Hey everyone! Today I'm writing with silly music. Let's see what that does to today's chapter!
Without anymore ado, onwards! Chapter 12.
***
The Snape boy was a disappointment.
Everyone in fifth year felt the first week was decidedly anti-climactic regarding Snape-Version-Two, as some of the Slytherins referred to Rasmus in whispers, because he didn't set Gryffindor House on fire or terrorize Hufflepuffs or harrow Potter. He didn't even have the decency of dressing in all black and his hair was not greasy. In all accounts, Rasmus Snape was a very typical bookworm of a student who spent good amounts of time in the library, did not seek to lose or earn points and generally was a silent constant in the classroom, watching but not overly anxious to show off his knowledge. But it only took two days for his reputation as a hopeless bookworm to be firmly established.
"Man, how can you study so much?" Finn told him with a slight tone of disgust when Rasmus checked out a stack of books on Runes- the one advanced class that did not require him to perform extra to get in- with the same ease others pick magazines. Rasmus arched an eyebrow.
"I was under the impression that this is what a student does. You know; as his job."
"Child labour," Finn grinned. "Utterly rotten thing."
Rasmus shot him a suspicious glance.
"Are you going to ask me to right an injustice and save you from slaving while you're not yet eighteen?"
Finn's grin widened even more.
"Will ya, Snapey lad?"
"Snapey? Just for that, you're on your own," Rasmus smirked and walked out, with Finn stammering and trailing after him.
But the apparent calm and quiet-seeking demeanor that lasted for the entire week changed abruptly on the first Defense against the Dark Arts practical. Practicals were in essence a new thing for DADA, as they involved active application of everything the students had learnt in the classroom- another thing McGonagall introduced to Hogwarts curriculi, with the full cooperation of Professor Bai, who was all for hands on experience.
Finn had been very queasy when Rasmus consulted his class schedule and he saw the words Advanced DADA Practical in his friend's sheet.
"Do you know what the Advanced Practical is, man?" Finn shivered and Rasmus smirked.
"It's a Practical and it's Advanced?"
"I'm not kidding ye! You know Damien, from last year, spent a week in the infirmary after just one of those DADA Practicals?"
"Afraid for me, Ryan?" Rasmus folded the schedule and put it back in his bag with a smile, trying to convince himself he was as self confident and as suave as he was projecting.
"Ye bet I'm afraid for ye!" Finn snorted indignantly. "If you're not available for studying, I won't get any done!"
"You could try studying on your own," Rasmus grinned, pausing where their routes were branching off.
Finn feigned shivering in horror.
"Don't say things like that! You walk out o' there on yer own two feet," he said as he walked away, pointing at his friend for a while before he trotted off to his own class. Rasmus sighed and grinned a little. Finn was tagged to be Slytherin's pain in the neck, and everyone was pushing him away, but Rasmus mysteriously liked this perpetual gabbler and his apparent innate levity- and his rather obvious manipulations in shirking work. He came across as a rather weak wizard, too- barely a squib and that didn't help much in Slytherin House; Rasmus wondered if he befriended him, and vice versa, as a mutual defense against the distance everyone else was showing them. His father's portrait had warned him that Slytherins wouldn't necessarily like him, considering he had helped kill or incarcerate more than half of the Slytherin family dominant males or females.
Focus, Rasmus! This is Bai's class. And you still don't know what Antahiga is.
He sighed and steeled himself. Whatever the case, he would not let Bai make a fool out of him, nor anyone else. He pushed open the large wooden door to the Practicals classroom. It was large, made of forged-iron arches and glass, much like the greenhouses, but otherwise completely empty of any furniture, desks or stools.
Inside, there were Slytherin and Gryffindor students- Rasmus' heart sank. There was Harry bloody Potter in the room, and Weasley and Granger, and of his own house, there was nobody who had at all looked at him with an acceptable glance. Finn had immediately informed him who was of Death Eater families and who was not, and at least seven of the twenty Slytherins in this Practical were so.
He scowled, knowing well not to appear hesitant or weak with the sort of crowd that immediately turned their eyes to him. The Gryffindors went quiet, and of the Slytherins and tall, well built girl took a few threatening steps towards him.
"What'd you want here, Snape? Lost your way?"
"Save it, Gaunt," Rasmus growled, glaring daggers at her. "This is my class, too."
"Bai probably wants him for a live target- you know, when he performs the curses," scoffed another student- Gryffindor, this time.
"Or just to extract revenge," Gaunt grinned, tossing her straight dark hair back. "Since you know, your esteemed father killed his entire family- and screwed up his face, too."
"Well, we all would like revenge for what Snape did to our families, don't we?" another Slytherin said, closing in around Rasmus.
But Rasmus whipped out his wand and with a hiss of a spell under his breath, flame erupted like a serpent and fell in a wide circle around him, causing the approaching Slytherins to jump backwards.
"Why don't you just settle down, little snakes?" Rasmus drawled belligerently.
"Order! Mr. Snape, 10 points from Slytherin for casting aggressive spells before class begins," came Professor Bai's voice. The fiery circle died out as Rasmus raised his hands, wand still in his right. The Slytherins glared, and Rasmus saw Harry looking at him thoughtfully while Ron gaped and Hermione was furiously talking to some of the other Gryffindors.
Professor Bai walked in between the standing students and looked around.
"I will not have petty strife in my class. If anyone so much as dares singe the other while not performing tasks, they will not only be expelled from Practicals. Nor will they be able to brag about it at dinner. Mark my words." His voice was quiet- like creeping death and it made everyone uneasy.
The professor let the silence linger for a moment, then gestured for the students to take places opposite him, and they did.
"Now, you have all obviously noticed that Mr. Snape is among us, though he is in fifth year. Obviously he believes he can handle this class- or maybe even more," Bai leered, his eyes never leaving Rasmus', his wand tapping his palm impatiently. "He has been gracious enough to offer us a demonstration of his- astounding abilities, most likely courtesy of his crafty father."
The blood seemed to rush to Rasmus' cheeks as his eyes gleamed with anger, and Bai smiled in satisfaction, seeing how easy it was to wind the boy up. He took a few steps back and gestured with his wand for Rasmus to come forward.
"Now I know you seem to prefer more savage, muggle ways of beating victims into pulp, but this is a magic defense class; therefore you will display for us how you intend to counter the curse I forwarned you several days before I would hit you with. Tell me, Mr. Snape, do you know the countercurse for Antahiga?"
At the sound of the word, Harry frowned and tried to speak up.
"Sir, Antahiga-"
"Quiet, Potter, or I will take points from Gryffindor as well!"
"But sir!" Harry's eyes were desperately trying to catch Bai's glance as if to communicate something to him, but Bai simply snarled:
"5 points from Gryffindor, Potter! Keep silent! Mr. Snape."
Rasmus breathed in, feeling his stomach become a coil right under his lungs.
"No, sir."
Bai tilted his head, eyebrows raised.
"No? How surprising. Didn't your father's portrait tell you what it is?"
"I am not in the habit of going to the key to get the answers for a test, sir," Rasmus threw back at him, somehow managing to keep his voice respectful while he sassed.
"I see. Would you like to be excused from this class then? Otherwise you will be obliged to take the test, and fail."
"If I fail, then I'll leave," Rasmus grit his teeth, trying to keep his face neutral. Judging from Bai's face, he wasn't very effective.
"Sir, Antahiga isn't-" Harry tried to cut in again, but Bai waved his wand and silenced him.
"Very well," Bai said eagerly and pulled back his wand. Rasmus sprung into action as the professor already began making wand moves in rapid sequences, beginning his cast. He pointed his wand to the professor and made a jabbing motion:
"Epineph Caro!" he shouted.
Nothing seemed to happen, and the professor completed his wandless move, but then his eyes widened. He seemed to lose his concentration, grabbed at his chest and staggered, as if extremely dizzy. His wand turned inwards, and he barely had the time to gasp Finite.
He leaned on his thighs and breathed deeply for a few seconds, then he straightened up.
"Where did you learn that, Snape?" he snapped, ignoring the rest of the class.
"In the library," Rasmus replied. "You did ask me to counter that spell; not tell you what it was."
Professor Bai frowned and knotted his hands behind his back, still holding his wand. He turned sharply to the rest of the class.
"Can anyone tell me what Mr. Snape cast? Except Miss Granger?"
Nobody else was forthcoming, and Bai ignored Hermione's hand as he instructed:
"He hit me with the tachycardia spell- a very effective way not only to cancel any and every spell your opponent might be casting against you, including the Unforgivables, but also render him or her an easy target. It is also a torture spell, used to cause extreme pain without inducing death. One could say it is a dark spell."
"It's a medicinal spell!" Rasmus objected.
"10 points from Slytherin, Mr. Snape, for using a questionable means of defense. Go back in line," Professor Bai said, but did not expel Rasmus from the class.
"Now," he said as Rasmus returned to the group of students, "we will review some basic attack and shielding spells…"
Harry side stepped until he was standing next to Rasmus. Rasmus glanced at him with a questioning frown.
"Antahiga is not a curse you can research," Harry whispered to him. "It was Bai's trademark incapacitation curse against Death Eaters- he invented it."
"You mean there's no defense against it?" Rasmus whispered back, completely forgetting to pay attention.
"You just found one, Rasmus," Harry smiled lopsidedly.
"But that means Bai will want to even the score now," Ron added, and lost Gryffindor another five points.
***
And that's that! I didn't have the time to write about the bad guys, but tomorrow they are up next ;)
Lupus Ignis: I hope you liked this first taste. We have only just begun.
Moira of the mountain: Finn is certainly fun. He's not Ron though. I just got a scare he might be coming across as a Ron-clone.
RebeccaRoy: He's easy to tease if he trusts you, true :D
Till tomorrow!