The Great Hall was nearly cleared out. The majority of Hogwarts' students having left to prepare themselves for their first classes of the day. It had been a week since the new school year had started. Within that week, Agnes thankfully hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of Professor Severus Snape. Well, she'd seen him, but only during meals in the Great Hall.
Agnes made her way to her office to look over her lesson plans for the day. The first couple hours of the day was her free period. Before the start of term, Agnes had specifically asked Dumbledore for such accommodations - she was not a morning person.
Agnes winced as she stepped into her overly bright classroom. The classroom was on the third floor of the castle. The sun's rays were easily able to penetrate through the windows into the room. It was times like these that Agnes remembered fondly why she had led a nocturnal lifestyle at one point. No matter; it was a night in which it was her turn for the hall patrolling. She would have all night to enjoy the darkness.
Pulling out a small stack of parchment, Agnes began reading the curriculum she had written earlier the week before. It was strange being a teacher - and at Hogwarts, no less. Though strange indeed, Agnes believed she could easily get used to it.
Agnes didn't realize she had dozed off until she was awoken from the sound of light chatter. She was thankful that she was in her office and not the classroom. She skimmed the lecture assigned for that day before going to greet the masses.
Overall, Agnes enjoyed teaching Magical Theory. It was her favorite subject as a student. Along with teaching, what Agnes thoroughly enjoyed was discipline. No, she wasn't quick to deduct points from houses, but, rather, enjoyed startling students who daydreamed or dozed off. She was quirky like that.
Now that it was time for the lesson to begin, Agnes waltzed to the front of the classroom. She smiled as the room immediately silenced.
"Good day to all of you - Ravenclaw and Slytherin sixth years."
The classroom door slammed with a wave of her hand
"Last week we all learned the basic overview of what Magical Theory is. This week, we will go over Magical Theory and how it relates to spells and magic in general."
Agnes paused to allow the students to ready their parchment and quills.
"As I have said on numerous occasions last week: knowing and understanding Magical Theory allows you to cast more advanced spells, as well as making casting easier. Since you all should already know this, don't write that down. "This week, we will be learning about the Nature of Magic.; this being a basic introduction to the complexity that is Magical Theory."
Another pause - for any of those who titled their notes. With a flick of Professor Blackwood's wand, a stick of white chalk hovered at ready to write down highlights of the lecture.
"Magic, on an elementary level, is generally predictable; a spell cast in the same exact way will behave exactly the same way every time. You wave you want, and - Rictusempra!" Professor Blackwood pointed her want to a small, unsuspecting Ravenclaw boy. The poor lad began to wiggle and writhe; simultaneously holding back fits of laughter.
"You see, class," Blackwood continued, momentarily abandoning the student to the tickling spell. "The predictability of magic suggests that if an incantation done with a specific wand movement is performed the exact same way every single time... Rictusempra, rictusempra; rictusempra!" Her wand pointed to students at random. The victims bursted with uncontrollable laughter. Blackwood yelled over the hackling, "The result will be the same; always. Finite Incantatem."
The laughter stopped. Slowly, the classroom returned to order as the students calmed and straightened themselves.
"Hopefully that example will prove to be correct to you all." Professor Blackwood smiled as all of the students nodded in silence.
"Though we find this information to be correct, magic has a rather nasty habit of contradicting itself. Magic is predictable as it is also unpredictable. I'm sure there have been times where all of you had accidentally cast a spell of some sort before your attendance at Hogwarts?"
The students nodded.
Again, the professor smiled. "Magic at its most unpredictable."
As if on a cue, it was time for the students to be on their way to their next class. "We shall cover more on the Nature of Magic tomorrow. Don't any of you dare to be late!"
The hovering stick of chalk began to make a square around the words it had not long written. Above, it wrote "Sixth Years." Moving to the right, outside of the box, Agnes read "Third Years." Skimming through her papers, she saw the third years were still on the overview of Magical Theory (their overview was much more detailed). Agnes tried to suppress a groan as she remembered this hour was paired with Gryffindor and Slytherin. How stereotypical.
The halls were their usual after-classes-everyone's-at-the-Great-Hall-quiet. It was nice, really. Instead of being at the Great Hall like everyone else, Agnes had opted to going over her lesson plans with more depth. Unfortunately, the highest year she was teaching were sixth years this term. Oh well; maybe seventh years will come around next term.
Agnes shook her head to the plan layout before her. The sixth years had only began to scratch the surface of the Nature of Magic. Not to mention that the overview week showed that they needed a more in-depth refresher course on "How Magical Theory correlates with Wizardry and Witchcraft." It'll be a month and a half, at least, before she could even consider them moving on to the Nature of Spells. Oh well. She had all school year.
Aside from an occasional fist fight threat - always between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin - the day was rather uneventful. Such a pity, really. Agnes remembered all of the mischievous events she had somehow always found herself in. She smiled at the memories. Never mind that now; Agnes had dark, empty corridors to patrol.
It must have been easily two in the morning. Agnes had even busied herself by patrolling the astronomy tower. All of Hogwarts' students were being good little boys and girls. The ones who are lucky enough to not get caught, anyway. Having found no naughty students, Agnes opted for moving her patrol to somewhere she would certainly enjoy - the dungeons. The dungeons' damp, musk smell could always be reliable in welcoming Professor Agnes Blackwood in a friendly embrace. Every turn of every corridor had Agnes' thoughts drifting down memory lane.
She remembered when, like her parents had said, the Hogwarts Attendance Invitation Owl flew into her window. She remembered going to platform 9 and 3/4 and riding the Hogwarts Express for the first time. She remembered when, like her parents had said, she was judged by her blood purity. She remembered when, like her parents had said, she was sorted into Slytherin. She remembered when, like her parents had said, she was looked down upon by the color of her Hogwarts robes. She remembered when, just like her parents, she...
Pain! Pain? Well, yes, she remembered pain, but it wasn't in her back like it is now. The pain was joined with the sensations of cold and wet. An arm pressed against her throat in a threatening manner. You're being pinned against the wall, dumbass!
Sure enough, she was. Agnes struggled against her captor as a trembling-ly smooth baritone froze her movements. "Quit your struggling and tell me anything I ask."
It was no other than Potions Master Professor Severus Snape.
"I never thought you to be so trusting, Severus! One would have suspected veritaserum would be your preferred method of interrogation."
Snape's eyes narrowed at Agnes' taunting. "I don't stoop to the low levels ones like you are accustomed to."
"Could've fooled anyon-"
"Silence!" Snape's arm pressed further into Agnes' throat. She choked in response to her gag reflex.
"Why are you here? What business do you have at Hogwarts?"
"I have my reso-" Again, Snape jostled her about, demanding silence.
"Answer me!"
"My reasons are strictly between me and the Headmaster."
Snape countered matter of factly, "You mean the Dark Lord."
Silence. Complete and uttermost silence.
Agnes stood shell shocked. Her mouth a gape, despite she being a lady and a man before her. "You have mistaken me for someone else. And just who the bloody hell do you think you are? Making such accusations! Ha, how rude! I command you to let go of me at once!"
"I believe," Snape again tightened his grip. "That you and I both know my assumptions to be correct... Blackwo-"
"Flipendo."
Snape's eyes widened as he was pushed backward against the opposite wall. He was caught off guard; for once. Agnes rubbed her collarbone as she stepped toward the Potions Master; a smile painted upon her face. Severus Snape lay bewildered and surprised in the dungeons' floor. With the tip of her black, heeled boot, Agnes pinned Snape to the floor. He hissed when the barb-like three inch heel stabbed his upper chest. Agnes slowly applied more and more pressure; slightly rotating and twisting her ankle as she did so.
"Quit your struggling and get back to your own affairs, Professor!"
Snape did nothing but glare at the woman before him. A woman who could have once been compared to Bellatrix LeStrange. A woman who could be considered dangerous. That woman was a teacher at Hogwarts.