Author's Note: This story is based off of events and conversations as found throughout the Harry Potter series as written by J.K. Rowling. Most of this work will contain original prose and dialogue, but references will be made in specific chapters where Rowling's exact words are used. This is written purely for recreational purposes; I do not own any rights to Harry Potter or affiliations of Bloomsbury Publishing.
Specific note: Expelliarmus is a spell specifically for disarming the target by removing whatever the witch or wizard is holding. However, since the spell is capable of shoving over an opponent, I took the liberty of assuming it could shove objects out of pockets, if the spell is directed in a specific way. Heck, it could knock your socks off if the wizard was talented enough!
Plus, you know, I wouldn't mind if some of you reading this would say something. Anything. Bash my head in verbally if you wish. I don't post this purely for kicks and giggles—I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
Chapter Six: Defence Against the Dark Arts
Sirius Black and James Potter did not learn their lesson not to perform foolhardy pranks on other students; if anything, they learned to do it without attracting the attention of teachers. Months had passed at school, and in that time Sirius and James had succeeded in spraying Severus with water while in the boys' lavatories, getting Tenacious Toffee in his hair, and lining his cauldron with essence of newt gallbladder—which turned the last potion into something of a frothy disaster—among many things.
Although no one else seemed to see what was going on, Lily could see right through the antics. "Why don't you tell a teacher?" she had said imploringly.
Severus gave her a heated glare. "I'd never give in like that."
"It's not giving in, Severus! If you don't tell, I will."
"No!" he urged, a little too loudly. Half of the Herbology class turned to stare. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "No, Lily, don't. Ever."
"Why?"
"Because then they win."
She looked confused and defiant, but she said nothing. Nor did she approach a teacher about the bullying. From then on, Severus was on his guard, of every moment of every day, up until he went to bed each night. Which was what his favourite instructor had taught him to do.
Yevgeniy Utkin was a Russian wizard who used to work for his Ministry tracking wizard crime rings. He had succeeded in taking down half of a gang in the fifties, at the cost of his left arm and his buoyant personality—a strong stunning spell cracked his skull and damaged his frontal lobe, which turned him into the opposite man he had been before. His wife and family left him, and after a few short years he was dismissed by the Russian Ministry of Magic with a hefty severance package. At age thirty-seven, he had been forced into retirement, up until he was offered the position of professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School.
Although Severus found all his classes easy, he found none as enjoyable as Defence Against the Dark Arts. This, of course, was one of Lily's least favourites—she did not like the idea of Dark magic, and she admitted to not catching on to it as well as Severus did. But his instructor was absolutely enthralling on Severus's terms. Physically, Utkin was unimpressive; he was a short man, thin, balding, and had facial features strongly resembling a duck. As a wizard, however, he was engaging, talented, and just a bit intimidating, which Severus found easy to respect.
Roughly a week before Easter holiday, Lily had asked Severus to meet her in the library to do homework together and spend some time talking; she was tired of only being able to glean a few minutes of conversation here and there in their classes together. On his way across the second floor, he was ambushed—a puddle of oil streaked out across the hall and swept him off his feet. After his head smacked against the stone floor and the ringing in his ears dimmed, he heard raucous laughter echoing off the walls.
Severus rolled onto his stomach and watched as the culprits went racing back down the hallway. He reached for his wand in his pocket and angrily pointed it at Sirius and James, wishing some offensive spell would magically cast itself and hit them, but only sharp white sparks flew out the tip. Severus cursed and slammed his fist into the ground, then slowly stood up, trying to brush the oil off, but only succeeding in spreading it about his robes.
He heard footsteps and immediately thought that the caretaker was going to spot him with the soiled floor and blame him for all the mess, as Severus was often caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and usually anything that could go wrong, did. But from around the opposite corner where James and Sirius had made their escape, Utkin sauntered into view, his one good arm tucked behind his back, his wooden one hanging at his side.
Severus stared, lost for words, ashamed that his favourite teacher would catch him in a situation that he wanted no one to see him in. Utkin's characteristic scowl was on his face—he looked like that all the time, whether or not he was angry or amused; therefore, the young student was left thinking he was in deep trouble.
"What is this?" he asked with a grunt, eyeing the puddle.
Severus dropped his gaze and shrugged, opting to keep his mouth shut.
"Eh, boy? Attacked?"
Severus lifted his eyes to his professor for a second before averting them again.
"Ah. Here, here." The professor encouraged Severus to turn around, then he muttered a spell. There was an odd sucking noise, like a small vacuum slurping on some liquid, and then the professor patted the boy on the back. The oil was gone.
Severus turned and watched Utkin perform the same spell on the oil spill; the puddle was sucked up into the tip of his wand, making the same curious sucking noise. When it was clean, Utkin turned his scowl back on Severus.
"You vere not on guard," the man said in his thick accent. Severus turned his head away to hide his shame. "Did you not defend yourself?"
"I wanted to," Severus mumbled. "Pay them back."
"Yes, yes, you vould," Utkin replied, and his eyebrows crawled up his forehead—the first change in expression Severus had ever seen cross the professor's face. "Wizarding War out there, boy. Know that, eh? Need to be more prepared. Come. I show you somethink."
Utkin passed Severus and headed for the stairwell. The boy looked between his professor and the direction of the library, then finally turned on his heel and caught up to Utkin, who didn't so much as look over his shoulder to see if Severus was following.
Utkin's classroom was on the fourth floor, on the opposite side of the castle as the library. It overlooked the Quidditch pitch and took in a grand view of the mountain range beyond. Even though windows lined the room and sunlight filtered in along with the beautiful scenery, the professor had still managed to find a way to make the room dark and gloomy. He stepped forward into the room, leading Severus inside, then suddenly—without warning—Utkin spun on his student, his wand in his hand, and Severus's wand immediately flew from his pocket. Severus looked bewildered and stared at the place his wand had landed. Utkin remained still, continuing to point his wand at the boy.
"Disarmink spell." Utkin nodded his head towards the wand. Severus went to retrieve it, and this time clutched it in his hand. Utkin lowered his wand and let Severus get into position.
"You didn't say anything," Severus pointed out.
Utkin humphed. "A vand does not need words... but commands. And commands can be from within. Here!" he shouted, pointing to his forehead. "My English—no good. My spells in Russian. But even better is spells without vords. Enemy has less time to react. Ve practice now."
Severus shook his head. "I can't even do the disarming spell right out loud."
"Eh? You know more spells than N.E.W.T. class, but you not know disarmink spell?" When Severus just shrugged, Utkin nodded solemnly. "One step at time." He lifted his wand and flicked it at the chalkboard. Severus looked over his shoulder to watch the chalk scribble across it furiously; to wrote: "Expelliarmus."
"Vand will respond to you," Utkin said, motioning to the word. "You must be clear. And demandink!"
Severus lifted his wand and pointed it at Utkin. I want to remove his wand from his hand. I want to disarm him. "Expelliarmis!" he shouted. His wand wrenched around in his hand and poked him in the eye. "OW!"
Utkin belted out a dry laugh, his scowl never lifting. "Mus. Mus! Not 'miss.'"
Still rubbing his eye, Severus pointed his wand back at Utkin. Now the boy had anger flaring behind his eyes. "Expelliarmus!" he hollered.
The wand jerked in Utkin's hand, but did not fly away. "Good. Better. But not strong enough. More, eh... vhat you say? Convict."
Severus rubbed at his eye one last time before dropping his hand. "Conviction?"
"Yes, yes. A bit of anger helps. But demand, power, determine—these overthrow your opponent. This is how to face Dark Arts."
A smile pulled at Severus's lips. The more he learned about this art, the more he wanted. Mustering all his will and desire, he licked his lips together and fixed his professor with heated stare. "Expelliarmus!" he called again.
They practised for over half an hour, in which Utkin gave Severus continuous advice. Finally, Severus succeeded in throwing the wand from Utkin's hand. Utkin gave his barking laugh again, and Severus beamed triumphantly, his dark eyes alight.
"Ah, but how to block it?" Utkin said slyly before quickly pointing his wand and throwing Severus's across the room again. With a flick of his wand, Utkin summoned the boy's to him. He then tossed it back to Severus. "Protego. Reflect."
"Pro-te-go," Severus repeated, then mumbled continuously under his breath. Utkin lifted his wand, and instinctively Severus held his wand in front of him and shouted the spell. The wand still left his hand, but it only flew about two feet before clattering on the ground.
"Mmm... vords are not enough," Utkin said, holding his wand upright and sweeping it across his chest. "You must shield yourself. Draw it in front of you. Bounce spell back."
Severus practised another twenty minutes with Utkin before he finally succeeded in bouncing the spell back at Utkin, whose wand flew from his hand. Utkin clapped his good hand into his wooden palm, looking positively disgusted, but by now Severus had learned enough of the man to see that he was, in fact, quite thoroughly impressed.
"Bravo," he said, then went to retrieve his wand. "Ve stop today. Too ahead of classmates."
Severus wanted to keep going, to learn more about how to fight back and put those stupid Gryffindors in their place, but he knew better than to look whiny and ungrateful to Utkin. As the man stopped to pick up his wand, he glowered back at Severus. "Go on." He waved his hand to shoo the boy. "Out. Out!"
"Thank you," Severus mumbled quickly before dashing from the room.
"And remember, alvays be on your guard!"
The door slammed behind him and he hopped around, staring at it, a satisfied smile dawning on his lips. Eventually he turned and shuffled down the corridor, gently swishing his wand from side to side, muttering the two spells he had learned under his breath.
Then he remembered that he was supposed to meet with Lily over an hour ago.
Flying down the corridor, he hissed and spat curse words, taking corners at dangerous speeds and jumping down the stone steps in the stairwell. He rushed across the second floor, passing a painting that hollered: "Come back here, you conniving thief!" and all but burst through the doors into the library, making more racket than was acceptable. Everyone shot angry eyes up at the intruder, and Madam Pince appeared from behind a bookshelf, her face contorted with the utmost rage.
"Out!" she whispered hoarsely, "OUT!"
"But—"
She stormed him like a rabid Hippogriff, her arms flailing. Severus backed out of the library and she shut the doors after him. He stood outside for a few minutes, waiting until he thought Madam Pince had slunk back into the recesses of the library, then quietly slipped between the doors.
No one noticed him this time. He tiptoed through the aisles and shelves, slinking from table to table in search of Lily. He met a few disgruntled Hufflepuffs and irritable Slytherins that did not appreciate his passing them by ("You'd think we're in a zoo, the privacy is so shoddy here,") before he finally found Lily sitting by her lonesome at a table near the Restricted Section. She was glaring down at her parchment and absently flipping the pages of her textbook.
"Lily!" Severus whispered, "Lily, you'll never guess—"
"Where were you?" she hissed back, eyes ablaze. "I've been waiting since breakfast!"
"I know, but Professor Utkin brought me to his classroom and taught me some defence spells," Severus said, unable to rid himself of his stupid grins. "He mentioned something about a war... I don't know what he was talking about, but I want to show the spells to you, come on—"
"No!" she said firmly, pressing the butt of her fist into the table. "I have work to do, which you promised you'd help me with, and I have absolutely no interest in the Dark Arts."
"It's not—"
"Either don't talk to me or go away," she said brusquely, propping up her book and hiding her face from view. Severus felt a sting of annoyance as he stared at the face of her textbook. It's not like he had intentionally ditched her. Well, apart from the fact he had wanted to press on his lessons, he didn't stand her up. And he was here now, wasn't he?
As the minutes ticked on, however, he gave in with a sigh. "What one are you working on?" he asked.
She remained silent for a moment before peeking her eyes over the top of the book. "The essay on vampire characteristics."
Severus sidled next to her and sat down, looking over her parchment. "Hates crucifixes and... what is this?"
Lily looked insulted, but a definite flush hit her cheeks. "It's all I know about vampires!"
"Muggles think this stuff? About coffins and crosses and everything?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Muggles think that stuff."
Severus tried to hide his distaste by grabbing her textbook and burying his nose in it as he flipped to chapter twenty-six. "Here—vampires prefer the night, but they don't sleep in coffins. And they're not averted by crucifixes, but by garlic."
"I knew that," Lily said defiantly. "I just hadn't got to that paragraph yet."
Severus got out his parchment and quill and laid it out on the table. Lily put the textbook between them and cast a spell on her parchment to wipe it clean of ink. Then they set to work together.
Finally, after several moments of consideration, Severus said: "Sorry." It still took him more willpower and mustering than should have been necessary in order to apologize.
Lily made no response, but visibly relaxed after that. They worked together mostly in silence, but once in a while compared each other's work and went in search for further information. By the time they finished their respective essays, it was near dinner time. They walked down to the Great Hall together, chatting idly about classes.
Before they even breached the double doors, Severus saw James and Sirius walking together down the adjacent hall; they would intercept each other, and almost instantly Severus anticipated an ambush. He reached for his wand and pointed it at the boys, shouting: "Expelliarmus!"
It looked as if a giant bubble had popped between the two friends, for they bounced apart by half a foot and their wands fell from their pockets. They looked up bewilderingly at Severus, then their bemused faces became angry ones. They stooped to pick up their wands—
"SNAPE!"
Severus jumped and spun around. Professor McGonagall was descending upon him quickly, her robes billowing behind her. The sight was enough to make even Severus cower a bit. "What on earth's good graces are you doing?"
Severus only stared up at her silently. Lily was stammering uncontrollably, and the two boys behind him were sniggering into their hands.
"My office, now," she barked, leading him along past the Great Hall. Lily gave him a look of shock mixed with disapproval, and the boys made rude gestures at him as they passed—behind the professor's back, of course.
Professor McGonagall's office was small, round, and had the definite air of a serious, down-to-business place. There was a fireplace that took up nearly half the room with a strong, soft fire burning in the hearth and several pictures of witches and wizards over the mantle. The professor bid Severus to sit at the desk; she looked down at him from over her square frames.
"I will be retrieving your head of house—do not leave this room, or the seriousness of your offence will have doubled."
Severus did not dare defy her. When she swept out of the room, his courage and confidence in his actions fizzled into miserable frustration. The irony of getting in trouble for preempting his attackers was aggravating and unjust. Where dwell the brave at heart... more like where dwell the fake and not so smart. But he was the one in trouble now—not so smart. Should have waited for them to make the first move. He kicked at the desk, then immediately made sure he hadn't put a dent in it.
Shortly thereafter, Professor McGonagall returned with Professor Slughorn. He looked down at his student forlornly, a bit of regret and sympathy in his eyes. "I have shared my events of the story, Severus, you may present your case," Professor McGonagall said.
Severus looked up at the Potions Master, and all his defiant courage returned. "They were going to attack me, so I was just protecting myself by disarming them!"
"Professor McGonagall saw no such thing, Severus," Professor Slughorn replied with an air of reluctance. "I will have to take her word for it; you cast a spell on two students without warrant. I'm afraid I will have to take fifty points from Slytherin and give you detention for tomorrow night."
Severus's mouth fell open, but he did not draw the trump card he knew would get him out of trouble. They've been attacking me for weeks, they bully me. He would rather accept punishment before putting himself to shame.
"See me in my office tomorrow night after dinner," Slughorn declared. He then left the office, muttering something to Professor McGonagall. The Transfiguration Instructor then turned on Severus.
"Very well, you may go." As Severus stood and sulked to the door, she added: "May I suggest you keep your wand safely tucked in your pocket, Snape, to avoid attacking students unprovoked."
Severus kept his mouth shut and stormed out of the office.
On his way back to the Great Hall, he met Utkin, strolling almost leisurely down the corridor. Severus stopped next to him and simply stared. Utkin scowled back.
"Eh, boy?" This was turning out to be his customary greeting, it seemed.
"Hullo. Sir."
"Ah... spell not vork for you?"
Severus shrugged. "I got caught."
"Mm. Not on guard."
Severus stared back with such acid that his expression was only rivalled by his professor's. "I was on my guard, though! I got them before they could even lay a hand on their wands!"
"No, no, no, no, no," Utkin chastised, tsking and wagging a finger at Severus. "You get caught, yes? Not on guard. Must be avare of your surroundink. Alvays." Utkin leaned forward and squinted a mean eye at Severus. The boy only swallowed and stared back.
Utkin passed his pupil and moved on to the Great Hall, where dinner was already halfway done. Severus whipped his head around once his professor was gone, taking in the area. No one and nothing. He walked slowly after Utkin to the Great Hall, his eyes all around. He was even straining his ears, so that he might hear someone approaching from behind. Once he noticed he was walking half as slow as usual, he picked up his pace and dropped some of his paranoia. Being on guard does not mean reacting faster, he could hear Utkin say. It means knowing your own limits and abilities.
He'd show James and Sirius. Next time.