Chapter 11- The Defense Teacher
Hermione came to the conclusion, after a month of the new school term, that Professor Winkly was the oldest man she had ever seen, very possibly older than Dumbledore. His hair consisted of a few cloudlike wisps that chose a different position on his head each day. He was stooped and shrunken just the slightest bit. Despite his age and small appearance, his presence commanded the attention of everyone in the room, even the Slytherins. And, as the students soon found out, the man knew almost *everything*.
On the first day of class, Professor Winkly told them that this year's N.E.W.T. class would be studying the essence of magic in general, which left the course open to drift in almost any direction. He said, "By the end of the year each of you will have a deep understanding of Magic itself. You cannot hope to reach your full Magical potential if you do not understand it."
After this brief introduction, he told the class about himself. He was a retired agent for the Office of Magical Defense at the Ministry. He was a pureblood, but his parents had been outcasts. Thus he had grown up in a wizard home in a Muggle city, a strange experience to be sure. He had been relieved to leave his Muggle town to go to Hogwarts, back when he was eleven. "Ah, how long ago these memories…"
He remembered going into Ollivander's and buying his wand. "Fifteen inches, pine, two hairs from the tail of a centaur. One of the strangest wands he ever made, he told me, and had been looking for its match for decades. When he told me this, I made sure to take perfect care of this wand. I still have that same wand," he said, holding it out for the class to see. "Good for Transfiguration, Defense, and innovation. Not many can boast that combination."
Hermione looked at her own wand. It was reliable, and she had done well enough with it, but she never felt that it was particularly special. Perhaps it had to…find its calling?
"Every wand is different, and I will tell you why," Professor Winkly told them. "It is one of the key aspects of the essence of Magic. Every wand is different, because every person's Magic is different. It connects almost directly to the essence of your soul. Very close. We will be exploring these essences, and the way you can bend a spell depending on your particular brand of Magic. You only have a few minutes left. I will allow you to talk quietly. Class is done."
Hermione held a quick conversation with Harry and Ron. She had some idea of what Professor Winkly was talking about, having read something very like it in "Alternate Magic". Neither of her friends had any inkling as to what Professor Winkly meant, but they were eager to learn more about it. As Hermione collected her books, she decided that Defense class would be very rewarding this year.
Professor Winkly wasted no time continuing his lesson. "Not everyone can grasp the concept of the essence of Magic," he said knowingly. "I will try to simplify it for you, as much as it can be simplified. If you could view the personalities, the morals, everything that you cannot see with a glance about a person, as colors, you would see that while some are so similar that you can barely distinguish them, no two are quite the same. This is what adds color, so to speak, to the essence of Magic. Magic alone does not have this property, but when Magic mixes with a person's essence, then it is changed to fit with it."
"This is a fact I could guarantee that not even all of your professors know. Or, they do not know they know. Sometimes, even if you know you know something, you don't really know what you think you know. Or what you know you know." At least half the class was still trying to figure out the last few sentences when Professor Winkly continued.
"It is quite an easy thing to give in to the temptations of the Dark side and begin using Dark Magic. It is most unfortunate that sometimes, Dark Magic is used unintentionally. That is the nature of Dark Magic, because it does not like being refused. It does not like it at all. When you begin to use Dark Magic, your essence changes, just slightly. The more you use it, the more pronounced the change. Someone like Voldemort, who has been using Dark Magic since his school days, is now completely warped. He is no longer, in essence, the person he used to be. He has been changed, as anyone would had they used Dark Magic for so long. He is not unique in this respect."
"It takes a great strength of will never to use Dark Magic. If you possess such a will, it is an asset to certain professions, such as Aurors. Fighting against Dark Magic takes more resistance to it than you might imagine. The reason is this: in order to fight Dark Magic effectively, you must understand it, and to understand it you must learn it. To learn it and never use it is something not everyone can do. This is why so many people fail Auror training. Many people make the mistake of thinking that Dark Magic is difficult to learn. It is true that to perform many of the spells, you must have a certain amount of power and control, but that is also true for spells of White Magic. It is not learning Dark Magic that is the challenge. It is keeping from *using* it that is hard for too many."
The bell rang then, to the dismay of the entire class. They were enthralled by Professor Winkly's lesson, having never considered any of these possibilities before. Hermione was the only one who followed along, making connections with things she had read in the past. She was taking notes with her mind. She gathered her books with the rest of the class, eager to learn more.
The next day, Professor Winkly continued as though he had never ceased. "Because of the change Dark Magic invokes in an essence, it increases the contrast with the essences of people who have never used a Dark spell before. Duels between a Dark wizard and a White wizard are therefore much more intense than between two of the same genre, especially if their sheer power is on an equal level. Their essences are so different that the spells effect the opponent in a different way. That is something I am unwilling to go into detail about, but I am sure Madame Pince has books relating to this subject."
"This is, perhaps, part of the reason that Voldemort was hit with a curse all those years ago when he tried to kill Harry Potter."
Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic smile when she saw every head in the room turn his way. He went red and sank as low into his seat as possible. She also noticed, however, that a few of the students were nodding with understanding. Professor Winkly did not embarrass Harry without purpose.
"Since we cannot bring Dark wizards into class, I cannot demonstrate this. There are, however, certain spells that do differ for each person. One is the Patronus charm, which I am told at least one of you is capable of performing. We will spend some time on this spell, observing the different forms your Patroni take. There are some other spells as well, and we will work on those during the course of the year."
"I would like you all to try to procure a copy of the book 'Alternate Magic'. It is fine if not all of you can find it, sharing books is not prohibited. This book contains some important points on the subject I was just explaining to you. Try to have it two weeks from now. That will be all for this class."
Hermione immediately wrote a note to herself, reminding her to ask her mother to send her copy of "Alternate Magic". Glancing across the table at her two friends, she noticed Harry staring at his hands and nudged Ron. He turned to her in agitation, hissing, "What?"
"Is Harry alright?"
Ron looked immediately to Harry, who continued to be oblivious of everything around him. The bell rang, startling the black-haired boy, and he began to slowly collect his books. Just as he was finishing packing them into his bag, Professor Winkly said to him, "Harry, could I speak to you for a moment?" The rest of the class filed out. Hermione hoped Harry was alright.
************************************************************************
"I apologize for bringing such attention to you," Professor Winkly said. His voice was not loud. It was never loud, but somehow seemed to spread out and fill every corner of the room. "But it was merely to prove a point, you see."
Harry shook his head. "It's all right."
"I noticed you seemed slightly uncomfortable toward the end of class."
Harry considered lying, but abandoned that notion right away. He had been rather obvious, he admitted sheepishly to himself. "Yes."
"Care to talk about it, Harry?" Professor Winkly asked with genuine concern.
Harry hesitated. This was something he had told few people. The problem, however, was more in depth this time, and all reassurances he had been given seemed to mean nothing. He plunged into an explanation before he had time to think any more.
"You said that each person's essence is different, and the wand you get relates to your essence. And some people's essences are very similar. Well, my wand…it shares its core-"
"With Voldemort's wand."
Harry stared in surprise. "Did Professor Dumbledore tell you?"
"As a matter of fact, he did, but not until after Ollivander himself told me. I go to his wand shop to have a special treatment done to my wand. I do not want to lose such a unique magical aid. You see, Harry, because of its double core, my wand is able to perform two spells at once. But we are not here to talk about my wand. Would you care to elaborate on your concerns?"
"Well, if my wand and Voldemort's wand have the same core…our essences must be similar. What does that mean for me?"
"Your essences were similar at the time when you bought your wands, it is true. But did you not listen to the rest of it? His essence has been changed by the use of so much Dark Magic. You fear you will end up like him, somehow? Let me assuage your fears. The cores of your wands are the same. However, the *combinations* for your wands are quite different. Yours is- what?"
"Holly, phoenix feather, eleven inches."
"And Voldemort's is yew, thirteen and a half inches, phoenix feather. How many things does your wand have in common with Voldemort's?"
"One…"
"You see? You are not so similar. There are certain things about your personality that are just the way Tom Riddle was. But…you are not evil. I can see it."
Harry smiled, relieved, and more reassured than he had ever felt before. "Thanks." He gathered his things to go.
"One moment, Harry. I am not mistaken when I say that you are the student who can produce a Patronus?"
"Well…some of my friends can, as well…"
"And yours is in the shape of a stag?"
"Yes."
Professor Winkly pursed his lips fleetingly. "That is all, thank you, Harry. Any time you want to talk, I am here."
"Alright, Professor. I'll remember that."
Ron was waiting not far from the door when he emerged. "What did he want to talk to you about?"
"Hmm? Oh, not much. He just wanted to know why I was…staring…at the end of class."
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth."
"Which is?"
Harry glanced quickly at the passing students. "I'll tell you later."
End Chapter 11
I know it's evil to get so far off track from Draco and Hermione for three whole chapters. Hehe. I promise chapter 12 will concentrate on them. In the meantime, you'll have to wait, and review my story.
To the people who aren't crazy about my Ron/Harry pairing: I forgot to say thank you for continuing to read my story anyway! I was planning to, but I just got sidetracked. So thank you! I appreciate the fact that you keep reading even though you don't like that aspect, and I understand why some people don't like it. Reading my story regardless is what makes me want to hug you. :)
Only one more chapter until Christmas break!! In the story, that is.
Please review, blue confetti if you do.
Hermione came to the conclusion, after a month of the new school term, that Professor Winkly was the oldest man she had ever seen, very possibly older than Dumbledore. His hair consisted of a few cloudlike wisps that chose a different position on his head each day. He was stooped and shrunken just the slightest bit. Despite his age and small appearance, his presence commanded the attention of everyone in the room, even the Slytherins. And, as the students soon found out, the man knew almost *everything*.
On the first day of class, Professor Winkly told them that this year's N.E.W.T. class would be studying the essence of magic in general, which left the course open to drift in almost any direction. He said, "By the end of the year each of you will have a deep understanding of Magic itself. You cannot hope to reach your full Magical potential if you do not understand it."
After this brief introduction, he told the class about himself. He was a retired agent for the Office of Magical Defense at the Ministry. He was a pureblood, but his parents had been outcasts. Thus he had grown up in a wizard home in a Muggle city, a strange experience to be sure. He had been relieved to leave his Muggle town to go to Hogwarts, back when he was eleven. "Ah, how long ago these memories…"
He remembered going into Ollivander's and buying his wand. "Fifteen inches, pine, two hairs from the tail of a centaur. One of the strangest wands he ever made, he told me, and had been looking for its match for decades. When he told me this, I made sure to take perfect care of this wand. I still have that same wand," he said, holding it out for the class to see. "Good for Transfiguration, Defense, and innovation. Not many can boast that combination."
Hermione looked at her own wand. It was reliable, and she had done well enough with it, but she never felt that it was particularly special. Perhaps it had to…find its calling?
"Every wand is different, and I will tell you why," Professor Winkly told them. "It is one of the key aspects of the essence of Magic. Every wand is different, because every person's Magic is different. It connects almost directly to the essence of your soul. Very close. We will be exploring these essences, and the way you can bend a spell depending on your particular brand of Magic. You only have a few minutes left. I will allow you to talk quietly. Class is done."
Hermione held a quick conversation with Harry and Ron. She had some idea of what Professor Winkly was talking about, having read something very like it in "Alternate Magic". Neither of her friends had any inkling as to what Professor Winkly meant, but they were eager to learn more about it. As Hermione collected her books, she decided that Defense class would be very rewarding this year.
Professor Winkly wasted no time continuing his lesson. "Not everyone can grasp the concept of the essence of Magic," he said knowingly. "I will try to simplify it for you, as much as it can be simplified. If you could view the personalities, the morals, everything that you cannot see with a glance about a person, as colors, you would see that while some are so similar that you can barely distinguish them, no two are quite the same. This is what adds color, so to speak, to the essence of Magic. Magic alone does not have this property, but when Magic mixes with a person's essence, then it is changed to fit with it."
"This is a fact I could guarantee that not even all of your professors know. Or, they do not know they know. Sometimes, even if you know you know something, you don't really know what you think you know. Or what you know you know." At least half the class was still trying to figure out the last few sentences when Professor Winkly continued.
"It is quite an easy thing to give in to the temptations of the Dark side and begin using Dark Magic. It is most unfortunate that sometimes, Dark Magic is used unintentionally. That is the nature of Dark Magic, because it does not like being refused. It does not like it at all. When you begin to use Dark Magic, your essence changes, just slightly. The more you use it, the more pronounced the change. Someone like Voldemort, who has been using Dark Magic since his school days, is now completely warped. He is no longer, in essence, the person he used to be. He has been changed, as anyone would had they used Dark Magic for so long. He is not unique in this respect."
"It takes a great strength of will never to use Dark Magic. If you possess such a will, it is an asset to certain professions, such as Aurors. Fighting against Dark Magic takes more resistance to it than you might imagine. The reason is this: in order to fight Dark Magic effectively, you must understand it, and to understand it you must learn it. To learn it and never use it is something not everyone can do. This is why so many people fail Auror training. Many people make the mistake of thinking that Dark Magic is difficult to learn. It is true that to perform many of the spells, you must have a certain amount of power and control, but that is also true for spells of White Magic. It is not learning Dark Magic that is the challenge. It is keeping from *using* it that is hard for too many."
The bell rang then, to the dismay of the entire class. They were enthralled by Professor Winkly's lesson, having never considered any of these possibilities before. Hermione was the only one who followed along, making connections with things she had read in the past. She was taking notes with her mind. She gathered her books with the rest of the class, eager to learn more.
The next day, Professor Winkly continued as though he had never ceased. "Because of the change Dark Magic invokes in an essence, it increases the contrast with the essences of people who have never used a Dark spell before. Duels between a Dark wizard and a White wizard are therefore much more intense than between two of the same genre, especially if their sheer power is on an equal level. Their essences are so different that the spells effect the opponent in a different way. That is something I am unwilling to go into detail about, but I am sure Madame Pince has books relating to this subject."
"This is, perhaps, part of the reason that Voldemort was hit with a curse all those years ago when he tried to kill Harry Potter."
Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic smile when she saw every head in the room turn his way. He went red and sank as low into his seat as possible. She also noticed, however, that a few of the students were nodding with understanding. Professor Winkly did not embarrass Harry without purpose.
"Since we cannot bring Dark wizards into class, I cannot demonstrate this. There are, however, certain spells that do differ for each person. One is the Patronus charm, which I am told at least one of you is capable of performing. We will spend some time on this spell, observing the different forms your Patroni take. There are some other spells as well, and we will work on those during the course of the year."
"I would like you all to try to procure a copy of the book 'Alternate Magic'. It is fine if not all of you can find it, sharing books is not prohibited. This book contains some important points on the subject I was just explaining to you. Try to have it two weeks from now. That will be all for this class."
Hermione immediately wrote a note to herself, reminding her to ask her mother to send her copy of "Alternate Magic". Glancing across the table at her two friends, she noticed Harry staring at his hands and nudged Ron. He turned to her in agitation, hissing, "What?"
"Is Harry alright?"
Ron looked immediately to Harry, who continued to be oblivious of everything around him. The bell rang, startling the black-haired boy, and he began to slowly collect his books. Just as he was finishing packing them into his bag, Professor Winkly said to him, "Harry, could I speak to you for a moment?" The rest of the class filed out. Hermione hoped Harry was alright.
************************************************************************
"I apologize for bringing such attention to you," Professor Winkly said. His voice was not loud. It was never loud, but somehow seemed to spread out and fill every corner of the room. "But it was merely to prove a point, you see."
Harry shook his head. "It's all right."
"I noticed you seemed slightly uncomfortable toward the end of class."
Harry considered lying, but abandoned that notion right away. He had been rather obvious, he admitted sheepishly to himself. "Yes."
"Care to talk about it, Harry?" Professor Winkly asked with genuine concern.
Harry hesitated. This was something he had told few people. The problem, however, was more in depth this time, and all reassurances he had been given seemed to mean nothing. He plunged into an explanation before he had time to think any more.
"You said that each person's essence is different, and the wand you get relates to your essence. And some people's essences are very similar. Well, my wand…it shares its core-"
"With Voldemort's wand."
Harry stared in surprise. "Did Professor Dumbledore tell you?"
"As a matter of fact, he did, but not until after Ollivander himself told me. I go to his wand shop to have a special treatment done to my wand. I do not want to lose such a unique magical aid. You see, Harry, because of its double core, my wand is able to perform two spells at once. But we are not here to talk about my wand. Would you care to elaborate on your concerns?"
"Well, if my wand and Voldemort's wand have the same core…our essences must be similar. What does that mean for me?"
"Your essences were similar at the time when you bought your wands, it is true. But did you not listen to the rest of it? His essence has been changed by the use of so much Dark Magic. You fear you will end up like him, somehow? Let me assuage your fears. The cores of your wands are the same. However, the *combinations* for your wands are quite different. Yours is- what?"
"Holly, phoenix feather, eleven inches."
"And Voldemort's is yew, thirteen and a half inches, phoenix feather. How many things does your wand have in common with Voldemort's?"
"One…"
"You see? You are not so similar. There are certain things about your personality that are just the way Tom Riddle was. But…you are not evil. I can see it."
Harry smiled, relieved, and more reassured than he had ever felt before. "Thanks." He gathered his things to go.
"One moment, Harry. I am not mistaken when I say that you are the student who can produce a Patronus?"
"Well…some of my friends can, as well…"
"And yours is in the shape of a stag?"
"Yes."
Professor Winkly pursed his lips fleetingly. "That is all, thank you, Harry. Any time you want to talk, I am here."
"Alright, Professor. I'll remember that."
Ron was waiting not far from the door when he emerged. "What did he want to talk to you about?"
"Hmm? Oh, not much. He just wanted to know why I was…staring…at the end of class."
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth."
"Which is?"
Harry glanced quickly at the passing students. "I'll tell you later."
End Chapter 11
I know it's evil to get so far off track from Draco and Hermione for three whole chapters. Hehe. I promise chapter 12 will concentrate on them. In the meantime, you'll have to wait, and review my story.
To the people who aren't crazy about my Ron/Harry pairing: I forgot to say thank you for continuing to read my story anyway! I was planning to, but I just got sidetracked. So thank you! I appreciate the fact that you keep reading even though you don't like that aspect, and I understand why some people don't like it. Reading my story regardless is what makes me want to hug you. :)
Only one more chapter until Christmas break!! In the story, that is.
Please review, blue confetti if you do.