All Minerva wanted was to have a single day in Hogwarts without some kind of drama taking place. Just one day of blissful monotony. She should have known better.
John caught up with her as she took her usual shortcut through the Quad on her way to breakfast the next morning. He gently bumped their shoulders together and gave her his dazzling smile.
"Morning, Minnie," he said brightly. "You're looking lovely, as always."
"Good morning, Professor Constantine," she stressed the words as a gentle reminder to him that he ought to greet her with the same title. She cast a furtive glance at his appearance, which remained slightly disheveled despite his best efforts to look more presentable. For some reason, he still wore a Muggle suit and tie while his robes hung loosely over his shoulders. He had his hands stuffed deep into his pockets as he sauntered alongside her, his one step matching two of her own.
"I see you've taken the time to shave and get a haircut," she noted lightly.
"You noticed?" he asked, sounding pleased. He ran a hand over his smooth cheek and across his chin. His sandy-blonde hair was now styled in a neat crew-cut which Minerva thought he suited better than the straggly mess she'd seen the previous evening. As though reading her mind, he replied, "I figured I ought to have a more 'professional' hairstyle, now that I'm a professor and all. I thought I suited the long hair though, looked a bit like Sid Vicious."
"I don't know who that is, but he sounds wholly unpleasant," she muttered. John nodded.
"Yeah, he's a right knobhead," he agreed. "I met him a couple years back when I was gigging with my band around the North East."
Minerva's eyes widened with surprise, "You were in a band?"
"I surely was," he replied proudly, puffing up his chest. "Me and my mate Gary wrote all the songs. I was the lead singer and he was the lead guitarist."
"I never took you for a singer," she replied thoughtfully. "You should speak to Professor Flitwick if you're interested in music. He took over from Professor Aldridge as Frog Choir Master when she retired a couple of years ago."
John, however, didn't look particularly keen, "Ehh, maybe not. The music our band played isn't exactly compatible with the Frog Choir."
"What genre of music did you play?" she asked interestedly.
"Punk rock."
Minerva snorted, "I should have known."
"Oi, don't knock it 'til you try it. I can sing you a couple of our old songs sometime if you like," he offered, bumping their shoulders together again. Minerva tried to suppress the smile teasing the corner of her lips. It annoyed her how much she enjoyed his company.
"Perhaps," she replied noncommittally. "So, what was the name of your band?"
"Mucous Membrane."
"I beg your pardon?" she spluttered. John sniggered.
"We thought it was a cool name," he replied innocently. "I thought The Sex Pistols sounded better, but some bugger beat me to it and Mucous Membrane was the next best thing."
"Sounds like something Professor Sprout would find in her greenhouse," she mused. Minerva frowned as she heard a commotion coming from the direction of the Clocktower Courtyard, then stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the familiar voice of James Potter, resident mischief-maker, shouting and laughing loudly.
"What's the matter?" asked John. Without explanation, Minerva turned on her heel and hurried back in the direction of the Courtyard. What in Merlin's beard was that boy up to now?
Before she even reached the Courtyard, the shouts of laughter had changed into yells of anger and an explosion as loud as a cannon rang out through the narrow stone corridors. Minerva drew her wand and broke out into a run. Whatever was going on, it didn't sound good.
She turned the corner into the Courtyard and gaped at the chaotic scene before her. A large group of students stood in a circle, surrounding two people as a fireworks display of jinxes and counter-curses flew through the air. Minerva pushed her way to the front of the mob and saw to no surprise, James Potter and Severus Snape at the centre of the chaos, circling each other menacingly but warily. The hem of James' robes were badly singed but he was laughing as he threw another curse at Severus, who only just managed to block it but staggered back a little at the sheer force of the spell.
Minerva shouted for the boys to stop this at once, but her voice was drowned out by the loud jeers and shouts of encouragement from the expectant crowd. Severus roughly wiped his bloody lip with the sleeve of his threadbare robes, his expression one of abject fury. He raised his wand to send another curse but was suddenly thrown into the air and landed hard on the ground, winded. At the same time, James was blasted off of his feet and thrown in the opposite direction, skidding across the wet ground. The jeers of the crowd quickly died away as Minerva stepped into the centre of the circle, her wand drawn.
"That is quite enough from both of you!" she shouted at the boys. She turned and glared at the lingering crowd of students, "Don't you all have classes to attend?"
The students took that as their cue to leave and quickly dispersed, leaving Severus and James to deal with the fuming Transfiguration professor on their own. John stood to the side, watching the scene unfold with interest, but he didn't intervene. Minerva pulled James to his feet and glowered at him.
"I expected better from you, Mr. Potter..."
"He started it, Professor!" James shouted, pointing accusingly at Severus who was struggling to his feet and brushing the dirt off of his old robes.
"I don't care who started it. Even if Mr. Snape did instigate the fight, you shouldn't have retaliated," she countered. "Duelling is only permitted in the duelling club and during class demonstrations."
"But-"
"I don't want to hear it!" she snapped. "Detention, Mr. Potter. You too, Mr. Snape. And don't roll your eyes at me, unless you want an extra week added onto your detention..."
After Minerva had read both boys the riot act and sent them on their way, she marched over to where John stood waiting for her.
"Honestly," she huffed. "Those boys can't go a single day without their 'wands at dawn' routine."
"I take that they don't get on that well?" asked John interestedly as they continued to walk towards the Great Hall. Minerva gave a humourless laugh.
"That is putting it mildly," she said grimly. "Snape has always been at loggerheads with Potter and his friends. They're almost as badly behaved as you were at school."
"Almost?" he teased.
"You have an impressive history of misdeeds under your belt," she acknowledged. "Not that that's anything to be proud of."
As they approached the teacher's seating area in the Great Hall, John rushed forward and pulled a chair out for Minerva. She rolled her eyes at the gesture but took the seat nonetheless.
"Thank you, Professor Constantine," she said politely.
"Merlin, when are you going to start calling me John?" he groaned, flopping into the seat next to her.
"When are you going to stop calling me Minnie?" she countered lightly. He smiled mischievously.
"Never," he declared. They chatted a little more about John's brief stint as lead singer of an unsuccessful punk rock band while they ate breakfast. But when Minerva inquired as to why the band had broken up, John's smile had faltered and he had quickly steered the subject elsewhere.
"So, you're still coming by my office today?" he asked as they left the Great Hall to take the first lessons of the day.
"I'll be there," she confirmed, pausing at the foot of the Grand Staircase. "Three o'clock sharp."
"It's a date, then!" he said loudly, sprinting up the stairs before she could answer him. He said it so loudly that a few students turned in their direction. Minerva blushed and shouted after him.
"It is not a date!"
John waved her off as he hurried up the Grand Staircase towards his classroom. Minerva watched him as he left, musing about his little jokes about going on dates with her, his comments about her appearance...the thought fleetingly crossed her mind that John had been flirting with her. She immediately chastised herself for even allowing such a foolish thought to enter her head in the first place. John was flirty, certainly. But was he flirting with her specifically? No. It was just in his nature to charm anyone he came across.
It was just one more thing to add to the ever-growing list of reasons not to like him, she reasoned. But if she didn't like him so much, why was she spending so much of her free time with him? Dumbledore had asked her to keep tabs on John's progress, but she certainly didn't need to be looking in on his lessons or spend mealtimes together...
Giggling shook her from her revery and her sharp gaze fell on three Gryffindor students staring after John as he strode up the staircase two steps at a time. Minerva's eyes narrowed and she stalked over to the trio.
"Ms. McKinnon," she said sharply and the laughter immediately died. The short redheaded girl looked up guiltily at Minerva.
"Yes, Professor?" she replied in a small voice.
"Don't you think it was time you girls got to class?" Minerva suggested lightly, but her expression remained stern. Marlene McKinnon blushed and nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Professor."
"Well?" said Minerva expectantly, inclining her head. "Get going, then!"
The three girls scurried away in the direction of the dungeons, sniggering behind their hands. Minerva shook her head at them. John was popular with the girls - and quite a few boys - during his school days. It came as no surprise that students would develop crushes on him. She sighed heavily and stalked towards her own classroom. The only thing more dangerous and unpredictable than John Constantine was an infatuated schoolgirl. She'd best warn him to keep an eye out for chocolate gifts laced with love potion...
Minerva slinked up to John's classroom just before three o'clock. She didn't normally walk around Hogwarts in her cat-form during school hours, but she didn't want to be too much a distraction during his lesson. The class of sixth-year students stood waiting for their new professor to arrive. When John turned up at three o'clock on the dot, he held the door open for the students and they began slowly filing into the classroom. Minerva snuck in just as John was about to close the door, brushing her tail against his leg to let him know she was there. He glanced down, surprised as the furry tail wrapped around his ankle and chuckled as she slipped unseen by anyone else under a desk at the back of the classroom, making herself comfortable for whatever show John had promised her.
As the students chatted and took their seats, John sauntered to the front of the class. Turning the face the students, they fell silent and he smiled.
"Good afternoon, class," he greeted them brightly.
"Good afternoon, Professor Constantine," the class replied in slow unison.
"What year are you lot in?" he asked. Minerva whipped her tail irritably - he should know this already. Merlin, he was as unorganised as he was arrogant...
A hand immediately shot into the air and Lily Evans spoke.
"We're sixth years, sir," she replied. "Gryffindors and Slytherins."
"Slytherins," he repeated, nodding in approval. "My old house. I'll be expecting you lot to do your best in this class."
Sirius Black, sitting in the back of the class with his friends, tsked disapprovingly and slumped low in his chair, looking irritable. Severus Snape, seated at the very front of the classroom, sat up a little straighter in his chair, listening intently. John began to pace back and forth in front of the students, treading on a threadbare rug that lay in front of his desk.
"So from what I gather you've covered the basics," he began. "Your first three years of lessons should have taught you basic defence techniques against natural disasters and dark creatures which survive principally by attacking humans. Latterly, your professors should have concentrated on teaching you more complex counter-curses as well as beginning to teach you how to cast wordless and for some, wandless spells. Does that sound about right?"
A murmur of agreement rippled throughout the classroom. John nodded before continuing, "Very good. Well, today we're going to do something a bit different. I'm going to introduce you to a branch of magic that most of you will be unfamiliar with - magic that your parents and most of your teachers don't know much about, either. It is an ancient branch of magic, very powerful, and extremely dangerous."
At those words, Sirius and his friends stopped passing notes to each other and began to pay attention. Severus leaned forward a little, soaking up every word that John said. Lily Evans scowled and crossed her arms, but listened closely. John came to a standstill and scanned the classroom with interest.
"Before I tell you any more about the magic we'll be learning this year, I'd like to give you a little demonstration of the spells in practice. I will need some volunteers," he said. He smirked as Sirius and James' hands shot straight into the air. He beckoned them to come to the front of the class and told them to stand next to each other on the far right of the classroom. "What's your names, lads?"
"James Potter, sir."
"Sirius Black."
"Black?" John asked interestedly. "Are you related to the Black sisters, by any chance?"
Sirius scowled and replied, "They're my cousins...sir."
"Andromeda was in my year at school," he explained. His eyes fell on the maroon tie around Sirius' neck, "And you're a Gryffindor?"
"That's right," Sirius lifted his head up proudly. "First in my family."
"A veritable black sheep," he joked. "Well, I'm going to have you and Potter here engage in a little duel if you're up for it?" Sirius and James drew their wands in unison and John sniggered, "I'll take that as a yes, then."
Turning back to the students he said, "I need one more volunteer for my demonstration."
Fewer people raised their hands this time. Minerva supposed the prospect of facing off against Potter and Black wasn't all that appealing. John's gaze fell on Severus who still had his hand raised.
"You," he said. "What's your name?"
"Severus Snape, sir," he replied confidently. John smiled at him and asked him to stand on the threadbare rug in the centre of the room in front of the class, facing James and Sirius. John sat on top of Severus' desk, looking excitable. Two against one? thought Minerva. She retracted her claws and growled - she didn't like where this was going.
"Wands at the ready, face each other, bow and take positions," John instructed. The boys glowered at each other and drew their wands, only giving the slightest of nods to each other. "On the count of three, cast your charms. One...two...three...go!"
"Levicorpus!"
Green light burst from the wands as all three boys shouted the same spell in unison. James and Sirius' spell hurtled towards Severus, but just as the stream of light was about to hit him square in the chest, the spells rebounded back towards the two Gryffindors. James and Sirius yelled in surprise and anger as they were suddenly flipped upside down and suspended in mid-air. It was as though an invisible hook had hoisted them up by the ankle. The classroom erupted into laughter as Sirius and James flailed helplessly, their robes falling over their faces. Severus looked genuinely shocked at what had happened and looked towards John for instruction. John, however, just laughed and hopped off of the desk. He swished his wand through the air and James and Sirius landed in an undignified heap on the ground.
"Very good, lads! Very good, indeed," he said appraisingly, helping James and Sirius to their feet. "The three of you can sit back down now..."
James and Sirius stalked back to their seats at the back of the classroom, looking mutinous, while Severus slipped back into his chair in the front row, looking immensely pleased with himself. John turned to face the class again.
"That was rather unexpected, wasn't it?" he said jokingly. "So, does anyone have any idea what caused James and Sirius' spells to rebound?"
For a few moments nobody raised their hand, then Remus Lupin carefully lifted his into the air. John pointed to him, "Yes?"
"Sir, it looked as though a protection shield was in place. But Snape didn't cast a shield charm. Unless you did without us realising..."
"I did not," John confirmed. "I'll show you what happened. Here..."
He threw back the threadbare rug to reveal a large white circle chalked onto the wooden floor with various symbols drawn around the edges, a large pentagram adorning the centre. Minerva and the students at the back of the class strained their necks to get a better look at the mysterious sigil. John carelessly tossed the rug to the side of the classroom and looked apologetically at Sirius and James.
"I owe you two an apology," he said, although he didn't sound sorry in the slightest. "There was no way your hex would have struck Severus while he was standing in this protective circle. I thought a practical demonstration was the best way to prove that. Now, protection circles have other useful applications. Watch closely - and whatever happens, don't panic."
Minerva's hair stood on end at those words. This sounded ominous.
John approached the edge of the circle with his wand drawn. He closed his eyes and traced his wand in a wide circle through the air as he began to mutter an incantation, "Helon...Taul...Varf...Heon...Homonorium...Clemiach...Serucleth...Agla...Norfulthing, I awaken you."
Some students yelped as a ball of purple fire burst into life in the centre of the protective circle. Minerva's eyes widened in shock. What was John playing at?
"It's alright," John shouted over the cries of protest from the alarmed students. "You're perfectly safe. Tetremmaton...Tasoly,..Osurmy...Dermusan...Norfulthing, attend me now."
Suddenly, an enormous white dog erupted from the fire, landing gracefully on its huge, powerful paws. Its wild black eyes quickly fixed on John and it snarled, its coarse snow-white hair standing on end. Without warning it lept through the air towards John, its mouth stretched wide open, ready to kill. Its movement was so fast that the students, not even Minerva, had time to react. They could only scream...
CRUNCH.
The great beast only got as far as the edge of the protection circle before it hit an invisible barrier, head first. The dog bounced off of the barrier like it was a brick wall and yelped pitifully as it slid to the floor, dazed but no less angry. Several of the students had left their seats and fled to the back of the classroom, looking terrified. Severus, paralyzed by fear, had remained seated at his desk in the front row. His dark eyes wide with terror were fixed on the terrible beast as it stalked the circle back and forth, snarling and snapping its jaws angrily. John, however, watched the dog with an almost bored expression. It was nothing he hadn't seen a hundred times before.
"As you can see, protection circles aren't only excellent at repelling dark magic. They're pretty effective at keeping dark magic contained," he said loudly over the dog's growls and barks. John approached the edge of the circle again and pointed his wand at the snarling beast.
"Akasha, mi geill mo prana ri sibh."
The dog's black eyes widened with fear and it howled as purple flames erupted over its whole body, consuming it entirely, and within seconds the beast was gone. A stunned silence followed this terrifying demonstration. John turned back towards his students and smiled.
"So, would anyone like to hazard a guess at what my specialism is?" he asked brightly. His demeanor was of someone who had merely asked his students to answer a simple arithmancy question, the fact that he had just summoned and dispelled a demonic canine within the last few minutes seemingly all but forgotten. Most of the students were too stunned to respond, still trying to process what they had just seen. Lily tentatively lifted her hand into the air, "I um...I think you're an occultist, sir."
"Correct," he nodded curtly. "And did you recognise that creature I just summoned?"
"No sir," she said, shaking her head. "But...was it a demon?"
John looked impressed, "It was indeed. A rather unpleasant fellow called Norfulthing. He's actually an old friend of mine - you saw how pleased he was to see me, again. Not many wizards are familiar with the concept of demons these days, eh...sorry, what's your name?"
"Lily Evans, sir."
"Lily, you wouldn't happen to be Muggle-born would you?"
"I am," she replied with a note of defiance in her voice. She quickly drew Severus a scathing look before her eyes darted back to the professor.
"I thought so," said John, nodding slowly. "Occultism is an ancient branch of magic that, interestingly, has remained a pervasive subculture amongst some Muggle communities, even as the Wizarding community has forgotten much of the practices and rituals. I first became interested in the occult as a child growing up in a Muggle town-"
"You're Muggle-born too, sir?" Lily cut in. John turned to face her again but he didn't look annoyed at the interruption.
"I am," he confirmed. "You look surprised by that."
Lily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "I thought...you said you were Slytherin, so I assumed..."
"That I was a pureblood?" he finished. Lily nodded. John proceeded to slowly pace back and forth in front of the students, "Severus, what are the common traits that Slytherins are said to possess?"
Severus looked startled at being addressed, his gaze still fixed on the circle where the giant dog had stood moments before, "Um...resourcefulness, ambition, cunning-"
"Being slimy gits," muttered James, too quiet for John to hear him.
"Is there any mention of needing to be a pureblood to be accepted into Slytherin house?" asked John. Severus shook his head.
"No, sir."
"Although Slytherin is famed as the house of purebloods, being pureblood isn't a prerequisite," John explained. "Muggle-borns aren't often placed in Slytherin, but it's not unheard of. There are plenty half-bloods there too, although I acknowledge that there is a reluctance amongst those Muggle-born and half-blood Slytherins to disclose their blood status to their fellow housemates. It's pointless prejudice amongst racists and idiots, in my opinion."
"But you didn't?" asked Lily, her eyes darting towards Severus again. "You didn't hide the fact that you were a Muggle-born from the other Slytherins? You weren't ashamed of what you were?"
"Nope," said John honestly. "I didn't feel the need to hide what I was because I had nothing to prove to anyone else. And I didn't feel the need to prove myself to anyone because I knew I was smarter than the majority of people here."
Minerva rolled her eyes. Evidently, John's arrogance hadn't been tempered over the years. Even though he was correct in his assertion, it didn't do well to brag about it.
"Anyway, I digress," said John, waving his hand dismissively. "What was I talking about? Oh, yes - the occult! From the Latin word occultus, meaning 'clandestine', 'knowledge of the hidden'..."
John spent the rest of the lesson describing the rich history of Occultism in Britain. He explained that the lesson plan for the next year would involve learning and mastering protection spells and sigils like the ones he had demonstrated at the beginning of the lesson. The students took plenty of notes during the lesson, eating up every word that John imparted to them. Even the Marauders had their heads down and quills out, scribbling away as John explained what each sigil on the protection circle symbolised and what effect they had. He also stressed the importance of applying what they learned beyond the classroom.
"The old adage preaches, 'the best defence is a good offence'. Well, I say bollocks to that. Defence is the best defence, particularly in the current climate when there are nutters in pointed hoods running about doin' in folk like myself. Unfortunately, you lot are living through some pretty tough times, and it's my job to try and prepare you for what's out there. Bravery is all well and good in fairy tales, but you won't live long with a foolhardy attitude out there in the real world. Having a modicum of self-preservation isn't cowardice, it's smart. It's being prepared. Defence Against the Dark Arts..." he stressed the words as he said them. "Learning to defend yourself on all fronts against those who would do you harm - our exploration of the occult this year will help you greatly in that regard. I want you not only to familiarise yourselves with this branch of magic, but to master it. Let me teach you what I know. Let me arm you with the tools that could one day save your life. Sound good? Alright, then. For our next lesson, I want you to read chapters one through four of Del Rabina's The Grand Grimoire, paying particular attention to the creation of magical amulets. Do not repeat the incantations aloud! I don't want you to miss your next class because you're trapped in some dimension of Hell. Class dismissed."
The students slowly filed out of the classroom, chatting excitedly amongst themselves about the lesson. Snape lingered, however, taking his time packing away his belongings until he and John were the only ones left - and Minerva, who unbeknownst to him remained hidden at the back of the class.
"Professor..." he began tentatively.
John put up his hand and Snape fell silent. "Before you ask me anything, do you mind if I smoke?"
Severus looked confused but shook his head, "Uh, no sir."
Relieved, John pulled a carton of cigarettes from his back pocket, "Cheers." Ignoring the hissing protests of Minerva, he lit up a cigarette with the tip of his wand. Taking a deep draw he closed his eyes and exhaled in a long sigh, white smoke pluming from his nose and mouth. "Mmm, sweet Merlin. I've been gagging for a fag all day. Ah! Where are my manners? You don't smoke, do you?"
Minerva's claws retracted, ready to sink into John's leg if he gave a student a cigarette. Severus shook his head.
"No thank you, sir."
John shrugged and pocketed the carton of cigarettes. Leaning against his desk he asked, "How can I help you, lad?"
Severus lifted his heavy bag back up onto his shoulder and said, "I just want to say that I thought your lesson was very...illuminating. It's easily the best - and most terrifying one - I've ever had."
John grinned, looking pleased with himself, "Thanks very much! I'm glad I made a positive first impression."
"Yeah..." Severus looked uncertain about that, but he didn't want to argue with his professor on what constituted a positive first impression. "I was just thinking that, well... protection circles are all well and good if you want to trap something in them. And the circle obviously provided a lot of protection against spell attacks. But that's not going to be much use if you're anywhere outwith the classroom, is it? If you're under attack, your opponent isn't going to allow you time to draw out a protection circle, is he?"
John looked incredibly pleased, "I'm glad that you noticed that problem! I was wondering how long it would take for someone in the class to realise one of the major shortcomings of protection circles. To answer your question, are you interested in helping me with one more demonstration?"
He instructed Severus to stand in the protective circle again while he stood in the same spot James and Sirius had done at the start of the lesson.
"Draw your wand, bow, and on the count of three, attack me," said John. Severus didn't move.
"S-sir?" he stammered uncertainly.
"I'll be perfectly fine," John assured him. "Hit me with something that'll knock me on my arse, yeah?"
"But you're not armed," Severus pointed out, frowning. John shrugged, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets.
"I know, I don't need to be armed. Now, on the count of three..." Severus still looked uncertain. "I promise you won't get into trouble, okay? One...two...three...go!"
"Flipendo!" Severus cried, slicing his wand through the air. Bright blue light shot out of the end of his wand and the spell - as it had done earlier - bounced away from John before it could touch him. Severus yelled and ducked, covering his head as the spell came hurtling back towards him, but it bounced off of the invisible shield around the protective circle, ricocheting across the classroom before hitting a faraway window and shattering the glass.
Severus looked from the broken window to John, shocked.
"How..?"
John answered by peeling off his robes and rolling up his shirt sleeves to reveal the same sigils drawn on the floor tattooed across his arms.
"Defence is the best defence," he smirked.