thought I'd go down with him. Do you need anything?"

"Which Alley?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"Er… both." Jennifer admitted, then looked back at him as if daring him to say no. "I need to get a few cursed items for my Defense class." Finally Severus sighed.

"All right. Fine. But check in after you get back," he said quietly, scribbling a couple things down and handing it to her.

She met up with Hagrid at his house and they Apparated to the pub, receiving plenty of greetings as they entered the Leaky Cauldron, and received several, "Welcome back, Professors!" from the crowd.

Ever since she had lead a herd of unicorns against an army of Dementors last year she had been treated like a celebrity, something that rather embarrassed Jennifer. Still, it was kind of nice to be greeted so warmly everywhere she went. After a quick drink, Hagrid and Jennifer headed to Gringotts Bank then over to the Apothecary. Hagrid snuck off to Eeylops as she filled the orders, and then met up with him again, picking up a few odds and ends before they headed down to Knockturn Alley and into Borgin and Burkes. Jennifer turned back at Hagrid, who was standing close by the door, shifting his weight.

"What's the matter with you? It's just a shop," she said, opening the door.

"Not one tha' I'd be figurin' you'd go inta'."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid," Jennifer sighed, walking in, and immediately getting interested in a set of cursed lockets. Mr. Borgin came into view, eyeing her suspiciously.

"May I help you with something, madam?"

"Jennifer Craw, just looking for some simple cursed pieces for my classes… wow, is this a real cursed mummy wrap?" Jennifer was actually quite overwhelmed with the amount of merchandise, the pawnshop thick from ceiling to floor with dark magic and cursed items. Hagrid stuck close to the door as Borgin showed her a few things off one of the tables.

She knew she definitely wanted the cursed pen set, which made the victim write down a crime and then commit it, but she couldn't decide if she wanted to get the bone knife or the comb set.

"Not the comb set, I think, we covered more Sleeping Death curses than I care to remember already," she snorted. "And the bone knife might be a tad too dangerous in a demonstration. What have you got in cursed jewelry?" At last she picked out a nice ring that made you pickpocket things without knowing it, and a book that put you in a trance if you tried to read it.

"It's startin' ta get late," Hagrid pointed out.

"Okay, okay," Jennifer said, and haggled out her items. They were fairly expensive, but she was expecting that, for it was pretty common for such things to be overpriced. Taking out her Puzzlebox she put the items in and put it back in her pack. "All done, Hagrid. Shall I buy you another drink before we head out?" she offered, opening the door.

"Sure, why not, doubt they'd be 'xpectin us yet," he said as they left.

"Hagrid, you just said it was getting late," she teased him as they turned to walk up the twisting alley connecting them.

"Ya don' wann' be caught hangin' round here at dusk, do ya?" Hagrid said almost protectively.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and turned to look at him, jostling someone as she passed. As she turned to apologize, she noticed who it was, and immediately felt for her wand.

It was Lucius Malfoy.